The sophomores and juniors at SLS have recently received their PSAT and PACT scores. We know the score report can be somewhat confusing so please feel free to call Mr. Smitobol at 801 4959 with help interpreting your score report. We also have a list of test prep companies/people available in this area.
This link explains the key differences between the PSAT and SAT exam.
Sophomore Advising (November-December)
I have started to meet with sophomores in my office. I have met with approximately half of the class and look forward to meeting the rest of the class as soon as possible. Please advise any sophomores to come to my office (321) during their free period for an individual or group meeting. The meeting serves as an informal way for the college counseling office to get to know this class at an important time in their high school career. The meetings are very relaxed and students do not need to bring anything.
Summer Programs
Summer Enrichment programs are a great way to develop a student's voice. These programs can be instrumental in helping students discover their passions, develop their independence or learn valuable skills. For sophomores or juniors, check the campuses of potential colleges and universities. Many have summer "pre-college" enrichment programs. While these programs do not make it easier to gain admission when you apply as a senior, these programs are still a valuable insight into what college life can be like and gain transferable college credits, too!
Here are some valuable online resources to help connect you to a variety of programs:
http://www.petersons.com/summerop/code/ssector.asp?sponsor=1&path=hs.fas.summer
Seems to be a more complete program listing (at least for summer pre-college programs)
http://www.enrichmentalley.com/
Not a complete list, but a good starting point for summer pgms and gap year options.
http://www.rusticpathways.com/
offers travel abroad programs. I don't have any first hand information about these programs, but I have interviewed many students who have had good experiences with this company.
http://www.afs.org/afs_or/home
Another program that many students I interviewed participated in.
Please let me know if you have a specific type of program you are interested in. I have a very long list but I worry that listing all of them here may make it tough to know where to start. Please let me know if you have a program to recommend.
Here are some valuable online resources to help connect you to a variety of programs:
http://www.petersons.com/summerop/code/ssector.asp?sponsor=1&path=hs.fas.summer
Seems to be a more complete program listing (at least for summer pre-college programs)
http://www.enrichmentalley.com/
Not a complete list, but a good starting point for summer pgms and gap year options.
http://www.rusticpathways.com/
offers travel abroad programs. I don't have any first hand information about these programs, but I have interviewed many students who have had good experiences with this company.
http://www.afs.org/afs_or/home
Another program that many students I interviewed participated in.
Please let me know if you have a specific type of program you are interested in. I have a very long list but I worry that listing all of them here may make it tough to know where to start. Please let me know if you have a program to recommend.
College Fairs
College Fairs are an underused resource for SLS students. One great tip for navigating a college fair successfully is to have name labels printed out in advance! This way you don't have to spend time filling in an inquiry card at every table you visit, leaving you more time to speak with the college representative. Please come see us in College Counseling if you have any question about name labels. Here is what to include:
Name, email address (make sure you have an appropriate email handle), mailing address, complete Name of school, year of graduation.
Name, email address (make sure you have an appropriate email handle), mailing address, complete Name of school, year of graduation.
www.collegeboard.com
www.collegeboard.com is perhaps the most popular of the online college resources. One feature I like is the "find similar" schools (when you search for schools). Users are able to create profiles on this site and save searches and college lists.
Number2.com-> free online test prep
www.number2.com offers free online test prep for a variety of standardized tests! Check out this great resource that some of our students are already using.
Ithaca (A college you should get to know)
Ithaca College is a school that many SLS students overlook. This is a terrific place for a variety of students. The music facilities are top notch as is the school of business and management. The exercise physiology program is also noteworthy. The town of Ithaca itself is a great place to attend college, filled with great places to eat and other college students.
just outside the impressive "ticker room" in the business center
one of the student dining options at Ithaca
a beautiful view (my camera did not do it justice) from Ithaca
one of the many performance spaces. Ithaca has a top notch music program
a portion of the Ithaca tour
just outside the impressive "ticker room" in the business center
one of the student dining options at Ithaca
a beautiful view (my camera did not do it justice) from Ithaca
one of the many performance spaces. Ithaca has a top notch music programVisit to Cornell
My visit to Cornell was a great one. There are things you expect from a school as selective as Cornell; great facilities, resources and infrastructure are all expected. However, some things really surprised me about Cornell. I was extremely impressed with the pre-orientation program Cornell had set up where five freshman in a group would be paired with a current Cornell student mentor for the first few days. They were literally hundreds of Cornell students training to become mentors for the arrive first year students!
This is where the "Hi Mom" camera is pointed. You can stand in front of the camera which is broadcast on the web. See here
One of the many beautiful views on campus
Inside a chapel at Cornell
This is where the "Hi Mom" camera is pointed. You can stand in front of the camera which is broadcast on the web. See here
One of the many beautiful views on campus
Inside a chapel at Cornell
Online Resources: Don't believe everything you read!
It's hard to imagine that when I was searching for colleges, the internet was not yet available. Nowadays, students rely on the internet as a resource of information to help guide them through their college search. There are so many online resources out there, it is very difficult to figure out which ones are helpful and which ones are not. If you have any questions about an online resource, please come to us and we will help figure out if the website is worth your time.
I would avoid all of the sites that have "forums" where students "chance" each other and guess whether they will be admitted or not according to their profile. Admissions counselors often check these sites (myself included) and are appalled at the misinformation that is given out on these sites.
Many use these sites to simply ask a question about the college. My advice is to go straight to the horses mouth. Many schools have a feature where you can type in a question or "ask a student" and you will receive very prompt response.
Another type of site to take with a big grain of salt are the ones that have student ratings and rankings. You have to be very careful of what you read here-whether good or bad. Typically, you'll read negative reviews that really are not a good indication of what a particular community is like. Keep in mind, if a student was really happy at a school, would they really have the time to be online posting about their experiences. It typically is the unhappy student hiding out in the room posting all of the negative things about the school.
One last thing! Whenever you are looking at "selectivity," please keep in mind that you are looking at numbers that are (at the very least) two years old. There is a reason for this. Guidebooks get the information from what is called the "common data set." This information is released well after the academic year and usually makes it into publication two academic years later. I have yet to see one guidebook in 2007 or 2008 list the correct acceptance rate for Skidore, where I worked in the admissions office.
I would avoid all of the sites that have "forums" where students "chance" each other and guess whether they will be admitted or not according to their profile. Admissions counselors often check these sites (myself included) and are appalled at the misinformation that is given out on these sites.
Many use these sites to simply ask a question about the college. My advice is to go straight to the horses mouth. Many schools have a feature where you can type in a question or "ask a student" and you will receive very prompt response.
Another type of site to take with a big grain of salt are the ones that have student ratings and rankings. You have to be very careful of what you read here-whether good or bad. Typically, you'll read negative reviews that really are not a good indication of what a particular community is like. Keep in mind, if a student was really happy at a school, would they really have the time to be online posting about their experiences. It typically is the unhappy student hiding out in the room posting all of the negative things about the school.
One last thing! Whenever you are looking at "selectivity," please keep in mind that you are looking at numbers that are (at the very least) two years old. There is a reason for this. Guidebooks get the information from what is called the "common data set." This information is released well after the academic year and usually makes it into publication two academic years later. I have yet to see one guidebook in 2007 or 2008 list the correct acceptance rate for Skidore, where I worked in the admissions office.
www.college.gov
www.college.gov is another resource to aid you through the college search process. It may be geared toward to a less privledged student who may be deciding if he/she will atend college. Nonetheeless, it can still be a useful online resource
Yale University
Many will say that if Yale had an achilles, it would be its location in New, Haven, CT. Some sections of this city can be a little sketchy and it’s not advisable to walk alone at night. New Haven is home to many well-known restaurants included Frank Pepe’s Pizza where there always seems to be a line to get in. After our self-tour of Yale’s buildings and community, we stopped by Pepe’s for a taste of what everyone has been raving about. In any case, a visit to Yale (or New Haven) should include a visit to Pepe’s!
Junior Class Trip
Before the start of classes, the Junior class embarked on a rite of passage for virtually all of the St. Luke's student body; the college search. The entire class traveled with eight chaperones to North Hampton, MA. While the trip is designed to help the class bond, we felt it was even more important for the class learns how to begin the college search process. We started the first night with an exercise to challenge the student's biases. The exercise is only as good as the participants and Sonia and I were very pleased with the honesty and maturity the class showed. We used this exercise to help show the type of honesty, self-reflection and critical thinking needed to successfully search for the right college fit.
The next day, the class split up into eight groups and we were able to see Amherst, Hampshire and UMass Amherst. For some of the class, these were relevant schools, and for many-these schools were a terrific starting ground to learn how to actively search for what they were looking for!
The next day, the class split up into eight groups and we were able to see Amherst, Hampshire and UMass Amherst. For some of the class, these were relevant schools, and for many-these schools were a terrific starting ground to learn how to actively search for what they were looking for!
Connecticut College
One of the things you'll find as you start searching small, liberal arts colleges is that many of them are very similar to each other on paper (in the guidebooks). It's very important to visit many of these colleges because it is much easier to distinguish one from the other in person. I recently visited Connecticut College in New London, CT. On paper, it has less than 2,000 students, a very small student to teacher ratio, is interdisciplinary in nature, and relatively close to a major city.
Distinguishing features were the honor code and the intermingled dorms in which twenty five percent of the residents are from each class year. Of course, there are other small colleges that have an honor code and/or intermingled dorms so if these things catch your eye, come see us in College Counseling and we can talk about similar schools
You'll hear mixed things about New London; I enjoyed the town and think of it as a much better than average town to go to college in (especially considering many small, liberal arts colleges do not have towns). It has a number of restaurants, used clothing shops and because it's on the water, it gives students access to ferries and of course, a very strong sailing program.
I loved the soccer goals on the green in the quad. (It could of have been a summer time thing)
A really nice performance space at Connecticut College
Cool! A Wyland mural in New London, CT
Outside the art building designed to let in natural light
Distinguishing features were the honor code and the intermingled dorms in which twenty five percent of the residents are from each class year. Of course, there are other small colleges that have an honor code and/or intermingled dorms so if these things catch your eye, come see us in College Counseling and we can talk about similar schools
You'll hear mixed things about New London; I enjoyed the town and think of it as a much better than average town to go to college in (especially considering many small, liberal arts colleges do not have towns). It has a number of restaurants, used clothing shops and because it's on the water, it gives students access to ferries and of course, a very strong sailing program.
I loved the soccer goals on the green in the quad. (It could of have been a summer time thing)
A really nice performance space at Connecticut College
Cool! A Wyland mural in New London, CT
Outside the art building designed to let in natural light
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
