Educating students and families about the college application and admissions process is my professional mission, and a good way to reach students and families is… on TV! Margaret Larson graciously invited me to her show, New Day Northwest, to talk about reducing the stress that students and parents experience during the college application process. Although there are only a handful of steps associated with applying to college, knowing those steps: GPA, SAT/ACT, essays, recommendations, extracurriculars, FAFSA/CSS, and developing an appropriate college list, one of the most critical parts in creating a competitive application is starting early! If you are a sophomore, or even a freshman, there are many things you can start doing now to prepare for college applications and to be much more competitive for admissions… and scholarships. Don’t delay, reach out to those who know the current application process, the culture and mission of individual colleges and universities, and can help guide you to the best possible college for you and your family.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to LA
I just presented at the IECA—International Educational Consultants Association—National Conference in Los Angeles. My session was titled “Critical Considerations in STEM Education.” Unfortunately, my presentation immediately followed “Grieving the Loss of Idealized Adolescence,” something I hoped was not a harbinger of things to come. In an attempt to lift the spirits in the room and support my views regarding science education, unicorn and rainbow emojis were showcased in my slide deck.
I opened the presentation with a statement of dissension against the acronyms STEM, STEAM, and even STREAM. One of my very smart friends wisely summed my own feelings about these unfortunate acronyms when she said, “When are they just going to call it ‘Good Education’?”
While we try to silo and compartmentalize science and distance it from language, the arts and other parts of a broader and enriching education, good educators know better. Good scientists know even better. The preeminent scientist, Edward O. Wilson, had a word for this, consilience. He valiantly and convincingly argued that those with the broadest, foundational knowledge who can see the connections between seemingly disparate pieces of information… often provide the most extraordinary insights and breakthroughs. And yet society feels the need to dissect information into nice, seemingly more comprehensible, little pieces. Silliness.
“Art without engineering is dreaming. Engineering without art is calculating.”
– Steven Roberts
However, that was not my main message for the presentation. After spending years teaching, hiring, mentoring and working with hundreds of incredible scientists, I wanted to provide other college admissions counselors with examples of underrepresented skills that would prepare their students to be more competitive in science schools, internships, jobs, and possibly life. Many of the skills have nothing to do with science but everything to do with being a good scientist and a likable person that people want to work with. These skills include seemingly mundane traditional practices such as a good handshake, capitalizing “i” in business/formal emails, holding the door, and saying please, thank you, and you’re welcome. Although these practices are not seminal for illustrating science knowledge and its practical use, they say a lot about being a considerate human being. And while these behaviors may not be important for solving math-based challenges, they have everything to do with the health, cohesiveness, and the productivity and lifespan of a group.
In closing my presentation, I suggested some resources for counselors to offer their students. There were academic sources such as Khan Academy and MIT OpenCourseWare as well as things to inspire building, such as Arduino and Raspberry Pi computer interface modules, but more importantly—in my opinion—I suggested counselors recommend a couple of books to their students: Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, and How to Win Friends and Influence People. My justification for these books is simple. If you don’t know the importance of “First Things First” or “Establish Empathy” then a student who knows the Ideal Gas Law and Euler’s Equation will not be nearly as successful as they could be.
A Campus Visit = A Centabillion Words…
Last year a student told me, “Visiting a college campus is like meeting a famous person. You can read about them and see them in movies and on TV, but seeing them in person tells you a whole lot more than you would expect.” Read more
Every Day Is An Interview…
A surprising number of high school seniors – yes, even those with incredible grades and test scores! – are stressed and anxious about having a one-on-one interview as part of the college interview process. The reason is quite simple. Many teenagers have had very few sit-down, personal conversations with an adult they don’t know. However, any well-meaning adult can provide some vital and important practice to minimize the angst. Such “practice” will also pay off in many unanticipated ways, but especially in situations like the college interview. Read more
School Choice, Stress and The Six P’s
A friend of mine often calls attention to “The Six P’s of Planning” when characterizing his athletic performances. He also likes to wait a second or two before announcing, “Prior Planning and Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.” I have also found his little mantra to be an effective approach to college selection and applications. Front-loading resources (including time) in order to gain long-term and more meaningful benefits is critical to college admission success, and asking a few critical questions of students and families can decrease the stress that is too often encountered during the process of applying to and selecting a college. Read more
Reflection – it’s not just for mirrors
Reflection is a skill. It is also a practice and tool that has fallen out of practice. This is especially true for teens in the United States. Great, now I sound like Socrates!
“The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.”
A Personal Statement vs. The L.A. Essay: A Tale of Two Stories
The College Application Personal Statement. How hard can it be? Given a rather open-ended prompt, just combine 650 words of highly illuminating and vulnerable statements to provide unmistakable evidence of your maturity, reflection and potential for college. Okay, maybe it isn’t that easy. However, this daunting task can be made even more difficult – and stressful – if students have the well-meaning guidance of too many cooks in the kitchen. Read more
Why Optional is not an Option
A recent Forbes article discussed one of the common mysteries found in many college applications – the “optional” option. Some colleges provide an Optional Essay. A number of schools offer Optional Short Answer prompts. And a few universities – like Yale – take a completely different approach, providing students an open-ended option – “Write about something you would like us to know about you that you have not conveyed elsewhere in your application.” Read more
Freshman Year – A Test of Isolation?
Dear Parents,
When your child goes to college, he or she will encounter a whole new world of challenges. Some situations will involve academics and others will include new social adventures, but all of these experiences will introduce new kinds of psychological stress. By far, isolation is the most common, significant and often unexpected stress that new college students associate with increased anxiety and poor academic performance. Read more
College Visits – Your Stomach Rules!
I don’t eat fast food. But I can’t live without pizza.
– Trevor Donovan
While there are innumerable ways to approach college visits – including investigating specific areas of interest, like programs of distinction and financial aid availability – I usually incorporate a culturally disarming focus point to guide my “tour experience” and ultimately open the most insightful conversations with students. Food. More specifically, the holy trinity of college cuisine: ice cream, grilled cheese and pizza. Read more