College Counseling 101

UNC Asheville

2012-02-08T12:32:00.000-05:00

The liberal arts university of the UNC system. Why go to the Vatican when they have a near-exact replica of Raphael's The School of Athens, here at the University? It's a collaboration of over 50 student, faculty and local artists, created with more than 15000 hours of effort, spanning 2.5 years. Aside from this, the University seems to be an amazing place to live and learn.

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

2012-02-07T14:54:00.000-05:00

Maybe it's just because the weather is perfect, but this University is really amazing. At only 80 years old, it's considered the younger sister to Chapel Hill and on camus you can see/hear/feel why. On the tour, students were also enthusiastic to point out that UNCC was just named the #17 party school. That's a pretty impressive statistic for a school that's only become residential in past 10 years.

More ...

2012-02-06T01:41:00.001-05:00

http://news.yahoo.com/colleges-obsess-over-rankings-students-shrug-171654887.html

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Becoming Smarter?

2012-02-03T11:49:00.001-05:00

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-zimmerman-are-college-students-learning-20120131,0,3266290.story?track=rss

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

The Rankings Don't Bring Out The Best ...

2012-02-02T01:28:00.001-05:00

In fact, quite the opposite:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/education/gaming-the-college-rankings.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&ref=education`

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Nothing is free?

2012-01-27T21:08:00.001-05:00

http://financiallyfit.yahoo.com/finance/article-113840-11763-4-how-to-get-a-106000-college-education-for-free?ywaad=ad0035&nc

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Read on ...

2012-01-26T13:39:00.001-05:00

The end resonates particularly well for me:

http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/tony-hsiehs-excellent-las-vegas-050300499.html

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

But the point is ...

2012-01-24T01:59:00.001-05:00

at the end of the day, the services provided by some of these schools are above and beyond anything we can quantify:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203735304577166820712708292.html

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

It's definitely possible ...

2012-01-22T00:24:00.001-05:00

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57358994/calif-hs-student-devises-possible-cancer-cure/

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Graduate with a degree in what?

2012-01-20T01:54:00.001-05:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/not-all-college-majors-are-created-equal/2012/01/12/gIQAfz4XzP_story.html

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Re: Super People

2012-01-10T00:34:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Malu, one of my Super Parents for sending this along.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/opinion/sunday/meet-the-new-super-people.html?pagewanted=all

Problems

2011-12-12T00:39:00.001-05:00

Standardized Testing Just Can't Continue To Be Our Answer:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/when-an-adult-took-standardized-tests-forced-on-kids/2011/12/05/gIQApTDuUO_blog.html

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

please watch

2011-11-15T14:28:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UIFbOfWwYE

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

What a Reputation Means

2011-10-04T14:00:00.001-04:00

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/09/what-you-dont-get-about-admissions-q-a-with-college-guru-edward-fiske/245887/

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

The Myth of Rankings

2011-10-01T21:54:00.001-04:00

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/09/how-dangerous-are-college-rankings-and-the-rat-race-for-prestige/245850/

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Read for Yourself!

2011-09-14T23:12:00.001-04:00

http://news.yahoo.com/sat-reading-scores-fall-lowest-level-record-150055532.html

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Tulsa!

2011-09-13T02:40:00.001-04:00

http://www.utulsa.edu/about-TU/news-events-publications/UniversityNews/2011/September/tu-ranked-75.aspx

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

For the teachers

2011-09-09T00:28:00.001-04:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/03/opinion/blow-an-ode-to-teachers.html

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Housing

2011-09-04T23:35:00.001-04:00

Keep in mind, this is not on-campus housing for first year students. That is the important transition and should not become what the West 27th Place is described as being.
But if that's what one wants during soph. year and beyond, go for it:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-luxury-student-housing-20110904,0,737126.story

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

College Laundry

2011-08-30T12:57:00.001-04:00

Apparently, I can't prepare my students for all the excitement college has to offer. Celeste's first battle w the laundry room -- her first shot at washing her own clothes, EVER! Don't let the pic fool you, though. No one was injured in the handling of this load of laundry!
Cheers,
Brady

Saludos.

Tell your friends about
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com

Please consider the environment before you print this email.
Have a great day

All Freshmen!

2011-08-22T01:15:00.001-04:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903639404576520911218005074.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

IMG00314-20110815-1423.jpg

2011-08-15T15:24:00.001-04:00

Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI., with 3 of the men and Maria, our personal (and awesome) tour guide!
Cheers,
Brady

Have a great day!
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com

Do consider the environment before printing this email

Sad

2011-07-31T00:15:00.001-04:00

http://blog.games.yahoo.com/blog/866-xbox-addict-dies-from-blood-clot/

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

I want all my students to learn Mandarin ...

2011-07-23T01:31:00.001-04:00

and I want them to be cordial, thoughtful and mindful of issues that involve people a world away. Because everything is connected:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/17/opinion/sunday/17friedman.html

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Resume Building

2011-06-05T21:15:00.001-04:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303657404576363612674900024.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

What a smart young lady!

2011-06-02T21:04:00.001-04:00

Hillary Clevenger, a great friend and former student:
http://blogs.forbes.com/petercohan/2011/06/02/poverup-kick-starts-microfinance-one-200-ice-cream-outing-at-a-time/

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Are The Top U.S. Colleges Really Tops?

2011-05-31T03:25:00.001-04:00

While every year there seems to be a furor over which school will come out on top of all the others in the various rankings, there is hardly ever fluctuation in the top U.S. colleges- let's say, the top 20 list. Much has been argued regarding the elitism of the rankings and the vicious cycle they create for the coveted spots, essentially that those top U.S. colleges will remain at the top because ... each year these lists basically generate earnings for the universities, thus separating them from the pack even more with the resources they have and the amount of, well, everything, that they can offer to students. The order goes like this: Make list, make money, make yourself better with money, thus making list again, to make more money, to --- well, you get the drift.

The point is, the top U.S. colleges are considered the best for a variety of reasons, none of which guarantee a student's happiness. As we know, students do drop out of Harvard, Stanford and Yale every so often. These schools also have students who transfer to other universities, just as any other school may. We also have to remember that the money and resources of these universities are more often than not geared toward research and other areas which will, again, increase the prestige of the school. As an example, if you love anthropology and archaeology, you're in luck because on campus is the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, a wonderful tool to complement your studies while on campus. While that's impressive, one also has to know that this doesn't guarantee a professor will be teaching your anthropology 101 course. On the contrary, I would put my guess on a doctoral student. Does that make it worse? Some would say that this is not what a $50,000+ price tag should get students, but people continue to shell out that money and many more are willing to do it, even if they're not really able. As well, attending Stanford University, in picturesque Palo Alto, might be the least expensive one can find to live in that area, with meals and some serious learning included. This fact could be a positive or a negative characteristic, depending on how you view it. But the one thing that is for certain and which remains one of the great things about the top U.S. colleges: they're real experiences.

Alumni leave these schools with a greater sense of affinity to their alma mater than Tier 2 schools, or even those schools in the last quarter of the top 100. But these schools are not for everyone and they shouldn't be, either. The top U.S. colleges, through whichever ranking you read, are only there because there is a ranking system, period. Many wise professors and students are currently at universities and colleges all over the country, those which do not perennially inhabit the top U.S. college lists. Someone said to me once, when my wife was first pregnant, "the toys for kids are everywhere. Toy stores are so obscene it's sickening. All my kid ever had was a few tupperware and wooden spoons and she was such a happy kid". She was one of my students. Really a brilliant and content young lady. She actually had the chance to go to a top U.S. college and decided against it. She didn't feel that there was enough creativity on campus when she went to visit.

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Thinking liberally

2011-05-19T03:09:00.001-04:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/at-st-johns-a-defender-of-liberal-arts/2011/05/11/AFMhWz2G_story.html

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Couldn't be more beautiful

2011-04-27T13:52:00.001-04:00

Just another (spring) day at Syracuse University. The students are out in full force, soaking up the unusually perfect weather.
Cheers,
Brady

Saludos.

Tell your friends about
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com

Please consider the environment before you print this email.
Have a great day

Test Prep Courses: Worth the $ or not?

2011-04-18T03:08:00.001-04:00

Students: Do the prep YOURSELVES!!!

http://finance.yahoo.com/college-education/article/112500/what-test-prep-services-wont-say-smartmoney?mod=edu-collegeprep

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

For everyone

2011-04-14T15:13:00.002-04:00

This is why going to college is not enough. It's why high school students have to be immediately ready for the challenges and transition of the process. If not, then Thiel is right. If they are prepared, though, then they will be the ones who do reap the rewards that even Thiel cannot deny.
http://techcrunch.com/2011/04/10/peter-thiel-were-in-a-bubble-and-its-not-the-internet-its-higher-education/

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Smartest Cartoon on the Planet!

2011-04-09T00:26:00.001-04:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704101604576247143383496656.html?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Lifestyle_11_1

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

UW

2011-04-07T00:53:00.001-04:00

My favorite public university in the country: it's time to pay attention to the trends!

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014670294_admissions03m.html

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Rejects? I don't think so:

2011-03-30T02:18:00.001-04:00

http://files.e2ma.net/17556/Library/docs/Shaw_Stanford_RD2010x.pdf

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

The Hover Parent Deconstructed

2011-03-22T13:08:00.001-04:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christine-hassler/cockpit-parents_b_836914.html

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

It's pretty ugly out there ...

2011-03-15T23:15:00.000-04:00

http://slatest.slate.com/id/2288358/entry/4/

enough said.

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Writing is SO Important:

2011-03-07T10:41:00.001-05:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703409904576174651780110970.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_careerjournal

Though Cornell currently see value in giving the students a choice, I see that changing in the coming years.

Be well,
Brady

New Business School Rankings

2011-03-06T00:49:00.001-05:00

Hello!
For those who are interested in the latest rankings for undergraduate business schools, here they are, the top 51:

http://finance.yahoo.com/college-education/article/112273/best-undergraduate-b-schools-2011

For those who applied to Tulsa this year, we did well, predicting their rise ... all the way to #33, ahead of USC, Northeastern and Maryland, to name just a few!

Granted, I don't think rankings are always the most accurate and I hate how they are used as marketing devices, but what we're all looking for is a global network and, as you will see in the article which introduces the rankings, that is the emphasis with undergraduate business schools, also!

Excellent. Take good care.
-B

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Important Reading for the Ranking Obsessed

2011-02-24T11:39:00.001-05:00

http://www.ctcl.org/files/pdfs/RankingsNewYorkerGladwell-1.pdf

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Gap Year Thoughts for the New Year

2011-01-02T04:28:00.001-05:00

Happy 2011 to all.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203513204576047723922275698.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_careerjournal

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Ease Up on Expectations

2010-12-14T00:16:00.001-05:00

Just a little read in the middle of our annual HIGH EXPECTATION, HIGH PRESSURE season:
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/12/12/stress-and-the-high-school-student/reconsider-attitudes-about-success

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Heads Up Foreign Students

2010-12-01T13:10:00.001-05:00

It's a good time to be international!

http://www.slate.com/id/2276200/

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Read What You'd Like ... It's All Fantastic

2010-11-06T13:03:00.001-04:00

http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2010/11/06/education/edlife/index.html?hp

Enjoy!
-Brady

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

A Letter From a Freshman

2010-09-26T23:55:00.001-04:00

This is an email that I just received tonight from a student of mine who is in his freshman year at a really wonderful university. It made me extremely proud and I just thought that I would share it. Note: he even sends regards to Lucy. What a gentleman! I taught him that.

-Brady

Brady,

Dude, I felt like this article was you speaking: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/26/opinion/26gradstudents.html?pagewanted=1&ref=homepage&src=me… It made me think a lot!

Brady, I can't thank you enough for pushing me to leave home when I was making my college decision. I would've missed out on so much if I had stayed back home. I don't know what it is about not being home, but it really has this sort of "vibe", I guess, to strive harder and to survive, since its my only option. Considering the fact that mom and dad aren't here for me to solve my problems anymore. It'll sound crazy, maybe, but this "vibe" motivates me, and has forced me to meet people totally different from me, which is a great thing. Unfortunately for those who stay home, you can't feel the "vibe" until you leave and enter college. So many people will never feel it. That's why it's good to have people like you, pushing people like me, to leave home.

So thanks again dude!

Tell Lucy I say hi!

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
FindabetterU.com
collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Apocalypse Now? (In the Gulf of Mexico).

2010-06-11T02:52:00.002-04:00

Greetings readers! It has been a scary amount of time since I last wrote. The shocking thing is our individual perception of time in relation to certain events or activities. For example, it seems very long ago that I wrote my last article (the longest I've ever gone between articles, in fact). Yet, the oil spill seems so fresh and recent. Perhaps this has more to do with the actual importance of an event. I have no illusions that my articles are as important as what is going on in the Gulf at the moment. However, there are times in our lives when we become so saturated by an event or idea that it reserves a place in our subconscious and because it's always with us, it sort of loses its sense of immediacy and importance. But this is when the issue is MOST important. When we begin to be apathetic is when we must remind ourselves of this very global, inter-connected, high speed world that we exist within. For starters, take a look at this article, http://www.thebigmoney.com/articles/judgments/2010/06/07/bp-or-not-bp?page=full

More... If this article doesn't open up our reality to the fact that much graver injustices happen on a daily basis that we are unaware of, I don't know what will. America is a country known for our nearly manic generosity in the face of a well publicized natural disaster (usually in our own, Western Hemisphere). Yet, we are still extremely insulated. Perhaps this is no fault of our own, on an individual level. It could just be a lack of sufficient media attention, an overwhelming amount of power and money that private industry possesses, or, most likely, a combination of the two (and some other factors, I would imagine).

That being said, I know that there have been lots of people from all over who have rushed-- or wanted to rush toward-- the Gulf coast in order to volunteer in some form. Having gone on for so many weeks now, the concept of volunteering has become a bit tainted as not only are the cities, states, government and BP turning away most untrained volunteers, but the plume that is floating invisibly over the Gulf (think of a chemical cloud) is already accounting for respiratory damage in many who have been involving themselves in Gulf coast areas. So, while I don't have an answer to respiratory problems or to the actual spill itself, I do have some information that might be helpful for those who are unyielding in their desire to help in some way: http://www.oshacampusonline.com/keysspill-24-hour-hazmat.html

This website offers hazardous materials training courses for people who want to assist with this disaster and others that will, inevitably arise in the future. As we know, from reading the first article, the world is never short on oil-related tragedies. The whole idea of the Gulf coast debacle has brought to light some very intriguing dilemmas that our society must now realize and confront. Most importantly, in my opinion, is this concept of how far we are willing to go to destroy natural resources which, in almost every conceivable instance, at one time or another, we will end up paying a much greater amount in both dollars and our way of life, in order to then restore what we misused? The oceans and Everglades are just the beginning. To sustain the way that we currently live, significant risk is involved. We are using humans and nature as collateral. But perhaps we should not want to sustain this lifestyle. Maybe altering our lifestyle by becoming more knowledgeable about our own actions is precisely what is necessary in order to prevent such tragedies in the future.

I think that the moral of this lesson is that we need smarter people. We need engineers who can stop this leak and, more importantly, leaders and executives who have a desire to prevent the leak from occurring in the first place. I'm not saying education necessarily makes one more ethical. But this IS a goal of a liberal arts curriculum; Is it not? Go on to college and help us plug holes that are leaked from everyday, all around the globe.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the beginning of your summer. Be in touch.

Making the May 1st College Choice Deadline

2010-04-13T00:50:00.004-04:00

As many students are relaxing, more than satisfied with their college selection and the prospects of a transformational freshman year, some still reel. It is always good to utilize the allotted time in order to make the most informed and positive college choice, but unless new information is coming to light or a visit is happening in the coming week or two, this decision should be very close to done.

How each individual goes about this final college choice varies. But there are certainly some common questions (or answers, for that matter) that everyone needs to take into consideration. To go over the thought process, I think it is important to take finances out of this for now. Ultimately, finances play a significant (if not the most significant) part in the majority of people's college choice scenarios. And because everyone has a very personal situation and some people want to take loans while others do not, or will live at home while others will not, covering the gamut of potential financial questions would be enough to fill many books, let alone just this one article. So, for the sake of simplification, let's break the college choice process down into the major factors for those who are still vacillating with two weeks to go. Remember, the best thing to do in every situation in life is to eliminate the choices which are not suitable. Sometimes, after we do this, it is revealed to us that only one or, perhaps, two choices are even appropriate. Eliminating these superfluous college choices is critical at this juncture.

1. Site unseen: I warn students to not take this with a grain of salt. If you have not seen or been near the college campus that you are contemplating attending, be very careful. Every campus and surrounding community has a personality and feel which can be unique. If you have not been motivated enough to visit a school by now, I have a feeling that it does not belong on your final list.

2. Program breadth: Unless you are sure of your major and set on a career path, choosing a school based on its extremely specific curriculum or specialization in one program is not always the best option. Make sure that your college choice gives you the flexibility and wiggle-room to explore and challenge yourself with new ideas and fields that you might not have been familiar with otherwise.

3. Extracurricular potential: on any campus in the country one can find a place to play ultimate frisbee or beer pong. However, if you're into activities which are location specific or require certain facilities, please make sure that these exist on or near the campus, before you make the final college choice.

4. The difference between attending university near home or away from home exists, but it's not necessarily as significant as one may think. If home is close enough to tempt a return visit every weekend, I recommend not allowing yourself that visit for the first two months of college. A student, if he/she is not living at home while commuting to college, is paying for a college experience through on- or off-campus housing. This means that part of your education comes when you're outside of the classroom. You should definitely limit your visits home. Consider this when making the college choice. If it's a difference of a four hour versus five hour drive from your house or a drive versus a plane flight, sometimes the more distant option can help a young person achieve that self-sufficiency that all parents work hard to instill.

5. Friends: don't always go where your friends are going. The college choice is filled with- and all about- change. You will stay friends with those you are close with, no matter where you go. So make some new ones.

6. Parents: The last thing that any parent wants is to choose the university for their kid. This can create some major resentment when school gets unpleasant, which is bound to happen at certain times. But regardless of that, the college choice is really up to the student. It is my personal opinion that this is the one time when parents really need to stay out of it. Set the guidelines and the budget and if the student can make "A" university work when you were pushing "B" university, but "A" university fulfills the terms that were agreed upon from the onset ... back off!

7. Remember: you will be happy if you're committed to learning and change. This is ultimately what college is about and, more importantly, the traditional ages from 18-24. So while a good college choice has a great impact on your future and who you become, the change in who you are is coming, whether you choose college "A" or college "B". Just make sure that your college choice is done with lots of thought and as full of an understanding of the options as you are able to gather.
If you have any questions or are a bit stuck, you can always reach me through the website, www.findabetteru.com. Enjoy the process and thanks for reading!

Senioritis? Oh shut up.

2010-03-17T02:10:00.003-04:00

You've done everything you were supposed to do: you have applied; you have been admitted to at least one great option college/university; you have always dotted every "i" and crossed every "t". And now you want your rightful rest. You think you have earned it, right? I'm sure you're not considering anything unreasonable, miss a few days of school here, a few homework assignments there, sleep a little in class, stop reading the literature . . . I know where you're coming from. Trust me. I do. This is what I have to say about the dreaded (and all too familiar) "senioritis":

When you're a senior-- especially a reasonably intelligent one-- and you know that this process is coming and that when it's all settled and college seems just around the corner and high school seems like something of the past, more for the plebeians of the world, don't forget that you signed a small contract with each university that you were admitted to, stating that you would continue to do satisfactorily (this is the university's concept of "satisfactory", not yours) in all of your current year courses, maintaining standards which you had achieved in your previous years. In other words, you better have your act together enough so that your transcript does not look like you were completely absent for Spring semester of senior year.

First of all, let me say that four years of high school is a long time. I think that three years, in many cases, would be plenty of time to be locked in this adolescent incubator. However, the concept of senioritis is confused by so many. People think it's an excuse when really it's NOT a real psychological (or physical) ailment. All senioritis means is that you're tired of school, you want to be finished, BUT you know that you have to keep working toward the goal that you had for yourself LONG BEFORE senioritis set in. Senioritis is NOT an EXCUSE. It is a revelation that you have to work harder than your mind might want. Deal with it. To an adult or an educator, just uttering the word: "s-e-n-i-o-r-i-t-i-s" makes one seem just a fraction less intelligent than they were prior to speaking it. Second, granted, if you're usually an "A" or an "A/B" student and you get one or even two "C"'s during Spring of your final year, it may not have a negative impact on your admission. But there is never a way to know. Earning an "F" or a "D" in an academic class is totally unacceptable and may even prevent your high school graduation.

But the bigger question here is Why?

Is learning really about the goal of college admission? If that's the case, you're missing the point of it all and I'm afraid college is going to be a big waste of time and resources for you. Why would you want to stop achieving and learning in the final few months of high school. An approach like this can actually create MORE anxiety in a student than the actual school work, itself. There is a complete curriculum in high school that, whether I agree with it or not, is what you should be focused on. For many high school seniors, if you were accepted to an institution of repute, then you're probably taking AP or IB courses that have significant, knowledge-based exams at the end of the year. If you're in Honor's classes, you must have a final or a final paper that will be expected of you. In most academic courses (i.e. English IV, Government and Economics, etc...), whether or not they're AP or Honor's or Regular-level, they matter and the information you should be learning is a part of that foundation of knowledge that ALL colleges and universities will expect their freshmen to have.

I don't like seeming as if I am a man who blindly preaches the benefits of education. I realize that right now, in our country, there is a significant movement to debilitate the education elitists- which I would probably be considered as I do enjoy being around people who read often, write clearly, think critically and can reference interesting ideas in order to give unique perspective to their arguments. However, no matter what anyone says, and I have probably written this before on this very blog, education is the one thing that NO ONE can EVER take away from us. It is what makes people interesting (education in ALL forms, experience and the classroom) and it is what our world demands of each of us as we become more complicated in our governing, technology, industry and individual lives. Bottom line: finish your senior year with energy and motivation. Not only will you not have to worry about what your college of choice is going to think when they see your grades (because your grades will be great) but you will feel better for being the person who actually takes responsibility and assignment seriously. There are plenty of opportunities during senior year to have fun with your classmates. Take advantage of all of them. But never forget that the reason you are even able to have so much fun is because you have worked hard every day leading up to the fun.
Thanks for reading and enjoy these last few months!

Marketing

2010-03-08T12:46:00.001-05:00

Sometimes mass marketing is accomplished for me.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/03/education/03guidance.html?hpw

enough said . . .

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
http://collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

I couldn't have written it better myself

2010-02-08T00:47:00.001-05:00

http://www.slate.com/id/2243435/

Humbling and motivating . . .

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
http://collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

My Fall in Fall

2009-12-10T03:24:00.001-05:00

It is that time of the year where it becomes difficult to tell where the days begin and end. I think that the kids this year have all done/are doing an amazing job staying positive and working diligently with their applications and essays, testing and organizing. However, this does not always help me to sleep. Yet there is one thing that I continue to learn as each year goes by, and is something that I think I tried to deny until just a few years ago: truly getting started early is the only way to keep oneself on track and to feel wholly satisfied with the way the applications turn out. I ran into a student just this morning who will be applying to a number of schools from Harvard to Georgia Tech, Yale to MIT and she had not even begun her applications. A pit swelled in my stomach as I realized that my students are beginning this process in the months of May, June and July and they still often have one or two final pieces to polish come the month of December. Plus, when they get in the early applications, they get the early responses back as well. And I can tell you that these responses coming back this month are extremely welcome by everyone (of course they're acceptances!).
I realize that I have neglected the blog for some time. But I am positively sure that those of you who may be reading this are much happier knowing that if it's a choice between my students and my blog, the blog is definitely the right one to give up on this time each year.
Thank you all for the support. Keep the students coming...
Hope to hear from you soon.
-B

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
http://collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Ranking the U.S. College Rankings

2009-10-07T03:28:00.003-04:00

I was just reading an article this morning about women's professional tennis and the flaws in its ranking system. I also see weekly reviews often at this time of the year when different people are giving their opinion about the various ranking systems in college football. There are computer programs that use data analysis; there are coaches votes; there are win/loss and strength-of-schedule ranking systems . . . indeed, there are different ranking systems based on the weight of each different criteria that is ranked. Honestly, I find it to be a bit of overkill. So how do the U.S. College Ranking systems work? Which U.S. College Ranking organization is most reliable?

So this is the most important thing to remember before you read any further: if a school makes you happy and the education that you are getting is of value to you, you should not be too concerned or caught up in where, exactly, that school lands in any of the number of U.S. College Ranking lists. So, with that out of the way, let's cut to the chase about these dubious (and multitudinous) U.S. College Rankings.

Are they (U.S. College Rankings) legitimate for the quality of academics that are available at each school for every single person? No.

Do they have any necessary influence on how much money you will be earning when you graduate? Not really. Look, if you're going to be a high school math teacher in Arkansas coming straight out of Harvard versus Arkansas State, you're making the same salary. If you're graduating with a degree in business, try to go to a school that has a strong alumni network and is near or in a city with booming industry. But don't make your choice on college based on what you HOPE will be your future career earnings. Things like this, when revealed to rationale people, just make you sound like a pompous fool.

Back to the U.S. College Rankings.

Will you be happier at a school which is ranked 20th in "level of student satisfaction" than you would be at a school ranked 30th in the same category? Not necessarily.

Can you find someone at every school in this fair nation who thinks that their school is the best school there is? Probably.

Can you find someone who thinks that their school is the worst? Almost without a doubt.

Certain aspects, which I think can be glaring, are not factored in to many of the U.S. College Rankings, such as student suicide rate, student exercise rate, and alumni involvement (no, I don't mean JUST financial donations- there are other ways to serve your institution). I also believe strongly that whereas the quality and diversity of food was extremely important in my college selection, some people just don't have such a refined palate. And where Greek life might have played a significant role in your selection of college/university, for me it did not. But these are both areas which are tucked away and given a very arbitrary amount of weight in the College Ranking process. For some, however, they deserve more or less mention than they do get.

One of the major points of the U.S. College Rankings has to do with the number of faculty on a campus, and the number of those faculty who hold what are considered "terminal degrees". A terminal degree is the highest degree that a person in that specialty can achieve. So, in English literature, the terminal degree would be a Ph.D. However in a field such as creative writing and poetry, it might be an M.F.A. (Master of Fine Arts). So, when we read that 98% of a universities faculty hold terminal degrees, that's all well and good. However, some of the best teaching, many would argue, has come from those who do not have the terminal degree or maybe they're pursuing it. Perhaps they enjoyed the teaching aspect and not so much the research necessary for finishing a doctoral program. Who am I to say? But I do know that the rankings think that they can judge that and while it MAY be true in some cases, it is certainly not true in all.

If there is anything that U.S. College Rankings have done is that they have increased the hype for a small pocket of elite schools across this country. This has been, essentially, a self-fulfilling prophecy for those schools because when an alumni sees his/her school around the top of a U.S. College Ranking list, the swelling of pride might just induce a monetary donation. That monetary donation can be one small step in actually raising the profile and ranking of said university even more, which then makes even more alumni swell with pride and donate, as they believe the value of their degree is also being enhanced by this ranking. Be aware supportive elite-university alumni. A recent article had a very interesting point to make:

http://chronicle.com/article/Think-Tank-The-Veritas/48590/

I don't know if I have actually made any significant progress towards a conclusion on whether or not U.S. College Rankings are beneficial or harmful to our system of higher education. So, in summary, I would say that while there is certainly some validity to ranking categories like "class sizes", "average incoming gpa" and "graduation rate", because these are statistics that should be known and available to all students who are researching prospective schools, do any of these mean that YOU will be more or less successful at a top-ranked school versus a school ranked somewhere in the ambiguous folds of the pages of some U.S. College Ranking magazine? No.

And in response to the question regarding WHICH U.S. College Ranking system is most reliable? Well, the answer is simple, of course: Your college ranking system is most reliable! Visit a campus, call the admissions office, read about it on the website, chat with students who go there, etc . . . Are we really becoming such passive thinkers that we have to just rely on what information other people give us? No. We are smarter than this.

Please don't think that way. Or soon, you, too, will begin to sound like a bit of a pompous fool.

If YOUR college ranking system fails you, contact me. I am never one to hold back on this topic.

As always, thanks for reading and don't hesitate to email me if you need help deciding whether you should apply to Harvard or Arkansas State--or both.

California's In Crisis. Is The Education System In Crisis Also?

2009-09-23T13:43:00.003-04:00

First of all, let me be very specific about one factor: many of the very quality private schools in California have weathered the economic storm quite well. Their endowments shrunk, of course, but they remain in a fairly healthy financial condition. It’s the public schools that I’m referring to here. At the moment there are nine University of California (UC) campuses- the research-intensive branch of the California public higher education system and twenty-three of the California State University campuses (CSU). The major differences are few, but the minor differences are many. The level of academics tends to be more competitive at the UC campuses because more full-time students who are on a more academic track with the idea of graduate school, professional school and/or research on their minds. Keeping in mind that public higher education in California is paid for by the citizens of California and thus, there to serve the residents of California. This is why in-state tuition is less than out-of-state tuition, as an example.

There have been many items tossed around the proverbial table with regard to the state of the system. Everything from shutting down the newest campuses in both the CSU and UC branches, to a fee increase to offset some of the costs, has been proposed. The thing that most people have to understand, first and foremost, is that the cost of educating a student at even the most expensive university in America is higher than the cost of full-tuition. In other words, if tuition at George Washington University is $45,000 per year, the actual cost of the education is closer to $65,000 once you take into consideration all of the academic advising, career support services, tutoring, mentoring, student life opportunities, etc . . . The cost of a university education is fair in many ways. But public universities are in a very different league.

Most public universities are slaves to the annual budget of their respective state. For the majority of the top publics in the country, this has not been terribly harmful as the state continues to fund a significant portion of the university. For California though, that is not the case. California has continued to decrease its support, funding, research monies and expansion investment dollars. The pace of growth in qualified kids who should be guaranteed spots within the system is much faster than that which the system can grow.

California Students:
So how does this play into the opportunity for one to gain admission into UC Berkeley or UCLA or UC Davis or UC Santa Barbara, to name a few? If you’re in California, your chances are slightly worse than years past. In a nutshell, a student must graduate in the top 10% of their high school class, still earn solid SAT/ACT scores and be a stellar candidate. The likelihood that a student with great credentials, graduating from a California high school, will be admitted to a UC is high. The likelihood that it is the student’s top-choice campus is not so high.

International Students:
The admission process for this group of students is going to remain as competitive as it has always been. The California system will not be cutting a significant number of their international student “slots” because this is where they gain some of their greatest diversity: those coming in from Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America will only see their probability go down if the number of International applicants rises. Otherwise, the percentage of students on each campus who are admitted from out of the country will be steady.

Non-California Domestic Students:
This will be the biggest single group affected by the admission numbers as the only significant percentage drop in UC and CSU admissions will be coming from those students who are graduating from high schools out-of-state. However, due to cut back enrollment numbers on all campuses and increasing percentages of in-state students for admission, the domestic, out-of-state students will suffer greatly. Couple this with the fact that application numbers continue to rise every year for the various UC and CSU campuses (and the obvious cutback in admitted numbers) and it’s going to be a tough road for those students who are outside of California, but domestic nonetheless.

Overall, my recommendation is, like everything else, be very careful and thoughtful about how you will present yourself as an applicant. Unless your scores are phenomenal and your math and science curriculum is really the absolute most competitive, DON’T apply engineering or math and science. You’re competing against the best of the best in not only the UC and CSU systems, but the world! You’re competing against those students from around the country who have perfect scores, IB and AP classes, near-perfect and perfect SAT II’s, etc . . .

I hope this is helpful for those who have been struggling with how and where to apply in California. Good luck and, as always, thanks for reading.

The Importance of Reading and Writing

2009-09-09T03:32:00.001-04:00

Greetings!
With the beginning of a new year it seems as though there has been an inundation of discussion and discourse on the topic of young people and reading. I am always intrigued by the topic as it is one area where, I am sure, our schools are failing-- and thus, creating a vicious cycle which will only weaken our social system, from the work-force and economy to the leaders we create for political and industry leadership.
Bottom line: for some reason there is a large percentage of students who think that it is okay to NOT read. With great sadness I believe that this is a group of young people who will, many of them at least, look back in retrospect on their teenage years and wish they would have had a book in their hands. Or, perhaps, their ignorance won't permit that. Regardless, it seems that the subject has been appearing quite often in the headlines. Some of the better articles that I have seen are linked below:

Each of the short essays is on a different aspect of importance in the educational journey of young people, written wonderfully by a long-term professor at one of a number of distinguished institutions. I implore you to read them all (which would take, perhaps, 15 minutes). But if you have to choose just one, I recommend the brief essay, Off-Campus Life. However, they're EACH wonderful.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/06/opinion/06collegeadvice.html?em

This is a wonderful post by Stanley Fish (who also had the first short essay in the above link). The problem that occurs- and that which Fish points out- is that the lack of reading does not just affect the student. The obvious lack of reading carries over into his/her writing, verbal communication, vocabulary, effect on others, all-around competency, etc . . . I believe it's something that needs to be taken very seriously. Fish follows up on this post with 2 more posts on the same topic, eloquently titled "What Should Colleges Teach part 2 and part 3).
http://fish.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/24/what-should-colleges-teach/

This was just a very interesting post which highlighted the different sides of the debate on whether or not summer reading is healthy. Bottom line: OF COURSE summer reading is healthy. What would be unhealthy about reading? Ever? There's something inherently sad about the fact that this is even up for debate. See for yourself. But I think that giving the students a summer off of reading as if we are treating it like a chore and not a pleasure, is the worst example of reinforcement I could imagine.
http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/the-crush-of-summer-homework/?scp=2&sq=lack%20of%20reading%20skills&st=cse

I recently asked a good friend, who is a Professor of English, whether she has experienced these issues since she began teaching over 10 years ago. Her response was simple: She told me that she 'cannot take the time to revise papers as she used to because, although the university continues to boast higher admission standards and "more intelligent" incoming classes each year (higher SAT/ACT scores and GPA's), her students demonstrate a lower level of understanding of how to form a sentence, let alone a decent argument.' In other words, we are sending our students off to college-- they are graduating from our high schools-- without the ability to write a thesis statement and supporting ideas.

Reflect on this and think about the last time you read a student's writing and were impressed. Let us not lower our standards.

Thanks for reading. I always love hearing from my readers so please do keep your emails coming.

The Education Cycle Begins; The Calendar is Packed

2009-08-22T18:03:00.006-04:00

At this time of each year I am usually so eager to get started with school and testing and the college application process that I begin to scare my students. Apparently not all of them are quite as enthusiastic about the beginning of a new school year as I am. Perhaps it's just the end of a summer that they mourn. Either way, big things are always happening. Although this summer has seen us away from our usual stomping ground for more days than we care to recall, the number and geographic location of campus visits has really been wonderful. From the three major New Orleans schools to University of Washington, Seattle University and University of Puget Sound all in the Seattle Metro area, to California State Universities and several private colleges elsewhere on the west coast, this summer has been a whirlwind.
If I have learned anything, it's the importance of campus visits. These universities are always changing so much and there are always such great ideas and collaborations going on around a campus community that make visiting and walking around, even if it's just for an hour, an experience that is well worth the trip. Visiting even the smallest school, one can discover big ideas. With that said, this year will have a great emphasis on college tours. Not only do so many seniors desperately need to see the campuses which they are applying to, but it's time that the juniors and sophomores start opening their eyes, too. These school years always blow by much faster than most think they will and without proper planning, most people will never remember to emphasize a college visit until it is too hectic and a bit too late. Trust me, I see families cramming campus tours during the school year, on a three-day weekend, when their senior is in the middle of the college application process and busy with school, extra-curriculars, etc . . . So, if you're interested in learning more about the trips planned for this year, just let us know. There will be some great opportunities for everyone.
Other than that, with the new year here for many, and just on the horizon for others, my advice is the same as always: stay aware and read a lot. Don't fall behind at the beginning because it's just too hard to catch yourself up. As usual, for those who are going through the college application process now, continue to be in touch with me. I have had some very interesting contacts from students both in the U.S. and as far away as Asia this summer who are looking for guidance. It makes me realize how difficult so much of this process can be and how few advocates there are out there for these kids. I am so happy and proud to be doing what I do and working with the families that I get to work with. Thanks for reading.

Road Tripping

2009-06-30T15:17:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been a little while since I've had a chance to write a new post. But at the moment I'm sitting in a small cafe in Marianna, FL, where the big attraction is the Florida Caverns State Park. Yesterday brought us to Tallahassee, where we stopped to walk around the campus a bit and the downtown, had a bite to eat at a great little place called Andrew's 228 and was fortunate enough to have both a hostess and a waiter who were both more than happy to share their tales of undergraduate experience at FSU with us. Later today, we will be at University of West Florida in Pensacola which should be a wonderful experience, minus the fact that it could be a ghost town as summer programs are not a huge draw for most students who attend UWF. After that it's on to New Orleans to visit U New Orleans and Tulane-- and to have a little r and r. We're really looking forward to every stop on the trip as the drive through North Florida has been beautiful and if I remember correctly, it stays like that the whole way through. The website is nearing completion: www.findabetterU.com. This is exciting. I am pleased with it so far. Some of the text needs to be edited, but all-in-all, it's a big step up. All my best and thanks for reading.
Cheers,
Brady

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Existentialism Anyone?

2009-05-13T04:25:00.003-04:00

Is this what makes small, liberal arts colleges which create a greater personal experience for their student body, worth the often-higher tuition?

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2007/09/16/why_are_we_here/

As the senior year celebrations are being planned, don't forget to stay focused on the purpose of those long, beautiful summers: to give our brains the chance to recover by taking part in intellectual activities that are NOT available through traditional schooling. Compile your summer movie list, grab your summer reading books, equip yourself with a journal and try your hand at poetry, prose or song-writing. Don't just get stale and sunburned.
Write to me if you're doing something exciting over the summer or have plans (or need advice) that could be interesting and unique. I'd love to hear from you.

NYTimes.com: Swimming Without a Suit

2009-04-22T15:09:00.005-04:00

This page was sent to you by: brady.norvall@gmail.com

Message from sender:
I think this really gives an idea, through statistics, at least, of how badly our traditional high school system has failed us. Let's hope it's not too late to reverse the damage. I stand firm on my belief that high school should be only 3 years long with shorter breaks in the summer (or mandatory summer programs), so the minds work year round! Happy reading . . .

OPINION | April 22, 2009
Op-Ed Columnist: Swimming Without a Suit
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
America needs to invest money and energy into schools with a sense of urgency that the economic and moral stakes demand.

Accepted

2009-04-17T02:45:00.005-04:00

I just wanted to write a quick update about the kids this year: so far, 21 seniors, 141 letters of acceptance; 5 graduate students all into their top choice graduate program- with one who will hear at 12:01 a.m. this coming Sunday/Monday (the 20th). The juniors this year are already gearing up for their summer application push and the phone calls for potential new students are drifting in, slowly but surely. I appreciate everyone who helps to get the word out and refers friends my way. It sometimes can seem like a lot of responsibility, but I stand by the belief that all of these students will go somewhere great . . . where it is, we just don't know yet. But every one of my kids deserves the opportunity that I can provide and the advocate that I work hard to become for each of them. We're at a critical time in the state of our higher education system in this country. Investments are being made while coffers are dwindling. Again, this year was the hardest year in history for college admissions. It is to only get more difficult until approximately 2016. But I believe that we are only seeing the beginning of the hyper-competitive college admissions process. But if it ever lets up on the undergraduate admission's end of things, it surely will intensify on the graduate side. All my best. Thanks for reading.

Selecting the Right College

2009-03-31T10:46:00.004-04:00

Hopefully, in these coming weeks, students across the country will be finding out that they have choices for their college future. Although they will only enroll in one university at a time, long gone are the days when students applied to only one school or were admitted to only one school. The majority of high school students nowadays have the option of two- or more- colleges to attend. I'd like to imagine a hypothetical situation where, say, all universities on your student's list are . . . free! And, for the sake of this post, let's imagine they are.

So, here we are, presented with a variety of choices, all of which are going to cost the same amount of money. How do we begin the process of sorting through each and differentiating between A, B and C schools? If you were like most students, at the beginning of this process you narrowed down your list of choices for your applications to schools that you maybe felt would be a good fit if you were fortunate enough to gain admission-- sorry, if THEY are fortunate enough to have YOU choose them, after you've gained admission! So, I gather that during this process of receiving your offers of admission, each school has something about it which you initially were drawn to. In other words, there are qualities at each of your college options which draw you to that college, correct?! Good. Now, what SHOULDN'T you base your college admission decision on? Let's review a list of those characteristics that are important to consider, but should never be the ONLY factor that you base your college decision on:

1. The visit: You must visit a campus and the surrounding town/city/neighborhood prior to making the commitment to attend. Without a visit to actually see where it is you'll be living, you cannot make an informed decision. And after all this hard work, don't you think it's worth a visit?

2. The major: If you've selected an obscure major, don't go to the one school that has that major available because chances are you're not going to graduate with the same program that you thought you would when you entered as a freshman. Look for similar programs at each institution-- or ask if you can minor in it or design your own program.

3. Financial aid: Don't make up your mind before all the financial aid packages have come back. If there's a school that you really want, but they didn't award you enough to make attending a possibility, call them up and tell them that you can't go without $xx more. Talk reasonably with people and see where it might land you.

4. Sports: Do not . . . I repeat DO NOT choose a university based on their previous year's sporting success. Seriously, give yourself a bit more credit than just being a college sport fanatic. You have so much more to give.

5. Boyfriend/Girlfriend: Unless you have a child together, this is a recipe for disaster. Everyone needs space. Education is the only thing no one can ever take away from you-- a high school relationship . . . get my point?

6. Because all your friends are going: Use this opportunity to allow yourself an opportunity to make new friends, meet new people and experience all kinds of interesting new things. Why would you want to take such a momentous and life-altering event as the transition to college and try to make it more comfortable by isolating yourself around already-made friends? If it's going to be difficult, you may as well meet people who are undergoing the same process as you are.

7. You heard the parties are really spectacular: Welcome to college. Unless you plan on being the person who parties from Tuesday-Sunday (which means you won't be there long, anyway) you're going to find a party (or at least the opportunity to be social) at pretty much any college Thursday-Saturday nights.

8. The dorm rooms are nice: Bad idea! Bad idea! Bad idea! I can almost promise you that your dorm room is NOT going to look like that Bed, Bath and Beyond room on the guided tour you took with your family. You're going to have clothes on the floor, school work everywhere, a mini fridge with things in it that are rotten and probably something else that is going bad, somewhere in the room. All you do in the dorm room is sleep and, maybe, study (if you are able to manage yourself in such a social atmosphere). When you're in college, you'll learn quickly how easy it is to sleep in your non-color-coordinated room.

9. Because of the food: Okay, this is only making it because there are some schools out there that are well-known to have much better food awaiting prospective students and their parents, than they actually serve the student body. However, I do think that the food is a very vital part of your life in college, you can navigate to good options, no matter how bad it seems.

10. Because people tell you that you should: Listen to only a few and know who those few are. They have been the ones who have been most supportive throughout the entire process. They are the ones who are thinking about you NOW, not their idea of what you SHOULD be in 4, 5, 10 years from now. Listen hard to your heart and those who you trust.

You've worked hard for this choice ahead of you. Congratulations and good luck. If you need a sounding board, find me at http://collegecounseling101.blogspot.com

The College Admissions Waiting Game

2009-03-16T02:49:00.007-04:00

Greetings,
This short article ran a few weeks ago on one of the college websites that I write for, myUsearchblog.com, but I thought it was still relevant and wanted to post it up here, even though many of the admission decisions are coming in as I write! Hold tight.

While the applications have been submitted and most schools have stopped accepting new applicants (though some still continue to accept applications through May and, sometimes, June), you are wondering what can be done to alleviate your anxiety, right?

Well, let me lead you to a nice little list of post-application tips for maintaining sanity:

1. If you haven't already been in touch with an admission counselor at some of schools you hope to gain admission to, do so now. Give a phone call. An email is fine, but really, a phone call is best. Introduce yourself. Find a reason to talk about school (i.e. maybe your classes are really difficult or you're feeling exhausted by high school). It's okay to talk about these things. It makes you more personable and more human.

2. Keep your grades up. I know that you've heard this before, but this is no time to slack off. Stay focused and have purpose- always. You will go to college so don't give up on high school.

3. If you haven't already met with an alumni or two from the schools you have applied to, for an interview, and need to alleviate your stress and talk a bit about this whole process, contact the local interviewers.

4. With Spring breaks coming up, it would be a productive idea to make a visit to a campus or two. Perhaps you've already gained admission somewhere and have not yet seen the campus (or would like to see it again) or there's a school that is close enough to make a fun day- or overnight- trip, go for it.

5. If you've been deferred from a school, it is important that you find out what their policy is. In most cases, a school is not going to penalize you for writing a nice letter stating that you still very much want to attend and that the deferral "did not take the wind out of your sails", but, on the contrary, gave you greater motivation.

6. Review your list of schools and make sure that you have appropriate options for these economic times. Perhaps you will need to go ahead and apply to your local college, after all.

This is no time for passivity. You must continue to be your own advocate. And if none of these work to alleviate your anxieties, get some well-deserved rest and a bit of regular exercise and you will start remembering why you undertook this process in the first place: it's all in the name of a learning experience.

On the Return: Reflections from the Boston College Trip

2009-02-27T17:55:00.004-05:00

So, one week has passed since the Boston college trip and although I was initially planning on writing a daily log of our events, the days were long and the cold was debilitating. Ordinarily we left the hotel in Cambridge in the mornings around 9:15 (breakfast consumed) and off to our first college tour and meetings of the day. We went from college #1 to lunch and then to college #2, typically, each day we were there. Overall, we saw eleven colleges and universities, which sounds like a lot- and really, it is a lot- but in Boston it's not that unheard of. We met up with some of my old students and they hosted a great dinner for the boys and talked to them all about living and going to school in the city, the transition to college, the difference in responsibilities, etc . . . It was a great evening. We also met up with another one of my students from Boca who was in Boston for Harvard Model Congress with some of her classmates. Serendipitous. The boys were on great behavior the whole weekend and really gained an understanding of what type of campus it is that they're looking for and what the major differences are between academic programs from school to school. Of the group, three of the guys decided that going to school in Boston was precisely what they wanted. The other one learned that going to school in Boston was precisely what he did not want. The weather was much too cold. For him, this was a very productive trip, as well, just because the whole point is to identify locations that you do want to go to college and a big part of that is identifying those areas that you do NOT want. The guys have now all sent/are sending this weekend their follow-up Thank You emails to the various admissions folks who really went above and beyond for the four of them. That is a big part of these trips, to make sure that the students continue to grow and learn through inquiry and experience, while exploring themselves. It was a good trip. Happy almost March!

Boston: Day 1; Cold

2009-02-17T23:07:00.001-05:00

I am in Boston with four great young guys. We arrived this morning to find that our luggage did not follow us here. It was disappointing, but also a good lesson in patience and customer service. The initial response was- as it always must be- frustration. But this was funny how absurd it was. All five of our bags were missing. When they found out that the lost baggage amount of compensation is $3,000 they all started to hope that the bags were lost in the ether, somewhere. It's extremely cold here. This is the whole point of a trip during the winter, to experience what ends up being the real weather during 4 months of a 9 month college year, sort of eliminates any fantasy about what "college in Boston" will be like. But regardless, it's still a wonderful place, with so much energy and so many young people. The guys were a little apprehensive, I think, as they were expecting some amazing shock of college life when they got off the subway and entered the city. But it's just a normal, dynamic city that has the hustle of a metropololis with the community of a college town. We had some good food. We walked the commons. We walked through the Jewish Memorial near Faneuil Hall, which was really moving. Then they got cold and started whimpering so we came back to the hotel where I made them write for a little while- they'll get used to this. More later.

--
Brady Norvall, M.A.
http://collegecounseling101.blogspot.com
Education Counseling
954.254.7113

Wired High Schools: Increasing Access and Decreasing IQ's

2009-02-09T12:29:00.004-05:00

I admit that I have not always been a fan of the idea of laptops in the classroom, especially in affluent areas where students have access to that technology on a regular basis, as it stands. However, several recent experiences and some new students who I have come across, have lead me to assess "why" I dislike the idea of a 'laptop school'. This post will not be very long, because I'm afraid that I could write far too many ideas that are neither supported through independent research nor really legitimized by a truly random sample. That said, what it is that I have witnessed from my experiences with students who attend schools which do utilize laptops as a part of the daily curriculum, is their savvy in navigating youtube, wikipedia and google is greatly enhanced. It stops right about there. Sure, they can troubleshoot a computer problem much quicker than I probably am able, but the majority of their time spent on the computer is spent trying to figure out a way to beat the firewall or entertain themselves with the infinite amount of ether-tainment available in the wide world of web. I have students who have found (and do send me) some of the most obscure videos from youtube or will, without thinking twice whether they've heard of an author or tried to dig in the recesses of their minds for a common reference, do a wikipedia search, read the first line of the bio and then move on, as if they have now learned, associated and retained the information. Like I said above, there is something valiant about providing technology in a more vocational aspect- especially to schools where the demographics indicate that the average student might not have the same opportunity and access outside of school. But is it really necessary for students who do have access to be hiding behind a screen all-day long? What will happen to their creative writing? When will they have the chance to feel a book in their hands or turn the page of a newspaper? I'm not saying that google search is not a better tool than a library. But I am saying that it would be nice for every student in high school to be able to walk into a library and know how to find a book that they might be looking for. It's technology. It serves a wonderful purpose and provides great hope for a more well-connected and informed society. Though I just can't help but wonder whether, with these laptop schools, it isn't providing one aspect at the expense of another?

Reading for the SAT and Life

2009-01-27T00:54:00.005-05:00

Now is the time when many parents of tenth and eleventh graders- and sometimes, even the tenth and eleventh graders, themselves- are beginning to wonder if their student is "test-strong". With the PSAT scores coming back to most students either right before the new year or after returning from winter break, the shock of being in the middle 50% or, as some have found themselves, the bottom 25%, in an area as crucial to learning as "Critical Reading", the panic sets in. This is a time of the year when I, inevitably, get phone calls. The question always seems to be the same: "How can my son/daughter raise his/her score on the test?" My answer sometimes frustrates parents, especially if we are discussing an eleventh grader on the dawn of college applications: "There is no quick fix. It sounds to me like your student needs to be reading on a very regular basis".
You see, it's not that the SAT can't be taught or that there aren't strategies which can enhance the score a few percentage points, the simple fact is that the test is there to gauge where a student's long-term learning has placed him/her. For someone who has never even completed a book for school or otherwise, there are no shortcuts. Too many people are looking to be let off the hook. And this, in all honesty, is the one redeeming characteristic of the standardized exams: The fact that they do not let laziness off the hook. If you don't read well and don't read consistently, your score will reflect that. If you have never been asked to paraphrase an article or summarize an author's perspective, let alone formulate your own ideas and articulate them in a coherent way, you will probably not be too satisfied with the Critical Reading score you earn.
It takes hard work to compensate for those lost years when you should have been reading a few pages each night. I recently recommended to a student's mom that she subscribe to three monthly magazines for her son: National Geographic (he likes photography and intense images-- think Stanley Kubrick films); Men's Health (he's a teenage boy who goes to the gym and worries about his image); and one more. If I had my druthers (and I told her as much) it would be the magazine that attracts the attention of most teenage boys (and has for several decades), with some of the greatest articles and writers contributing to the outstanding -and often overlooked- literary aspect of this empire (I hope that you get my subtlety). Why? Because he'll pick it up! He had never read as much as a newspaper article until I began working with him last Fall. He needs reading to be something that he wants to do. Eventually, he will learn to find joy in the learning and discovery processes of literature. Until then, if he's drawn to pictures and reading ends up being a byproduct . . . so be it!

10 Reasons to Not Panic

2009-01-12T01:43:00.001-05:00

As the time draws near and the decisions of whether you will or will not get into x, y, or z school are imminent, I think it best to give all high school seniors good reason to settle down, take a breath and start thinking about other, more important things (that's right, I said MORE important things).

More...

1. In the scheme of life, there is, ultimately, nothing that can be done now that your applications are in, but wait. Waiting is patience. Patience is a virtue. Virtues are something you will learn much about in college (especially if you take a philosophy course). Get a head-start. It will be like you're already in college, but you're not . . . yet!

2. If you did your best on the college applications, good job. You have now learned what it takes to complete a task that will be judged by someone who really does not know you. This, my young friends, is a life skill.

3. If you did poorly on your applications and saved everything until the last minute, maybe this will be a good wake-up call as to why approaching things with maturity and preparedness is not just a trait of an adult, but a trait of a successful adult.

4. Everybody has waited this process out before you. It's just like the SAT's, you're still around to tell about it, right? Your anxiety is not unique and, therefore, not really necessary.

5. At the end of the day you will be blazing the trail that you- and you, alone- created for yourself. Many a'student have gone off to their top choice school and been unhappy and then transferred. You, too, will find that no college is omnibenevolent and upon your arrival to whichever school you end up enrolling, you will be both extremely pleased in many regards and extremely disappointed in some regards.

6. Remember the old adage that most of the things we worry about never end up coming to fruition?

7. Don't panic because although this is a stressful process, you must learn NOW how to deal with such stress. Say you don't end up getting into any of your schools and you end up going to a junior college? Well, many, many successful people in the world today went to a community college first. Do you think they looked at this or any other instance in their lives, for that matter, as a setback? Or perhaps as a springboard?!

8. Take the time to write some friendly admission officer(s) at the school of your choice an email (or a phone call). Introduce yourself. Wish him/her a happy new year. Tell them how you're doing in your classes this semester (if you're doing well, only)! You know, interact . . . be a human.

9. Instead of using this period of waiting as a time for panic, utilize it as a time to reflect and be a bit introspective. Set a new year's resolution for how you will deal with the inevitable situation of rejection (maybe not for colleges, but at some point in life, right?). Try to think about your own personal reactions and responses when things do not go your way and how you treat those around you. Contemplate the idea of personal responsibility and being accountable to the process. Did you do everything that you could have to prepare yourself for success? Think about that. Seriously.

10. And, if for no other reason, you should try to not panic because you know all those other kids at your school who ARE panicking and you know that they really get on your nerves and seem to only be feeding their own anxieties, making it worse and worse by day. And this, to any person who has ever had to wait for something good as opposed to instant gratification, is the most frustrating behaviour to witness from a teenager. Bottom line: panic is NOT cool.

Risky College Essays

2008-12-10T03:08:00.004-05:00

You have consulted everyone, right? You have asked your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, classmates, teachers, siblings, coaches and confidants, not to mention the amount of time you have spent racking your own brain about what you can do to make your college application essay(s) stand out. You don't know where to start, how to narrow your options, whether you should try to make it funny or academic-- or both. First of all, stop talking to everybody else. They will only plant seeds in your mind that will become the impetus for your eventual writer's block. I see it every year. This is a personal essay. It's you. The essay is the most important aspect of any application. You must execute it well. You may regret writing an essay that's too cute and has you sacrificing the grammar and structure. I have had students write poems, songs, dialogue, portraits. Everything under the sun I have seen. These are about creative freedom. But, if there are a few basic pointers that I can teach to any senior it would be:

1. More...Give yourself something to start off with. Invent a first line and it can be as boring as, "The paint on the wall hadn't been redone since I moved into this room . . ." or something more forceful, "I found myself in the middle of this party, alcohol was all around me and I had an interesting decision to make . . .". You can even start with a quote (although I would advise against using something a bit too cliche (i.e. no Robert Frost, Dr. Seuss, Benjamin Franklin, etc . . .). Just get started with something and see where that can take you. You may end up getting a great essay out of it and then scrapping the opening line in the final edits. Or, you may keep it. Who knows? Give it a shot.

2. Remember who is reading these essays. These are men and women who, more often than not, read application essays for a living. They are closer to your age than they are to your parent's. They are getting a little tired of reading the same old story about a broken leg teaching you patience or building a house in Costa Rica teaching you charity or a family member's death bringing you to the verge of crisis. Certainly these are all possible and they could work, but if that's your basic premise, you're in trouble. Although these events are certainly significant, many have broken a bone. Many, also, have volunteered. Too many have experienced tragedy. Strike them with something shocking, interesting, innovative, or even just a good story.

3. But to do any of this, you have to write it well. If they don't get your humor, sarcasm, dialogue or metaphors, you're likely to be in for a disappointing piece of mail. You must write it well. Try short sentences. Use your own vocabulary. Express yourself-- and do it clearly. I always tell students that I don't care if they write about staring at a goldfish swimming around in a bowl, just as long as they transport me with their words and ideas to help me imagine that I am staring there with them or am inside of their head at a critical moment or, perhaps, that I am the goldfish looking back.

4. Write formally. Do not write like you speak. Don't use "I feel" when you really mean, "I believe" or "I think".

5. Embrace the creative freedom that you are being given. Even on supplemental essays for some schools where they only allow you a very minimal amount of space, you can still create something entertaining and compelling. Don't slack just because you might think that the school might want something specific from you.

6. Which brings me here, if you try to write an essay for the person reading it, you're going to be just another one of the masses. Remember, your job is to explain why you're different from all those other applicants out there who share similar GPA and SAT/ACT scores. If you're writing to please someone else, that's going to be very obvious. This comes back to my first recommendation. When you're letting others read your essay and hear your thoughts, don't let them deter you with comments like, "are you sure you should write that?" or "Do you think they'll like that idea" or, my favorite, "that seems a little risky". Ahh, RISK! This is what the whole process is about: taking risks. Right? Now if somebody remarks that your grammar is poor or they are having trouble understanding what point you're trying to make, then you should reassess. But if risk comes through to those who read it, I think you're on the right track.

7. Get someone who has some relatively recent experience and who may not feel so personal to you to read your essays and help you brainstorm if you need it. You can always write or call me. Visit my blog, http://collegecounseling101.blogspot.com, if you're looking for some experienced, honest feedback!

Obama on Education

2008-11-16T14:46:00.005-05:00

Recently I read an article about President-Elect Obama's priorities, as he has stated them thus far. On his list, education and a reform of the system comes in at a heaping #5! (see article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/opinion/13kristof.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=obama+on+education&st=nyt&oref=slogin) This, at first, made me feel good. I mean, I am certainly aware of the number of challenges that will be awaiting this President as he enters office. Obviously he is, too. There are the obvious issues that were at the forefront of every voter's mind: the economy and the war. But then I thought, wait! Isn't education ALWAYS at the front of everyone's mind. Sure, right now, in this very minute, the two biggest issues facing our country (that our country isn't perennially facing) are a recessed economy and a blundered war. This is true. However, these are, hypothetically, temporary problems. I feel guilty just writing that. It's true that people have given their lives in the war and many have lost everything they've worked so hard for in the stock market and I don't mean to disrespect either of these facts. However, the truth is that they are short term problems. The war can be ended almost immediately if the President made that choice. The recession is a product of quantifiable and qualified elements and is a part of market volatility and historical trends. Right?

But EDUCATION! Education is something that we cannot ignore any longer. We have continued to show greater and greater lack of interest in our system. We still have no incentives for teachers. We regurgitate the same standards for students. We have no true recognition of the home life or the neighborhood and the impact that either has on the education and development of our youth. We are a country that belabors the idea of hard work paying off in the end, but parents still complain when their kids get homework or disciplined. I do not subscribe to the Rich Dad, Poor Dad hypothesis of potential, but I do agree that regardless of whether a young person chooses to work harder in the classroom or outside of it, there is reward for hard work. Sadly, it just seems like we continue to ask less of our students both in and out of the classroom and expect equal results while developing countries the world over are surpassing our classroom performance because they emphasize the fact that education, no matter where you come from or where you want to be, is the best mode of public transport. If we don't focus on fixing our education system in this country- from kindergarten through university- we will have greater problems than a recession. We will have a decline, across the board, in the quality of life of every single person in America which will see no end for lifetimes to come.

College Applications: #1 MOST Stressful Time

2008-11-01T15:50:00.005-04:00

I recently read in an article on the internet (forgive me for not remembering where, precisely, this article can be found) that the period of time when a student is applying to college is the #1 Most Stressful Time in that person's life, in general. I thought to myself how it sure doesn't seem that many of my students are losing their minds, going gray or really lacking sleep as they undergo this process. Why aren't they? Because I'm doing it all for them.

Let's be honest, is this really a time in our students' lives that should have them tearing their hair out? I do not condone the fear-factor playing a role in the college admissions process. Yes, if the only schools that a family wants their student to apply to are Stanford, MIT and those in the Ivy League, then it can be stressful. However, if the process is a well-informed and well-prepared time, there is absolutely NO reason why it should be a stress-inducing experience. On the contrary, one of my seniors recently said to me how much she has really enjoyed writing these creative essays and learning more about the schools to which she is applying. Granted, we've been working together on her applications and essays since July, but that's just necessary in this day and age. It's simply preparation and awareness. There is nothing as important as this process, so why wouldn't one be enthusiastic about investing such an amount of time in being thorough and well-researched?

The bottom line is this, there are plenty of events in a young person's life, in which they have to look forward to stress, confusion, fear and, certainly, rejection. Let this not be a time that strives to prepare them for this as if it's doing humanity some significant favor in preparing our youth to be numbed, stoic and learning to fear those events in life which pose both a challenge and the prospect of a significant process being undertaken.

And just as a side note, the #2 Most Stressful Time in a Person's Life . . . anybody want to take a guess? That's right, the wedding planning. For those of you who don't know, I will be a very fortunate man come January 3rd, 2009.

It's Going to be Competitive

2008-10-20T16:57:00.006-04:00

In the wake of the current economy, you would think that college admissions will slack off a bit from the intense and selective creature that they have morphed into in this past decade. However, my prediction, based on my experience, is that it will be just the opposite. Why? You ask. That's a very good question. At first, it would not seem to make any sense, right? Financing college over the course of the next four years will be more difficult than ever as the value of the dollar grows weaker and universities and colleges across the country maintain (or even raise) their costs and fees. But this will not be the application deterrent that we might expect. It may, very well, be a determining factor in selecting which college a student will attend after offers of admission have all been gathered and assessed. However, what will happen with the actual application numbers and, thus, the offers of admission, will be startling for most young students and their families.
I believe that what we will see in another five months as the admission decisions are flowing in and students are anxiously checking their mailboxes on a daily basis, is that fewer and fewer students are getting in to fewer and fewer schools. This is happening because the number of applications will rise like the phoenix this year. This is the case because parents are going to tell their students to apply to even MORE colleges and universities than ever before. Why would they do this? For a few reasons, actually.

1) It's an ego thing. Parents want their kids to feel like they have been accepted into schools. Even if a student can only, ultimately, choose ONE university to attend, a parent wants their son/daughter to be admitted to ALL of them.

2) So many smaller liberal arts colleges are dropping their application fee and increasing their marketing material. This means that if they only require one essay or, better yet, participate in the commonapp.org, completing that school's application is a no-brainer.

3) Parents are going to advocate that their son/daughter apply to the wealthiest institutions this year, regardless of whether their chances for admission are realistic or not. They will have their kids do this because in the past year there has been so much more information circulating about these well-endowed schools awarding the most significant financial aid packages and in tough financial times, there's nothing that seems more valuable than having your kid take on a little extra responsibility (filling out yet another application), paying a $50 application fee, rolling the dice and seeing if it pays off in the end, with an offer of admission and a healthy financial aid package.

4) Parents still want their students to apply to all of those cool, out-of-state schools, but they also want to make sure that there will be in-state options also, seeing that in-state tuition is going to be looking all the more attractive this year. This will definitely cut down on the anxiety that comes with paying tuition bills when there seems to be no current end in sight, with regard to this financial mess.

5) Being that the universities are still in the business of making money, they will begin to accept a higher number of qualified foreign students to enter their gates. Foreign students ordinarily pay full tuition and fees. If a university wants to award more financial aid to those qualified domestic students but don't want to decrease their overall revenue, they will have to start admitting a higher number of internationals. If they do this, then the same (or, if I'm right in my above ideas, a larger number of applicants) will be competing for an even smaller percentage of domestic student slots.

In other words, what I have heard this year from an overwhelming number of parents is that they still want their kid to be able to apply to all of those great out-of-state and private schools, but they know that it's really unlikely that they would consider a $40,000 per year education in this economy when, for that same amount, they could cover the entire degree, practically. Because this financial turn of events has been so quick and unexpected, this was never a thought that they expected to have to consider when the college search process began.

Anyhow, that's my thought for the day. Please stay interested in education. It means the world.

Higher Education and the Election

2008-10-02T23:57:00.003-04:00

Granted, the most pressing issue in this current election is not funding for higher education, access in higher education or any other area of higher education, as we know it. In fact, one of the most distressed and failing programs of W.'s Presidency is his N.C.L.B. education policy. So, should this be at the front of the minds of all voters? No. I don't think it should be. There are far too many other issues that require more pressing attention from our lawmakers. Especially considering the fact that education, like religion, should not mix with politics. Furthermore, at our universities and colleges in America we have the most intelligent and literate members of our society- in all different vocations and fields- who should, by themselves, be broaching the subjects of admissions access, affordability, job opportunity post-graduation, and overall higher education policy reform. I have always been a believer in the autonomy of colleges and universities. The effect of dependent institutions on local government is evident currently in the State of Florida. It is here, that the vast system of state universities is going so broke because of ill policies and mismanagement at the political level, read: mismanagement at the political level, not the university level. So, while there are definitely more urgent matters that should be factored into the vote on November 4th, is there still not some need to overhaul a failing and struggling highly politicized system. In other words, should education be at the forefront of the issues? No. Should it be a consideration in this election? Most certainly. Because, when the war is over and the market recovers and houses need selling and the U.S. starts to turn again, the only thing that will ever save us from destroying ourselves, the only element that will help us to persevere with calm and rationale through difficult cycles and times, is education. Not kindergarten and not college. Not high school or middle school. But the entire system, from top to bottom. The whole kit. Everything that we want our future to be, the future of our children and the future of our world, relies on us, as a country, getting smarter and becoming more well-informed. We must, as a society, recognize in our education system, the most rich resource that we have available. If nothing else in our country is truly a democracy, but instead a republic, education is the one opportunity that should afford all with equal opportunity and a level playing field.
Don't know if it makes any sense, but I feel better after writing it.
Smile.

TED: Ideas Worth Spreading

2008-09-24T02:35:00.002-04:00

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

I don't often feel so strongly that I feel compelled to put someone else's ideas on my blog. This was just too good.
If you care at all about education, about ideas and about creating wonder, check this talk out from Sir Ken Robinson.
This has reaffirmed my idea to develop the High School Hikes program so that kids can clear their minds of clutter, focus on art and creativity and healthy ways to express themselves. Sorry if this somehow offends anyone. That was not my intent. I just believe that his talk has many interesting points which we often recognize but seldom act on. And it's good, at times, to hear someone else say things that we, perhaps, thought no one else in the room was thinking.
All my best and I'll work harder to blog more often. I would love to get more feedback from anyone on topics or interests that you may be interested in reading . . .

First Month Phone Calls From College

2008-09-08T14:08:00.003-04:00

This has been an interesting few weeks of fielding phone calls for me. Without getting too specific or personal, regarding the individual students, I want to just express, here, what I would tell (and have told) any student who calls me in the first semester, to explain to me a negative trait of his/her college life:

We are humans. For humans, change is not easy. Drastic change, such as a move, being responsible for your own well-being and/or trying to create your own sense of happiness, all while existing in the midst of a community of new people, this is NOT easy! On top of this, it's almost always predictable as to which aspects of the college life are going to be the most difficult for each individual, in my experience. One particular student will struggle with a roommate; one will struggle with eating healthy; partying moderately; managing study time. There are so many aspects that make this move to college difficult. But just because it's difficult does not mean that it's not also exciting. Most of the students are totally satisfied with the physical location and environment of their college choice (hey, this IS my job!). It's letting go of their high school life, their nurturing environment and their amenities of home that makes the adjustment difficult. College is not a cult (well, there are some, but those aren't the schools my students attend). To enjoy the college experience does not require 'drinking the Kool-Aid'. All it requires is an open-mind and embrace. You see, it's an almost-guarantee that difficult times bring negative thoughts. We all doubt ourselves on occasion. This is normal. But there are formidable ways of coping with this doubt. The one that I highly recommend: call ME. If that's not your choice or you need something extra, try to confront your anxiety. In other words, make an effort to recognize what is so difficult about this change that you're undertaking and plan methods to make that change more manageable. If you're not making friends as easily as you would like, look at what your personal investment in making friends is. Maybe you have to go and say "hello" to everyone wearing a blue shirt on campus. Maybe you have to go join a club. Maybe you should reach out to a professor. If it's more a situation of being homesick. You're calling home several times a day, talking to your friends who stayed at the local college, plan trips back home for weekends, perhaps you need to self-impose limits. You start by calling home once a day (this will dwindle to, maybe 4 times a week, more or less). You get yourself off of Facebook. Instead of investing time and resources into planning trips home, go around campus and find information about the various weekend activities offered through the student body, clubs, town/city you're living in, or find a friend and plan a road trip!
Look, I might not be the most sympathetic in this situation. I understand that. Students work so hard to achieve during their high school years, that it seems to me a bit irresponsible to get to college and, within a semester, decide that it's not the appropriate fit. However, I do realize that there are some extreme situations. My word during these rare incidences (and I take it from my background in water polo): Leave it all in the pool. Leave it all in the classroom. Leave it all on campus. Don't leave any stone unturned, any connection unmade, any ally unaligned, any opportunity untaken! You may think that you would be better off at University X, but until you live there, you will never know. And, if you do end up transferring (which, after all options have been examined, is a fine idea) you should make certain that your effort at the first school was the best that you could have given. Because if you don't exert that positive attitude and work hard for a great collegiate experience, you are doing an injustice to yourself. Not only that, but being that change is not easy and college is (likely) the biggest change that you've undertaken thus far, college is not easy. Remember, cliches are cliches because they're true. The grass is always greener. The biggest change creates the greatest growth. You get out what you put in.
With that in mind, get back to the books.
Today you WILL make a new friend.
Today you WILL find out something new about your school or your school's town.
Today you WILL embrace all that hard work you put in to earn for yourself this amazing opportunity!

Does Your Senior Year Really Count?

2008-08-26T22:11:00.002-04:00

Welcome to your senior year. It’s an exciting time full of change and celebration. Many people may have told you how unimportant your senior year is. For example, they maybe told you that your grades don’t matter one iota, (although they usually stress, ironically so, that you should do better in the first semester than the second). Or, maybe, they told you that colleges will not look at your grades from senior year because they already have accepted you based on your 9th-11th years. Well, my young, goal-oriented high schooler, THESE ARE LIES. Your senior year counts. Not only does your senior year count towards your high school graduation, it counts towards the trend that you have worked so hard to set over the past three years and that you promised you would continue to achieve when you applied to college.

But, fret not. The senior year, although it does count as a significant factor in the college admission decision- as far as the strength of your curriculum, your GPA and your class rank are concerned- it is not unlike any of the other years that you have entered. My advice is the same for seniors as it is for freshmen: it’s better to get an A in a regular-level course than a C in an AP course; it’s better to challenge yourself with courses that reflect your intellectual interests than courses that you feel pressured to take (i.e. if you really want to take anatomy-physiology instead of physics, go for it!).

The senior year is about you getting comfortable with directing your own academic pursuits. Don’t do what your guidance counselor tells you to do if her/his reason is “you HAVE to take this class for college”. Instead, take a constructive balance of courses that shows you are academically serious but also intellectually curious. If you have taken AP courses in the past, take an AP course or two. You may also consider taking a more creative course or pursuing an internship. Whatever you do, don’t fill your schedule with courses like “study hall”, “teacher’s assistant” and/or “typing”. These are courses that just demonstrate laziness and a lack of curiosity.

The worst thing that you can convey to colleges is that you are not taking your senior year seriously. Remember, at most schools, your senior year WILL count as 25% of your academic history. At some, it will count as even more (33%), as many universities do not calculate your 9th grade year as a part of your overall academic GPA and history. In other words, continue to work as hard as you always have, in classes that similarly challenge you.

A Winning College Essay

2008-08-20T22:09:00.003-04:00

Granted, most high school seniors find the most difficult part of their senior year to be brainstorming the ideas for their college admission essays and then, once they’ve got their topic chosen, writing it in the preferred amount of words. Before I go any further, let me say here what I know to be true, the application essay(s) are the most important component of the applications. The point is not to be well-organized with the transition sentences and the specific number of supporting arguments. The point is to be creative and execute whatever you undertake to write (a poem, song, short story, typical essay, etc. . .) with style and verve. Take a risk. Challenge yourself.

That’s the point of pursuing a college education, right? It’s one big risk. You have to move away from home, live with a complete stranger, eat in the same place all the time, get yourself to 8am class, live on hardly any money, choose for yourself what you want to get involved in and be happy about it all—and when you’re not coping with the pressures of this transition, recognize it yourself and seek out your own help. See, college is all about testing YOUR limits. May as well start testing yourself during the application process.

Believe me, I understand how difficult it is to sit down and write about a specific topic, especially when the topic is personal. Writing about oneself is THE most difficult. The only people who seem to be really effective at this are politicians and I don’t know if any of them truly write their own books anyway. Then again, they have lots of practice talking about themselves. The everyday layman, however, does not. This doesn’t mean you don’t have some really interesting or tragic experiences to write about. And, if you can’t think of any- no worries. I always tell my students, the topic doesn’t have to be brilliant. You could write 1,000 words about staring at a fish in a bowl. Just so long as you make it fascinating. You see, the essay is a different type of exam. Though it is by no means standardized, the admission essay does test your ability to say something important about yourself (your terms) but in a regulated number of words (their terms). It’s sort of like your chance at an interview. But it’s also a bit like your first true test of expression.

In high school, no one cares about expression. Your assignment is never to write a poem or a passionate stream of consciousness piece, right? Correct. Your job in high school is to comply with the various and varied standardized tests and write all assignments in such a manner that you’re constantly preparing your organizational writing skills to look like this:

Paragraph 1- Present your generic point of view

Paragraph 2- Present your first supporting argument and example

Paragraph 3- Present your second supporting argument and example

Paragraph 4- Present your thi- . . . and on and on and on

Conclusion - Conclude your paper by re-stating your point of view but don’t present any new facts.

Wow! Doesn’t this just bleed creativity? I know that I, for one, am fairly confident that if a student can write creatively in order to express him/herself caring not whether every thesis statement is perfectly positioned in the first paragraph (as students are taught in high school to be the ONLY proper way to create an introduction) but that the thoughts are organized in a manner that promotes flow and easy understanding for the reader, they will not have to be taught the concept of written expression as it pertains to communication in the post-high school years. And I don’t think there is a single university professor out there who is anxiously awaiting a group of really inept freshmen writers hoping to teach them all how to write a creative and well-thought paper. You see, every person must be able to express emotions and ideas on paper if, for no other reason, than the fact that he/she wants to become effective in the professional world (not to mention one’s personal life where writing and written communication are becoming more and more necessary with the advent of email). I have conversations all the time with both students and parents, alike, where the ability to effectively communicate inevitably comes up as a significant concern of both groups.

The biggest concern for most parents is that their student(s) cannot express themselves on paper. Have they ever been taught? Regardless, this is not the issue. In my opinion, if a student is an avid reader, whether or not he/she has ever had good writing instruction, the level and reading ability comes through in his/her writing. Writing is so unique in that it is not really a teachable craft. I believe that grammar is teachable and a basic knowledge of it certainly will benefit any writer. However, to truly be able to convey a message, one cannot be pushed or prodded but instead must be creatively inspired and practiced. In other words, start writing NOW! Write for ten minutes every day. Write poetry: haiku; limerick; stream of consciousness, etc . . . Write fiction using creative first lines to get you started. If nothing is coming to mind, try this: “Stuck. She was experiencing another case of writer’s block and this time . . .”

Seriously, go for it. Write away. Oh, and don’t forget, the key to all good writing- err, at least the key to all things written well is READING. You’ve taken the first step by reading this blog. Now, go read something more interesting. Then, if you finish your fiction and poetry writing and you are, for whatever reason, craving another assignment but cannot conjure up any ideas, drop me an email, actgroupbrady@gmail.com and, if you want me to read it (and respond), make sure that you have expressed yourself clearly and creatively. I’ll look forward to great things from you in the future.

Where I've Been

2008-08-07T17:10:00.003-04:00

Greetings, College Enthusiasts!

Alas, I am working from a computer at the library as my new laptop has been delayed in shipment, yet again! For those of you who don't know- and may care- my laptop was stolen right out from under me, literally, at the San Francisco Airport, two weeks ago. What a tragedy, eh?! But I have recovered and the sense of a new school year will help me even more.

Being that I'm at a library, it has made me notice what, exactly, the young people are doing. Is it just me or has gaming absolutely infected the current high school generation? In hearing from a colleague at North Carolina State University a few months ago, I found out that gaming is the #1 reason for students in the engineering and computer science programs to drop out. That was absolutely shocking. In accord with the previous blog, about Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods, I have decided to act as responsibly as I can and incorporate into my education curriculum, a new educational program called High School Hikes. After reading Louv's book and hearing, seeing and feeling the evidence of sedentary lifestyles all around me, I believe that if I can do something to open the eyes and minds of some young people, I can help in the fight against nature deficit disorder. Starting now I am soliciting for students to join me on the maiden voyage: most likely a drive up to the Great Smokey Mountains for a few days of exploration, introspection and good, old fashioned fun! What a wonderful world we will discover-- after the 12 hour drive, that is.
Wonderful nonetheless. Be in touch. Ask questions. Read a book. Never stop learning. Never stop growing!
Be well.

Latest Reading

2008-07-16T17:53:00.003-04:00

In a recent phone conversation with my best childhood friend, who now teaches, among other things, Human Development, our conversation diverged to a common concern. Not only has the adjustment to life in Florida been difficult for me as the mountains seem so distant, but the awareness that these students are growing up in an urban jungle, replete with transplant sand beaches, palm trees and highways, like arteries, running through the middle of everything. It's not easy being a young person in our world. I don't think that we make it any easier by removing ourselves from nature. I am thrilled that my students enjoy listening to music on their ipods. I think music provides a lot of positive and creative stimulus for the brain. I am dumbfounded that my students might not be able to create a craft of some sort or put together a puzzle . . . or recognize the difference between a Redwood or Oak Tree!

My friend then told me about a book that he had recently picked up that he thought I might enjoy, Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv. The book focuses on what we can do to prevent our children from acquiring, what he has coined as nature deficit disorder. Although I have not finished the book yet, I can already tell that there are many parts of it, if not the book in its entirety, which would be helpful for both adults and young people.

It's not uncommon to link the idea of many of the current learning disorders to a lack of certain stimulus or over-stimulus. Many of the ideas that we, as educators, are fearful of: teaching to the tests, cutting recess and physical education, larger class sizes, longer class periods, shorter lunches, etc . . . are all feeding an epidemic of restless and under-stimulated students. So, how will these young people, our children and students, be able to access nature for their children and students? As the generations perpetuate themselves, we grow further and further away from nature.

Stay tuned . . . I am organizing programs to take a group of students to Yosemite National Park and a few other trips in the coming year.

Pick the book up if you have a chance. We all must be agents of change. Go for it! Make a difference.

When to Hire a Private College Admissions Counselor?

2008-06-30T11:34:00.004-04:00

Of course, like everything, every student has different needs. It is not universally true that every high schooler undergoing the college application process needs to hire an admission “expert”. Granted, hardly any who call themselves such truly know much more than any guidebook could tell you. There is, however, one thing that is indisputable: all young people need advocates in their lives. Sadly, a common trend in education, private and public, alike, is that the high school guidance and college counseling departments are too overworked and underfunded to offer much more than one or two generic meetings to discuss the local and in-state university landscape. Not to mention, they all too often quickly dismiss certain universities as unrealistic and impossible for the student to gain admission. There have been very few instances that I can recall where I have said to someone that he/she can’t gain admission somewhere. It’s just not a good habit to practice. With the constantly changing state of the college admission process, you might want to look into hiring a private counselor if you meet any of the following criteria…

You might benefit from a private college admissions counselor if…

You are not in the top ten percent of your high school class (the students who the school counselors ordinarily tend to focus on)
Or, you are in the top ten percent of your class, academically, but have doubts about what you want or what might be a healthy fit for you.
You’re seeking a less traditional academic path, in that you are a student looking to pursue athletics, theater, music or art at the university level.
Your high school has a very poor record of college preparation and you believe that you are unique among your peers for wanting to pursue 4-year university immediately following high school graduation.
You want to apply to out-of-state or in-state schools that your guidance office says are a “bad fit” or “out of your reach” or “not financially viable”.
No one is helping direct you to potential options or many people are offering differing opinions on your future.
You are a student-athlete and unsure of how to initiate conversations with college coaches.
You need motivation and a lot of positive reinforcement during this very stressful process.
You don’t want an all-out war in your house because of the intensity of the college search and application processes.

As for instances when, I believe, working with me has made a significant difference in a student’s life, there are many. Each different student has a different set of needs and recognizing this is the first of many steps. I have many students who had committed so much of their lives to athletics and were extremely talented, but did not want to focus on that in the college process even though it could be a tremendous benefit. They pursued that angle and it helped significantly. I had one student whose SAT test scores, combined for math and reading, totaled less than 800 but was accepted to the flagship campus of one of the top state systems in the country- a top 50 university. He got it because he really got to know the admission counselor for his region on a personal level and she helped become his advocate on the inside because she knew he would be successful once he got there. I have worked with students who had no support at home and those who had parents hovering above them at all hours. Both of these groups needed me to serve as an outlet.

Some need a mentor. Some, a teacher. For others they need a mediator or a counselor. I have been called a big brother and a father-figure, a disciplinarian and a friend. I have been rewarded, many times, with the first phone call once a student finds out that he/she has been accepted to their top-choice school.

But, like everything else in life, do your homework. Check references of the private counselor. Ask if you can meet with former/current students of theirs’. Ask as many questions as you can and be prepared for the extra time that a good consultant might ask you to put towards this process. Remember, we all need advocates in our life. In one form or another, paying for a mentor or a counselor is no different than paying the soccer coach who might end up as a role model or the tutor or the private music instructor. Just be aware of what you expect out of the process and make sure that the counselor you choose is on the same page as you are.

Setting A College Admissions Schedule

2008-06-12T19:43:00.000-04:00

I've been doing some writing lately for a few other higher education organizations. I wanted to go ahead and publish, on this blog, an article that I had been asked to write for a wonderful college admissions group based out of Colorado, My U Search. I thought the article had some really positive points. Decide for yourself . . .

No matter how much anyone tells you that you can prepare for the college application process beforehand, it’s inevitable that it will, ultimately, feel like a time-crunch. Too often, the process seems like a race against the clock. And, along with everything else going on during the senior year, the necessary organization is essential if one hopes to find any gratification or enjoyment in this process or senior year, itself.

Although there is no single step more important than the submission by the appropriate deadlines, to assure that these deadlines are met with ease, what you need to do is, read the entire article below, take a deep breath and get to work.

Get to know your teachers. You don’t have to be a “teacher’s pet” just to let your teachers know you care. Introduce yourself the first week of class. Look interested. And once in a while, get to class early or be the last one to leave and make a comment/ask a question about the material that you’re studying that shows you’re thoughtful and intelligent—even if you’re not, it’s good to practice. When grading period comes and you’re hovering between a B+ and an A- (or a C+ and a B-), you bet they’ll remember all those times you went out of your way to be friendly.

Tip #1: Teachers are your greatest allies. Think about how many teenagers they see every day. By showing interest and being thoughtful, you can really stand out in a positive way. This can make all the difference.

Realize that the process involves many steps and the actual applications (requesting information from you like D.O.B., SS#, Address, etc . . .) are the most simple part. So, just because an application is not being released for you to view and fill out, until October of your senior year, does not mean that you can’t get started on it earlier.

Tip #2: Gather basic information about you, your parents and your academic history in a single document, saved somewhere.

The most difficult part of simplifying the process is the selection of colleges that are within your range of possibilities. This means that while not all of your applications should be going to schools that might be a long shot for your acceptance, you can apply to a few- if that’s really where you could picture yourself going to school. Don’t ever apply somewhere just to see if you get in.

Tip #3: No need to apply to 10 schools. Seriously. Apply to 2 that you know you can get in, 2 you want to get in and 1 you would love to go to . . . anywhere! At the end of the day, you only get to go to ONE college. This is a time when you need to learn good judgment and exercise sound, practical thinking.

Over the summer, prior to senior year, begin brainstorming essay ideas. One of the most common essays, which, once it has been written, can be edited to fit many of school’s requirements, ‘discuss a significant obstacle you have overcome, goal you have achieved or event that was meaningful in your life’. Think about it. Get creative. Write it. Refine it. Re-write it.

Tip #4: Don’t go to your parents first for their feedback on your essay. Why? The essay is a wonderful opportunity for you to express yourself in a creative fashion and parents, ordinarily, think that creativity is too risky for something like this. If you intend for parts to be humorous, show it to one of your friends (a smart one, please) and see if they laugh. If not, keep working.

Make sure that you have sat for your standardized tests at least once (SAT and ACT) during your junior year. If you are taking any AP exams, also sit for the correlating SAT II test around the same time (try the May or June dates). This goes for someone who might be a sophomore or freshman taking AP courses, as well. Note: there are not always coordinating SAT II’s, but in most cases, there will be.

Tip #5: You can’t cheat the tests! Know what they look like and how long they take. Sadly, though I hate standardized tests, it is the case that people who score higher on the SAT/ACT tend to earn it. They have prepared and motivated themselves. No one else is sitting for you.

Letters of recommendation should not be just a written description of your activity resume. That information, the applications have gathered. If a college/university is taking the time to read your letter(s) of recommendation, keep in mind that it’s important to utilize a teacher who can speak personally to your strengths, struggles, motivations and goals. Perhaps he/she can emphasize an obstacle that you’ve overcome, a turning point in your academic career that they witnessed, an anecdote that exemplifies your maturity, etc . . . This comes back to #1. To put yourself in the best position to have strong recommendations, you need to be open, honest and intellectually curious with your teachers.

Tip #6: Letters of recommendation are tiebreakers in the application process. If a school wants a letter of recommendation from a teacher of yours, don’t necessarily go to the teacher whose class you got an “A” in, but go to the teacher who witnessed you grow, challenged you to push yourself and would be your biggest champion.

After you have all of this in order, be aware that the application deadlines come and go quickly. Do your best to have a schedule set aside for work on your application essays and short answers (i.e. every Tuesday and Thursday from 3-5:30). When you’re done with those, use your allotted time to go ahead and complete and submit the applications. If you start working on your essays and gathering your information in the first week of September of your senior year- and you were to commit 5 hours each week (as the example above)- you would have invested, well . . . A LOT of time as the deadlines draw near. You would certainly be able to turn in any state school applications (which are on a rolling admissions basis, usually) extremely early (November). If you’re applying for any schools through their early action or early decision options, let those be the first applications you prepare when they become available in the Fall.

Tip #7: If you set a schedule and follow through with it, you will find yourself with much of the application process completed before some of the schools even release their applications. Just by being prepared and giving yourself time to dedicate to this goal, you’re beating the crunch.

College/University-based, merit scholarships are as simple as this: if a school has specific levels of academic scholarships for incoming freshmen, they will, most likely, offer them to a certain percentage of the incoming class - top 10%, for example – based purely on GPA and standardized test scores. You can inquire to learn what their average scholarship recipient was for the year before. But nearly every school increases their selectivity each year as the overall applicant pool is more competitive. Public schools do not always offer these merit scholarships, but most private schools do, excluding the very elite, top-tier universities where every student is deserving of a merit scholarship.

Tip #8: Apply to where you want to apply and worry about the money later. Honestly, college is expensive; you’re going to look at the costs once you’ve been accepted. Don’t let that come into play right now.

As for “outside” scholarships, begin looking into these options as early as possible—perhaps during the summer before your senior year. Before anything, look into all of the local service organizations (Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions, Knights of Columbus, etc . . .) to see what their qualifications are. Then, make some phone calls around to some companies which are based in your area (insurance companies, law firms, technology companies, restaurants, etc . . .) to see if they offer any scholarships for local, graduating seniors. Also, check in with your school’s guidance office to see what resources they might have available for local scholarships. Be aware that there are many scholarship websites available. However, before you pursue the national $5,000 scholarship that requires an essay about “virtue and what it means to you”, I implore you to look around at these local resources which are offering $250 and $500 opportunities, for, in most cases, much less work and a much higher chance of winning.

Tip #9: Like with your food, shop for scholarships LOCALLY, first. Before your senior year, begin asking around to friends, family, college graduates, teachers and local professionals to see if they can point you in the direction of scholarship opportunity. It will also be a great opportunity to learn how to network yourself!

FAFSA is not as difficult as it seems. You will need the appropriate tax information and a healthy amount of both time and patience. So, FAFSA is the LAST thing you’ll probably be worrying about as it can’t possibly be completed until the taxes from the previous year are filed. In other words, you can’t start the FAFSA until after January 1^st of your senior year and just for the sake of the timeline, try to have it completed around March and you will be okay with the deadlines. This means being organized and getting your taxes done early.

Tip #10: Be organized, be organized, be organized. You WILL be off to a wonderful college, soon. We just don’t know where, yet.

I can't tell them everything I want to tell them ...

2008-06-05T14:59:00.001-04:00

Granted, most high school seniors find the most difficult part of their senior year to be brainstorming the ideas for their college admission essays and then, once they’ve got their topic chosen, writing it in the preferred amount of words. Before I go any further, let me say here what I know to be true, the application essay(s) are the most important component of the applications, by far. The point is not to be well-organized with the transition sentences and the specific number of supporting arguments. The point is to be creative and execute whatever you undertake to write (a poem, song, short story, typical essay, etc. . .) with style and verve. Take a risk. Challenge yourself.

Paragraph 1- Present your generic point of view

Paragraph 2- Present your first supporting argument and example

Paragraph 3- Present your second supporting argument and example

Paragraph 4- Present your thi- . . . and on and on and on

Conclusion - Conclude your paper by re-stating your point of view but don’t present any new facts.

Education: The Road or the Destination?

2008-05-24T14:14:00.000-04:00

I recently distributed a link to a NYTimes article about two private, extremely rigorous, Korean schools and their learning methods. See the article, here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/world/asia/27seoul.html?scp=1&sq=korean+schools&st=nyt

The responses that I received back were all extremely thoughtful. While some were humorous and others seemed distraught at the tactics of the schools, only one caught me off guard, at first. One person, a friend I respect tremendously and who I have known for a very long time, pointed out an interesting trend: “so, to what extent do American writers go to protect our schools from criticism? In every article I read like this, foreign students are characterized as maniacal, insanely-driven students with no goals. Yet, American schools fall behind in every measurable statistic. What are we trying to say in these articles? That other national will try to keep us but they’ll never succeed? Is this a way for us to claim superiority while our economic and social status continues to fall in the world? I’m confused by this article. Students from overseas are consistently smarter and more determined than their American counterparts—why do we vilify and mock them?”

Although I do not believe that the schools mentioned in this article- and any like them, domestic or international- are healthy models, there is an idea of achievement that they are pursuing, which, in relation to many low-performing American schools and in light of the competitive atmosphere for college admissions, is admirable. However, setting unsustainable examples for young people to try and live up to (also, see a more recent article, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/24/nyregion/24lunch.html) and giving them few reasons to achieve, never explaining what the purpose- or road- to achievement can provide for them, is borderline abusive.

In other words, let us think about the idea of education as the end, achievement as the byproduct of a healthy education. Perhaps I’m being obscure. What I mean to say is that no one can guarantee achievement- based on education, social class, physical prowess, etc . . . However, the one element that is universally understood as an indication of success is what a student can do in a discussion, in a free-thinking environment . . . in a classroom. Granted, not every family can provide the luxury of allowing their son or daughter the opportunity to pursue academics without the thought of earning potential. In fact, even if they could, many families insist from early on that their child(ren) begin to exhaust themselves in order to have a “better life”. But, just imagine if we could afford every student the opportunity to pursue whatever interested him or her, academically and vocationally. That it were somehow financially beneficial to pursue the study of philosophy just for the sake of ideas used to be something that people did. It seems like this is an antiquated idea of the American dream. No longer is it feasible. Somewhere, somehow, there has to be a happy-medium between the students in the articles above and the typical, disinterested, unmotivated, purposeless American high schooler. I believe that this can be overcome, one book, one student, one mentor, one step at a time.

Quick follow-up on Potential

2008-05-14T15:38:00.000-04:00

In my professional experience as an educational counselor and in education as an industry, there is a very disturbing vocabulary phenomenon: potential. This is the new overly- competitive or out-of-touch parent’s excuse for/defense of, their child’s underwhelming academic performance. It is my belief that potential has its place in the context of positive reinforcement. In other words, when a person is dedicated and committed to achieving a specific goal(s), I say they are putting effort into realizing their potential. This takes place in the classroom, the arts and the athletic arena.

However, all too often, parents defend their children by placing blame on someone, or something else, for the child’s own obvious lack of motivation, enthusiasm and success.

It is imperative for teachers to begin to reassert themselves in the classroom as experts on education and understanding each individual student in their care. In other words, the days of parents making phone calls to change a “B+” to an “A-” or complaining that their student cannot possibly be the cause of interruption as the teacher claims, should be over. Not only does this give a false impression of a student’s intelligence, it undermines the role of the teacher and punishes them for being objective, but it also gives the student an inflated sense of accomplishment and comfort while setting him/her up for failure when the primary school years come to an end.

The "P" Word: A Musing on Potential

2008-05-06T20:21:00.001-04:00

Why are the educational appetites of our students so diminished? Is it the spirit-draining war in Iraq? Is it the fear of (not getting in to) college? Perhaps it is the cell phone, text message, email-age of quick communication, condensed vocabulary and instant-gratification? But why, when the current generation of our youth is viewed in contrast with other important generations in American history, does our generation come up so (a)pathetically short? Is it the comfort of middle-class American life which seems to be exponentially increasing this silo effect? I doubt that the answer is simple. I doubt the cause is singular. And I doubt that the remedy is achievable without drastic systemic changes being implemented. I do think that there are certain fundamental steps that can and should be taken which will, if seriously implemented, slowly reverse this current downward spiral. I can almost sense the lack of oxygen in this room! We’re all pondering the same question: where do we start?

First of all, begin to hold schools more accountable for why your child is not reading. Why are some schools focusing so much on teaching to these antiquated tests which have very little impact or long-term indication of student intelligence (or success, for that matter), instead of just fostering the creative senses that all children tend to view the world through . . . the senses that only reading, writing and activity can enhance? I know of a school that will not allow students in eleventh grade to advance to the twelfth grade unless they have taken the SAT and the ACT at least once (no matter their GPA, no matter their educational or vocational goals). This is certainly a marketing tactic which does resound with those parents who have been sold on the fear factor. In other words, ‘for those families who believe that education and children are a hands-off endeavor, here, we are the school for you.’ For the other 99% of parents out there, do not buy the pressure. Perhaps what you want to check out first, before enrolling your student into a school, is not whether they will help prepare your son or daughter for one, four hour exam, but whether the teachers can recommend any pleasure-reading books for your child? Perhaps they are keeping up on grade-appropriate reading themselves and they have recently read a story that your child would really enjoy because of a specific link in character between your child and the one in the story. Call me non-conformist, but I do not want a child taking swim lessons from a man who does not know how to swim, himself. And this seems to be the analogy that I can link to the idea of a teacher not being able to offer parents an idea or two for some simple, pleasure-reading books. Other questions: What are their homework philosophies? Are teachers accessible for after school help or tutoring? Perhaps, most importantly, what can your child learn from one teacher at “X” school that he/she cannot learn from another teacher at “Y” school? In other words, ask a teacher why HE/SHE would send a child to their specific school and not the one down the street. Sometimes, honesty and humility is exactly what you’re looking for from a person who will be influencing your child’s development.

Indeed, I am very good at what I do. I have some strong relationships with college and university admissions offices and I take my job as an advocate of education very seriously. That being said, I cannot help a student who was not already potential Ivy League-material gain admission into Columbia, Brown or UPenn just because a parent pays me. That’s not the goal of the “right fit” student/university relationship. I also know that there are no ways to “cheat” these standardized tests, the lengthy admissions processes or, for that matter, the rest of your life. All too often I hear the word “potential” used when a parent sits down with me to describe their son/daughter. A word of advice, do not think that potential is the answer to anything. Parents can only claim potential until they experience the reality: potential is like effort, but the bottom line is that a student either does or does not do something! In other words, “X Man” may have the potential to be able to finish a marathon under 4 hours, but as long as “X Man” keeps running 5 hour marathons because he chooses to not train, his potential is actually not so much “potential” but unrealistic and out of touch. Potential does not mean a thing to a high school physics teacher who teaches a class of mostly-failing kids, all of whose parents have been swearing, since the fourth grade, that theirs really has a lot of potential for science- if only they would be less lazy and apply themselves! Too often parents expect that their son or daughter will work with me and, voila, they will achieve off-the-charts results. On the contrary, my little reading “secret”, the one that I just shared with you, is the same thing that I tell even my most loyal and trusted families. Now, how we go about making this happen . . . this is a whole different mystery.

It's Gettin' Hot in Here: Professional Pressure Cookers

2008-04-27T13:24:00.000-04:00

One of my fiance's good friends from Columbia recently came to visit for a weekend. Quick background: this friend happens to be a former private college counselor; she is currently enjoying life in the admissions office at a top, private school in Wisconsin. Aside from all of their hilarious memories shared (sadly, though I have heard them before, they still make me laugh), many interesting higher education topics discussed and a little trip to South Beach for some people-watching, I was offered some very interesting insight on their Ivy League experiences and the "pressure to find a 'successful' career", as they remembered it, for many months leading up to graduation day.
I can't easily compare my experience with theirs as I was enrolling, immediately upon graduation, in an M.A. program and to me, that was all that mattered. Luckily, I was offered a full-time position on campus after graduation, then (oh my goodness!) a graduate assistantship coaching, then a part-time research job, then another graduate assistantship . . . For me, this period of my life seemed blessed. At the time, it was living a dream. I was actually able to pursue avenues that were mine to choose. However, at the same time, I remember very little pressure coming from my mom, my friends or professors. I was never venturing home to find someone waiting for me with tips on how to approach an interview, how I should dress or what I should say to people. I never heard anyone say, "You need to be networking!" Thankfully, people in my life seemed to think it was okay for me to just pursue whatever options I had at the time and that no life decisions had to be made on the spot. This, however, was so clearly not the case with these two Ivy Leaguers.
Not only did they both suffer great anxieties during the entirety of their senior year but so did everyone else who they could remember. There is the friend who got an "amazing" job as an investment banker but quit within months and has since, four years later, been earning $7/hr getting coffee for folks on various production sets in Hollywood-- she's 26 and still working towards her dream. There are the group of friends who all got the coveted internships at the financial companies (i.e. Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch) and who, since getting these prestigious positions post-graduation, have all left them and entered into 'power firms' such as The Peace Corps, Teach America and Teach English as a Foreign Language, in any of a number of exotic countries abroad. So, naturally, the next question that comes to mind: where is this pressure created? Who is it created by?
My answer (my answer for just about everything): Parents. Why? It is true that parents work hard and want more for their children. It is true that parents, whether they are financially supporting a student or not, ARE responsible for support in other forms (i.e. emotional, psychological, verbal, etc . . .). So, it's easy to understand, taking this (and so much more) into consideration, why a parent would feel so invested in the college education of their student. And then, say a family did invest anywhere from $10,000 to $200,000 in that university education, it's fair to expect something in return, right? It's fair to expect that your student will come out of college as an enlightened and highly motivated, money-earning machine. No. In fact, it's not only completely unfair to have those (or any) expectations, but it's entirely illogical and impractical. A parent can have no concept of what their student went through, learned or experienced during the college years. I spoke to my mom on an extremely regular basis (still do, in fact) and am extremely open with what I share with her. However, for her to have a concept of what should fulfill me . . . not a chance. Every parent applauds the son or daughter of their friend who enlists in the Peace Corps or Volunteer America. But the minute your son or daughter tells you that this is what he/she wants to do-- err, not good, right?
My fiance's friend told us about how her mom still says things to her like, "you graduated from Columbia, why are you dating HIM?"; "You have an Ivy League education and you're making so little". Aye, as if young people who have been well educated, ever needed anyone reminding them of the disparities in life or, for that matter, the possibilities on the "other side".
Certainly it's not ALL on mom and dad. Another significant contributor to the pressure- the schools, themselves. They reap the rewards of having their alumni become CEO's and Senators. However, if you do the simple math, it's impractical to think that each student is going to be a financial "success" directly out of college- or EVER, for that matter. Just like every university is looking to diversify its student body with valedictorians and athletes, thespians and activists, when these folks graduate they won't all be streamlined into the financial sector. But what are they told when they get to school, at orientation, during freshman commencement ceremonies? They are told that they are tomorrow's leaders, the next President, the next CEO . . . Well, what about being the next Teacher or the next great Librarian? What about being the next person to volunteer with an orphanage in Namibia? Or climb Mt. Kilimanjaro? Or, perhaps, instead of being the "next" anything, maybe they could tell you how you're the First YOU and because of that, they will open up and make available any doors and avenues that they can, in order to give you a better opportunity to blaze your own trail. Ahh, the old art of being an individual. Don't succumb to the pressure of the place. Create your own environment and reaffirm that your convictions are right.
Now, understand that I do not believe that everyone who takes that coveted Goldman Sachs internship straight out of college is just confused. There are certainly those out there who do know precisely where they want to be and how they're going to get there. More power to them. This, however, is rare. Commendable, yes. But rare, nonetheless. So, instead of urging colleges and universities to tout their elitism according to their quick graduate job placement, let's take a survey of satisfaction with university career services and centers , 4, 10, 16 months post-graduation. Let's see which schools are really in it for their students and which are in it for their ranking.
So, when you're starting to feel the pressure to be placed in a fantastic position after your senior year. Please remember, there's always going to be time to feel anxieties and pressures. Senior year of college is such a valuable time and transition that it does not need to be overshadowed by the job search process. Oh, that reminds me, the idea is the same for high school. The next step will work out just fine. You will get in somewhere. We just don't know where . . . yet. Keep working hard and learning to enjoy your hard work for what it is- purposeful. I commend you all on your patience and perspective. Parents, you especially. What I have said is extremely difficult to do as a parent, I am sure. However, know that you ARE doing everything you can by giving your student the freedom to choose and the freedom of his/her convictions. Cheers!

Going to a School with a Big Game

2008-04-24T14:12:00.001-04:00

. . . that was nothing like I had anticipated. Granted, there were certainly many impressive aspects of my visit to Auburn University: the grand, colonial architecture; the massive libraries; the faculty I met; a wonderful lecture from a Continental Airlines executive, etc . . . However, on this trip, which found me accompanying father and son (a soon-to-be Auburn Tiger), Ian and Dan Watkins, so much of the experience was unexpected. Having never been to an S.E.C. Conference university (especially not on homecoming weekend), I had very little concept of what, exactly, the hullabaloo felt like. Little did I realize that it not only felt amazing, but looked amazing, tasted amazing, sounded amazing and . . . well, dare I say, smelled amazing also?! I was privileged to be on this trip. Ordinarily when I go with a student or group of students on a campus or college tour I will be the adult in lieu of the parent(s). With Dan, for example, this was my third state and probably tenth campus that I had been to with him. However, this was our first trip with one of his parents also accompanying us. The idea of getting to experience the campus and environment with Ian and being a ‘fly on the wall’ of their father-son relationship during this eye-opening, football-ing, introduction-to-the-college lifestyle-weekend was no less than fantastic.

Let it be known, this is a wonderful family and Dan, quite clearly, is trusted and appreciated by both his parents. He’s a wonderfully intelligent and thoughtful person who also happened to be a pretty great high school student, graduating a year early, like I wish so many others could motivate themselves to do. Together, we saw a lot of the expected: fanaticism; Auburn flags waving on every building; lots of RV’s; tailgating and orange- everywhere. We also witnessed many things which were unexpected: an entire town square covered in toilet paper; a live tiger in the middle of a downtown sidewalk; the best lemonade on Earth! (one of the only times I can say I am in agreement with Oprah); 80,000 people applauding a marching band; and, of course, the Auburn/Opelika Airport, where all of the Auburn planes and the few University jets are docked and maintained. It’s also where young Dan will be fueling some of his best college memories.

The energy of this town is magnetic. Perhaps this is why Auburn becomes the third largest, most concentrated population in the state of Alabama on any given game day. We ate southern barbecue, stayed in a small, adjacent-to-campus lodge and carried ourselves like we were locals once we found the hot-spot to eat breakfast (and once Ian and Dan found the bookstore to purchase some paraphernalia). Even with all of this, the wonderful experience that comes with getting to learn first-hand about a spirited and beautiful college campus and being in the company of good people, there was a subtle, underlying theme that took my attention away from much of the goings-on: I was accompanying a father and a son who were experiencing their first anxieties, apprehensions and enthusiasms for this enormous step, this ritual writ of passage. Of course Ian and Sue Watkins are both extremely proud that Dan will be enrolling this coming Fall as a member of the prestigious Honor’s College and Aviation Management Program. But the pride of every parent is accompanied by trepidation and a bit of distress over whether the son/daughter is ready to exist outside of the family. For certain, I have been close to this anxiety in the past. In fact, I go through it with every family, every year. However, being on this trip with father and son was an “ah-ha” moment for us all. For Dan, he gained a great understanding of what he could expect from the Auburn experience. For Ian, he was feeling many emotions: pride; relief; excitement; all coupled with equally strong feelings of sadness and, always, apprehension for the fact that his first child would soon leave the house, leave the state of Pennsylvania, leave he and his wife and leave them feeling a bit helpless. We did not talk about this much, Ian and I. In fact, only for a moment when Dan had left his seat during the Auburn Intersquad baseball game (yes, it was a guy’s weekend) did Ian assure me that this transition would be- err, in fact, it already is difficult for both he and Sue— and this was only just October. Dan was not scheduled to leave the house for nearly one more year. This peek into the transition of not only a high school senior, but the parent(s) was so valuable.

Ordinarily my role entails so much focus on maximizing options and enhancing opportunities and the fact that parents can often be more high-strung about the process than their student, made this sound bite that much more memorable for me. I do understand where Ian was coming from when he told me this. I grow extremely close to some of my students and feel a great excitement accompanied by a similarly great anxiety when they earn what they deserve, academically. I, too, hope that they will use their good sense to adapt in a healthy and positive way to this new, often overwhelming, environment that is college academic and social life. However, it would be irresponsible for me to say that I know how parents feel. I do not. Being that this transition is so complex, it was very beneficial for me to have this experience with the Watkins men. I am forever in debt to them both. But shhh, don’t tell that to Dan, I don’t know if my senses can survive another homecoming weekend at Auburn.

What if I just check “Native-American”?

2008-04-21T14:44:00.000-04:00

Well, first of all, regardless of what you may have heard or, perhaps, if you think YOU are the first to come up with the idea, it’s NOT true and you’re NOT original. Just for your information, for anyone who is a member of a Native American tribe, they are documented with what is, essentially, tribal identification. When one checks the box on a college application indicating that he/she does identify as Native American, if it’s not directly requested upon that box being checked, your tribal identification information WILL BE requested before the application is reviewed entirely. In short, if you do not truly have tribal heritage, nip this absurd idea in the bud right now. However, if you do have tribal affiliation, you’re in luck. Native Americans in higher education are the most underrepresented minority. Though you still must have basic minimum requirements for any public universities or near average requirements for the privates, your heritage will be a factor (if, at the least, a minor one) during the review of your application.

As for the other boxes that one could potentially check. Race and heritage are no longer able to play strong roles in the admission process. However, it would be ignorant for me to say that schools with little diversity on campus – who ARE trying to increase their minority numbers – would not consider strongly a competitive candidate who comes from a minority group. The key word here is “competitive”. And, also, keep in mind that when an applicant checks that box indicating that he/she is of a certain minority group and then puts his/her signature on the end of the application, verifying that the information contained in the application is true, they are signing a contract which, if accepted (the student is offered admission), states that the acceptance is contingent upon the accurate and honest representation of the student’s record. In other words, if you have been dishonest in any portion of the application (i.e. stating that the courses you took were not taken, stating that you are a different race than you claimed, stating that your parents either did or did not attain a certain level of education, etc . . .) your admission can (and most likely will) be rescinded.

Not only will your offer of admission be rescinded but it will most likely be punished by, at the least, the university not refunding any deposit you may have made or, worse, banning you from submitting an amended application or transfer application or application for graduate school in the future. Best policy: be careful and be honest. There is a college out there that needs a person just like YOU, just the way you are!

College Costs How Much?

2008-04-15T19:13:00.000-04:00

It's true what they say in many cases: you get what you pay for. A friend recently told me that the cheap deoderant I had just bought will really end up being more expensive for me because . . . well, because it wasn't working. So I will, obviously, have to go back and purchase a better product. But, is this the case with colleges and universities? I'm not so sure. As recently as 2003, George Washington University could not be found on any of the various (albeit extremely similar) Top-10 lists for "Most Expensive" college in America. In fact, the most expensive, ‘traditional’ university in America, according to CNN Money in November, 2003, was the $30,824 per year tuition at Sarah Lawrence College (a phenomenally creative and academic place to be, for sure). However, Sarah Lawrence now takes the backseat to our reigning champ from Washington D.C. at a staggering $39,240 per year . . . and that's JUST tuition. The total cost of a year's education at G.W. tops the $50,000 mark. And you want to know something? Since they first made the top-10 list in 2004, George Washington has received a drastic increase in the number of applications to their undergraduate programs. So, it's working for them, right? They raise tuition costs and more people apply. It seems that families who desire a G.W. education cannot be out-priced- nor are they alone. Though G.W. still receives fewer freshman applications than, say, Harvard, Stanford, Yale or Princeton, would it be fair to assume that with the rise in cost of a G.W. education and the fact that their applicant pool has increased with it, that they WILL continue to raise their tuition rates on a yearly basis? Wouldn't you?

Until they hit a boiling point where the tuition rises to a level that actually deters applicants, resulting in fewer applications to the University than the year before, they have no reason to halt the tuition increases. So, while many people are up in arms about the rising cost of tuition for both public and private universities in this Country (especially Congressmen and women, some of whom, I’m certain, have paid staggering tuition bills themselves), it seems that our actions are speaking louder than our words. Ponder with me one point: Why is it that when gas hits a certain price, the sale of hybrids start to increase exponentially. But when costs of higher education begin to rise to these levels, which, as recently as 5-10 years ago were considered unrealistic, applications increase and faux-status (rankings) builds right along with it. I would warn anybody from using the various annual lists of top universities as a starting point in their research on where to apply (or a middle or ending point, for that matter). Even though paying attention to statistics such as faculty:student ratio is valuable and can be found in these rankings, when applications seem to go up in number as in correlation to tuition increases, it's no wonder some universities take their rankings so seriously. Are universities not run as for-profit businesses these days?

I do not intend to tell anyone how or where they should spend their money. I just wish to take contention with the notion that college cost is a direct relation to classroom quality. Universities cannot outbid their counterparts for tuition increases as a sign of true academic strength. However, it seems that, perhaps, we are falling for the old adage: you get what you pay for. And in this case, I’ll be the first to say, you’re paying too much. I realize that intelligence IS invaluable and our education is the only thing that can never be taken away from us. In fact, this is a statement of fact that I am constantly espousing to my students and their families.

So, please be prudent and conscious when shopping for an education. I am not saying that it should be cheap. Heck, one of the cheapest public systems of higher education is the State of Florida’s and, because it’s so cheap, the whole system is floundering on the brink of bankruptcy. This is not a scenario that a student wants to find him/herself in halfway through their undergraduate education: program cuts; larger class sizes; hiring freezes, etc . . . At the same time, just because a school is one of the most expensive universities does not guarantee anything other than . . . it’s very expensive. There is a whole spectrum of schools out there. Look at publics that are in and out-of-state, as well as privates on both coasts and, of course, in between. Remember, just because you can (spend the money) doesn’t mean you have to. And, just because it’s the most (expensive) doesn’t mean it provides the most.

Gimme, Gimme: My Ideas on Positive and Negative Reinforcement

2008-04-14T15:37:00.001-04:00

If someone told you that they would give you a FREE CAR upon turning 16 and all you had to do was . . . absolutely nothing, what do you think you would say? Answer seems pretty easy for anyone who has ever encountered the idea of responsibility and reward. However, I’m encountering more and more young people today who expect reward without accepting any responsibility. The car when one turns 16 is not only NOT APPRECIATED, it is expected. It's completely appropriate for a parent to want more for their children than what they had when they were growing up, sure. But isn't reward a bit more appealing?

For independent men and women, the need to be proactive is essential. If you don't work hard first and you don't satisfy necessary needs, you fall behind. In other words, you don’t get a paycheck until the work has been put in, in most cases, right? That's the bill-paying, 9 to 5 world of those who Work-to-Earn. I don't mean to sound like an old curmudgeon, but there's an inherent difference between the lives of those who LIVE at the home and those who SUPPORT the home. If a primary wage-earner of the house is not proactive in their responsibilities- and those responsibilities are usually pretty clear and general (i.e. mortgage, car payments, utility bills, groceries, etc . . .) - the potential for reward is minimalized as basic needs are even more difficult to achieve. But, for teenagers, even the understanding of responsibility is often vague and unclear.

Perhaps one family expects grades of straight-A's whereas another family expects a son to be starting quarterback. The expectations can be tremendous and, so often, not articulated clearly or supported by any sort of positive or negative reinforcement. In other words, if an expectation is met, it is completely appropriate for the agreed-upon reward to be bestowed. However, what does it teach a young person if they do not follow through with their side of the bargain- or, worse yet, there is no clear quantifier of what “their side of the bargain” is- but their actions are reinforced with some sort of positive reward, regardless, as if they had followed through with the responsibility? What happens, most often, in my opinion, is that the rewards offered are not specifically for the student. For example, perhaps it is a bit of a schlep for a parent to take their student to school and so the offer of a car for an outstanding report card is not only as a reward for the student, but also to lift a burden off the parent’s shoulders (aka: reward for the parent). This is one of the biggest mistakes made in the positive reinforcement process.

The rewards offered to young people have to be rewards which, if not earned, would not have a negative impact on other members of the family. Parents have to be prepared to follow through with their rewards and, likewise, repercussions. This is such a pertinent aspect of the teachable moment in young people’s development. Just as bad for helping to shape a young person’s value code as setting unrealistic expectations on them, is the trend to offer reward whether or not reward has been earned.

But You HAVE to Take it! (dealing with the SAT/ACT)

2008-04-11T14:10:00.000-04:00

It’s no secret that the standardized tests for college admission are a burden to bear. With so much riding on the scores- especially if you’re planning on applying to public schools- there are two ways to look at it, regardless of your level of preparation: first, the test is so difficult and there’s so much riding on the results that if the scores are not reflective of YOU, in your opinion, ALL dreams will be lost; or perhaps a more grounded perspective, everybody out there for the last century, who had hopes of gain admission to colleges and universities across the U.S. have taken this test and it has not altered the state of the universe- in any apocalyptic fashion. In other words, it’s just a test. The weight of the world does not depend on the score that you receive.
To be quite honest, it’s not appropriate to have the colleges that one hopes to apply to selected BEFORE ever taking either the ACT or the SAT or both. If this is the case, a student is putting him/herself in a perfect position to feel like a failure. However, it will be no one else’s fault but your own if you do not prepare properly. For all of the hype surrounding college admissions and the SAT and ACT exams, it surprises me how many students skirt the preparation.

Let me digress for the sake of an example. My sport of choice was water polo. I grew up in a pool, training as much as one could. In water polo there is a penalty shot called the 5-meter. Similar to a penalty kick in soccer, a field goal in football or a free-throw in basketball, a 5-meter penalty shot is precisely as it sounds: one player, unguarded, 5-meters out who, with the blow of the whistle, has to pick the ball up and shoot into a cage which is guarded by a goalkeeper. Not the hardest thing in the world, is it? Surely not. Is it the easiest? Not by a stretch. Especially when it’s a close game, perhaps in the conference tournament or, better yet, the NCAA Championship. However, a good player will always make time in their days to practice this shot. They practice at the close of a workout, when their legs are exhausted, their arm and shoulder can hardly hold the ball up let alone throw another shot, yet they know, come game time, when it really counts, they have practiced this shot so often that the ability to score is a habit. Missing the shot is not even a fleeting thought . . . this is, arguably, the greatest anxiety a player can experience. How do the top performers cope with the pressure on a day-to-day basis? Through repeated practice.

An old adage that I remember hearing from one of my childhood coaches, “practice doesn’t make perfect, PERFECT practice makes perfect!” resonates with me to this day. When I work with my students to help make them smarter and better prepared to enter any type of learning situation- be it a test, debate or, perhaps, an admissions interview, we don’t focus on the AMOUNT of work as much as we do on the QUALITY of the work. The point is not to maximize the capacity for memorizing test-like problems as it is being the most prepared mind in the room. When stumped on a vocabulary problem, the difference in scores of a “successful” test-taker and a disappointed test-taker are those who are able to make NO educated guess and those who can narrow the options down to three, sometimes even two choices. Through recognizing the connotation or root of the words or the context of the sentence where it is placed, the tests do tend to be biased in favor of those students who are more critical thinkers and better prepared. In other words, students who can analyze a sentence for a positive or negative missing word or whether the two missing words are going to have similar definitions or, perhaps, be opposites, because they have trained themselves through practice, will find greater success than students who think that the SAT/ACT require no extra preparation outside of an English III Honors course.

I have had one student who suffered such great anxiety attacks and, literally, responded to the idea of the SAT like he was Chicken Little and sure enough the sky WAS falling. By all fair reasoning, he was mildly prepared and should have been in the range of 1000 combined for the math and reading sections, maybe even a bit higher. However, his panic was so intense, beginning about two days before the test, that he lost all focus and would, apparently, stare at his answer sheet like he was asleep with his eyes open. Luckily, we made sure that he had many other things going for himself when it came to the strength of his application and he will be enrolling in one of my favorite schools for the Fall of 2008, University of Colorado at Boulder. I would highly recommend that if you have this similar test-day lapse, get yourself an appointment with a psychologist who does testing evaluations and is knowledgeable regarding the process of how to recommend certain accommodations for when you actually sit for the SAT, ACT, SAT II’s and AP exams, etc . . .

With testing season upon us, my greatest advice for all students who are feeling the nerves and pressure of their future looming in one, four-hour, standardized exam: it is never too late to get yourself prepared. Set aside the same thirty minutes to one hour every day to go over vocabulary, review math problems that you have not done in a year or two and maybe, if you have reviewed and crammed all your vocabulary and math and you still have a few minutes before practice starts or your music teacher or your study group arrives, go to http://www.nytimes.com/ and read an article or two!

Good luck.

Campus Food and the Discerning Palates of College Students

2008-04-09T15:21:00.000-04:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/09/dining/09campus.html

Check out the link, above

This is the link to the future . . . of colleges and universities all across America. If not all colleges and universities, at least those that want to continue to attract aware, curious, skeptical, honest and, in my opinion, high-achieving students. Ten years ago universities started to get the idea that selling out the rights to various corporate entities, be it Barnes and Noble or Pizza Hut, Starbucks or Dreyer's Ice Cream, in order to gain name brand recognition in their new, state-of-the-art student centers-- would be the major selling point to prospective students. Oh yeah, and to earn a quick buck, of course! This has been the fad at most universities as they constantly begin and end capital campaigns to enhance their endowments. But many of these universities will begin to suffer the consequences of their actions as they realize that they have 10-year contracts, for example, with these corporate entities, but students are no longer attracted by the heat lamp pizza-by-the-slice and overall lack of healthy options. This generation of college students, with everything from the Iraq War to the Presidential election, are some of the most active young people that we've seen in this country since the Vietnam era. Though they certainly are also the generation of fast-food, text messaging and cell phone dependence, they are also the generation born to the parents from that Vietnam era- parents who want their kids to experience more, live richer, fuller lives and have more options than ever. Bottom line: colleges now are playing one big game of catch-up. They all want to set a trend in some area or another. When, in 1983 Princeton built a climbing wall, other universities immediately followed suit. Some universities look for anything to set themselves apart: extra-long beds; pool tables in every residence hall; on-campus banks; 24-hour libraries, etc . . . But the strange thing is, no matter how much we know about eating habits and long-term health being linked to nutrition, universities just aren't acting quickly enough to make their options healthier and more diverse. Is not college, for most students, the time when they first begin to learn responsibility in their daily eating habits? So, it is those universities that do not share nutritional values with this young generation which will continue to feel the impact of their own decision to not incorporate healthy options on their enrollment and application numbers. Applications will continue to go down. Enrollment will cease to grow. I find that teenagers today are more aware of themselves than ever. We are graduating high school seniors who have put more thought into their potential career (post-college) than any young men and women before them. Parents are telling their students in their freshman and sophomore years of high school that they need to start thinking about a career-path. I'm not saying that this is right, nor am I saying it's wrong, but I am saying that it's the truth. These students are responsible, healthy-minded and aware. You might not think I'm talking about YOUR student, but remember, teenagers are never AS responsible, healthy-minded and aware as WE want them to be. If they were, they'd be very unique (or our standards would be too low). So, remember, when you're looking into colleges and universities, be aware of the fact that if they can't cater to your needs in the dining hall(s), what makes you think they will challenge you to grow in other arenas of the college experience? Just a thought. Honestly, the article I linked above is just too juicy to read on an empty-stomach. Bon Apetit!

Not Every College is the Same

2008-04-08T00:42:00.000-04:00

Not every college is the same. Granted, there are the campus-environment issues, student life activities available, etc . . . However, when we get down to the nitty-gritty, the meat of the institutions, the range is as broad as Shaq’s wingspan. I had a realization of this when my girlfriend, a Columbia University alumna, and I, hosted her brother (a University of Chicago alumni) for a few days in our Florida abode.

The conversational structure was much more formulated, well-thought, articulate and really, more intense than that which I am used to engaging with when conversing with John Doe. To imply that there is this great misconception about colleges and universities being homogenous is not what I want to do. Don’t misconstrue what I write. Or that “A” college’s business school might be a bit more prestigious than “B” college’s, but really you learn the same things- is not true. There are Tier-II and Tier-III schools that have programs and schools which rank in the top-10 of that particular focus. This is not because of the highly competitive admissions process or the “kill-or-be-killed” academic mentality, but the focus on open dialogue, creative, analytical thinking, Socratic method and, the very nature of college: getting to pursue that which YOU ACTUALLY HAVE AN INTEREST IN. Ahh, the refreshing freedom of selecting courses and electing to enroll in those units that do interest you.

At Chicago, you can expect to read more than anywhere else. At Columbia encounter tremendous juxtaposition of university versus city life. My alma mater . . . ethics and freshman experience- every frosh must take an ethics seminar. But, I’ll tell you what, if you don’t like to read, Chicago isn’t for you. If you don’t enjoy beautiful campuses in the middle of big cities, Columbia is not an option. And, if you think that ethics is defined as that which is moral in every individual society- or you really like to commit sins on the weekend and talk about them in class on Monday morning, as so often seemed to be the routine for certain people, there’s a small, Top 100 University in California’s rich and diverse Central Valley, University of the Pacific, that’s just for you!

A CIRCUITOUS PROMOTION OF STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS (should I or shouldn't I?)

2008-04-07T15:44:00.000-04:00

It is, in my personal experiences, quite clear that there are three significant events or series’ of events which are responsible for creating and providing a true sense of place for people. Being that humans are community-oriented and thrive out of social opportunities where we are, more often than not, looking to pursue mutually-beneficial relationships, these three areas are, perhaps, the only three which can- almost without fail- provide us with a sense of our place, our lot, our community our connection. The three to which I am referring are: family, college and travel.

Family is, without a doubt, the marker of our experiences. Whether the family is nuclear (a household with mom, dad, brothers and sisters), extended (uncles, aunts, grandparents and cousins, all living under one roof) or more “21^st century” (divorced parents with half sisters/brothers), we gain our understanding of “place” in home-life. Regardless of whether the home is, in retrospect, a positive or a negative environment, our sense of place is still present. If the experience is more negative, a son or daughter may come to understand that his/her role in the family is dissimilar from his/her peers. However, the role- and the family- are still very much the community that is responsible for supporting and nurturing the growth of the children, albeit they may be more neglected than anything else, but neglect, although a negative, is still a form of nurture.

The second area where we develop our sense of place is in college and university communities. It is here, not in primary education, where the majority of pupils experience their first ah-ha moments. It is here, where we live in communities of our peers, sorting out personal issues, promoting positive decision-making, stimulating the intellect and stoking the desires of our psyches. College is, in America, the first opportunity for most students to choose their own activities and pursue their own paths of enlightenment. Because it tends to be a process of trial and error (i.e. the selection of classes, selection of majors, selection of meats in the cafeteria, selection of friends you want to cohabitate with, recreational activities that you wish to try, etc . . .) university life tends to be the period of the most significant personal development in the lives of young adults. The evidence is even apparent in university statistics. Just look at the fact that alumni donate money to their alma mater, most often after they’ve already paid the university to provide them with an education. This is the whole catch, universities are no longer just classrooms responsible for shaping the minds of future generations, right? Now, they are responsible for much more. The services that any given university provides are endless. Campuses are becoming more and more insular as they create entire self-sufficient communities to allow students the opportunity to never leave if they choose not to. So, regardless of whether one may argue that this is good or bad, it would be difficult to argue that this does not foster a true sense of place.

Travel is no longer just for the wealthy. If you don’t believe me, I’ll send some of my photos from a recent trip! In fact, I would argue that typical “wealthy travel” is defeatist in its methodology. To want to experience a different culture it is imperative that we remove ourselves from the most comfortable situations. In other words, traveling from one continent to another, bunking in a 5-star hotel and eating at all the fashionable restaurants is, I would argue, an interesting way to flatter oneself. In traveling we gain the opportunity to examine our instincts, our home, our traditions, our history, our education and our unique cultural characteristics. It is difficult, if not impossible, to share thoughts and ideas about certain destinations without degrading the meaning of the experience. It’s like taking a snapshot of a sky: no panoramic lens could convey the enormity.

Family is not our choice (though we often have friends who we consider family and family who we don’t consider family at all). College is a choice. Not only whether you will go but where you will go and what you will do while you are there. I, personally, have only one regret with my college experience and that is that I did not pursue the opportunity to study abroad. At the time, my commitments were specific and my priorities were dissimilar to now. As well, I never had anyone motivating me and lending insight as to the benefits of studying in a different country. How did I know that the cost would be identical to a regular semester (or year, depending on how long I chose) or that I would still be on track to graduate in four years? No one explained to me the benefits or showed to me the opportunities for expanding my personal community. Now, several years later, counseling high school kids on the college selection process, I am trying to make up for that.