Just Like That…The Honeymoon Is Over?
Brace yourself, it’s about time for many ninth graders to encounter their first speed bump…
The first few weeks are done and the excitement/anxiety/anticipation/nervousness/(insert your own emotion) has likely worn off, leading many first time high schoolers to entertain some variant of “What have I gotten myself into?”
You took all Honors courses. You’re playing a sport. You have a role in the play. You thought you could handle it. You hoped that it would be different than school has been in the past. You feel lost in the big school. You don’t have any friends in your classes. You’re not getting enough sleep. You’re anxious all the time. It isn’t at all what you thought it would be.
Push Ins
Once upon a time, we pretty much left sophomores to their own devices for the vast majority of the year, getting to them last and often last minute as the school year was winding down.
We made a commitment to shake things up last year and it worked out really well. We “pushed in” to our sophomore Advisories throughout the year and gave them much more to work with in terms of postsecondary preparation.
We know a good thing when we see it, so we will be doing it again this year. After all, this is why we assign counselors to students on the basis of Advisory, so that we can easily meet with all our kids as the needs arise.
A couple of central themes for the sophomore year:
Ikigai is the Japanese concept of living a purposeful life. The idea is that we all have a “Sweet Spot” in which what we love to do, are good at, can make money doing, and is useful to the world converges in the very middle as Ikigai: one’s purpose or reason for being.
This is very much an individual prospect–no two Ikigais are alike–much the same as fingerprints. THE principle developmental task of adolescence is figuring out who you are; Ikigai may not be all of one’s identity, but it will be a significant portion. The plan is to advance each kids’ progress toward identifying their Ikigai as we continue throughout the year.
The other circle that we will use this year is our Wheel Of Waypoints, to help students identify the postsecondary pathway that best fits each individual. We have tweaked and tweaked both the graphic and the concept for months now, and have commissioned a new design, presently under construction. There are so many directions to take upon graduating from high school, and we are committed to helping each kid figure out their path forward.
DWF: Direct to workforce without any additional training or education beyond high school; Students who have completed a CTE program at MCST often have sufficient skills, industry certifications, and experience to enter the workforce without the need for any additional training. They graduate work-ready on day one.
WFD: Participation in a workforce development program that trains students for a particular career; Often, but not always, this includes the Maine Community College System https://www.mccs.me.edu/workforce-training/train-my-workforce/
MIL: Military service, which involves additional training for the jobs which a recruit qualifies based on their ASVAB scores; People who are in the service have jobs while they are in that often help land them jobs when they are out.
CCT: Community College/Trade; Free community college has exploded enrollments in the Maine Community College System (MCCS), but there are other trade schools too, many associated with Maine's boatbuilding heritage. There is no dichotomy between college and trade schools. Many students pursue a trade at a community college. College and trade school are not separate entities.
FYC: Four-year colleges with reasonable acceptance rates making it possible for a broad spectrum of students to enroll.
HSC: highly selective colleges require a completely different parallel process that extends way beyond what students applying to reasonably accessible FYCs need to complete before applying. If 18,000 kids are applying for 1,400 available slots, students need to distinguish themselves through rigorous academics, plentiful co-curricular participation, and favorable intangibles that exude the certain je ne sais quoi that the school’s enrollment management folks have targeted for a particular admission cycle. There’s just no way to know if your profile is the “right” one in any given year, so you have to (over) prepare for any possibility.
Goldiloxin’
Nearly every student claims to be college bound during their 9th grade visit. Some students are genuinely undecided, but the vast majority profess to be thinking about college nevertheless. In my 25 years at CHRHS, the percentage of students who pursue postsecondary education is consistently around 75%, 3 out of 4. This includes students who attend community college, which is what “trade schools” are called in Maine. Unfortunately, there is often a false dichotomy created between “trade schools” and college (I’m pretty sure that you’ve seen the memes). Henceforth and forever, when I refer to “college” I am referring to ALL two and four year institutions of higher learning. We certainly assist students who have other aspirations, but the numbers push the focus: most of what we do revolves around preparing for college.
The college process is stressful to the degree that it is compacted. If you spread things out, it’s not so bad. Which is where the sophomore year comes in. It’s time to get you on campus.
Postsecondary Guide
If you haven’t checked out the CHILLS School Counseling Department page, you really should. There is a TON of information to help you move toward your goals after high school.
Among other things, there’s a link to our Postsecondary Guide, chock full of useful information and tips about how to get where you want to go from where you are now. Be sure to check it out!
You’ve Got This Juniors!
“Hey Juniors—Congratulations! It may seem like passing the half-way point of your high school career isn’t that big of a deal when your school is probably focused on getting freshmen acquainted with campus and helping the seniors apply to college, but make no mistake—this is your big year, and you should treat it as such!
When you apply to colleges, your junior year transcripts will provide the most recent academic information that we have about you, and while this is very important to remember, it’s not the only reason this is a big year for you!
We expect that you’ve got a lot going on right now—you’re still maturing into the person you want to be, taking challenging courses, exploring your passions, taking on more responsibility, and thinking a lot about what the future may hold for you. To help you navigate it, we’ve got some Jumbo words of wisdom for you! Read on…
Endicott is Coming on Friday! Here are some photos that I took last fall when I visited.
You may have heard that Endicott has its own beach… Absolutely true!
Congratulations! You have been accepted to (a college that you haven’t even applied to)...
Wait, what?
We addressed Direct Admissions in a previous episode of the Courier, but DA has taken on new significance since students enrolled in the Early College program got DA offers from UMaine this week.
Yes, you read that right: some of our kids have the option to be done and dusted with college apps just three weeks into the school year, complete with offers to apply for Merit Scholarships and the Honors College.
UMaine is not alone. 117 Common App institutions will be notifying students through their Common App that they have been accepted without even applying! Colleges are a business at the end of the day, and “sure things” are welcome. Yield (the number of students who accept a college’s offer out of all those that apply) is a notoriously challenging endeavor; the sooner they know how many beds will be full in the coming year, the better the Deans of Enrollment Management sleep at night.
Here’s The College Spy’s take on DA:
“DIRECT ADMISSIONS AND SCHOLARSHIPS ARE DISTRACTING
Some colleges offer acceptances to students who have not applied to their colleges. This is called "direct admissions", and it is becoming more popular with colleges each year. Direct admissions is a "college-friendly" policy that aids colleges in meeting their enrollment goals. I am not convinced, however, that direct admissions is a "student-friendly" policy.
While it is exciting for students to receive an offer from a college early in the admissions process that they did not even apply to, the experience can distract students from pursuing a "best fit" college. All of a sudden, they are focused on a college that offered them admissions, but that college might not be right for the student. (If it was, the student would likely have already been considering it!)
In my experience, a similar thing happens when students receive a substantial scholarship from a college. That college flies to the top of the student's list simply because the student feels like that college wants them. That feeling (and the student's response) is exactly what colleges are are hoping for when they offer scholarships (and direct admissions).
On the other hand, it is possible that an offer (admissions or scholarship) comes from a college that IS a good fit for the student. The offer might open a student's mind to a college option that they were not previously considering.
We suggest that students who receive offers of admissions or scholarships from colleges react evenly. If the college is a good fit, take the offer seriously. If not, move on! Focusing on the right fit is the key to happiness and success in college.”
Also from The College Spy!
FREE WEBINAR: COLLEGE ESSAYS AND SUPPLEMENTS
If your senior is writing an essay this fall, AND you missed our webinar on essays and supplements, click here and watch the recording on demand. The feedback from parents on this particular webinar was very positive, and we hope you can make time to view it.
Free College Applications: Colleges With No Fees Or Fee Waivers
Most colleges charge application fees of around $50 per application, but they can sometimes be as high as $90. This can really add up if you're applying to 4-7 colleges. However, there are also plenty of free college applications as well - you just have to know where to look.
These free college applications can take several forms:
Fee Waivers: Where the college charges no application fees for you, because you meet a specific criteria like being a low income student.
Free College Application Weeks: Many states offer free college application weeks for their state university system, typically happening in October every year.
Colleges With No Application Fees: There are also about 170 colleges that simply don't charge an application fee to apply
19 Questions College Financial Aid Officers Wish Parents Would Ask
What We’re Reading
• The Hidden Factors Influencing Admissions Decisions