College prep: keeping college-bound students on track requires vision and an early start.

College prep: keeping college-bound students on track requires vision and an early start. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THERE WAS A TIME WHEN GUIDANCE counselors guidance counselorChild psychology A school worker trained to screen, evaluate and advise students on career and academic matters helped students chooseand apply to four or five colleges, after which they could count on atleast two acceptances, ideally from a first-choice school and a backup.Now counselors encourage students to apply to more schools to increasetheir odds of getting into their top choice and more than 30 percent ofstudents apply to seven or more colleges. Thus, developing a strategyfor admissions these days seems more like hedging bets at a roulette roulette(rlĕt`), game of chance popular in gambling casinos, and in a simplified form elsewhere. In gambling houses the roulette wheel is set in an oblong table. table than simply picking a top choice and a backup. According to according toprep.1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.2. In keeping with: according to instructions.3. the National Association for College AdmissionsCounseling (NACAC NACAC National Association for College Admission CounselingNACAC National Association of College Admissions CounselorsNACAC North American Council for Adoptable ChildrenNACAC National Agricultural Compliance Assistance Center ) report The State of College Admissions 2006, whilethe most elite colleges in the United States United States,officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. are becoming moreselective--with 73 percent of U.S. colleges reporting an increase inapplications from the previous year--most schools are still acceptingseven out of 10 applicants. And what colleges have been seeking--inorder: grades, SAT scores, and GPA--hasn't changed much over thelast 15 years. Given the larger talent pool generated by an increase inapplications, the most elite schools can practically engineer thecomposition of their freshman classes, says Jim Conroy, chair ofPost-High School Counseling for New Trier New Trier may refer to: New Trier Township, Illinois, USA New Trier High School New Trier, Minnesota, USA Township township:see town. (Ill.) High SchoolDistrict. And when the average ratio of applications to admissionsofficers is 395 to 1--and Harvard is accepting only roughly 9 percent ofapplicants--students need more than good grades and high SAT scores tostand out. Advisors will tell students that "special something" isephemeral Temporary. Fleeting. Transitory. at best. Belonging to the Spanish club and volunteering at anorganic farm look good on an application, but spending a month inNicaragua building houses or launching a new neighborhood recycling recycling,the process of recovering and reusing waste products—from household use, manufacturing, agriculture, and business—and thereby reducing their burden on the environment. program might be more attractive to admissions officers at the mostcompetitive schools. But nobody knows for sure what's going togarner a second look when all candidates look equally strong. "Most kids want the same 10 percent of top-tier schools: Duke,UNC (Universal Naming Convention) A standard for identifying servers, printers and other resources in a network, which originated in the Unix community. A UNC path uses double slashes or backslashes to precede the name of the computer. , Vanderbilt," Conroy says. "We have great schools in thiscountry, but more students are trying to get into 'name-brand'schools, when there are so many great ones out there. We have to remindparents and students that college is a match to be made, not a prize tobe won." Meanwhile, the increased competition has been a boon BoonA general term that refers to a benefit or improvement for investors. This can include such things as increased dividends, a stock market rally and stock buybacks.Notes: to stateuniversities across the nation, many of which offer honors programs toappeal to top students, not to mention tuition rates that privateschools can't match, Conroy adds. Trends in Advising Given this climate, guidance counselors are needed more than ever,particularly in public schools, where it's not uncommon for asingle counselor to serve the therapeutic counseling and postsecondaryadvising needs of more than 300 students. Everyone agrees that college advising offers a significant benefitfor students. But when just 25 percent of a counselor's time goesto college counseling--in private schools, that number is around 58percent--most students can't rely on a single counselor to meet alltheir needs. And when there are cuts in the education budget, schoolcounselors A school counselor is a counselor and educator who works in schools, and have historically been referred to as "guidance counselors" or "educational counselors," although "Professional School Counselor" is now the preferred term. are among the first to go. As a result, parents with the means to pay are increasinglyoutsourcing (1) Contracting with outside consultants, software houses or service bureaus to perform systems analysis, programming and datacenter operations. Contrast with insourcing. See netsourcing, ASP, SSP and facilities management. advising services--22 percent of 2006 college freshmen atprivate colleges used private counselors to assist them with theadmissions process, according to Katherine Cohen cohenor kohen(Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. , president ofeducational consulting company Noun 1. consulting company - a firm of experts providing professional advice to an organization for a feeconsulting firmbusiness firm, firm, house - the members of a business organization that owns or operates one or more establishments; "he worked for a IvyWise, as quoted in the Chronicle ofHigher Education higher educationStudy beyond the level of secondary education. Institutions of higher education include not only colleges and universities but also professional schools in such fields as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art. . From writing support in crafting the perfect personalstatement to charting a multiyear plan for getting into Harvard, privatecounselors individualize in��di��vid��u��al��ize?tr.v. in��di��vid��u��al��ized, in��di��vid��u��al��iz��ing, in��di��vid��u��al��iz��es1. To give individuality to.2. To consider or treat individually; particularize.3. academic support in a way that most schoolcounselors can't. At the New Trier district, more than half the faculty participateas advisors in a model advisory program that pairs students with thesame advisor from grade 10 through graduation Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the associated ceremony. The date of event is often called degree day. The event itself is also called commencement, convocation or invocation. , Conroy says. Instead ofhiring generalist gen��er��al��istn.A physician whose practice is not oriented in a specific medical specialty but instead covers a variety of medical problems.generalistcounselors, social workers are on-site to providetherapeutic counseling, while teacher-counselors meet with individualstudents for 30-minute advising meetings each day throughout the year,he says. Most districts can't afford an advisory program like the oneat the New Trier district, but that doesn't stop some from trying.For example, Bend-La Pine (Ore.) Schools has adapted the best elementsof private counseling to better assist students in their career andcollege planning by developing college advising programs that enlist en��list?v. en��list��ed, en��list��ing, en��listsv.tr.1. To engage (persons or a person) for service in the armed forces.2. To engage the support or cooperation of.v. local volunteers. Others, such as Miami-Dade County Public Schools, areredistributing responsibility for college advising by getting studentsmore involved in the process of finding and developing interest areasthat will shape their academic choices and building college prepadvising directly into the curriculum. Starting Early Beginning this fall in Miami-Dade County Public Schools, with morethan 340,000 students and a counselor-student ratio of 1 to 485, collegeadvising starts in eighth grade. More than 23,000 students willparticipate in the first rollout of the Eighth Graders Go to Collegeprogram, a two-day exploration of life on a local college campus underthe guidance of counselors from the district and participating colleges. Deborah Montilla, administrative director for the division ofstudent services in Miami-Dade County, explains that the programattempts to expand guidance counseling to an earlier, crucial point instudents' education--that transition point between eighth and ninthgrade when, for many, truancy increases and grade point averages dive. Another force behind the program is the Florida legislature The Florida Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution mandates a bicameral state legislature with an upper house Florida Senate of 40 members and a lower Florida House of Representatives of 120 members. , whichnow requires ninth-graders to select an academic emphasis beforeattending high school. As a result, advising for high school and beyondhas had to start at a much younger age. That's why day one of theEighth Graders Go to College program highlights the activities availableat the high school that students will attend; day two focuses onacademic readiness and college life. Still, decisions about interest areas and in-school academies maybe premature for some students who need more guidance with theirdecisions. Barbara Millard, Miami-Dade's instructional supervisorfor guidance and counseling guidance and counseling,concept that institutions, especially schools, should promote the efficient and happy lives of individuals by helping them adjust to social realities. , explains, "We don't expectstudents to be locked into anything. But we liken lik��en?tr.v. lik��ened, lik��en��ing, lik��ensTo see, mention, or show as similar; compare.[Middle English liknen, from like, similar; see like2 college and academicsuccess to preparing for a long trip--and there are many differentroutes to get there--because not every student is going to tune in untiljunior year. High school is just part of the journey." Millard adds that the district is starting these programs now,rather than waiting until junior and senior year, to exposestudents--particularly those who may not be thinking about postsecondaryeducation and may be among the first generation in their families tograduate from high school--to the opportunities they have upongraduation. As Miami-Dade's early advising program takes shape, thegoal is that students will be more prepared to optimize thedistrict's College Assistance Program (CAP), which places adedicated college admissions counselor in every high school in thedistrict to advise and help students with the applications processduring their senior year. Private Counseling in Public Schools In the Bend-La Pine district, where once only a handful of studentsreceived an honors diploma, now 10 percent of students graduate from arigorous honors program that includes four years of English, math, andscience, at least two years of foreign language, and five additionalcourses at the AP or college level. As the number of students looking for Looking forIn the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a college-bound curriculumhas increased, so too has the need for college preparatory pre��par��a��to��ry?adj.1. Serving to make ready or prepare; introductory. See Synonyms at preliminary.2. Relating to or engaged in study or training that serves as preparation for advanced education: advising."We have a lot of students who contract privately for collegeadvising," says Superintendent of Schools Doug Nelson. "Ourgoal is to bring that type of service to all of our students." That type of service includes a range of programs that involveteachers, guidance counselors and community volunteers. It begins byadministering the ACT to all eighth- and ninth-graders to identifyinterests and aptitudes, information that can then be used to guideadvising decisions. Two of Bend-La Pine's five high schools arepiloting a program that will pair juniors with trained mentors from thecommunity who hold advanced degrees; for example, working professionalsfrom a range of fields who understand the application and admissionsprocess will meet with students during the school day to give advice,answer questions, and help students with their admissions applications. Also helping students on their way to postsecondary education isOregon's graduation requirement that stipulates all students musthave experience outside the classroom, in a career pathway, to graduate.For example, a student interested in pursuing engineering in collegemight spend a day shadowing an engineer in his or her work. A studentconsidering business school could participate in a field project thatwould have him or her working on real-life problems in an office or at awork site. Such programs complement Bend-La Pine Schools' collegeadvisory program, which builds planning and preparing for postsecondaryeducation into the curriculum. "We learned early on that astudent-counselor ratio of 400 to 1 doesn't allow people toadvise," explains Vicki Van Buren, executive director of highschool programs for Bend-La Pine schools. "The student advisoryprogram allows us to expand advising services throughout the school.College advising happens between students and teachers." Thanks to funding from a federal learning communities grant,students in grades 9 and 10 are grouped so that they are in classroomswith the same cohort cohort/co��hort/ (ko��hort)1. in epidemiology, a group of individuals sharing a common characteristic and observed over time in the group.2. of teachers for core classes that include English,social studies, and health. In grades 11 and 12, students are grouped bytheir interest areas, which are the foundation for their career pathwayexperiences, and their teachers advise them on topics ranging fromwriting an application essay to networking and how to pay for college. Counselor as Knowledge Broker Since the advising services that most students need cannotrealistically be met by a single counselor, guidance professionals needto function more as knowledge brokers than information gatekeepers,advises David Hawkins, NACAC's public policy director."Counselors operate more effectively when they bring services intothe schools and put students in touch with those services andorganizations." Successful advising programs are taking a management approach toadvising high school students. "Rather than gophers who will trackdown information, counselors put parents and students into contact withthe right resources," Hawkins adds. The Price of Admission But according to NACAC, guidance counselors report that "lackof information about financial aid" and access to enough financialsupport discouraged nearly 40 percent of students they know fromapplying to college. It's also often the first reason studentsdon't think a college education is possible. When it comes to financing a college education, counselors agreethat the long-term financial benefit of a college education more thanpays for the loan used to achieve it, says Hawkins. "And kidsreceiving free and reduced lunches need to know they will be eligiblefor [federal] Pell grants The Pell Grant program is a type of post-secondary, educational federal grant program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. It is named after U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell and originally known as the the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant program. " for low-income students. Beyond makinggeneral information available, though, most counselors don't havetime to work with families to help them make the best financialdecisions. Moreover, recent scandals involving conflicts of interest betweenstudent-loan providers and college student-aid officials have muddied mud��dy?adj. mud��di��er, mud��di��est1. Full of or covered with mud.2. a. Not bright or pure: a muddy color.b. the already confusing con��fuse?v. con��fused, con��fus��ing, con��fus��esv.tr.1. a. To cause to be unable to think with clarity or act with intelligence or understanding; throw off.b. process of applying for financial aid. However,according to Marcia Weston, director of College Goal Sunday operationsfor the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators,the scandal does not impact high school guidance counselors since theyweren't in a position to encourage families into going withspecific lenders. Still, Weston adds, financial aid advisorshaven't done enough to make sure information is easily understoodand reaches the right audience. College Goal Sunday programs are free weekend events wherecollege-bound students and their families receive help filling outfinancial aid forms. Now in 36 states, the program has adoptedgrassroots marketing strategies to improve in communicating financialaid options. And the man behind it did so by looking at where his targetaudiences gathered socially. Franklin Davis, higher education awarenessprogram coordinator for the South Carolina South Carolina,state of the SE United States. It is bordered by North Carolina (N), the Atlantic Ocean (SE), and Georgia (SW).Facts and FiguresArea, 31,055 sq mi (80,432 sq km). Pop. (2000) 4,012,012, a 15. Commission on HigherEducation Commission on Higher Education can refer to Commission on Higher Education (Philippines) - Commission on Higher Education in Philippines Commission on Higher Education (Thailand) - Commission on Higher Education in Thailand , aggressively marketed the free event in a low-incomecommunity where students may not have had access to financial aidresources and information. Davis asked barbers and beauty shop owners tohang posters and chat with clients about the event; he involved churchdeacons and Sunday school Sunday school,institution for instruction in religion and morals, usually conducted in churches as part of the church organization but sometimes maintained by other religious or philanthropic bodies.In England during the 18th cent. teachers, by having them announce the eventand discuss it with their congregations. It worked: 90 percent ofCollege Goal Sunday attendees were low-income minority students, mostamong the first generation in their families to graduate from highschool. As more districts generate creative solutions to meet theirstudents' advising needs, and as financial aid information andassistance makes its way through targeted channels that flow directlyinto communities of need, college advising can move productively awayfrom the single-counselor model to collaborative approaches that involvelocal colleges and community members, teachers, and students. Tips for Counselors * Assume all students are college-bound, experts in the field say.Send the message early, such as in eighth grade, that postsecondaryeducation is not only an option but is also something all studentsshould plan for. * Embrace nontraditional pathways. A year or more between highschool and college can be filled productively with work experience andtraining. The traditional four-year college is highly successful forsome, but spending two years at a community college and thentransferring to a four-year school is a better option for others,according to Doug Nelson, superintendent of Bend-La Pine (Ore.) Schools. * Teaching and guidance go hand-in-hand. Involve math and Englishteachers English Teachers (airing internationally as Taipei Diaries) is a Canadian documentary television series. The series, which airs on Canada's Life Network and internationally, profiles several young Canadians teaching English as a Second Language in Taipei, Taiwan. in the process. Financial planning Financial planningEvaluating the investing and financing options available to a firm. Planning includes attempting to make optimal decisions, projecting the consequences of these decisions for the firm in the form of a financial plan, and then comparing future performance against in math classes and writinga personal statement for English take stress off the guidance office andgive students' work real-world applications, says Marcia Weston,director of College Goal Sunday operations for the National Associationof Student Financial Aid Administrators. RESOURCES Bend-La Pine Schools www.bend.k12.or.us Howard Greene & Associates www.greenesguides.com Miami-Dade County Public Schools www2.dadeschools.net National Association for College Admission Counseling The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) is an international organization of professionals dedicated to serving students as they make choices about pursuing postsecondary education. www.nacacaet.org National Association of Financial Aid Administrators www.nasfaa.org New Trier Township High School District There are several Township High School Districts in Illinois: Township High School District 113 Township High School District 214 www.aewtrier.k12.il.us South Carolina Commission on Higher Education www.che400.state.sc.us Helpful Web Sites for Counselors TESTING www.act.org www.collegeboard.com www.petersons.com www.princetonreview.com SCHOLARSHIPS AND FINANCIAL AID www.collegegoalsundayusa.org www.ed.gov www.fafsaonline.com www.fastweb.com www.finaid.org www.studentaid.ed.gov STUDENT CHANCES OF BEING ADMITTED TO TOP CHOICES www.go4ivy.com www.mychances.net www.thickenvelope.com COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY ONLINE TOURS www.campustours.com www.collegeNET.com www.collegeview.com Kristen Kennedy is a teacher of writing and composition theory tocollege students and a freelance writer in Seattle.