August 1 Common Application Launches for the 2013-14 year!

Thursday, August 1 is a big day: The Common Application Website opens for registration and private colleges begin to post their supplementary essay questions.  It’s a good idea to go ahead and register on the site as soon as possible on or after this day. 

Watch a demo video that explains how to register for the Common Application. 

During the next several months your high school senior will be required to keep several different passwords to access applications and websites.  You’ll want to keep all these passwords in a safe yet accessible place, perhaps a password protected file on your home computer, or you might even record each password in a small address book.

August is also a good time to begin drafting college application essays, particularly the Common Application Essay and the University of California prompts. 

I’m offering several Peninsula Young Writers College Essay Writing Workshops in the upcoming weeks on the dates below.  If these dates don’t work for your senior’s calendar, I’m happy to schedule another workshop at a mutually convenient date for four or more students:

Thursday, August 1, 7-9:30 pm

Wednesday, August 21, 7-9:30 pm

Tuesday, September 10, 7-9:30 pm

Saturday, September 21, 10 am – 12:30 pm

Tuesday, October 1, 7-9:30 pm

Find more details about the workshops and individual consultations on the Peninsula Young Writers' Website.

Enjoy the remaining weeks of summer!

Urban Campuses

Our family just spent a week in New York City and we had the opportunity to visit both NYU and Columbia—where we also attended an information session and college tour.  Walking through these campuses reminded me of some of the benefits and drawbacks of attending an urban university. 

I was a graduate student at Columbia in the ancient 1980s and while the neighborhood has certainly improved since then, I was reminded of how I sometimes felt “lonely in a crowd” while living in a big city.  Undergraduates and graduates have different experiences, especially socially, but I do believe students who want to attend urban schools need to be aware of salient features of urban college life.

NYU occupies a good chunk of the Greenwich Village neighborhood of lower Manhattan.  University buildings are marked by large purple flags and they are generally within close walking proximity of one
another.  There is no true “campus” at NYU, however.  Washington Square Park really functions as its hub.  The whole area is rich in culture and history, particularly of the arts and politics.  There are great coffee shops, funky art and apparel shops, and clubs and cafes where students abound.  At the Visitor’s Center we found a plethora of publications describing the universities programs in the humanities, sciences, business, and health and human services.  NYU has also developed innovative study abroad programs in Europe, Latin America, Australia and Israel and two other  “campuses” or “global academic centers” in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai.  Walking around the Village we felt an exciting vibe, but it was not primarily due to the students themselves or anything directly related to undergraduate life.

Columbia, in contrast, owns a large acreage in the Upper West Side area of Manhattan, a neighborhood called Morningside Heights.  There is a gate to enter the campus on Broadway and a true quad inside containing most of the academic buildings, Butler Library, and the freshman dormitories.  Yes, the campus is condensed and miniature compared to sprawling campuses like Stanford or Duke, but there is an identifiable center or home for undergraduate life.  During the tour, our guide Andrew explained that the university is also currently building a second campus to house more of the graduate programs elsewhere so that undergraduates will dominate the Morningside Campus even more in subsequent years. 

Like all tour guides, he praised his own college’s curriculum, particularly Columbia’s famous “core,” but he also emphasized the opportunities he has to obtain real-life work experience in NYC while

completing his undergraduate coursework.  He doesn’t have to take time off toe seek an internship elsewhere because the city is literally at his doorstep.

So it seems to me that urban schools have the advantage of not being too separate from “real” life—and the disadvantage, too.  Many students may prefer to have their undergraduate years a bit “apart” from the hustle and bustle of our commercial world.  An on-campus life may allow more time for conversations about courses and common experiences, for interaction with faculty, for building friendships with fellow students without the distraction of broader social and economic opportunity.  Of course there is no right and wrong here, only preference.   For myself, I’m glad I attended an undergraduate institution that had a strong campus identity.  I was ready for the big city a few years later.  Other students have already outgrown their suburban lifestyles and are eager for the chance to explore both a new campus and a new city. 

I hope that this month many of you are completing campus tours and your high school seniors are beginning to finalize their college lists.  When you’re ready, check out the Peninsula Young Writers College Essay Workshops I have lined up August through early October.  I’m happy to add another workshop to the calendar if three or more friends want to schedule one together.

Another Summer College Activity: Campus Tours

Last week on the way back from a hiking trip in the mountains, my husband and I took a pit stop in Davis and visited the University of California campus there.  We happened to arrive at the same time as a huge group of incoming freshmen attending a summer orientation, but that was no problem—the friendly staff at the visitor center handed us a map and brochure and sent us on a self-guided tour.

It turned out to be a great way to orient ourselves around the different areas in Davis and a chance to pause in places we wanted to investigate further.  Plus, UC campuses are quite lively in the summer; there are plenty of graduate students and students working on campus so almost all the buildings were accessible and full of people.

 
Davis is a large, spread out campus in the Central Valley.  Luckily, we arrived on a very rare summer rainy day, so we remained cool.  It’s not beautiful, but a lot of renovation is currently being done.  Also, a new art museum is under construction.  The most impressive building we saw is the Mondavi Performing Arts Center.  Also new and well designed are the Business and Law Schools.

As at other large campuses, the best way to get around is by bicycle.  No cars are allowed in the campus interior; instead there are bike lanes and bike roundabouts.  Over 40,000 bikes are on campus!  I overhead a student tour guide telling the incoming freshmen how to avoid a mud "skunk stripe" on their backs--be sure to have a fender on your bicycle!

A lovely, restful spot for escapes from the school hubub or to find solitude is the Arboretum by Putah Creek. 

Shields Library, the main library on campus is impressive. It holds over 3 million volumes.  We walked through the ground floor and noticed plenty of areas to study, as well as a shady courtyard in the center of the building.

There doesn't seem to be one main "quad" or gathering places for students; instead there are different "districts" for the sciences, agriculture, the arts.  Clearly, sciences are strong here—there are many labs and updated buildings.  The music, theatre and dance area by contrast looks shabby and of an earlier era. 

We had a serendipitous encounter at the "Food Science Sensory Facility," a lab where a researcher employs graduate students to test consumer products like body wash and cornbread.  The researcher was so friendly; she showed us around and invited us to taste the flavored nuts she and the students are

selling to help local farmers.

Student activities include sports outings such as kayaking and climbing, a large and modern fitness center, and two Cohos or student run coffee houses/ food centers.  The students also run the campus bus system, which serves the whole city of Davis.  Students are drivers, mechanics and supervisors.  What impressive initiatives!

Davis is not just a school for “aggies” either. Many different students with different interests and politics would feel comfortable here.  The majority group of students is Asian (40%) followed by Caucasian (33%) and Hispanic (16%). 

Also offered are different Honors programs that are well worth applying for as they allow greater student-faculty contact, research opportunities, and priority registration.

All in all it was an interesting and informative tour.  The only change I would make next time would be to approach some current students at the Coho or in the library and ask them what they like and dislike about their school.

So on your way to or from a driving vacation this summer, consider stopping in at one of the UC or CSU campuses.  You may end up adding one to your college list you hadn’t considered before.

*July special for all PYW College Search Blog readers:

Refer a friend to a Peninsula Young Writers College Essay Workshop and receive a $25 discount on your own registration!

Summer: Time to make a jump start on college essays!

The summer before senior year in high school is a great time to begin working on college essays. . . but there are a couple of considerations.  First, many students will have pivotal or unusual experiences during this summer that they are not quite yet ready to record, let alone reflect upon.  Second, private colleges and universities wait to post their supplemental essay topics until late summer, so these topics won’t be available until early August.

Nonetheless, the topics for the Common Application and for public are available now, and at the very least, students should familiarize themselves with these topics.  Freewrite or brainstorm for 5 minutes on each prompt and see which ones you have the most to “say” about.

Another important task or activity for this summer is journal writing.  Before trying to tackle the essay prompts themselves, it’s a good idea to generate some “raw material” through free writing or journal keeping.  Dedicate a separate notebook to journal writing.  Keep track of interesting or important events, activities or observations and then describe your reaction to them.  

Here are a few additional suggestions for journal topics:

--Reflect on the high and low points of your past school year; what made these experiences rewarding, frustrating, or exciting?  What did you learn from each?

--List 20 adjectives that describe your personality, then circle three of them and freewrite for 5 minutes on each of these.  What events or situations have revealed these traits to others?

--Evaluate two of your greatest character strengths and two main weaknesses.  Might your weaknesses be related to your strengths in some way?  How might you overcome your weaknesses or convert them into strengths?

--How might your best friend describe you?  Your favorite teacher?  Your parents?

--Make a list of what knowledge, skills, experiences and relationships you hope to gain from college.  How will you accomplish these?

In August incoming high school seniors might begin actually drafting their first essays.  Peninsula Young Writers offers several College Essay Writing Workshops that include two private consultations to help with this process.  Visit the website: www.pwlp for more details.

Starting or Continuing the College Conversation with your Teen

We’ve probably all been reading and hearing a lot about finding the right “fit” as your high school student begins investigating colleges.  It’s sometimes difficult to keep focused on researching what schools might provide both the best educational and social environment with all the hype about getting into the most prestigious college.  Just last week when I was advising undergraduate students at

Stanford, a sophomore came to see me about taking a leave of absence.  Although Stanford had been a “dream” school for him, he was feeling more and more unmotivated in his classes with each passing term and was beginning to realize that he didn’t like attending a school so far from home.

So as your teen develops a college list try to avoid saying or even thinking that phrase—“getting into” college.  By carefully choosing schools that match academic and extracurricular interests as well as learning environment, your child will enhance a successful outcome to the college search.

As summer approaches I find myself feeling both curious and impatient about which schools my daughter Lily is adding to her list.  I’m trying to let her approach me with observations and questions rather than pelt her with my own.  However, I think there are a few ways to initiate a healthy conversation.  You might look over the college search books I mentioned in an earlier blog post for suggestions. 

Also, I recommend a book called College Admissions Together: It Takes a Family by Seven Goodman and Andrea Leiman.  It contains helpful role plays and exercises you can use to begin to let your child take on more independence and responsibility in this process.  The first exercise in chapter 1, “Role Reversal 101” is particularly effective in helping different family members appreciate one another’s perspectives.

Don’t forget the role of high school guidance and college counselors as well as independent college consultants in the process.

*If you’re considering enrolling your child in one of my essay writing workshops later this summer, here’s a special early enrollment discount until June 10: write “College Blog Special” on the registration form and take $15 off the tuition price for a total price of $285. 

Late Spring Recommendations for Juniors and their parents

This is a frantically busy time for most families with high school aged students.  But before leaving school for the summer, juniors and their parents should follow-up on a few tasks to prepare for the college application season in the fall. 

1) If possible, attend an event at your child’s school where high school seniors and/or their parents discuss their college search process.  Sequoia High School in Redwood City is offering a panel of senior students and their parents this Thursday, May 16 at 7 pm in Carrington Hall.  I’m sure you could attend even if your child is not a Sequoia student.

2) Remind your junior to ask or pre-ask teachers for recommendations this spring; some teachers limit the number of recommendations they will write and others like to plan ahead of time to gather better impressions of their students in order to write more specific letters.

3) Review the tests your child plans to take: SAT and/or ACT, any required subject tests; plan ahead for fall exam dates.

4) Encourage your child to develop a well-researched list of about 6-12 schools he/she is interested in ranging from safety schools to target and reach schools.  Ideally, the final list of schools to apply to should be around 8 schools, but this number can vary depending on a student’s fields of interests, athletic or other scholarships, and financial considerations.

5) Begin researching your family’s expected contribution to college costs.  You can visit college websites and use their financial adi calculators, visit the IES CollegeNavigator for more information about individual college’s financial aid statistics, and preview the 2012 FAFSA so you know what information you’ll need to provide when you fill out next year’s form in January. 

I’d also like to recommend College Funding Specialist Beatrice Schultz, who can help you determine the best financial plan for paying for college as well as how best to qualify for financial aid.

6) Encourage your junior to begin brainstorming and drafting college essays this summer; sign up for a Peninsula Young Writers workshop or consultation. 

Hang in there—summer is around the corner!