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It is common for parents and students alike to ask, “How many community service hours do I need to get into college?” The answer: there is no magic number. For community service, regardless of whether you dream of attending Stanford or any other college, the commitment and the significance of your community involvement far outweighs the sheer number of hours you spend volunteering. There is no magic number when it comes to the number of hours you need to get into college. Colleges will ask for how long you have been involved with an activity, how many hours per week you are involved with it, and the number of weeks per year. That is it. Yet in a stack of 100,000 applications, the time spent volunteering does not paint a picture of why it matters to you, or more importantly, why it matters to an admissions officer. To tell this story, expect to write an essay describing why the service matters and shapes your view of the world and your position in it. Highlight what you learned in the activity and how it has influenced your perspective about your future plans. If you were a leader in the activity, it is also beneficial to explore what you learn not only in terms of the outcome but also how you can increase your impact in society. When admissions officers review your application, this is what they will be assessing—your ability to make a difference on their campus. As this school year is in full swing, look for opportunities to make a difference and grow. Focus just on the few activities that matter the most to you. This will not only build your resume for college but, more importantly, provide you with the opportunity to learn about yourself and how you will contribute to society going forward. 
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Goes way beyond just how to get into college. As school is back in session we are faced with the reality, that applying to college, and high school in general is tough. Whether it comes to applying to Stanford, the Ivy League, or schools that are less selective, this process rewards those who work hard and are not afraid of taking risks or not getting in. It may be hard in the moment, but the skills you gain along the way are what will prepare you for what comes after school and ensure your long-term success. My dad, forwarded an article by Courtney Connley featured on CNBC containing an interview with Suzy Welch of the legendary Jack Welch Management Institute. It has been in line with his advice for my entire life. I consider it a privilege to pass it on. Courtney Connley CNBC - Tuesday, August 14, 2018 The best way parents can set their kids up for career success Bestselling management author and CNBC contributor Suzy Welch is often asked, "What's the number one thing parents can do to help their kids achieve career success?" "That's a tough question," the mom of four millennials tells CNBC Make It. "And I can really only answer with what worked for me." She says that like most kids, hers would sometimes "whine about the unfairness of life or how hard it was to make new friends at school or how much extra work it took to get an A instead of a B or a C." Like many parents, she'd respond with lectures about hard work, discipline and perseverance. But Welch's lectures were always punctuated by a simple message that she says is key to helping kids understand the relationship between putting in extra effort and achieving your goals: "Everything good is hard." "They didn't love hearing that," she says. "But pretty early on, even by middle school, it began to make its own case and they began to see for themselves how a boatload of effort did tend to pay off." Now that they're adults, Welch says, her kids have been exposed to the normal adversities of working life, like job layoffs, bad bosses and difficult assignments. But despite these challenges, they've all found professional success, and Welch believes that it's because of her mantra. "Believe me, I know all too well how impossible it is to control what your kids do at school or how they fare in the real world," she says. "Life happens, but don't discount the importance of your influence on their career trajectory." She recommends that parents lead by example, demonstrating for kids that "when it comes to achieving lasting success, there are very few shortcuts." "Hard things are hard for a reason," she emphasizes. "They're worth it."  I am often asked, “how do I get into college?” I propose asking a different question to help boost your odds of admission: why do I want to go? Right now the buzz word in the college admissions process is passion. There is so much pressure in the college admissions process to build a story that shows passion and how you will pursue it in college and beyond. For many students, it is stressful to have to declare an interest at such a young age when you’ve had precious few opportunities to explore and discover. Strong applications tie together academic and professional interests through community service and extracurricular activities. This is why we recommend that you develop a strategy for why you want to go to college and pair it with your strategy for getting in. It allows you to focus on building a story. However, do not worry if you are unsure of your plans for college. The most important thing in high school is to try to discover what you love. If your interests change, you will be able to change your mind when you get to college; if you need to change direction, then it will be healthy to do so. Success beyond college comes from knowing what motivates and inspires you and knowing what does not. Taking a class or participating in an internship or extracurricular activity that reveals you dislike something is as much of a positive step as trying something and loving it. Do not be afraid to try something more “left-field” in the college admissions process. Life is trial and error. Every time you try something and do not like it, use this as a catalyst to do an about-turn and find things that do inspire you. Once you have the inspiration, this will help guide you to the courses and careers that are right for you... I have included a fantastic article featured in Forbes by Mariko Silver explaining why a terrible internship may be the most important one you ever have. Click here to read the article. Welcome the chance to have positive and negative experiences as part of this process.  The heads of three of the most prestigious private high schools in Washington DC, which produce an outsized share of the entering class of many of the most selective colleges in the US, recently penned an op-ed detailing their reasons for removing AP classes from their curriculum. They point out the obvious: with AP classes now so ubiquitous across high schools, the value of taking college-level coursework in high school has been dramatically reduced as it relates to the college admissions process. They are right. Colleges are searching for passionate students capable of making a difference in their community. No amount of AP classes, or perfect grades in these classes, will ever paint a picture of who your child is and what she is capable of accomplishing. Make sure that high school affords your child the opportunity to discover who she is and what she wants to do in college and beyond. Loading up with unnecessarily difficult and time-consuming AP/advanced classes is counterproductive and deprives your child of the opportunity to do things to increase the strength of her application. Focus on the advanced classes relevant to your child’s area of interest, and skip the ones that are not. To read the op-ed, click here.  With college students preparing for the fall semester and 10.7 percent of all student loans 90+ days delinquent or in default as of Q1 2018, the personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2018’s States with the Most and Least Student Debt. States with the Most Student Debt 1 South Dakota 2 West Virginia 3 Pennsylvania 4 New Hampshire 5 Ohio 6 Mississippi 7 Michigan 8 Minnesota 9 Iowa 10 Indiana States with the Least Student Debt 42 Nevada 43 Maryland 44 Florida 45 Alaska 46 Arizona 47 Washington 48 California 49 Wyoming 50 Hawaii 51 Utah Best vs. Worst
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-states-for-student-debt/7520/ It is critical to take into account expected student loan burdens as part of your college application strategy. In some states, 10% of people over the age of 50 still carry a student loan balance. You do not want this statistic to apply to you or your child. As part of our school list strategy, we identify colleges that may provide full tuition scholarships based on SAT/ACT scores and grades along with more affordable public school options. Play the long game when applying and ensure that your school list is tied to your long-term financial health.  The importance of the SAT and ACT has long been a subject of debate among prospective students, parents, and college counselors who fervently search for the secret to unlocking admission at a top university. With more and more students scoring better and better on standardized tests, colleges are beginning to put less emphasis on the standardized tests which keep anxious high school students up at night, and more emphasis on the extracurriculars which paint a more realistic picture of a student’s merits. This is corroborated by Brown University’s recent decision to end the requirement for applicants to submit their standardized testing essay scores. Now, with all Ivy League universities dropping the SAT and ACT writing requirements, students are left to wonder whether they should take the essay, and how much time to spend on studying for standardized tests. The truth is that the dropping of the essay requirements on standardized tests is an indicator that colleges want to see students in a more holistic light. Standardized test scores are now qualifiers that ensure your ability to compete in the main event rather than golden tickets to admission. It is important, for example, that a student has a high SAT/ACT score when applying to an Ivy League university, but it certainly won’t be on admissions officers minds when deciding whether to admit that individual. A good tutoring service is essential to students who want to familiarize themselves with standardized tests and meet a specific score. However, a student with a 34 on the ACT versus a student with a 36 has an almost equal shot at getting into a top tier school. Once a student has cleared the bar and scored well on the test—as most students in top high schools do—it is up to their extracurriculars to do the heavy lifting and earn them admission.  Each year, Stanford selects three books for its incoming class to read. This year’s list encompasses a theme of globality and migration. Stanford’s 2018 list can be found here. Great readers become great writers, and applicants seeking to earn admission to Stanford and other selective colleges will be required to write essays that show perspective. Simply focusing on the essays when evaluating this year’s list would miss a bigger point: colleges are looking for students with appreciation for other parts of the world. We live in an interconnected world. Colleges are looking for the next generation of problem solvers who can apply their education to address serious issues at home and abroad. It is part of the reason there is a foreign language requirement and that colleges take into consideration community service as part of the admissions process. In short, colleges are looking for students with demonstrated aptitude to contributing to a global marketplace of ideas and solutions for tough problems at home and abroad. Tailor high school experiences to demonstrate an openness to different cultures and ideas. Continue with foreign language studies that reinforce this. Most importantly, not just for the applications, but for your personal development, expose yourself to different people, places, ideas, and issues, so you can gain a perspective to address them in the years to come.  As a college counselor, I have lost track of how many times I have been asked, “How do I get into Stanford?” or that a student needs help getting into Harvard, or some other insanely selective school that only accepts 5% of its applicants. These are fair questions, but I think they miss the point. Yes, these colleges have incredible reputations and afford their students spectacular opportunities to learn. But before our students stay up all night, every night, working tirelessly to get in: ask if these schools are the right fit. A parent forwarded me an article about the most popular class at Yale, which teaches students how to be happy (hint: read the article—it is very insightful). I think it is fantastic that a school like Yale teaches students about happiness, and equally depressing that we have gotten to the point that we do not know how to be happy. Many of the students who are in the class probably have worked since they were in diapers to get into Yale, only to realize when they arrive there that the status alone is not enough to make them happy. It is not just an Ivy League problem. According to a recent survey by the American College Health Association, 52 percent of students reported feeling hopeless, while 39 percent suffered from such severe depression that they had found it difficult to function at some point during the previous year. This is not acceptable. We must work with our kids to ensure that they attend a school that is healthy for them and build them up to enjoy it when they get there. Factors relevant for mental health include location, proximity to home, weather, competition and class difficulty, access to resources and activities that excite and motivate students, and an ability to fit in. There is no perfect school for any one of our students. A student can achieve her goals wherever she attends so long as she is happy. Not every day of college will be a happy day, and that is OK. Finals are stressful. Living with a stranger in a dorm room smaller than a closet can be stressful. But learning how to overcome these challenges and smile along the way is a priceless part of a college education. There is no right answer to “What college will make me/my child happy?” In high school, focus on developing passions that will guide our students when they arrive at college. Prioritize our students’ well-being and have honest conversations about which colleges and programs are the best fit. Wishing your entire family happiness and enjoyment along the way.  College advising should be tailored to student's long-term happiness Applying to college can feel like the mix between a sprint and a marathon in the fall. Address one critical part of the process now, to make it easier when you are back in school this fall. Rising high school seniors should use the end of the school year to ask potential recommenders for a letter of recommendation on their behalf in the fall. While it may be too soon to formally request a letter of recommendation from a teacher and provide her with the necessary background information like a resume and your plans for college to write a quality letter, it is still an excellent opportunity to provide recommenders with notice that you would like to ask them to write on your behalf. At many high schools with large class sizes, teachers may receive dozens of requests to write letters of recommendation. Great letters take time to write. The more notice a teacher has, the more they can plan accordingly and budget their time. If a teacher agrees to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf, ask her what materials she will need to write a strong letter. Many high schools have formal requirements for students to submit information packets to recommenders to help them write a recommendation, but a teacher may rely on specific information from students to write an insightful and compelling letter of recommendation. The bottom line is, applicants, make the job as easy as possible on those who have agreed to help you, on their own time, get into college!  Make applying to college easier by providing recommenders ample time to write on your behalf. There is a reason why colleges ask applicants to list foreign languages that applicants are fluent in, and why admissions officers assess applicants’ foreign language coursework and SAT Subject Test scores: college admissions officers value foreign language skills. Moreover, many colleges have a foreign language requirement for their students and encourage them to study abroad to improve their foreign language abilities. Colleges recognize that their graduates must be prepared to work in an increasingly global market for talent and ideas. By demonstrating competence in a foreign language before college, an applicant can signal to an admissions officer that she will advance a college’s efforts to prepare its students for the global workplace. Embarking on the path to becoming fluent in a foreign language may be one of the best things future college students can do in middle and high school. Not only will it strengthen their college applications, becoming fluent also sets students up for success when it comes time to apply to grad school and jobs after college. Many medical schools give preference to applicants who are fluent in Spanish as their hospitals cater to Spanish-speaking populations. Financial services firms, marketing firms, and tech companies also seek applicants able to work in emerging markets like China and Latin America. Consider foreign languages that will help not just with the college application process, but also with the job market after college. My ability to speak fluent Spanish landed me a coveted Wall Street internship in college that I probably would not have gotten if I did not speak Spanish. Learning Portuguese helped me get a job after college that again, would have been beyond my reach Spanish and Mandarin are particularly useful as Latin America and China are the United States’ two biggest trade partners.  |
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