Cherise Ogle - NextStepU.com

Transcription

LINK
Spring 2014
Helping counselors
prepare students
for life after high
school
M
A
G
A
Z
I
N
E
Cherise
Ogle
Her advice to get
students excited about
college planning
INSIDE:
Why students should
start networking now
Making the most of a
campus tour
Is web coding the
new learning
essential?
Dealing with a bully
problem
Encouraging parental
involvement
Brought to you by
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SPRING 2014 CONTENTS
69
FEATURED
COUNSELOR
Getting students
motivated for
college
Cherise Ogle of Atlanta, Ga. talks
about what she does to make college planning a fun and exciting
experience for her students.
CAREER PLANNING
22 Now is the time to
start networking
Encourage students to get
a leg up on networking for
their future careers
12 Improve your high school’s
career program
Five tips to give students the
tools they need to prepare for
a career
15 Are your students stuck in
a career comfort zone?
Helping teens explore all of
their career options can be
difficult, but it’s a necessary
task
6
18 How to plan a school
career day
10 ways to introduce students
to the jobs available in their
community
COLLEGE TOURS
38 Making the most of your
time on a campus tour
Seven tips to share with
your students who are
visiting colleges this
summer
27 You don’t know
until you go
The importance of the
counselor campus visit
LINK Magazine | Next Step Education Group
IN EACH ISSUE
8, 10 Dear counselors
71 Featured counselors
77 College profiles
90 College Night
Handouts
93 Ad Index
DEPARTMENTS
13, 23 Career
31, 39 Touring
48 Academics
56 Your view
64 Success
65 Development
75 From the other side of
the desk
Enter to win a Skooba Design mini
laptop case. Visit NextStepU.com/
Counselor for more details.
30 When the colleges come
to you
How to make the most
of college admissions
representative visits
32 How to prepare families
for college tours
What to encourage parents
and students to look for when
going on college tours
35 What is the best college
visit for your students?
We break down three of the
most common college visit
opportunities and why they’re
beneficial to your students
ACADEMIC
ADVISEMENT
47 Reading writing,
arithmetic...and coding?
Web literacy may be the
new essential to education
WIN
IT!
COUNSELOR
DEVELOPMENT
STUDENT SUCCESS
54 Battling bullies
One counselor’s story
about her school’s bullying
problem and the solution
they implemented
58 The “No Excuses”
philosophy
Lessons, challenges and
success strategies for
motivating students
68 How to encourage
parental involvement
Students and parents
need guidance and
counselors are the first
line of support
66 How to inspire students
63 Time management tips for
college students
10 tips for your students to
succeed their first year of
college
92 Staying organized
Does your office need a
refresher?
Nominate a counselor
Do you know a counselor who deserves to be
recognized? Are you a counselor we should feature?
Nominate a counselor to
be featured in an upcoming issue of LINK
Magazine! Download the
application at NextStepU.
com/FeaturedCounselor
and email submissions to
[email protected].
43 Is yours an AP school?
Becoming an AP can offer
benefits to your students and
faculty
49 Creative ways to
overcome writer’s block
Tips to give your students
who are struggling to start
their essays
Follow NextStepU on social media!
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Spring 2014 | nextstepu.com/counselor
7
dear counselors
Spring 2014 | Volume 1 issue 2
Founder/CEO:
David Mammano | [email protected]
Welcome to our second issue of LINK
Magazine, the resource to help you be the best
counselor you can be!
Marketing and brand director:
Diana Fisher | [email protected]
Counselor concierge:
Lisa Mietelski | [email protected]
Editorial and production coordinator:
Laura Sestito | [email protected]
Finance and HR manager:
Renee Bates | [email protected]
Digital strategies director:
Ethan Hackett | [email protected]
Administrative assistant:
Annemarie Maurer | [email protected]
Lead developer NextStepU:
Bill Wood | [email protected]
Lead developer Next Step Academy:
Kristin Harranty | [email protected]
Advertising sales:
Theresa Santa | [email protected]
Jason Bullock | [email protected]
Ed Vorbach | [email protected]
Editorial assistant:
Rachel Montpelier | [email protected]
Editorial: Elise Ackerman, Darrel “Coach D”
Andrews, Mary Barrett, Lou Ann Benigni-Lynch,
Jill Bernaciak, Enid Arbelo Bryant, Anne Chaconas,
Penny Ciaburri, Katherine L. Cohen, Jasmine Evans,
Karyn Gordon, Nicole Graham Martinez, Ian Mortimer, Sarah Nagel, Kelli O’Connor, Tyler Peterson,
Julia Quinn-Szcesuil, Lynda Robinson, Sarah Rowe,
Suchi Rudra, Carrie Schmeck, Amy Slivinski, Brian
K. Smith, Debbie Swanson, Joan Timmings, Ernst
VanBergeijk, Rebecca VanderMeulen, Joe Villmow,
Paul T.P. Wong, Karen Wright.
Cover photography: Photo provided by Cherise Ogle
Location: Westlake High School, Atlanta, Georgia
For questions, comments or advertising information, please contact us at 585-742-1260, info@
NextStepU.com or through NextStepU.com.
Next Step Education Group is a proud member of
the National Association for College Admission
Counseling.
For advertising information call 1-800-771-3117
or email us at [email protected]. Some
inside photos from iStock.com. ©Copyright
2014 by Next Step Education Group. All rights
reserved. Material in this publication may not
be reproduced in any form without permission.
Copying, reproduction or transmittal of this
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do your own research. Good luck!
8
We received so much incredible feedback from
counselors all over the country! It definitely
validated our idea to continue to bring this resource to you.
We are proud to distribute LINK Magazine in over 25,000 high
schools.
In this issue, we feature articles like, “Improve your high
school’s career program,” “Reading, writing, arithmetic…and
coding?” and “Time management tips for college students.”
These and so many more articles can really help bring your
game to the next level.
And remember, you can get involved. We are always looking for
counselors to offer feedback, write for LINK and much more. If
you are interested, please contact me at [email protected].
Also, please don’t forget to check out our counselor page
on NextStepU.com/Counselor, written just for you! You’ll
have access to more resources, plus a digital edition of LINK
Magazine too.
And while you’re online, please check out my blog at
DavidMammano.com. It’s called “Your Next Step Guy” and I
aspire to inspire others to take their next, best step. It’s for you
and your students! If you like it, please consider hiring me as a
motivational speaker for your next event! (See more about this
opportunity on page 65.)
Enjoy this issue of LINK Magazine and thanks for all that you
do to make the world a better place!
All my best,
David Mammano
Founder/CEO
Next Step Education Group
NSU: Share This!
Look for this symbol
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for content you can
share directly with your
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dear counselors
We are thrilled
that our first
issue of LINK
Magazine was
a huge success!
We had so many of you reach out
to let us know that you enjoyed
our Fall 2013 issue. Thank you
for the feedback and keep it coming! Please let us know of any
topics you would like to see covered in the Fall 2014 issue or if
you would like to write for us!
In this issue, we have articles
on career planning, helping students be successful in college,
battling bullies and encouraging parental involvement. Also,
you may enjoy reading about
our featured counselors on page
71. If you know any counselors
that are deserving of this nomination go to NextStepU.com/
FeaturedCounselor and download the form. We would love to
highlight them in the next issue
of LINK Magazine.
Planning a college or career
night? We have College Night
Handouts you can download
from our site that cover a variety
of topics including applying to
college, studying abroad, paying
for college, getting scholarships
and many more! The best part?
They’re free! Go to NextStepU.
com/Counselor to see them all.
You can check us out on
social; visit our Facebook page
(Facebook.com/NextStepU.com),
follow us on Twitter (Twitter.
com/NextStepU) and Instragram
(Instragram.com/NextStepU) or
even scroll through our boards
on Pinterest (Pinterest.com/
NextStepU) We are always sharing content that either you or
your students will enjoy and use.
If you know any counselors in
your school that are not receiving
LINK Magazine and would like
to, please email me at Lisa@
NextStepU.com.
All my best,
Lisa Mietelski
Counselor Concierge
[email protected]
(800) 771-3117 ext. 14
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for her will lead her to better choices. She’ll look
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Next Step Education Group | www.NextStepU.com | Tel: 800.771.3117
CAREER PLANNING
Improve your high
school’s career program
Five tips to give students the tools they need to prepare for a career
By Amy Slivinski
When was the last time you checked your high
school’s career development programs against the
National Standards for School Counseling? Are you
satisfying all the standards for a solid career development program for your students?
In my work as a career consultant for high schools,
I’ve found that most schools’ career development
programs need improving. Many schools have the
basics in place, but career development programs
often need better flow, outreach and involvement
from more than just school counselors.
But how can counseling departments administer
comprehensive career development programs on
shoestring budgets and limited staff?
Following are five suggestions on how school counselors can accomplish their goals effectively and
efficiently.
1
Pilot the program changes
Focus on one standard at a time. I helped
Plymouth Whitemarsh High School in Plymouth
Meeting, Pa., redesign its career program.
Their first and most important goal was to find a
different assessment tool. They wanted an assessment that could be easily administered, would foster
discussions between parents and students and would
be inexpensive. We chose an assessment together,
and they administered it to ninth-grade students as
a pilot program.
They used the first year to introduce the students
to the new assessment. By piloting the assessment
and not making a huge initial investment, they can
evaluate the feedback efficiently.
12
2
Get the parents involved
When we surveyed 250 random students across
all grades at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School, we
found that parents were most influential in students’
lives — above friends, life experiences, TV and the
Internet.
However, according to the book “Unfocused Kids,”
parents are “afraid to give incorrect information or
advice, so they rely on school, on counselors, career
specialists and others to provide career guidance
information.”
In order to get parents involved, create a newsletter
about career development for parents. The newsletter could contain up-to-date information about how
parents can help their students and the resources
available for families. When we asked the students at
Plymouth Whitemarsh High School about sending a
career development newsletter to their parents, the
students responded that their parents would most
likely read it.
3
Create an effective website aimed at
parents and teachers
When I reviewed the website at Plymouth
Whitemarsh High School, I found that there was
a lot of really good information. However, many
students were unaware that the site existed and
the information was presented in a confusing and
difficult-to-sift-through way.
To improve a website, the first thing that schools
need to do is organize the site so relevant information can be found.
There should also be a section on the site for parents.
This section could have tips for parents to help their
CAREER PLANNING
children in the career search. The
parent section could also contain
information about upcoming
career counseling sessions. (For
free College Night Handouts for
your site, visit NextStepU.com/
Counselor).
Next, there should be a section
for teachers with educational
resources, career development
activities and professional
development links. Counselors
can’t administer a comprehensive
career program by themselves;
they need teachers to incorporate
career development within their
curriculum.
In addition, the school’s website
should have a section that allows
users to submit questions to
the counseling office or career
specialist.
When researching technology
use, we asked students if they
would like to chat through an instant message service to a career
specialist or school counselor. In
general, they responded that they
would only consider doing that if
they knew the person they were
speaking to personally.
4
Allow the students
to administer part of
the career development
program
Many high schools run programs
about college admission and
financial aid for students and parents. However, the attendance at
these events can be disappointing.
But students do participate in
after-school activities. The members of a career club could determine the programs that would
be most interesting to students.
The career club could also hold
a career fair. If the club is run by
students, that would relieve counselors of doing all the work by
themselves. And other students
might be more likely to attend if it
is viewed as being student-run.
5
Involve the community
School counselors should
turn to the community to find
additional expertise. They could
also ask career counselors to run
workshops at the school. Or, find
out if students’ parents or neighbors are specialists in resumé
writing or interviewing, and ask
those people to speak to classes.
School counselors can also
hire career specialists to run
workshops for themselves and
teachers. A workshop for school
counselors could refresh counselors on career development
activities, new developments in
the workplace and how to incorporate career development into
the curriculum.
Amy Slivinski, MSHR, is a field
recruiter for Knowledge Universe,
an organization committed to
giving students access to quality
education.
career
The National Standards
for School Counseling
outline the nine objectives that high schools
should meet upon implementing their career
development programs.
Those objectives are:
u Assist students in
learning to identify
their skills, abilities,
interests, strengths and
weaknesses through
various exercises.
u Establish a
connection of doing
well in school and
career success.
u Establish relationships with businesses
and various industries.
u Administer current
assessments that are
age-appropriate.
u Create job shadowing and other networking opportunities for
the students.
u Teach students how to
use job-related resources.
u Initiate ongoing
career development
plans for students.
u Involve parents in
the career development
process.
u Involve the teachers and incorporate
counselor-led staff
development.
13
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CAREER PLANNING
Are your students stuck
in a career comfort zone?
Helping teens explore all of their career options can be difficult,
but it’s a necessary task
By Debbie Swanson
Lisa Lovell, a quiet junior from
Springfield, Mass., always enjoyed
academics. In sixth grade, she
decided she wanted to become a
teacher. Although Lisa went on to
excel in math and had a knack for
figuring out problems, she stuck
to her original plan and enrolled
in education. She didn’t know
what else she could do.
It can be hard to expose students
to new career choices. Many
students have no idea what
interests them, while others, like
Lovell, hesitate to step out of their
comfort zone.
Here are some tips for encouraging students to consider all their
options when contemplating
careers.
Start early
Don’t wait until junior year to
begin talking to students about
careers. “Students are more excited and interested in the careerseeking process when they have
been preparing for it their entire
high school careers,” says Brooke
Malik, Affinities Coordinator at
the Purnell School in Pottersville,
N.J. “If they are given opportunity
over many years to determine
what they love, the task is far less
daunting.”
Don’t overemphasize
the result
Many students have no idea what
career path they want to take, a
fact that causes them stress or
even ambivalence. So take the
focus off the actual career, and
instead look at their skills and
talents.
“At this point, they don’t even
know all the jobs that exist,” says
Joyce Lynn, college and career advisor at Capuchino High School
in San Bruno, Calif. “Instead of
focusing on becoming an X, I
tell them to focus on developing
a solid set of skills that will keep
them employable.”
Help your students appreciate
skills that employers seek, then
take an inventory of their own
skills. Encourage them to further
develop these skills, which may
expose them to new career
options.
Use the knowledge at hand
Exploring the careers of parents
and teachers is an easy way to
expose students to career possibilities.
Tanya Attebery, a counselor at
Virtual High School in Las Vegas,
embraces “Take our daughters
and sons to work day.”
“Students interviewed their
parents about their career and
its degree requirements and had
cameras follow them around,”
says Attebery. “Our seniors really
got into the project. I uploaded
the video clips and other students
viewed them online.”
Ask teachers and staff at your
school to share their career histories, and spotlight the responses
on a website or bulletin board.
Students love to learn that their
history teacher spent his first
years out of college working in
a museum, or that the principal
initially worked as a TV reporter!
Encourage exploration of
their own experiences
Students have limited work
experience, but that doesn’t mean
they can’t learn from it. Talk with
students about what jobs they
have held, and what they liked or
disliked about them.
Uncovering patterns may help
them identify desirable and undesirable job traits.
Have fun
Lighten things up by holding
contests or offering giveaways.
15
CAREER PLANNING
For example, challenge students to find out about a
career in a little-known field, such as astronomy or
calligraphy. Ask them to research and summarize
salaries, job markets and institutes of study. Hold a
raffle with all entries received, then post the entries
where other students can view them.
Discover your path
Trivia contests can also be a quick way to get kids
thinking. Hold a weekly trivia question: What major
would someone study if they wanted to [fill in the
blank]? Offer a perk to the winners.
Don’t ignore traditional research ways
Numerous online assessments, websites and career
spotlights can help students hone in on their skills
and specialties.
Make a tip sheet for students that lists favorite
books, publications and websites that lead to further
information.
Debbie Swanson is a freelance writer who has
published more than 100 articles in national and
regional magazines.
16
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CAREER PLANNING
How to plan a
school career day
10 ways to introduce students to the jobs
available in their community
By Karen Wright
The goal of career day is to introduce students to careers by bringing community members into the school
to discuss their jobs. Career day may encompass the entire student body or just seniors. Here are some tips
for planning yours.
1
Develop a master
schedule for the event.
2
Determine how many students will attend. Career day is best
assigned to half of a typical school day. Mornings are most
convenient for guest speakers to be excused from work.
3
Invite guest speakers at least three months in advance and
provide a formal invitation explaining and highlighting the
event. Try to keep careers interesting and represent a variety. Send,
call or email reminders to speakers two weeks prior to the event.
4
Implement a training
session for all staff so
that all are available to assist
and support the event.
7
8
5
Enlist a career day planning team to organize
and carry out major tasks.
6
Organize a welcome
session as a prelude to
the event. An administrator
should greet speakers and
provide a short thank-you
speech. Light refreshments
may be provided. Students
will escort speakers to
classrooms.
Visit classrooms to present the event to students. Provide students with a menu of speakers and the
schedule. Students must understand the concept of the day and choose presentations carefully.
Advertise the event to
the students as well as to
the community. Offer incentives for students to attend.
Use the newspaper’s free
community announcement
section.
9
Assign teachers to classrooms to monitor student behavior,
serve as liaisons for speakers and collect event evaluations
from speakers and students.
10
Recruit a group of student volunteers to guide and escort
speakers as they enter and exit campus. Student volunteers should wear school logos to be easily recognized.
Karen Wright is a former school counselor at Citrus Hill High School in Perris, Calif.
18
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CAREER PLANNING
Now is the time to
start networking
Encourage students to get a leg up on
networking for their future careers
By Joe Villmow
I would not have succeeded in school or my professional life without networking. It isn’t something
only business people do when looking for a job.
Everyone should network, all the time, even your
students. And the sooner they start the better.
Networking will push your students outside of their
comfort zones. I know I was uncomfortable at first,
but over time, it got easier. There are still times I’m
uncomfortable, but I’ve learned to force myself. I’m
always learning better ways to network.
My grandmother pounded into my head, “It’s
not what you know. It’s who you know.” I believe
that’s mostly true. Your students may have the best
grades and leadership skills, or excel at sports, but if
nobody knows it, what good will it do them? Their
accomplishments are only part of the equation. Who
they know and how they present themselves are just
as important.
Where to network
There are basically two types of networking: groups
and one-on-one.
For now, networking is about your students introducing themselves and making connections with
people from whom they can learn or possibly gain
assistance. Networking can help them get into the
college of their choice, learn about various careers
and build valuable personal and professional skills
they’ll use throughout their lives.
It can be awkward for everyone
Your students will probably feel a little bit awkward
as they start building their networking skills. I did.
It’s natural.
I met a professional I respected while in college, who
later became my mentor. I asked him to introduce
me to everyone he knew. He took me to meetings
and events, and although it’s what I wanted, these
were new, uncomfortable settings for me. He kept
encouraging me, “Keep coming and, eventually,
they’ll get to know you. And always bring your business cards, you never know who you’re going
to meet.”
22
A good place for students to start is in settings with
people they’re already acquainted: sports groups;
fundraising events; church, synagogue or mosque
functions; or any other place they would already
be. Their goal should be to practice walking up to
someone they don’t know, introduce themselves and
start a conversation.
If your students already know someone who attends
professional networking groups, they may want to
ask if they can tag along sometime. Have students
ask this person to introduce them to a few people,
then encourage them to strike out on their own and
start introducing themselves to others.
CAREER PLANNING
One-on-one networking
One-on-one meetings are generally with someone specific that
your students want to meet. It
could be someone who graduated from the college they want to
attend, is in a career they’d like to
consider or someone they respect
and simply want to meet.
First, students should find out if
they already know someone who
can introduce them. Encourage
them to ask around. Maybe a
student has a friend who knows
someone who graduated from the
school that he or she is interested
in attending. Students will never
know until they ask.
They also shouldn’t be afraid to
pick up the phone and call the
person they want to meet with
or send him or her an email.
Most people will be willing to
give students an hour of their
time. Before they meet with their
potential mentor, have students
write down the questions they’d
like to ask and tell them to have
paper and pen ready to take
notes. I suggest they meet at the
potential mentor’s office.
Start now
Encourage students to find their
motivation and get themselves
out there. It gets easier with
practice and they’ll meet some incredible people, who may be able
to give them a bit of advice or a
helping hand. They’ll be amazed
to find out they have more in
common with these professionals
than they originally thought.
Joe Villmow is a business owner
and founder of EmpowerMe Foundation (EmpowerMeFoundation.
org), in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
career
8 tips to keep in mind
when networking
Share this!
u Write down a list of questions. It’s easier if you have a
few questions in mind when
you’re meeting someone for
the first time. For example:
Where do you work? What’s
your typical work day? How
did college prepare you for
your career? Would you have
done anything differently?
Do you have any advice for
me if I wanted to get into a
similar profession?
u Go with a friend. Find a
friend to go with you who
also wants to build his or her
networking skills. Mutual
support is comforting, but
don’t just hang out together
in a corner. Get out there!
u Set a goal. Start with a
goal of meeting two people
at an event, the next time
three, and keep adding.
u Ask for an introduction.
After you meet someone, ask
if there’s anyone else they
think you should meet,
either within the group or
for a one-on-one meeting.
u Give them your business
card. You’ll make an impactful impression.
u Keep your business card
simple and professional.
Nothing cute. Include your
name, phone number and
email address. Don’t include
your Facebook account.
That’s social, not professional. Search for printing
companies online that offer
deals, like printing your first
order of business cards for
free. Or, buy card stock so
that you can print your cards
at home yourself.
u Get their business cards.
Make sure you ask for their
business cards so you have
their contact information.
u Always, always, always
follow up. It’s the little things
you do that are going to
make a huge difference. It’s
your responsibility to follow
up with the people you meet.
It will really set you apart.
Many professionals don’t
even do this. Send them an
email, call them, or, to really
stand out, send them a thank
you note. Thank them for
taking the time to meet with
you, and mention what you
talked about and what you
learned from them.
— Joe Villmow
23
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Visit Today!
Campus Tours
Weekdays, 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.
Info Sessions
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26
COLLEGE TOURS
You don’t know
until you go
The importance of the counselor campus visit
By Elise Ackerman
One of the most valuable contributions college
counselors can make is to help their students
develop a good list of potential schools.
To help develop that list, firsthand knowledge of
college campuses is an integral component.
Those of us on the high school side of the desk know
that as much as you read about a college, talk to
your local representative or visit the school website, nothing gives you a true feel for a college like
a campus visit. Why else should counselors go on
campus tours?
u A shaky economy means fewer
student visits
Many students are cutting back on their college visits. We are seeing families who may have visited 10
schools in the past who are only visiting about four
or five now. Many students are opting to wait until
they are admitted before making a visit.
The college tours we run for our students have seen
a decline in enrollment and, in some cases, have
been cancelled. With fewer students setting foot on
campus, counselor visits become even more vital.
u You can share the info you get
in a presentation
Counselors can connect students to a school by
sharing pictures, stories and notes. Sharing this
information is an integral component of our mission
to focus students on finding good college matches.
In our office, we maintain a binder full of information on college visits we have made. When we travel
to a school, each counselor completes a common
form, which we created to obtain similar information on each school. In addition, we type up detailed
notes and share these by posting them in Naviance.
Upon returning from a weeklong trip to California
last year, a colleague and I prepared a presentation for students after school. Fifteen students and
parents attended and viewed our slideshow, heard
our presentation and had their questions answered.
These families were thrilled that we were able to
bring California schools to them. For many of them,
as a visit across the country was not financially
possible.
u Tours give you fodder for newsletters
and more
Through our newsletter, we share information about
college tours we have taken. We have even started posting our pictures and visit summaries on Facebook.
Through our morning announcements, we have
been able to share video clips of our visits. A colleague at a smaller independent school is able to
speak to the entire student body through the morning assembly, where she can also share her college
visit experiences and photos.
u It fulfills your duty as a counselor
As counselors, we are responsible for making sure
that the information we gain on these visits does
not sit only in our heads, but rather that it is shared
with our entire community. Colleges can assist us in
this process by making sure that our questions are
answered and by providing useful materials for us to
bring back to our schools.
27
COLLEGE TOURS
Making the most of your visit
You’ve got to ask the right questions at a campus
visit to make the trip worthwhile for your students.
But what should you ask?
The National Survey of Student Engagement has
created a good guide of questions, “A Pocket Guide
to Choosing a College: Are You Asking the Right
Questions.”
This guide was created as part of an ongoing public
awareness campaign to refocus the national conversation about what constitutes quality in the college
experience. The guide lists a number of questions
that research over the last 30 years has shown to be
positively related to high levels of student learning
and development during college.
It is intended to get prospective college students
and their parents to start thinking more about these
types of questions during the college decisionmaking process.
when they visit campuses. In addition, colleges can
use this guide when planning a counselor program
to help ensure they are providing opportunities for
counselors to gain the valuable information they
need to help students make good college matches.
Elise Ackerman earned her bachelor’s at Brandeis
University and her master’s at the Harvard Graduate
School of Education. She is a former counselor at the
American Heritage School and current principal at
Heritage Upper School in Plantation, Fla.
Want more tips on college tours for your
students? Visit NextStepU.com/Tours for
articles on:
u Questions to ask on a campus tour
u Summer tour tricks
u The best time to visit colleges
...and much more!
It also serves as an excellent resource for counselors
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COLLEGE TOURS
When the colleges
come to you
How to make the most of college admissions
representative visits
By Rebecca VanderMeulen
Counselors from college admissions offices are the
key link between your students’ days in high school
and the days after graduation. Building good relationships with them makes life easier for you and
supports your students.
Small gestures go a long way with admissions
officers who often travel in rental cars for days at a
time, meeting students and counselors from high
schools in your area. Counselors on both sides of
the desk gave LINK tips on what admissions officers
wish you knew before arranging their visits to your
school or planning your annual college fair.
Admissions counselor visits
u Don’t ask admissions officers to stand in your
cafeteria during students’ lunch periods. Some officers have said they don’t prefer these lunch visits.
“They’re never productive,” says Eric Nichols, director of admission at Saint Anselm College, who
recruits in the Midwest for three weeks each year.
“I’ve seen food fights. I’ve seen a lot of things. What
I haven’t seen is productive conversation.”
If there’s no way to avoid these cafeteria appointments, tell admissions officers in advance.
Otherwise they might not bring their table banners
to your school, further reducing their visibility in
your school.
u If you have to schedule a lunch visit, give the
college a table in a high-traffic area outside the
cafeteria. Chris Coale, assistant director of admissions at Lycoming College, says a Catholic school in
Maryland sets her up at lunch in the school’s main
thoroughfare. Students often stop to chat. “You are
right at Broadway and 42nd Street,” Coale says. “The
30
students can’t help but see you.” She never misses a
lunchtime visit to that school.
u Make sure a school counselor talks to each
admissions officer who visits, even if it’s for 10
minutes. Nichols explains that colleges like to know
if AP Calculus was cut this year or if your office is
measuring GPAs differently. This knowledge means
the colleges can judge your students’ applications
more fairly. “We don’t want to do anything to disadvantage the students,” he says.
u If your school uses Naviance college-planning
software, require students to use it to set up
appointments with admissions counselors who
visit your school. Jeremy Goldman, head of the
counseling department at Pikesville High School in
suburban Baltimore, says fewer students miss their
appointments since this tool was implemented.
u Arrange for a school counselor to sit in on students’ appointments with admissions representatives. Coale meets a lot of students who don’t know
COLLEGE TOURS
what to ask her if there’s not a
knowledgeable adult nearby. You
can prompt teens to ask about a
college’s four-year graduation rate
or the size of the endowment.
College fairs
u Try not to schedule your fair
for a weekend.
u Provide colleges with a list of
all the institutions at your fair.
u Give every college representative a water bottle or two. They
talk a lot!
u Even better, give them a meal.
Pikesville got catering from a
local deli for about 40 college
representatives who came to a fair
that Jeremy Goldman, presidentelect of the Maryland School
Counselor Association, organized
in 2013. “It only cost about $60,”
says Goldman.
u Take a cue from Goldman and
ask your custodians to set up
rectangular tables — not round
ones. Circular tables are among
admissions counselors’ biggest
complaints since their table banners are usually designed for
tables with corners. Even worse,
says Nichols of Saint Anselm, is
sharing a round table with another college representative.
u Map the tables alphabetically
by college so students can easily
find schools. Ideally, set up rectangular tables, about 12 feet long,
surrounded in all directions by at
least six feet of space. This gives
college representatives enough
space to store extra brochures
and students enough room to fill
out inquiry cards comfortably.
u Walk around. Stop and talk
with the counselor from that
college you don’t know about.
“We all have the same goal, in
that we’re trying to find the perfect school for that child,” says
Coale of Lycoming. “Don’t walk
past a school you’ve never heard
of. I could be from that perfect
school.”
In general
u Before admissions officers
visit, give them directions to
your school. Warn them if GPSenabled directions need more
explanation. Tell them where to
park.
u Offer college representatives
something to eat. Even a bottle of
water and a granola bar helps.
u Ask admissions representatives
if they need directions to their
next destination.
u Do you think an admissions
office should know more about a
student than the application says?
Then don’t be afraid to pick up
the phone. Nichols says admissions officers always like to hear
more context about their
applicants.
Most importantly, treat those on
the other side of the desk like
members of your team. You’re
both there to guide students
toward successful futures.
Touring
Think your students
need remedial classes
or extra tutoring in
college?
Here are some questions to ask on campus
visits or when admissions representatives
vistit your school:
u What are the criteria
for admission?
u What are the core
requirements for
graduation?
u What academic
support services are
available? How many
students use them? Is
there a limit to how
often you can go to a
tutor?
u What’s the staff-tostudent ratio in the
learning support office?
Are the employees
part-time or full-time?
What are their qualifications?
Rebecca VanderMeulen has
a degree in journalism from
American University.
u How is the academic
success office connected with the rest of
campus?
Get our College Night Handout for
college tours at NextStepU.com/
Counselor.
u Can you talk to a
student who has the
same challenges you
do? What has the student’s experience been
like?
— Anne Chaconas
31
COLLEGE TOURS
How to prepare
families for
college tours
What to encourage parents and students
to look for when going on college tours
By Lou Ann Benigni-Lynch
Selecting a college is a big
decision — and it’s important
for students and their parents
to plan ahead before setting
up a tour. It’s never too early
to start visiting campuses, but
most families make it a priority
during the students’ junior year
in high school. As a high school
counselor, you play a key role
in the college search process.
Be sure to engage students in a
discussion about the schools they
may be thinking of attending
well in advance of their campus
visits. Many colleges and
universities offer a variety of visit
opportunities including personal
tours, information sessions and
open houses.
Before visiting a college, there are
many things parents and students
should consider such as academic
programs, student population,
facilities, faculty and staff,
location of the college, activities
offered on campus and in the
surrounding area and even the
campus food. “Visiting a campus
is a critical piece of the college
search and selection process,”
says Stacy A. Ledermann,
Director of Freshman Admissions
at St. John Fisher College in
Rochester, N.Y. “In setting up a
32
campus visit, students should be
prepared with a list of questions
for all the people they may wish
to meet including an admissions
representative, faculty from an
academic department or an
athletic coach.”
Do your homework first
In order to find the best college
or university to match a student’s
interest, families must do their
homework. Encourage them
to visit websites and read any
literature about schools a student
is interested in attending. They
should also consider visiting the
campuses more than once. As a
student gets closer to making a
decision about where to attend,
encourage families to revisit the
“top colleges” on the list, sit in
on a class, talk to a professor,
shadow a current student or
request an overnight visit.
“Actually being on a college
campus is the very best way
for students to decide if it is
where they want to spend
two to four years of their life,”
explains Ledermann. “Parents
and students should ask
questions about other student
experiences: How did they
choose the college, what are their
academic experiences and what
is the availability of experiential
learning opportunities?” And
don’t forget to ask about college
alumni: What are they doing
now and how did their collegiate
experiences, both in and outside
of the classroom, benefit them?
Ledermann adds, “By taking
notes and keeping track of
deadlines, families can stay
organized and feel confident
about the decisions they are
making.”
Make the most of your
time together
Touring colleges is an exciting
— and enlightening — time for
students and parents alike. But it
doesn’t need to be all work and
no play. “Families should have
fun and make the most of their
time together by grabbing a bite
to eat, picking up a trinket or
T-shirt from the college store or
taking pictures of themselves on
the campus,” states Ledermann.
“There are many opportunities
awaiting them — and students
and their parents should enjoy
every step of the college search
process!”
Lou Ann Benigni-Lynch, owner
of CopyLAB, is a freelance writer
based in Victor, N.Y.
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Want to know more?
Contact Assistant Director of Admissions/
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COLLEGE TOURS
What is the best college
visit for your students?
We break down three of the most common college visit
opportunities and why they’re beneficial to your students
By Nicole Graham Martinez
Admitted Student Day, Autumn
Preview Day, Honors College
Day, personal visits and overnight
visits — these are just some of
the many types of visit programs
colleges and universities are offering prospective students these
days. It can be overwhelming to
choose which type of campus visit
is best suited for your student and
his or her interests. While larger
schools may tend to offer more
open houses and visit programs,
smaller schools can accommodate more personal or individual
visits. Don’t be discouraged if a
school only offers three or four
open house visit days a year; ask
about the other types of visit options they offer. Here are the different options to help you figure
out which is the best one for your
student based on where he or she
is at in the college search process.
from his college visit, you might
want to look into a personal visit
to arrange this appointment.
An open house can last anywhere
from four to six hours. If your
student’s schedule is very busy
and they cannot seem to get away
and take a day off of school, I
would suggest exploring open
houses — many of them are on
Saturdays, Columbus Day, or
President’s Day. The open house
provides a great overview and
introduction to the university
for families. It allows students to
learn what their likes and dislikes
are, as well as help them create a
list of qualities they are looking
for in a college or university, and
which schools to apply to in the
future. I would recommend open
houses to anyone in high school,
but seniors should try to visit at
the beginning of the school year.
If you have a student who has a
long list of schools she is interested in, encourage her to start visiting college campuses earlier in
her high school career. It’s never
too early to start. Take advantage
of summer and Saturday open
houses. Many students are only
permitted so many college visit
days from schools.
u Open houses
The popular “open house” is like
a buffet of activities that you
choose from. It may include
campus tours, sessions about
areas of academic study with faculty, financial aid, study abroad,
special programs, the admission
process and university overview
and lunch. Not all schools are
able to have faculty at their open
houses, so if that is something
your student wants to accomplish
35
COLLEGE TOURS
u Personal/individual visit
The personal or individual visit is just what it
sounds like. If your student has narrowed down his
or her list of schools, this type of visit can really be
beneficial. If a student wants to observe a class, meet
with a professor or wants a smaller tour group, I
would suggest a personal visit. This allows families
to ask more questions without being surrounded by
hundreds of other people. Most schools prefer twoto-three weeks’ notice for a personal visit. They want
to ensure that you have a quality experience. Keep
in mind there will be some wait time involved since
students have to reach out and hear back from busy
professors about class and faculty appointments
but I promise it will be worth the wait. If a student
attended an open house visit first and then chooses
to come back to the school for a second trip for a
personal visit, it allows him or her to look a little
closer and really see if the school is the right fit.
u Overnight visit
Overnight visits are perfect for discovering the best
fit for a student. It allows high school students to
experience what it is like to be a Valpo Crusader or
UK Wildcat or Michigan State Spartan. The pro-
spective student stays overnight on campus in one
of the residence halls with a current student and has
the opportunity to see the social side of the college
experience, as well as get a college student’s perspective about what it is like to attend that school. This
is what I consider the make-or-break deal for a prospective student and his or her choice of whether or
not to enroll at that college. If a high school senior
is on the fence between two schools, find out if both
offer overnight visits, and if they do, schedule them.
I can almost guarantee it will help that student make
a final college decision.
Pretty, colorful brochures and flashy websites with
fun videos are great, but the college campus visit is
the best way to help a prospective student find his
or her college fit. Seeing, feeling and experiencing
a college campus provides a student with so much
more information and plays a vital role in a student’s
final college decision.
Nicole Graham Martinez, M.A.L.S., is Associate
Director of Undergraduate Admission at Valparaiso
University.
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COLLEGE TOURS
Making the most
of your time on a
college tour
Seven tips to share with your students who
are visiting colleges this summer
By Kelli O’Connor
According to U.S. News and World Report, school
counselors are a vital piece of the college-readiness
puzzle for high school students. As they progress
through high school and start looking at colleges,
the information you provide will assist them as they
prepare for the next step in their education. That
is why we have compiled some words of wisdom
from admissions offices across the country for you
to share with your students and parents as they prepare for the college visit.
1
Do your homework
It seems a bit simple, but not all students are
prepared once they reach campus. “Not having an
idea of what you are looking for wastes time,” says
Tayrn Hamill, part of the admissions team at Lynn
University. “The majority of students say they are
‘undecided’ but that is not always the case. They
have to take the time to ask themselves important
questions like what type of classroom do I learn best
in [large or small]? Do I want to go away to school?
What would be my dream job? All of these things
prepare them to find that perfect fit at a college or
university,” concludes Hamill.
2
Mark your calendars
Call to schedule tours early. Most colleges
prefer to provide personalized visits to potential students rather than the large group tours. Advanced
knowledge of the students’ visit, potential majors
they are considering and any extracurricular activities they would be interested in will aid the colleges
in putting forth the most useful material, tours, students to talk to and faculty to meet. Also, encourage students to schedule a visit while the school is
in session — many parents and students head out
38
to visit campuses during school breaks when their
high school is out of session.
3
Schedule a meeting — when you
are ready
“If a student has decided on a major, I would recommend asking to meet with an advisor within that
program,” commented Ashley Witt, a recruiter at
Southeast Community College. Witt, however, also
believes “if a student is considering two or three
majors, I would wait to visit with faculty.”
4
Ask questions
Witt says, “students should ask about campus
activities, residence life and services available on
campus. Tutoring, career advising, accommodations, academic advising and career services” are
all benefits provided by colleges. Students should
have questions about the items that they will take
advantage of once they are enrolled. Also, encourage students to speak up. Hamill believes “students
should try to figure out what their deal breakers are
and ask questions based on those…students need to
ask the questions, not default to Mom and Dad.”
5
Talk finances
College is a major expense, and exploring
every avenue available to assist with that expense
is no small task. “Students should ask about any
renewable scholarship opportunities and institutional grants that are available from the school,”
noted Joe Campos, Director of Admissions at
Johnson & Wales University. “They must visit with
the financial aid or planning department during
their campus tour so that they are aware of the location, services and individuals who would be avail-
COLLEGE TOURS
able to assist [them],” concluded
Campos.
6
Be honest
Justin Roy, Vice President
of Marketing at William Peace
University believes the one question students should ask themselves is — “is this a place that
feels like home to me? No matter
what I say, or a student shows
someone, it’s all about that singular connection. If the answer
is yes, then keep engaged! If they
aren’t feeling it, let us admissions
counselors know. We’re here to
counsel, not sell.”
7
Put down the phone!
Witt remarked, “Students
should not be on their phones
while on tour. I cannot tell you
how many students come into
my office and sit at my desk and
fiddle with their phones. It is not
only distracting to me, but obviously they can’t listen and text at
the same time.”
Roy agrees and adds advice for
students: “Try not to stay glued to
your phone. The occasional stop
for a photo, or a tweet, or letting
your friends know what’s going
on... sure. But, never looking up
and making eye contact, or trying
to engage with your tour guide
(who’s probably a student)? It can
make us believe you’re not really
interested.”
In the end, students should find a
campus where they feel comfortable, where the faculty is encouraging, where the finances make
sense for their family, and where
they can see themselves for the
next four years.
Kelli O’Connor is a freelance
writer based in Rochester, N.Y.
Touring
Ask these questions
on a campus tour
Share this!
What are the most important questions to ask on a campus
tour? Here are some you should ask:
u Is there a core curriculum? How restrictive or
broad is it?
u Is study abroad
encouraged?
u What are the most
popular majors?
u How accessible are the faculty and staff? How well do
they get to know students?
u Is there guaranteed housing for freshmen? Where do
upperclassmen live?
u Are there laundry and
kitchen facilities?
u Do many students go
home on weekends, leaving
the campus deserted?
u If they stay on campus,
how do students spend their
leisure time?
u How accessible are the
athletic and recreational
facilities for non-intercollegiate athletics?
u What is the average
financial aid package for
the freshman year? For the
remaining school years?
u What is the placement
record for jobs and/or graduate school in my chosen
field?
u Are campus buildings
new? If not, are the older
buildings in good shape?
How well are the grounds
maintained?
u How appealing are the
residence facilities? Is there
an adequate number? Are
they well lit? Are there safety
features such as fire escapes,
limited entry, etc.?
u Is the main eating facility
inviting, clean and well managed? What are the hours
and food choices?
u Are there modern computer labs and equipment?
u Where is the campus
clinic located and is it well
staffed and equipped?
u Is public transportation
available and where is the
nearest airport and/or train
station located?
— Lou Ann Benigni-Lynch
39
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in applied technology education
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Events for counselors
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Tuesday, April 15
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bring 9th-12th graders to campus
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TOP 100 associate
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sessions for 12-14 year olds &
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Celebrating
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THE ACADEMICS
Quality academics are the main component
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you're sure to find your future at SFA.
THE FUN AND SOCIAL LIFE
But downtime should be an experience, as
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THE CAMPUS
Located on a beautiful 418-acre campus
with 29 academic buildings, SFA's newest
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Come live and learn in an environment that
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THE VISIT
Come see for yourself all SFA has to offer.
Visit the campus weekdays and take a tour!
Call the Office of Admissions at (936) 4682504 or email [email protected].
www.gosfa.com
ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT
Is yours an AP
school?
Becoming an AP school can offer benefits
to your students and faculty. It can also be
surprisingly easy to do.
By Lynda Robinson
The Advanced Placement (AP) program is a cooperative effort between secondary schools and colleges and universities. Run by the College Board, the
AP program now offers more than 30 courses across
multiple subject areas.
courses perform better than non-AP students who
have taken the introductory university courses.
AP courses allow students to complete universitylevel courses and meet university expectations while
still in high school. AP exams are created by committees of university professors and experienced AP
teachers. The exams cover material usually taught in
the first or second year of university.
How to become an AP school
It is not difficult for a school to offer AP courses
because:
The student benefits
AP courses offer motivated students the opportunity
to challenge and enrich themselves while earning
provincial credits. For students, the main advantages
are:
u Students get a head start on the type and level of
work they will encounter in college.
u AP students are more likely to take additional
college courses within the discipline of their AP
coursework.
u AP students stand out in the admissions process
because they have chosen to challenge themselves.
u Studies have shown that AP students are more
likely to maintain a high grade point average and
graduate from university with honors than their
university classmates of similar ability.
u AP students who receive university credit or
advanced placement into higher-level university
u Students enjoy the close relationship they develop
with their AP teachers, who play the role of coach.
u AP courses are very similar to courses already
offered; in most cases, the material is broader and
covered in greater depth.
u The program is flexible; a school can offer as few
as one or as many as 35 AP courses depending on
the interests of the students and faculty.
u AP can be offered in stand-alone or blended
classes, as independent study or as extra tutorials.
u AP provides teachers with a ready-made outline
for enrichment and gives external validation to the
school program.
u The program is not costly to run. Students pay
$89 per exam; $8 of this remains in the school for
administrative costs. The only cost to schools is staff
professional development.
AP teachers can attend three types of
training:
u A one-day workshop, which provides in-depth
analysis of the content and scoring of each section
of the exam as well as techniques for student
preparation.
43
ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT
u A week-long AP Summer
Institute run by experienced AP
teachers and graders.
u Pre-AP workshops help teachers develop a vertically aligned
curriculum that enriches students
in grades 6 through 11 and prepares them for AP-level work.
Becoming an AP school is not
difficult. A school must acquire a
secondary school code from the
College Board. The school must
appoint an AP coordinator who is
not an AP teacher; this person is
responsible for the ordering and
administering of the exams and
must assure exam security at all
times. Each fall, the AP coordinator must file a participation form
for that academic year.
Schools interested in initiating AP
programs can find more informa-
tion from AP Central (apcentral.
collegeboard.com).
The exams
Students take AP exams in the
first two weeks of May at the
student’s school.
The schedule is set by the College Board and published well in
advance. All AP exams, with the
exception of studio art, are approximately three hours in length.
Each contains a free-response
section and a section of multiple
choice. The modern language exams also have a speaking component; the AP music theory exam
includes a sight-singing task.
AP studio art students submit
portfolios.
Approximately 7,500 AP readers
are selected from colleges and
secondary schools worldwide to
grade the free-response sections
of the exams. The multiple-choice
answers are scored by computer.
The results from the two sections are combined to create the
student’s official AP exam grade,
which ranges from 1 (no recommendation) to 5 (extremely well
qualified).
Usually, grades of 3 or higher are
considered passing, but it is at the
discretion of each university to
set its own AP policy. Some may
offer credit, advanced placement,
or both for success on AP exams.
The policy for universities and
colleges in the U.S. can be found
at https://apscore.collegeboard.
org/creditandplacement/searchcredit-policies.
Lynda Robinson is the Associate
Director of AP Canada.
SU_NextStepAd_SEPT13_Color_Layout 1 9/10/13 10:21 AM Page 1
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To learn more, visit
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A Maryland University of National Distinction
44
CJ Pollock’s FLCC Story
Come for nearby skiing.
Stay for warm experiences.
“I chose FLCC because of its proximity to Bristol Ski Resort.
My favorite thing about my degree program is the community
of students and the little ‘family’ we have become. At FLCC,
I am involved or active in Nerf Club, Zombie Apocalypse Club,
and DJ/EDM Club. There is a lot to do, awesome people,
helpful instructors, and lots of smiles.”
45
where are the thinkers
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Changing the world requires revolutionary thinking that goes above and
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ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT
Reading, writing,
arithmetic...and coding?
Web literacy may be the new essential in education
By Carrie Schmeck
Reading, writing and arithmetic are considered cornerstones to a good education. Should web literacy
be added to the list?
athlete, so when I discovered programming, it was
like my creative outlet. A blank screen inspired me
to build something.”
Professionals and young adults are making the argument that web skills, specifically web coding, are
taking their place among must-have foundational
knowledge to build promising careers — and not
just careers, but life enrichment.
He admits that today’s languages are more complex
and require more effort to learn but feels strongly that
every student should at least have some exposure.
And if not for creativity, programming and coding
can be essential for building logical thinking. “It’s really atomic instruction,” he says, “breaking tasks into
the smallest bits you can describe.” That requires a
systematic thinking process that will help students in
any profession understand what might or might not
be possible to ask from an IT department.
Launching careers and innovations
Code.org, a non-profit foundation dedicated to
growing computer programming education, offers
a video where young professionals talk of how
programming helped launch careers as well as how
knowing how to code changes lives and touches
humanity by solving problems and making connections. As an example, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook
founder, took his love for web tinkering and connected the world.
The future of coding careers
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics project a 30
While Zuckerberg’s story is well-known and unusual
in its scope, Greg Baugues, director of client services
for Table XI, a Chicago-based web development
firm, says the pieces are there for anyone to build. In
fact, he refers to web coding as “digital legos,” a new
medium and form of expression with a low barrier
to entry and high degree of instant gratification.
Should it be taught in schools?
Bauges contends that schools should consider offering coding alongside music and art, as an alternative
creative expression. His own story began in grade
school when his parents gave him a rudimentary
cassette-driven computer. “When I learned I could
make a computer do something with just a few
super simple basic language commands, I was
hooked,” he says. “I was never an artist and not an
47
ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT
percent growth in jobs for software developers by
2020, a faster growth than for all other occupations.
Changes in mobile technology, healthcare and cybersecurity as well as a global demand for software
contribute to the positive outlook.
How can schools integrate these
programs?
Schools can introduce programming in a number
of ways, whether an after-school or extra-curricular
activity or mainstream course. The advantage of a
mainstream program is its accessibility to a wider
population of kids.
The ongoing evolution of coding languages presents
a challenge to incorporating a fixed programming
curriculum so choosing a fluid, cloud-based application for teaching might make the most sense.
Bagues recommends starting with simple but fun
programs such as Skitch, by Evernote. The program
allows users to annotate, mark up and share documents, photos and presentations. It is colorful, easy
to learn and offers endless applications for curious
kids.
Mozilla, a global community of users, contributors and developers and purveyors of popular web
products such as Firefox, offers a dynamic teaching
tool called Webmaker (webmaker.org/teach). Their
mission states, “You don’t need to be a wizard to
help others” so even schools without dedicated experts can offer ready-made lessons such as remixing
content, using multimedia on the web and the basics
of languages such as HTML and CSS.
In today’s fast-paced world, it might be time to think
of technology and web literacy as an essential tool
rather than a teaching outcome. Cory Eksteen, a
23-year-old budding artist agrees. The ability to navigate the online world is critical, she says. “Everyone
seems to need a website for something these days
and it would be nice to know how to do it. Coding
is like the home-economics for today’s generation, a
practical life skill deemed necessary for living in our
world.”
Carrie Schmeck is a special features and business
copywriter from northern California.
Academics
Are your students considering taking college courses while they’re in high school?
Here are a few questions you should have
them ask themselves before diving in:
Do you actually plan on going
to college?
Will
taking
college
classes in
high school
count toward
graduation?
Will taking
certain
collegelevel courses
in high
school save
you time,
money or
both?
Will you
earn credit
for both
your high
school
diploma and
your college
degree at
the same
time?
Is there
a college
major that
you’d like to
learn more
about?
Do you have the time and
energy you’ll need to succeed
in the course?
When in doubt, talk to other
high school students who are
taking college classes in high
school!
— From an article by Matt Krumrie.
Read more college planning tips at
NextStepU.com/CollegePlanning
48
ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT
Creative ways to
overcome writer’s block
Tips to give your students who are struggling to start their essays
a
You have a student sitting in front of you with a
writing assignment in hand. The deadline is approaching quickly, or maybe it’s already passed. One
thing is certain: the essay definitely needs to get
done. But the student cries, “I’m stuck!” Or maybe
she says, “I don’t know where to start.”
mind. “Even when the writer has nothing to say, he
or she should write, ‘I have nothing to say’ over and
over until an idea bubbles to the surface,” she says.
When her students keep freewriting in 20 minute
increments, “a student has a breakthrough and finds
just the perfect topic for the writing prompt.”
Writer’s block and the anxiety that comes with it can
be paralyzing for students. Fortunately, they have
you on their team and there are a variety of techniques you can use to pull them out of a writing rut.
Talk it out
Students who find writing very difficult may have
trouble freewriting. In this case, ask them to talk
about the topic. Wegner finds this approach works
well with students who have learning disabilities.
Know the prompt
A common source of writer’s block is confusion
about the prompt or assignment. Once a student
has a good grasp on what the prompt is actually
asking, he will have a better idea of where to begin.
Nancy Raftery, a faculty member in Camden County
College’s English Department, also suggests that
students re-write the prompt. This active engagement with the assignment can open up their minds
to ideas that wouldn’t have occurred from passive
reading.
Gretchen Wegner, an academic life coach in California, suggests that students actively read the prompt.
Encourage them to underline or highlight the big
ideas. You can also direct students to list in the
margins the concepts that the teacher or college is
asking them to cover.
But sometimes it isn’t enough to babble about the
assignment. “Oftentimes, kids get stuck because
they haven’t asked a complex enough question,”
says Wegner. Encourage your students to be a little
Socratic with themselves in conversation with you.
Push them to go beyond the factual questions of
who, what, and when to more analytical questions of
why and how. And then, they can make connections
outside of the text to their personal lives, current
events, and history. This process can give students
rich information to use in their essays.
Just write
Keep a timer in your office for moments when a student needs dedicated time to just start writing. Julie
Yankanich, chair of the English Department’s Writing Program at Camden County College in New Jersey, requires her students to free write. In class, they
have to spend 20 minutes writing whatever comes to
49
ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT
Do something else entirely
“Inspiration comes after moments of prolonged
focus,” says Wegner. She encourages her students to
focus for a period of time, maybe freewriting or doing research, and then get up and do something else.
An idea or argument for an essay is likely to come
when a student decides to go for a run or clean his
room. Breaks like this are not only healthy but also
necessary to overcome writer’s block.
Get up and move
Breaks don’t have to be long. If a paper is due soon,
stopping to take an hour long walk isn’t feasible for
students. Wegner created the MuseCube, a unique
tool to get students moving for short periods, just
for this purpose. The concept came out of her extensive background in theater improv and interplay.
The MuseCube is two dice: one tells students what
to do with their bodies and the other tells them
what to do with their voice. Some possible outcomes
from rolling the dice include: “stretch and groan” or
“dance and whoop.” The voice verbs are important
because “you’re more likely to have a moment when
you’re not thinking about [the writing assignment]
anymore,” says Wegner.
Ignore terminology
When you are helping students with essays, sometimes it’s best to ignore standard writing terminology. “The word ‘outline’ is a horrible verb,” Wegner
says. Some students feel restricted and stressed when
they hear the word outline. Many students respond
similarly when they hear the word “thesis.” They get
overwhelmed and start to shut down which can lead
to writer’s block. When working with students, don’t
be afraid to use different words. A thesis could be an
argument or simply “the point,” and an outline could
be the “springboard” for an essay.
Writer’s block can strike even experienced writers, so
it’s no surprise when students come to you with that
problem. With some concrete strategies in mind,
you can encourage them to think outside the box
and be comfortable. You may even be able to use
these tips for yourself!
Jasmine Evans is a freelance writer from the San
Francisco Bay Area with experience as a college
counselor and English teacher. She writes children’s
fiction and education articles for parents, students
and educators.
Receive a private college experience
at a public university price.
50
What makes Le moyne stand out?
First, it’s just the right
fit. Our students learn from dedicated faculty who
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the apparent. And with an average class size of 22, professors get to know them
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explore on a campus with dynamic new academic, athletic and social spaces
at a cost that is remarkably affordable. (More than 90 percent of undergrads
receive some form of financial aid.) That is one of the many reasons U.S. News
and World Report named the College to its Regional Universities North “Great
Schools at Great Prices” list in 2013. But what really makes Le Moyne stand out
is this: our students go on to become successful alumni. A total of 93 percent
of the members of the class of 2012 responding to a survey reported that they
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53
STUDENT SUCCESS
Battling bullies
One counselor’s experience with her
school’s bullying problem and the
solution they implemented
By Joan Timmings
When I started my position as
head of student services at a middle-class suburban high school,
the school was not known to
have any “real” problems — no
violence, no gangs, no heavy
discipline issues.
But the fact that this school is
relatively free of violence and
gang behavior does not, unfortunately, make it free of problems.
In my first few months there,
four students transferred to other
schools because they could no
longer tolerate the bullying they
endured.
Recognizing the bullying
problem
Our school board had no policy,
no informal agreement, no guidelines, no program — nothing to
help staff help the students. It
was very difficult to get others
to accept that we had a bullying
problem. In the meantime, bullying was dealt with in the same
way as any other kind of conflict:
the perpetrator was punished
with detention or suspension, and
that was it. Sometimes, even the
victim was punished for his role
in his own bullying!
This was not the way to handle
54
the problem. I agreed to participate in a conflict-resolution session to help with one particular
case of bullying. It became clear
to me, quite quickly, why conflict
resolution only exacerbates the
bullying situation: there is no
actual conflict to resolve.
The bullying victims (two, in this
instance) had no issue with the
bullies (there were four of them)
beyond the pain they were suffering. The distress was completely one-sided; the bullies were
contemptuous, not distressful.
What we had done, with our good
intentions, was give the bullies
another whack at the victims. The
bullies left the room triumphant
and the victims were left behind,
re-traumatized.
Accepting the blame
Finally, two of the vice principals recognized the pattern and
acknowledged that, as staff, we
were responsible for the problem.
Accepting the blame for the bullying problem in our own school
was our first step.
Despite the fact that there was
a sea of resources available —
workbooks, blackline masters,
videos, presentations, websites
and even some programs — most
of these were targeted at elementary students and seemed more
like band-aid solutions than
catalysts for real change.
Where to get started?
What we needed was a rich and
firm philosophical ground where
our work could take root and
grow. One day, we found it in
the book, “The Bully, the Bullied,
and the Bystander” by Barbara
Coloroso.
The philosophical firm ground
provided in Coloroso’s book
began with an understanding of
what bullying is: “A conscious,
willful and deliberate hostile
activity intended to harm, induce
fear through the threat of further
aggression and create terror.”
One of the most helpful parts
of Coloroso’s definition are the
“markers of bullying,” which have
helped us to distinguish bullying
from other forms of aggression.
They are:
u Imbalance of power
u Intent to harm
u Threat of further aggression
Whenever we question whether
STUDENT SUCCESS
we are looking at bullying or a
simple conflict, we look for these
markers and for the emotion
Coloroso claims to be central for
the bully: contempt.
Another part of Coloroso’s book
that we have adopted into our
philosophy is some of her advice
about how to deal with the bully.
She advises to help the bully learn
to empathize, to teach him or her
friendship skills and to give the
bully opportunities to do good.
Creating awareness
Once we established a firm
ground for ourselves, we could
move toward making a change in
our school. Our first step was to
create awareness and understanding among the teaching staff and
students. We wanted students to
recognize bullying as something
they had witnessed in their own
school so that they would take
greater ownership for the problem.
One of the drama teachers agreed
to use his senior class to create
a drama presentation from their
own bullying experiences. At the
end of the presentation, students
were encouraged to pledge their
personal commitment to take
specific actions toward eliminating bullying in our school. The
promise was printed on a large
banner with all of the signatures
and displayed in the cafeteria. A
follow-up exercise in classrooms
allowed students to reflect on
roles they might have played in
bullying and how they could
change their behavior to make a
difference.
Making an impact
Reactions to the presentation
were astounding. There were
spontaneous class discussions
about bullying for days. Stu-
dents revealed their own painful
experiences, and some confessed
openly, and with regret, their
participation in bullying. One
teacher reported that in his class,
one student approached another
and apologized for having tormented him in grade school. Staff
started to use the word “bullying”
to describe incidents they would
have called “fighting” in the past.
I believe we can attribute much
of our success to the fact that
the school counselors and vice
principals worked together. That
way, bullying problems could be
reported either to the counselors
or to a vice principal. It is very
clear to all involved that we are
working together to help the
students solve the problem.
Trying a different
approach to counseling
Counseling is central to the entire
process. Both the bully and the
victim receive counseling support. Victims are reassured that
they are believed and that they
are not at fault for the bullying. I
ask the bullies to take responsibility for their own behavior by
asking them, “How are you going
to fix the problem you have created?” It is amazing how powerful
these words can be. They lead to
real solutions, wholly owned by
the students.
Disciplinary measures taken with
bullies are determined on a caseby-case basis. Often, the bullies
can be counted on to help design
their own consequences. Parents
are involved by the vice principal
and are happy to hear that both
bully and victim will receive some
kind of counseling. Consequences
can range from restitution to suspension, but are imposed under a
very different light than previ-
ously. They are part of a healing
process for both sides.
Creating a welcoming
environment
The same promise that the students signed at our initial bullying presentation was transformed
into our school’s anti-bullying
policy and is included in our
student handbook. Following that
presentation, a few students started a group called DARE (Dignity
And Respect for Everyone). Team
DARE works on special projects
aimed at making our school
a more welcoming place for
everyone, including encouraging
random acts of kindness, starting
a “quote of the day” on school
announcements, running a “clean
up the caf ” campaign and designing a welcome brochure.
Our school still has a long way
to go. We have only just begun to
get all of the administrators and
school counselors in our school
on the same page so that we can
better share the vision and the
work. We must continue to help
our students learn how to stand
up to bullying by helping them
develop specific communication
and other skills to use in typical bullying situations. We must
continue to work on establishing
a welcoming school environment.
We have, by no means, fixed the
problem of bullying in our school,
but we are confident that we are
moving forward.
Joan Timmings was vice president
of Ontario School Counsellors’
Association in Canada and was
former head of student services at
a school in Ontario, Canada.
55
STUDENT SUCCESS
your view
Discover your path
How does bullying
effect you?
We polled eight counselors from around the country
about their thoughts on bullying and how it
affects both counselors and their students.
100%
of respondants said they
witnessed or heard about
bullying in their school.
Verbal &
Cyber bullying
was witnessed or heard
about by 100% of
respondants.
5/8 counselors
said that
cyber bullying was
the form they saw
or heard about most
frequently.
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One school’s policy: “Zero tolerance. A
warning at the first time, the second inschool suspension, third; suspension.”
7/8 counselors
said that
their bullying policy
was “mostly” or
“somewhat” effective.
One counselor said
theirs was “not really”
effective.
All respondants said
their school had a clear
bullying policy but half
of them were sometimes unsure what
to do or found “grey
areas.”
Q: “Does dealing with bullying and social situations take away from the planning time you get
with students?”
1/3
of the
responding
counselors said “yes,
I don’t have time to
deal with both.”
1/2
of the responding
counselors said “sometimes I find it difficult
to juggle both.”
Only one counselor said she is able to
give both issues equal weight.
56
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ED.
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From intramural sports to campus Greek life, the arts and everything
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ATHLETICS
Whether you’re in the game or in the stands, Quinnipiac’s 21 Division I
teams are sure to exhilarate. Check out www.quinnipiacbobcats.com
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Visit The Campus
Come for an individual interview, campus tour, group information
session, or join us for a Spring Open House: Monday, May 12, 2014.
Reserve online at www.quinnipiac.edu/visit.
ARTs AND SCIENCEs | Business | Communications | Education | engineering | Health Sciences | Law | medicine | Nursing
Quinnipiac offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and 20 graduate programs to 6500 undergraduate and
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Visit www.quinnipiac.edu, email [email protected] or call 1-800-462-1944.
Hamden, Connecticut
57
STUDENT SUCCESS
The “No Excuses”
philosophy
Lessons, challenges and success strategies
for motivating students
By Darrell “Coach D” Andrews
Years ago, my wife and I traveled
with several volunteers to take a
large group of African-American
and Latino students on a trip to
train them on the importance of
leadership and to develop personal, interpersonal and communication skills for minority students.
One group joined us from the
town of Perth Amboy, N.J. The
first words that came out of my
mouth when I saw them were,
“We are in for a long weekend
working with this group.” I probably surprised my coworkers and
volunteers; after all, I had been
working with youth from the
inner city for years. Still, I couldn’t
stop from judging these kids
based upon the way they were
dressed, the way they walked and
the way they communicated.
The next day I joined several
students in playing a game of basketball. I ended up getting injured
and found myself on the ground,
immobile and in incredible pain.
Many of the students simply
stared at me, unsure what to do.
However, the students from Perth
Amboy ran over to me, lifted me
up and ran me to the infirmary.
They stayed with me while I was
looked at and were even determined to go all the way to the
hospital with me. In all my years
58
of working with youth, I can say
that these students were by far the
most compassionate young people
I had ever met.
Read the whole book, not
just the cover
This experience became the catalyst for my “No Excuses” mindset.
Many of us recite the cliché, “Never
judge a book by its cover.” Too
few of us recite or even remember
the rest — that you still have to
read the book! By accepting this
paradigm, and allowing it to shape
classroom expectations, educators
are missing an opportunity to close
the achievement gap and many
other challenges associated with
educating minority youth.
Minority kids not only have
ambitions and dreams just like
other students, but they are also
motivated to achieve their dreams
by people who relate to them on
a personal level. In our HYPE
(Helping Youth Pursue Excellence) program, my team and I
have interacted with thousands
of minority and at-risk youth. We
have engaged in conversations with
an increasing number of minority
students who have big dreams to
go to college and achieve life success. By gaining an understanding
of the world in which they live, you
begin to uncover some of the soci-
etal and interpersonal challenges
minority students face. This should
be a top priority of any educator.
After achieving this understanding,
you can finally identify what can
be done to reverse the tide of academic failure.
A challenge by any other
name is still a challenge
Kids from challenged backgrounds or from urban communities have a myriad of burdens that
hinder their ability to effectively
communicate their dreams. These
challenges are no excuse for failure; however, they do point to
areas of concern that successful
educators understand and analyze.
These educators have made it
their goals to help these students
navigate challenges in order to
succeed in the classroom. Common problems students face are:
u Oppositional identity: A term
created by the late Dr. John Ogbu,
it explains how several minorities
have created a “counter culture”
to the majority culture of the
population. This reaction is due
to years of limited opportunities
and denial of assimilation into the
American system. The eventual
result of this development is that
individuals are often considered
“sell-outs” if they go against the
identity of their culture.
STUDENT SUCCESS
u Cultural Sensitivity: Many
minorities do not see any significance in the American school
system, because they do not see
people like themselves succeeding
in it. In addition, different styles of
communication are not often valued in the classroom. After being
raised in vivacious cultures, how
can we expect minority students
to learn while sitting in a room
hearing lectures that are monotone in nature? Students struggle
to learn in this setting when their
culture learns and interacts in
such a different, high-energy way.
Moving from challenges to
motivation
Kids are not committed to programs, kids are committed to
people — this philosophy is a
career motto of mine. I have
witnessed over and over again
that minority students do not
care what your skin color is — if
you care about them, they will
respond to you. To illustrate the
understated importance of this
simple concept, I want to share
with you examples of districts that
implemented innovative strategies
to connect with their students of
color and helping them achieve
post-secondary success.
1
Gadsden County School
District, Gadsden County,
Fla.: When incoming Superintendent Reginald James arrived for
his first day at Gadsden County,
the school district was ranked in
the lower percentiles of both student scores on the FCAT (Florida
Comprehensive Achievement
Test) as well as schools reaching
AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress)
goals. James recognized the
problem and implemented a “NoExcuses” school-wide philosophy
that included significant input
from the students themselves.
In just one calendar school year,
GCSD had the second highest
increase in the state of Florida
on FCAT scores and all of their
schools achieved AYP. They recognized that educators should simultaneously build student academic
outcomes into their relationshipbuilding initiatives. They also
knew to engage key community
stakeholders such as community
groups and churches to become
role models and supporters for the
“No-Excuses” philosophy. Finally,
they found that accountability
across the board from classroom
teachers to school administrators,
as well as parents and students
themselves improved their success.
2
Hearne High School,
Hearne, Texas: After one of
my presentations for the Southwest Center for Accelerated
Schools Conference in Austin,
Texas, I shared with the Hearne
group that students should be
taught to identify their life’s passion and develop a strategy to
achieve it. After they implemented
this strategey, Hearne took it
to the next level by posting the
dreams of their students all over
the school. I saw for myself a
building of motivated students
who came face to face with their
future dreams and ambitions
every day. Hearne High also had
the students create twenty-year
timelines of their future achievements. Hearne’s experience depicts
what can happen when schools
encourage and support the dreams
of students and connect these
dreams back to their educational
experience.
3
Lincoln College Prep High
School, Kansas City, Mo.:
At the beginning of a new school
year, Lincoln High School principal Regina Ellis recognized
the need for some type of objective the staff and students could
embrace. Her administration
chose the amount of scholarships won by their students as
the goal to shoot for which they
shared with students, parents and
community and other stakeholders. Their first year’s goal was to
achieve more than $5 million
in scholarships. They not only
achieved this goal, but they superceded it by several hundred thousand dollars. The next year they
set the bar higher and currently,
they have achieved more than $6.5
million in scholarships.
They were able to achieve success
for several reasons. First, administration recognized that the school
needed to have a definable goal for
the students and staff to be shooting for. Second, their students
were taught to reach beyond any
self-perceived limitation. Third,
goals that are established were
analyzed and discussed frequently.
Finally, educators understood
that when you connect goals to
academic achievement, academic
achievement becomes a quest
instead of a routine.
Let me emphasize again that kids
are not committed to programs,
kids are committed to people. Caring educators and administrators
see the potential in their minority
students. Allow this vision to be the
driving force behind their expectation of success!
Darrell “Coach D” Andrews has
been a keynote speaker, trainer and
consultant for schools and non-profit
organizations throughout the country. He is the author of the nationally acclaimed book, “Believing the
HYPE — Seven Keys to Motivating
Students of Color.” Visit his website:
coachdspeaks.com.
59
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• Expansive study abroad opportunities in nearly
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61
STUDENT SUCCESS
Time management tips
for college students
10 tips for your students to succeed their first year of college
By Julia Quinn-Szcesuil
When Hannah Gallagher arrived at Worcester Polytechnic Institute last summer, she knew her life as a
college freshman at the rigorous engineering school
was going to be busy. What she didn’t count on,
however, was all the fun extracurricular activities
she wanted to fit in among her classes. She needed to
figure out how to do that when her college schedule
looked so different from anything she had in high
school.
Having students plan their time when their classes
only meet a few times a week, their deadlines are
few and far between, and their calendars appear
filled with blocks of free time, is one of the biggest
challenges facing incoming college freshmen. Luckily, there are a few tricks you can teach them early
on that will make their first year a success.
1
They can’t do it all
“Going into school, I was so nervous about
falling behind — I felt I had to do everything,” says
Gallagher. She was meticulous about doing extra
problems, combing through study guides, examining all the extra resources professors gave out. After
a while, she learned to pick and choose what was going to help the most — saving herself hours of time.
2
They may not be in class, but it isn’t
necessarily free time
One of the biggest shocks for college freshman is
realizing the amount of free hours on their calendar
doesn’t mean they have free time. They have to learn
the biggest time management rule in college: “You
are expected to do three hours of studying for every
hour of lecture you have,” says Claire Weigand, in
charge of time management and study strategies at
Tufts University in Medford, Mass. “College should
be a full-time job.”
3
The syllabus is their best friend
“Use the syllabus to plan for the entire semester during that first week,” says Emily Schwartz,
author of “The Time Diet.” Their first project may
not be due for a month, but that doesn’t mean they
shouldn’t start working on it at the beginning of the
semester. Students should figure out how long it
takes them to read a chapter and break that down so
they can do a little every day. They can list the tasks
they need to complete for that project and make
their own deadlines for when they need to be done.
“That is the difference between a successful student
and a procrastinator,” Schwartz says.
4
Write out their days
“[Students should] think of their time as a
closet,” advises Julie Morgenstern, author of “Time
Management from the Inside Out” and “Organizing from the Inside Out for Teenagers.” She stresses,
“[they] have a limited amount of space and will only
be able to fit so much into a week. We all have 168
hours to work with.” Morgenstern is a big believer
in time maps where students make a grid of their
time and write in all the essentials (sleeping, eating,
classes, work) first. Then, they follow that with what
they need to fit in (paying bills, cleaning, homework,
social life). Their real free time is what is left.
5
Time management is a daily task
Even the best time management plan isn’t effective unless you use it. “This is a tool you look at
every day,” says Morgenstern. At the end of every
day, students should take five minutes to see what is
coming tomorrow and then look at the two days beyond that. They need a three-day arc, says Morgenstern, because every day is different and there will
be unexpected opportunities, roadblocks, or even
chances for fun that they’ll want to be able to plan
63
STUDENT SUCCESS
for. “When surprising opportunities or derailments happen, you
have three days to fit that in,” she
says.
6
Your high school study
habits won’t cut it
“College is about growth, not
about what worked before,” says
Weigand. Colleges are a bridge
between doing the bulk of your
learning in class like in high
school and developing the entirely independent critical thinking you need when you get a job,
she says. “Colleges want students
to become more autonomous
and independent.” You have to
figure out a new approach that
works for you and not try to force
old methods to work in a new
environment.
7
Get focused
Whatever you can do to
limit distractions helps you
work more efficiently and faster.
Weigand recommends avoiding checking email or favorite
websites while you are studying.
If that is too hard, set a timer for
20 minute increments and check
only at the end of those. It might
take time and practice to learn
to avoid those temptations, but
don’t give up. “Building the power
of concentration is like building
muscle,” she says.
com to even take a quick twominute meditation break. Who
doesn’t have time for that?
9
Smart students get
help
Academic resource centers are
there for a reason — they offer
the help students need. Use all
the resources your college offers.
Tutors, counselors, librarians and
professors can all guide you and
save you enormous amounts of
time. They will keep you on the
right track, help you find materials, and show you effective shortcuts. “You don’t have to figure it
out on your own,” says Weigand.
10
Fit in fun
Gallagher was involved
in everything from a sorority
to organizing activities for her
dorm, but she diligently tracked
her time. “The key is prioritizing,”
she said. “I made a list of what to
get done and stuck with it. Even
if a project isn’t due for a week,
it creeps up fast. But once you
are done, and you have free time,
enjoy it. Have fun, but don’t lose
track of why you are there.”
Julia Quinn-Szcesuil is a freelance
writer in Massachusetts who
writes frequently about career
and college.
8
Stop burnout before it
happens
Believe it or not, taking time to
care for yourself will save you
hours in the long run. Meditation, says Weigand, is a great
tool to help you relax and focus.
“Meditation is a stress reliever,”
she says. “It improves your focus
and you work far more efficiently.” On-the-go students can
download a few guided meditation apps or can check out calm.
64
success
Do your students have a
hard time getting organized without a little bit
of help? There’s an app
for that! We break down
the top three apps for
time management that
can help your students
plan out their schedules
without feeling overwhelmed.
Clear
$1.99, iTunes
Clear lets students
create — and
cross off — lists
for both personal
and school-related
tasks.
SelfControl
Free, for Mac
iOS, only
Students can temporarily block websites
that distract them
most. No Facebook
on study day!
Evernote
Free for
iPhone and
Android. Premium
starts at $5/month
Organize notes
from everywhere:
sync up all devices
and keep track of
important things to
remember.
development
Inviting a member of
the community to speak
at your school is a great
way for someone new to
shed some light on a topic
students have been anxious
about — such as college
planning or financial aid
preparation.
Here are three ways you
can make your guest
speaker feel at home:
u Make a sign
Don’t make your speaker
feel lost — hang a banner
on the front of the building or in the entranceway
so that the speaker knows
he or she is expected and
welcomed.
u Send an email to
the parents
Encouraging parent involvement lets the speaker
know that you want the
students to share what he
or she is about to talk about
with their family.
u Encourage students
to ask questions
Sometimes being put on
the spot can keep students
from asking their questions
during the event. Instead,
have them submit questions in advance to ensure
that the speaker will have
specific topics to cover
that he or she knows your
students care about.
Making sure your guest
speaker feels important is
a great way to guarantee
that he or she will want to
return year after year!
LOOKING FOR YOUR NEXT GUEST SPEAKER?
DAVID MAMMANO is an accomplished entrepreneur in the field of education. His mission in
life is to help people realize their highest potential through education. To accomplish this mission, David founded NextStepU in 1995. For more than 15 years, David has made good
events great with his unique ability to offer
exciting personal experiences.
Staff and the students are guaranteed to walk
away from the event feeling energized and prepared to take their next steps.
SPEECH TOPIC:
Get a Life! Inspiration to take your next step
(Discovering your natural self and turning that info
career and life happiness)
David is an advocate for finding your true passion and turning that into how you make your living. Often a one-on-one mentor when it comes
to this topic, David has elevated his message
into a presentation able to resonate with many
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Hire David today to speak at your next college
or career planning event! Call (800) 771-3117 or
email: [email protected] for more info and
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www.DavidMammano.com
— By NextStepU staff
65
COUNSELOR DEVELOPMENT
How to
inspire
students
By Brian K. Smith
Providing inspiration may seem as easy as telling
someone they can reach a goal or simply sharing
your accomplishments. But it is not always simple
when you deal with students who take on issues
most adults face on a daily basis.
Today, many students work jobs to support their
families rather than spend their money solely on
clothes and arcade games. Other issues, such as
homelessness, poverty, social acceptance and sexual
abuse also play a role when teens are trying to “keep
their heads up” in school.
Sometimes it’s not easy to inspire young people.
However, there are several things you can do to get
them to focus their energies in a positive manner.
The ability to inspire is a very powerful gift that
any counselor or teacher can possess. How do you
know if you have the ability to inspire students? The
answer is similar to comparing the relationship between a nail and a magnet. Nails are very strong, yet
do not inherently possess the properties to influence
movement on other metal objects. However, a magnet is strong and can influence movement among
other metal objects.
A magnet’s ability to influence other metal objects
is based on three things: respect (its size in relation
to the other object), position (how close it is to the
other object) and relevance (the strength of its own
magnetic field). Just like a magnet, inspiration is
about influence. When we inspire people, we cause
them to be self-motivated to reach their dreams.
Therefore, your ability to inspire is based on how
much respect the student has for you, the amount of
66
interaction you provide the student and the relevance of your accomplishments to his or her life.
Build a relationship on respect
Inspiration begins with building respect. Students
tend to listen to people they honor and admire.
Initial dialogue with students should begin with
finding out their dreams and aspirations. Showing interest in their lives helps them to feel like you
want to be on their side. Once you’ve gained their
attention, talk about how you can identify with their
situations. Most students will never know that you
have gone through (or are still going through) some
of the trials they are experiencing. But the key is to
get students to understand that they have something
in common with you. This places you in a position
to inspire students in your environment.
Inspire by interaction
Inspiration is fueled by positive examples. Once
you have students’ respect, they will always be in a
“learning” mode when they interact with you. Everything you do and say will give them more reasons
to view you as a credible resource and influence in
their lives.
Therefore, talk about the things that interest them
and expose them to your accomplishments that
are in line with their goals. This helps students to
believe that their dreams are possible when they feel
hopeless.
Also, students tend to respond better to people that
are closer to their age or look like their older brother
or sister. Consistent exposure to young role models
and their accomplishments helps students connect
their dreams with real-life examples. By doing so,
students get excited to know that they are not alone
and that they have an advocate representing a model
of success.
Communicate your relevant
accomplishments
Students tend to gauge how much a person can
inspire them by analyzing how relevant their accomplishments are to their own. If a student has already
succeeded in areas that you are trying to influence them, they will be bored listening to you. In
fact, consistent interactions with people that never
progress forward with their accomplishments have
a negative effect on yielding self-motivated students.
Counselors can reverse this situation. By assessing
each student’s goals and position in his or her career
track, training and interaction can be tailored to
provide each student with the environment needed
for his or her next steps. Inspiration is maintained
by progressing students through their achievements
one step at a time.
ing — especially when students are inspired by
things not directly related to their career goals. But
building strong relationships with your students will
lay the foundation of respect. Providing consistent interaction with people they can relate to will
keep their attention on their dreams. And helping
students to set goals for themselves and matching
their goals with role models in their lives that have
accomplished those goals can sustain a level of inspiration throughout their tenure in school.
Brian K. Smith is executive director of EduSerc, Inc.
(Educators Serving the Community), eduserc.org.
Inspire your students
every day! Follow our
inspirational quotes on
Pinterest.com/
NextStepU.
— Pinned from mylilbitofheaven.
tumblr.com
Providing inspiration to students can be challeng-
Went on to
Cornell University.
Where will your
students go?
Elizabeth Kennedy ’13
What will inspire your students? An engaged professor? Honors courses? Championship athletics?
Over 90 transfer and career programs? MCC offers an exciting college experience, and the tools
your students need to achieve success. Learn more about one of the top 25 community colleges in
the country at www.monroecc.edu. To request materials for your school, call 585.292.2200.
67
How to encourage
parental involvement
Students and parents need guidance, and counselors
are the first line of support
By Sarah Nagel
The college application process
can be overwhelming for many
students, especially if their parents are unsure of how to help
them through it. Reaching out to
parents and getting them engaged
is one of the most effective ways
school counselors can contribute
to student success.
However, communicating with
parents isn’t the same as it once
was. Innovations in technology have increased the number
of communication tools available and it’s hard to know what’s
the right one. We interviewed
seasoned counselors to hear their
tips on reaching out to parents
and getting them involved in
planning their child’s future.
u Email and phone are
highly effective
When you distribute newsletters
to students, many of them may
end up littering the hallways of
your school, and only a few may finally arrive in the hands of parents.
Luckily, now there is a much more
direct route: “Email is the most effective way to get in touch with parents,” says Robert Bardwell, school
counselor and director of guidance
and student support services at
Monson High School in Mass.
Like email, automated phone calls
68
are another great way to notify
parents of immediate reminders. “Keep it short, sweet, and to
the point. It’s important to give
parents information they can use
right way,” says Steve Schneider,
NBCT, a school counselor at
Sheboygan South High School.
u Experimenting with
technology can be a plus
By leveraging the power of the
Internet, school counselors can create new tools to help keep parents
informed. “There are lots of ways
for technology to be continued to
be utilized in far more impactful
ways. For example, counselors can
create a podcast that explains how
to fill out a college application or
make a power point presentation
that lays out financial aid options,”
Schneider says.
With everyone from Lady Gaga to
President Barack Obama on Facebook and Twitter, social media is
another technological innovation
that is difficult to resist, even for
school counselors.
“We are also looking into doing
a texting program for students
and starting a Facebook Page,”
Bardwell says. Whether you’re
communicating through Facebook, texting or email, it’s important to try a variety of methods.
“It’s a challenge to manage life
these days, and giving parents lots
of reminders is always helpful.
It’s crazy for them, and the more
ways we try to reach out, the better,” Bardwell says.
u Should face time still be
a priority?
Although the digital age makes
virtual communication easy, face
time is still essential. At Sheboygan South High School in Wis.,
counselors invite parents to workshops where they can sit down
with their students and look over
their four-year plan and discuss
career goals. Although workshops
are time consuming, they can be
extremely valuable.
Bardwell also recommends
meeting with parents personally. At Monsoon High School,
counselors meet individually with
students and parents.
“I get it if you are at a big school
and can’t do individual meetings,
but try to find a way to meet with
parents face to face, even if it’s
in a small group setting. Parents
want to feel valued. They appreciate that,” Bardwell says.
Sarah Nagel is a freelance writer
based in Boulder, Co.
FEATURED COUNSELORS
Getting students
motivated for
college
Cherise Ogle, a college and career counselor
at Westlake High School in Atlanta, Ga., talks
about how she gets students excited for
college — and how they pay it forward
By Laura Sestito
One of the main reasons that high school counselor
Cherise Ogle chose a career in counseling came
down to an observation: “it was amazing to me just
how clueless a lot of young adults these days were in
regards to the college process,” she explains.
Ogle, who started off as an admissions representative at Oglethorpe University, changed her career
track once she started attending different college
fairs and saw how little students really knew. “[I]
started to see that it was extremely important to
educate students on the college process,” she says.
“I finally decided it’s time to see the other side of
the desk to have a much larger impact on a greater
group of students.”
After she left Oglethorpe University, Ogle decided
to pursue her new passion and became and independent counselor. While she found her new career
path rewarding, she felt that she could still do more
for the students in her community. “In the state
of Georgia, college advisors don’t exist outside the
private schools,” she explains.
But Ogle was about to change that. With the help of
the principal at Westlake High School, Ogle was able
to officially come on board in the school district and
become the college advisor to almost 400 students.
“I was fortunate enough to have a principal who believed in me…and believed in creating this collegegoing culture,” Ogle stresses. “[He just said], you
know what? Forget whatever the county says, we’ll
bring you in and do what you have to do. [And now]
I’ve been here for my third year.”
Getting students informed
Ogle knows how important it is to get her students
excited about planning for college, so she makes her
events both fun and informative. One of the events
that she plans for her students each year is an open
house in her school’s college and career center. Ogle
will start by sending out invitations to different
teachers in the school and have them bring their
classrooms to her event where they will run different
college-planning sessions for the students to explore.
“We might play the GPA game, we may do a mock
admissions trial or something along those lines,” she
explains. The GPA game, which Ogle puts together
with help from the NACAC and SACAC websites,
acts as a means of showing students what it takes to
be an ideal candidate to a college. “The purpose of
the game is to say that GPA is important, but a wellrounded student is the key,” clarifies Ogle.
Ogle says that with these events, students start
thinking about college planning on their own.
“[After coming to the open house], they actually
start to think about the college process,” says Ogle.
They start to ask questions like “what exactly is it
going to take to get to college?” and “what can we do
to get started?” Ogle says that their ultimate goal is
to make sure that everyone who leaves at the end of
her open house has a great understanding of his or
69
FEATURED COUNSELORS
her goals as well as how to get there.
In addition to her open houses, Ogle also sets up
an Apply to College Night for her students. Beyond
having students sit in front of a computer and apply
to college after college, Ogle also sets up different
stations where students can do mock interviews and
practice what they would say on their college essays.
“We set up the entire thing [as rotating stations],”
explains Ogle, “we have students doing paper applications at one station, then they’ll go to another
station where we’ve brought lawyers and contractors
from all over the city…who work with students on
writing their essays.”
Getting help from the community
Ogle says her Apply to College Night is such a success because of the generous people in her community who donate their time — and sometimes their
resources — to help out her students. “I have people
here from different sororities and fraternities who
work with students on interviewing,” she explains.
“I have brought in people from the banking industry or financial aid offices to talk to students about
financial responsibilities when they get into college.
And it’s great because companies that we’ve worked
with in the past have been so gracious [about]
everything that we have done.”
Some examples of the generosity that Ogle and
her students have received from members of her
community include scholarships and essential
school supplies. “They have offered our students
about $2,500 in scholarship money out of their own
pockets,” explains Ogle. “They have [also] donated
materials like USB sticks for students to write their
essays and save it that same night.” They also lend
their skills — “I can send them an essay to read and
four days later they’ll send it back.” Ogle is amazed
at the relationships these professionals form with
her students, not just on her college night, but also
throughout the rest of the year.
Seeing students succeed
While Ogle has certainly created some noise in her
area to encourage other public schools to seek out
college counselors, her greatest impact has to be
with the students in her own school. Her students
appreciate her help so much that they often ask what
they can do for her after she’s done so much for
them. “All I ever ask,” Ogle says, in response to that
question, “is to come back the next year.”
70
“That’s the biggest reward
I get, when I know...they’re
happy.”
And Ogle has found that almost all of her students
follow up on that promise. “That’s the biggest reward
I get,” she stresses, “when I know that they have
moved into a college dorm, they’ve registered for
classes and they’re happy.” Many of her students also
go above and beyond to give back to the school that
helped them get to where they are now. “They’ve
gone into their classes, they [go to] something on
campus, wearing their college t-shirts [and] talking
about college,” Ogle says. “It’s fantastic to watch.”
Facing challenges
As with every environment, Ogle’s job as a college
counselor is not without it’s challenges. For her, Ogle
finds her biggest challenge often comes in the form
of trying to reach all of her students to the best of
her ability. “Meeting the needs of every student and
making sure that we’re able to help them in some
manner [is a challenge],” she admits.
However, Ogle takes the stance that rather than
being something to make her job more difficult, the
challenges she faces helps her to think on her feet
and come up with new ways of thinking. “Everybody comes in with his or her own nuances and
what I love about it is every day is a new story, every
day is a new challenge and every day is something
new to think about,” she says.
As a final thought, Ogle wanted to express how
much she appreciates and loves the job that she has.
“I don’t know if everyone has the same experience
that I do, but I love my job,” she says. “I have those
days where I just think ‘I don’t want to go to work
today’ but then I remember I have to meet with this
student and I need to go talk to them.” Ogle also
appreciates being around kids who bring so much
energy and life into her day, and she finds that she
has a good laugh at least once a day. “I go into work
and I can laugh a lot,” she says, “I feel like a mom, a
big sister, everything all rolled into one. And that’s
what I like; they trust me enough just to talk to me.”
Laura Sestito is the Editorial and Production
Coordinator for Next Step Education Group.
FEATURED COUNSELORS
Featured counselors
These super counselors from across the country take pride in their jobs
and make a difference in their schools and in the lives of their students
By Rachel Montpelier
BRIGITTE GILLETTE
Position: School
counselor (6-12)
School: Copenhagen
Central School
City: Copenhagen, N.Y.
“When a student comes to my
door needing assistance, then
leaves feeling like they have a
plan, or feels relieved, or just…
better…That is the biggest
reward.” This is why Brigitte
Gillette enjoys her job as a school
counselor. If she can help her
students in any way, then she is
happy.
Gillette originally studied psychology and wanted to become
a teacher, but her coursework
led her down a different path.
“Through various internships in
undergrad, I found working with
teens, helping them process their
emotions, cope with difficulties
and make good decisions to be
something I truly enjoyed,” says
Gillette. So she pursued a master’s
degree in counseling services and
made helping teens the core of
her career.
Although Gillette loves seeing the
positive effects of being a counselor, she also deals with the job’s
difficulties every day. One of the
most significant challenges is convincing parents in her small, rural
town that college is worthwhile
for their children. “I have found
their lack of support usually
comes from fear of the unknown.
How do they pay for college? Will
they lose their child to a far off
place?” Gillette says.
Speaking about these unique
challenges, Gillette says “I see it
as an opportunity to teach.” In
order to meet these issues headon, she invites parents to talk
with her every year beginning in
eighth grade. This gives them the
chance to take 30 to 45 minutes to
discuss the opportunities open to
the student.
While most counselors talk to
all of the parents at once during
information nights, Gillette prefers a different approach. “I have
found most parents are more apt
to ask questions one-on-one,” she
says. “I have almost all parents
come in each year.”
Most of the students Gillette
counsels will be the first in their
family to earn a college degree. In
order to help educate the entire
family about college and all it offers, she organizes annual campus
trips. Thanks to Gillette’s dedication, each student will graduate
having visited at least four college
campuses. She has also established a College Week program
and a Career Week program,
which are both geared to all K-12
students. “This truly helps foster
a college-going atmosphere in the
entire district,” Gillette declares.
For someone who originally
planned on becoming a teacher,
Brigitte Gillette’s devotion to
her job as a school counselor is
extremely impressive and admirable. Her psychology background provoked her interest in
learning how we develop, think
and behave. She uses these skills
daily to provide her students with
college and career advice, along
with emotional support.
Gillette admits that she admired
her own high school counselor, who was also her volleyball
71
FEATURED COUNSELORS
coach. This information makes it
clear that Gillette’s own students
undoubtedly admire and respect
her. Whether it is one-on-one
parent meetings, campus visits
or the College and Career Week
programs, her dedication to her
students and to her career is
astonishing. And this isn’t lost
on Gillette. “I am blessed to have
found a profession I truly enjoy
and hope to foster that in my
students as well,” she says.
BAMBI BERGER
finds her new career.
However, Berger does have her
challenges when it comes to
finding ways to counsel some of
her students. Says Berger, “the
biggest challenge I face is helping
students through some of their
personal struggles.” For some
students, a high school diploma
does not seem like a priority if
they have personal issues weighing on their mind. But Berger
makes it her mission to help them
through their struggles and, as
she describes, “get[ting] them to
realize that a high school diploma
is everything!” She never lets
them forget that the hardships of
high school are temporary and
that a diploma will make life after
graduation much more fulfilling.
Bambi Berger always wanted
to follow in her grandfather’s
footsteps as an educator. She
even started down that path as an
Intervention Specialist. However,
after seven years as a teacher,
Berger realized that what she
really wanted was to become a
school counselor.
Some challenges do prove harder
than others. Berger claims that
“suicide assessments are always
the hardest to deal with.” She
handles these situations professionally, but still makes it clear to
the student that she personally
cares about his or her life and the
troubles that he or she is facing.
The most difficult part about
dealing with these situations is
the fear that even though she tries
her hardest to help students in
need, she always wonders if she
could be doing something more.
The fact that Berger is so concerned about her students and her
own behavior when helping them
demonstrates how dedicated she
is to her job. Even when the job is
extremely demanding.
After making this important decision, Berger found that, despite
the challenges and obstacles,
counseling students was the best
decision she had made for herself.
Berger’s enthusiasm about her
work shows how fulfilling she
While there are obstacles that
Berger faces as a counselor, there
are also many rewards. “The
biggest reward for me is seeing
students walk across that stage
and receive their high school
diploma,” Berger describes. All
Position: School
counselor
School: Akron Alternative
Academy
City: Akron, Ohio
72
the hard work put into helping
students is realized when students have earned their diplomas
and are ready to start their next
stage in life. And Berger makes
sure that they are ready to start
their new path by implementing
a program called Reality Check.
This program provides students
with mock incomes based on
their specific interests and what
they might pursue in the future.
Students then have to make a
budget that fits this income and
all of their costs.
Planning ahead and knowing what to expect is central to
ensuring students receive their
diplomas and is crucial to Berger’s
career.
“I always attend my district’s
professional development days to
keep up with my district changes.
I also like to attend the Ohio
School counselor conference held
in Columbus each year,” Berger
says. Keeping up-to-date with the
changes in the counselor field is
important for her. She makes it a
priority to find out about updates, changes and news that will
impact her job and the students’
high school careers. If students
are going to receive a diploma,
Berger has to constantly find out
about the best ways to help them
achieve that goal.
Berger’s dedication as a counselor
is obvious to anyone who speaks
with her. Counseling is full of
rewards, but also contains hardships and challenges. Even in the
face of the difficult aspects of her
job, Berger resolves to help her
students graduate. Her personal
interest in the students’ success
makes the more challenging
aspects of her job worth all the
while.
FEATURED COUNSELORS
RITA KOONTZ
Position: College and
career counselor
School: Bethlehem
High School
City: Bardstown, Ky.
“I have always enjoyed working with young people,” says
Rita Koontz. This, she explains,
is her main reason for being a
school counselor. Koontz is a
College and Career Counselor
at Bethlehem High School in
Bardstown, Ky. Her job is to help
students plan what to do after
they graduate from high school.
This includes career planning and
college help, so Koontz’s position
is different from most counselors.
“There is another counselor at
our school who deals specifically
with personal issues. When she
is absent or busy, then I assist in
this area,” she says.
Even though it is not technically
in her job description, Koontz
still makes sure she is emotionally there for her students. In
fact, helping them has been an
ongoing and challenging part
of her career. “The most difficult situations has been dealing
with personal issues of students
whether that is the death of a
family member, friend, suicidal
thoughts, cutting, being abused.”
Koontz describes how she cares
about her students’ problems and
tries to empathize with them.
This understanding explains how
Koontz excels in the college/
career prep and the emotional
dimensions of her career.
In fact, seeing the students succeed is the most rewarding aspect
of Koontz’s position. “Students
enter high school, stressed out
about locker combinations,
making friends, acclimating…
by the time they leave most of
them have gained confidence,”
she explains. The students’ journey from nervous freshmen to
mature, adult seniors is the best
part of the job, according to
Koontz. Even if the school’s small
size is challenging for her, Koontz
still enjoys getting to know the
students as individuals.
Koontz is able to do that with the
help of the academic dean and
the principal. As a group, they
talk in depth with every senior
student. “We try to get a handle
on where the student plans on
being after high school, scholarship opportunities, goals and
objectives…,” says Koontz. “This
gives us an opportunity to follow
up with each student.” She also
provides a junior student/parent
meeting every spring. This helps
the students prepare for senior
year, and the college visits, applications and testing that last year
of high school requires. Ensuring
that each student receives individual help and attention is hard
for Koontz, but it provides her
the opportunity to help all of her
students as much as she can.
But that doesn’t mean that
Koontz does it all alone. “My
greatest source is my peers and
my colleagues,” she claims. Their
help and mutual support ensures
that Koontz is not alone when
she helps her students and also
guarantees that she receives
support from her coworkers.
Working in a small school means
there is more faculty responsibility, but it also means that the
faculty members frequently collaborate in order to guide their
students. In addition, Koontz
reads constantly and participates
in online webinars so she can
keep up with the always-changing
counselor field.
By working with her peers and
continuously educating herself,
Koontz makes sure that she is the
best counselor she can be. “I have
been blessed with this position,”
she declares, “and [I] consider it a
great honor and responsibility.”
Nominate a counselor
Do you know a counselor who deserves to be
recognized? Are you a counselor we should feature?
Nominate a counselor to be featured in an upcoming issue of LINK Magazine! Download the application at NextStepU.com/FeaturedCounselor and
email submissions to [email protected].
73
From the other side of the desk
Completion rates and
college admissions
By Ian Mortimer
IAN MORTIMER
College admissions expert
I think we all would agree that
no matter which side of the desk
you are on — whether it be the
counselor or admissions side —
the desk is spinning and we are
all going through an incredible
amount of change.
My goal is to share with you updates, observations and realities
on what is happening in admissions and enrollment so that
you are informed as you counsel
your students. The more our two
worlds can remain connected —
even in times of change — the
better off your students will be.
Completion rates is a topic that
comes up frequently in my profession. Given the scrutiny on the
cost to attend college, and the importance of a degree with a high
return on investment, completion
rates and goals are paramount.
However, in the pursuit of degree
completion, we need to appreciate the realities that exist within
our society and their influence on
completion rates.
In my mind, there is little doubt
that federal financial aid funding will eventually be tied to
completion rates and career data.
The more we know now about
completion rates, the more we
can align strategies to success in
the future.
As high school counselors, you
are inundated with information
from folks like me on all of the
things going on at the colleges and universities. However,
I sometimes wonder how much
critical information really gets
shared. And, moreover, how do
we focus our exchanges of information so that we spend less time
on recruiting and more time on
completing?
To help ground the conversation,
it’s best to start with some key statistics about student persistence:
u Although most bachelor degree programs require 120 credits
for completion, the average
number of completed credits is
136. Thus, students are expending
an extra 16 credits on average to
complete their degree.
u Part-time students graduate
from associate degree programs
at a total rate of 6.9 percent.
u When income and academic
performance are compared
inversely, high income and lower
academic preparation outperform
lower income and higher academic preparation.
u Up to 25% of all students that
enroll at a higher institution for a
second year transfer to a different
college or university than the one
they started at.
Based on these points, it seems
that the college admissions community needs to do a better job of
sharing information that is truly
impactful in identifying a good
fit for a student. The standard
admissions data that has been
typically used may not correlate
to performance at all.
To me, certain figures such as
student-faculty ratio and number
of clubs are somewhat irrelevant
if we are working towards the end
goal of graduation.
Ian Mortimer is Vice President of
Enrollment Management at
Nazareth College in Rochester, N.Y.
75
Discover your path
Help them find their paths.
Your students look to you for guidance
as they plan their lives after high school.
Send them to the website with a customized platform made just for them
— no matter what their paths after high
school are. Planning for college, career,
military and anywhere in between is
our specialty. Let NextStepU help you
get them there.
www.NextStepU.com
College profiles — Midwest
BUTLER UNIVERSITY
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Website: www.butler.edu
Year founded: 1855
Type of institution: Comprehensive higher
education system
Student-faculty ratio: 12:1
Institutional designation: Private – non-profit
Tuition costs: $33,490
Room and board: $11,240
Butler University has a proud tradition of excellence
and innovation. Whether on the basketball court,
where our teams have played in two national championship games, in the laboratory, or at an internship, our students learn that excellence is earned
through hard work and determination. Today,
Butler is nationally recognized as a comprehensive
residential university, where the 4,270 undergraduates come from 44 states and 49 countries to study
as a learning community. The 295-acre campus is
located in a beautiful neighborhood in the heart of
Indianapolis, America’s 13th largest city.
Telephone: 888-940-8100
Email: [email protected]
See ad on page 37
MOUNT MARY UNIVERSITY
Location: Milwaukee, Wisc.
Website: www.mtmary.edu
Year founded: 1913
Type of institution: Four-year, accredited, nonprofit
private university for women
Institutional designation: Private - nonprofit
Tuition costs: $12,549/semester
Room and board: $3,615 to $4,335/semester
(including meal plan)
At Mount Mary University, you can choose from
more than 30 undergraduate programs and eight
graduate programs. We offer traditional, accelerated and flexible course formats. All first-year, fulltime undergraduate students receive an academic
scholarship that can cover the full cost of tuition.
As a transfer student, we make your transition
smooth and affordable. Every full-time transfer
student may receive a scholarship of up to $10,500
per year or reduced tuition! Get an on-the-spot
credit evaluation at Mount Mary University by
scheduling a visit online at mtmary.edu/visit or call
(414) 256-1219.
Telephone: (414) 256-1219
See ad on page 19
College profiles — National
THE ART INSTITUTES
Location: The Art Institutes is a system of over 50 schools
throughout North America. One’s near you.
Website: www.artinstitutes.edu
Year founded: 1970
Type of institution: Master’s, bachelor’s, and associate’s
degree programs
Student-faculty ratio: Varies per location.
Institutional designation: Private/For-Profit
Tuition costs/Room and board: Actual tuition and housing
costs will vary depending on program, number of credits
enrolled, and living arrangements. Contact school of interest for details.
Financial aid: Financial aid is available for those who
qualify. Students who require financial assistance must
complete the FAFSA and meet with a financial aid officer.
Students may also apply for a number of scholarships
focusing on their specific areas of career interest.
Average scholarship/grant aid awarded: Over the 20132014 school year, The Art Institutes is offering over $70
million in full and partial scholarship opportunities to new
and current students.
Average work-study aid awarded: Varies per location.
The Art Institutes schools offer bachelor’s and associate’s degree programs as well as non-degree programs
for students interested in pursuing career opportunities in
creative fields like design, fashion, media arts, and culinary.
At The Art Institutes schools, students are part of a collaborative and supportive community. With the guidance and
mentoring of our instructors, students have the opportunity to learn by using professional-grade technology as
they build a portfolio of work to show potential employers
after graduation.
EVEREST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES
AND UNIVERSITIES
Locations: More than 80 campuses throughout the
country
Website: www.everest.edu
Everest provides a number of hands-on training
programs that can help you prepare for an exciting
new career. Depending on your career interests,
you can choose from career-training diploma programs, or associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree
programs. The Everest network of schools comprises one of the largest post-secondary education and
private career college entities in North America.
Everest schools include Everest College, Everest
Institute and Everest University.
Since 1995, Everest has offered a variety of exciting training programs for students like you who
hope to start careers in health care, legal, business,
information technology or the construction trades.
And with nearly 100 campuses in the Everest career
education network, you can choose a campus near
you that is on or near public transportation routes.
Telephone: (888) 523-0898
See ad on page 21
Telephone: 1-888-624-0300
See ad on back cover
77
College profiles — Northeast
ALFRED STATE COLLEGE
Location: Alfred, N.Y.
Website: www.alfredstate.edu
Year founded: 1908
Type of institution: Two and four-year institution
Institutional designation: Public, co-educational
Tuition costs: $5,870 in-state, $9,740
Non-Resident Associate, $15,320 Non-Resident
Baccalaureate
Fees: $1,424
Picture this: students learning by doing, faculty
teaching from field experience, and a supportive
community where anyone can shine. That’s Alfred
State, a SUNY college of technology boasting a 99
percent employment and transfer rate. With more
than 70 majors, countless clubs and organizations,
and an athletic program newly minted with NCAA
Division III provisional membership, students here
learn how to think, not what to think. Are you ready
to join the 99 percent?
Telephone: 1-800-4AL-FRED
See ad on page 10
D’YOUVILLE COLLEGE
Location: Buffalo N.Y.
Website: www.dyc.edu
Year founded: 1908
Type of institution: D’Youville is an independent,
urban, coeducational institution. It provides healthcare, business education, liberal arts and professional programs
Student-faculty ratio: 13 to 1
Tuition costs: $22,480 annual
Average student aid package $20,124
Average percentage of financial need met: 82%
Average scholarship/grant aid awarded: $8,801
Average work study aid awarded: $1,500
D’Youville’s programs cover everything from health
care to business education with a strong liberal arts
core in the curriculum. The success of D’Youville’s
programs is reflected in the 85.6 percent placement
rate of graduates being employed or continuing in
advanced studies. This reflects an excellent “return
on investment.” D’Youville remains focused on meeting the demands of the professional job market and
the needs of students. It offers a competitive tuition
and lives up to its motto, “Educating for Life.”
Telephone: 800-777-921
See ad on page 61
FINGER LAKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Location: Canandaigua, N.Y.
Website: www.flcc.edu
Year founded: Established in 1965, opened in 1967.
Type of institution: Community College
Institutional designation: SUNY Community College
Tuition costs: $1,917 per semester, full-time, in-state
(2013-14)
Room and board: Finger Lakes College Suites from
$3,834.00 per semester (2013-14)
Average student aid package: $7,745
Average work-study aid awarded: $2,200
Would you rather be part of a small, close-knit
student body? Do you excel with one-on-one
interaction with your instructors? Are you looking
for a college that can offer you hands-on learning
with industry-standard tools and technology? If you
answered yes to these questions, then you belong at
Finger Lakes Community College! Set on a 250-acre,
park-like campus, the College is part of the State
University of New York (SUNY) system. It is a public,
open access institution dedicated to providing a
quality education in a student-centered environment.
See ad on page 45
78
FIVE TOWNS COLLEGE
Location: Dix Hills, N.Y.
Website: www.ftc.edu
Year founded: 1972
Type of institution: 4-year college with graduate
studies
Tuition costs: $20,400/year
Room and board: $13,000/year
Average work-study aid awarded: $936
Located in Long Island only 35 miles from New
York City, Five Towns College has been preparing
students for work in all phases of the entertainment
industry since 1972. The college provides state-ofthe-art equipment and studios along with industry
internships in order to prepare students for the real
world. Our most popular degree programs include
Music, Music Business, Audio Recording Technology,
Theatre Arts, Filmmaking, Mass Communication,
Music Teacher and Childhood Education and more!
Learn more at www.ftc.edu.
Telephone: 631-656-2110
See ad on page 36
HAMPTON UNIVERSITY
Location: Hampton, Va.
Website: www.hamptonu.edu
Year founded: 1868
Type of institution: Private
Institutional designation: Comprehensive
Doctoral Level
Average aid package: $22,006
Average scholarship/grant awarded: $13,000
Average work-study aid awarded: $1,562.41
At Hampton University students are empowered to
excel. We offer a rich academic environment that
cultivates leaders. Through global scientific collaborations and modern research projects, Hampton University has emerged as a leading research institution
of higher education. We offer our 5,000 students innovative courses that lead to 68 bachelor’s degrees;
27 master’s degrees; and doctoral or professional
degrees in nursing, physics, atmospheric/planetary
sciences, business leadership and administration,
educational leadership and management, physical
therapy, and pharmacy.
HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY
Location: Hempstead, N.Y.
Website: www.hofstra.edu
Type of institution: University
Institutional designation: Private, Non-profit
Average scholarship/grant aid awarded:$16,135
Hofstra University offers students the complete
college experience —
a vibrant, active campus with
hundreds of cultural and social events annually, small
classes with experienced faculty, access to state-ofthe-art technology and facilities — all less than an
hour away from downtown New York.
Telephone: (516) 463-6600 or (toll-free)
1-800-HOFSTRA
See ad on page 60
Telephone: 757-727-5328
See ad on page 26
KEUKA COLLEGE
Location: Keuka Park, N.Y.
Website: www.keuka.edu
education system
Institutional designation: Private, Nonprofit
Located on the shores of Keuka Lake in New York
state’s Finger Lakes region, Keuka College is a
private, four-year, residential, coeducational college that places a strong emphasis on career and
pre-professional education. No other college in the
country can match Keuka when it comes to integrating hands-on learning experiences into your
academic program. We guarantee you will complete
a 140-hour Field Period internship every year, starting your freshman year! And you have almost limitless choices of what to do and where to do it. Our
students have completed Field Periods in more than
2,500 locations worldwide.
Telephone: (315) 279-5000
See ad on page 57
LE MOYNE COLLEGE
Location: Syracuse, NY
Website: www.lemoyne.edu
Year Founded: 1946
Type of Institution: Private 4-year, Jesuit,
Residential, Liberal Arts College
Student-faculty Ratio: 13:1
Tuition Costs: $29,470
Room & Board: $11,740
Le Moyne College’s picturesque 160-acre campus
is conveniently located in Syracuse, the heart of
Central New York. The College currently enrolls over
3,500 undergraduate and graduate students. With
over 30 majors to choose from, the College offers a
broad foundation in the liberal arts and sciences as
well as preparation for specific career paths made
affordable by our generous merit and financial aid
scholarships and grants. Cultivating life-long inquiry
and compassionate intelligence in students through
a rigorous, values and outcome-based approach to
education, Le Moyne prepares its students for future
success emphasizing leadership, service and a commitment to justice.
Telephone: (800) 333-4733 or (315) 445-4100
See ad on page 52
79
MERCYHURST UNIVERSITY
Location: Erie, Pa.
Website: www.mercyhurst.edu Year founded: 1926
Type of institution: Four-year, Catholic, liberal arts Student-faculty ratio: 14:1 Tuition costs: $28,400 per year Room and board: $10,400 – $11,936 (depending on
residence hall) Average student aid package: $17,000
Average percentage of financial need met: More
than 90% of students receive financial aid
Mercyhurst University, founded in 1926 by the Sisters
of Mercy, is a fully accredited, four-year, Catholic
comprehensive institution, in Erie, Pa. The university
offers more than 100 majors, minors and concentrations as well as unique post-baccalaureate, advanced certificate and master’s degree programs. In
addition, Mercyhurst provides certificate and associate degree offerings at branch campuses in North
East, Corry and the Booker T. Washington Center.
Inspired by our motto, “Carpe Diem” (seize the day),
our faculty and students are busy making a difference on and off campus — from “the Hill” to the far
corners of the world. Telephone: 1-800-825-1926
MOHAWK VALLEY COMMUNITY
COLLEGE
Location: Utica, N.Y.
Website: www.mvcc.edu
Year founded: 1946
Type of institution: Two-year college
Institutional designation: Public — state and local
Tuition costs: $3,710 (in-state, full time) $7,420 (nonresident, full time)
Percentage of students receiving financial aid: 85%+
Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) was
founded in 1946 as New York State’s first community
college. A unit of the 64-campus State University
of New York, we offer two-year degree programs
on campuses in Utica, Rome, online, and at sites
throughout the community. Shorter-length certificate programs are also offered. Our mission is to
promote student success and community involvement through a commitment to excellence and a
spirit of service, providing opportunities for affordable education with support services for all students.
Telephone: (315)792-5354
See ad on page 20
See ad on page 25
MONROE COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROCHESTER
MORRISVILLE STATE COLLEGE
Located in Rochester, N.Y., Monroe Community College has four campus locations and offers over 90
academic programs. At MCC, students can prepare
for transfer to four-year colleges and universities
across the country, or start highly-skilled careers
upon graduation. The College is also home to awardwinning athletic teams, an Honors Institute, and over
50 student clubs and organizations. In the fall 2012
semester 17, 296 full-time students attended MCC.
Morrisville State College is ideally located in the
geographic center of New York State. We boast a
rural setting with one of the most diverse populations among the SUNY campuses. Our bachelor and
associate degree programs are practical in nature
within specialized areas in over 75 different majors.
Our students can expect small classes with practical,
real-world experiences from day one — and almost
every bachelor degree culminates with a full semester long internship.
Location: Rochester, N.Y.
Website: www.monroecc.edu
Year founded: 1826
Type of institution: Public, Residential, Liberal Arts
College
Tuition costs: New York State residents; $135/credit
hour; Non-residents: $270/credit hour; $1,620 per
semester, New York State residents
Room and board: Single: $6,770 ($3,395/semester);
Double: $5,970 ($2,995/semester)
Telephone: (585) 292-2200
See ad on page 67
80
Location: Morrisville, N.Y.
Website: www.morrisville.edu
Year Founded: 1908
Type of institution: SUNY Technology College
Institutional designation: Public- State
Tuition Cost: $5,870
Telephone: (315) 684-6046
See ad on page 28
PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE OF
TECHNOLOGY
Location: Williamsport, Pa.
Website: www.pct.edu/nextstep
Year founded: 1941
Type of institution: Four-year college
Institutional designation: Public
Tuition costs: $14,940 (Pa.); $21,180 (out-of-state)
Pennsylvania College of Technology is ranked
among the top public colleges in the north and is
one of the nation’s top 100 associate degree producers. As a special mission affiliate of Penn State
committed to applied technology education, Penn
College offers bachelor, associate, and certificate
majors to nearly 6,000 students in more than 100
career fields ranging from manufacturing, design,
transportation, and construction to hospitality,
health, business, and natural resources. Business/
industry connections, national corporate sponsors,
small classes, industry-standard equipment, and
faculty with work experience contribute to strong
graduate placement rates.
Telephone: 800-367-9222
E-mail: [email protected]
See ad on page 40
REGIS COLLEGE
Location: Weston, Mass.
Website: www.regiscollege.edu
Year founded: 1927
Type of institution: Private, Four-Year
Institutional designation: Liberal Arts College
Room and board: On Campus Housing - $13,185
Regis College is a multifaceted, Catholic university in
Greater Boston with 2,000 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students in the arts, sciences and
health professions devoted to engagement, service
and advancement in a global community.
Telephone: 1-866-438-7344
See ad on page 26
QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY
Location: Hamden, Ct.
Website: www.quinnipiac.edu
education system
Year founded: 1929
Institutional designation: Private — Nonprofit
Tuition costs: $39,330 (incl. fees)
Quinnipiac, founded in 1929, is a private, co-educational, non-sectarian university in a uniquely attractive New England setting, enrolling 6500 undergraduate and 2300 graduate students. Quinnipiac’s
location provides the best of the suburbs and the
city — only 8 miles from New Haven and less than 2
hours from New York City and Boston. The University offers more than 55 undergraduate majors and
25 graduate programs in business, communications,
engineering, health sciences, nursing, liberal arts and
sciences, education, law and medicine. An education
at Quinnipiac embodies the university’s commitment
to three important values: excellence in education, a
student centered campus, and a spirit of community.
Telephone: 1-800-462-1942 (toll-free) or
203-582-8600
See ad on page 57
SALISBURY UNIVERSTIY
Location: Maryland
Website: www.salisbury.edu
Year founded: 1925
Type of institution: 4-year public comprehensive
Institutional designation: A Maryland University of
National Distinction
Tuition costs: $8,128 in state; $16,474 out of state
Room and board: $10,240 (based on “all day, every
day” meals and double occupancy renovated dorm)
Average student aid package: $7,143 (need-based)
Average percentage of financial need met: 52.4%
(non-need-based), $5,644 (need-based)
Average (Federal) work-study aid awarded: $1,888
Nationally recognized for academic excellence, Salisbury University is a proud member of the University
System of Maryland offering 43 undergraduate majors,
14 graduate programs and a doctorate in nursing practice. SU consistently ranks in U.S. News & World Report’s
Best Regional Universities, The Princeton Review’s Best
Colleges and Kiplinger’s Top 100 “Best Values.” Sea Gull
athletes have earned 17 NCAA Division III national team
championships. Founded in 1925, SU is just 2.5 hours
from Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Telephone: 410-543-6161
See ad on page 44
81
SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE
Location: Springfield, Mass.
Website: www.springfieldcollege.edu
education system
Springfield College is a coed private college that
provides students with a broad and balanced educational experience. The College is rooted in the
Humanics philosophy — educating students in spirit,
mind, and body for leadership in service to others
— and prepares students with real-world leadership
skills for tomorrow’s careers.
Located in picturesque New England in the Pioneer
Valley and situated on the shores of Lake Massasoit,
Springfield College offers a vibrant campus culture
that promotes a wide variety of activities and events
for nearly every interest.
See ad on page 33
THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
Location: 64 campuses across New York State
Website: www.suny.edu/student
Year founded: 1948
education system
Student-faculty ratio: Varies by Campus
Institutional designation: Public — State
Tuition costs: State-Operated Baccalaureate Campus, excluding University Centers: $5,870 (New York
Resident); $15,320 (Out-of-State) / Community College Average: $3,960 (New York Resident); $8,220
(Out-of-State Resident)
Room and board: State-Operated Baccalaureate
Campus Average: $11,770; Community College Average: $9,730
Average student aid: varies by campus
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States,
educating nearly 463,000 students in more than
7,500 degree and certificate programs, and more
than 1.8 million NYS citizens in professional development and personal enrichment programs, on 64
college and university campuses. There are nearly 3
million SUNY alumni worldwide. To learn more about
how SUNY creates opportunity, visit www.suny.edu.
Telephone: 800-342-3811
See ad on page 74
STEVENSON UNIVERSITY
Location: Stevenson and Owings Mills, Md.
(Baltimore County, Md.)
Website: www.stevenson.edu
Year founded: 1947
Type of institution: Four-year Independent
Average student aid package: (for first-time fulltime student 2011-12) $18,545
Average work-study aid awarded:$3,000
First-time full-time students receiving aid: 99%
Stevenson is dedicated to providing students with
the practical experiences needed to embark upon
successful careers while learning in a personalized
environment. Students experience a unique blend of
liberal arts education and career preparation. They
step outside of the classroom through Learning
Beyond activities and reap the benefits of personal
enrichment and professional development. During
the last year, 92 percent of graduates secured positions or continued their education in graduate or
professional school within six months of graduation.
Telephone: 410-486-7001 or 1-877-468-6852
See ad on pg 94
82
SUNY FREDONIA
Location: Fredonia, N.Y.
Website: www.fredonia.edu
Year founded: 1826
Type of institution: Public, Residential, Liberal
Arts College
Institutional designation: State University of New
York; Masters Granting
Tuition costs: $5,870 in state tuition
$15,320 out of state tuition
Room and board: $11, 344
Average student aid package: $9, 583
Average Percentage of Financial Need Met: 61%
SUNY Fredonia is a selective, comprehensive, public,
residential, liberal arts university located in beautiful Western New York, just minutes from Lake
Erie. Founded in 1826, Fredonia is among the most
storied in the SUNY system. It is home to a worldrenowned School of Music and over 100 degree programs in the liberal arts, natural and social sciences,
education, mathematics, and business.
Telephone: (716) 673-3251
See ad on page 51
SUNY ONEONTA
Location: Oneonta, N.Y. Website: www.oneonta.edu
Year founded: 1889
education system
Institutional designation: Public — state Tuition costs: In-state: $5,870; Non-resident: $14,820
Average Percentage of Financial Need Met: 63%
SUNY Oneonta is well known for its outstanding
faculty, strong academic programs, educational
technology, community service and character-building activities, and scenic campus. The college enrolls
6,000 students in its 70 undergraduate majors and
15 graduate programs. The college ranks 16th among
the “Top Public Regional Universities — North” in the
2014 U.S. News and World Report rankings, sits at
#59 on the Kiplinger’s magazine list of the “100 Best
Values in Public Colleges” and has been recognized
by the Carnegie Foundation for excellence in community engagement.
Telephone: 800-SUNY-123
SUNY OSWEGO
Location: Oswego, N.Y.
Website: www.oswego.edu
Type of institution: Comprehensive higher education system
Institutional designation: Public—State
Tuition costs: In-state: $5,570; Non-resident: $14,820
Room And Board: $12,728
Average student aid package: $7,248.00
Founded in 1861, SUNY Oswego enrolls over 6,800
full-time undergraduate students at our picturesque
and residential campus along the southeastern shore
of Lake Ontario in upstate New York.
SUNY Oswego, offering a broad range of liberal
arts and career directed academic programs, has a
reputation for excellence and has been consistently
recognized as among the nation’s “best northeastern
colleges” by The Princeton Review and U.S. News
and World Report. SUNY Oswego has also been
named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction.
See ad on page 34
See ad on page 41
SUNY POTSDAM
Location: Potsdam, N.Y.
Website: www.potsdam.edu
Year founded: 1816
Institutional designation: SUNY Arts Campus
Tuition costs: $5,870 in state, $15,320 out of state
Average scholarship awarded: $2,600
Average work-study awarded: $1,200
SUNY Potsdam is one of 64 units of the State University of New York and one of 13 SUNY Arts and
Science Colleges. The College is one of only three
SUNY campuses designated as an arts school. SUNY
Potsdam enrolls 4,330 graduate and undergraduate
students, with approximately 2,100 living on campus.
The College offers more than 40 majors, with an additional 45 minors available.
Telephone: 315.267.2180
See ad on page 62
TOURO COLLEGE (NYSCAS)
Location: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Website: www.touro.edu
education system
NYSCAS is ideally suited to reflect, and respond
to, the challenges of this new era. Our tradition of
academic excellence has given us the foundation
and confidence to reach for new and unimaginable
knowledge, while the diversity of our University
system community makes it possible for students,
faculty, alumni, and neighbors to interact with —
and thus be transformed by — the multiplicity of
human perspectives. At the same time, our location
in the world’s most global city offers us a unique
laboratory in which to study the evolution of modern society, attract and learn from the remarkable
people who make New York home and, in doing
so, fulfill our responsibilities as active, engaged
citizens.
See ad on page 17
83
UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT
BRADFORD
VAUGHN COLLEGE OF
AERONAUTICS AND TECHNOLOGY
The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford is for students who want to earn a world-renowned degree
in a personalized, supportive and friendly environment. You can choose from more than 40 majors
and 50 minors, concentrations and pre-professional
programs. Most of our classes are small, so your
professors will work closely with you. And when
you graduate, you’ll have the prestigious University
of Pittsburgh degree, which is recognized all over
the world.
Adjacent to LaGuardia Airport, Vaughn College is
an independent, four-year college specializing in
engineering, technology, management and aviation.
Faculty and staff know students as individuals and
work with them to enhance their college experience. A fully staffed career development office
provides year-round opportunities for on-campus
recruitment, employment and internships. Many of
our alumni hold exciting positions at well-known
organizations such as Lockheed Martin, The Port
Authority of New York/New Jersey, United Technologies, Consolidated Edison and JetBlue Airways.
Location: Bradford, Pa.
Website: www.upb.pitt.edu
Year founded: 1963
Type of Institution: 4-year public
Student-Faculty Ratio: 18:1
Tuition Costs: Pa. resident: $12,208 (Non-Nursing degree); $15,640 (Nursing degree) / Out of state: $22,812
(non-nursing degree); $29,092 (nursing degree)
Room & Board: $8,370
Average Student Aid Package: $17,489 (Pa.
resident); $19,500 (out of state)
Average Work-Study Aid Awarded: $1,740
Telephone: 800.872.1787/814.362.7555
See ad on page 89
Location: Flushing, N.Y.
Website: www.vaughn.edu
Type of institution: Comprehensive higher education system
See ad on page 46
College profiles — Southeast
BARRY UNIVERSITY
Location: Miami, Fla.
Website: www.barry.edu
Year founded: 1940
Institutional designation: Private-Religious
Barry University in Miami, Florida, offers exciting
learning opportunities, with more than 75 majors
and specializations. You learn in small classes with
professors who not only know your name, but they
know your goals and will help you succeed. You live
on a 122-acre campus just minutes from the beach
and downtown Miami. You gain hands-on experience and apply what you’ve learned in the classroom to a rapidly changing world.
Telephone: 800-695-2279
See ad on inside front cover
ERSKINE COLLEGE
Location: Due West, S.C.
Website: visit.erskine.edu
Year founded: 1839
Type of institution: Private, Christian, 4-year liberal arts
Student-faculty ratio: 11:1
Institutional designation: ARP affiliated
Tuition costs: $29,310
Room and board: $10,105
Average student aid package: $31,950 (SC
Resident), $24,250 (Non-SC Resident)
Erskine College is small. Our close-knit academic
community helps students focus on what’s really
important. More than a great college experience, it’s
a place to craft a lifelong vision. A smaller residential campus means students can’t fake it. Quality is
revealed. Weaknesses strengthened. Character is
refined through intentional, individual relationships.
Faculty become friends and mentors. Our alumni
go on to top medical and graduate schools. They
lead businesses and organizations both large and
small throughout the world. But we produce more
than simply competent professionals. We equip the
whole person to flourish in life and leadership.
Telephone: 864.379.8838
See ad on page 5
84
FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Location: Melbourne, Fla.
Website: www.fit.edu
Year founded: 1958
Institutional designation: Tier 1, national, fouryear, private, non-profit, doctoral granting research
university
Tuition costs: $36,020 (tuition and fees)
Florida Tech is a national, private technological research university providing bachelor’s, master’s and
doctoral degree programs in engineering, science,
aviation, business and more. Times Higher Education ranks Florida Tech in the top 200 universities
in the world. Furthermore, Florida Tech is ranked
a Tier One Best National University by U.S. News
& World Report and lauded as the “Best College
for Return on Investment in Florida” by Bloomberg
Businessweek.
Telephone: (321) 674-8030
LYNN UNIVERSITY
Location: Boca Raton, Fla.
Website: lynn.edu
Average student aid package: $19,743 for first-time,
full-time freshmen, excluding PLUS loans, unsubsidized Stafford loan, and private alternative loans.
First time, full time freshmen. Average scholarship/grant aid awarded: $10,516
First time, full time freshmen.The Average work-study aid awarded: $2,000 First
time, full time freshmen.
Lynn University, in Boca Raton, Fla., offers a variety
of career-focused bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral
majors with a liberal arts foundation to students
from 45 states and 90 countries. Lynn recently
launched one of the country’s most extensive
tablet-based learning initiatives for freshmen by
providing them with iPad minis. Apple© technology delivers the university’s nationally praised core
curriculum that further engages students and enhances their learning experience through academic
courses developed using multimedia content.
Telephone: 1-561-237-7000 or 1-800-888-5966
See ad on page 61
See ad on page 29
MARSHALL UNIVERSITY
Location: Huntington, W.Va.
Website: www.marshall.edu
Year founded: 1837
Type of institution: public
Institutional designation: Master’s Large
Tuition costs: $6,216 resident, $14,446 non-resident
Marshall University is a state-supported, public
institution with multiple campuses and educational
centers in West Virginia. Founded in 1837, the
university is headquartered on a 100-acre campus in the heart of Huntington, WV, the secondlargest city in the state. Students find that Marshall
combines the best of the opportunities of a large
institution with the personal care and attention
expected with a school of a much smaller size.
Telephone: 1-877-GOHERD-1
See ad on page 45
NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
Location: Fort-Lauderdale-Davie, Fla.
Website: www.nova.edu
Year founded: 1964
Type Of Institution: University
Institutional Designation: Private—Nonprofit
Tuition Costs: $22,650
Room And Board: $9,516
Average Student Aid Package: $19,568
Average Percentage Of Financial Need Met: 91%
Average Scholarship/Grant Aid Awarded: $11,173
Average Work-Study Aid Awarded: $3,007
Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a fully
accredited, private, not-for-profit, independent
university classified as a research university with
‘high research activity’ by the Carnegie Foundation
for the Advancement of Teaching. One of only 37
universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, NSU
offers a vast number of undergraduate, graduate
and professional degrees through 18 colleges and
schools. Schools include medical, dental, optometry, nursing, pharmacy, psychology, liberal arts and
sciences, education, humanities, social sciences,
law, business, computer and information sciences,
and oceanography.
Telephone: 800-338-4723
See ad on inside back cover
85
TROY UNIVERSITY
Location: Troy, Alabama
Website: www.troy.edu
Year founded: 1887
Type of institution: Public, 4-year University operating four campuses in Alabama as well as sites
in six U.S. states, international locations and online
through eTROY.
Institutional Designation: Public, 4-year University
Tuition Costs: Alabama Campuses: $264 per credit
hour for undergraduate; $338 per credit hour for
graduate. eTROY (online): $308 per credit hour for
undergraduate; $460 per credit hour for graduate
Room and board: $3724 room; $3420 board
Founded in 1887 as a normal school to teach teachers, Troy University today is a public, internationally
recognized institution serving traditional and nontraditional students in class and online and providing a wide variety of academic programs from the
associate to the doctoral level. TROY operates four
campuses in Alabama, sites in six U.S. States, six
locations in Southeast Asia and the Middle East,
in addition to online degree offerings through its
distance learning portal, eTROY.
Telephone: 1-800-551-9716
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
WILMINGTON
Location: Wilmington, N.C.
Website: www.uncw.edu
Year founded: 1947
Type of institution: Four-year public
Institutional designation: Masters Comprehensive
University
Tuition costs: In-state - $6,343 (with fees); Out-ofstate - $18,479 (with fees)
The University of North Carolina Wilmington
(UNCW) is divided into 5 academic units: the College of Arts and Sciences; the College of Health
and Human Services; the Watson College of Education; the Cameron School of Business; and the
UNCW Graduate School. Through these institutions,
52 undergraduate majors and 40 graduate programs are offered.
The “US News and World Report” consistently
ranks UNCW within the top 15 overall universities and within the top 10 public universities in the
South. The “Princeton Review” recognized UNCW
among the Best in the Southeast.
Telephone: (910) 962-3243
See ad on page 4
See ad on page 19
UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA
WILLIAM PEACE UNIVERSITY
Website: www.westga.edu
Year founded: 1906 as the Fourth District Agricultural and Mechanical School
Type of institution: Public
The University of West Georgia, a 645 acre campus
located in Carrollton, Georgia, is committed to offering academic excellence and a vibrant campus
life. The experienced and respected faculty provides up-to-date knowledge and cutting edge skills
required to excel in a global marketplace, while our
academic and personal resource centers provides
support designed to give the best possible chance
for success.
Telephone: (678)839-5600
See ad on page 9
86
Location: Raleigh, N.C.
Website: www.peace.edu
Year founded: 1857
Type of institution: 4-year
Institutional designation: Private - religious
William Peace University (Raleigh, NC) offers innovative academic programs rooted in the liberal
arts tradition to prepare students for careers in the
organizations of tomorrow. We challenge students
to think big and then give them the skills they need
to accomplish their goals. Nowhere is this more
evident than in our graduates: more than 90% of
graduates are placed in a job or graduate school
within a year of graduation. For more information
visit www.peace.edu.
Telephone: 919.508.2214
See ad on page 24
College profiles — Southwest/Central
MIDWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY
Location: Wichita Falls, Texas
Website: www.mwsu.edu
Year founded: 1922
education system
Student-faculty ratio: 17 to 1
Institutional designation: Public, State
Tuition Costs (based on 15 SCH): $2,422,50
(in-state); $3,397.50 (non-resident)
Room and Board: $6,450
Average Percentage of Financial Aid Need Met: 67%
Average Scholarship/Grant Awarded: $5,805
Midwestern State is recognized as a public liberal arts
university with strong programs in the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences as well as accredited
professional programs in mechanical engineering, social
work, nursing, radiologic science, respiratory care,
athletic training, and business, among others. MSU offers the individual attention of a private education but
the affordability of a public university. Classes average
fewer than 30 students, and most are taught by fulltime faculty, not graduate assistants. Students are active
in more than 100 organizations and bring a spirit of
competition to 13 NCAA Division II athletic programs.
Telephone: 800-842-1922
SOUTHEAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Location: Beatrice, Lincoln and Milford, Neb.
Website: www.southeast.edu
Year founded: Milford 1941; SCC 1973
Type of institution: Community College, 2-year public
Student-faculty ratio: 30:1 (full-time faculty)
Tuition costs: $55.50/quarter credit hour in-state;
$68.50/quarter credit hour out-of-state
Room and board: $837-$1,112 Beatrice Campus (no
meal plan); $754-$1,500 Milford Campus (w/meal plan)
Average student aid package: $2,296.12
Average scholarship/grant aid awarded:$1,513.58
Southeast Community College offers 50 programs,
most technical in nature, enabling students to earn
an associate degree in 18-24 months. Programs fall
under Agriculture/Food/Natural Resources, Arts
& Sciences (transfer), Business, Communications
& Information Technology, Community Services &
Resources, Construction & Electronics, Health Sciences, and Transportation & Manufacturing. 94%
of recent graduates found work or continued their
education. The majority of several programs also
are online.
Telephone: 800-642-4075 or 402-471-3333
See ad on page 50
See ad on page 33
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE
UNIVERSITY
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY - KINGSVILLE
Location: Nacogdoches, Texas
Website: www.sfasu.edu
Year founded: 1923 (Celebrating SFA’s 90th anniversary)
Type of institution: Higher education institution offering bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees
Tuition costs: Texas resident: $3,408: Border state:
$3,768: Non-resident: $7,656 (all based on 12 hours
for one semester)
Room and board: $4,305 per long semester
Average percentage of financial need met: 54.2
Location: Kingsville, Texas
Website: www.tamuk.edu
Year founded: 1925
Type of institution: Public
Student-faculty ratio: 19.5:1
Institutional designation: four-year
Tuition costs: $6,940 per year (in state for 15 semester credit hours)
Room and board: $7,484 per semester
Average scholarship/grant aid awarded:$6,335.
Average work-study aid awarded: $2,536.
Stephen F. Austin State University is a close-knit
community united by its traditions and driven by
its determination to be the best. Students from all
major metropolitan areas in Texas, 45 states, and
38 foreign countries attend SFA for its academic
offerings and personalized attention each student
receives.The university’s 418-acre campus comprises six exceptional colleges that offer a mix of traditional classroom instruction combined with a broad
offering of online courses, outdoor labs, research
opportunities and travel abroad studies.
With a focus on teaching and research programs,
Texas A&M University-Kingsville cultivates generations of alumni. Well-known departments include
music, engineering, wildlife and agriculture. Research is valued and undergraduates are encouraged to participate in hands-on projects. Campus
housing accommodates approximately 2,300
students in seven residence halls. The Javelina Dining Hall offers a variety of food at mealtimes and
students can take advantage of the Student Recreation Center, with two gyms, a weight and cardio
fitness room and an elevated jogging track.
Telephone: (936) 468-2504
Telephone: 361-593-2111
See ad on page 42
See ad on page 53
87
Colleges — Southwest
Colleges — West
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON - VICTORIA
Location: Main campus located in Victoria, Texas.
Upper-level and graduate programs also taught at
locations in Greater Houston.
Website: www.uhv.edu
Year founded: 1973
Type of institution: four-year, public university
Institutional designation: bachelor’s and master’s
Tuition costs: $6,248 (full-time, in-state undergrad)
The University of Houston-Victoria offers courses
leading 60 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs and concentrations in the schools of Arts
& Sciences, Business Administration, Education &
Human Development, and Nursing. UHV provides
face-to-face classes at its Victoria, Texas, campus
as well as teaching sites in Greater Houston, and
online classes that students can take from anywhere. Since its founding in 1973, UHV has provided
students with a quality university education from
excellent faculty at an affordable price.
HEALD COLLEGE
Locations: California: Concord, Fresno, Hayward,
Modesto, Rancho Cordova, Roseville, Salinas, San
Francisco, San Jose, Stockton
Oregon: Portland
Hawaii: Honolulu; Online
Website: www.heald.edu
Year founded: 1863
Heald College is a career college that has been
preparing students for rewarding careers in Healthcare, Business, Legal and Technology for over 150
years. Our education philosophy is to provide our
students with the resources necessary to become
well-rounded, highly motivated, qualified candidates for their career.
Telephone: 1-877-99-HEALD
See ad on page 3
Telephone: Toll free 877-970-4848
See ad on page 20
LEARN ESSENTIAL LIFE SKILLS TO HELP YOU HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.
FINANCIAL
88
STREET
SMARTS
PROFESSIONAL
COLLEGE
PREP
HEALTHY
LIVING
Pitt-Bradford grads get good jobs.
“ At Pitt-Bradford I
gained the knowledge
and the flexibility
to find my own path
in the IT field.
”
A t Pitt-Bradford, you can earn
a degree from the University of
Pittsburgh that will help you get a
good job, just like Lyndon did.
In fact, 94% of our graduates find
a job in their career field or enter
graduate or professional school
within six months of graduation.
Lyndon Orinion ’11
of Washington, D.C.
And, with our many scholarships,
Manager of online content
Wesley Theological Seminary
in Washington, D.C.
affordable than
www.upb.pitt.edu
your education will be more
you think.
Discover your path
Start
Discover
Match
Prepare
Succeed
Find a career
Some of you have known what
you wanted to be when you grow
up for years. The rest of you are
probably not even sure what your
major will be in college — let
alone your career! And that’s OK.
We’re here to help. Follow these
steps to find the right career and
how to get started!
Follow your passion
Career decisions should be in
line with your interests — not
necessarily with the hottest new
career in the field. Consider this:
30 percent of entering freshmen
dropout, the average completion
of a college degree now takes six
years and 64 percent of employees
under the age of 25 are unhappy
in their jobs.
That’s why John Strelecky, author
of “The Why Café,” says “you
have to find a heart connection to
a job.” Maybe you don’t have one
area of interest. That’s OK, too.
Take as many different classes as
you can. Backpack around the
world. Take a semester at sea. Try
out lots of options and find one
that you’re most interested in.
YOUR PASSIONS:
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
Find your fit factor
Finding the right career fit goes
beyond passion. You have to consider what you want to be doing
and what you are good at, says
Jim Beqaj, a recruiting consultant,
career coach and author of “How
to Hire the Perfect Employer.”
You have to have the skills to succeed. So try this exercise. If you
could create a job for yourself that
would leave you challenged but
also satisfied, what would it be?
Tie it together
Once you figure out your passion
and how that fits into the working
world, it’s time to work toward
that career. Apply to internships
and jobs in those fields and at
specific companies that need
what you’re good at. Distinguish
yourself from the other applicants
by talking about your fit and your
passion. Talk about why you’re
the best candidate strike the right
“match” in terms of philosophy,
vision and culture.
POSSIBLE
CAREERS:
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
Read more!
Get more tips on how to
find a career at
NextStepU.com/Career
College Night Handout | Next Step Education Group
NextStepU.com
Discover your path
Start
Discover
Match
Prepare
Succeed
Take a college tour
Sure, you can tour a campus
online these days. But there’s
nothing better than a campus
tour when you’re trying to get a
feel for the college or university.
In order th make the most of
your college tour you have to be
prepared. Follow these steps and
you’ll be a college tour pro!
Be prepared
Research its outstanding programs, faculty-student ratio,
educational mission — even its
mascot. Know the competitive
sports teams and major rivals.
Prepare yourself with all of the
pertinent, public info about the
college.
SCHOOL NOTES:
__________________
__________________
__________________
__________________
Read while you wait
Once you arrive on campus,
check out the bulletins, pick up
a copy of the college newspaper
or magazine and don’t forget to
grab a few brochures from the
admissions office. This will help
familiarize you with the campus
basics, so you can focus on more
in depth questions while touring.
Questions to ask the tour
guide:
• Why did you choose this
college?
• What was your best experience here?
• Why did you stay after
freshman year?
• What’s your plan for after
graduation?
Ask questions
Sometimes the excitement of the
tour can lead to lots of distractions, which means you may
forget to ask questions. Be sure
to create a list of questions before
the tour and keep them handy
the day of. Reference it regularly
to make sure you’ve got all the
answers. If a question hasn’t been
addressed, ask it!
YOUR QUESTIONS:
__________________
__________________
__________________
Talk to students
Some of your best feedback will
come from students who are actually at the college! They are living
College Night Handout | Next Step Education Group
the life you may live everyday, so
who better to give you insight on
the day-to-day activities on campus? Visit the campus coffee shop
or commons and ask students
what the campus is really like (It’s
OK to leave the tour guide and/or
parents behind on this one!)
While on the tour
Your tour guide will be an actual
student at the college you are
visiting, so be prepared to ask
questions.
After the tour
Write down five impressions of
the school. Consider the campus
personality, diversity of the student body, the size of the lecture
halls and student interaction.
These little mental reminders will
help you compare colleges later.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
__________________
__________________
__________________
Find your
match
Get matched up
with your perfect
college at
NextStepU.com/
Match
NextStepU.com
Staying organized
Does your office need a refresher?
By NextStepU Staff
Remember in the fall when you were excited to start
the new school year? You organized your office,
bought new supplies and stacked things neatly and
efficiently. Does your office still reflect that kind
of enthusiasm and dedication to your space? Most
likely it isn’t still neat and tidy.
We did a little bit of legwork and went out to find
some fun ways to perk up your organization. Here
are two great ideas to get you excited about tidying
up.
Label everything
First is the Brother PT-P700 Connectable Label
Printer. This easy-to-use, full-featured label maker
requires a USB connection and has the ability to create large, customized labels using a
PC or a Mac computer. The built-in
software supports
easy sharing within
a group or for
use within strict
IT environments
where software
installation is not
permitted.
The printing is quick and it cuts each label automatically. The PT-P700 can even print from a database if
you are working on a list of names for file folders.
Sometimes just labeling the folders you started this
year or labeling the drawers of the filing cabinets
that are already filling to the brim can be enough to
organize the rest of your school year.
Start pinning
Our second suggestion is to use Pinterest.
NextStepU started an Organization and Time
92
Management board that you can find at Pinterest.
com/NextStepU/organization-time-mgmt. If you
use Pinterest, you can start your own organization
board and re-pin some of our ideas. If you don’t use
Pinterest, then you can visit the board and still click
through to the ideas that are shared on there without
saving them to your own account.
One of our favorite examples is a do-it-yourself
pegboard organization station. It’s easy, customizable and gives everything floating around your desk
a place to go. You can find ideas like this and more
on Pinterest and you can pin this idea right from our
organization board.
When it comes to organization, the first and most
important part is to have the want and desire to be
organized. Once you decide to take that on, the rest
is easy — and actually kind of fun.
If you can find a half an hour a week to dedicate
to organizing your desk or office space, you will be
in a much better place when the school year ends.
Packing up your office at the end of the year will be
a breeze!
Get more organization tips at NextStepU.com/
Counselor
AD INDEX
Alfred State College ………………………… 10
The Ocean Corporation ……………………. 16
Army National Guard ……………………… 14
Pennsylvania College of Technology ………. 40
The Art Institutes ………………….. back cover
Quinnipiac University ……………………… 57
Barry University …………… inside front cover
Regis College ……………………………….. 26
Butler University …………………………… 37
Salisbury University ………………………... 44
D’Youville College ………………………….. 61
Southeast Community College …………….. 33
Dean College ……………………………….. 53
Springfield College …………………………. 33
Erskine College ………………………………. 5
The State University of New York ………….. 74
Everest ………………………………………. 21
Stephen F. Austin State University …………. 42
Finger Lakes Community College …………. 45
Stevenson University ……………………….. 94
Five Towns College …………………………. 36
SUNY Fredonia …………………………….. 51
Florida Institute of Technology …………….. 29
SUNY Oneonta ……………………………... 41
Hampton University ………………………... 26
SUNY Oswego ……………………………… 34
Heald College …………………………….…... 3
SUNY Potsdam ……………………………... 62
Hofstra University ………………………….. 60
Texas A&M University - Kingsville ………… 53
Keuka College ………………………………. 57
Touro College ………………………………. 17
Le Moyne College …………………………… 52
Trinity Washington University ……………... 24
Lynn University …………………………….. 61
Troy University ……………………….……… 4
Marshall University ………………………… 45
University of Houston -Victoria …………… 20
Mercyhurst University ……………………... 25
University of North Carolina
Midwestern State University ………….……. 50
Wilmington ……………………………….. 19
Mohawk Valley Community College ….…… 20
University of Pittsburgh at Bradford ….……. 89
Monroe Community College - Rochester …. 67
University of West Georgia ………………….. 9
Morrisville State College …………………… 28
Vaughn College of Aeronautics
Mount Mary University …………………….. 19
and Technology……………………………. 46
Next Step Academy ………………………… 88
William Peace University …………………... 24
Nova Southeastern
University ………………… inside back cover
Discover your path
Help her find a college match.
Sorting through her choices for college can feel overwhelming. NextStepU makes it easier. A customized
profile based on what she wants organizes and displays only the colleges fit for her. Help her register
online at NextStepU.com to start her path to success.
www.NextStepU.com
93
Why A R E Y O U G O IN G T O C O L L E G E ?
IF YOU ARE LIKE THE STUDENTS AT STEVENSON, YOU
ARE GOING TO COLLEGE BECAUSE AT THE END OF
FOUR YEARS, YOU WANT TO BE READY TO TAKE ON
THE WORLD.
» Career-focused academic programs prepare you
for the real world. Typical placement rate? 92
PERCENT.
PLAN YOUR VISIT AND
APPLY ONLINE AT
STEVENSON.EDU
» Small classes allow professors to become
mentors. Average class size? 17 STUDENTS.
» From smart classrooms to new residence halls,
Stevenson’s campus resources go beyond your
expectations. Capacity of SU’s new stadium?
3,500 SEATS.
Open your door at
Nova Southeastern
University. Nova.edu/Undergrad
For Josh Grant, Nova Southeastern’s
dual admission program made his
college choice an easy one. While
he earns his bachelor’s in Business
Administration, he knows he’ll have a
reserved seat in NSU’s distinguished
law school. Find out what NSU can
offer you, with small class sizes, a
variety of undergraduate majors and
an amazing campus. Nova Southeastern
University is a private, research
university that’s helping students
just like you achieve their goals.
Josh Grant,
Dual Admit: Business Administration
and Law, Naples, FL
Undergrad research
opportunities
abound
MOST POPULAR MAJORS AT NSU:
1. Biology (Pre-Med)
2. Marine Biology
3. Business Administration
4. Psychology
5. Legal Studies (Pre-Law)
Go from dorm
room to classroom
in no time at all
Delicious
Flickr
Twitter
Retweet
Facebook
MySpace
StumbleUpon
Digg
6. Exercise & Sport Science
7. Criminal Justice
Slash Dot
8. Chemistry
9. Nursing
10. Communication Studies
Reddit
Fort
Delicious
MixxLauderdale,
Flickr Technorati
Skype Florida
Connect with us online:
FriendFeed
Facebook
YouTube
MySpace
LinkedIn
95
LIVE YOUR
CREATIVITY
FOR LIFE
TAKE THE FIRST STEP TO A CREATIVE FUTURE.
People who are on the path to doing what they love have a certain kind of energy.
An education from The Art Institutes can give you the guidance, technology and career
services to join them. If you want to turn your dream of living a creative life into a reality,
take the first step. Find out about an education from The Art Institutes.
Programs in the fields of:
DESIGN MEDIA ARTS FASHION CULINARY
LearnHands-on.com
1.800.894.5793
Since The Art Institutes is comprised of several institutions, see aiprograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees, other costs, median debt, federal salary data, alumni success, and other important info. The Art Institutes is a system of over 50 schools
throughout North America. Programs, credential levels, technology, and scheduling options vary by school and are subject to change. Several institutions included in The Art Institutes system are campuses of South University or Argosy University.
Administrative office: 210 Sixth Avenue, 33rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 © 2014 The Art Institutes International LLC.

Cherise Ogle - NextStepU.com

Transcription

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