2020 Senior College Night on CCCD PowerPoint Revised .pptx

How to prepare for college as a high-school junior or senior

1. Senior Parent College Night August 2017

2. Applying to college in a pandemic How things are different (and how they aren’t) | 2 |

3. How it’s different More removed… Seniors probably can’t visit this fall to see what it’s like with students on campus Necessarily more engaged… Seniors are going to have to ask direct questions—of themselves and of the people they “meet” on the campus. More prolonged… Seniors will need to keep researching while they work on applications PG 3

4. And how it’s not No shortage of freshman seats next year Tufts, Duke, Harvey Mudd (which competes with Caltech) all say deferrals less than feared and will have negligible impact on next year’s freshman class. In general, colleges with smaller first year classes this fall are most likely to enroll more students, not fewer, in next year’s entering class. No backing away from Early Decision Duke, Wash U, Tufts expect to fill similar portion of freshman class (50%) from Early Decision applicants. PG 4

5. It could be better this way Seniors may well make more informed and thoughtful choices than some of their predecessors | 5 |

6. We’ve told seniors… Organize your virtual search Use Excel doc your counselor made to highlight colleges in green for applying to and yellow for considering. Make sure your choices are spread across the categories. Make a calendar and get to one event on a college web site per week. Goal is two or more per college over the fall. Meet reps “at” CCD, find other students Colleges visiting on Zoom. Links in Naviance 15 min before. Counselors have emails for CCDS alumni on many campuses. We’ve asked them to be ready to talk! What do I ask them? Suggestions in OneNote. PG 6

7. We’ve told seniors… Spend time on the “Academics” pages Are you interested in the courses, faculty research projects? Are there related majors (Biochemistry, Biostatistics, Neuroscience, Marine Biology, Biophysics)? How does the college help students choose a major? Spend time asking yourself… How do I want to change and grow in college? What do I want to learn from my peers? Will the faculty here care about me? Can I see myself joining the activities? What’s the likelihood that I would get one of the internships? PG 7

8. Should we trust “test optional”? And other questions about how colleges will read applications this year | 8 |

9. Score Optional policies “If you have a score that you feel represents your abilities, send it in. Students who do not send in scores will not be disadvantaged in any way.” – Ohio State University “Five years ago we started admitting students who had a range of SAT II math scores” and they were just as successful in HMC’s curriculum. “For students who don’t send a test score, we’ll ask Is it concerning? Some concern? We’ll discuss in committee. Or is it no concern?” --Harvey Mudd College (competes with Caltech, MIT) PG 9

10. Score Optional policies “I’m so excited about [being score optional]. I think it will totally free our reading process. There’s so much more to a student than a test score.” —Tufts Tufts is score optional for next three years—likely permanent. OSU and HMC score optional for next two years—possibly returning after pandemic. PG 10

11. What will they look for? “We won’t just use other scores as proxies. [Instead] we’ve expanded our focus on the things we value. Did the student stretch themselves? Do they have drive? How do they engage with others? Do they create opportunities for themselves and others? What will their impact on our campus be?” –HMC “Our dean talks about impact, imagination, intellect and integrity. We’re trying to find these qualities in applicants. Integrity is big—are they kind?” —Duke PG 11

12. Where will they see it? “It could be in their essay. In what their teachers say. In what their counselor says. It could be in the way they describe their activities—sometimes those 150 characters can be a mini-essay. It could be in their course choices. Are you avoiding rigor in the humanities? We’ve made sure the categories we’re looking for are not just in ONE spot on the application.” —HMC PG 12

13. What will they look for? PG 13 Dr. Beth Wiser Executive Director of Admissions Ohio State University

14. Considering ED? Emily Almas Asst. Vice Provost and Director of Admissions Washington University in St. Louis PG 14

15. What We’ve Been Telling Seniors

16. We’ve told seniors This process generates anxiety. PG 16

17. The tortoise beats the hare. 17

18. Support for the process Once-a-cycle college counseling classes provide work time on Common App, provide time for one-on-one meetings, and advice Common Application draft, minus essay, due September 20 College essay drafts for all students are due to college counselors by mid-September, only because many students have an early deadline (Nov. 1).  PG 18

19. The College Essay They tell us: “I have no topic. I’m just ordinary…my life is boring.” (Class of 2008…2019) And we tell them... you can find the extraordinary in the ordinary. let the candle burn slowly.... let your ideas marinate during the drafting process. it will feel right when you discover the right topic(s) keep drafting--that there’s no such thing as good writing, there’s only good re-writing.  PG 19

20. Supplemental Essays! Please, please take them seriously, regardless of the prompt or length, especially the “The Why Us” essay. This is how colleges gauge “demonstrated interest.” For some colleges, this essay matters more than the personal statement. 20

21. Advice from reps and alums : “Have one person (maybe two?) help you with the college essay(s), so your ‘voice’ doesn’t get hijacked by someone else’s.” 21

22. Advice from College Reps “Think: What do I have to say to these readers? Not what do they want to hear?” - Harry Bauld , Former Admissions Officer at Brown and Columbia PG 22

23. “Say something that is only barely suggested in the rest of the application.” --Richard Moll Former Dean of Bowdoin and Vassar

24. What are we buying? Perspectives on what to seek in a college education

25. Experts and Anecdotes Have a wider mindset —Julie Lythcott-Haims “The truth is that most of us have no idea how to judge a college’s suitability for our kids.” Brag about opportunities your child will have on campuses others may not know about Understand the advantage of going to a slightly less selective college Top of the pack versus middle of the pack *the 100% certain myth; "The Road Not Taken" PG 25

26. Experts “How to get the most out of college” —Frank Bruni On which campus can you see your child comfortable enough to do these things: Form a deep connection with a faculty mentor Take on a sustained academic project Play a significant role in a student organ ization Your senior may know. Listen for their signals. PG 26

27. There’s no single place (although our seniors will think there is) PG 27

28. Anecdotes Parents choosing between two colleges at different price points often frame it: “Is a degree from this school really so much more valuable than a degree from that one?” You’re buying an experience. PG 28

29. Anecdotes Dean of Admissions of Davidson College–a highly selective small liberal arts college Touring colleges with his son. Son turns to him and asks “Will you be proud of me?” PG 29

30. Keep It Private How parents can ease the pressure (tips from recent alums and their parents)

31. Keep it private Set a weekly time to talk college with your senior (and stick to it) Don’t let Aunt Sue talk about college at the Thanksgiving dinner table Curb your own parent-to-parent college talk PG 31

32. Be prepared. Don’t let the list get too short too soon. Get some good news early if you can. Keep your wits about you. It isn’t falling in love. It’s looking for a job. PG 32

33. Financial Aid Tips

34. Financial Aid Tips College personnel should talk to you as the parent of a prospective applicant. Do the net price calculator on the college’s financial aid web site first. Use your 2019 taxes. Most frequent sources of aid are colleges (merit and need-based aid) and local scholarships. Share your need level with your child’s counselor. PG 34

35. When to apply for aid? FAFSA and CSS Profile open October 1 st . Parents file financial aid applications on the student’s deadlines EA or ED Nov. 1 or Nov. 15 or Dec. 1 EDII or Regular Decision Jan. 1 or 15 Apply for national scholarships in the fall, local scholarships in winter/spring PG 35

36. Please come to… College Financial Aid Night 7 – 8 pm Wednesday Oct. 14, 2017 On Zoom (link emailed before event) Open to parents of all grades PG 36

37. Suggested reading The Truth About College Admission , Brennan Barnard and Rick Clark How to Raise an Adult, Julie Lythcott-Haims Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be , Frank Bruni Paying for College Without Going Broke , Kalman Cheney PG 37

38. Your questions Feel free to use the “Reactions” feature to raise your hand and then unmute yourself. Everyone else is probably wondering the same thing… | 38 |