Collegewise

Show a teacher your appreciation

For a teacher who:

1. …taught the class that became your favorite
2. made you realize how interested you are in US History
3. stayed after school to help you conquer chemistry
4. encouraged you when you needed it
5. applauded your effort when you raised your grade
6. advised your club or organization
7. gave you advice or guidance that had nothing to do with the class
8. came to watch your championship football game
9. never gave up on you
10. you’ll miss in class next year…

Take the time to offer your sincere thanks before the school year ends.  Just a quick note, email, or conversation after class is all it takes. 

How college trains you for life changes

Today, I'm officially moving to Seattle, Washington and leaving behind Southern California, the place that I’ve called home since departing for college in 1989 (except for a three-year post-college stint in New York City).  No changes at Collegewise or what I do here, just a change in where I’ll be doing it. 

Going to college is good training for life changes.  When you leave the place you call home, start over, and carve out a new life with new people at age 18, it’s less intimidating each time you have to do it again.  The students who study abroad, or take summer internships in new cities, or even just cross-register at different campuses get an even bigger head start.  Add “making new starts” to the long list of life skills you learn during your four collegiate years.

I’ve got the next ten days of blog posts queued, but I’ll be away from my email while I’m on the road and getting settled.   Thanks for reading my blog, and I’ll see you in a future post from the Pacific Northwest. 

One Collegewise student's story of college and career success

I’m culling stories from our past Collegewise students for inclusion in my book due out in July.  I came across one today that captures perfectly how students can maximize their time in college and still land a job in this economy.

Wes was a student in our Irvine, California office.  He entered Northeastern University as a marketing major and credits his fraternity experience with helping him launch a successful career.  First, he was named the public relations chair for his chapter, planning events that sold out Northeastern’s biggest auditorium and filled the campus quad with thousands of students.  He leveraged those experiences into an internship with Gillette/Proctor & Gamble where he did global marketing for the Gillette Fusion razor.  That’s where he became interested in “the fast-paced world of advertising."  He continued his internship, took on more responsibilities, and after graduation, he went to work at an advertising agency in New York City, where his current list of clients includes Adidas and Reebok.

As he puts it,

“Before Northeastern, I wouldn't have even been able to dream of the opportunities it has created for me.  I would have never known what I wanted to do, I would have never known what it's like to live in a city, and I'd definitely never have gained the life experiences that will inevitably help me in the future.”

This isn’t a plug for Northeastern or for fraternities.  It’s a reminder that wherever you go to college, it will be up to you to make the most of the opportunities presented to you.  Your college—prestigious or not—won’t just transform you into a successful person.  But the right college where you can be happy and successful will give you everything you need to take it from there.

How (not) to annoy teachers when asking for help

If you're struggling in a class, asking your teacher for help is a good strategy.  But there's a right way and a wrong way to do it.  Here’s Cal Newport’s post citing common ways college kids annoy their professors when asking for help, and what those students should do instead.  Each of his suggestions could just as easily—and effectively—be applied in the high school setting.

If you'd like more tips, here's a past post of mine.

Too many thank-you's

In the last two years, I’ve been to a college graduation, a building dedication, and several dozen conference opening sessions that all had the same format—the first 10-15 minutes of the opening presentation was a long list of thank-you's.  The organizer thanked the sponsor, the committee volunteers, the board of directors, the outgoing president, etc.  It not only leaves the audience bored and disinterested, but also doesn't make anybody who's mentioned actually feel that appreciated.  When you’re just one member on a long list, it doesn’t feel very special. 

Since so many of the sessions I go to involve high school counselors, here are a few suggestions to avoid losing your audience's interest in a sea of thanks.

1. Put the audience first.

Whatever you promised your audience—an opening speaker, a celebration of one person’s retirement, or a free college admissions seminar—that’s what you should give them.  Thanking your staff may be important to you, but it’s not important to most of your audience, and every second you spend talking about something else, you’re losing the precious attention they’re giving you.  (Tip: if you want to make it all about you, start a blog).

2. Find a better way to thank people.

You should thank people who deserve it—you just shouldn’t do it at the expense of the presentation.  Instead, thank them individually and sincerely.  If they’d appreciate public recognition (not everybody does), do a short write-up about them and what they did that deserves thanks.  Put their pictures in so people will recognize them.  Add it to the conference program, or hand it out at the beginning of the session.

Now you please your audience and the people you need to thank.

Do prestigious high schools get you into prestigious colleges?

Don't count on a prestigious, competitive high school to get your child into the Ivy League.  I don't think attending an ultra-selective college is important, which is why this tip comes last.  For those of you who do care, the data show that the more brilliant the student body of the high school your child attends, the more likely he or she will lose out in the competition for the most prestigious colleges.  But those high schools will give your kid a terrific education, which is all that should concern you."

Jay Matthews
10 Ways to Pick the Right School

How do you make the most of college?

You don’t have to go to Harvard to behave like a successful Harvard student. 

Harvard professor Richard Light wondered why some students in the United States make the most of college, while others struggle and look back on years of missed opportunities.  He interviewed over 1,600 Harvard students to learn how successful students improved their college experiences and made the most of their time and monetary investment.  Then he published his findings in Making the Most of College: Students Speak Their Minds. 

Two of his most significant findings about successful students were:

1. They made an effort each semester to get to know at least one faculty member well, and to have that faculty member get to know them equally well.

By the time they graduated, those students had developed close working relationships with at least 8-10 faculty members who could serve as advisors, mentors and professional references. 

2. They found one activity outside of the classroom in which they became deeply involved.

They may have dabbled in many activities, but whether it was research, student clubs and organizations, community service, internships or part-time jobs—they all found one particular outside interest they were passionate about, and dedicated significant time and energy to that pursuit. 

In its review posted on Amazon.com, Publisher’s Weekly offered this criticism, “…His report on the findings of the Harvard Assessment Seminars would be more accurately titled ‘Getting the Most Out of Harvard.’  Rather than reflecting the experiences of average college students, his findings are more consistent with the experiences of students who arrive at prestigious universities already primed for intellectual inquiry.”

I thought two things when I read that critique:

1. That’s true. 

Students who have the intellect and work ethic to get into Harvard are likely to keep displaying those traits long after their acceptance letters arrive. 

2. You can mimic the same behavior at whatever college you attend. 

What you do in college will be more important than whether or not you attend a prestigious school.  If you want to be a successful Harvard student, start by behaving like one no matter where you spend your college years.

For private counselors: Ten "extras" your customers will appreciate

Running a small business means you have the time and focus to do something "extra" for your customers.  The extras are like free prizes, things they didn't expect but always appreciate.  The extras are why they tell their friends about you.

Here are ten suggested extras to get you started.  Try any or all, or come up with your own you know your customers will love.

1. Call or email to check in when they don’t expect it.  The best occasion is no occasion.
2. Write newsletters or blog entries just for them that offer timely, helpful advice to make their college planning lives easier.
3. Go see each of your students in action at least once a year at a cross country race, jazz band concert, debate tournament, etc.
4. Tell parents when their students do something well, like writing a great first draft of an essay, doing good research on the colleges you suggest, or finishing their applications well ahead of deadlines.  Parents never get tired of those updates.
5. Offer them the option to extend their payment over time. 
6. Give discounts to families that come back with a younger sibling. 
7. Recognize and appreciate people who refer their friends and help you grow your business. 
8. Host a group brunch or dinner at the end of application season.
9. Celebrate every acceptance. 
10. Offer something at least once a month that benefits them—a meeting, a seminar, a newsletter, a helpful guideline, a call to remind them to sign up for the SAT—anything to let them know you’re thinking about them and their college planning.

How to stand out in college admissions

1. Give great performances in your favorite academic subjects.
2. Earn the respect of your teachers and counselors.
3. Find subjects or ideas that fascinate you and take steps to learn more about them.
4. Make an impact doing activities you enjoy.  Don’t do anything “because it will look good on my college application.”  
5. Have real interests—they make you interesting.
6. Be yourself.  Get comfortable in your own skin.
7. Take charge of your education and your college search.  Don’t let anybody care about your future more than you do.
8. Choose colleges that fit you.
9. Be genuinely excited about the opportunity to go to college, regardless of a school’s name-brand cache.
10. Present yourself honestly in your applications and essays.

Update on our upcoming book

My editor and I just finished all the content revisions for my next book, still tentatively titled, "The Collegewise Way."  It's currently 262 pages and covers everything we teach at Collegewise about finding, applying to, and paying for college.  We're on track to release it both in print and electronically in July.  If you'd like to be notified when it's available, you can sign up here.

Here's the current table of contents.  I'm excited about it and will share more updates about the release as we get closer.   

Introduction  

Basic Retraining   

• Focus on the good news   
• Worry less about college   
• Put yourself in charge   
• Effort is the great equalizer   
• Mercenaries miss the big picture   
• Don’t forget to be a kid    
• Don’t try to game the system   
• It’s what you do in college, not where you do it   

Finding the Right Colleges   

• How to cure namebranditis   
• Popular opinions mislead   
• Do a success search   
• Have swagger—it’ll serve you   
• Start with "why college?"    

How to determine what you want in a college   

• Look for your fit   
• Start your search by junior year   
• Evaluate yourself, too    
• Start with these ten questions   

How to learn more about colleges   

• Beware of common search derailers   
• Use the right college search tools   
• How to navigate a college’s website   
• Evaluate your admissions chances   
• Have fun visiting   
• Connect the dots later   
• How to finalize your list   
• Strive for balance   
• You’re not committing yet   
• Get your counselor’s approval   
• Love your list   

Prove your Academic Potential   

• How to plan a college-prep schedule   
• Challenge yourself sanely   
• Ask if your high school has a “drop option”   
• Follow your favorite subjects   
• How to get better grades (and study less)   
• Make class time study time   
• Start before you need to   
• Eliminate study-time interruptions   
• Make academic workouts intense   
• Ask for help   
• Use old tests as study guides   
• Teach it back   

How to show you’re college-ready   

• Transcripts don’t tell the whole academic story   
• Take charge of your high school education   
• Get to know your counselor   
• Learning beats grade grubbing   
• Maximize strengths over fixing weaknesses   
• Great classes deserve your best performances   
• Solutions beat complaints   

Extra-Curricular Activities   

• Choose what you enjoy   
• Real commitments beat long lists   
• Don’t follow the crowd   
• Make an impact   
• If it doesn’t fit, quit   
• Get a job   

Standardized Tests   

• Learn your testing ABCs   
• Don’t panic over PSAT scores   
• Keep tests in perspective   
• Don’t take test scores personally   
• Plan your testing calendar   
• Pick a test and go with it   
• Prep smarter   
• How to prepare for the SAT or ACT for under $50  
• Know when to say when   
• Remember that your test scores soon won’t matter   

Applying     

Part I:  It can get personal   

• Peek inside the admissions office   

Part II:  How and When to Apply   

• Make sense of application plans   
• Be wary of the early decision boost   
• Apply strategically   

Part III:  Completing Applications   

• Start early   
• Get requirements from the source   
• Manage your parents   
• Don’t look for a better way   
• Get the basics right   
• Make it easy to understand your activities   
• Avoid sending gifts, baked goods, live animals, etc.   
• Avoid these common mistakes   
• Resist letting fear hijack your applications   

Part IV: Writing Great Essays   

• Give yourself a boost   
• Help readers know you   
• Keep the focus on you   
• Honest beats impressive   
• Share the details   
• Keep it fresh   
• Avoid clichés   
• Sound like a teenager   
• Admit when you’re not perfect   
• Seek feedback outside the family circle   
• Rewrite before you reuse   

Part V: Letters of Recommendation   

• Send only what they ask you to send   
• Choose the right teachers   
• Ask the right way   
• Waive your right   

Part VI: What to do after you submit   

• Bang a gong   
• Make follow-up calls   
• Give thanks   
• Resist the worries   
• Keep up the good work   
• Update accordingly but sparingly   
• Resend missing information   

Interviewing   

• Relax and be yourself   
• Know what’s preferred   
• Good conversation is more important than good answers   
• When contacted, respond promptly   
• Be ready for common topics   
• Find your stories   
• Drawing a blank is a great opportunity   
• Consider questions you’d like to ask   
• Leave your parents at home   
• Dress for Thanksgiving   
• Work the waiting room   
• Make a good first impression   
• Make a good last impression   

Paying for College   

• Saving is your best strategy   
• Don’t make aid assumptions   
• Know the cost of attendance   
• Meet the Net-Price Calculator   
• Look beyond sticker price   
• Apply the advice for admissions   
• Talk to your parents about costs   
• Apply where they may pay   
• Update schools if circumstances change   
• Compare awards   
• Tell colleges about better offers   
• Answer the $2,800 question   

Handling Decisions   

• Celebrate every offer of admission   
• Make rejection pain temporary   
• Resist the urge to appeal   
• Consider declining the waitlist spot   
• Trust your instincts   

Advice for Parents   

• Focus on what’s really important   
• Think long-term   
• Set good examples   
• Don’t hover   
• Help with the balance   
• Run with the right crowd   
• Ignore bad advice   
• Find the fun   
• Treat rejections like high school break-ups   
• Celebrate every admission   
• Buy the sweatshirt   

Ten Secrets of “Great Kids”   

• Meet people well   
• Write good emails   
• Remember peoples’ names the first time   
• Learn from failure and move on   
• Don’t make excuses—accept responsibility   
• Learn to apologize well   
• Laugh at yourself regularly   
• Give out positivity   
• Rise above the drama   
• Nice is underrated   

Parting Words   

• Go find your moment