 Severn’s college counselors will kick off the college application season by meeting in small-group sessions with seniors on Wednesday and Thursday, 8/31 and 9/1. Attendance is required and critical, especially for those seniors who did not attend the college counseling Summer Workshop, held August 16. Parents of Seniors will have an opportunity to learn more about the college selection/application process by attending College Information Night for Parents of Seniors, September 6, at 7:00 p.m. in Roche Lecture Hall. We urge all parents to attend this session. (There will be a session for parents of Juniors in October). In the meantime, seniors should make an appointment via Mrs. Rudder to meet with their college counselor during their free period. We expect them to have completed the Biography for Counselor Recommendation in Family Connection before they make the appointment. Appointments with seniors are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Because the calendar fills up fast, those who anticipate having to meet an early application deadline should sign up as soon as possible in order to save a date. Counselors look forward to these one-on-one sessions with seniors for a number of reasons, but especially because they provide another opportunity to get to know your son or daughter, whom they will be asked to support through a letter of recommendation. Parents will receive a written summary of the counseling session and are encouraged to stay in touch by e-mail or by phone. Also, parents are urged to submit a Brag Sheet, available in the Document Library of Family Connection or upon request by e-mail. We are grateful to the many parents who took the time to complete the Brag Sheet when we requested it last May. Thanks to all of you in advance for your continuing help and support! |
Friday, August 26, 2011
Notes from College Counseling
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
College of the Week--Gettysburg College
With great appreciation for the enthusiastic and informative presentation of Darryl Jones (Senior Associate Director of Admissions at Gettysburg College) in our recent College Counseling Summer Workshop, we are highlighting Gettysburg College for this year's first "College of the Week" post.
Accessible professors: 10 to 1 student-faculty ratio; average class size of 18.
Academic clout: Students come from more than 40 states and 35 countries. Recent grads earned Rhodes, Fulbright, and many other prestigious fellowships.
Career connections: A four-year career prep program and international alumni network lead to internships, externships, and careers. One year out, 95 percent of graduates are on a career track or in graduate school.
Small campus feel, big campus resources: music conservatory, professional performing arts center, state-of-the-art science center, Eisenhower public policy institute, Garthwait Leadership Center, and brand-new Center for Athletics, Recreation, and Fitness.
Historic setting near urban centers: an hour to Baltimore, 90 minutes to Washington, D.C., two hours to Philadelphia.
(**Don't forget--when it comes time to review your essays don't rely on Spellcheck. PROOFREAD!! Keep your essay off the Admissions Office Wall of Shame! Great advice by Mr. Jones from an admiral's perspective!)
Gettysburg College has earned its strong academic reputation. Since its founding in 1832, the College has upheld a rigorous commitment to the liberal arts in all their breadth and depth. On a beautiful campus in a world-famous town, 2,600 students discover their intellectual passion through more than 64 academic programs. There are no bystanders here. Students prepare for leadership through experiential learning opportunities, an extensive career network, and countless co-curricular, service, and off-campus study activities.
Accessible professors: 10 to 1 student-faculty ratio; average class size of 18.
Academic clout: Students come from more than 40 states and 35 countries. Recent grads earned Rhodes, Fulbright, and many other prestigious fellowships.
Career connections: A four-year career prep program and international alumni network lead to internships, externships, and careers. One year out, 95 percent of graduates are on a career track or in graduate school.
Small campus feel, big campus resources: music conservatory, professional performing arts center, state-of-the-art science center, Eisenhower public policy institute, Garthwait Leadership Center, and brand-new Center for Athletics, Recreation, and Fitness.
Historic setting near urban centers: an hour to Baltimore, 90 minutes to Washington, D.C., two hours to Philadelphia.
(**Don't forget--when it comes time to review your essays don't rely on Spellcheck. PROOFREAD!! Keep your essay off the Admissions Office Wall of Shame! Great advice by Mr. Jones from an admiral's perspective!)
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Food for Thought...
reprinted from Newsweek/The Daily Beast 3/29/2011
10 College Admissions Trends
At 5 p.m. Wednesday, Ivy League schools notified their lucky applicants—the precious few admitted in the toughest admissions year ever. From soaring waitlists to a Southern boom, Kristina Dell on 10 trends.
The toughest college admissions year on record reached its apex this week as nervous seniors obsessively checked their email or a website to discover their fates. (Waiting for the fat or thin envelope? So 2005.) The hotter-than-ever Ivy League schools, which all had a record number of applicants this year, notified the lucky ones at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
It has been an especially stressful process this year. The weak economy and a wider acceptance of the common application—Columbia used it for the first time this year and had a 32 percent jump in applicants over last year—has meant the competition is steeper than ever. Over the past five years, applications to the eight Ivy League schools plus MIT and Stanford skyrocketed from just over 200,000 applications to almost 300,000 early and regular applications, for a total increase of more than 40 percent, according to Michele Hernandez, president of Hernandez College Consulting.
While most final decisions won’t be made until May 1, when most school deposits are due, The Daily Beast spoke with admissions officers, guidance counselors, and college consultants to hear about the most surprising trends from this year’s applicant pool and what to look for in the next six weeks.
1) 2011 Was the Hardest Year to Get into College—Ever
“We already know this will be the hardest year in history for college seniors,” says Hernandez. She cites more kids applying, while most schools aren’t increasing their class size. It’s an unforgiving formula. “A few years ago, kids were applying to four or five schools,” says Greg Roberts, dean of admission at the University of Virginia. “But now it’s not uncommon to apply to 10 or 12 or in the extreme even 20 or 30.”
A number of trends are at play this year to make things extra difficult for applicants. Harvard, Princeton, and the University of Virginia got rid of their early-admission programs in 2006. In the meantime, college applications at selective schools have risen dramatically, reaching a pinnacle this year, as top-notch seniors started applying in droves to non-binding early-admission programs like Yale, Stanford, MIT, and the University of Chicago. In order to save themselves for a stab at Harvard or Princeton, many students decided to forgo the binding early-decision programs at the other Ivies, making the admissions process less efficient. Next year should be much calmer, as the number of high school seniors in certain parts of the country is dwindling and Harvard, Princeton, and University of Virginia will reinstate early-admission programs—getting the brainiacs out of the regular admissions pool. “The kids who want to apply to Harvard and Princeton will apply early-action,” says Hernandez. “That alone will change things.”
2) College Applicants Are More Interested in Southern Schools
Independent college counselors are noticing that more and more students are talking about heading south for the winter. “I have heard anecdotally from students and parents that they are starting to pay attention to what Tulane looks like in February compared to Dartmouth,” says Sally Rubenstone, a senior adviser at College Confidential. “They might not want to go where they have to scrape snow off their windshields.”
Vanderbilt, William & Mary, Emory, and Wake Forest, among other schools, are garnering more attention than usual for their pleasant climates. “Kids want sun and are looking for better weather,” says David Montesano, an admissions strategist with College Match Inc., a college consulting service. “Stanford and USC are among the most popular schools in the country for my kids.” Then there’s Occidental College, which is benefitting from the Obama bump—the president went there for two years before transferring to Columbia.
While most final decisions won’t be made until May 1, when most school deposits are due, The Daily Beast spoke with admissions officers, guidance counselors, and college consultants to hear about the most surprising trends from this year’s applicant pool and what to look for in the next six weeks.
1) 2011 Was the Hardest Year to Get into College—Ever
“We already know this will be the hardest year in history for college seniors,” says Hernandez. She cites more kids applying, while most schools aren’t increasing their class size. It’s an unforgiving formula. “A few years ago, kids were applying to four or five schools,” says Greg Roberts, dean of admission at the University of Virginia. “But now it’s not uncommon to apply to 10 or 12 or in the extreme even 20 or 30.”
A number of trends are at play this year to make things extra difficult for applicants. Harvard, Princeton, and the University of Virginia got rid of their early-admission programs in 2006. In the meantime, college applications at selective schools have risen dramatically, reaching a pinnacle this year, as top-notch seniors started applying in droves to non-binding early-admission programs like Yale, Stanford, MIT, and the University of Chicago. In order to save themselves for a stab at Harvard or Princeton, many students decided to forgo the binding early-decision programs at the other Ivies, making the admissions process less efficient. Next year should be much calmer, as the number of high school seniors in certain parts of the country is dwindling and Harvard, Princeton, and University of Virginia will reinstate early-admission programs—getting the brainiacs out of the regular admissions pool. “The kids who want to apply to Harvard and Princeton will apply early-action,” says Hernandez. “That alone will change things.”
2) College Applicants Are More Interested in Southern Schools
Independent college counselors are noticing that more and more students are talking about heading south for the winter. “I have heard anecdotally from students and parents that they are starting to pay attention to what Tulane looks like in February compared to Dartmouth,” says Sally Rubenstone, a senior adviser at College Confidential. “They might not want to go where they have to scrape snow off their windshields.”
Vanderbilt, William & Mary, Emory, and Wake Forest, among other schools, are garnering more attention than usual for their pleasant climates. “Kids want sun and are looking for better weather,” says David Montesano, an admissions strategist with College Match Inc., a college consulting service. “Stanford and USC are among the most popular schools in the country for my kids.” Then there’s Occidental College, which is benefitting from the Obama bump—the president went there for two years before transferring to Columbia.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Calling all Seniors!!
College Counseling Summer Workshop: August 16th
Severn's college counselors will run two half-day workshops for members of the Class of 2012 on Tuesday, August 16, 2011. Please let us know if you plan to join us by answering this quick survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/V8KXYKT
There will be two identical sessions, one in the morning from 10 a.m. until 12 noon, and another from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. We will provide juice and donuts in the morning and pizza for all for lunch from 12 noon to 1 p.m. Seniors can choose which session to attend according to what best fits their schedule, especially athletes who may have a morning or afternoon practice.
These sessions are not mandatory, but they are highly recommended. We intend to lay the groundwork for the policies and procedures students will need to follow to assure that the application process throughout the fall runs as smoothly as possible. There will be activities involving Family Connection and the Common Application, and there will be plenty of time for questions. Please come prepared to take notes!
Additionally, we have invited a guest speaker, Darryl Jones, the senior associate director of admissions at Gettysburg College, to provide advice and exercises regarding the college admission essay. He will be present at both sessions.
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