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Get to Work: College Tasks For Every Year of High School

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a magical holiday season, but now it is time to get to work! If you have been procrastinating with your college process or just avoiding it due to burnout (hello, seniors), here are some tasks to help get you back on track.

Seniors

  • Finish up your applications: Get it done now if you haven’t finished applying to colleges. Some schools have rolling admissions with deadlines through summer. However, the sooner you apply, the more room they have.
  • Make sure applications are complete: For the applications you have submitted, you need to make sure they are complete. Check to see if the colleges you applied to require mid-year grades and then request them to be sent through your high school counseling office.
  • Plan to visit colleges: For the colleges you have already been admitted to, start planning how you will collect information to make your final decision. Do you need to visit a college or two one more time? Will there be admitted student events in-person or online?
  • Prepare for interviews: Winter and spring are prime times for interviews. You may be preparing for admissions interviews with Alumni or interviews for scholarships or honors programs. Make a list of at least 10 accomplishments, activities, characteristics, viewpoints, etc., that you want to share. Practice talking about each of your items, and you should be able to shape your answers to almost any question.
  • Send thank-you notes: Don’t forget to thank the people who have helped you along the way. A hand-written thank-you note means a lot.

Juniors

  • Create your college list: A solid list of colleges to research is the foundation of any college process. If you haven’t started your list yet (or have no idea how to make one), sign up for the College Mindset Junior Jumpstart course. In 3-weeks, you will know how to research colleges and have a personalized college list to get your college process started. The class begins on January 9th!
  • Schedule campus visits: If you plan to visit colleges over a weekend or during spring break, I advise you to register for tours sooner rather than later. Tours do fill up (especially at the more popular schools).
  • Nail down your testing plan: Make sure to decide if you will take the SAT or ACT this spring. Many colleges are still test-optional, but it is a good idea to have a test score, just in case you need it. Review the SAT and ACT offering dates and sign up for tests in advance.
  • Start thinking about summer plans: Summer is a great time to explore career options. Schedule some informational interviews to learn more about the day-to-day life of a person who works in an industry that interests you. You should also search for internship or job shadowing opportunities.
  • Start looking for scholarships: Now is the time to start looking at outside scholarships.

Sophomores

  • Schedule practice campus visits: Now is the time to do some “practice” campus visits to colleges and universities near your home. Select a variety of schools to understand the different sizes, locations, and academic offerings.
  • Build your resume: Start thinking about your extracurricular activities and leadership positions for next year. How will you contribute to your school or local community? Also, think about your summer plans.
  • Plan our courses for junior and senior year: Make sure you have a tentative plan of the courses you like to take for your junior and senior years. Colleges will look at your GPA and the number of challenging courses (AP, IB, Dual Enrollment, Honors, etc.) you took. They will review your transcript in the context of what opportunities were available to you.

Freshman

  • Look back on your first semester: What skills do you need to build? Do you have goals for your second semester of high school?
  • Narrow down your extracurriculars: You may have signed up for everything when you started high school. Now is the time to focus on what you love and where you know you will have an impact.
  • Review a college planning timeline: Get a head start on your college process through the College Mindset’s Ideal College Planning Timeline. It is a great month-to-month checklist for the college process.

Hindsight is 2020: College Counseling Lessons from the Year that Changed EVERYTHING

Article originally appeared on Applerouth.com/blog

As I sat at my desk on Friday, March 13, 2020, I had many questions about the impending quarantine. Utterly blind to the imminent rollercoaster ride, none of us knew we were slowly climbing the hill towards an upcoming free fall and wild curves.

Month after month, the changes kept coming. We leaned with every turn, held onto the short reprieves to adjust before the next curve hit, making it challenging to keep up and provide reliable advice to our students. With each change, I saw the admission process through a new lens and adjusted my perspective. I am now using the lessons I learned in 2020 to sharpen my college counseling skills in 2021.

Give students more information about holistic application review.

In 2020, students became more aware of the term “holistic review.” With a growing test-optional movement and now the elimination of the SAT Subject Tests, students have more control over who sees their scores and who doesn’t. My goal as a counselor is to explain all of the opportunities students have to present themselves to colleges, including their personal and academic profiles. Moving forward, this will need to be a more in-depth, intentional conversation.

Encourage students to be open to the uncomfortable.

2020 turned the “traditional” college experience upside down, and colleges need to know how students face challenges and shift gears. Seeking resources and problem-solving skills are also essential to a student’s success on a college campus. Students also need to find new ways to connect and be engaged, especially when an experience is not “in-person.” Asking the question, how do you become a member of a community if that community is not outside your door? Finally, as campuses are reckoning with their racial histories and dialogue about discrimination, introspection is critical. Teaching students to use inquiry and reflection to look at their own biases and expectations will be essential in 2021.

Teach students to be better storytellers.

With the importance of holistic review and the need to see that students are comfortable with the uncomfortable, students must become better storytellers. Through their essays, students need to provide details of their experiences and the context of their opportunities. Colleges recognize that students have factors affecting their lives, like personal circumstances, financial concerns, and family responsibilities, but students have to tell their stories to provide the context.

Have a backup plan for your backup plan.

One consistent piece of the college application process in 2020 is that you cannot make predictions. While I have always been conservative when making students’ college lists, 2020 taught me that you still need a backup plan to your backup plan. With the number of deferrals resulting from early applications, I found myself reviewing students’ college lists – double-checking that we had considered and discussed every option.

Fine-tune knowledge about financial aid.

Access and financial aid will still be top concerns moving forward. Colleges are in precarious financial positions, so only time will tell how that will affect financial aid offers. With significant changes coming to the FAFSA, I will focus on attending webinars and increasing my knowledge of the financial aid process. First-generation and low-income students need more support and information as the college application, and financial aid processes evolve.

Overall, 2020 reminded us college is still a place of learning and exchanging ideas, which does not have to happen in-person to be effective. Still, the community element, learning how to be a human being, is difficult to provide through a screen. Colleges are also places where racial inequities and the effects of a global pandemic are colliding. Throw in government instability and national debates about leadership – and you still have one heck of a roller coaster ride. While 2020 brought changes and lessons, 2021 will be the year to reflect and react. Students and counselors need to lean into the curves and push back on them to keep upright and moving forward.

Katherine Price

6 Steps to Find Scholarships

Like many things with the college process, searching for scholarships can be overwhelming.  However, if you start early and stay organized, you can obtain the money you need to close the gap between your college savings and educational expenses.  What does that mean?  Well, it can put you closer to graduating from college debt-free.
So, where do you start?  Follow these 6 steps to find the scholarship money you need to obtain your educational goals.
1. Get organized.  Once you join scholarship databases (more on that below), you may be overwhelmed with emails.  Create an email account and use it exclusively for your scholarship search. Set a reminder in your calendar to check it at least once a week. You should also organize the scholarships you intend to apply for by using a spreadsheet.  College Mindset’s Scholarship Tracker will help keep you organized (and it is free!).
2. Think about you. The next step to generating a list of scholarships to apply to is to think about all of the things that make you, well you. Then, use a search engine (like Google) to see what is out there.  Are you an only child? Google “only child + scholarships.” Are you a female interested in engineering? Google “female engineering + scholarships.” Make a list of the following:
• Extracurricular activities: volunteer, Editor of the school newspaper, Scout member, leader in religious youth groups, etc.
• Personal Interest: animal rights activists, engineering, entrepreneurship, future teacher, beekeeper, etc.
• Personal talents: artist, musician, performer, glassblower, runner, giving speeches, etc.
• Personal characteristics: red hair, tall, short, left-handed, etc.
3. Look local.  The next step is to generate a list of available local scholarships.  Ask your school counselor what scholarships are available through your city, county, or state.  Also, ask if local organizations offer scholarships (i.e., Knights of Columbus, etc.). Check with your parents to know if they are affiliated with potential scholarship awarding sources. For example, their employer, military status, first-responder status, church or religious affiliation, college alumni association, etc., may all offer scholarship opportunities.
4. Find major corporation scholarships.  Another source for outside scholarships is major corporations.  Most have scholarships offered that students can apply for (though some can be competitive).  You should also ask your parents and relatives if the companies they work for offer scholarships.
5. Use scholarship search engines. There are hundreds of outside scholarship search engines.  You need to create a profile on each website, then keep track of which scholarships are designated as “matches.” The number one rule for using a scholarship search engine is that you should never have to enter credit card information or pay a fee. Also, be sure to only sign up for a few, so you are not overwhelmed with options.  Some recommended sites include:
• Going Merry– this database not only matches you with scholarships, but it also provides a common application.  You can apply to hundreds of scholarships straight from their website.
• Fast Web– one of the more popular scholarship search sites.  You can find and organize your scholarship search through their database.
• Scholarships.com– this site has a free database you can search without creating a profile.  This is a great site to look for corporate scholarships.
• FinAid.org–  provides scholarship search information and information regarding other types of financial aid.  They have several helpful calculators to help you figure out how much college will really cost.
• Scholarship Monkey– gives you 3 ways to search for scholarships: through a personalized search, keyword search, or looking through lists.
6. Start early and keep looking:  Most students do not begin looking for scholarships until their senior year of high school.  I find that most seniors are too overwhelmed with the college application process to begin looking for outside scholarships.  You can start looking (and in some cases even applying) for scholarships in 9th grade.  You should also continue to look for scholarships while you are a college student. When you arrive on your college campus, head to the financial aid office and ask about scholarships available to current students.  Once you declare a major, you may also be eligible to receive scholarships from your academic department.
Remember, every penny counts!  Looking for scholarships is work! I challenge you to have at least 15 to 20 scholarships you want to apply for by the time you begin your senior year of high school.  Take the time to set yourself up for success!  Your future self will thank you!

How Will You Pay for College? Financial Aid Considerations

Whether you are a senior currently submitting applications, a junior building your college list, or a sophomore thinking about college, determining how you will pay for college is an important step in the college application process.

First thing first, why is college so expensive?  While many factors affect college costs, the biggest mistake that I see families make is they fail to consider the total cost of attendance.  It is one thing to look at tuition prices, but the cost of housing in NYC will be significantly more than if you attend a college in Iowa.

Next, educate yourself about the financial aid process. Once you understand how financial aid works, you can learn how you may influence your financial aid award. If you are a current senior, you should be reaching out to the financial aid offices of the schools you are applying to.  Here are the top 12 questions you need to ask.

Turning your attention to merit scholarships (money coming directly from a college or university) is one way to reduce college costs. Still, you need to be aware of merit scholarship opportunities. To receive merit scholarships from most colleges or universities, you need to be close to or at the top of their applicant profile. Most of the students I work with who are looking for merit money are admitted to every school they apply to.  While most students create a college list with reach, match, and likely (“safety”) schools in terms of admission, students looking for money create a list that is reach, match, and likely for merit money.  Using merit scholarship search engine sites, such as Merit More, is a great way to learn about schools that are generous with merit aid. You can conduct your merit scholarship search by entering your standardized testing scores, GPA, and location. You can also search for colleges by name.

Finally, many families focus on landing outside scholarships. Searching for outside scholarships can take up a significant amount of time, so using the upcoming holiday breaks to identify (or complete scholarship applications, if you are a senior) is a great way to make sure you are doing everything you can to cut your college costs. To learn how to get started with your outside scholarship search, read College Mindset’s recent post, 6 Steps to Find Scholarships.

While considering how you will pay for college may seem like an additional hoop to jump through, it is significant.  Make sure you openly communicate with everyone involved in your college process, so you are all on the same page regarding cost, budget, and educational goals.  Taking the time to learn more about covering the cost of college now will only benefit you when it is time to make your final decision.

5 Tips To Complete Your College Applications

Are you in a hurry to finish your college applications? Yes, November 1st deadlines are right around the corner but don’t rush to hit the submit button. Here are five tips to help you slow down and give your college applications the attention they deserve:

1. Prioritize: Finish up your main Common Application, including the activities section and your essay. Take your time writing your activity descriptions- this section is often overlooked.

2. Focus: Figure out which applications need your attention now (November 1st deadlines) and which ones can wait until later.

3. Schedule: Block out time in your schedule for your applications. Turn off your phone, put on your headphones, so you focus entirely on your applications.

4. Proofread: Print out the PDF of your Common Application and supplemental forms. Read every essay out loud and review your entire application with a friend or mentor.

5. Breathe: While deadlines won’t wait, you can stop and take a breath. Calming your emotions will put you in the right mindset to complete your college applications.

How to Research Colleges

Want to know all of the details about researching colleges?🤔

Watch College Mindset’s 4 part video series and learn:

✅Why researching colleges is so important

✅Where to find accurate data

✅How to determine your college criteria

✅How to organize your data when creating your college list

✅How to look beyond the data and research the “personality” of a college

✅Why it is essential to demonstrate an interest in a college or university

Get started on creating your college list today! Your parents will be so happy.

 

Learn to Ask Great Questions

Have you ever walked away from a conversation and thought, “I wish I would’ve asked more questions.” You don’t want to bypass an opportunity because you did not ask the right questions. Asking questions is a skill, and it is an important one to master. It shows that you care, can spark the exchange of ideas, and build trust. When you are just starting out, asking clarifying, open-ended questions will help get you closer to your goals.

As with any new skill, it is essential to practice. Before starting any conversation, think about what you want to learn. What is your purpose in the discussion? Then identify the right tone, types of questions, and sequence.

For the tone, most situations benefit from a casual approach.

Open-ended questions can go a long way to helping you learn new information. You can also build further questions into your plan based on the responses you receive.

For the sequence of questions, if you are trying to develop a relationship, you may need to ask less personal questions first to build trust. If you are in a confrontation, consider starting with the tough questions, since you don’t know how long the conversation will last.

Asking questions will open doors and allow you to discover new ideas and concepts. It may introduce you to a part of yourself that you didn’t know what there.

As Albert Einstein said, “Question everything.” I couldn’t agree more.

Free College Mindset Webinars

College Mindset is offering several free webinars to help students during this difficult time.  Please feel free to share the information with friends, family, and colleagues.

 

3-Ways to Start Your College Process

Best for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors in high school (and their parents/caregivers)

Offered:

One of the most common questions I receive from students and parents is: Where do we start? There is no doubt that the college application process has changed—and it is still changing every day. No one knows the ins and outs of every aspect of the process, but with a little patience and intentionality, you can navigate the process with ease—but you have to get started first!

In this Webinar, we will cover 3-Ways to get started with your college process.  You will learn:

  1. How to Obtain Knowledge

1st gain knowledge about the college admissions industry. What do you know about the business of college admissions?  Katherine will give you a behind the scenes look at how colleges view the admissions process.

2nd look at who you are and how you learn.  Building self-knowledge is an essential step in the college process.

  1. How to Find Your Resources

Now that you know a little bit more about who you are and how the world of admissions works, you need to determine your resources.  Katherine will review resources (including online research websites).

  1. How to Understand the Timeline

Knowing the timing of the college process is an important step.  Every participant will receive a FREE copy of College Mindset’s Ideal College Planning Timeline, which we will review during the Webinar.

How to Research Colleges

Best for sophomores and juniors in high school (and their parents/caregivers)

Offered:

Researching is an essential part of the college process and other life decisions. For example, you might research companies when you are looking for a job or internship. Katherine will cover how to research colleges (mainly online) to help students determine what questions to ask and where to find the answers.

 

Networking and Informational Interviews

Best for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors in high school (and their parents/caregivers) AND any college student

Offered:

Connecting with people can provide you with insights about a college, major, or even a job- and it is something you can still do, even while we are practicing social distancing.  As an adult, this skill will help you advance your career. In this Webinar, Katherine will show students how networking is more than learning how to make small talk. It is about finding your voice and asking great questions that will guide you towards your goals. Students will receive templates for conducting informational interviews, including how to reach out in an email and what questions to ask.

How to Manage the Transition to College

Best for seniors in high school (and their parents/caregivers)

Offered:

Change is hard, and we are all going through massive changes right now. I know some students are struggling to think about the future. However, knowing how to transition from one significant life change to another is a skill you will use forever.  You will transition from high school to college, from college to adulthood. You will change jobs and maybe someday get married or become a parent. Being able to not only anticipate change but face it head-on is perhaps the most essential life skill. In this Webinar, Katherine will cover how to handle one or your first major life transitions: going to college.  We will also discuss how this transition might look different this year, given the Coronavirus pandemic.

 

 

 

College Application Process Tips For Winter & Spring

Do you know what you should be working on? Watch my video for tips for high school seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen.

Happy New Year!  The holidays are over and it is time to get back on track with your college process. Do you know what you should be working on?  Watch my video for tips for high school seniors, juniors, sophomores, and freshmen.

 

Do you want more tips for the college process? Check out the College Mindset Ideal College Planning Timeline!

Hats Off To The Class of 2018

As the students in the College Mindset Class of 2018 prepare to head off to the next step in the college process (orientation, anyone?) I want to take a moment to celebrate everything they accomplished. As a college counselor, it is a privilege to work with young people as they navigate one of their first major life decisions. Through all the questions, anxiety, uncertainty and ultimately, excitement, I feel so lucky to have a glimpse of who they are and who they will become.

The College Mindset Class of 2018 received 88 Acceptances after submitting 116 applications. Collectively, they received approximately 34 merit scholarship offers, totaling over $2.3 million.

In addition to managing their academics and preparing for standardized testing, they did medical research, interviewed refugees settling in Israel, worked as an archeologist assistant at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, and completed an internship at an engineering firm. They took computer programming classes and learned JavaScript. They earned a black belt in Judo and played basketball, baseball, tennis, rugby, football, and soccer- some recovering from injuries and surgeries along the way.  They taught science to elementary school children, created a company to provided tutoring services, and refereed for youth sports. They created service trips to bring athletic equipment to children in Costa Rica. They volunteered in animal shelters and soup kitchens. They provided meals for chronically ill and house-bound patients and worked with the developmentally disabled. They worked summer jobs babysitting, peeling potatoes at a burger joint, lifeguarding at the local pool and providing customer service at a soft-serve ice cream shop. They ran for student government positions, worked on the student newspaper and mentored fellow students through Linked Crew. They taught discipleship as a student chaplain and coordinated activities for religious organizations. They played musical instruments, sung in choirs and performed in plays. They worked on the student judicial court for their local government.

The College Mindset Class of 2018 was made up of an amazing group of students who are just beginning to leave their mark on the world. The colleges and universities below will be lucky to have them!

  • American University
  • Arizona State University
  • Bates College
  • Baylor University
  • Colorado State University
  • Denison University
  • Gettysburg College
  • Seattle University
  • Texas Christian University
  • Tulane University
  • University of Colorado, Boulder
  • University of Kansas
  • The University of Texas at Austin
  • University of Pennsylvania
  • Washington University, St. Louis
  • Wheaton College (IL)