Personalized Experience with Lagemann College Consulting

The difference your student and family will receive when working with Lagemann College Consulting is summarized in one word: personalized.

1. Personalized Effort:

   Suzanne gives her clients a personalized experience. She takes the time and gets to know each and every student she works with. She attends their theatrical performances, sporting competitions and when they are not local, she asks if they can send her footage so she can watch from afar.

   Why is this important? Because leading up to the application process, Suzanne can then give the student help that is personal and specific to that individual. A different college admissions counselor who does not take the time to get to know the student would be able to provide the same personalized approach.

   For example, when assisting students with their supplemental essays, Suzanne can pull from the student’s personal experience more easily because she knows the student well. Supplemental essays are specific prompts that need to be answered in a very direct, personal manner in order to be successful. She combines this technique with a few other secret strategies to optimize her students chance for admission.

   2. Pesonalized Advising and Counseling:

   She listens to her students and hears what are the student’s interests, worries and concerns. Whether the student is in 8th grade or a sophomore in college, Suzanne has experience from almost 30 years of working with teens and college students both in and out of the classroom in higher education to help counsel them through whatever issue they are dealing with. She lifts up her students emotionally while helping to keep them grounded at the same time. These are tools anyone can use throughout life.

   Why is this important? Teens and college age students need to be heard. They trust Suzanne and she wants them to feel that she is an advocate for them and a mentor and counselor through college and beyond. Suzanne stays in touch with her students after they matriculate for many reasons as life does not stop after they are accepted and commit to a school. She combines her teaching and counseling skills to provide assistance well into their college years.

   For example, recently, Suzanne was on a call with one of her students who attends a large private university in the northeast and he just decided to start the pre-med track. Suzanne suggested a few ideas for what he could do outside the classroom to enhance his clinical experience both for his own knowledge and experience and for his medical school applications. She always gives the student a small follow up to-do so they stay on track and reports back to her.

   And she adds in some fun and humor to every conversation!

The W-Curve and the First Year of College Experience

As a first year student success seminar professor for many years, I discussed the W-Curve with my students early in the semester and continued to refer to it throughout to help them reflect, connect and move forward in their life, both in and out of the classroom.

What is the W-Curve Theory?

The W-Curve Theory is a predictable pattern of stages which occurs when a person experiences life changes, such as starting college. Zeller and Mosier (1993) found that the W-Curve could be applied to the first-year college student experience, in particular the first semester transition. The theory helps students understand that making the transition to college has culture shock aspects to it and helps normalize the transition. Therefore, they can process and adapt to their new environment and chosen school easier.

Here are the stages of the W-Curve Theory

1. Honeymoon

   1. Honeymoon starts with an overall feeling of general excitement and positive anticipation starting before they leave (they receive mail and housing assignments, etc.)

   2. It’s common for students to start to feel homesick mixed in with all the fun in the beginning of a new chapter in life.

2. Culture Shock

   1. The newness of college begins to wear off.

   2. Begin to deal with the reality of the adjustment- roommate issues, eating in the cafeteria, fining a group of friends.)

   3. Academic adjustments need to take place in order for the student to make a success transition to college. (Finding classes, large lecture halls, clarify note taking, tests).

   4. Feelings of homesickness may increase.

   5. This is a period of positive change when the person undergoes self-reflection, personal conflict and some anxiety.

3. Initial Adjustment

   1. This is when first year students feel a general upswing in emotions

   2. They have successfully managed many of the issues that come up.

   3. Overcome the culture shock and have started to develop a general sense of well being.

   4. Develop a positive routine.

   5. Routine develops a sense of normalcy and schedule.

   6. Conflicts may come and go but students are now feeling more in the swing of things.

4. Mental Isolation

   1. First year students develop a feeling of homesickness, especially after they return to campus after a long extended break.

   2. They feel a sense of emotional isolation.

   3. The initial euphoria of being a college student has worn off.

   4. The realities of dorm life, campus culture and school work has set in that this is the new norm.

   5. Reflecting on your own self-identity both ethnically, religiously and sexiual orientation occurs.

   6. Analyzing your values and beliefs occurs

5. Acceptance, Integration and Connectedness

   1. Develop a history on campus with friends, teammates and colleagues, a new sense of self and acceptance develops.

   2. A balance between what’s foreign and normal occurs.

   3. A true sense of acceptance, integration and connectedness happens on campus.

Advice for your first year in college and beyond….

Dear Graduating High School Seniors,

You are about to embark on a new chapter in life. It has been a pleasure to work with you, see you grow and watch you through your final years of high school and prepare for the next step in life.

Here is some advice that I have gained from being a freshman success seminar professor for many years and from working with teens for decades.

1. Go to Office Hours: What are office hours? Professors and TA (teaching assistants) hold office hours either once or twice a week. They sit in their office and you can either stop by or meet with them virtually to discuss a recent paper you just received back, your overall grade, a question you may have or to gain guidance on how to navigate college in general. Establishing relationships with faculty will help you succeed in college, create connections outside of the classroom, effectively demonstrate communication skills and possibly build rapport with a teacher who you might need to ask to write a letter of recommendation for either an internship, job or another course.

2. Find a mentor: This can potentially be the result from attending office hours! But if not, seek out your academic advisor, coach, professor or another administrator such as a dean who is willing to work with you through college. A mentor can really coach you through the ups and downs of college life.

3. Build Social Capital across groups: This is key. Don’t just have one click of friends. Not only does that limit your social life but this limits your social connections that later in life could be a connection to an internship or potential job offer. Have friends in different groups- so join three types of clubs:

   1. An academic club,

   2. A career-related club and

   3. A club just for FUN!

4. Use Campus Resources: There are so many great offices that colleges provide. You need to use them when needed such as the writing center, academic advising, health center, mental health services and the gym. No one goes through college without using the great resources on campus.

5. Go to class: This goes without saying but you will miss relevant information and you will be behind in the course if you do not attend class.  Plus you will find your college experience more rewarding by attending class and you will do better grade-wise as well. Attend!

6. Give yourself Grace- The first semester is meant to be rocky. The first 6 weeks is the “OMG, I’m in college” phase but after that wears off, you start to feel the realty-check that this is where you are for now and you need to settle down, attend class, forge relationships and live a balanced life. So, go easy on yourself. Everyone feels homesick but know that if you keep a set schedule and stay balanced, it will pass.

Dear High School Seniors, This blog is for you…

Dear Seniors,

As usual, it has been a pleasure to work with you, see you grow and watch you through your final years of high school and prepare for the next step in life. I have a few pieces of advice to share. After being a first year seminar professor for many years and from working with teens for decades, I’ve learned a few things. The overarching theme is to gain social capital while in college! Here is what I mean-

1. Go to Office Hours: What are office hours? Professors and TA (teaching assistants) hold office hours either once or twice a week. They sit in their office and you can either stop by or meet with them virtually to discuss a recent paper you just received back, your overall grade, a question you may have or to gain guidance on how to navigate college in general. Establishing relationships with faculty will help you succeed in college, create connections outside of the classroom, effectively demonstrate communication skills and possibly build rapoire with a teacher who you might need to ask to write a letter of recommendation for either an internship, job or course.

2. Find a mentor: This can potentially be the result from attending office hours! But if not, seek out your academic advisor, coach, professor or another administrator such as a dean who is willing to work with you through college. A mentor can really coach you through the ups and downs of college life.

3. Build Social Capital across groups: This is key. Don’t just have one click of friends. Not only does that limit your social life but this limits your social connections that later in life could be a connection to an internship or potential job offer. Have friends in different groups- so join three types of clubs:

   1. An academic club

   2. A career-related club

   3. A club just for FUN!

4. Use Campus Resources: There are so many great offices that colleges provide. You need to use them when needed such as the writing center, academic advising, health center, mental health services and the gym. No one goes through college without using the great resources on campus.

5. Go to class: This goes without saying but you will miss relevant information and you will be behind in the course if you do not attend class.  Plus you will find your college experience more rewarding by attending class and you will do better grade-wise as well. Attend!

6. Give yourself Grace- The first semester is meant to be rocky. The first 4 weeks is the “OMG, I’m in college” phase but after that wears off, you start to feel the realty-check that this is where you are for now and you need to settle down, attend class, forge relationships and live a balanced life. So, go easy on yourself. Everyone feels homesick but know that if you keep a set schedule and stay balanced, it will pass.

   Want to learn more about how to work with Suzanne through your college years? She counsels students through college as well. Click here to learn more and to contact her.

A few thoughts on making the final decision….

After you receive all of your college admission decisions, you will need to assess your choices and make a final decision.

1. Lay out all of your acceptances on a table. Look at each school and think over how each makes you feel.

1. How does the college make you feel?

2. Review the location and size of each school

3. At which college can you imagine yourself at most? Why?

2. Re-visit Campus: Many schools offer an accepted student day. If not, make a plan to re-visit a few campuses, if you are unsure of which to choose to attend.

1. Meet with financial aid if you have any questions.

2. Ask about important issues to you such as housing, resdential life, support services for students such as disability resource center or mental health support.

3. Talk with current students while on campus.

3. Compare financial aid awards and contact the offices with questions.

4. While there is no rush, make sure you do not miss the deadline for notifying a college.

5. There is NO perfect school. Sorry folks, but it’s true. Just like all decisions in life, it’s part of your journey and what YOU make of college is what you’ll gain. And congratulations!f

   Want to learn more about Suzanne and Lagemann College Consulting, click here to get in contact with her.

Requesting teacher letters of recommendation

Now that the end of the school year is near, it is time for high school juniors to ask teachers for letters of recommendation. Spring is the best time to ask. This gives teachers the summer to write letters. Remember, teachers do not get paid extra for writing letters of recommendation. They write them on their own time.

Here are my tips for how to ask.

1. Ask in person: Find a time, either before school, after school, or at lunch time to ask a teacher when they are not too busy. Make eye contact and ask if they’d be willing to write you a letter of recommendation for your college application. During the conversation, share with the teacher anything of interest about you that may help the teacher write a compelling letter. What major you may be interested pursuing, courses you might be interested in taking, an internship you are looking into etc. If your school provides a brag sheet for you to complete to help the teacher write the letter, make sure you complete it.

2. Ask a Core Course Teacher: Admissions offices look for letters of recommendation to be written by core course teachers. So, request a letter from your science, math, history, English, or foreign language teacher.  If you are applying to a specialized college (STEM) and they request that you have a science or math teacher recommendation, make sure you follow through.

3. Ask a teacher that gave you an A (or B): Did you do well in the class? But most importantly, who can talk about your character. Even if you received a B for one quarter but improved your grade after that you can still ask that teacher. You want to ask a teacher from a core course that you did very well in and showed participation and enthusiasm.

4. Is the teacher from 11th or 10th grade? You should request a letter of recommendation from a teacher from 11th grade. But if that is not possible 10th grade would be the next best option. 9th grade is too far in the past. 11th grade teachers can write about your most current performance which admission offices look for.

5. Does the teacher specialize in what you want to study? If the teacher teaches in the field in which you want to study, bonus! This will help support your application tenfold!

Last, make sure to say thank you when asking for the letter of recommendation. Send a thank you note after the letter is written. Teachers who write letters of recommendation should be thanked!

Want to learn more about working with Suzanne? Click here to read about her services.

The RECIPE for college admissions

I have been a college admissions counselor for over a decade and have worked in higher education for almost 30 years so I can now say that there has been one question parents often ask me at our initial meeting: “What does my teen have to do to get into college?” Or “What is the recipe for my teen to get admitted?”

These types of questions can be answered in a simple way. I tell the parent that the teen should be authentically themselves to their best ability.

And here is the RECIPE to do that:

1. R: (Self-Reflect) The teen should reflect on what they find purpose in doing. Are they an artist, performer, dancer or singer? What about an athlete or maybe they started their own business walking pets. Whatever it may be, they should pursue it because it gives them purpose in life. When teens find purpose, they feel needed, self-confident, important and passionate about life. This, in turn, makes them feel ready for the next step in life: college. And this will show in their application.

2. E: (Educate) yourself about the right level of academics and academic rigor. This is very important in the admissions evaluation. This ingredient in the recipe for success in college admissions allows you to make sure you are taking courses in high school at the appropriate level. It’s important you are taking the courses colleges and universities look for, not just fulfill your high school graduation requirements; these can often be two totally different lists. Review course lists and analyze which courses you should register for and speak with your school counselor.

3. C: (Comprehensive College List) It is imperative that a teen has a well balanced and realistic list. This would include likely, target and reach schools. Use the latest admit rates to analyze and create a list with your teen. A well balanced list will give your teen a successful college admissions experience.

4. I: (Itinerary)Use a timeline through the college admissions process. This will keep the teen organized when writing their college essays, completing applications, requesting letters of recommendation and registering for standardized tests, etc. When a teen is organized they will feel grounded and self-confident throughout the college admissions journey.

5. P: (Prioritize)and manage expectations. Life always has bumps, twists, and turns and so does the college admissions journey. Know that your teen might change their mind (a few times) during the process and that’s totally normal and OK. They are only 16, 17 or 18 years-old! And it’s OK to not know what they want to major in as well. Show them support and grace as they navigate entering into young adulthood. They need all the support possible in order to fly.

6. E: (Empathy) As their parent, give empathy and grace throughout the college admissions journey. This is one, if the not the biggest decision your teen will make in their short life. They, at times, need time to evaluate, assess, and digest this decision. Have empathy for them.

   Want to learn more about working with Suzanne? Click here to learn about her services and to get in contact with her.

Essential Tips for writing your college essay!

The common app essay is a unique part of your college application. Aside from your transcript, application, and test scores (possibly), it is one of the only parts of the application that can show a part of who you are that stands a part from the rest of the other applicants. It is your voice. I have helped hundreds of students write their essay.

Here is my advice and my tips for how to write an amazing essay!

1. The essay should tell an authentic story about you. You have complete control over this part of your application.

2. Admission committees do not take a long time to read and review each application. Therefore, an essay that ‘hooks’ the reader will stand out in the admission officer’s mind, for whom, will inevitably, be the person that delivers and discusses your application to the committee.

3. Don’t write what you think the admissions committee wants to hear. I repeat, don’t write what you think they want to hear. Your entire application should be about you, not someone who you think they’ll accept.

4. Do not repeat any information about you that has already been communicated in other parts or your application.

5. Speak directly. Your voice will be heard. Discuss parts of you that you are most proud of.

Here is a quick outline of how to go about creating your essay.

1. Writing is a process. Have patience. Many students have been asked to write a personal narrative. If so, you can refer back to that assignment to help you start the process of your college essay. It should take at least 3 to 4 drafts for a well-crafted essay.

2. Take time to choose the right topic. A unique quality about you, experience or event should be discussed but it should be relevant to who you are today and who you want to become in the future. So, take time to write down a number of topic ideas. Think about them and start a draft of one or a few of your ideas. Over time, you will see which topic stands out and for which you feel most passionate about.

3. The idea you chose to write about should be simple. Simple.

4. Share a piece of who you are and reflect: For example, I am a listener. I like to ask questions and take the time to listen. At one of my first jobs, I realized that I enjoyed advising and working with students because I am a person in their life that listened to their thoughts and problems. It has helped me to be a strong student advocate, counselor and teacher.

5. The essay has a 650 word maximum. Make sure you are answering the essay prompt. 

6. Have a teacher or counselor review your essay.

7. Ensure that you have carved out time over the entire summer to dedicate to working through each stage of the writing process. Manage your time. You’ve got this!

8. Want personal help with your essay? Suzanne uses a one-of-a-kind exercise to help generate a unique topic for each student to write about. Contact her here to inquire about working with her.

Here is the website for the common app essay prompts:

https://www.commonapp.org/blog/2022-2023-common-app-essay-prompts

Four Tips on how to write a great brag sheet

Each Spring, high school guidance departments request that each rising senior and their parent(s)/guardian complete their own brag sheet. These brag sheets help the guidance counselor write their own letter of recommendation for the student. The brag sheets can be very helpful. Here are a few tips on how to complete it.

1. Be descriptive: Use as many adjectives and nouns as you can to describe yourself or the student throughout the brag sheet. Tell specific examples of how and why.

2. Do not describe your weakness or biggest struggle. This will be used if you write it so leave it out. Only use positive stories and description about the student.

3. Do not list awards, honors or accomplishments. This can be found in a resume or on the application. It should not be duplicated in a letter of recommendation.

4. Do not pigeonhole yourself by mentioning a major unless you are 100% sure you want to major in that field. Instead, discuss your strengths and interests that you’ll carry into college and beyond.

For more detailed and personalized advice, contact Suzanne here.

What are employers looking for in college grads…

This chart says it all. These skills are not learned from a finance major or accounting degree. These are ‘soft skills’ a term I really dislike. But, in the end, this is what employers value.

My point of this blog, is to say that often, and I mean often, I end up explaining to students and families that you do not need an undergraduate degree in business, such as finance or another quantitative degree. In fact, future business leaders need the skills, listed below, more than ever. Sure, you need a background in the field of the business you are in but if you are unable to communicate both verbally, and via writing, it will be tough. Roughly only 30% of undergraduates enter the field they majored in. Read that twice.

Managing relationships is key. Social capital is something that is not discussed enough. Communicate and work your network of social circles as you never know where a lead to a job might come!

Want to learn more about working with Suzanne? Click here to learn about her services.