Parenting through the College Admission Process

College Admission in Highland Park's Pioneer Press

Thank you to Karen Berkowitz of Highland Park's Pioneer Press for the great article on our appearance tomorrow night, speaking with the parents of Highland Park and Deerfield High Schools. We'll be talking about grades, courses, essays, financial aid, what colleges are looking for and why and, most important, how to approach the college admission process with calm and purpose. You can read the Pioneer Press feature here.

Rescue Lunches and Parents' Role in the College Admission Process

High school advisor Alice Kleeman joins us this month with a blog post sure to help parents envision their proper role in the college admission process. Cheerleading? Yes. Rescue lunches? No. Read on for more of her clear-eyed view of how parents can be most helpful to their sons and daughters during this time.

 

On my daily path between office and mail room, I always notice a long line of lunch bags, Sharpie-labeled with students’ names and often sporting the logo of one of the popular local delis. I walk past the lunch-bag display, conquering the urge to snitch a bag and munch on the potato chips therein, lost in thought about college admission once again.

 

What does the long line of lunch bags on the front counter each day have to do with applying to college? As I pass the festive bag spectacle, I can’t help but imagine an improbable scenario: Mom (or Dad) hopping on a plane to rescue Junior by delivering a forgotten item—granola bars? dental floss?—to the college residence hall!

 

College Admission on WGN Midday News on Monday

College Admission will be a guest on WGN Midday News on Monday! Christine VanDeVelde will be talking about strategies for students and parents to keep calm and carry on in college application season, as well as the college essay, applying early, and why it's important to read the fine print in the application form.

Patricia Cleary, Stuyvesant High School

Our first Counselor of the Month for 2012 is Patricia Cleary of Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan. Stuyvesant, known as "Stuy," is a public high school with a twist. Run by the New York City Department of Education, it is one of seven specialized schools where admission is determined by a competitive exam. With an enrollment of 3,317 students, its mission is to develop students' talent in mathematics, science, and technology. Ms. Cleary's mission is to help guide approximately 800 Stuy students through the college application process every year.

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