Time to make your summer plans…

Although it is still early spring, this is the time to make your summer plans. Here are a few ideas. Remember, you can’t go wrong with plans that make you feel happy and fulfilled. But, you can go wrong if you don’t do anything over the summer. Do something, for sure.

1. Job: Job rates for summer employment are down but that does not mean that it’s looked down upon to hold a job. In fact, your resume and college application will look great with some type of work experience, especially if you find the work fun and rewarding. Every type of job has a take away, in fact, working by waiting tables, serving food or helping others teaches many life long learning skills. (I worked for the US Post Office for two summers and I learned a lot about myself from that job experience!)

2. Volunteer: To me, this too is a job and can be more rewarding than a paid position if you find a volunteer opportunity that fits your interests. I worked with a student who was interested in nursing, so she volunteered at a local hospital. She delivered menus, newspapers and magazines to patients. This position exposed her to the operation and administration of how a hospital functions. And it also helped her decide whether she definitely wanted to pursue a nursing degree.

3. ‘Job Shadow’: This entails reaching out and asking a person who works in a professional field that may be of interest to you and ‘shadow’ her for a day. The summer is a great time to do so. A student I worked with last year, reached out to her former elementary school teacher as she is very interested in pursuing a degree in elementary education. She was able to ‘shadow’ her former teacher for a day and learn more about teaching.

4. Create something new and think outside the box!: Use your time over the summer to create a business, organize a camp or create a project. For example, a student I work with, who is an avid golfer, created a golf camp for kids. It is a three day camp, that he and his former high school teammate organize and they even have a tournament and trophy on the last day. He used creativity, leadership, and management skills to design the golf camp from scratch!

5. Rest: Yes, you read it, rest. Although I do not mean to say, rest all summer but make sure you travel, rest at home, take time off to re-charge between your school years. Summer is a time to enjoy yourself!

4 Tips for getting off the Waitlist

Respond to being put on the waitlist at a certain college by letting that school know you’d like to stay on the waitlist. This is usually done through the admissions portal or by email.

1. Let your guidance counselor know that you are waitlisted at that certain school and that it is your top choice. He may call the school on your behalf.

2. Contact your Admissions Rep and let him know that the college is your top choice and that you would attend if offered a spot in the incoming class. This can be done via email or through your admissions portal.

3. Make sure to deposit at a school that you were accepted to by May 1st. Waitlists vary in movement. There are a lot of variables as to why a student is or is not offered a spot off the waitlist. Institutions wait to see what their enrollment looks like before determining if they will need to use their waitlist after May 1st.

5 Tips for Accepted Student Day

So you’ve been accepted into a number of colleges and universities. Now you need to decide which to attend. A great exercise to help you make the big decision is to attend Accepted Student Day events. Here are my five tips on how to make the best of these events:

1. Talk to as many current students as possible. Ask them about campus life, courses, housing and everything else.

2. Go on a campus tour and ask the student tour guide as many questions as possible. Read bulletin boards around campus during the tour as well. This will give you a feel for events held on campus.

3. Eat a meal in a dining hall. It is a great way to see a lot of current students and to check out the food.

4. Sit in on a class to get a sense of the faculty.

5. If offered, attend an activities/club fair. This will help you determine what activities are available to students.

   Good Luck!

10 Essential Tips for College Visits!

10 Essential Tips: All you need to know when visiting college campuses.

There’s no substitute for visiting a college. Here are some tips on what to do before, during and after your visit. It’s up to you to make the most of a campus visit. You’ve got this!

1. Gather Information and plan out your visit.

a. Students should research the college’s website and register via the Admissions website page for a formal visit. The school wants to gain the student’s contact information, not the parents. Formal visits are necessary for a prospective student to gain ‘demonstrated interest’ which is what some schools factor into their admissions criteria.

b. You can email the admissions office to ask if you can arrange to sit in on a class, eat in one of their cafeterias and arrange to meet a coach if you are interested in pursuing a sport.

c. Arrive on campus early so you can make sure to find parking and have time to arrive at the admissions office without rushing.

2. Explore and visit the campus:

a. Typically, a visit includes a student-led tour, an admissions information session and/or a financial aid information session. Whatever they offer, attend! You are already on campus and the more you learn of the school, the better feel you will gain from the visit.

b. Schools offer discovery days and open house events throughout the year. These events typically provide more exposure to certain areas of study or offer tours led by specific students who are studying in a certain major (engineering, pre-med, etc.)

c. Ask the student tour guide questions

d. Check out first-year dorms and ask about whether or not you can choose your roommate during your first year and how housing works, in general.

3. Check out campus media:

a. Listen to the college radio station

b. Grab a copy of their student newspaper, follow their paper on twitter, Instagram, TikoTok etc. The student newspaper tells you a lot about campus!

c. Read other student publications, such as department newsletters, alternative newspapers and literary reviews.

d. Scan bulletin boards to see what daily student life is like.

4. If you have any specific needs or questions about a specific resource- ask about what resources the college provides and go and visit the office such as:

a. Disability/Accessibility Resource Center: If you had an IEP or 504 accommodation, inquire about the school’s resource center. How many people work there? Do they provide training for faculty? Timeline for working with the DRC prior to enrolling and during each term, etc.

b. Mental Health Office: What type of services does the college provide? Does it provide a wide range of programming and services? Where is it located on campus? What are their office hours? How do they work in tandem with the university health center?

c. Housing needs: If you have specific housing questions ask them during your visit and go check out the office for residential life etc.

d. Campus Safety: Crime statistics, safety in classroom buildings, campus security patrol

5. Financial Aid: This is the time to ask about:

a. If the school is need-blind or need-aware?

b. Is there a work-study program?

c. What kind of academic and need-based scholarships are offered?

d. What percentage of students, not just how many students, receive financial aid?

6. Career center: This is an office that the admissions office and tour guides will talk about. Here are some questions to ask:

a. Where have students interned and are there formal internship arrangements with local companies?

b. What’s the job placement rate for the past few years?

c. How long does it typically take recent grads to find a full-time job in their career field?

d. What career advising services are offered, and how long are they available to graduates?

e. What networking and career fairs are held each year?

f. How accessible and involved are alumni?

g. What kinds of on-campus or local part-time jobs are available?

7. Here are a list of questions to ask your tour guide and/or students you meet during your visit:

a. What are the best reasons to go to this college?

b. What’s it like to transition from high school to college?

c. What do you do in your free time? On the weekends?

d. What do you love about this college?

e. What would you like to change about this college?

f. What’s it like to live here?

8. Get the business cards and names of the people you met during your visit and write a quick thank you note after returning home.

9. Upon getting home, write down your thoughts about the college: Your memory of each college visit will fade and blend into one another so writing down your thoughts upon returning home is helpful!

10 . Here is a list of questions to NOT ask during your visit:

a. Do you think I’ll be admitted?

b. How much financial aid do you think I’ll get?

c. Don’t ask your tour guide personal questions. They may offer information but don’t put them on the spot.

d. Don’ waste your time asking questions a 4 second Google search could provide you such as:

i. What’s the weather like here?

ii. How many students attend this college?

iii. How much is tuition?

A campus visit should help you:

Try to envision whether you would like to be on campus or not: class size, attentive professors, social and athletic activities, Greek life, etc.

Remember: It’s up to you to make the most of a campus visit. Have fun!!

ChatGPT and the College Admissions Essay

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence app used to generate an answer or essay in response to a prompt. It was released in November 2022 and already has millions of users globally. Professors and teachers become concerned that students will use it to cheat and use it to create essays and assignments from elementary through college level.

There is talk in higher education that colleges will eliminate the college admissions essay due to ChatGPT.

The college essay is a 650 word essay that should be personal, descriptive, spoken from the heart and in the voice of a 17 year old. It should also not be perfect. But an essay generated by ChatGPT has none of these traits thus, an admissions committee reader can tell if it is fake or not written by a rising high school senior. Just like I always tell my clients that parents should never re-write their student’s essay, using ChatGPT will change the tone of an authentic essay.

I am hopeful that ChatGPT will not change the college essay component of the application. Students should keep their essay authentic, original and unique.

How to use Social Media to get acquainted with a college!

I am often asked for advice and insight into how to decide which schools to apply. Well, here is a tip I share with anyone who will listen.

Follow, friend, like and comment on every social media account for a college or university of interest.

This is a simple, easy and very helpful resource to gain the following:

1. Follow a college’s social media accounts. Often schools have Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook pages for not just the university but for individual offices, programs and schools within the university community.

   For example, I follow the Instragram page for a specific college’s basketball team because I have a student who is interested in playing for this coach/college and it gives me insight into what is important to the team. They post team dinners, team community service projects, pre-season training work outs which all show that team unity is of importance to this coach. This gives a potential player a feel for the team, which can help instrumentally in deciding whether to apply.

2. Many schools, programs, clubs, offices and teams have their own social media accounts. Find them and follow them! Are you interested in a certain major at a university?

   For example, if I am interested in computer science at Montclair State University, I would follow their College of Math and Science’s Twitter feed or TikTok account to see what they find relevant and important.

   Or love rugby? Follow a school’s club rugby team and learn about them!

3. Interviewing as an applicant? If you interview at a college, use the information you learn from following their social media accounts when discussing your interest and demonstrated knowledge of the school.

4. Learn and gain insight: As a high school student who is unsure of where to begin, start with a university’s social media accounts. This is easy and fun for the student to learn in a casual way that will give the student a deeper level of understanding and feel for a certain school.

   *What’s the take away? Using social media to gain insight, knowledge and a general feel for a certain school will help a high school student not only feel better prepared to apply but more confident in himself. You’ve got this!

Financial Aid Letters & Information

Typically, between February and April, a student will receive his financial aid letter from the schools where he was accepted. What to do now? Here are a few tips:

1. Determine the Cost of Attendance. If this is not listed in your letter, call the college and ask. The COA includes all costs: Tuition, fees, room & board, books, supplies, etc.

2. Subtract Grant and Scholarship amounts, if applicable, from your aid offer from the COA. You can then subtract any college savings so you can see the actual amount you will need to pay out-of-pocket.

3. Each financial aid letter will differ per college. Read and review each and compare what your Net Price will be at each school. Net Price is what you are expected to pay by using work income and loans.

4. If your situation has changed, for example, you decided to commute instead of living on campus or your financial circumstances have changed since you completed the FAFSA or from what your tax information shows, call each college’s financial aid office to discuss.

5. Local scholarships opportunities are a chance to help assist in your net cost. Apply! When your high school releases its annual scholarship book, take the time to scroll through and apply to as many applicable scholarships as you can. It’s worth the time to write any required essays for FREE money.

6. Make sure to line up a summer job, now. A few saved dollars leading up to your first year in school can help!

This website has more tips and valuable information.

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/next-steps/comparing-aid-offers

Hey Juniors, it’s 2023! It’s your year to apply to college so here are my tips and advice!

This is your year to apply to college. Here is a short list of items to either keep working on or to get started on.

 1.     Junior Year grades and activities: This year is the most important for your grades and activities. If your transcript shows in improvement in your grades during 11th grade, it will be looked upon highly. Keep up your studies.

ASK QUESTIONS if you are struggling in a course. The only person who will regret not taking ownership of his/her studies is his/herself.

 Time management and taking ownership of understanding course content is the student’s responsibility. Make sure to stay on top of both of these items by using a planner, meeting with teachers during after school hours, lunchtime or during ‘drop’ class sessions to make sure you understand what will be asked of you on the next test.

2.     In May or June, you will need to ask 2 teachers for letters of recommendation.

a.     Ask in person

b.     Say thank you

c.      Share with them why you are asking

d.     Ask a teacher that has had you in his/her class preferably during junior or sophomore year(s).

3.     Standardized Tests: Do you know which test you are taking? SAT or ACT? Create a plan on when to take it and either take a prep class or hire a tutor to help you prepare. Test strategy is KEY to succeeding on either test. (And by all means, do not register for the June ACT if your Junior Prom is the night before.)

4.     Also plan your time to visit campuses and research schools with your parents. Spring break is a great time in April as colleges are still in session. Many offer open houses on the weekends too. Follow college TikTok, Instagram and Twitter accounts. You will learn a lot about the school through their social media accounts!

5.     Summer plans: Working, going to camp, going on a fancy vacation? Regardless, please plan on writing your common app essay during the summer months. You will not regret this.  

Good Luck!

2023: Advice for high school sophomores and freshmen…

As you near the latter half of your school year, here are few topics to keep in mind and to work on going forward.

1.     Course selection for next year:

Over the next two months, you will most likely meet with your guidance counselor. You will talk through your remaining required courses and how best to complete them before the end of senior year.

For sophomores, as you move into your upperclassmen years, you will have more selection and electives to chose from. Read your high school course catalog and programs of study.

 Trying to determine if you should take a CP, Honors or AP level course? A good indicator is to determine if you are struggling at the current course level. If you are receiving a ‘B’ or better, you are most likely at the right level. If you are struggling, it may be good to speak with your guidance counselor to move into a better fit next year. And if you are sailing through and are bored, try a higher-level course next year.

2. This leads me to say to each and every one of you to make sure and ask questions if you are struggling in a course. The only person who will regret not taking ownership of his/her studies is him/herself.

 Time management and taking ownership of understanding course content is the student’s responsibility. Make sure to stay on top of both of these items by using a planner, meeting with teachers during after school hours, during lunchtime or during ‘drop’ class sessions to make sure you understand what will be asked of you on the next test. 

3.     Standardized Tests: If you have taken the PSAT already, you may want to take a practice ACT next in order to assess which test you will focus on preparing for. Students should not take both but should choose and prep for one of them. 3 attempts at a test is the maximum. Typically, students take one of the tests twice. There are practice tests on www.suzannelagemann.com/helpfulinks and they are free!

4.     Summer Plans: Are you traveling, working, or attending camp during the summer months? It’s time to start to think about applying to jobs, registering for camps and discussing with your parents what you would like to do over the summer break.

Lagemann Colleg Consulting is here to help with any questions you may have. Good luck!

Understanding the PSAT

PSAT is short for Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test

The Official name is PSAT/NMSQT(National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test)

While younger students can take the exam, students in their second to last (or junior) year of high school can take the exam in order to be qualified for the national merit scholarship.

The College Board administers the exam, similar to the SAT.

·       The exam lasts for 2 hours and 45 minutes

·       There are 2 sections: EBRW (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math) The exam has 3 tests: Reading, Writing and Math

·       There is no essay in the PSAT exam

·       PSAT score ranges vary between 320 and 1520, with 160-760 points possible for Reading and Writing, and 160-760 for Math.

·       The highest possible PSAT score is 1520, which is adjusted down to reflect the PSAT’s lower degree of difficulty as compared to the 1600 highest possible SAT score.

·       Students can prep for the exam by either reviewing questions on the college board website or Khan Academy’s website. High schools usually have a handout as well leading up to the exam date.

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