Those Three Letters That Start With “S”

March 10, 2011

College Counseling for the Rest of Us Traditional Admissions , , , 3 Comments

You know.

Those three letters that begin with “S” and drive teenagers (and their parents) crazy.

OK, now last week you had me freaking out about Facebook, I don’t think I can handle this….

Yes, I’ m here to talk to you about the SAT.

The SAT used to stand for something.  Literally.  It was first an acronym for Scholastic Aptitude Test.   In 1990, it became the Scholarship Assessment Test.  By 1993, however, it stood for nothing.  It was just the SAT.  Like LOL or OMG.  Or OMD, if you can remember the 1980’s.

It’s funny  (Part One). In a lot of ways, the SAT has come full circle.  It was originally designed to eliminate test bias among different socio-economic classes and level the playing field, as best as possible, for admission to college.  It is now often accused of emphasizing the very same problems it was originally designed to address.

The first SATs were administered in 1926. In 1930, Math and Verbal sub-sections were introduced, and remained as the only two members of the band until 2005, when the Essay section was added.  In 1994, calculators were allowed an in 1995, the infamous “re-centering” of the SATs occurred.

Okay, but why is it determining my child’s future?  Is this just an evil conspiracy by the folks who make #2 pencils?

Well, no.  (It’s funny, Part Two). It’s funny, but the SAT is generally, for almost all colleges, a lot less important than it is for the parents who are freaking out about how important it is.

Now,let me be clear – it IS an important piece of the overall admission puzzle.  But it is one piece, in conjunction with grades, curriculum, extra-curricular activities, letters of recommendation, personal essay(s) and an interview.

As I said to literally thousands of applicants to the schools I served – we are going to look at 3 (or 3 1/2) years of work vs. one or two Saturday mornings. Admissions officers are looking for the SATs in context with all of the other information provided.  And hundreds of schools (thousands, if you include community colleges) do NOT require SAT scores to be submitted – schools as diverse as Wake Forest and Wagner, Bowdoin and Belmont Abbey, Drew and Rollins.  In fact, here’s a list of such schools.

Cut to the chase – will a bad SAT score kick him out of the school of his choice?

It might.  But “bad’ is subjective and varies from school to school (and Mom to Mom).  A “bad” score that – more or less – confirms bad grades and a weak curriculum will certainly hurt an applicant.  But a “bad” score that contradicts strong grades and a strong curriculum will cause an admission officer to generally dig deeper.

Okay, okay, but Brad is taking his first SAT next month.  And I – I mean he – is nervous.  What should we do?

Well, that could involve a whole separate blog post.  But here are the cliff notes:

  • Prepare.  Take a few sample tests to familiarize yourself with the SAT style and format.
  • Possibly use a test preparation service.  I’m of a mixed mind on this topic, but I would say – generally – if the issue is nerves, don’t use a test prep service.  But if the concern is how to take a test that is several hours in duration with multiple subjects, use a reputable firm or individual that you trust.
  • Take Latin.  Probably not a valid short-term option, but understanding the roots, prefixes and suffixes of words is a very valuable SAT skill.
  • A Good Night’s Sleep and a Good Breakfast.
  • Relax.  (Yes, I know it’s easy for me to say).

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.  Please feel free to email me at info@cc4therestofus.com, call or text me at 908-403-3819, join me on Facebook on “College Counseling for the Rest of Us” and join me on Twitter at @MichaelCCR.

What If We Break Up?

February 2, 2011

College Counseling for the Rest of Us Financial Aid, Traditional Admissions , , , 4 Comments

“A match be to made, not a prize to be won.”

Maybe the single most important quote ever attached to the college search process.

But, sometimes, even after cross-country road trips and long hours of internet research and conversations with admission counselors and athletic recruiters and comparisons of various financial aid offerings, the wonderful courtship doesn’t produce the perfect match.

That’s why you have divorce lawyers and transfer counselors.

So, what do you do?

  • Acknowledgment – Is this just freshman nerves and insecurity or real issues of incompatibility?  Sit down and write down: What is it that is causing this feeling? Look at what you wrote down.  Is it tangible?  If so, is it fixable?  Often times, it is better to stay put and work through the problems.  But, not always…
  • Acceptance –  The beautiful campus in the brochure has turned to the frozen tundra and the professor who seemed like the perfect mentor has left for another institution.   I thought I would love Nursing, but there’s – like- science involved.  I thought I’d like the country setting, but cows scare me.  It’s just not working out.  Most students who enter college do not graduate from that college.  You are not alone.
  • Plan, Don’t Panic – Don’t stop going to classes.  Don’t withdraw if you’re halfway through the semester.  Make sure you know what your current institution’s policies are in terms of dropping classes.  What will it cost you – full tuition, or partial tuition?  Will you get a failing grade or an incomplete?

What school might meet the needs that this school didn’t meet?  How many credits (and which credits) will be accepted by your potential suitors?  What type of aid package, if any, can you expect?

While it won’t be the length and intensity of your 1st college courtship, this 2nd college search should still be a serious decision, maybe a decision made with more facts and less emotion, now that you’ve been through this before.  Or you may be making a 3rd or 4th trip down the Bursar’s aisle.

  • Talk – to faculty and administrators you may trust at your first institution.  To your parents.  To friends from high school and newly made friends from college.  To a transfer counselor at any school you may be considering for the future.  Heck, call or email me; I’ll be glad to help.
  • Don’t walk away – While I am a big believer in lifetime learning and college being just as viable at 40 as it is at 20, I would strongly discourage “walking away”.  You chose your first college for valid reasons and – unless those reasons have changed – you should continue your journey.  There is a big difference between saying that going to College X was a mistake and saying that going to College was a mistake. Make sure you know what statement you’re making because it is always harder to start something again once you stop.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.  Please feel free to email me at info@cc4therestofus.com, call me at 908-403-3819, join me on Facebook on “College Counseling for the Rest of Us” and join me on Twitter at @MichaelCCR.

ROI Rage: Let’s Go Crazy

January 26, 2011

College Counseling for the Rest of Us Financial Aid, Traditional Admissions , , , Leave a comment

Dear Parents of Teenagers:

Think back to 1999.  {Click here for the Prince song.}

Who was in your household back then; How old were they?

Now – with that information – if I could get for you a brand new 1999 Porsche 911 {Click here for the Prince song about Corvettes; he didn’t do one about Porsches} or a 1999 Honda Odyssey, {not a Prince song}, which car would you get?

Most folks choose the vehicle with the 3rd row cup holders, not the one that could go 0-60 the fastest.

And yet, too often – when it comes to selecting a college – you are told that you have to buy the Academic equivalent of the Porsche.  It ranks higher in the magazine ratings.  It has prestige.  It’s sleek and cool and gets you to your destination faster.  You won’t be hired if you pull in with an Odyssey.  Hiring managers only hire Porsche owners.

And lately, this argument has taken a turn for the worst.  Since only the Porsche owners get jobs, and you have to pay good money to buy the Academic Odysseys, don’t buy anything at all.  It’s not worth it. Click for such an article; no music attached.

Let me focus on my breathing and take a moment to respond, because statements like this make me delirious. {Prince, with the Muppets}

First, beyond any monetary consideration (and this is part of the argument I sometimes forget to make), there is a value to the discourse, the knowledge of the professors, the intellectual, social, athletic and spiritual gains and challenges, to the friendships, the clubs and organizations and the responsibilities placed upon us.  College, in varying degrees but always in some degree – shapes who you are, who you know, what you know and what you value.  Like a great raspberry beret, there is no price that can be put on such things.

–Second, the monetary value has been both well publicized and horribly understated.  You may have heard that the average person with a bachelor’s degree earns $2.1 million in their lifetime and a high school graduate earns $1.2 million. If I gave you 2 sets of stocks or 2 sets of ANY INVESTMENT with the same payoff, which one would you pick? As I stated, I think this data, is by definition, horribly understated.  Since the Census data deals with with current data, it doesn’t reflect inflation, salary increases, etc.  Although we currently live in a world where COLA salary increases cannot be assumed, it CAN be assumed that – over a 40 to 50 year career – salary data will only become more and more divergent.  In other words, it is a fairly sure bet that the average 2016 College graduate will earn much, much more than a million dollars more than someone who stops in 2012 with a high school diploma.

Of course, this data is all for folks that GRADUATE college.  And that brings me back to my Odyssey.

There are far too many academic “families of five”, too many students who should be driving the academic equivalent of an automatic transmission, who are buying “Porsche Colleges” because they will supposedly provide the best return on investment.  When the opposite – for those individuals – is far more likely.  They run a higher risk of not graduating.  They are far more likely to not get anywhere near the internships advertised at the “dealership” (i.e. – admissions office) and to feel disenfranchised by not following their own Odyssey.

Unfortunately, data for folks who have to trade in their Porsche Colleges after a semester or two is a little hard to find.   But, as a proud owner of a 2001 Saturn, I suggest to you to find the model that’s right for you and meets your needs.  In the meantime, let’s go crazy.

As always, I welcome your comments, your ratings, your Facebook posts and your emails.  I can be reached at info@cc4therestofus.com, on Facebook at “College Counseling for the Rest of Us”, on Twitter @MichaelCCR and by cell at 908-403-3819.

Why Publish a College a Day?

January 19, 2011

College Counseling for the Rest of Us Adult and/or Graduate Admissions, Financial Aid, Traditional Admissions , , , 1 Comment

Most weekdays, I spend 60-90 minutes on my “College of the Day” feature – collecting data, preparing the post, providing links to the College’s website and social media accounts.

It’s a good chunk of time built into every business day as I try to get a new, emerging business off the ground.  And in many cases, that specific college is of little interest to my “usual customers”.  My Facebook fans (yeah, “likes”, I know), my Twitter followers, my clients and my Linkedin connections are mostly from the northeastern part of the United States, in general, and New Jersey, specifically.   Few of them will ever take a college course in Alaska or Oklahoma or Kentucky.

So why do it?

Off the bat, I can think of 4000 reasons why.  College of the Day is less than two months old. And yet, I’ve discovered the Ranger Rangers, from Ranger, TX and the Bailey Mountain Cloggers.  I’ve learned about the the “SnowTube” video channel and a school that offers courses on flash drive. I found out about Miami-Dade’s Emerging Technologies Center and the only school with an alumni chapter on the Moon.  I’ve learned there is a college in the U.S. that is 320 miles above the Arctic Circle. I’ve learned about a cheerleading dynasty in Kentucky, a Bowling dynasty in New Jersey and an incredible educational value in South Dakota.

And, yet,  I’ve written about LESS THAN 1% of the Colleges in this country – only 30 out of 4000!

Simply, this country offers an incredibly (and wonderfully) diverse menu of colleges and we know about far too few of them.

By posting information about a different college each day, I believe I become a better counselor for all of you.  And I share free information for all of you to access, so that you can become better consumers.  I provide links to college websites, athletics pages and social media accounts.  I meet new colleagues (and friends) who can provide me – and you- with insider information.  And I get a daily “B-12” shot, knowing what great schools – and great people – are out there, waiting to be discovered.

And I can do all of this without using up gas, paying tolls,  adding mileage to my old Saturn or waiting in an airport for a connecting flight. These vignettes certainly do not replace an actual campus tour, but they do allow access to the nation’s colleges without cost or travel time.

So, onward we go until (approximately) 2020. Who knows whether there will be Facebook or Twitter.  Who knows if the websites will be on Web 4.0.  But there are thousands of wonderful stories and worthy colleges whose tales shall be told. Let’s enjoy the ride together!

All Free Today

January 12, 2011

College Counseling for the Rest of Us Adult and/or Graduate Admissions, Financial Aid, Traditional Admissions , , , Leave a comment

If the title of this post sounds familiar, you’ve probably seen Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at some point in your life.

But the topic today is not Benny Hill’s acting career or whether Toot Sweets would have made a great candy. We’re here to talk about how much access we have to FREE information during the College Search process.

And if the topic seems somewhat familiar, I’ve touched on the availability of free “stuff” both in my “Unexpected Friends” post on 11/10/10 and my “One Night in Plattsburgh” post on 12/15/10.  I think it’s a topic worth emphasizing.

You pay enough for college. It’s a fantastic investment, but it is rarely cheap.   Therefore, families look for any savings or deals they can find.  However, when it comes to the information and services needed during the search for College,  families often end up paying for things that they could have obtained for free.  Or they don’t obtain the information or receive the service at all because they think they can’t afford it.

Here a few of the items that are free – no charge – zilch – zero – gratis. I’ve come up with 8 categories of things that are ALL FREE TODAY:

1) Guidance Counselors and the Guidance Office – Ultimately, your taxes (if your child attends a public HS) or your tuition dollars (if he or she attends a private school) do pay for this, but in terms of direct costs, you have a paid staff professional staff member, support staff, paper and electronic access to thousands of books and other periodicals about colleges and the college search.  All at your disposal, with no admission price.  While many are overworked and some are better than others, in general, you have a committed, educated, caring person (or two or three) willing to help you achieve your goals.

2) College Admissions Counselors and Admission Offices – On the other side of the fence, you have an admission counselor who recruited you, is reviewing your file, has a responsible for recruiting cool people like you from their “territory” and went into the position because they like helping people like you.  And they are free (somebody else’s tuition is paying for them – at least for now).  He or she is specifically trained to answer your questions.  And the support staff, generally, are similarly well versed and also – almost always – quite friendly.  And the materials available through the Admissions office are informative, diverse and – yes – FREE.  (Some schools will charge for a PRINT catalog.)

3) The FAFSA – It is the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid.  Free.  No Charge.  It does not cost you a dime to find out if you are eligible for federal grants, loans and scholarships.  If you pay anyone to fill out a FAFSA for you, you should pay only for the convenience of not spending 45-60 minutes filling out a form. Anything more expensive than that should be filled under wasted money (or, in some cases, fraud).  I would strongly suggest that you NEVER pay someone to complete a FAFSA for you.

4) College Fairs – At your high school, your community college, at convention centers – there are college fairs seemingly every day and night.  I can attest to that from years in the field.  And, while my College had to pay to attend some of the bigger fairs, these events are all free to you.  No charge to visit with hundreds of college representatives from around the country – colleges that WANT to talk to you and share their “sales pitch”.  And give out FREE pens and flash drives and rulers and markers and key chains and lanyards and…………………

5) The Library and – to some extent – Barnes and Noble – Some of the Colleges that you are looking at can be pretty far away.  And your guidance office might not have EVERY College Search book (although I bet their catalog matches the library and B&N).  But the hours, quiet, convenience, and – in the case of Barnes and Noble – beverages and pastries (those are not free) – allows you to do your college research in a relaxed environment without the distractions of a high school guidance office.  And, if you are a parent reading this (like, I suspect most of you are), then I assume you would definitely prefer doing research someone other than the high school guidance office.

6) The World Wide Web – From www.fafsa.ed.gov to www.finaid.org, there are a plethora (trying to use that word in all my blogs now) of excellent online financial aid resources – all free.  In fact, that is the clearest indication that the site is worthwhile and legitimate.  If it costs something, run away.  But, also keep in mind that each college has a detailed website with courses, costs, admission policies and much, much more.  As well as – for most of them – Facebook pages and YouTube channels and Twitter accounts….

7) Viewbooks and Videos and Flash Drives and Catalogs and Search Pieces and Brochures – I’ve covered this a bit in the other bullet items above, but the Colleges (other than a few print catalogs) are not charging for their information.  They want you to have it.  Many trees die, as it were as millions of viewbooks and brochures are mailed out handed out to people like you.  All free.  And while they are generally glossy and filled with slogans, there is usually quite a bit of nutritional value beneath the candy coating – courses and mission statements, career paths and student service options, and much, much more.

8) Family and Friends – More so than at any other time in history, you know people who went to college – friends, family and neighbors.  And they are not being paid by a college.  And they are usually more than willing to “tell it like it is” (or was).  Just bear in mind that the information is from their unique viewpoint and may be outdated, if they went to school a few years ago.

So, only pay for what you should pay for.  And enjoy the ride.   I’m off with Caractacus (played by Dick Van Dyke) to find the Bulgarian castle where SATs are made (see below):

The Educational Testing Service's "Secret Lair"

The Educational Testing Service's "Secret Lair"

As always, I welcome your comments, your ratings, your Facebook posts and your emails.  I can be reached at info@cc4therestofus.com, on Facebook at “College Counseling for the Rest of Us”, on Twitter @MichaelCCR and by cell at 908-403-3819.

The Art of Candy Stripping and the Trumpet Player on the Moon

January 5, 2011

College Counseling for the Rest of Us Adult and/or Graduate Admissions, Traditional Admissions , , , Leave a comment

The College Admission Essay (also known as the Personal Statement) is one of those “qualitative” opportunities provided to candidates to go “beyond the numbers”.

It is so easy to focus on grades and SATs, grades and SATs and – even – grades and SATs when talking about College Admissions.  “What kinda SAT do I need to get in to this school?” was definitely one of the most popular questions I received at high school College Fairs over the years.  But I can never stress this enough: COLLEGE ADMISSIONS FOLKS LOOK AT MORE THAN WHAT YOU DID ON ONE OR TWO SATURDAY MORNINGS!!!

Sorry for shouting, but one of the great ironies of the College Admission profession is that – at least in my humble opinion – parents are far more focused on SATs than College Admissions officers are.  While SATs (and grades, you can never forget grades) are key components of the Admission Decision Process, the courses taken are equally important.  I abhor the bias (2 common SAT words, free of charge) against admission counselors on this issue, when it is not deserved (in most cases)!

Unless we offer a strong basket weaving curriculum, I am far more interested in what College preparatory courses you took than how you did in the ubiquitous (SAT word!) Basket Weaving discipline.   It matters that you took an AP course, even if you struggled.  (Struggled, I said – bombing out is a different conversation for a different post)

And we DO read the Personal Statements, the Letters of Recommendation and review our Interview notes. We do look at what extra-curricular activities you list on the application and what offices you held.  We are trying to make an intelligent decision on whether you and the College will be a good match.  We are trying to determine if you are a student who will be assiduous, with a capacious desire to learn and a willingness to collaborate (3 for the price of 1!) with others.   We really are.  And to best do so, we review a plethora (sorry, had to) of information.

About that essay – listen carefully.  Even though our path may have been circuitous, we’re coming to the zenith of the post.  (At least, hopefully, not the nadir – or even worse – the nader...)  For what what I have to share may sound ambiguous to some, but you need to both write and review your essay with care, but not over analyze your work.  Don’t sweat the small stuff, as it were.

Your essay should be “real”.  It should be from your mind and soul.  Yes, it should be the version that is grammatically correct and it should be written in appropriate language.  And, yes, it should be edited and reviewed – and I don’t mean just checking the spelling by looking at where Bill Gates put the squiggly lines! But it should be YOU – that’s what I, as an admission counselor, am trying to learn more about.  You.

And that brings me to the art of candy stripping and the trumpet player on the moon.

One of the most honest, intelligent, interesting, humorous individuals in college admissions is a man named Bruce Poch.  I do not know Bruce, but I’ve read statements attributed to him in the past and have always found him to be “real”, which is a great, but sometime rare trait in my profession.  And an appropriate trait for today’s blog topic.   In today’s Chronicle, there is an interview with Bruce in which he shares a story about a College Essay.  The request was to identify a moment in history that had personal significance.  The applicant wrote about the day Louis Armstrong set foot on the moon. Well, the kid was admitted anyway, and he now has a Ph.D. in astrophysics.

It reminds me of an essay I read about 15 years ago, from a  Nursing candidate, that detailed her experience as a candy stripper. The essay, other than that spelling error, was well-written and honest.  And, yes, she was admitted.

So, my advice, simply, would be this:  Write honestly.  Edit your work (and allow other eyes to take a look).  But do not sweat it if you described a low point in your life as the “nader”, or referred to your volunteer work at a hospital in terms of ripping off Nestle Crunch wrappers.

As always, I welcome your comments, your ratings, your Facebook posts and your emails.  I can be reached at info@cc4therestofus.com, on Facebook at “College Counseling for the Rest of Us”, on Twitter @MichaelCCR and by cell at 908-403-3819.  And I will be appearing on January 20th, at Hall Stadium, in Union, NJ for a “Fit, Not Reach” College Search Workshop – hope to see you there!

The “Fit, Not Reach” Tour

December 29, 2010

College Counseling for the Rest of Us Uncategorized , , , Leave a comment

It’s time to take the show on the road.  I strongly recommend playing this link as you read on…

On Thursday, January 2oth, the first leg of the College Counseling for the Rest of Us “Fit, Not Reach” tour will commence.

We’ll be able to talk face-to-face, discuss the importance of “Fit, Not Reach”, and share free food and beverages.  (Well, free for you, anyway).

Although I prefer the intimacy of small crowds, I am delighted that we are starting with a stadium show.  We’re opening at Hall Stadium, (874 Lehigh Avenue) in beautiful Union, NJ, home of the world’s largest watersphere, as well as Kean University.

Doors will open at 6 for informal conversation (actually, 5:30, but you’ll be helping me set up if you come that early).  The formal workshop will commence at 6:30 and we will be around, again, for informal conversation from about 7:30 to “whenever”.

I say “we” because I’m happy to report that I will be sharing the stage with David Sawicki, who is an incredible resource for the athletes among “the rest of us”.  David was an Union High All-Star, a pitcher for the renown Division I program at Seton Hall and a Coach and Director of Athletic Recruitment at Division II and III programs at NJIT and Centenary College.  He is currently managing member of GameTime Sports, in East Hanover.

So, David and I will be able to give you a tour of the College Search process from both the College and the student perspective, as well as for athletes and non-athletes.

To be up front, Hall is a little smaller than Madison Square, Wembley or Dodger Stadium. We will be in the clubhouse of a little league facility.  Seating is limited.  I encourage you to RSVP via Facebook or Linkedin. And you can always email me at info@cc4therestofus.com to reserve a space, as well. But we are not working with Ticketmaster on this one, or Stub Hub.

I hope to add more tour dates as the snow recedes, so stay tuned.  But, I look forward to meeting with many of you on January 20th!

As always, I welcome your comments, your ratings, your Facebook posts and your emails.  I can be reached at info@cc4therestofus.com, on Facebook at “College Counseling for the Rest of Us”, on Twitter @MichaelCCR and by cell at 908-403-3819.

Presents Given and Received

December 22, 2010

College Counseling for the Rest of Us Uncategorized , , , 5 Comments

Thank you.  For everything.

2 months and 2 days. That’s all it’s been.  It was October 20, 2010 that I opened a blog account with WordPress and set up a Facebook “fan” page for College Counseling for the Rest of Us.  And started down an uncertain path, but one I knew I wanted to travel.

2 months and 2 days. Trying to preach three basic concepts:

a) The College Search should be enjoyable.

b) College search information and guidance should be available to EVERYONE.

c) It’s all about “fit, not reach”.  Pick the school that meets your needs, not the school with fanciest reputation, highest SAT scores, best football team or coolest website.

And since then, I’ve had over 2300 visits to my Facebook postings and over 600 visits to my blog site, which now has a cool web domain, http://www.cc4therestofus.com, that I purchased via GoDaddy. I’ve also gained a few clients (always a good thing), was asked to do a guest blog on a really cool local site (www.njmyway.com), participated in a great career fair (trying to explain, to middle schoolers, what an independent college counselor does), got myself invited to a major adult college fair and also to an amazing food and wine pairing event at a great hotel.

I’ve incorporated, opened a corporate checking account, printed business cards and met with potential advertisers.  I opened YouTube and BlogTalkRadio accounts (thenewmediadoesntbelieveinspaces) that will soon be filled with  more (hopefully) good CCR content.  I’ve been in conversation for locations for several College Search workshops – my “world” tour – and I hope to have some news on that front in the next week or so.  I’ve recalibrated my Twitter and Linkedin accounts to reflect CCR’s direction.

And it’s been a blast.  I love this.  I love working with the wonderful families I’ve met in 2010  I love the College of the Day and the responses from colleges and alums.  I love the feedback I get (generally privately – PLEASE feel free to post comments!!!) about how this is helping folks prepare for the college search.  I thank you, thank you, thank you.

I thank my clients from 2010 – the collector’s edition – the first few families who helped me shape what is to come.

I thank my Facebook fans (“likes”, I know) and my Twitter followers for helping me know that there is an audience for what I was saying.   And thank you to all of the folks (YOU!) who read this weekly blog and offer feedback.

I especially thank my wife, Stefanie, whose first name should be “long suffering”, for putting up with me and whose support of this project has given me great strength to move this forward to where it should go.  And thank you to my kids, for their support.

Get ready for CCR to rock in 2011 – there will be the “Fit, Not Reach” World Tour, the weekly YouTube show, possibly a weekly BlogTalkRadio program, a website (as opposed to a blog site with a bell and whistle or two).  College of the Day will continue as well as the Wednesday blogs.  And there will be an ever improving College Search service. And my twin boys will finish sophomore year of high school and start their junior year.  So, we’ll have real, live test cases to work with (inset best evil scientist laugh here).

The greatest gift I could have received this Holiday season was the support that you have all given me these past 62 days.  I thank you, and hope I can provide gifts of equal (or greater) value, in return, in 2011.  THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

May you have a cherished holiday season, whether your house be filled with the joy of Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, Chalica or any combination thereof.  And may you have a safe, healthy HAPPY NEW YEAR!

What’s In Your Wallet?

December 8, 2010

College Counseling for the Rest of Us Adult and/or Graduate Admissions, Financial Aid, Traditional Admissions , , , 4 Comments

Pay me $200,000 and I will provide you with a flimsy gown/garment thing and a piece of thick paper with writing in two languages. Oh yeah, and a cool hat. Like thing.

And it will the best investment you will ever make.

Seriously.

This week, a big deal – rightfully so – was made in some circles that the unemployment rate for folks with a bachelor’s degree is now at its HIGHEST POINT EVER. The jobless rate, in November, for Americans with at least a bachelor’s degree is now at 5.1%, the highest rates since records were first kept in 1970.

That’s not good news, but if anyone wants to draw the conclusion that it’s not worth getting a bachelor’s degree, how about these statistics:

The jobless rate for those with a high school diploma was 10%.

For those without a high school diploma, it’s 15.7%.  How about this tag line:

Want to cut your chances of unemployment in half?  Get a bachelor’s degree.

Okay, but what about making money?  I just gave you $200,000 for a flimsy gown and a piece of paper – how do I get that back – with interest?

Glad you asked.  According to U. S. census data, the lifetime earnings of the average individual with only a high school diploma is 1.2M.  For an individual with a bachelor’s degree, it’s 2.1M.  For an individual with a Masters, it’s 2.5M. 

That’s an average lifetime gain of $900,000 on a $200,000 investment. (And I’m using a relatively high investment number here – if you attend any public institution or most private institutions, or receive financial assistance, your financial investment will be much less.)

But here’s the kicker – While actual results may vary. they’ll probably be better.  As I said, that $200,000 figure is probably on the high side.  Also, that $900,000 figure is based on current (actually, already outdated) data.  It would be an incredibly sound economic assumption that the person graduating college in 2015 or 2017 will earn even more.

I started this article with the thought that I would discuss financial aid. But I think that will become next Wednesday’s theme.  Because I need to stress this first: Financial Aid is meant to be just that – an aid; assistance in making the college degree a reality.  But be careful about how much influence it plays in making the final decision as to which college to attend.  I understand that sometimes it has to play a bigger role than you would like.  But always remember that – in the long-term – choosing a school that meets your needs will pay far, far more dividends in the long run.

And flimsy hats can look kind of cool.

Flimsy Hats Can Look Cool

As always, I welcome your comments, your ratings, your Facebook posts and your emails.  I can be reached at CCRMichael@gmail.com, on Facebook at “College Counseling for the Rest of Us”, on Twitter @MichaelCCR and by cell at 908-403-3819.

The College Search is Not the College “Search and Destroy Each Other”

November 24, 2010

College Counseling for the Rest of Us Adult and/or Graduate Admissions, Traditional Admissions , , , 3 Comments

I feel the need to share a secret.

The College Search process is actually supposed to enjoyable.

No, really.

The College Search is a chance to visit new places, to explore new options and answer the Zen-like “whatdoyouwanttobewhenyougrowup” question.  It’s a chance to choose what courses you want to take and where you want to take them.

Most of my readers are from New Jersey.  And, historically, New Jersey has a reputation as an “exporter” in the college student industry.  But ignoring the options available in the Garden State is a big mistake.  New Jersey has over 50 great colleges –  35 offering bachelor’s degrees and 19 community colleges.  They come in all shapes, sizes, locations and styles.

Here are a few tips to help you make the process more satisfying and enjoyable and less nerve-wracking and argument inducing…

Treat the College Guides Like They Are Your Favorite Catalogs: It IS a shopping trip, you know.  Flip through the college guides, search through the online search services, read the colleges’ viewbooks, watch the videos (maybe pop some popcorn for the viewing), and check out the Colleges’ websites and Facebook pages.

Enjoy the Trip: You and your student are probably going to visit places you’ve never been to before.  Don’t forget to grab some ice cream, in Princeton, at Thomas Sweets or the Bent Spoon.  Travel through 3 college campuses (Drew, FDU and College of Saint Elizabeth) within a 1.6 mile stretch on Madison Avenue, in Morris County.  Visit Union, home of Kean University and the world’s largest watersphere.  Treat the trip like a great metaphor – enjoy the journey as well as the destination.  On that note…

The Bent Spoon's Bourbon Vanilla with Sea Salt Caramel

The Bent Spoon's Bourbon Vanilla with Sea Salt Caramel

Take Pictures: Be the tourist. Record your trip.  (Just don’t embarrass your kid too much.)  And it will help when you come back home and try to remember which school had the cool student center or residence halls (or horrendous parking lots or not-so-attractive surrounding neighborhood).  Maybe, while in Hackettstown, you’ll catch a picture of Tilly, Centenary College’s (in)famous ghost.

Raptor on CSE Campus

Take Notes: For most families I’ve talked to, the College trip (or trips) becomes a blurred memory.  Keep a journal to help you remember what you liked and didn’t like about certain schools and preserve your memory (and your sanity).

Read one of the “lighter” College Search Books: For every 400 page tome that lists thousands of colleges and millions of bits of data, there is a down-to-earth, light-hearted piece such as Risa Lewak’s “Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer”.  Grab one, read it and remember that this is not meant to feel like root canal.

Remember, that’s it the Student’s Choice, Too: Your teenager may have a reach school, but your teenager is also somebody’s “reach student”. Don’t forget that your family is the consumer in this process.

SO… Look at this as an exciting journey towards the future, not a dreaded confrontation with the evil world of Admissions Committees.  Research.  Apply.  Review.  But, most of all take a deep breath and…ENJOY!

As always, I welcome your comments, your ratings, your Facebook posts and your emails.  I can be reached at CCRMichael@gmail.com, on Facebook at “College Counseling for the Rest of Us”, on Twitter @MichaelCCR and by cell at 908-403-3819.

Photo of the hawk at the College of Saint Elizabeth is courtesy of yours truly as he rolled down the window of his Saturn and snapped the picture via cellphone, without crashing.

Photo from the Bent Spoon is courtesy of http://lilveggiepatch.com/2010/08/23/sundae-social/

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