It's Time to Prepare for College Application Season, which starts SOON!

 by Katherine O'Brien, ThD Cand, Certified College Planning Specialist

 There’s quite a bit of work to do before a HS junior can begin college applications. Prospective college students need to sort out a few things before they plunge into applications and essays. With applications opening July 1, NOW is the time to get started!

 Here are some questions to get your teen thinking...

First, why do you want to go to college? What are your goals? Academic hopes and dreams? Professional aspirations? Personal development goals? Social experience and network building hopes? For you, what is the purpose of going to college?

 

Second, what colleges are a good fit for you, academically, socially, spiritually, geographically, financially? What are the pros of each school you are considering? What are the cons? Get specific. Not just pros and cons of the college, but also of your intended major or program, campus ministry, clubs, teams, etc.? What is so great about each school you are considering? What are the drawbacks?

 

 

Third, is your list of prospective colleges balanced? Do the colleges offer robust academic options? A solid academic fit? Spiritual support? Clubs and activities where you can grow and thrive? Does each college’s likely net cost fit your family’s budget? Do you have some safety schools on your list?  Safe financially, safe academically, safe geographically…

 

Do you have an idea of your college goals? What do you want to study/ major in?Are you absolutely sure about your major? If not, is the right suite of majors and concentrations available? Do they teach in modalities that are effective for you? What about minors or interdisciplinary studies or research?

What experiences do you want to have (e.g., study abroad, internship, etc.)? What sort of environment do you thrive in (academically, socially, athletically, spiritually)?

Once you know your goals, you can set your priorities. Looking at different aspects of college offerings is important. Knowing which are essential for you and which would be nice to have helps you prioritize. Visits are very, very helpful. Parent priorities and the student’s priorities might be different. Be prepared to discuss them. In general, the student’s priorities are key, but parents most certainly define what makes a deal breaker.

Handling all of this on your own, along with preparing for AP exams, finals, prom, and summer, is a LOT to ask a teen to manage. Email, call, or text to put my 20+ years' experience to work for you! KOB@CelticCollegeConsultants.com or 858-705-0043.

Using ChatGPT during the College Selection Process

by Katherine O'Brien, Certified College Planning Specialist, Founder of Celtic College Consultants Determining the best college for oneself is a complex process. Information overload happens early as inboxes get flooded with videos, snapshots, stats, and more. Rankings, scores, reputations all begin to swirl about our minds.

How do we sort it all out? Where do we start? 

One option is to start with all the information. That seems logical. However, each college and program sends different information, the information they think is most relevant. This never lines up with what our teen’s top priorities are. 

The other option is to start with our teen. Often they don’t know what they want in a college. That’s completely reasonable. How can they know unless they start getting information and gaining experience? I recommend 8th – 10th graders go visit colleges and universities in their area. Visit a huge public university. Visit a medium sized university. Visit a small college. Visit one that is deeply religious and one that is completely secular. What do they like about each campus? What don’t they like? As the visits continue, your teen will develop a sense of what s/he likes and doesn’t as well as what is most important to him or her. 

Remember it's not just academics and it’s not just sports/campus spirit, and it’s not just campus ministry. It’s also not just location or sticker price or the mix of local and out of state/international students or ratio of women to men, athletes to non, or Greek life (sororities and fraternities) to non-Greek on campus, either. Let the list of top priorities FOR YOUR TEEN unfold as time goes on. Once your teen has begun to identify the aspects of colleges that are most important, create a table or spreadsheet. I’ve attached one to this email that you can use as a starting point.

Keeping Track of Everything 

My go-to for organizing data is a spreadsheet, email me (KOB@CelticCollegeConsultants.com) if you'd like a template that you and your teen can customize and use. I’m sure you’ve heard of AI. If you are like me, you are a bit hesitant about using it. (In my case, being in the middle of writing my doctoral dissertation, I’m quite leery, as I protect my intellectual work!) However, numerous colleagues have been able to use ChatGPT in the college search process. I’ll share what I’ve learned from them, in case that is helpful to your family. You can use ChatGPT to create a side-by-side comparison table based on your key factors. As time goes on, your teen’s priorities will likely change or be refined. You can update ChatGPT as you go and receive even more useful results. This can be used throughout the entire process, from initial interest list creation, through application list, to comparing accepted schools in Spring of senior year. 

Turn ChatGPT into your Research Assistant 

You can “train” ChatGPT to focus on what’s most relevant to you. Use your campus tour and visit notes and take aways. You can upload them and ask ChatGPT to summarize them, noting themes across the various campuses. You can also input your aid packages once they come Senior year and compare your net costs and ROI. Uploading program details, the details about the courses, concentrations, practicums, internships, etc. that matter most to you as well as the requirements (HS courses, GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, leadership, performances, etc.)  

Narrow down your options 

This process will need you to identify some possible schools. As you progress, add, or drop, schools to the list. You can also ask AI to suggest similar schools. Identifying possible colleges and universities is an iterative process. Making a final decision can be helped by prompting ChatGPT with “Choose this school if…” prompts. Here are the results a colleague shared: 

• Choose the University of Georgia if… you want a large, spirited campus with strong in-state connections, a big football culture, and a prestigious honors college. 

• Choose Tulane if… you’re looking for a smaller, more intimate school with a strong service-learning focus and an urban New Orleans vibe. 

• Choose the University of Wisconsin if… you want a strong research institution in a classic college town with a strong out-of-state student presence within driving distance. 

Of course, choosing colleges to visit, to apply to, and one to attend is still a difficult series of decisions, especially for a teenager. Hopefully these suggestions will help shape the process. For personal assistance and accountability during the college selection process, as well as student development, career exploration, and personal and academic development, reach out to Katherine to schedule a consultation to explore how working with her can assist your family, guide your teen, lower your stress, and increase your affordable options. Email KOB@CelticCollegeConsultants.com today.

College Prep Milestones

by Katherine O'Brien, Certified College Planning Specialist, Founder of Celtic College Consultants

 Like any long journey, the journey to college has a number of stages. Knowing where you are on the journey is essential to attaining the desired outcome - acceptances into great colleges with strong programs in a desired field at a manageable cost. The Three Pillars of College Success are:

 Excellent Student Prep

Savvy College Selection

Abundant Funding

 

 

Here are some major milestones on the journey to college:

Juniors Your college list is nearly finalized. Some application essays are already in process.

Sophomores Your criteria and budget for colleges getting on your list is set. You have an idea of your desired major and program.

Freshman Goals for personal development, explorations of possible fields of study and careers are well underway. College budget is estimated.

For the full timeline, with milestones from grade 5 to grade 12, email Katherine: KOB@CelticCollegeConsultants.com   Let her know whether you'd like the standard timeline or the timeline for Catholic families.

Over the past decade, my College Success Program students have each been offered, on average nearly $250,000 in merit scholarships! Get on track for College Success. Meet with me, get your questions answered, and join the program today! Email to schedule your family's private college prep meeting with Katherine: KOB@CelticCollegeConsultants.com

What to Do After Your Applications are Submitted

by Katherine O'Brien, Certified College Planning Specialist 

Founder, Senior Private College Consultant, Celtic College Consultants

 

 1. Mark the Accomplishment! 

Keep a pdf of each application, for your records, and to document the accomplishment. It took a lot of time and effort to craft that application. Mark that. You also might want to look at it later, as you decide which college to attend. 

 2. Check your email! 

Colleges send announcements, links to their portal, messages about missing materials, invitations to apply and compete for top scholarships, to apply to their honors program or college, etc. Check DAILY. You never know when a significant, potentially life changing email will come in!  

3. Check your portals

Many colleges have a portal that they use to communicate and to take you through the next steps of choosing housing, getting your aid package, etc. Be sure to set up your portal right away and check it regularly. Keep track of your login information. This takes effort – there can be many new logins to keep track of!  

4. Take time to reconsider your top college priorities

What are the key opportunities you are looking for at college? How do the colleges you’ve applied for stack up, now that you’ve learned more about them through the application process? Are there additional colleges you want to apply to? There are colleges with later deadlines; it’s not too late to add a college! 

 5. Apply for Scholarships, 

both at your schools and private. Have you combed through their private database yet? Have you paid attention to scholarship emails your high school counselor has sent? What about at your church, bank, parent’s workplaces, clubs, etc.? Have you taken the time to explore using online search engines? Look at groups related to your ethnicity, career interests, personal traits, etc.  

6. Midyear Grade Reports 

Verify that your midyear grades have been sent to your schools, no matter whether you’ve applied early action or regular decision.  

7. Update admissions 

with any important additional accomplishments, awards, leadership roles, improved test scores, or competitive (especially prestigious) scholarships you’ve won. Email to the admissions office AND to your regional admissions representative. Be sure to include your applicant or college ID (if they’ve assigned one to you) in your email. This is particularly important if you have been deferred or waitlisted. Your letter of continued interest is vital in those situations.  

8. Evaluate your colleges more deeply 

As you are admitted, attending those colleges become real possibilities. Re-examine them, look more deeply at student life, campus ministry, clubs, academic offerings, paying particular attention to your “must haves”. Follow their social media, attend events in your area, read the online version of the student newspaper, etc. Keep up to date on your colleges as part of your deep evaluation of them. 

 9. Withdraw or decline any offers of admission that you want to reject

Doing so frees up a spot for another student and releases any scholarship money you’ve been offered. This is courteous and respectful. Just send a polite email to the admissions office, again including your applicant or student ID. 

 10. Thank those who helped you prepare your application

Give thoughtful handwritten thank you notes to your recommenders and counselor as well as anyone else who helped you along the way. Thank those people who have been invaluable in helping you become the person you are today. And take time to savor the experiences of this final semester of high school. Enjoy those last games and dances and classes….  

11. Finish well

Stay in the present. While the prospect of going to a beloved college is exciting, today is still today; today is the day you have been given. Live it well. Pay attention in class, do well on exams, projects, and papers. What you learn this semester continues to build the foundation for your future. If you change your courses this term, you need to let the colleges (both those that have admitted you and those still evaluating your application) know, which could negatively impact your situation. Finish strong, continue to build effective study skills. Prep for your AP exams as they can still turn into college credits, but only if you do well. 

For help with the college process, from 8th - 12th grades, from leadership skill development, career exploration, college funding planning, college budgeting, to scholarships, college selection, applications, essays, visit CelticCollegeConsultants.com or email Katherine: KOB@CelticCollegeConsultants.com

What do College Prep, Taylor Swift, and Aristotle have in Common?

 by Katherine O'Brien, ThD Candidate & Certified College Planning Specialist

 

An Irish philosophy professor recently wrote an article comparing Taylor Swift and Aristotle. When I read it, I recognized the work that I do with teens, too. (Not that I am on par with Aristotle!)

 

Like Aristotle, Taylor Swift regularly deals with core identity questions. In her lyrics, she addresses various aspects of this. In Mirrorball, she reveals the idea that you can strategically shift your sense of self. In Happiness, she sings about the me of now not being the same as the me of the past, and that she has not yet met the me of the future. Repeatedly, she approaches various aspects of the questions we all, but especially during the teen years, wrestle with- Who am I? What sort of friend am I? What sort of artist am I?

 

Inviting young people to examine who their true selves are, develop the good habits they need to be excellent (Aristotle would call that virtuous), and encouraging them to live in accord with who they truly are, these are the core tasks of my work with college bound teens. As they learn to be themselves, they need time and encouragement to explore who they are. They need coaching to identify the skills, the habits they need to develop so they can become excellent at being who they are. In order to develop good habits, accountability and encouragement is needed. These are the key elements of my work, particularly during the 8^th, 9^th, and 10^th grade years. As Aristotle said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of wisdom” and “We are what we repeatedly do.”

 

Selecting majors and colleges come after that work is done and is completely directed by that work. Skipping the foundational work done during the first two years of high school is like building a building directly on the ground. It has no foundation and will slide or sink or collapse when the rains and the winds come. Building a foundation is even more important in our children than in our houses.

 

If you have a college bound (or potentially college bound) 8th grader, or high school freshman or sophomore, it is time for us to meet. Every month that goes by, opportunities for growth, affirmation, direction, and healthy “coming into their own as a person” are missed. NOW is the time to start investing in the next phase your children’s futures. Email me today to schedule a consultation. I’m offering 40% off consultations this month, in honour of my birthday. (Discount offer ends 11/30/2024) KOB@CelticCollegeConsultants.com

 

To read Susan Andrews’ article: https://philosophynow.org/issues/164/Taylor_Swift_A_Philosopher_For_Our_Times

 

 

Three Steps to a Solid College List

 by Katherine O'Brien, Certified College Planning Specialist

KOB@CelticCollegeConsultants.com

As a college consultant, I have guided students through these steps for over twenty years.  It is very difficult to do this on your own. The fact that over 13% of all college students transfer to another college and over 80% change their major at least once. For those attending four year public colleges fully two-thirds take more than four years to graduate. At private colleges, nearly half (47%) take more than four years to graduate. Want to save on college costs? Invest in college consulting to help your teen determine his or her goals, select the right colleges to thrive at and finish in four years. To explore working together, email me at KOB@CelticCollegeConsultants.com and schedule an initial consultation for your family.

 

Step ONE: Pre-Work

 

There are a number of questions that need to be answered before a student can build a list of prospective colleges. Start to explore these areas in middle school. Have a rough list by the end of sophomore year so you can determine which tests to take (or skip) during junior year and which courses to take during high school. Here are some of the questions:

 

Who you are – personality, interests, strengths, weaknesses, hopes, dreams

What you want to study – which majors and programs

How you want to study – what opportunities do you need/want?

What academic fit is right for you?

What is your budget for each year of college?

How long do you want to spend in college?

What are your non-negotiables? Location, religious concerns, political concerns, costs, majors, etc.

What are your wants and what are your needs?

What sort of environment do you need in which to thrive?

 

Students need to visit campuses – so they know what small, medium, and large campuses are

like and so have a sense of the campus culture.

 

Step TWO: Determine Your College Selection Criteria

 

 

Set your criteria. Prioritize them. Your criteria will differ from your friends' and your siblings' criteria. That's ok - you are unique. Your college criteria will reflect that.

Step THREE: Evaluate and Identify your Prospective Colleges

Select two safety schools that have what you want to study, you are likely to be admitted,

and they are likely to be affordable. Select three to six good fit colleges. If you like, select,

one or two reach colleges

Here are the major criteria to consider  -

Criteria	Guiding questions
Financial aid	What’s your likely out of pocket (Net cost) going to be? Colleges have “net price calculators” on their website.
Cost of attendance	How expensive is the college? How much have costs been increasing each year over the past few years?
Location	Do you want to be located near home? In a city, or a smaller suburb/town? How’s the weather in the area? Is it safe? Is it near interesting places you’d want to regularly visit or  intern with?
Transportation	How do you get to class? Can you walk or bike from your accommodation? How do you get around town or to the nearest city? If you’re planning to bring a car, is there plentiful parking? Parking fees?
Major	Does it have a major aligned with your interests? Or can you create your own major? What about dual major? Minors?
Academic programs	In general, how strong are its academics? How strong is the department related to your intended major? Is there a “core curriculum” or course requirements you’ll have to take (and if so, do you like them)?
Campus	What’s the campus like? Is it on its own, or integrated in a city? Do you like how it looks?
Housing options	Does the university provide housing? Do students tend to stay in their own shared apartments, or in dorms? Could you live at home? Is it a commuter campus?
Student culture	What’s the general vibe of the place? Is there anything the student body is known for? Is it a party school?
Student body size	Is it a big, medium, or small school?
Student body diversity	How diverse is the school, in terms of race, socio-economic status, country or US state of origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity? Are there particular types of diversity you might care more or less about?
Professor interactions	What’s the average class size? Are there opportunities for smaller seminars? Do most professors have office hours? Are most classes taught by actual professors or by graduate students?
Extracurriculars	What student clubs are there? What are popular student extracurriculars?
Research opportunities	Can you work in a science or other lab? Can you become a Research Assistant for a professor, as an undergrad? Can you get funding for your own research? What about internships or co-op programs?
Sports	Is the school highly ranked in certain sports, and are sporting events (e.g. football or basketball) highly attended? Can you play club sports?
Greek Life	Are fraternities and sororities a big part of campus life? Which ones are on campus?
Study abroad options	Do many students study abroad? What programs does the school offer, and to what destinations?  Do these fit your goals?
Health and Wellness	What’s the student health/medical center like? Does the school offer free medical help or check-ups? What about mental health? What’s the gym like? How’s the food? (Is it delicious and/or healthy?)
Religious affiliation	Does the school have a religious affiliation? Are there religious services available on campus (e.g., a church with a regular Sunday service)?
Political leaning	Does the school (either the professors or the student body) have a political leaning? If you are political, are there outlets like student clubs for you to continue your activism?
School history	How old is the school? What is its history and legacy?
Reputation / Rank	How highly ranked is the school? What is its reputation generally? Specifically for your intended major?
Career center / Job help	Is there a strong career center to help you find summer internships or a job after graduation? Is there a strong alumni network or community that you can tap into?

How to Not Waste a Campus Visit

 

by Katherine O'Brien, ThD Cand., Certified College Planning Specialist

Visiting campuses is an important part of choosing a college. However, the way most families do it helps the colleges more than it helps themselves. In their desire to be accepted by colleges they esteem, both students and parents can forget that colleges are businesses. The admissions department has two purposes. Yes, it sifts applicants and accepts or denies admissions. Admissions is also the marketing department for the college.

BEFORE YOU GO

Do your homework. Why is this college or university worth the time and effort to visit? Which of their academic offerings has piqued your student's interest? What else about the campus makes it interesting? Location? Size? Athletics? Other amenities? In short, research your schools, evaluating them according to your own criteria, NOT THE RANKINGS, and determine which schools to visit. During your research, notice what questions come to mind. What information do you want that isn't on the website or part of their virtual tour? BE PREPARED for your visit.

MAKE THE MOST OF THE VISIT - MAKE APPOINTMENTS

Having identified interesting programs, majors, departments, clubs, organizations, and the like, reach out to them and make appointments to see them before or after your tour. At some schools (typically smaller campuses), the admissions office will happily arrange this for you. Others will tell you it is forbidden (ignore them; they are the gatekeepers keeping a flood of non-serious inquiries at bay).  Ask the departments and programs and groups directly. Arrange for your student to sit in on a class or two. (If you can't certainly spend some time in the classrooms, student union, or cafeterias and talk with students. If possible, make a fifteen minute appointment with a professor in your prospective major. Come prepared with a short summary of your background and interest in the program and have questions for the professor. Pay attention to the interactions between students and professors. Ask about the availability of professors for help with learning course material, for research and other deep learning experiences. You'll find a wide range of campus cultures. Some have opportunities for students to engage in research and other outside the classroom learning opportunities from freshman year on while others have a select number of such opportunities restricted to upper class students in the major.

START WITH THE OFFICIAL TOUR

I'm always astounded when families tell me they drove through a campus or walked around a campus on a Saturday, doing a self-tour. While they may have SEEN a college, they certainly did NOT VISIT the college! A college is a community of people. In order to visit a college, one must interact with the people on the campus. Yes, touring the facilities, academic, living, and recreational, is important. Talking with actual students, staff, and professors is ESSENTIAL.

So, start with the tour. Listen carefully. Ask questions. Expect a different level of answer from student tour guides than you will receive from admissions staff. Do not expect complete transparency from either of them.

If you are visiting a large university, you may need to attend multiple tours. Some have general admissions tours as well as tours particular to the colleges on campus (the college of engineering or of music or of business, for example). Go on both if at all possible.

VISIT THE NEWMAN CENTER or CAMPUS MINISTRY OFFICE

Even if you are NOT Catholic, this is a VERY HELPFUL part of your visit. The Newman Center is the Catholic parish on campus. Campus ministers regularly work with students from all over campus, from every college, program, and major. They talk with undergrad and graduate students as well as staff and professors. They hear about the dorms, the sports, various programs. They hear it all. They are also well connected with the mental health and other support programs on the campus. The Newman Center staff does not work for the university so can provide a non-biased perspective based on current student experiences. You can also learn about their events and programs. It's great to have a place on campus that you know is safe. No spiked drinks or wild parties here!

You can find the contact information, as well as a summary of the campus ministry programs, for all 300 or so colleges or universities with strong Catholic communities on campus in Every Catholic's Guide to College. Get a copy of this invaluable resource today!

AFTERWARDS: THINKING THROUGH YOUR VISIT

Keep in mind YOUR goals for college, YOUR learning style, the experiences and opportunities YOU desire. Then evaluate the campus you just visited. What was offered? Whom did you meet? What was the overall campus culture like? Is this a place, a community where you can see yourself growing, developing, and thriving in? What else do you need to learn about them in order to answer that question.

WANT HELP?

College preparation is a multi-year, multi-faceted process. Having well prepared, focused students find the right colleges for them at the right price point for the family takes effort and expertise. To schedule a one hour consultation for your family to discuss your student's needs, email Katherine at KOB@CelticCollegeConsultants.com. For more information about her college consulting services, please visit CelticCollegeConsultants.com

Hearing from Colleges (aka Marketing!)

 

By Katherine O'Brien, MA CCPS, Founder, Celtic College Consultants

Every year, inboxes, mailboxes, and now, phones are barraged by messages from colleges seeking to introduce themselves and interest teens in themselves. For years, the College Board (the PSAT and SAT company), through its Student Search Service, has licensed student names and contact information to colleges. Recently, Raise.me has used different strategies to make the same sorts of connections between prospective students and colleges.

With the advent of online testing, which will fully roll out during the next school year for the PSAT and SAT tests, the College Board's data will now be subject to new privacy laws which regulate the use of online data. According to Eric Hoover's article in the Chronicle of Higher Education (12 May 2023), the number of student names colleges can license from the College Board is expected to drop by 40%. Students who only take in-school exams (those given by their schools/school district), don't take any exams on national testing dates and who don't opt in to the Search Service will not be accessible to the colleges. Consequently, colleges will have to completely rethink and overhaul their student recruitment strategies.

Perhaps the idea of student recruitment sounds a little foreign to you ears. That's understandable. With the focus on being admitted, many students and their families fail to realize that most colleges are actively recruiting applicants. Most have no idea that the marketing materials they receive are tied to the tests that the student has taken. In fact, colleges have been able to license student information, and to set the criteria for the data they desire. For example, a college can contract for all male students in a given state (or zip code) with a score in a particular range, and an indication of certain majors. Because of this, there is often some correlation with the student's interests which makes students feel recruited, feel wanted, and get the idea that the college wants them and will accept them if they apply. Such efforts have included pre-completed applications, application fee waivers, and other strategies. 

Colleges are businesses. As such, each needs to enroll a certain number of students and collect a certain amount of revenue from them in order to continue to operate. Additionally, with the rise of the ranking services, which consider low selectivity (percentage of applicants who are accepted) as a factor, increasing the size of the applicant pool is in the college's best interests. At times, some colleges have solicited applicants from students they know they are very likely to reject, solely to increase their rankings and, in turn, attract more affluent applicants, which will increase the college's bottom line.

The College Board is creating a new recruitment tool called Connections. Starting in Fall of 2023, students taking school-day exams will be asked to share their cell phone numbers with the College Board. They will then be sent a link to download an app onto their phones. The up side for students is that they will be able to use that app to get their test scores as well as some general advice about applying to college. They can also opt in to Connections, to see profiles of colleges. Students can further choose to share their personal information with a particular college or university. This is a huge shift and is likely to net significantly fewer potential students than the current system.

Projections show that a 38% drop in the number of available student names will happen over the next four years.

Despite test optional policies, affluent families still tend to have their students take the ACT and SAT. Top scores on these tests tend to correlate to families with the wherewithal to hire tutors and/or take test prep courses. Students from affluent families tend to pay more for college than those with financial need. Therefore, those students tend to be highly desired by colleges, especially schools more dependent upon tuition revenues.

CollegeVine.com is a new online tool which is a bit like LinkedIn. Students make profiles then are able to accept connections from colleges interested in them. It offers students yet another way to connect with prospective colleges. It also makes it possible for students to connect with college consultants. It, however, does not provide a comprehensive, student focused, college prep, selection, and application mentorship service like I do and my fellow professional college consultants do.

College Visits Worth Making

by Katherine O'Brien, MA CCPS

Founder, Celtic College Consultants

Choosing a college is a complex tasks. Many people focus on external factors like reputation or rankings but fail to do the in-depth student focused analysis required in order to identify colleges where your teen can not merely get a degree but can also thrive during his or her college years. Students who thrive graduate with more confidence and are better prepared to deal with life after college with all its opportunities and challenges.

Students need to be engaged, connected, challenged, and cared about. On campus, these needs can be met in various ways. Ideally, they are met in through a variety of experiences. Every student is different so the optimal cluster of opportunities will vary significantly from student to student. Nonetheless, there are several modalities common between them.

Academic connections can be built with other students, professors, graduate students, tutors, as well as through clubs, internships, research and exploratory opportunities, and short and long term off campus trips of various kinds. Rich, lively discussion groups (both academically focused and interdisciplinary) are actively fostered in and out of the classroom on some campuses. These can be manifested through honors colleges, living/learning communities, and other campus groups. Explore those in his or her field of interest. Find some that appeal to your teen. Even introverts need to have some connections!

Becoming connected, challenged, and cared for can also happen through the faith community on campus. Working together to serve the poor, to pray, to deepen one's faith, to prepare for worship services, to go on retreats and mission trips and the like are all examples of ways nurturing relationships can be built on campus. Don't forget to visit the Newman center or campus ministry office when you visit campus. Does it feel like a "home away from home" for your student?

Intramural sports, clubs of various kinds, and other ad hoc groups on campus can also be a rich source of affirmation and belonging for students. These are often completely unrelated to academics, which can provide a healthy balance. After all, even the most dedicated students are not studying machine, but are human beings! Whether it's quidditch, golf, swing dancing, chess, kite flying, or something else, encourage your teen to find his or her niche on campus.

Lastly, immersive educations which include high impact practices often make a decided difference between attending college and thriving on campus. Unfortunately, many, many collegians never have even one of these experiences. Look for them as you explore perspective colleges: internships, service learning, hands on learning, project based learning, study abroad, and other experiential learning opportunities. These have been shown to have a positive and often profound impact on students' lives. Finding good mentors (academic, personal, spiritual, etc.), being involved in long term projects and activities, forming connections in multiple campus communities also have a significant impact on students' well-being and college outcomes.

Early Tests, A Look at the PreACT, PSAT, and CLT8&10

CLT8 & 10

The CLT8 is designed for 7^th and 8^th grade students and evaluates elementary mathematical, grammatical, and logical reasoning.  It shares the same format at the CLT and CLT10, which helps students become familiar with the style of these tests.  It is currently offered in March and May.  Some high schools use it as an entrance exam. The exam takes two hours and tests for grammar, literary comprehension, and mathematical and logical reasoning. Students take the CLT8 on school or home computers, and receive their scores the same day.

The CLT10 is an alternative to the PSAT10 and the ACT Aspire and is designed for freshmen and sophomores.  It is preparation for the CLT exam.  There is not trigonometry included on the CLT10.  The questions of the highest difficulty level are also not included on the CLT10.  Students who score in the top 1% are eligible for a $2,500 scholarship through the National Association of Scholars. Register here: https://www.cltexam.com/register/clt10  It is currently offered in February and April.

PSAT tests

All of the PSAT tests are only offered at and through institutional schools.  Homeschooling families must contact formal schools to arrange for your child(ren) to take the test on that campus.

The PSAT8/9 is a version of the PSAT for 8^th and 9^th graders.  The material covered is scaled down to the appropriate academic level for them.  This test familiarizes students with the PSAT/SAT style of test.  It is common Core aligned, like all of the PSAT/SAT related tests.  Like the PSAT10 and NMSQT, it includes a reading test, a writing and language test, and a math test.  While the PSAT8/9 is typically given in early spring, the date of this test is set by the school and can range from September to April.

PSAT 10 is the same test as the PSAT/NMSQT but is taken during October of the sophomore year.  It provides students the opportunity to take the PSAT and learn how their score stacks up in relation to other students across the country.  This score is also extremely helpful during the college list building and scholarship search processes.  Lastly, for many students, the sophomore PSAT score is a strong motivator for them to work at improving their scores during the junior year.

PSAT/NMSQT is taken in mid-October of the junior year and serves as the national merit scholarship program’s qualifying test.  The top 1% of students in each state will be semi-finalists. The PSAT is a Common Core aligned test which includes a reading test, a writing and language test, and a math test.  There is no penalty for wrong answers so skipping questions is not advised.  There is a practice test available on the CollegeBoard.org site.  The student search service has an opt-in question on the PSAT registration page.  Information about the various affiliated scholarship programs is available on the College Board website.

            The 50,000 top scorers are acknowledged.  34,000 will be commended scholars, while 16,000 of the 1.6M students who take the test will be named National Merit Semi-Finalists. These students will be invited to apply to compete for National Merit Scholarships. In February of their senior year, 15,000 of them will be named National Merit Finalists.  In March, 7,600 of them will be named winners of National Merit $2,500 scholarships, corporate sponsored scholarships, or college sponsored scholarships. An additional 1,100 students will be special scholarship recipients.  They will be notified in March of their senior year.

Pre-ACT

The PreACT8/9 is a shortened version of the ACT.  It is now scored on a 1-36 scale and provides 8^th and 9^th grade students a short practice for the ACT. It also gives students some idea how they scored in relation to students across the country, thus pinpointing strengths and weaknesses in their academic program so far as well as feedback regarding how their grades correlate with their scores.

The PreACT is taken by sophomores and provides students the opportunity to take a shortened ACT and learn how their score stacks up in relation to other students across the country.  This score (1-36) is also extremely helpful during the college list building and scholarship search processes.  Lastly, for many students, the sophomore Pre-ACT score is a strong motivator for them to work at improving their scores during the junior year.  It can be administered on any date between September 1 and June 1 and is only offered through institutional schools.  Students also receive a personalized view of college and career possibilities based on their answers to the ACT interest inventory.

Programs for Career Exploration

by Katherine O'Brien, MA CCPS

With half of college students changing their majors, many of them adding one or more years to their path to a bachelors degree and about $50,000 of dollars to the cost for each extra year it takes, it is very important that students take time during the high school years to explore possible careers.  Having clear goals enables teens to be able to identify and seek majors and programs that will prepare them for work in the field they have identified.

 

The Boy Scout program offers 137 merit badges, many of which are designed to allow Scouts to explore various careers.  Some examples are welding, landscape architecture, robotics, animal science, astronomy, automotive maintenance, engineering, entrepreneurship, soil and water conservation, game design, cooking, environmental science, sustainability, graphic arts, crime prevention and computing, medicine, moviemaking, nuclear science, oceanography, plumbing, public health, fish and wildlife management. Additionally, once the Scout has attained the Life rank he or she can organize and lead an Eagle project.

Some high schools have DECA groups.  The mission of DECA is to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.  Some of the DECA program happens in the classroom, some happens in applied learning situations.  DECA hosts competitions in business administration, team decision making, personal finance literacy, business operations research, entrepreneurship, marketing, professional selling and consulting.

Girl Scouts also offers some career exploration opportunities in their badges: engineering, computer science, space science, robotics, mechanical engineering, financial literacy, healthy relationships, car care, textile arts, website designer, novel writing, business etiquette, programming and designing robots, ecology, government, cooking, jeweler, and photography.

Junior Achievement also offers Biztown experiences and classes which allow young people to explore various business roles including store owner, entrepreneur, and financial professional.

Your College Prep Team

by Katherine O'Brien, MA CCPS, Founder of Celtic College Consultants

    In the “good old days,” we visited our high school guidance counselor to help us prepare for college.  Today, things are completely different.  While the guidance counselor continues to serve an important role in many high schools, the vast majority are overburdened by huge caseloads which prohibit them from offering college bound students the guidance they truly need.  Actually, the national average for the number of students per counselor is 464 to 1.  In California, the ratio is 708 to 1 and Michigan has a whopping 744 students per counselor; Arizona’s even worse with 903 students per counselor.  The American Student Counselor Association recommends having 250 students per counselor.  Only New Hampshire, Vermont, and Wyoming have ratios at that level.

What are parents doing to make sure their kids get the direction and support they need?

Many are assembling their own “college teams.”

As one parent put it, “College costs are absurd.  There is more pressure on kids these days.  More competition, more steps involved.  We don’t have the time or the ability or the experience to do this alone, so it only makes sense to get help.”

What expertise do you need on your team?

College Admissions & Applications Coach: This person should regularly interact with admissions officers, be an expert writing coach, and have helped students get admitted by all types of colleges, including state schools, elite colleges, and the Ivy League/top tier highly selective colleges.

College Funding Advisor: This is critical for any family.  Having an expert in your corner to help with Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and prepare financial aid forms including the FAFSA and CSS PROFILE is invaluable.  This member of your team should also be able to assess your retirement readiness, calculate your cash flow for college, ensure that you don’t burden yourself or your student with unreasonable loan debt.

Test Prep Planner: Experts advise college bound students to have a testing and test prep timeline in place by the start of the 10^th grade.  This allows the student to determine which test is best for them, take it 2 or 3 times and complete all testing by the summer before their senior year, at the latest.  Increases in test scores often correlate into thousands of dollars in merit based scholarships so being prepared can warrant a lucrative return on your investment.

Test Prep & Academic Tutors: In order to score the highest possible scores, some families find utilizing tutors to be an effective strategy.  Test prep courses of some kind are imperative.  Additionally, in order to keep the student's grades as high as possible, many include academic tutors on their college prep team, as needed by their student.

Career Advisor & Major and College Selection Guide: There are over 4,000 colleges & universities in the US.  Picking the right major, the right career, and attending the right school for you is essential to ensuring a timely graduation and avoiding unnecessary expenses. With new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 60% of college students graduating in 8 years.  55% are finishing in 6 years, the longstanding national average.  For students who started at community colleges, 45% have their degree in 6 years.  Private colleges continue to be significantly more successful in producing 4-year graduates.

Specialty Guidance: For athletes, artists, performers, and musicians, special guidance is required.  Identifying and attracting the attention of college coaches is key for athletes.  Athletic recruiting has changed in recent years so an athlete marketer will be a key member of your college team.  For others who must participate in auditions or compile portfolios, particular guidance is also a necessity.

Personal Growth Mentor:  Soft skills are becoming increasingly important in college admissions.  College want to see that students can interact well with others, maintain their wellbeing, and manage the stress of campus life and collegiate level academic demands.  With the enormous increase in mental health needs on campus, admissions teams truly value students who have demonstrated strengths in these areas.  Students benefit from having a mentor’s guidance along the way.

How do Parents Put Together Their Team?

Fundamentally there are two options.  First, parents can determine which kinds of expertise they need then seek it out, effectively creating their own team.  This can be an effective way to approach the process but it also involves a great deal of effort and time to seek, find, interview, hire, and coordinate the various professionals on the team.  For that reason, most parents prefer to hire college planning specialist like myself then rely on our expertise to identify other professionals needed to address their particular needs in ways best for their student.  Being a holistic planner, I provide student development and guidance as well as the financial side of things.  Not being an investment advisor, I regularly collaborate with my clients' financial advisors, using our complementary expertise to propose the most effective strategies for the family to achieve its goals.

To explore partnering with me, kindly schedule an initial consultation appointment with me, Katherine O'Brien through my online scheduler, which I update weekly with my availability: www.CelticCollegeConsultants.FullSlate.com.  Once your meeting i scheduled, I will send you a survey for your student to complete as well as an agenda for our meeting.