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The ASVAB Career Exploration Program

The ASVAB Career Exploration Program is offering a Continuing Education (CE) sessions every month! Each session earns you one hour of FREE NBCC-approved CE credit! Make sure to reserve your spot! 

In Session 1 you can get a rundown of all the Career Exploration Components available to your students at NO COST to them or your school. Beyond the test, the ASVAB CEP consists of several main components – an interest inventory based on John Holland’s RIASEC codes called Find Your Interests (FYI), a Work Values assessment, over 1,000 career profiles to explore in the OCCU-Find, career planning tools, and engaging classroom activities. 

In Session 2 you can delve deeper into the Career Exploration Program and see how the program uses a whole-person assessment to identify students’ cognitive and non-cognitive characteristics. The program optimizes career opportunities they can explore at NO COST to them. It also provides guidance tools that link students with careers in all four major occupational pathways (college, work-based learning, federal government, and the military). 

Here is a link that shows all the available dates: https://www.asvabprogram.com/continuing-education

10 Commandments of the College Admissions Process (Part 2)

So, last week I shared my thoughts on the important basics, as families begin the college admissions process. I talked about:

Commandment # 1:  advised that students spend some time understanding who they are, what they want, and where they’d like to be in the future.

Commandment # 2: cautioned families to do their best not to fall prey to stereotypes and preconceived notions about certain colleges.

Commandment # 3: recommended that families begin visiting campuses early in the process and to go beyond the standard fare of just the required information session and a campus tour.

Commandment # 4: encouraged students to get involved in their community outside of their high school and

Commandment # 5: emphasized that students should take the most rigorous curriculum they can handle inside their school.

Here is a link to last week’s column if you missed it: https://www.linkforcounselors.com/10-commandments-of-the-college-admissions-process/

Today’s column will feature Commandments 6-10:

THOU SHALT…

Commandment # 6: HONOR YOURSELF IN YOUR ESSAYS. Be true to who you are. Write what you care about, now what you think college admissions officers want to read.

Commandment #7: MAKE YOUR SUMMERS COUNT. Do something over the summer that no one else in your high school is doing. Summer activities are one of the best opportunities for students to set themselves apart. Show colleges what you care about, and what’s important to you.

Commandment # 8: DEMONSTRATE LEADERSHIP. Here’s the caveat, not everybody is destined to be a leader, but if you have the confidence and people skills, use them. Leadership is the single most transferrable characteristic from high school to college. Follow your passions and get involved in clubs and activities that you really care about, not ones you think will look good on your resume.

Commandment # 9: CREATE A REASONABLE LIST. Don’t panic and overapply. You’re better off doing your due diligence upfront; determining why each college needs to stay on your list, having a balanced list with reach schools, target schools, and safety schools, and knowing you could be happy in a variety of settings.

Commandment # 10:  ENCOURAGE PERSPECTIVE FROM EVERYONE. This is targeted at both parents and students. This isn’t a life-and-death scenario. You CAN be happy at a range of schools. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t have a top choice, but rather, recognize how fortunate you will be to have choices and carry that perspective as you move through the process. This means that families shouldn’t stress about standardized tests; plenty of amazing colleges and universities are test-optional.

Navigating the college admissions process can be stressful, but try to take these “commandments” to heart as you make your way through because it can also be an incredibly enlightening experience and a wonderful bonding opportunity for parents and children.

Lee Bierer is an independent college adviser based in Charlotte. Send questions to: lee@bierercollegeconsulting.com; www.bierercollegeconsulting.com 

Summer Science Program Available for Your Students

The Summer Science Program (SSP), which currently offers high school juniors not-for-credit collaborative, rigorous research tracks in Astrophysics, Biochemistry, Genomics, and Synthetic Chemistry which are hosted on college campuses throughout the country. The program meets 100% of demonstrated financial need (as determined by their financial aid application) for every admitted student including need-based aid for flights, room, and board, etc. and are need blind, making this a particularly good fit for first-generation, low-income students looking for a challenge, opportunity for growth, and increased comfort/confidence in collegiate and professional spaces.

These programs focus on creating an environment of challenge and support designed to increase confidence and competence in STEM research environments. SSP encourages students from backgrounds historically underrepresented in the sciences to apply to these programs. This includes, but is not limited to, those who identify with the following backgrounds: first generation to college, African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, low income/low socioeconomic status, from rural and/or under-resourced communities, and those from underrepresented gender identities. 

Students can apply here through 2/21: Applying to SSP – SSP International .

here

Social Media Addiction/Depression Video for High School/Middle School Students

Many teens do not understand the link between social media addiction and depression/anxiety. This video explains that link. Follow up questions included.

Screen time is literally rewiring the brains of the nation’s youth..This teaches students why excessive screen time is dangerous – it also covers why it can lead to depression and anxiety. Perfect for middle and high school students. Keith explains the science behind social media/gaming addiction in a way students can understand. Follow up questions for class discussion included. Play video and then pause for class discussion questions at the end. This video lesson includes closed captioning and meets ADA guidelines and will support your current anti bullying teaching objectives. Feel free to use this video to augment your existing anti cyber bullying program. Keith’s anti bullying and character education curriculum is appropriate for middle and high school students.

Keith Deltano has served and worked with youth and families as a public school teacher, academic coach, parent coach, and international touring educational comedian. He is the winner of the Teacher Excellence Award for his work with at risk youth and the creator of the SEL video curriculum, https://charactervideo.org/

The vital role of America’s school counselors

While many outside of America’s public schools may not be aware, this week, February 3-7, marks National School Counseling Week. As a higher education professional, and as a parent, this week serves as an opportunity to recognize the incredible impact that school counselors make on students, families, and communities – especially for neurodivergent students with learning differences like dyslexia, ADHD, and autism – whom we exclusively serve at Landmark College on our Putney, Vermont campus, online, and through our Bay Area Success Center in California. Beyond celebrating the profession, however, it’s also a reminder that we as parents, citizens, and fellow education professionals have an obligation to speak up and advocate for the critically important work our school counselors perform, often under adverse conditions and unsustainable caseloads.

Appropriately, the theme for this year’s National School Counseling Week is “School Counselors: Helping Students Thrive.” At Landmark, we see the product of exactly that every day. School counselors play an essential role in helping neurodivergent students to identify and build upon their strengths as learners and communicators. We know at Landmark that taking a strengths-based approach is essential to help neurodivergent students develop self-advocacy skills that college, employers, and adulthood will require of them, regardless of the exact path they take. While there are a range of post-secondary paths for each student – neurodivergent or neurotypical – as admissions professionals, we see the dedication and personalization required of counselors when it comes to determining whether a student would be the right fit for Landmark College.

But to help every student thrive, we must do more to support school counselors. Today’s students face multiple crises that are upending public K-12 and higher education alike – from Covid learning loss and school closures to the rise of social media and the subsequent rise in adolescent mental health challenges – and yet school counselors are often underpaid and overworked. The American School Counselors Association reports that, today, the average school counselor manages a caseload of 385 students, a whopping 54% higher than what is considered the appropriate ratio of 250:1. Just two out of 50 states – Vermont and New Hampshire – have a ratio of below 250:1.  

On a personal level, I am fortunate to live and work in both of those states – and I see the impact of appropriate counselor staffing ratios as a parent. While my son is only seven years old, he has already developed a crucial relationship with his school counselor, Becky Kohler, at Chesterfield Central School. Ms. Kohler has quickly become a trusted friend of and advocate for our child, helping him to develop successful traits as a student, and helping us as parents to better support him in home-to-school transitions and vice versa. Every parent, and every child, deserves this sort of individualized and caring attention – and it will save our education system costs over the long-term. But to make that a reality, we need to do more to recruit and retain high-quality school counselors in every school district so that staffing ratios can reach best-practice levels.

In addition to our continued advocacy for the counseling profession, Landmark College is proud to offer a number of resources that we would encourage counselors, special educators, parents, and students themselves to utilize. Examples range from information and learning modules for parents with a neurodivergent child on our family resource hub to resources for students from our Success Center, and professional development for educators through our Landmark College Institute for Research and Training. At Landmark College we know that most of our students would not be here without a school counselor who supported them. This National School Counseling Week, and always, we’re proud to support the school counselors shaping the lives of our students, and other children nationwide.

Michael Stefanowicz, M.Ed. serves as the Vice President for Enrollment Management at Landmark College, leading admissions and financial aid strategies for the Putney, VT campus and online programs.  Mike presents at national and regional conferences on a range of topics including neurodivergent student success in the college search, secondary school curriculum, and enrollment and marketing strategies.  Mike and his wife, Nicole, live in southwestern New Hampshire with their first-grader, Patrick; preschooler, Calliope; and Landmark College certified therapy dog, Waffle.

10 Commandments of the college admissions process

I’ve been helping students and families navigate the college admissions process for a long time now and there are some basic fundamental truths. I’m calling them my 10 commandments of the college admissions process. I’m sharing Commandments 1-5 this week and 6-10 next week.

THOU SHALT…

  1. Know thyself – For this process to really work, students need to have a better understanding of their wants, their likes, and very importantly, their dislikes. This isn’t just about academics. In fact, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 80 percent of students in the United States change their major at least once. On average, college students change their major at least three times throughout their college career, so knowing themselves is more than identifying a major from a long list of options.  Knowing oneself should go beyond whether the school is dominated by Greek life and has a “ra-ra” sports vibe too. Students should consider their learning styles, accessibility to professors, specialized co-op/internship programs and study abroad opportunities. They should also be thinking about the size of the city/town, access to cultural events, restaurants, etc., as well as climate, distance from home, and ease of getting to campus. Take a college major and career assessment and a college personality quiz. They will help frame your college list.
  1. Not fall prey to stereotypes – Rankings aren’t very meaningful if you’re at the bottom of your class at the most prestigious university. A student with a strong GPA, some internship and work experience will always be the preferred hire than a student who didn’t perform well at a more name-brand institution.
  2. Not fail to visit colleges – It’s important for a student to “trod the sod” and get on campus to check out the kids, the college town, the dorms, the food and most importantly the “vibe.” Do they feel like this is a place where they can thrive. I ask students to provide me with specifics about why each school is a good academic fit and a good social fit for them and why it isn’t a good fit for them.
  3. Perform to the best of your abilities – Colleges are more likely to accept and admire a student who worked hard in challenging classes, but didn’t necessarily receive straight A’s. Colleges are generally less likely to accept students who have strong test scores but a weaker GPA.
  4. Be active in your community – Colleges definitely want to know that a student has contributed to their school and/or their community. The activity list on applications asks students to share where they’ve spent their time during high school. The list asks for specifics; how many hours per week and how many weeks per year. The earlier you start keeping track of your club activities, what you’re doing in the summer and outside of school, the better off you’ll be when it comes time to complete the college applications.

NEXT WEEK: COMMANDMENTS 6 – 10.

Lee Bierer is an independent college adviser based in Charlotte. Send questions to: lee@bierercollegeconsulting.com; www.bierercollegeconsulting.com 

Final Blog from The College Solution (Lynn O’Shaughnessy)

A few times over the years I have featured blogs from Lynn O’Shaughnessy. She was the founder and owner of the College Solution which helped students find the right college for them by working with them and their families. Her blogs were great and recently she sent out the below note letting her readers know she was closing up shop. She sent one final post which had some great information. I’ve shared that here and wanted to thank her for all those years of putting out fantastic information for students, their parents and of course for Counselors. Here is her final farewell and blog. Enjoy!

I’m closing up shop at The College Solution, but I’m not going to leave you empty-handed.    You may have noticed that I stopped sending out my newsletter awhile ago. I simply lost interest and became passionate about other things.   Since it would be lame to simply say goodbye (and of no use to anyone), I’m leaving you with some relevant tips to find your own college solution!
No. 1. Check out College ROI
Families often fixate on the brand names of colleges rather than other factors such as what a major’s return on investment (ROI) will be at a specific school. It’s untrue that getting into a prestigious institution will guarantee an enviable lifetime of earnings no matter the major.   At the University of Chicago, for instance, an economics degree holder enjoys a lifetime ROI of $3.6 million versus an English literature major who earns a NEGATIVE $197,000!   Wide ROI variations not only exist within any university, but also across institutions for any major whether it’s biology, business administration, psychology or something else.   You can track ROI figures for tens of thousands of degrees via an invaluable tool from the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity.
Below is a sampling of undergraduate ROIs for San Diego State University, which is about a five-minute drive from my house.   Salaries aren’t everything when picking a college, but they are worth checking out.
No. 2. Make the most out of those four years
Getting into college isn’t that hard, but what is challenging is exploiting all the amazing resources and opportunities that a college offers.   Research from Gallup/Purdue shows that what you do in college, including finding a mentor, studying abroad and getting involved in extracurriculars, is hugely influential in whether you ultimately end up living a fulfilling and happy life and career.   I started writing posts for The College Solution in 2008 and one of my all-time favorites was about my daughter Caitlin Bigelow’s uncanny ability to squeeze every last drop out of her liberal arts education. Caitlin, who is now the global marketing director of an international modular construction company, did what Gallup/Purdue said only three percent of undergrads do – make the absolute most out of their four-year college experience.    How My Daughter Made the Most Out of College
No. 3. Improve math skills
Fewer than a third of students from K-12 grades are proficient in math!
Boosting math skills in grade school and beyond can not only ultimately lead to more college choices and greater awards, but a wider choice of realistic majors – and often higher paying ones.   Tutoring is an obvious way to boost students math abilities, but it can also be a wise idea for children who want to advance beyond their grade level. What’s more, if your child wants to attend a highly prestigious school, taking and doing well in Calculus is often a must. And that’s true even if a school doesn’t acknowledge it.   The online tutor who I’d highly recommend checking out is my son, Ben Bigelow, who graduated with a mathematics degree and a master’s in curriculum and instruction.
Those credentials, however, pale in comparison to the fact that Ben is an innately gifted teacher, who is not only patient, but has the ability to draw the absolute most out of his students. Parents love him!
No. 4. Use this college software
Many parents will find that covering their college costs is a struggle if they don’t find schools that will generously discount the price through need-based aid or merit awards.   To make the hunt MUCH easier, I suggest using an inexpensive and invaluable consumer software offered by College Aid Pro. CAP started out years ago offering college software to financial advisors and I was thrilled when CAP rolled out easy-to-navigate college software for families.   Once you input information about the family, including finances and the student’s academic profile into the MyCAP software, it will instantly identify colleges that will charge you the price you are hoping to pay or close to it. If you don’t like that list, you can tweak what you are looking for in a variety of ways to find schools that will work financially and academically.   This software is just $149 for the year. (By the way, I get no financial payment from CAP for this recommendation!)
No. 5. Read my blog posts
While I stopped writing blog posts a while ago, a lot of solid advice remains on The College Solution to make you an educated college consumer. It exhausts me just thinking of the 1,489 blog posts that I wrote over the years!   Spend some time poking around on my website and you’ll be smarter about your college choices.
Thank you so much and good bye!

The best part of my mission was hearing from so many parents, students, high school counselors and college consultants, who benefited from my college advice. You have no idea how much that has meant to me!
I want to THANK all of you who believed in my passionate aim of guiding people to finding their own college solution.
I wish all of you the very best in your college journey!
Fondly,

Lynn O’Shaughnessy  TheCollegeSolution.com  Lynn@TheCollegeSolution.com

Free National Summer Program Fairs in the Northeast

Are your students still trying to decide what to do this summer. An upcoming series of free Summer Program fairs are being held January 27-30 for high school students and their families in various East Coast large metropolitan areas.  These in-person events will showcase ~100 exhibitors each with countless ways high school students can spend summer 2025, including on-campus pre-college programs at top universities; study abroad options; STEM/research programs; teen travel; art/portfolio prep; test prep; and even local volunteer organizations. 

The fairs are all 4:30-7:00pm and the dates and locations are:

New York City: January 27 @ New York Marriott Marquis

New Jersey: January 28 @ Fairleigh Dickinson University (North NJ)

Philadelphia: January 29 @ Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue

Washington DC: January 30 @ Hilton Alexandria Marks Center

Students and parents need to pre-register to attend.   There are PDF flyers as well as copy email text to send out to your students accessible via links above.  Please share with your student/parent population if you think they could benefit…..

For more information and to pre-register: https://www.summerprogramfair.com/

Equal Access: Universal Design of Recruitment and Undergraduate Admissions

A checklist for making recruitment and admissions activities welcoming and accessible to everyone is now available free.

The admissions office is the gateway to two-year colleges, vocational technical institutes, and universities, and it plays a central role in informing students and parents about campus programs and services. People with disabilities represent a significant and visible portion of those seeking information and admission. This publication identifies:

  • key access issues for recruitment and admissions offices,
  • disability-related issues with respect to admission policies and activities, and
  • resources for additional information.

Here is a link to the free complete resource: https://www.washington.edu/doit/equal-access-universal-design-recruitment-and-undergraduate-admissions

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