Educational Consulting - Notifying Colleges of Your Decision

May 1st is almost here, and if you have not done so, take time to notify all colleges of your final decision. If you are not attending a college, notifying that college enables the institution to possibly open up their waitlist or offer scholarship money to other students. 

For more on the protocol and etiquette for turning down an offer from a school, make sure you follow the instructions for each college. Most of the time, you will have already established an online account with each college. Within this account, there is usually a way to submit your decision. 

In addition, for those colleges / universities in which you received a scholarship and / or special attention from an admission counselor, take time to hand-write or email a note of thanks for their guidance and the recognition of the scholarship. 

The world we live in is smaller than you know. What goes around, comes around. Being gracious and appreciative, or simply helping colleges gather enrollment stats speaks volumes about you, your habits and behaviors interacting in today's world. 

Questions - ask Patricia Nehme - MY EDU ADVISOR 

Educational Consulting - The British Are Coming

Over the month of April, a small group of UK Colleges have been traveling through Texas, gracing counselors with luncheons and evening receptions, as well as being present at National College Fairs to invite Texas High School Students to consider an UK Undergraduate degree. 

Thank you to the British Council for arranging this Texas tour. 

Take a look:

York University, Manchester Metropolitan, Bath Spa, Royal Agricultural University, University East London, Plymouth University, Bournemouth University,  Southampton University, Keele University, University of Bolton, University of West London, University of Manchester, DeMontford University, Northumbria University, University of Roehampton.

Remember, when applying to these schools or other UK Universities, each school's faculty of a particular department or major, will be the ones to review your application - not the admissions office. You must know what you want to major in and how best to express your focused interests in the personal statement. 

Questions on UK Universities, ask me - Patricia Nehme - pnehme@myeduadvisor.com 

Educational consultants at Texas Assn. of College Admission Counseling's Annual Conference

The Texas Assn. of College Admission Counseling always serves up a great annual conference. This year's Houston conference provided a great venue for college counselors and higher ed admission counselors to keep current and strengthen relationships. 

My favorite takeaways include: 

* Hearing YES Academy and uAspire share how collecting college-bound seniors' award letters to analysis institutions' financial aid practices can be used to inform next year's senior college lists. Thanks especially to Donald Kamentz, with YES Academy. Understanding how colleges and universities distribute financial aid is essential when crafting the college list. 

*Marie Bigham, with Greenhill School, provided some great prospective on the high school side during The Common App Year-In-Review. High Schools using Naviance must examine how well The Common App  and Naviance are integrating their systems to ensure all forms are successfully submitted and received on the college side. 

*College Board Jason Langdon and Ismael Rodriguez shared more details about the upcoming redesigned PSAT/NMSQT. Watch for College Board and Khan Academy webinars and tutorials. 

*Rachel Masson, with Beacon College, shared which attributes best serve students with learning differences for college success. Students with learning disabilities must understand their learning difference and become strong advocates; they must evaluate academic support programs for 'fit' prior to making a college commit. 

*Verna LaStrapes, with Texas State Technical College, shared major employment and Texas industry trends driving the demand for more skilled technical employees, in turn impacting high school guidance and higher ed programming. Verna is a passionate voice in encouraging more students to consider preparing for one of these highly sought after careers before taking the traditional route of 4 year college.  

Educational Consulting - Consulting - Making the Final Decision

Dear Soon to be College Freshman:

Now that all the acceptance letters are in, please take a moment (even longer) to reflect on your achievements.

Not the acceptances, but the personal growth and resilience that you have demonstrated during this stage of your life. You have persevered through a mountain of information and opinions; and in light of a rigorous senior year of academics and activities, you have completed the daunting task  of presenting your best in the college admission process. You researched, prepared for interviews, wrote and re-wrote lots of essays, you honed your advocacy skills, you became more aware of your strengths, preferences and goals; and we could add more and more to all the ‘good’ such a complex, sometimes unfair process presented you!

Now, you are ready to make a well-informed decision.

You have about 20 days before the May 1st deadline to notify  (accept)  the college of your choice (please do not wait until May 1st).

Do take time to do what you have learned to do well through this process – ask questions from the various colleges, visit the college if possible, reflect, talk to mom and dad, reach out to college students and admissions for impressions / opinions, think four years, attend college receptions in your area, speak to people who know you well.

I have attached a Gallup Poll Checklist that you might find helpful in reflecting about a particular college. Also, I include this twitter conversation that one senior used to determine the right college fit - FASCINATING; twitter actually facilitated a great discussion resulting in a final decision.

For now, be sure you keep up with your email and college accounts for pertinent information and instructions for matriculating. Notify those colleges in which you know you will NOT be attending so that your space and scholarships might be redirected to other students. And when you are sure, complete the enrollment forms and deposits before May 1st, secure housing, connect socially. Remember, you can only accept 1 offer. This is also the time for parents to schedule phone conferences with financial aid officers for Q&A, appeals, clarity, etc.(again, think 4 years).

Educational Consulting - NACAC National College Fair Comes to Austin

Last night's college fair in Austin proved to be another great opportunity for students and parents to witness the multitude of college options. Almost 400 schools were present to answer questions and connect with college-bound students. 

I enjoyed greeting college reps not only from the United States, but also from the UK, France and Canada. Equally, welcoming parents and students as they entered the massive conference hall wondering where to begin always reminds me of the new college admission season ahead.

Helping families understand the unique features of various colleges and determine where to focus their attention in order to conquer the college fair is a real highlight for me. 

Much thanks goes to NACAC and the state affiliate TACAC - they do an incredible job of organizing these events thus connecting students, parents, high school counselors and colleges. 

Want more information - ask PATRICIA NEHME - MY EDU ADVISOR