TheCollegeProcessfortheClassof2021

SEPTEMBER 16, 2019

Introductions AmySelinger

FredCoyneKatieGaymanLaurenWatsonChristinaMyers

Goals for the Evening ü Landscape ü The College Process & Our Philosophy ü Support – What’s in your toolbox? ü What to Expect ü Roles & Responsibilities ü Q & A

Competition Demystified

ü Outwit, Outplay, Outlast ü Narrow definition of “success” ü Knight Pride ü Maximize opportunity ü See the whole process ü Strive to find colleges that fit

Defining a “Good College”

ü Location/environment ü Desired academic programs ü Internships/activities ü Financially accessible ü Will challenge AND support

Admissions Landscape ü Bubble has burst ü So why do admit rates keep dropping? ü Number of applications per student high ü Number of college-bound students rising ü Colleges seek textured student body ü Geographic distribution ü International applications up

The Best Defense? A Balanced College List!

The Balanced List Reach Possible Likely

Accuracy Analysis

FarReach/HighlyUnlikely

Reach/Unlikely Possible Likely

9.8% 21% 59.6% 89.9%

Classesof2016-2019

%AcceptedbyCategory

Likely Colleges “I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member.”

-Groucho Marx

The College Process

The College Process

Our Philosophy ✔  DEVELOPMENT ✔  OWNERSHIP ✔  EMPOWERMENT

Development “It is difficult to stand forth in one’s growing if one is not permitted to live through the states of one’s un-ripeness, clumsiness, un-readiness, as well as one’s grace and aptitude.”

-- M.C. Richards

Ownership ✔  Be the passenger… ✔  Seize the opportunity… ✔  Beware reverse psychology…

Empowerment ✔  Terrible twos all over again! ✔ Push & pull ✔ “How can I help?”

ExpertAdvicePLUS

SkillDevelopment

StrategyPLUS

 “Whenchildrenaren’tgiventhespacetostrugglethroughthingsontheirown,theydon’tlearntoproblemsolveverywell.Theydon’tlearntobeconfidentintheirownabilities.” ―JulieLythcott-Haims,HowtoRaiseanAdult:BreakFreeoftheOverparentingTrapandPrepareYourKidforSuccess

StrategyPLUS

“Here’syourlistofcolleges” vs “Here’showtocreateyourownlistofcolleges.”

“Thesearetheduedatesforallyourapplications.” vs “Let’sreviewthedeadlinechartyoucreated.”

“Youshouldanalyzeofferingsofyourcollegechoicesusingthisrubric.”

vs

“Haveyouthoughtabouthowyouwilldecidewhichcollegesmeetyourneeds?”

StrategyPLUS

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES “Let’s get a head start and visit some

colleges early!”

Revisits, anxiety, frustration

SOLUTION:Honordevelopment

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES “Take standardized tests early

and often!”

Burnout & collateral damage

SOLUTION:Thoughtfulplan

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES “The Admission Process is just a game!”

There are winners and losers

SOLUTION:Reframeapproach

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES “Make a chart to make a choice

about a college!”

Emotional response is “wrong”

SOLUTION:Honorinstincts

“Gather as much information as possible from everyone!”

Confusion and anxiety

SOLUTION:Valuesatthecenter

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

Support WHAT IS IN YOUR TOOLBOX?

TheCollegeOffice

Expectations WHAT COMES NEXT?

The year ahead… ü  Classmeetingsü  Standardizedtestingü  Naviance&Parentquestionnairesü  CollegeCounselingWorkshopü  MeetwithcollegecounselorstartinginJanuary

ü  Helpdevelopthecollegelistü  Helpplanspringbreakdiagnosticvisitsü  Helpcraftatestingplanü  Supportadvisorswithcourseselection

Class meetings

✔ Introducethecounselors✔ Whattoexpect✔ Whatisexpected✔ Remindertostayinthenow

Standardized Tests

✔ PSAT✔ ACT✔ SAT✔ SubjectTests✔ APs

StandardizedTestingCollegesoftenchangetestingrequirementsMostcollegeshavedroppedSATsubjecttestsfromadmissionrequirements

Standardized Tests: Recommended First Round ✔  PSAT/NMSQT:Oct30(Wednesday)

✔ ACT:FebruaryorApril✔  SAT:March

✔  SATSubjectTests:May/June

✔ APTests:May

Standardized Tests: Retesting ✔ ACT/SAT:Spring&Senioryear

✔  SATSubjectTests:Senioryear

✔  Summertesting:prosandcons

✔ CollegeCounselorswillhelpcreateanindividualizedplan

To Prep or Not to Prep?

✔ Independentwork✔ RevolutionPrep✔ Summit✔ GroupClass✔ Method

Test Registration ✔ Nostandbyoption✔ Donotsendscores✔ Photouploadatregistration✔ PhotoIDrequired!✔ Studentsresponsibleforregistration!

Questionnaires ✔ Hardcopy/download✔ Behonest✔ BePROUD!✔ Internaldocumentonly✔ “Ticket”tofirstmeeting

First Meetings ✔ Scheduledbystudent✔ “Ticket”✔ Overviewofprocess

✔ Parentmeeting✔ Afterstudent✔ ScheduledwithMrs.Myers

College Counseling Workshop

✔ Kick-offevent✔ AdmissionRepresentatives✔ Smallgroupexperiences✔ Studentpanel✔ Financialaidinformation

The College Search ✔ “Taste-test”types(diagnostic)✔ Exploringoptions✔ Definingneeds✔ Cuttingvsselecting✔ Finallists

March Vacation Diagnosticvisitsü Nointerviewsü Large/smallü Rural/urbanü Likely&Unlikely

BISCCA Fair ü Sundayinthespringü MiltonAcademyü CollegeRepsfromoutsideof

NewEngland

Looking Ahead… ü SummerSend-off!ü Summerü Visits&pre-scheduledinterviewsü Applications&essays

ü Seniorfall…applications!

“What’syourearly

strategy?”

A word about student-athletes…

Responsibilities WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?

The Student’s Role ✔ Schedulemeetingswithcollegecounselor✔ MakethemostofBB&N✔ Filloutquestionnaires✔ RegisterforACT/SAT✔ CheckSCHOOLemail!✔ Eat,sleep,grow!

The Counselors’ Role ✔ Acompanionthroughtheprocess

✔ Meetwithparent(s)AFTERthefirststudentmeeting

✔ Connectwithadvisorforhistoricalperspective

What counselors will do: ü Accompanystudentsthroughallpartsofthecollegeprocessü Returnmessagesintimelyfashionü Reducestresswheneverpossibleü Reviewapplicationsandessaysü SupportEVERYstudent

What counselors will NOT do:

ü Filloutapplicationsforstudents

ü Advocateforsomestudentsoverothers

ü Registerstudentsforstandardizedtests

ü Meetwithparentsmorethanstudentsü Serveasamouthpieceforadultagendasü Ignoretheanxietyofanystudentü Tellastudentwheretogotocollege

Communication Tips ✔ Fallseniors,springjuniors✔ Email&phonecalls

✔ Meetings

✔ CollegeCounselingmailings

✔ CollegeCounselingwebsite

The Parent’s Role ✔  Beaconsultant,notanagent✔  Positivereinforcement✔  ProvideTransportation✔  Beasupport✔  Communicate✔  Advocate✔  Listen✔  Begintoletgoand…

Enjoy the ride!