College Prep 101

The actual college application can be very scary for students to fill out for the first time. They usually have tons of questions about what is required and what they can get away with not doing. As educators we can help students simplify this process and make it less intimidating.

Blakenship (2011) states "students should think of their college application as a full page advertisement" (p.1).  It is important that we make sure they are making a good first impression with presenting themselves for the first time to the college (Blakenship, 2011).  Students must remember that the college application is only piece of information that might be used when colleges are deciding who to accept. 

The college application usually includes essays, recommendation letters, SAT and or ACT test scores, and a transcript (College Counseling Sourcebook, 2006).  Below I have listed steps on how to walk students through each item that is required. 

 1. Get Organized: The first thing students need to do is organize all of their college applications and materials they will need. I encourage students to purchase colored folders for every college they are applying to or because this is a technology world it might be better for them to make folders electronically on their computer.

 Big Future created by College Board has a great College Application Checklist they can use for each school to make sure they have sent in all materials. Students also should have a College Application Timeline handy so they can see what they should be doing each month of their senior year (College Ed, 2010). This helps with students staying on track with all the other academic, and extracurricular responsibilities.

2. The Application: A large number or colleges/universities now have their application online (National Association for College Admission Counseling, 2009).  These schools encourage students to fill out an electronic application if it is available. Students might be able to still print out the application to practice on before they do the real thing. 

Some states such as North Carolina also allow their students to fill out any public state college application online through The College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC).   Students can also opt to fill out one standard college application that they can send to all the colleges they apply to through The Common Application. There are over 400 colleges/universities that allow students to complete their application through this site (The Common Application, 2012). 

3. Essays: Most colleges require some sort of essay or personal statement. " Your essay reveals something important about you that your grades and test scores can't" (Big Future, 2013). I often tell students if they want to explain a reason as to why they have a low grades during a particular year or class or if they have low test scores this is where they can give an explanation. Sometimes students have unpredictable circumstances during high school that cause their transcript not to reflect who they really are academically. 

3. Recommendation Letters: Colleges/Universities often ask students to provide 2 letters of recommendation. One from a teacher and one from a school counselor. If there are no limitations on who provides a letter of recommendation students can choose who they would like however, they should make sure they know them well. "Students with mediocre grades, or low scores on college admission tests can benefit from an honest presentation of their potential for success in college" (College Board Counseling Sourcebook, 2006, p. 149). 

Students should ask for recommendations at least 2 months in advance of the application deadline. Some school counselors and/or teachers ask their students to fill out a form or give them a resume to help them with writing about their achievements. 

4. SAT/ACT Scores: Students can choose to take the SAT and/or the ACT. Whatever tests they take they can go to their website for a lists of test dates, locations, and prices. These test apply a common standard to everyone (Big Future, 2013). "This helps colleges evaluate and compare the preparation of students who go to different high schools" (Big Future, 2013). Students should make sure the college/university that they are applying to receives their scores. This can be done at the same time the register for the tests. 

One of the mistakes students often make is waiting to send their scores to the college/university until they get them back and they know how high or low they scored. They also often delay applying to a college/university until they take the SAT and or ACT. Students should be encouraged to send the scores as soon as they sign up for the test so it does not delay the admissions process as well as applying to a college and taking the SAT and or ACT can be done at the same time. 

5. Transcripts: The transcript includes every course and grade a student has earned while in high school. In addition it shows a students grade point average (GPA) and a students class rank. Some schools might have a weighted and unweighted GPA. A transcript might also display a students class rank, however not all high schools opt to rank their students. The transcript for some students is the most important document they will send to a college because of their academic performance (College Board Counseling Sourcebook, 2006).

Students should go their school counseling department to find out the process of requesting transcripts to send to colleges/universities. This should be done months in advance of the application deadline.

North Carolina allows students to send their transcripts electronically through CFNC to any state college/university. Students should check to see if the state they live in allows transcripts to be sent electronically. This is an  fast and efficient way to send transcripts. 

These are just a few tips that will get you started. Your school counseling department can purchase more resources, find free ones on the internet or make their own.

References
Blakenship, R (2011). College applications simplified. Retrieved from http://www.education.com

College Board (2013). Big future. Retrieved from https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-
search

College Board (2010). College Ed. Plano, TX: College Board Publications.

College Board(2006). College counseling source book:advice and strategies from experienced school counselors. Plano, TX: College Board Publications.

The Common Application (2012). Retrieved from https://www.commonapp.org

Helping Students Apply To College: Beginning Steps To Take

The college admissions process can be a daunting task for students. Students, especially seniors need the support of all school staff to help them through   I often have students come in to my office that want to go to college but they do not know where to start. In this blog I am going to give you as educators some basic things that you can share with your students on getting started.

The first thing that students need to do as early as their freshman year is research the schools that they are interested in. Students should make a list of what they are looking for in a school. The size. location (state and nationally), extra curricular activities, sports and majors offered are all factors students should take into account when choosing schools they would like to attend. Big Future by College Board is a good site to use for this purpose. When students form an account through College Board they are able to use their search engines to narrow their selections based on factors that I mentioned above.

You may find that some of your students do not have reliable access to a computer. College Board offers a plethora of books that are geared towards the college admissions process. One book that I find very handy for my students is the Book of Majors.This book allows students to look up a specific major and link it to every state and college that offers this major. This is helpful because I often speak to students that would like to attend a college/university that does not offer the major they want to pursue.

In their search students should be encouraged to match the college requirements with what they have achieved. In other words, make sure your students are being realistic when selecting colleges. For example, a student that has a 2.5 G.P.A. might not want to gamble on a college/university that has a G.P.A. requirement of 3.8. If they are starting this search early they might be able to raise their G.P.A. but if they started searching in their junior year chances are their grade point average will not increase that much. Students should be encouraged to apply because G.P.A.'s are not the only criteria that colleges use. However, it is important to inform students that this might be a school that declines them acceptance.

While students are searching for the college/university that fits their needs they also need to start thinking about taking the SAT and/or ACT.  College Board is the organization that develops the SAT. This test is given most months during the school year but usually not in September, February or April. During these months students might  take the ACT if it is offered. Both tests have tons of practice materials on their website for students to study before they take the test. The SAT also provides students the opportunity to get a "word of the day" or math problem sent to their email or even by text message to their cell phone. Students can pay for prep courses, buy practice books or go to their local library to rent practice books.

Regardless of how your students choose to get practice make sure they study before taking either test. There is a fee for each test but if students receive free and/or reduced lunch they can get a waiver for both tests. Two fee waivers are given for each test during the 4 years they are in high school. Waivers are distributed through the school counseling office. Some states, such as North Carolina have added the ACT as one of the mandated tests juniors must take. They take it during the school day at no cost and they can use these scores for college the following year. Regardless of what state, students should take one or both of these tests by the end of their junior year.

After students have narrowed down their choices and have taken the SAT and/or ACT they should be encouraged to visit the campuses if they are accessible to them. This is a great way for students to utilize their summer vacations. All colleges and universities offer free tours and information sessions through out the year. Students and or parents should either contact the admissions office or find dates and times through the college/university's website.  

In addition, most colleges and universities use the fall to promote their institution through Open Houses. Whether the student goes in the summer or during the fall to visit, this is a good way for students and parents to tour the campus and to get questions answered about the application process and financial aid. Remind students that this is where they are going to spend the next 4 to 5 years and they need to enjoy their surroundings. Some students opt to not apply to a college/university after they visit.

When students have completed these 3 steps they are now ready to apply to the colleges/university's that have made the final cut. Below is a video for you to share with your students about the beginning steps for applying to college. Check out my next blog on the specifics of college application materials.

             

References

Book of Majors 2014. Retrieved from http://www.store.collegeboard.org 

College and Career Readiness for All?

College and career readiness for all students is one of the hot topics of educational reform in the 21st century that high school are being held accountable for. ACT defines college and career readiness "as the acquisition of knowledge and skills a student needs to enroll and succeed in credit-bearing first year courses at a post secondary institution without the need for remediation" (ACT, 2012, p. 1). 

High school students will no longer be able to graduate from high school and receive a stable paying job. According to College Completion Toolkit (2011) published by the U.S. Department of Education more than half of all new jobs in the next decade will require a post secondary certificate or degree. In addition the Georgetown University Center on Education and Workforce has projected that the nation will "produce there million fewer college graduates by 2018 than the labor market will require" (Carey, 2011, p. 49).  The U.S.Department of Education would like all states in the next ten years to focus on providing more resources in their schools that enable students to not only graduate from high school but earn a college degree. The percentage of American adults that have graduated from college has stayed at 40% for many years, 30% of these graduates have four year degrees and 10% have an associate degree (Carey, 2011). 

The biggest benefit of earning a college degree will come in the form of compensation. According to The College Board (2010) young adults who earn a Bachelors degree will earn approximately $55,700 as oppose to someone with only a high school diploma earning $33,800. The increase of college graduates will not only benefit the individual but businesses will also receive increased tax revenue (U.S. Department of Education, 2011). "Each four-year college graduate generates, on average, $5,900 more per year in state, federal, and local tax revenue than each high school graduate" (U.S. Department of Education, 2011, p. 1). 

Nay sayers believe college and career readiness for all is unfair to students because not all students want to go to college. They do not believe students that do not want to go to college should be trapped in college prep classes when they could be gaining valuable skills that would enhance their job prospects (Gewertz, 2010). However, advocates of college and career readiness believe their should be one set of graduation requirements for all students. Their philosophy is if there are different course of studies for earning a high school diploma low-income and minority students will be pushed towards the lower level paths (Holland & Farmer-Hinton, 2009). High schools that share this philosophy make earning a high school diploma equitable for all students. "All students need the option of pursuing post-secondary education or training" (Education Digest, 2010). 

Researchers  have found that half of the students that attend a post secondary institution after high school do not finish within six years. One of the reasons why students are not completing a degree program is because they are not being prepared academically and socially in middle and high school. To fix this problem high schools are changing the culture into a college going culture. Organizations such as ACT and College Board continue to provide resources for educators, specifically school counselors to start the process of building a college going culture. College Board's Guide to Creating a College Going Culture (2006) suggests the following things to be done in a school to facilitate this process:

• Develop and implement a teacher, parent, student and staff needs assessment to figure out what is needed in the school. 
• Make the school college friendly through appearance, attitude of staff, course handbook, and the counseling office. 
• Incorporate college and career readiness lessons into standard curriculum taught in the classroom. 
• Implement large scale problems such as and Advanced Placement program or AVID. 
• Collaborate with Trio programs designed to target first-generation college students or who are from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Opportunities should also be given to the staff through professional development that make them aware of the college admissions process and provide ways they can get to know their students and help them with this process so they can not only be accepted to college, but they can graduate in four or less years (Holland & Farmer-Hinton, 2009). 

References
ACT (2012). The condition of college & career readiness 2012. Retrieved from http://www.act.org/research. 

Carey, J. (2011). College for all? The Wilson Quarterly, 35(4), 48-51. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/897108664?accountid=1141.

College Board (2006). Creating a college going culture guide. Retrieved from http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/collegeed/collegeEd-create-college-going-culture.pdf

Gerwertz, C (2010). College and the workforce:What readiness means: After years of advocacy, attention is paying off. Education Week, 29, 24-25.

Holland, N.E. & Farmer-Hinton, R. (2009). Leave no schools behind:The importance of a college culture in urban public schools. The High School Journal, 92(3), 24-43).

Ready college career ready. Retrieved from http://www.ruc2ready.com

REINVENTING THE FEDERAL ROLE IN EDUCATION: Supporting the goal of college and
career readiness for all students. (2010). The Education Digest, 75 (6), 34-43, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/218190311?accountid=11411.

United States Department of Education. (2011, March). College completion took kit. Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/college-completion/governing-win