What’s Worse Than Waiting to Hear From Colleges?

By Brittany MaschalMar 08, 2017

….getting asked about it!

Later this month and throughout April, colleges and universities will notify students about their regular decision applications. Students will either be admitted, denied, or placed on the dreaded waitlist (although we have helped quite a few student get off the WL and into their dream school, ask us how!). Needless to say, it is a stressful time for all seniors who did not commit to a school after the release of early round results.

As we approach decision dates, consider giving this post (with video) from the Wall Street Journal a read!

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Is the Cover Letter Dead?

By Brittany MaschalJan 16, 2017

 

Repost from Grammarly:

The cover letter was once a valuable tool for all job seekers hoping to get by the HR gatekeeper. However, the rise of innovative tech, social media, millennials, and good old-fashioned networking is killing the cover letter.

The only thing missing from the decline of the cover letter is a time of death. In fact, chances are your cover letter won’t even be read, according to Fortune. Nearly 90 percent of hiring managers admit to never reading cover letters.

Interestingly, most job posts require a cover letter despite the unlikeliness of it getting more than a quick glance. Studies have found, however, that cover letters still get read if submitted with a resume.

The cover letter is as out of fashion as Hammer pants and Beanie Babies. Unless a cover letter is explicitly required, it is a waste of time and effort. Here’s why.

Your Social Media Accounts Are the New Cover Letter

It may not come as a surprise, but your social media presence is very accessible. Recruiters know this, and they will check out your profiles and activity. Social media is, in effect, the new cover letter, and at times the new resume.

This can be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on your digital footprint. When recruiters want to know something about potential candidates, they simply Google them or check their Twitter accounts. Your Facebook photos are far more compelling and revealing about who you are compared to a thoughtfully scripted cover letter.

Old-Fashioned Networking Is Another Cover Letter Killer

Your cover letter may include all the traditional pleasantries, but there is always a more effective way to put your best foot forward. Networking is often far more effective than a cover letter.

In fact, 70 to 80 percent of jobs are never posted online, Matt Youngquist, president of Career Horizons, told NPR. This makes the cover letter a time-consuming effort with little return. Networking is possibly the best and fastest way to land the job you want.

Freelancers Have Saturated the Job Market

Companies large and small, including fresh startups, have all gone the route of the freelancer. Often, a cover letter is not part of the equation when hiring for contract positions.

An estimated 34 percent of the American workforce is composed of freelancers, according to a study conducted by the Freelancers Union. And this is expected to rise to 50 percent by 2020.

The wide range and availability of freelancers has made the cover letter irrelevant. Why bring in new employees on a salary when a freelancer will do the work on a project basis? Freelancers are often more economical for companies as well.

Professional Online Platforms = Recruiter’s Dream

If a recruiter needs to fill a position fast, why take the time reading endless cover letters? All the information they need is on a potential candidate’s professional online profile such as LinkedIn. In fact, nearly 93 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn to fill their company’s talent pool.

Professional online platforms like LinkedIn are not only killing the cover letter, but they are also putting the resume to rest as well. Many companies even permit potential candidates to apply for a job with their LinkedIn profile.

Don’t toss your cover letter just yet. There is still a place for it in your job hunt as it takes its last fleeting breaths of life. Though the cover letter is nearly dead, it is still required for the many jobs still posted online. However, focusing on your professional digital footprint more than your cover letter may prove to be time better spent.

Source

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50 Colleges Still Taking Applications for Fall 2017

By Brittany MaschalJan 06, 2017

 

MONEY has compiled a list of 50 colleges that rank highly for value and have application deadlines of Jan. 10 or later. See the full list below, organized by due date.

There are more than 500 colleges whose application deadlines for the fall 2017 academic year fall between Jan. 15 and Aug. 15. And more than 200 colleges take applications on a “rolling” or “space available” basis, meaning they take applications until they find enough students to fill their class. In many cases, they’ll still be accepting applications up until August.

Don’t delay too long, though. Admissions experts say students who delay their applications give themselves three major disadvantages:

  • Lower admission odds: Many schools, such as Michigan State and Indiana University, accept late applications on a “space available” basis. So late applicants are competing for whatever slots may be left after all of the qualified earlier applicants have been accepted. In practice, marginally qualified students are more likely to be rejected if they apply late.
  • Less aid: Federal financial aid is guaranteed as long as you file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before the end of your academic year. But many states and colleges give out aid on a first-come, first-served basis. Purdue, for example, is still accepting applications for admissions on a “space available” basis but limits its merit aid to those who applied by Nov. 1. So some late applicants are likely to pay higher net prices.
  • Fewer major choices: Many rolling admissions and space-available schools say their most popular majors — such as nursing, engineering, and computer science — tend to fill up early. At Purdue, for example, engineering spots for fall 2016 filled up by February last year, says Pamela T. Horne, the school’s vice provost for enrollment management. Qualified students who apply after that may be offered admission to less popular programs, such as liberal arts, she says.

 

NAME MONEY RANK LOCATION DEADLINE ACCEPTANCE RATE (2014)
Wheaton College 75 Wheaton, IL Jan. 10 69%
Georgetown University 84 Washington Jan. 10 17%
University of North Carolina School of the Arts 60 Winston-Salem, NC Jan. 13 43%
Virginia Tech 18 Blacksburg, VA Jan. 15 73%
Wellesley College 34 Wellesley, MA Jan. 15 30%
University of Connecticut 38 Storrs, CT Jan. 15 50%
University of North Carolina 45 Chapel Hill, NC Jan. 15 28%
University of Delaware 54 Newark, DE Jan. 15 68%
University of Georgia 56 Athens, GA Jan. 15 56%
Colgate University 59 Hamilton, NY Jan. 15 26%
College of the Holy Cross 65 Worcester, MA Jan. 15 43%
Lafayette College 69 Easton, PA Jan. 15 30%
University of Vermont 79 Burlington, VT Jan. 15 73%
Washington University in St Louis 87 Saint Louis Jan. 15 17%
Union College 98 Schenectady, NY Jan. 15 41%
University of Illinois at Chicago 56 Chicago Jan. 16 74%
University of Maryland 19 College Park, MD Jan. 20 48%
Washington State University 37 Pullman, WA Jan. 31 82%
University of Michigan 2 Ann Arbor, MI Feb. 1 32%
Brigham Young University 5 Provo, UT Feb. 1 47%
Virginia Military Institute 42 Lexington, VA Feb. 1 44%
University of Wisconsin 63 Madison, WI Feb. 1 57%
DePauw University 67 Greencastle, IN Feb. 1 57%
Indiana University 77 Bloomington, IN Feb. 1 76%
The College of New Jersey 94 Ewing, NJ Feb. 1 49%
St. Lawrence University 95 Canton, NY Feb. 1 48%
McDaniel College 100 Westminster, MD Feb. 1 76%
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire 100 Eau Claire, WI Feb. 1 84%
Stevens Institute of Technology 108 Hoboken, NJ Feb. 1 44%
Earlham College 28 Richmond, IN Feb. 15 65%
Muhlenberg College 87 Allentown, PA Feb. 15 53%
Maine Maritime Academy 62 Castine, ME March 1 79%
Siena College 72 Loudonville, NY March 15 66%
Clemson University 21 Clemson, SC May 1 52%
The University of Texas at Dallas 91 Richardson, TX May 1 62%
Saint Johns University 25 Collegeville, MN Rolling 79%
Massachusetts Maritime Academy 43 Buzzards Bay, MA Rolling 62%
College of Saint Benedict 47 Saint Joseph, MN Rolling 82%
Purdue University 51 West Lafayette, IN Rolling 59%
St. Mary’s University 52 San Antonio, TX Rolling 59%
Michigan State University 54 East Lansing, MI Rolling 66%
University of Minnesota 58 Minneapolis Rolling 45%
Gustavus Adolphus College 74 Saint Peter, MN Rolling 61%
Saint Vincent College 78 Latrobe, PA Rolling 72%
Bethel University 82 Saint Paul, MN Rolling 95%
Molloy College 84 Rockville Centre, NY Rolling 75%
Citadel Military College 86 Charleston, SC Rolling 76%
Michigan Technological University 90 Houghton, MI Rolling 76%
Martin Luther College 95 New Ulm, MN Rolling 97%
University of Utah 106 Salt Lake City Rolling 81%
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Thank You Notes (Yes, You Should Write Them)

By Brittany MaschalDec 27, 2016

Reminder for all students admitted under ED and EA programs! It can be easy to forget the many individuals who were there every step of the way of the college application process, guiding you towards college. But remember you didn’t make it here all by yourself. Take some time to thank the people who helped you along the way by writing them a thank you note!

People to thank: parents, guidance counselor, teachers, letter of recommendation writers, anyone else who read your essays/app, college admissions officers you met with, and tutors just to name a few!

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What Do Teenagers Want? Potted Plant Parents

By Brittany MaschalDec 19, 2016

 

Many parents feel that their adolescents hardly need them anymore. Teenagers often come and go on their own schedules, sometimes rebuff our friendly questions about their days, and can give the impression that interacting with the family is an imposition that comes at the cost of connecting, digitally or otherwise, with friends.

So here’s a complaint one might not expect to hear from teenagers: They wish their parents were around more often.

Interesting read on the importance of a parent’s physical presence on adolescent health. Check it out here!

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Text to Text: John Milton’s ‘When I Consider How My Light Is Spent’ and ‘Today’s Exhausted Superkids’

By Brittany MaschalDec 16, 2016

 

Right now, many students are entering the final college-application sprint. They’re wondering Are they enough? about their lists of accomplishments. Some may even be wondering Is it worth it? about college at all.

Centuries ago, the poet John Milton wondered how best to live his life as he went blind. In his sonnet “When I Consider How My Light Is Spent,” he contemplates his condition. While for him, the “light” he spends is literal — he was completely blind by age 42 — he uses it metaphorically to meditate on what it means to really live.

In this Text-to-Text they pair Milton’s poem with Frank Bruni’s Op-Ed “Today’s Exhausted Superkids,” which discusses the high costs of following the narrowly defined and proscribed path to an elite college.

This a thoughtful read for parents and students alike, or really, anyone working with adolescents today. Check it out here!!!

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Second Language Acquisition Can Improve How You Think

By Brittany MaschalDec 12, 2016

bilingualism

An oldie but goodie re-posted on the New York Times SundayReview on the advantages of bilingualism. Worth a read and just in time for the new year, when learning a second, third or fourth language could be on your to-do list!

Speaking two languages rather than just one has obvious practical benefits in an increasingly globalized world. But in recent years, scientists have begun to show that the advantages of bilingualism are even more fundamental than being able to converse with a wider range of people. Being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter. It can have a profound effect on your brain, improving cognitive skills not related to language and even shielding against dementia in old age.

Read the article here!

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What Do College Counselors Do?

By Brittany MaschalNov 28, 2016

College building

Great post from the Princeton Review on college counselors—high school and independent. Give it a read to learn more about both!

College counselors—both school counselors and independent consultants—can play a huge role in your college search. And when it comes time to apply and evaluate schools, both can help you make that all-important decision.

High School Counselors

Your school counselor can help you:

  • Stay on top of class selection and graduation requirements
  • Navigate your high school’s processes for
    • Getting letters of recommendation from teachers
    • Completing the counselor letter of recommendation
    • Sending your official transcript to colleges
  • Select extracurricular activities
  • Research colleges and draft your college list
  • Answer your FAFSA questions
  • Find and apply for local scholarships
  • Complete and send your applications

Your school college counselor can be an invaluable resource! That said, the national average student-to-counselor ratio is 350:1. And if you go to a large high school with more than 2,000 students, your student-to-counselor ratio may be closer to 500:1 (Source: The College Board).

Depending on the amount of face time they get with their school counselor, some families decide to hire independent college counselors to guide them through the admissions process.

Independent College Counselors

An independent college counselor works alongside your school counselor to help you with all of the above, and in addition:

Whereas your school counselor can advise you on more than just college, independent counselors spend all their time on college counseling and tend to work with fewer students.

Are you looking for strategic college advice based on your personality and goals? Our College Counselors will help you find, apply, and get accepted to your dream school. Get a personalized college admissions plan today!

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No College Talk Thanksgiving

By Brittany MaschalNov 24, 2016

Great article yesterday in the New York Times. Parents of seniors give it a read!

If you have a high school senior, and your child has decided to apply somewhere early decision (or early action or early something or other), the application is most likely in and done by now. And with Thanksgiving approaching, my first piece of advice is that you shelter your high school senior from her or his loving family this Thanksgiving by absolutely prohibiting any talk of college and applications.

Believe me, your senior does not want to discuss this. Not with uncles, aunts, cousins or loving grandparents. The right thing to do under these circumstances is for the parents to tell everyone that college is a forbidden subject — and the best way to explain that is to say, we are all sick of it, and we have promised ourselves and our child a respite. Let’s all find another subject.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Why You Need a College Counselor

By Brittany MaschalNov 17, 2016

 

Most high schools have at least one on-site college counselor to advise students on finding and applying to colleges. As the point person for your applications, college counselors keep you on top of deadlines and graduation requirements and ultimately send your official transcript to colleges. They can also help you find schools that fit you, identify dream/match/safety schools, complete your FAFSA, craft strong school-specific application essays, and help manage anxiety and stress.

Depending on how much one-on-one time they get with their schools’ college counselors, some families decide to hire independent college counselors to guide them through the admissions process. I always tell parents who are thinking about hiring an independent college counselor to make sure that person is a member of a professional organization, like IECA or NACAC. Why? Because not all IEC’s are created equal. For example, IECA members have met the highest standards of the profession. IECA’s required qualifications include a master’s degree; at least three years of admissions counseling experience; and experience working with scores of students. IECA also requires extensive member undertake campus visits—members, on average, have visited over 150 campuses each—and continue to visit an average of 35 campuses annually.

Whichever route you go, check out this Princeton Review article that outlines five (accurate) reasons you need your college counselor. You can also read more about IECs from IECA here, or from me directly during a consultation!

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