Introduction to

College Counseling

For Junior Parents January 7, 2016

College Counseling Goals

•  Help students assess their educational and extra-curricular goals and abilities

•  Help students find the best match between the resources available in colleges and the students’ goals and abilities

•  Help students complete effective applications in a timely manner

Calendar: remainder of junior year

•  January/April: meet in Decisions classes

•  January-May: students and parents should meet individually with their college counselor

•  March-June: research and visit colleges; complete standardized testing for junior year

•  May-June: work with college counselor to hone list of colleges, prepare for interviews & applications

•  Summer: continue to research and visit colleges

•  College essay preparation

Testing Dates

Test dates for SAT and SAT Subject Tests for this semester: §  January 24 (late registration deadline 1/9) – last current SAT § March 14 (Reg. deadline 2/13) – first new SAT § May 2 (Reg. deadline 4/6 ) §  June 6 (Reg. deadline 5/8)*

*optimal time for most to take Subject Tests

Test dates for ACT §  February 7 (Reg. deadline 1/9) § April 18 (Reg. deadline 3/13) §  June 13 (Reg. deadline 5/8)

Redesigned SAT

•  Harder questions, more time to solve them

•  No guessing penalty – four answer choices, not five

•  Math: more data analysis, less geometry

•  More charts, graphs, and tables in Reading section

•  Science and history are more prominent

•  Essay is longer, more analytical – and optional

•  Different emphasis on vocabulary

•  More real-world application

•  Composite score returns to 1600 (No Writing score)

Test Prep Options

Self-study – PSAT, practice books and tests

Khan Academy

Test prep companies and tutors

Thayer options:

Summit: on campus courses for April ACT, June SAT

Revolution Prep: online prep for May SAT, June ACT

Seminars for juniors

•  Naviance

•  College Counseling Handbook – online access

•  Self-evaluation/Resume

•  Helpful resources

•  Overview of the college search process

•  Overview of the admissions process

•  Open Common Application accounts

Common selection criteria: a student’s perspective

• Educational objectives: major; type of college - university, college, specialty school.

• Size – small, medium, large

• Geography (distance from home)

• Setting: Urban, suburban, rural

• Extra-curricular objectives: athletics, arts, outdoors, community service, study abroad, internships.

COLLEGE CLUSTERS

Colleges similar to NESCAC schools but not in New England

Occidental, Macalester, Carleton, Colorado College, Grinnell, Kenyon, Union, Vassar, Hamilton, Haverford, Swarthmore, Bucknell U, Lafayette, Davidson, Bard, Claremont Schools (Pomona, Claremont McKenna, Pitzer), Washington & Lee, Reed, Franklin & Marshall, Skidmore, Colgate, Oberlin.

Women’s colleges: Simmons, Bryn Mawr, Wellesley, Smith, Scripps, Barnard, Agnes Scott, Spelman.

COLLEGE CLUSTERS

Small Liberal Arts Colleges – strong academics, tight-knit communities, well rounded education:

Hobart William Smith, Lake Forest, Dickinson, Gettysburg, Muhlenberg, Wheaton (MA), Whittier College, Eugene Lang, U of Redlands, College of Wooster, St. Lawrence U, Lewis and Clark U, Whitman, Beloit, Lawrence U, Denison U, Puget Sound U, Allegheny College, Rollins, Sarah Lawrence College.

Also: look at Colleges That Change Lives (consortium – book and website)

COLLEGE CLUSTERS

Mid-sized universities: offer some of the advantages of a small liberal arts college with the benefits of a university.

U of Rochester, Washington University in St Louis, Johns Hopkins, Brandeis, Tufts, Carnegie Mellon, Emory, Case Western Reserve, U of Chicago, Lehigh, U of Miami, U of Richmond, Tulane, Pepperdine, Wake Forest, Duke, Rice, Stanford, Northwestern, Vanderbilt.

U of Denver, U of Tampa, SMU, TCU, Chapman U, Elon U, High Point, American, Ithaca College, Hofstra, Quinnipiac, Roger Williams, U of Hartford.

COLLEGE CLUSTERS

Medium-sized colleges and universities with Catholic affiliation:

Boston College, U of Notre Dame, Georgetown U, Providence College, Loyola U - MD, Fordham, Fairfield, St. Joseph’s (PA), Marquette, Saint Louis U, Loyola Marymount (CA), Santa Clara U, Villanova, Catholic U, U of San Diego, U of San Francisco, Gonzaga, Seattle U.

Small colleges with Catholic affiliation:

College of Holy Cross, Stonehill, Salve Regina U, St. Anselm College, Merrimack, St. Michael’s College, Emmanuel, Assumption

COLLEGE CLUSTERS

Large Urban Universities:

U of Southern California, NYU, George Washington U, Northeastern U, Syracuse U, Boston University, U of Pittsburgh, Temple, McGill, U of Toronto, U of Houston, College of Charleston, Drexel U

Engineering Colleges and Universities:

MIT, RPI, WPI, Cal Tech, RIT, Stevens Institute, Cal Poly, Clarkson, Olin College, Rose-Hulman, Harvey Mudd, Webb Institute, Wentworth Institute of Technology

COLLEGE CLUSTERS

Specialty Schools

Business: Babson, Bentley, Bryant

Performing Arts: Berklee, Julliard, Emerson, AMDA

Visual Arts: RISD, Savannah College of Art & Design, Pratt Institute, School of Visual Arts

Health Sciences: Mass College of Pharmacy

Others: St. John’s College, College of the Atlantic, Johnson & Wales, Hampshire College, U of New Haven.

Selection criteria: a college’s perspective

•  High School transcript: curriculum and grades

•  Standardized testing (if required)

•  Recommendations

•  Essays (if required)

•  Extra-curricular contributions, special talents, and other “hooks”

•  Writing samples

Resources: Building Relationships

•  Your College Counselor

•  Visits to colleges – tours, information sessions, interviews

•  College Fairs: BISCAA - April 24 @ Milton Acad, NACAC National College Fair – May 22-23 @ the Boston Convention Center

•  Winter & spring programs for parents and students with college admission officers at TA

•  Meetings with admission reps at TA next fall

Resources: Books & Online Services

•  College Counseling Handbook – online version, available through Thayer website, password required

•  Naviance

•  Guidebooks, i.e. Fiske Guide to the Colleges, Yale Insider’s Guide, Colleges That Change Lives

•  College websites

•  Thayer’s college counseling web page

College Resources: Cost & Value

•  Net Price Calculators (all college websites)

•  Collegecost.ed.gov/scorecard (average cost, loan amount, loan default rate, and graduation rate for colleges)

•  Salary.com

•  Collegerealitycheck.com (allows for side-by-side comparisons of college data – debt repayment and earnings, grad rate, net price)

Things to remember, parents

•  The process of finding a college can be messy, but avoid the temptation to take it over from your kids.

•  Be a good listener and be open minded.

•  Don’t become tied to any one thing you hear from your kids (it may change).

•  If you have a question or concern, contact the college counselor.

•  Remember, in the end it will work out, often in ways you would never predict.

Contact Us

Thad Robey 781-664-2222 trobey@thayer.org

Christine Woods 781-664-2218 cwoods@thayer.org

Nellie Brennan Hall 781-664-2227 nbrennanhall@thayer.org

Mynetta Jones 781-664-2201 mmurray@thayer.org