College Admissions

Survey: 1 Out of 4 Parents Cheated to Get Their Child into College

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 26 August 2021 on Hey SoCal

As soon as school opens every fall, 12th graders everywhere in the United States go through a rite-of-passage called college admissions. High school seniors look forward to it with both excitement and dread. It is, after all, the culmination of years of hard work that they hope earn them admission to a university high on their list. For them to find out that some children of the rich and famous undeservedly got into a college, as the bribing scandal revealed three years ago, is infuriating at the very least.  

This deceitful behavior, however, isn’t exclusive to celebrities. An Intelligent.com survey conducted this past spring showed that one out of four parents cheated to get their child into college. The admissions  process is complicated enough without parents’ involvement.

We asked college expert Beata Williams, an independent admissions consultant coaching students through the admissions process who had previous experience as an admissions counselor at Columbia University and at New York University, how counselors can discourage parents from taking matters into their hands.

“In my opinion, a healthy level of parental involvement in the college admissions process is beneficial to students,” Williams states. “However, students benefit the most if they are laying their own groundwork towards their college paths. Reinforcing the importance of the students’ engagement and keeping admissions conversations centered on the student and their profile (which includes student accomplishments) tends to be a successful strategy for keeping the process focused.”

Endowing universities has been a common practice among the elites but it has never gotten negative publicity. As benevolent as it seems, it still points to ways the privileged few could go around the admissions process. However, Williams says it is very unlikely that universities will discontinue accepting donations that benefit their endowments in the near future. Neither is she surprised that average parents like us are cheating to get their child into college. “Human nature does not discriminate amongst socioeconomic classes,” she declares.

The survey found that parents with high incomes ($125,000 or more annually) and those with low incomes ($49,000 or less annually) were the ones who cheated, while those who were considered ‘middle class’ ($50,000 to $124,000) didn’t. Does that mean they had nothing to lose or they had more confidence in their child’s ability? But what did that say about those who chose to cheat?

Williams opines, “I am not a trained psychologist but there is an Attribution Theory of psychology that – if I loosely interpret it – explains that high achievers relate success and failure to their efforts and abilities and they have a strong desire to reach their goals. Low achievers relate their success and failure to luck and the difficulty of the task assigned. I believe the answer to your question could very well be related to this theory.”

Kids are the ones losing when their parents try to manage their college application as Williams explains, “The college application process is a huge growth opportunity for a young adult. As stressful as it is, it provides a platform for them to gain strategy and decision making skills. When parents manage the process for their kids, they actually deprive them of a growth opportunity.

“College admissions is highly competitive and very stressful for students and parents. A book I wish parents and students who are currently in the admissions process would read and take to heart is ‘Where You Go is not Who You’ll Be’ by Frank Bruni. Perhaps it would reduce the admissions madness.”

Beata Williams, left, working with a student | Courtesy photo / Intelligent.com

Nowhere is the admissions process more anxiety-ridden than in Pasadena and surrounding cities. High school students here are so accomplished – they take as many as six advanced placement (AP) subjects in one school year, play varsity sports, vie in the most prestigious dance or music competitions the world over, enter science and engineering contests for scholarships, and establish nonprofits for a cause they want to advance, while excelling on every standardized test, and getting an unweighted GPA of 4.0 – that all of them are qualified to be admitted to the most selective universities. The competition is fierce because every student has to stand out among other overachievers.

At Arcadia High School (AHS), which has consistently ranked in the top 1% of high schools in the United States and has been named a Gold Medal School by U.S. News & World Report, students and parents know how daunting college admissions is, yet have a healthy approach to it.

Angela Dillman, AHS principal, and Amanda Fitts, college counselor, talk to us about the Intelligent.com survey findings.

Asked if it’s shocking that parents would cheat to get their child into college, Fitts replies, “I wish the number was lower but, honestly, I’m not shocked because of the tremendous pressure students and parents feel surrounding this process. This is especially true in communities where the pressure is intense to get into ‘name’ colleges and not just to get into college. I put a lot of blame on publications like the U.S. News & World Report that rank colleges based on data which aren’t that valuable in terms of students finding the right fit. I will say, though, that parents who donate huge sums of money to colleges is, unfortunately, not new. And we can’t really say that it’s cheating because it’s a practice that’s out in the open. But it’s also rare – we’re talking about millions of dollars. But hiring other students or even adults to take the test is quite upsetting.”

Dillman comments, “I couldn’t speak for any single family from Arcadia, but I think our families really value and trust the application process. Our students work very, very hard to make themselves the best candidate they can be on paper. I couldn’t be sure that our families didn’t cheat but my impression of our families is that they want to do things the right way and they support their students to be legitimately competitive. I know that when the college admissions scandal came out, our students were horrified because they’ve been working so hard and their reaction told me everything I needed to know that our community isn’t participating in something like this.”

“It’s a disservice to those students whose parents are cheating because the message the student is getting is that they aren’t capable of doing this on their own and these students carry those values with them throughout their life,” adds Fits. “Furthermore, they will go to school not on their own merit and where they don’t meet the criteria for success just to satisfy their parents. It’s harmful and unfair to deserving students who could have had that spot. Besides, parents who cheat cast a negative reflection on the high school the student is coming from.”

The stress for most students and families comes from unrealistic expectations and focusing on the wrong things when they look for a school. Fitts agrees with that assessment, saying, “I find that to be true every year and this isn’t the first school I’ve worked at. Sometimes it’s not that expectations are too high, it’s not understanding how the college admissions process works. Some students could be a fantastic fit for a highly selective school but because their acceptance rates are a certain number and they are building a class based on their priority as an institution, it’s out of the student’s control who’s selected. There are components they can control but there are some they can’t.”

Angie Dillman (right) and Amanda Fitts (left) | Photo by Shari Rudolph / Arcadia High School

Dillman expands, “We firmly believe that there’s a school for very single student. We want to break the mold of getting into a school with name recognition. We have just met with so many successful professionals who came to speak to our students who didn’t necessarily go to a top-ranked college but went to the school that was the right fit. Their ambition and their ability helped them excel in their careers and their life. And that’s what we want for our students; it’s what our parents and our students want for themselves.”

“We hear about all the pressures in college application but, overall, this should be a rewarding and fun process,” Fitts pronounces. “It is a time of self-discovery – identifying their interests and values – and then matching those to a school that will satisfy the criteria they’re looking for. It’s all about finding schools that are the right fit for a variety of reasons – financially, academically, socially, geographically.

“Students and parents need to just feel confident in knowing that if they do their research, read the college website, and find the schools that will be a good fit, they’re going to have a great experience and apply to the schools where they’re going to be accepted. And they’ll have amazing choices. The hardest thing at the end of the process, will be to decide which school they want to attend. Many students think there’s only one school that’s right for them, but there really are many schools that are the right fit for them.”

Polytechnic School in Pasadena (Poly) is nationally renowned for its rigorous academic, robust athletic, and wide-ranging art programs. With its small class sizes – the senior class usually has only a hundred or fewer students – each one gets personal attention from teachers. While college counselors meet with parents occasionally and when warranted, the department has been known to emphasize to parents of the graduating class that the college application session is between the student and the counselor.

Kyle Torres, who attended Poly from ninth to 12th grade, graduated this year and will be going to Pomona College in the fall. He and his mother, Victoria, graciously agree to share their college admissions experience and to comment on the Intelligent.com survey findings.

According to Victoria, she and her husband weren’t entirely in the dark about college admissions. She says, “We heard about it from friends and families that have gone through the process. We didn’t work with an independent counselor, though. Poly’s counselor discussed the process with us early in Kyle’s junior year and we met with him about four or five times throughout the process.”     

“We were not too involved in the application and writing of the essays; Kyle worked with his college counselor on these things,” continues Victoria. “But he did discuss with us the schools that he wanted to apply to. He mainly wanted to stay pretty local – in California. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to study in college but wanted to be in a small intimate setting where he is able to explore his options. Neither my husband nor I had any sway in his school selection. In the end, it was about choosing a school that would be a good fit for him.”

Victoria expounds, “Overall, the college admissions experience was stressful. However, Kyle’s college counselor helped a lot by making time to work with him. I remember Kyle was working with him the entire summer before senior year on the common app and the personal statement. This made it a little easier. Kyle was always telling us good things about his college counselor and how he always made time for him.”

“It was a very interesting year, especially with the COVID pandemic,” Victoria comments. “Many kids that we thought would get into their top choice schools did not. Whereas others that got into top schools were very surprised that they got in.” 

Asked if she’s upset that some parents cheated to get their child into college, Victoria unequivocally states, “Yes, because it’s really not fair to the kids that work so hard.”

Kyle Torres receiving his high school diploma | Courtesy Photo / Victoria Torres

Echoing his mother’s feelings, Kyle says, “Knowing how unpredictable and stressful the college process already is, it is quite distressful to hear that some people have an unfair advantage; it almost invalidates the hard work of students who don’t have the same privileges.”

Kyle worked hard to earn admission to Pomona College. Throughout high school, he took several demanding courses. Because Poly doesn’t offer AP courses in ninth grade, he took his first AP subject in chemistry in sophomore year, then took the bulk of his AP courses in junior and senior year.

Besides taking challenging academic subjects, Kyle participated in Poly’s vibrant campus life. He says, “I was involved in extra-curriculars ranging from the jazz ensemble to our community engagement program. As an alto saxophone player, I was a part of the jazz ensemble for all four years at Poly and had a uniquely different experience each year. I also represented my school as a student ambassador, giving tours of campus to prospective students and participating in events to promote our school. Lastly, I was a member of our Student Community Engagement Program, which aimed to get students involved in our community as well as incorporate service learning into our curriculum.

“Each summer in high school, I tried to learn something new and do something that might inform my future career interests,” Kyle says further. “For example, in the summer before sophomore year, I was interested in potentially pursuing pharmacy in college, and I was fortunate enough to intern at a local pharmacy. At the pharmacy, I got first-hand experience into how a pharmacy operates and what pharmacists encounter on a daily basis. Although I no longer want to become a pharmacist, this experience taught me much about what goes on behind the scenes at a pharmacy and, if nothing else, allowed me to shift my focus on other interests I may have had.”

Kyle recounts his experience, “I navigated the admissions process with Poly’s college counselors who were extremely helpful and supportive throughout. My college counselor first reached out to me early junior year, and, since that first meeting, I was always able to schedule meetings about whatever questions I had pertaining to college admissions.

“I thought I had an idea of what I wanted to study in college, but that changed nearly every year in high school. Currently, as an incoming freshman in college, I have an idea of potential majors that I would like to explore, but even still, I don’t yet know which of these majors interest me most.”

Adds Kyle, “I applied to 10 schools in total. Because of the unique circumstances due to COVID surrounding the college admissions process, many of the most important ways of researching a college – like visiting campus in person – weren’t available. I had to find other means, such as attending online information sessions, taking virtual tours, and contacting admissions officers for any questions. Although none of these options provide the same glimpse into campus life that in-person tours do, they were the next most helpful option and were extremely useful in my college decision-making process.”

“I did ask for my parents’ input in my choice of colleges. However, although I took into account their opinions, the decision of where to attend college was ultimately mine, and I’m grateful for my parents’ understanding of that,” Kyle points out.

“On the whole, my college application experience was stressful and time consuming, but ultimately gratifying,” concludes Kyle. “When I first started drafting my personal statement and supplemental essays, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed. It seemed as if I would never finish all of these essays in time. However, after I started breaking them up into chunks and focusing on them one at a time, I was able to answer each question thoughtfully and even enjoy the process as time went on. Throughout this process, I learned quite a bit about myself, as many of the essay prompts forced me to think deeply about myself and my values, making the process enlightening and rewarding in the end.”

Kyle’s experience demonstrates how formative the college admissions process could be. It is a foretaste of how adults handle circumstances that test their determination and try their spirit. These young adults will confront greater challenges and face bigger disappointments in college and beyond. It is important for them to learn how to be resilient for them to flourish when they go out into the world.            

Editor’s Note: Last month, The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens announced that “The Blue Boy” will be returning to England 100 years after it left – a move that shocked art experts who believe travel could damage the 250-year-old canvas. We in the San Gabriel Valley are very protective of it as it’s been at The Huntington since it opened in 1928. You can read more on this move here. We invite you to send us an email and tell us, in 100 words or fewer, your thoughts about it and share your experience looking at this magnificent work of art. Send your email to: MayRChu56@gmail com. Unless you request otherwise, we will include your name when we publish our informal poll. 

August College Search Guide

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 2 August 2021 on Hey SoCal

Columbia University | Courtesy photo

The road to college

Amidst recent headlines about the rise in COVID infection rates caused by the delta variant, most school districts in the San Gabriel Valley are planning to reopen this fall. Many parents have reservations about sending their children back on campus, and that’s not surprising. Even after getting fully vaccinated, a lot of us have remained vigilant – masking when we go to the grocery stores and other high-traffic places, putting on gloves, and social distancing – to keep ourselves and others safe and healthy. We certainly don’t want all that to be for naught.             

The pandemic has altered many of our usual activities, but what hasn’t changed is that getting ready for college application begins in high school – whether your children are just starting ninth grade or are already in 12th grade. The only difference is the pace at which they are working on their resume. They start building all the components that go into their transcript as soon as they get into high school. By the time they reach their senior year, they should have a transcript with excellent grades balanced with an equally impressive array of extra-curricular and enrichment activities.       

Make sure you attend ‘Back to School Night.’ I’m quite certain that besides orienting you and your children about academics, administrators and teachers will be giving an update on safety and social distancing protocols.        

You and your children should determine their interests and career goals and see what courses the school offers which appropriately meet those. These should be the guidelines for your students during the four years they are in high school. The outcomes of their work then determine which colleges or universities they should consider when they put together their list of where to apply.

An important factor in the admissions process is the students’ (and parents’) preconceived ideas about where they should apply and what their dream school is. Oftentimes, kids apply to the same dozen or so most-recognizable university names. This creates an unreasonable expectation which, more often than not, leads to unhealthy behavior. There are innumerable institutions that offer excellent teaching; there is a school out there that is the right fit for your child. 

FRESHMAN

High school is vastly different from middle school. Teachers have higher criteria from the work students turn in. Your children need to develop their analytical skills as their teachers will require deeper thinking and subject exploration from their papers. They should also have better time management skills to handle the more rigorous course load and extra-curricular activities.

In the first few days of ninth grade, your children will have several things they will be making decisions on, and tackling. I have to add here that high schools send their profile to the college or university to which your children are applying. Admissions officers will know what opportunities were available and if the applicant took advantage of them. I have listed them here with a brief description or explanation:

AP COURSES

Make sure your children choose the AP subjects they will need in the course(s) they will be taking in college. They shouldn’t pile up on APs to pad their resume because they will need to take the AP and SAT II exams for these subjects. Some universities only accept a 4 or a 5 on an AP exam for it to have any merit at all. While college admissions officers favor students who took on challenging AP subjects, they don’t look kindly on low AP grades or SAT II test scores either. Encourage your children to take courses they are truly interested in; students who study something they really like generally do well on it.     

CLUBS

Your children should join the clubs they actually want to be involved in; encourage them to participate actively. Ideally, your children would start a society based on their interest or something they feel strongly about. It can be something socially impactful, or it can be a fun club for student members to take a respite from their heavy academic load. In my daughter’s school, one student formed a Superhero Club where they went to all the openings of the latest Marvel or DC Comics films. Needless to say, this isn’t a smart idea during the pandemic.        

ATHLETICS

This is an essential component of high school life that is being severely impacted by the pandemic. Schools are being challenged to find a way for students to safely participate in sports at this time.                    

ARTS CLASS

If your children’s school offers art electives, encourage them to take a course. Usually, in the first year, the grade level dean encourages students to try various classes on offer so they can determine what they really want to focus on in the next three years.        

LANGUAGE

Besides the core subjects – English, history, math, science – a world language is a requirement for admission into college. In some elementary schools, students can take Mandarin and Spanish immersion classes. The Pasadena Unified School District, for one, offers French in addition to Mandarin and Spanish. If they continue on, these children will be ready not merely for college; they will be well-equipped for an increasingly global society.   

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Your children should do something they feel strongly about and work it every summer; it shows commitment to the activity they took on. This is going to be an essential component in your children’s transcript. Admissions officers are looking for depth of community involvement.       

SUMMER CAMP/ENRICHMENT COURSE

If your children have a passion for a particular activity, they should pursue a summer program related to it. Guidance counselors in some schools compile a list of the most engaging courses locally, out-of-state, or internationally.  

It goes without saying that all the above activities are merely supplements to good grades in the core subjects. Loading up on extra-curriculars at the expense of grades is definitely ill-advised. While admissions officers at all the universities talk about their holistic approach to their selection process, a student’s GPA remains a very critical, if not the single most important, component of your children’s college application. In fact, with the UC and Cal State systems’ dropping the standardized tests (ACT and SAT), your children’s grades are the most significant determinants of their college-readiness.  

SOPHOMORE

Your children have fully transitioned into high school, the demands of which were drilled into their subconscious the past school year. They have to put ninth grade behind them and face 10th grade with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

JUNIOR

This is going to be your children’s busiest school year. Make sure your children confer with their school’s counselor to ascertain they have all the courses required for graduating and for college. If they are applying to schools that still require standardized tests, they need to know what these are and when to take them. They should research which colleges and universities offer the course(s) they would like to pursue.

SENIOR 

By this time, your children should know where they will be applying and have visited (in-person or virtually) the schools. They should have taken all standardized exams required for college applications, firmed up their college/university list, researched all kinds of scholarships, lined up teachers to write their recommendations, perfected their personal statement, and learned how to complete the common application.

July College Search Guide

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 2 July 2021 on Hey SoCal

Clemson University | Courtesy Photo

The road to college

Your children have just weathered what is possibly the greatest upheaval in their young lives. The coronavirus crisis has affected all of us in ways we’ve never before experienced. But  summer has brought with it renewed energy as the economy reopens and people resume their usual activities.

Many seniors actually enjoyed in-person proms and graduations, all rites-of-passage not to be missed. There are also promising data from Challenger, Gray, & Christmas that suggest summer jobs will be plentiful this year.

As we cautiously get back to normal, or the new normal, encourage your children to focus on the main objective during their high school years – build impressive resumes to look attractive to admissions officers. They should be in some enjoyable classes, recreational camps, or professional internships to spend their time productively. There are test-prep courses students can take during summer to get them ready for all the standardized exams required for their college application. Today’s high school kids want to be as good as, if not better than, their classmates. Nowhere is this cutthroat competition more apparent than in the western San Gabriel Valley where a record number of students are getting perfect scores on the APs, ACTs, and SATs.  

RISING FRESHMEN

High School is going to be an exciting phase in your children’s academic life – especially after having spent a year-and-a-half of remote learning. Having completed middle school and their tween years where they found their identity, they are now ready to assert themselves in this new environment.

If your children have not shown much interest in reading during their elementary or middle school years, you need to encourage them to spend this month reading – just for the sheer pleasure of it. Persuade them to look for different authors and genres, familiarizing themselves with various styles and themes will help them find their own voice. Reading will expand their vocabulary as they gain maturity in their writing and that will prepare them for composing their personal statement. They need to practice writing essays, a staple in high school courses. Brianna Chu, a writer for Hey SoCal and tutor at Mundo Academy, wrote a blog on essay writing which your children might find useful.   

Now is the time for your children to start developing time management and study skills that will help them succeed in high school. A recently published article “A Review of New Research on Study Skills and Time Management Benefits” also written by Brianna Chu, delves into these topics.

RISING SOPHOMORES

As mentioned above, summer is an opportune time for reading. Encourage your children to spend part of their day to this pleasurable and educational pursuit.

Now that the economy has reopened, your children should find an enrichment program or perform community service work related to something they are passionate about. Sustained effort and interest in one particular cause show that your children are sincere, and not just padding their resumes.

If your children are so inclined, they can start researching colleges. They can go online and get virtual campus tours of most colleges or universities.

RISING JUNIORS

Your children should be preparing themselves for one of the busiest years of their high school career. They should be immersed in community service work, professional internships, and enrichment programs. Likewise, they can research colleges and go online to get virtual campus tours. This will also give your children some idea about the college application process.

Summer is the perfect time for them to read extensively to expand their vocabulary and prepare them for writing their essay for the college application.

RISING SENIORS

This is the year that will test your and your children’s mettle. Be prepared for the marathon (which actually started in the spring of their junior year). They should still be continuing the community service work they began back in their freshman year, getting an internship, or looking for avenues to use their talent.

If your children didn’t get the chance to do an in-person college visit, this summer would be the perfect opportunity to do so if you’re all fully vaccinated. I’m sure that, like the majority of us who have felt cooped-up during the pandemic, you’re excited to pack your bags and travel. When my daughter was applying to colleges, we incorporated the campus tours with our summer vacation.       

They should also be thinking about their personal statement. Likewise, some universities require a supplementary essay specific to them, with topics that range from the practical to the philosophical. Admissions officers are constantly on the lookout for something fresh and original in applicants’ compositions. However, it requires a certain amount of creativity and proficient writing skill to come up with a treatise that will impress seasoned readers.          

That said, your children might also find some time to actually enjoy this summer before they get swallowed up by the vortex of college applications. 

COLLEGE-BOUND STUDENTS

Unless your children are spending this summer agonizing because they’re waitlisted at their first choice school, they must be very excited to have completed high school and are anxiously looking forward to the next phase of their education. By this time, they should have put in the deposit on the college they plan to attend. Some colleges will be sending out the procedures for class registrations, information on housing, meal specifics, and such other details to the incoming class.

Let your children take the lead on the college moving arrangements and only offer guidance when they ask for it. In all likelihood, your children will be moving away from home, maybe going to the other side of the country. They need to practice being on their own and the preparations for moving will be a good place to start.

If your children will be attending a university across the Atlantic, as my daughter did, there is a whole set of preparations you have to attend to. Applying for a student visa should be your priority as it could take a month to secure. You and your college-bound student need to communicate closely with the school as their requirements may differ greatly from those of American universities.

Email or call the university to know when to wire the tuition and other college fees. Make sure your student has the necessary information on how to register for classes, how to apply for housing, and what essentials to bring to school. Research where to find items – including beddings (sizes are different from what’s standard here) and small electric appliances (voltage and shape of plug are different) – that your student will need. Knowing beforehand what stores you have to visit saves time. 

Going to school in another country takes more preparation, so make sure you have enough time to spend helping your children settle into their new environment. When my daughter left for college in the U.K., we arrived there three weeks prior to ‘freshers week.’ We opened her bank accounts, shopped for household items, and familiarized ourselves with the area (nearest grocery stores and hospital to her housing, for instance).           

For most parents, sending their children away to college across the country is difficult enough. Letting 18-year olds live on their own 5,000 miles away for four years is almost unthinkable. It takes a great deal of courage, on your part and your children’s, to make that plunge. But you’ll find that they grow into confident, responsible, and self-reliant adults and it was the best decision you both made.             

college campus

At this juncture, let me address another situation. If your children weren’t accepted to any school they applied to, then they have to decide if they want to attend a community college. Most of these institutions will accept new students close to enrolment time. Some of them have arrangements with the UC system so graduates can attend a UC school for their junior and senior year. This has the double advantage of ensuring your children get a college diploma from a four-year university and saving on the cost of their education.

There are some instances when your children might gain admission during the spring term to their first-choice school (this scenario happens if the university wants to keep their ranking and your children did not receive a perfect SAT score but they met all the other requirements for admission. If your children have highly desirable qualities that will enhance the university’s student body, they will wait until after their school has been ranked so your kids’ SAT scores will no longer affect their place). Confer with your children’s college counselor about how to accomplish this.

Some college applicants who are on waitlist on their dream university, ask to be deferred (this will only work if your children met all the academic qualifications for admission to the school with only the problem of the university not having the space for your student this year). 

Of course, there is the option to take a gap year after high school. Last year, many students deferred going to college because they felt that paying a full tuition isn’t worth the price when schools may not reopen their campuses and classes may be held remotely. Waiting until campuses reopen offers them the full experience of freshman year.

In a strange twist, The New York Times education Briefing reported two weeks ago that “law schools experienced a surge in applicants over the past year, driven by a mixture of factors, including the coronavirus pandemic, the presidential election and the Black Lives Matter movement. To ease the load, many schools have promised that scholarships will be in place for students if they choose to defer. A few are offering financial incentives. Duke promised $5,000 to students who accepted a ‘binding deferral’ and promised to go next year. Columbia University also dangled money in front of some students: $30,000 if they deferred. The school focused on recent graduates and also offered some career placement help, like two sessions with a career counselor and a list of open jobs.”

Pre-pandemic, one of my daughter’s classmates used her gap year performing charity work in Africa. This noble use of a gap year can help your children stand out in a sea of similar-looking applicants. Several universities consider this as a major boost in an applicant’s resume. Admissions officers tend to see the student in better light – this person has some tangible experience to bring in and, therefore, adds to the school make-up.

Whether your high school graduate is going directly to college, going by the community college route, or taking a gap year, recognize their decision as a first step towards their independence.  

June College Search Guide

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 1 June 2021 on Hey SoCal

Johns Hopkins University | Courtesy Photo

The road to college

June usually marks the end of the school year and the start of summer break. Many teens have been vaccinated and those who are hoping to find summer jobs will not be disappointed. According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas (CGC), the summer of 2021 is shaping up to be a boon for teen job seekers, as it predicts teens will gain two million jobs.        

In its summer job outlook forecast, CGC’s senior vice president Andrew Challenger said, “Retailers, quick-service restaurants, and amusement parks are looking for workers right now and many are having a hard time finding them, despite the 8.4 million Americans who are out of work. This summer, as vaccine numbers increase and regions see transmission rates go down, consumers will be ready to spend at retailers, restaurants, and amusement parks, as well as enroll their children in parks programs and summer camps, creating thousands of opportunities.”

CGC’s report included statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) estimate that roughly 25% of the population is fully vaccinated and almost 40% have received at least one shot of a two-dose vaccine as of April 19. Meanwhile, March retail sales surged 9.8%, nearly double what was predicted, likely due to the impact of the stimulus payments. Employment in leisure and hospitality increased by 280,000 and in eating and drinking places by 176,000, according to the latest employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This will only continue to go up as restrictions ease nationwide.

Moreover, CGC stated that summer jobs created for teens aged 16 to 19 years old soared to 2.2 million during the pandemic-induced recession last year, as the types of jobs created en masse last summer were those that traditionally go to teen workers.

While CGC didn’t have a rosy prediction about 2020 summer jobs, it reported that last summer saw a record-high 2,192,000 jobs gained by teens, a 26% increase from the 1,737,000 jobs gained by teenagers in the summer of 2019. The number of employed teens was down by over one million jobs from peak employment of 6,409,000 in July 2019 to 5,353,000 in July 2020. As of March 2021, 4,890,000 teens are employed, up from 4,811,000 in the same month last year. 

The scheduled lifting of most restrictions on June 15, will also mean that there will be summer internships available. Encourage your children to call some of the local businesses or even go online to find one that speaks to their passion. A few internships in Southern California can be found on this website.   

Additionally, as summer camps reopen, there will be more activities for your children this summer. Camps are a wonderful way for them to meet other kids or reunite with friends they hadn’t seen all year. If you didn’t manage to book a Tom Sawyer camp, check out your local schools’ summer offerings.

Enrichment programs are a fun and educational way for children to spend the summer months. Your local school most likely has an activity that’s appropriate for each age group and grade level; the Pasadena Educational Foundation (PEF) has an excellent program for PUSD students.            

| Courtesy photo

FRESHMAN

Some schools may have eliminated final exams and given pass or fail grades in lieu of the letter grades, which must have been a disappointment for straight-A students. But that shouldn’t deter them from continuing to get excellent grades because the student’s GPA is the single, most important component of their transcript. And with the UC system’s decision to drop the SATs and ACTs from their requirements, students’ GPAs have become ever more significant.       

If your children can find summer enrichment activities, they should definitely pursue these. They also need to do a lot of reading to help them prepare for all the essays they will have to write when they start sending out their college application. Brianna Chu, a tutor at Mundo Academy, wrote a blog about essay writing that your children might find useful.

SOPHOMORE

Your children’s end-of-year marks in 10th grade should have improved over last year’s if they didn’t do well in their freshman year. College admissions officers want to see students who continue to better themselves. 

While the UC system has dropped the standardized test requirement, not all universities have. So your children need to take the ACT or June SAT subject tests.

JUNIOR

The school year that just ended was a pivotal one for your children as it will be the last full year that college admissions officers will see on your kids’ application. It should reflect your children’s efforts at getting the best marks they could muster, and an improvement over the first two years of high school. 

This is going to be their busiest summer with standardized tests like the ACT, SAT, SAT IIs, and APs. If they have not seen the schools they are considering applying to, they might consider taking virtual tours.

Your children should start thinking about their personal statement and should have learned how to write compelling essays. They should be checking in with their school counselor to make sure they have taken all the required courses for graduation and college; and lining up teachers they would like to ask for recommendations.

SENIOR

Schools reopened for in-person learning in the last few months. If your children went back on campus, they were able to properly say goodbye to their teachers and friends. Some high schools held either virtual graduations or had ceremonies divided into small groups. I hope you attended their commencement rite and celebrated with your graduate.       

Your children have accomplished a major milestone – successfully completing high school and getting accepted into a college or university! This period in their life will never again be repeated, so let them revel in what they have achieved. Give yourself a pat on the back while you’re at it; you deserve some credit in helping them get to this point. 

May College Search Guide

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 3 May 2021 on Hey SoCal

Cornell University | Courtesy Photo

The road to college

Students are ready for the end of a school year that has been marked with so much uncertainty and upheaval – education officials and school districts going back and forth between opening campuses and then resuming remote learning because of infection surges; teachers unions refusing to let their members return to campus until everyone has been fully vaccinated and schools have coronavirus testing in place; parents who are divided into two camps: those who want their children taught in school because it’s what’s best for them and those who want to continue remote learning because they don’t think schools can keep their children safe from COVID-19.

Whether your children returned on campus to finish what little was left of the schoolyear or stayed with distance learning, they must be relieved to finally get done.

Some schools are considering offering enhanced summer programs that combine academic courses with outdoor and sports activities that hadn’t been available. Academic experts have long worried about learning loss during the lengthy summer break which, inarguably, has been brought into sharper focus during distance learning. Now, more than any other year, you should encourage your children to enroll.

FRESHMAN

This is the last call for your ninth graders who need to improve their grades! GPA is the most important component of your children’s college application. If their marks are not adequate for college acceptance requirements, they need to confer with their college counselors to arrange for remedial summer classes.

By June, almost every Californian will likely be vaccinated and business will reopen. We will presumably have some kind of normalcy in our lives that will allow us to resume some of our summer activities. Encourage your children to speak with their grade level dean to figure out possible internships.  

Your children should begin planning summer volunteer activities. Admissions officers look for students who have demonstrated sustained community service in a few well-chosen areas. It isn’t the quantity of activities but the quality that’s important – they want to gauge the depth of students’ intellectual and ethical engagement to a given cause. The summer after their freshman year is the time for your children to find activities that truly speak to their interest and passion. Let them choose one that really resonates with them which they should carry through their four years in high school.            

Because we haven’t been able to go anywhere or seen anyone for 14 months, your children could be tempted to spend the summer months hanging out with their friends. While I know they deserve to get their social life back, they should also schedule some time for reading books. Encourage them to explore various genres and different authors. At the very least, reading will help them expand their vocabulary and expose them to different writing styles. This will come in handy when they write their personal statement and supplementary essays for their college application.

SOPHOMORE

Sophomore year is when your children have fully transitioned into high school. They are comfortable about how this phase fits into the whole secondary school experience. They have taken the practice PSAT, as a preparation for junior year when the results determine their eligibility for the National Merit Scholarship. They have also taken some AP tests, if they took an AP course.

Hopefully, your children have also done well in their studies, have maintained good grades this entire year, and have prepared for final exams. Admissions officers expect grades that are consistent, and if their freshman marks weren’t that great, their sophomore grades should at least show improvement over last year’s.    

Make sure your children have lined up their summer activities. They will probably have more choices than they had the summer of freshman year during social distancing, but they should try for something related to what they did last year. Admissions officers want to see commitment to a particular interest and, given the circumstances, they will really appreciate your children’s effort.   

JUNIOR

Make sure your children have registered to take all the required standardized tests for college admissions. While standardized tests are not required by the Cal State and UC systems, they are still part of the application for some and, if your children are applying through early action or early decision to these schools, they need to take the SAT or ACT this summer.     

Your children’s final grades are extremely important! Eleventh grade is the last complete year that college admissions officers will see on the application and they expect grades that are either consistent with, or better than, the first two years.

SENIOR

The high school graduation is a rite-of-passage that signifies a teenager’s first step into adulthood. I hope that your children’s school has some kind of celebration and a virtual commencement exercise planned, should an in-person graduation not be deemed safe.          

If your children are still sweating it on the waitlist of their first-choice college, they need to ensure their final grades are terrific! They should keep up with all their schoolwork and send the college admissions officers any updates on awards and honors they receive. They should ask their college counselor if an additional letter of recommendation might be helpful. Keeping in touch with the admissions office reinforces their interest in attending the school if accepted.

They should have put a deposit on their second-choice school to guarantee them a place for the incoming class in the fall. Although, if they come off the waitlist on their first choice, they will lose this deposit.

Be there for your children to support them whatever the outcome of their college application. It has been a significant phase of reaching adulthood and an important learning experience. In the end, though, what matters is not where they have been accepted. The college they attend will not guarantee success in the real world; it’s how they use their education that determines how well they do in life

April College Search Guide

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 1 April 2021 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

Oxford University’s Magdalen Tower (Oxford, England) | Courtesy Photo

The road to college

Last week the Wall Street Journal reported that the  U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) cut in half the distance for K-12 classrooms and removed a recommendation for schools to install physical barriers – sneeze guards, partitions, or tape. However, students should maintain the six-feet social distance when they are in other indoor venues like the auditorium; during extra- curricular activities, like sports events and music practice; or when masks have to be removed, like when they’re eating.

The reduced social distance does not apply to teachers and staff  because, according to the CDC, COVID-19 transmission rates are higher among adults. Furthermore, the six feet requirement remains in place in communities with high transmission rates if students cannot be divided into cohorts.                         

L.A. County has seen a decline in the number of COVID-19 infections and several school districts in the San Gabriel Valley are planning on having students on campus in mid-April. Some school districts, though, are taking a more guarded approach by keeping the six feet distance, installing physical barriers to separate desks, and conducting their own health tests.       

While all research data show that the classroom setting is the best environment for learning, not    

all parents are rushing to send their children back to school, as reported by writer Howard Blume in an L.A. Times article. Parents in more affluent areas are twice as likely to send their children back to an elementary school as those in low income areas.

For middle- and high-schoolers, reluctance to return to school isn’t based on safety concerns but the classroom set-up – students will stay in a home room, instead of going to various teachers classrooms and classes will be taught via Zoom. For many, this arrangement isn’t much better than remote learning. In fact, they feel they’d rather learn from home where it’s more comfortable.

There are only two months left in the school year. And whether your high school children are going back on campus or have decided to complete the year in the comforts of home, they have to be preparing for the rigors of college.  

FRESHMAN

The school year is winding down. Your 9th graders should be on track on all their academic grades and putting extra effort into getting the best grades they could muster. Assuming that things will come back to normal soon, they should line up summer activities – enrichment programs, summer camps, volunteer work, or part-time jobs. 

All these – grades, arts, athletics, community work, employment – from 9th through 12th grade, will be recorded on the transcript that your children’s high schools will send to the colleges to which they apply.   

SOPHOMORE

The College Board has made updates in light of the coronavirus outbreak (read it here) so please be aware of what your children need to do. Make sure your children have registered for all the standardized tests they have to take in May or June (Possible AP tests for 10th graders are Math, Chemistry, History and Foreign Language. Deadlines are April and May for tests in May and June).

They need to plan their summer activities. If they are taking an Art elective, or are interested  in a particular art field, they should consider a summer program in that course to put on their resume.

High school students at school, wearing N95 Face masks in the classroom.

JUNIOR

This is the last complete academic year admissions officers will see when your children apply to colleges. They want to see grades that are improving from year to year, so the 11th grade final marks should be the highest on the report cards. If your children had gone on virtual college campus tours during spring break, they should also know the academic requirements of the colleges to which they are thinking of applying. They need to look at where they are grades-wise to figure out if the school on their list is a realistic goal.

Make sure your children have registered for the SAT, ACT (www.act.org), SAT Subject Tests, AP especially if they are thinking of applying through early action or early decision.

They should have all their summer activities lined up – enrichment programs, summer camps, volunteer work or part-time jobs. Remind your children to continue the pursuits they started in freshman year as admissions officers look for sustained interest, which is a reflection of what they are truly passionate about.

SENIOR

Some universities have sent out their decision letters in mid- or late-March, or mid-April if they applied to the Ivies. If your children are lucky enough to be accepted to all the schools to which they applied, they deserve a big congratulations! You can all exhale now! 

This is the part where your children get to choose the school they really want to attend. During the application process, your children were hoping the colleges to which they applied accept them. Now the colleges that accepted your children would like your kids to choose them! In this rank-obsessed world of American universities, the schools encourage all students to apply to them (they actively recruit students they would never even admit because the more applications they receive and the more rejections they send out, the higher they’re ranked.) The tables are turned because once your children get the schools’ acceptance letter, these schools would like to ensure your kids actually attend their college. This is the yield: the higher their yield, the higher their ranking.  

If your children are applying for financial aid or scholarships, now is the time to compare schools’ financial aid or scholarship offers. If a particular school really wants your children, you might have the opportunity to ask for a better package than what it originally extended.

If your children have been waitlisted to a school they are determined to get into, they need to respond quickly to let the admissions officers know that they are very interested. Your children should send a follow-up letter to express that the school is their top choice and that they will definitely enroll if accepted.

Demonstrated interest is all the more critical at this juncture as your children want to ascertain the admissions officers keep them in mind. Encourage your children to work with their high school’s counselor to make sure they send the transcript for the first semester, and any updates on awards and honors received after they sent their application. Your children need to keep in constant touch with the admissions officers.

The admissions office requires a decision from accepted students on May 1st. Make sure your children accept the offer of their second choice school where they have been admitted, and pay the required deposit. If your children are later accepted to the school to which they were waitlisted and accept that offer, they will lose the deposit on the other school. But it’s their guarantee that they will be attending a college in the fall.  

March College Search Guide

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 1 March 2021 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

Stanford University | Courtesy Photo

The road to college

This month marks a year since the coronavirus pandemic became widespread and lockdown began. I wish I could say that we might see some light at the end of the tunnel but, sadly, that could still be months away. The U.S. has surpassed 500,000 COVID-19 deaths, more than in two world wars and the Vietnam war combined. While there are now three approved vaccines to help fight the coronavirus, there is very limited supply and rollout is being staggered. The latest vaccination update issued by the L.A. County Public Health Department has listed the sectors eligible for inoculation beginning March 1, they include workers in food and agriculture, education and childcare, and emergency services and first responders.

At the same time, government officials and school districts are announcing plans to reopen school campuses in early April. However, teachers’ unions are refusing to let their members go back to classrooms until they have been vaccinated. But private schools in California and the San Gabriel Valley have found ways to ensure their teachers’ and students’ safety and are now open for in-person learning. It only shows that the children who are more adversely affected by remote learning — those in low-income and racially diverse households — and who would most benefit from a return to classrooms, are not being served.      

Inequity in access to education goes all the way to the college level and first came into the spotlight during the spring of 2019’s bribery scandal. And now the pandemic has exposed a trend in college admissions. According to the New York Times’ education briefing, selective schools — including California’s UC system and Penn State — saw double-digit surges in applications due to standardized test scores being waived this admissions cycle. Harvard University had a record-setting 42% increase and the entire Ivy League had to extend its notification by a week to give admissions officers time to read and process applications.

On the other hand, many state schools and small private colleges suffered double-digit drops in applications and enrollments. Many institutions outside the top-tier have been struggling for years and the pandemic just made it worse. The N.Y. Times report further said American colleges and universities have endured losses of more than $120 billion and a few have shut down permanently. The institutions still operating often have to make up the difference by cutting services and programs that provide the tools, resources, and support which many low-income and first-generation students need to complete their degrees.                                                                

But let me get back to the purpose of this college search guide. If your children are now attending in-person classes, you must be so relieved after a year of practically having to home-school them. They might have to play catch-up, though. Whether your kids are still remote-learning or on campus, there are several tutoring services available if they require help with school work. Find one which offers options that fit your children’s specific need and your family’s budget. A company called Mundo Academy provides excellent tutoring services in the Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley area. Likewise, some high school and college students have created free tutoring services and learning platforms to help children during the coronavirus pandemic. Two of these organizations include Sailors Learning and Wave Learning Festival.                     

If your children are still distance-learning, you must be exhausted balancing home-schooling and working. Please reach out for assistance. The CDC has put together a resource kit for parents, divided by age group, to help them ensure their children’s well-being. The site also has links to other resources that cover various concerns. Another CDC webpage is dedicated to helping parents manage stress during the coronavirus pandemic.           

Empty classroom with chairs on the table during COVID-19 pandemic

FRESHMAN

Your children should have all their grades on track. They need to concentrate on maintaining good study habits now to be better equipped to handle the rigors of the workload in the coming years. If they haven’t been reading much, they should seriously consider taking up reading as a hobby during spring break to help them increase their vocabulary — it will come in handy when they write all the supplemental essays many universities require.   

It’s also a good time for your children to consult their class dean regarding summer activities – academic enrichment programs, volunteer work, or part-time employment. College admissions officers are looking for students who explored their passions while getting good grades.

Admissions officers will not expect your children to have extra-curricular activities during the  coronavirus pandemic. However, they will be interested to know how students spent their time outside of remote learning. Encourage your children to find virtual volunteer work or earn online certificates to put on their curriculum vitae. Hopefully, this time next year we’ll have some normalcy in our lives and students can resume some of the activities they have put on hold.              

SOPHOMORE

Tenth graders who are taking AP courses need to register for the AP exams administered in May.  While there is a slew of small independent tutoring schools offering courses to prepare for the AP tests, some children do not need to take on this additional burden on their already busy schedules. Your children have enough on their plate with the intensive homework associated with an advanced placement course. That said, your kids will still have to show competence on the AP exams as all scores are submitted to the College Board; all the colleges to which your children apply will see the AP scores.

Students with protective masks sitting in school desks in their classroom. School desks are marked with a cross to mark a place where sitting is not allowed to maintain social distance during corona virus.

JUNIOR

Spring break is usually the time when juniors visit various campuses. Years before the pandemic, my daughter’s school had an organized tour and students had a prepared college visit checklist with a page or several pages allotted for each school. They had to write their overall impressions.

In-person college visits may not be available during the pandemic so make sure you and your children do a virtual tour or a webinar. Many universities offer a live virtual tour where someone takes you around the campus on FaceTime or Zoom. There’s usually an admissions officer on hand to answer questions. And, as in pre-pandemic years, you and your children need to make an appointment to attend the tour.        

Even when tours are conducted virtually, you can still ask some of the questions you normally would during an in-person visit. Here are a few examples: What is the advising system for freshmen? Are there opportunities for independent/study abroad? Is there guaranteed housing for four years? What are the dining options? What safety measures and precautions are offered by the school during the pandemic?

Especially during the pandemic, it’s advisable to arrange to speak with a current student about campus life. Here are some questions to ask: Do students stay on campus or do they leave on weekends? Are students practicing healthy campus lifestyles, like limiting parties? Even before the pandemic, these parties led to excessive drinking and wild behavior; these gatherings could be super spreaders of COVID-19.        

One major concern for parents and children should be security on campus (Can outsiders gain access to the library, the fitness center or student union? Are there video cameras around the school periphery?). Of course, the most serious threat to students’ well-being may actually be within the confines of the institution. This topic has become part of the national conversation and some universities are addressing the topic up front. I, personally, would want to know if officials have safeguards in place to prevent such crime from occurring. Do administrators disclose information about it or do they hide and blur the facts? What consequences does the school impose on perpetrators?

SENIOR

You and your children should research all scholarships and grants available to them. Many colleges offer merit scholarships to applicants with excellent academic records to motivate them to matriculate. The package usually includes the full cost of tuition and fees and may also cover room and board.

Universities also extend need-based grants to applicants who demonstrate a financial hardship. These reduce the cost of a college education and do not need to be repaid. Your children should complete the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid. Other schools may also require a college-specific financial aid application.

Some useful websites to help you get started in your research include: CollegeXpress; Fastweb; National Merit Scholarship Corporation; Scholarships.com; Scholarships360; and Student Aid on the Web.

As I expounded on last month, some colleges will be sending out decision letters sometime in March or April. Your children should keep their wits about them as they await word from the colleges they applied to. 

After the marathon they finished, your children may be quite restless and anxious to know if they have been accepted to their school of choice. Remind them to use this quiet time productively by keeping their focus on academics and their grades. They should still engage in other worthwhile activities like arts. 

Tell your children that they may be getting letters of rejection from some schools. While you might be more disappointed than your son or daughter, avoid showing it as that sends the wrong message. Not being accepted to their first choice isn’t the end of the world. In fact, while it may not seem like it at first, that rejection usually turns out to be a blessing in disguise — in most cases, they end up in the school that is the right fit for them. 

February College Search Guide

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 1 February 2021 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

San Jose State University | Courtesy Photo

The road to college

It’s been 13 months since the first signs of coronavirus in the United States were reported. To date, there have been more than 25.45 million cases of infection and over 425,000 deaths, with January being the pandemic’s deadliest month. While the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are now available, getting most of the population vaccinated is still several months ahead.            

Students have been learning remotely beginning last spring; teachers have never been busier  preparing for the day’s lessons and trying to engage distracted learners during virtual class; and parents are struggling to keep their job and helping their young kids keep up with school work all at once.

In an effort to get students back on campus, Gov. Newsom unveiled last month a $2-billion plan called ‘Safe Schools for All.’ However, it wasn’t ratified by the California Legislature. In an L.A. Times article on January 24, John Myers wrote that the mechanics of the proposal weren’t the only challenge. Education advocates argued that most of the funds would have been used to provide COVID-19 testing for staff and students instead of going towards educational and social-emotional services to benefit students. Several school districts are going their own way in deciding when and how to open their campus safely.

There are several tutoring services available if you and your children require help with school work. Find one which offers options that fit your children’s specific need and your family’s budget. A company called Mundo Academy provides excellent tutoring services in the Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley area. Likewise, some high school and college students have created free tutoring services and learning platforms to help children during the coronavirus pandemic. Two of these organizations include Sailors Learning and Wave Learning Festival.                     

Photo courtesy of Wave Learning Festival

If you’re exhausted, as most of us are at this time, please reach out for assistance. The CDC has put together a resource kit for parents, divided by age group, to help them ensure their children’s well-being. The site also has links to other resources that cover various concerns. Another CDC website is dedicated to helping parents manage stress during the coronavirus pandemic.           

Meanwhile, COVID-19 has resulted in changes to the college application process. The biggest upheaval was doing away with standardized testing for this cycle. Ivy schools received an unprecedented number of applications because of this, and will be delaying sending out acceptances to process them. The College Board had to cancel multiple rounds of testing last year, which meant a significant revenue loss. This week, it announced the elimination of the SAT subject tests and essay. It added that APs – which are widely available – showcase students’  knowledge, and there are other ways students can demonstrate writing ability. But even before the pandemic, many universities were no longer requiring SAT and ACT scores as part of college applications; scrapping standardized testing altogether might not be far behind. The coronavirus could only hasten the inevitable.      

FRESHMAN

Your children are well into the second semester of 9th grade and are now fully engaged in the academic life at their school. With grades as the only benchmark for an applicant’s merit for  acceptance, the student’s GPA is the single most important component of their college application. If their first semester marks need improvement, now is the time to turn things around.

Admissions officers will not expect your children to have extra-curricular activities during the  coronavirus pandemic. However, they will be interested to know how students spent their time outside of remote learning. Encourage your children to find virtual volunteer work or earn online certificates to put on their curriculum vitae. Hopefully, this time next year we’ll have some normalcy in our lives and students can resume some of the activities they have put on hold.              

SOPHOMORE

Your children need to really understand and learn the courses they’re taking so that the final grades on their transcript are the best they could earn. The schools they will be applying to will only see the grades in their three years in high school. If their first semester grades weren’t stellar, they need to improve this semester. They need to ‘meet’ with their grade class dean to make sure their grades and courses are on the right track for graduation. While the SAT and ACT are no longer required by universities, AP scores are still being used as a gauge of college-readiness and your children should register for the tests (www.collegeboard.com; http://www.act.org).

JUNIOR

I cannot emphasize this enough – junior year is the last complete year that college admissions officers will be looking at when your children send their application. They need to maintain their good grades and the pursuits that replaced their extra-curricular activities. If they had good study habits back in 9th grade and have established a routine, they shouldn’t be feeling overwhelmed right now.    

For most students, meeting frequently with their school’s counselors isn’t always a possibility. In some high schools where there are as many as 400 seniors to four full-time counselors, a junior may not even get any face-to-face time with a counselor. This puts the onus on your children to be very resourceful, take the initiative in gathering their research material, and plan their course of action as they embark on the college application process. This was a pre-pandemic fact that has become all the more glaring with COVID-19. Seek the services of an independent counselor if you need help.      

Meanwhile, as the parent of a junior, you should also make sure your child is on track – has taken all the courses the high school requires for graduation and is taking all the courses to complete the UC and Cal State requirements.                

You and your children should do a virtual college tour. They might also want to make a phone call or have a Zoom chat with a current student to learn more about the school. More often than not, current college students and alums are happy to talk about their alma mater.    

SENIOR

Your children should not take for granted that they are all done with schoolwork because they have sent in their college application. Don’t let them succumb to ‘senioritis’ – they still have to submit their final transcript. Unlike last school year when teachers cut students a lot of slack because of the pandemic, they are more strict now that everyone has settled to the ‘new normal.’ Universities can rescind their acceptance if admissions officers see a drastic drop in the student’s grades. In fact, a single lower mark can trigger some questions. Moreover, third quarter grades are critical in case they are waitlisted. And, in the unfortunate event they realize the school they were accepted to isn’t the right fit for them, senior-year grades will be crucial if they decide to apply for a transfer.

Additionally, seniors need to be mindful of their social activities. Schools are tech-savvy – they check social media profiles of students they have accepted and can rescind that offer if they find unacceptable behavior. Your children should be mindful of what may end up online.         

If your children have received new awards or commendations, or have accomplished something significant since they sent in their college application, they should email this important update to the admissions officer or the area representative of the school they applied to.

Your children should confirm with the colleges to make sure they have all the documents they require. They should continue applying for scholarships (www.scholarships.com; www.collegexpress.com; www.scholarships360.org, www.fastweb.com,

www.studentaid.ed.gov, http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/graduating-debt-free) and getting their FAFSA (www.fafsa.ed.gov) ready for submission.

The months following the end of the college application process are usually as anxiety-ridden for seniors as well as parents. While everyone has breathed a sigh of relief that the mad rush is over, the waiting period is just as nerve-wracking. In the next few weeks, some college decisions will be trickling in.

Remind your children to be careful how they share their good news as their friends might be getting some bad news at the same time. If they have been accepted to their ‘safety school’ but aren’t planning on attending it, they should resist the urge to boast about it as it might be someone else’s ‘dream school.’

Most of all, your children need to be patient – the answer will eventually arrive and nothing can hurry it up. Colleges notify at different times and in different ways. They shouldn’t read into the timing of the decision letters; their friends getting good news early doesn’t necessarily mean a bad outcome for them.       

January College Search Guide

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 4 January 2021 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

 
Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana) | Courtesy photo

The road to college

This new year starts with more warnings and worries about a ‘twindemic’ – cases of the seasonal flu combined with coronavirus infections – that could overwhelm hospitals, strain already overtaxed health care workers, and deplete vital resources. The impact of the virus was felt in every aspect of American life  – from the economy, to education, to our mental and physical well-being, among others.

On the school front, remote learning became the new normal and parents, a larger percentage of whom are mothers, have taken on the additional responsibility of homeschooling their children. While it is helping prevent the spread of the virus, parents are getting burned out and younger children are having difficulty focusing. At the same time, not all kids have access to reliable internet, and some who do have access are struggling to keep up with schoolwork.

There was a constant tug-of-war among parents, teachers, staff, and the government on to how best deliver teaching in the face of the pandemic and then resolve the ensuing learning crisis. Two days before the end of 2020, as reported by the L.A. Times,  Gov. Newsom announced a $2-billion package of incentives to encourage a return to in-person classes for California elementary school students as early as mid-February. However, as the report pointed out, given the alarming rate of infections over the region, it remains to be seen if districts can reasonably make this happen. Distance learning may still be our reality until the foreseeable future.                   

Fortunately, several tutoring services are available for parents and students who need help. Find   one that offers options to fit your children’s specific need and your family’s budget. A company called Mundo Academy provides excellent tutoring services in the Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley area. Likewise, socially-minded high school and college students have created free tutoring services and learning platforms to help children during the coronavirus pandemic. Two of these organizations include Sailors Learning and Wave Learning Festival.                     

If you’re exhausted, as most of us are at this time, please reach out for assistance. The CDC has put together a resource kit for parents, divided by age group, to help them ensure their children’s well-being. The site also has links to other resources that cover various concerns. Another CDC website is dedicated to helping parents manage stress during the coronavirus pandemic.           

Needless to say, the pandemic has only made the already complicated college application process all the more nerve-racking. I hope this college guide helps in some way.    

                              

FRESHMAN 

Typically, the beginning of the year marks the halfway point in the schoolyear. First semester grades will soon be released, if they had not been sent out yet. If your 9th graders’ marks are not great, they would need to use the second semester to better them as it’s the end-of-year grades that show on the transcript. The College Board hasn’t been able to offer standardized testing because of the pandemic and some universities have dropped their SAT requirements, so a student’s GPA is the single most influential component of the college application. Admissions officers only have your children’s GPA to gauge their college-readiness and success.          

SOPHOMORE 

This is your student’s second year, and by this time they  should have fully transitioned into high school. They need to put extra effort into weak subjects and solidify grades in the second semester.

JUNIOR 

The second semester of junior year is significant as it is the beginning of the college application process. Students should have already started doing their research about the colleges and could start doing virtual tours, which might have to replace the usual campus visit. Some useful websites include campustours.com; CollegeProwler.com; SmartCollegeVisit.com; YOUniversity.com.  

SENIOR 

All college applications should have already been sent out for the January 1st regular decision/admission deadline. Some universities, like Georgetown, have a later deadline. Some schools also have ED (Early Decision) II. Parents should already have filed their income tax returns; get ready to submit FAFSA (www.fafsa.ed.gov). Apply for scholarships. There are several websites to help you with your search like www.scholarships.com, http://www.collegexpress.com, www.scholarships360.org, http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/graduating-debt-free.

As much as I’m tempted to say “Tell your kids to breathe a sigh of relief, the hard part is over,” the truth is, the waiting part induces much anxiety. And, oftentimes, it’s worse because you or your children have no control over it. Just be there for your kids to remind them that they have done a great job and they should let the admissions professionals do theirs.

The months from January through March can still be a time for your children to do something to help their cause. Mid-January is when high schools get their first semester grades finalized. If your student’s mid-year report is particularly spectacular, this could be a very good development especially if they are applying to a highly selective college. When your children’s high school sends the grades, have your children follow up with an email to the area representative telling them about their hard work and interest in that college.

If your children have been deferred at a college when they applied through early action or early decision, it is advisable for them to send in an additional teacher recommendation, but only if this supports their application. Likewise, if your student has received any notable honors or made any significant achievement, they should let the admissions officers know by email.     

Having done all these, you and your children will now just have to wait patiently for the process to play itself out.           

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December College Search Guide

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 3 December 2020 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

University of Iowa | Courtesy Photo

The road to college

Well, the rain certainly put a damper on our Thanksgiving weekend. But Southern California is always in need of it, so the rain was something to be thankful for. We’re also feeling the Southland version of winter with cooler daytime weather and freezing overnight temperatures in the mountains. All these have resulted in snow-capped mountains, making for a veritable Alpine sight. Christmas tree lots beckon with fragrant firs and mall stores entice with all kinds of sales promotions. And, of course, children are eagerly anticipating the Christmas season and winter break.

As we head towards the end of the year, some students are finishing up on the first semester and grateful that they are halfway through this school year. At the same time, some universities are re-examining their application process in light of the bribing scandal that rocked some of the most elite institutions of higher learning in the country earlier this year.

In an article published on November 24, L.A. Times writer Teresa Watanabe reported that chancellors of UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz and the University of California’s chief academic officer said they support dropping the SAT and ACT as an admission requirement.

According to UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol T. Christ and UC Provost Michael Brown, research has convinced them that performance on the SAT and ACT is so strongly influenced by family income, parent’s education, and race that using them for high stakes admissions decisions is simply wrong.

While Brown sees the SAT and ACT as an inaccurate barometer for admission, he isn’t opposed to all standardized tests that measure students by how much they’ve mastered prescribed academic content. He cited Smarter Balanced, which is used in California to assess 11th graders on the state’s Common Core Curriculum.

The article further mentioned that the 10-campus UC system and 23-campus Cal State system would join more than 1,000 other colleges that have gone testing-optional, with 47 more schools joining in the last 12 months.

Such measures, of course, are bad news for the multi-billion dollar college prep industry and among the dissenters to universities’ dropping the SAT and ACT tests is the  College Board, which owns and administers the SAT. Any change to what has been standard in the college application process will upend the existing method and it’s safe to presume that it would take a while before everyone can agree to one solution.

As I have consistently preached to students, and parents who are helping and guiding them through the process, high schoolers should make sure they are getting good grades in all their subjects. The single, most important component of their transcript is their GPA. And, during the shift that is currently taking shape, it is the one constant that admissions officers are closely looking at. Students’ GPA reflects not merely what they’ve learned in the classroom but is an indicator of how well prepared they are to tackle the rigors of college and a predictor of their success when they get in.

FRESHMAN

What a relief it must be for your 9th grader – he or she has survived the first semester of high school. While your children’s thoughts may be all about Christmas holiday, this would be a good time to evaluate their progress. Remind them that while first semester grades don’t show on the final transcript, these are barometers of their academic strengths and weaknesses. Encourage them to use the winter break to plan how to improve where needed and how to build on their successes going into the second semester.

SOPHOMORE

If your children are taking AP courses they should also have taken the AP and SAT II exams.  They should take the time to meet with their college counselors for guidance on how to improve their test scores, if necessary. Now is the time to look at their interests to determine what college course they might be suited for. Based on their aptitude and grades, they will have to start planning on their course options for 11th grade. They can also start researching which colleges offer the course they might want to pursue.

JUNIOR

This is an all-important year for your 11th grader and it is one of the busiest of their high school career. Your children should be able to successfully balance their academic and extra-curricular responsibilities. They should have already taken rigorous course loads, participated in campus activities, and moved into positions of leadership in whatever extra-curricular endeavor they chose.

If your children are applying to universities that still require the ACT or SAT results, they should start preparing for the exams either by taking practice tests online or by taking a prep course. Hopefully, college counselors have met with you and your children, and have given you an overview of the college application process. Your children (and you) should already have been to at least one College Fair and have met with a few admissions officers.

It might also be an opportune time to visit some colleges, at least the ones in California, before the spring break when you might consider going to out-of-town universities. If you haven’t thought about college visits, now is the time to put it on your calendar. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for your children to see the campus for themselves. There is nothing more unfortunate than for them to matriculate to a college only to be miserable after the first few months. Adjusting to life away from one’s parents and the reality of college life is bad enough; finding out they are in the wrong school is just an added disappointment.

SENIOR

While kids all around are excited about the Christmas holidays – perhaps thinking about what movies they want to watch, and where to spend their time during their winter break – your high school senior is sweating over his or her personal essay or feverishly writing all the supplemental essays colleges require with their application for the regular decision or the second early decision (ED II) round.

This is a crucial time for seniors. They need as much encouragement as elbow room to get their applications ready for sending. Your children should be in constant communication with the school counselor to ensure that all transcripts, teacher recommendations, and supplemental material are sent to all the colleges to which they are applying. They should be on top of application deadlines for all the schools – they’re not all the same – to which they plan to apply.

If your 12th grader applied through Early Action (EA) or Early Decision (ED), he or she must also be nervously waiting to hear from the college. And I’m sure your child would be ecstatic to receive an acceptance letter from his or her first choice. An ED means your child is legally bound to matriculate to that university, and his or her college search is over. Whew! If your child is accepted to a school through EA, he or she can either accept that offer or still go on to apply to other schools.

Accepting an EA offer relieves your children of pressure so they can enjoy the Christmas holidays, but it doesn’t give them leverage if they are qualified for scholarships. The best scenario is to apply and get accepted to several colleges so your children can get to pick the best financial offer or scholarship. The daughter of a friend had this enviable position – she is currently a freshman at an elite private college in Pennsylvania and her mom only had to pay $57 for the entire school year.

If your children are fortunate enough to have heard from their school, and have been offered admission, it would be mindful of them not to brag about their acceptance. Some of his or her classmates may have applied to the same school and are hoping for admission. The university to which your child was accepted might be his or her classmate’s first choice. It would be very hurtful to then boast that he or she has been accepted but is not planning on attending that college.

On the other hand, if your children have been deferred on the EA or ED round, there are some things they can do to enhance their chances during the regular round. They can send any updates on any significant changes since they sent their application – a letter from a counselor about their first semester work or a letter from a senior teacher. They can also send in their first semester grades, especially if they have received some As in the meantime.

Your children can also write a strong letter of interest and intent – all colleges and universities are concerned about their yield. If they are assured that your child will matriculate if accepted, they will look at him or her in a more favorable light (that is, if your child fits the profile they are looking for). This is one reason most colleges have instituted the ED II – they are assured that the applicant will matriculate if accepted. At the same time, it’s disheartening for applicants who aren’t applying for ED II as they would be far fewer slots available making the regular round more competitive than it already is.

Provide encouragement to your children if they have been deferred – the school isn’t rejecting them, they have just been put in the pool for the regular round. Remember that these admissions officers have thousands of applications to read. They wouldn’t want to go through your children’s application again if they weren’t interested in the first place, they would have just outright rejected them.

Your children should research all available scholarships, and start completing the FAFSA.

Some useful websites are: CollegeXpress (www.collegexpress.com); Fastweb (www.fastweb.com); Free Application for Federal Student Aid (www.fafsa.ed.gov); National Merit Scholarship Corporation (www.nationalmerit.org);  Scholarships.com (www.scholarships.com); Scholarships360 (www.scholarships360.org); Student Aid on the Web (www.studentaid.ed.gov).