Many of your students have now chosen the college they will be attending next fall. So, what’s next? There are a lot of things still to do to be prepared for. Join Estrela President, Kristina Dooley and Elizabeth Pyle – President of College Success Plan, for this helpful webinar as they share a list of “What’s Next?” tips for graduating seniors and their parents.

Lots of questions will be answered such as what legal forms do you need to be sure you have in place before your child leaves the nest? What are some “must have” life skills students should have before stepping foot on campus? How about the essential dorm room items to begin thinking about purchasing over the summer? Attendees will also be able to submit questions to our experts during the webinar.

The live webinar will take place on May 1st at 7 pm Eastern. Those that can’t attend live and register will be sent a link to the recording for later viewing. Here is a link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5F5I0wkaTvOaaTs6S1nJjw

If you’ve decided you want to stay on the wait-list, here’s what you should do and what you should avoid doing.

Do’s

• Follow instructions carefully. One way to show them you care is to respond promptly.
• Write, not email, a letter to your college admissions representative or the Director of Admissions. These letters are referred to as LOCIs – “Letter of Continued Interest.” See my last column: https://bierercollegeconsulting.com/what-can-you-do-if-youre-waitlisted-from-some-of-your-favorite-schools/
• Make sure your letter covers the following points:
  • Emphasize “fit” – tell them convincingly why their college is a good fit for you and do your best to stay away from generic reasons such as their great football team or exciting greek life. Describe what you’ve been looking for in your college search, identify classes and/or professors that are appealing to you. Research their student activities and reference activities that you participated in during high school that you’d like to continue. Be enthusiastic but no saccharine.
  • Include an update on what you’ve been doing – provide the admissions office with your first semester grades and even the grades you anticipate receiving for second semester. If you’ve won any honors, scholarships awards, commendations, etc. make sure to mention them as well. Tell them about your continued community service involvement with any new details of what’s happened since you submitted your application.
  • Add a resume if you didn’t submit one with the original application.
  • Be honest. If you can comfortably state that if you are accepted that you will attend that college, then make sure you let them know. Remember, many wait-listed students will have made other decisions and anyone who is willing to commit to attending means less time the office needs to focus on finalizing their freshman class.
  • Prepare a CD of your work, if you are a musician or artist or have completed an in depth research project.
  • Share your summer plans, but only if they’re meaningful. If your summer will include an internship or job-shadowing opportunity, let them know.
• Ask your high school guidance counselor to put in a good word for you. Ask them if they’d be willing to contact the admissions office on your behalf.
• Consider a visit. It is not necessary, and you certainly don’t want to appear desperate, but sharing in your letter that your “recent visit reconfirmed that School X is your first choice” is a powerful statement.
• Ask a senior teacher or your high school principal for an additional letter of recommendation. Check with each college since some colleges specifically request that you do NOT send additional letters of recommendation.

Don’ts

• Don’t go overboard and make your letter three pages long. Be concise and substantive.
• Don’t do crazy things like sending food or silly notes – the classic one is sending a shoe with a note attached that says “Just trying to get my foot in the door!” Been done before, doesn’t work.
• Don’t obsess. You CAN be happy at more than one school.

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

A former Ivy League admissions officer will share specific tips and insights for crafting a compelling college application that helps you **stand out **from the crowd.

• What makes an application stand out amongst so many strong applicants? A clear story, thoughtful use of each portion of the application, and an **early start **will help you craft a ‘stand out’ application!
• How you can prepare a ‘stand out’ application with specific examples and tips you can use to put your best foot forward when applying to highly selective schools such as Yale, Columbia, Brown, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UVA, University of Michigan and more.
• Learn how Kyros Sprint Program and Educator Network will guide you through the process.

Why Now

• The best approach for a strong application is to start early! If you’re in 10th or 11th grade, this is an ideal opportunity to learn what specific steps you should take to ensure your application materials stand out.
• For 9th graders, this session can help you identify specific steps you can take over the next 2-3 years to ensure your application materials showcase your story in the most ‘stand out’ way possible.

Speakers

• Chris

• Former Assistant Director of Admissions @ Dartmouth College.
• Former Senior Manager @ Yale-NUS College.
• Former Admissions Committee member @ New York University Abu Dhabi.
• MBA @ MIT Sloan School of Management; BA @ Dartmouth College.

When: Apr 21st, 2024 5:00 PM PDT | 8:00 PM EDT, Duration: 60 minutes or Register to watch the archived version later

Register here: https://www.kyros.ai/counseling-detail/13555?ref=

Looking to find out what is inside the minds of your students? On Thursday, April 25th at 7:30 pm Eastern Brennan Barnard will host a webinar with Dr. Lisa Damour, author of The Emotional Lives of Teenagers where they will discuss everything from mental health, anxiety, and achievement pressure to identity, independence, and responsibility of teenagers.

If you miss the live date, you can watch the webinar at your own convenience on a later date by registering. Here is the link: https://streamyard.com/watch/bDb25d8qyPDu