OC Family - Moms. Kids. Life. - (College Bound)

YouTube to Get into College

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:06:00 GMT

Ten years ago we were still talking about paper college applications, but now paper applications are a thing of the past. For the last few years online applications have become mainstream. However, college admissions has its own evolution and nowYouTube may be the latest supplement to college application of the future.

Tufts University allowed students to submit a YouTube video as part of the supplemental portion of their application. Over 1,000 students submitted videos and the snippets of life that they depict prove to be quite entertaining. Math Dances was one of my favorites. I cannot wait to see what students from Orange County come up with and how colleges will continue to utilize YouTube and other social media in the admissions process.

Coleen Bryan is an independent admission consultant serving southern Orange County with her college counseling expertise in college advising and college essay editing. Follow her on twitter or become a fan on facebook.

Recession Friendly Test Prep

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 06:55:00 GMT

As Robert mentioned in yesterday's post, the amount of money you spend on test preparation does not correlate to success. Preparation for college entrance exams takes academic consistency. Students must challenge themselves in school and couple that with preparing for the SAT or ACT with some kind of individualized program. Whatever helps a student practice and stay motivated is the best kind of preparation program for that student. Students can choose a book, online tools, class, tutor, or the infamous xiggi method; but the choice must give them the opportunity to practice taking exams and become comfortable with the testing format of the SAT and/or ACT.

Here are several resources to find free SAT and ACT prep online:

Kaplan

Receive free Vocabulary Exercises via Email

Number 2

Free Online Test Prep for the SAT and ACT

ACT Student

Free ACT Prep

Best of luck with Test Prep!

To Prep or Not to Prep

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:20:00 GMT

Many students want to know the perfect equation for them to get a 2400 on the SAT, they often bring up those siblings in Irvine who both received perfect scores from University High. I decided to ask Robert Bennigsdorf from Comprehsive College Prep in Laguna Hills, a local test prep expert to summarize his take on test prep:

(Coleen's Favorite Study Guide for the SAT)

Test prep is not required. In fact it shouldn’t even be needed.

The SAT and ACT are designed to test the level of a high school student’s readiness to perform in a college classroom; they’re not designed to see who has the money to spend on expensive test prep courses. Then why do so many students attend test prep classes? And why do these test prep classes claim success in raising scores?

The answer can be found at the gym. No one needs a personal trainer - we know how to exercise and lose weight. Run here, do push up there, it’s natural. But why are there so many personal trainers? 2 reasons: (1) to show you the best way to do it and (2) to make sure you do it. The same reasons applies to SAT/ACT test prep. Does anyone have a child just begging for their parents to purchase them the SAT practice book so that he or she can sit down on weekends and read it cover to cover? I didn’t think so. That’s why you need test prep. To make sure your student practices the tests - and practices them the “right” way - in order to maximize his or her score. I cannot tell you how many students I’ve come across who do not score up to their intellectual and academic level on their first practice test simply because they don’t like tests. Test prep helps students get past that mental block and achieve the score they deserve.

Now that we know we need the assistance of an expert, the next questions is “When?” My personal recommendation is to begin prep during the summer between Sophomore and Junior year. This allows students to take the SAT and ACT in October and determine which they they are better at. Colleges only need one test, but some students are naturally better at one over the other. Once you know which test is “the test” for your student, additional practice should be done for a retake of that one test. This retake should be done between January and April, before the rigorous studying for AP test or IB exams begins. Hopefully students can be done at this point, leaving their May and June exams open for Subject Tests and simply studying for finals instead of stressing over the SAT and ACT. In addition they don’t have to spend the next summer doing prep and can instead devote it to the other parts of the college applications - community service, research, internships, etc.

The final question is “How Much?” We never want to stress our students out or overload them with so much prep that they burn out. So it’s a fine line we walk between helping them be as prepared as possible and remembering that they are teenagers who would like to have a life outside of school work. There are those that ignore the social need of students and throw their children at intensive programs that meet for hours a days and assign so much homework that students aren’t able to see the light of day. Then there are those who don’t do any prep and just roll the dice on their score. I believe in a moderate and reasonable approach. I want students to be prepared, but not over-prepared. We all know that students have a breaking point at which they don’t try anymore, so the trick is getting as close as you can to that without crossing it. After all, if the student doesn’t give 100% then there is no improvement.

I agree with Robert whole-heartedly that test prep involves giving 100% effort to trying to secure the best score possible without going overboard, so that you can submit them with no regrets. For some students that means finding test prep company , an individual tutor, or studying on their own, but every student should remember that practice might mean perfect.

The Path from the OC to the Ivy League

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:26:00 GMT

There are many wonderful things about Orange County, but when it come to college admissions too much of a good thing can be overwhelming. Every year as I read college essays and review applications, I am amazed at the caliber of students that come from our community. I have met so many accomplished high school students from cities like Irvine, Laguna, and Mission Viejo through college admissions counseling that exhibit amazing qualities. However, it takes an exceptional person to make it to the Ivy League and not every student would thrive in an Ivy League environment. Being amazing, while doing ordinary things does not usually get you into Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University,Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, or even Yale University. How to get into an Ivy stems from being an extraordinary student doing amazing things that are out of the ordinary.

Student Profile #1: Typical Good Student from the OC Academics: High GPA in Challenging classes (Some APs) Testing: Solid scores on the SAT and possibly the SAT IIs Activities: Team Captain of an athletic team or President of a club Community Service: Various hours volunteering for the local hospital or a few mission trip to Mexico Essay Topic: Leadership or Community Service Student Profile #2: Extraordinary OC student with Ivy potential Academics: High GPA in Challenging classes and focused independent academic research (example:environmental science) Testing: Solid SAT/ACT scores and SAT II scores (demonstrating academic strength in certain subjects) Activities: Accomplished Athlete (gymnast or rowing) or Founder of a club geared toward developing global service opportunities for high school students Community Service: Volunteer in Equador helping a town in build a cheese making factory for the economic stability of the community Essay Topic: How Fantasia (the movie) relates to the chemical make-up of plants As you can see from the two profiles the second student demonstrates more unique and independent academic and co-curricular contributions during high school; thus, making them stand out among other applicants, but more importantly making them an extraordinary student. Not every seventeen year old wants to spend time doing academic research or building a cheese factory in a third world country. How to get into Harvard or just How to get into the Ivy league, all depends on you making the most of your high school experience by thinking outside of the walls of your high school and making the most of the world around you and how you as a person can contribute to that world. It is easy to find ways to contribute within the walls of your high school, but it takes an extraordinary person to find ways to contribute to the world outside those walls and encourage students to do the same. Ivies are looking for those extraordinary students.

Getting Into Columbia

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:22:00 GMT

On College Bound I wanted to share the real life admission experiences of high school students from Orange County. The first profile I would like to share is of Jacquie, an accomplished student from Orange County that was accepted last year to Columbia University (Early Decision).

Her Stats

GPA : 4.0
SAT Score: Top 10%
Extracurricular: Track, Girls State, Student Government, Art
High School: Private

Jacquie is an amazing individual and from our very first meeting I knew that she would go far in life. She has a natural motivation and desire to not only contribute to her community, but the world as a whole. It was no surprise that Columbia turned out to be the perfect fit.

I asked Jacquie to answer a few questions about the process and here are her responses:

Why Columbia?

Ironically, Columbia did not even make my top 10 list at first. When I first came to visit, it was a cold December day during my Christmas break and the campus was empty, the taxi took us on a long drive through Harlem to get here, and it had gates on all sides of the campus like my high school did. At that point I did not want to look at Columbia, but it was at a College Night information session where I hear the dean speak about how the location, even in a lower area, makes the opportunities for students to get involved with community projects even greater and the educational experiences of living in a city opens up doors for you. At this point I considered Columbia in my top 3, but it wasn't until August going into Senior year I sat down with my college counselor, Coleen, and looked at my long term goals of law school and internships that I realized not only that the programs matched my interests but that Columbia was going to be the launch pad to put me where I wanted to end up.

What made you stand out in the admissions process?

I think a main reason I was accepted to Columbia had to do a lot with my essays and the goals they reflected. Everyone always tells you to find something you are passionate about, but I realized I had a couple passions, painting and politics, and it was the moment that I was able to make both paths cross that I saw I could introduce myself to the admissions staff not only as a political science major, but as a student who would expand the boundaries of that typical major and play with different mediums, like art, to get my message across.

Do you have any advice that you would like to share with other high school students in Orange County?

As a junior I was head strong and had my mind set on one school, Harvard, and although this pushed me to work my hardest to get into the school of my dreams - I would recommend all 11th graders to keep an open mind and really visit the campuses (at a decent time of the year where you can get an accurate view of school life). Furthermore, after being here for a couple months I realized there are a lot more factors that they don't tell you about when you look at schools. I was a girl that really really wanted to go away, move out of state and cross country for that matter but what I didn't consider is how willing you must be to pack up your life and ship it all, or pack it on the plane, things are EXPENSIVE! simply getting your stuff to school is a challenge - then consider the cost of travel tickets, and how often you want to see your friends and family at home. Also look at the cost of where you are living - New York is very very expensive for simple things and requires budgeting. Juniors - there are things you won't realize and learn until you are actually in the college position, but for now just really look at where you will be able to live and study for a long time.

Thanks Jacquie for your insight! We wish you the best of luck at Columbia University!

Coleen Bryan is an independent admission consultant serving southern Orange County with her college counseling expertise and college essay editing experience. Follow her on twitter or become a fan on facebook.

The College Interview: Don't Panic

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:42:00 GMT

When the phrase college interview comes up most students panic, but quite honestly the interview should be one of the more enjoyable parts of the admissions process because you can learn more about the college and they can discover more about you. Most students come out of the interview relieved because they realize that the interview is not an interrogation and more of a conversation. Here are a few essential dos and don’ts to make the most of your interview:

Do

Do research and prepare to ask questions about the school to demonstrate your interests
Do bring your resume, transcript, and supplemental material just in case your interviewer asks for additional information
Do remember simple courtesy (firm hand shake and eye contact)

Don’t

Don't be late
Don't respond to questions with just yes and no answers
Don't be afraid to elaborate on your achievements and interests
Don't forget to write a thank you note

Good Luck!

Coleen Bryan is an independent admission consultant serving southern Orange County with her college counseling expertise. Follow her on twitter or become a fan on facebook.

Welcome to College Bound

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:20:00 GMT

Happy New Year!

Welcome to College Bound, a blog dedicated to sharing the resources and strategies to help Orange County families with successful college planning.

I love the beginning of each year because you not only get a fresh start, but you can begin making new goals for the year.   When you are planning for college goal setting is an essential element to success. Here are four simple goals for 2010 that will jump start college planning:

1) Challenge yourself academically.   This year try to not only maintain your GPA, but also add a challenging course or try learning a new subject that is out of your comfort zone.

2) Volunteer in your community. Volunteering is one of the best ways to give back to you community and really can make an application stand out. More importantly community service develops character and helps you learn about your own strengths and values.

3)   Read!   In a world of abbreviated texts and e-mail it is so important that students take the time to read challenging books that develop their vocabulary and analytical skills.

4) Try something new. Make 2010 count by doing something like starting a club at school or learning a new instrument. By being a pioneer of something you set yourself apart from your peers and build leadership skills that will help you prepare for college.

As a College Counselor I love being able to share information with the community and I am so excited to be able to share with you the latest news and information regarding college admissions via College Bound. Here's to 2010!