The October 2015 lightningboltonline.com
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Volume 16, Issue 3 www.facebook.com/sagehillschool
The College Crunch Navigating the ‘Delightful’ College Admission Process By Claire Dwyer
16dwyerc.publications@gmail.com For seniors, the pain is familiar. We want more than anything to know that we’re in to college, and we want the litany of exams, essays, applications and interviews to come to an end. But unfortunately, we’re not there
quite yet. So for those seniors who still feel like they’re lost in the quagmire of college uncertainty, the college counseling team is there to help. That’s the key word: counseling. A word usually associated with reducing adolescent stress, counseling can come in many different forms, including advice about admissions, essays, and how to stay sane during October and November. College counselors are there to help
and even to listen to our fears and problems—about college of course. Frank Smith, director of college counseling, notes that there have been some changes to the program this year. “The vast majority [of college visits] are repeat visits,” Smith said. “A few new visitors include the University of Georgia, the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Quest University Canada and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.”
Sahar Emtiaz
A Glimpse into the Future. One of more than 100 college admission representatives make small group presentation for Sage Hill School juniors and seniors the first three months of the school year in the college counseling office and in the MMLH auditorium.
Now, at this point if you’re wondering “what’s a college visit?” and you’re a senior, you’re not “done for” quite yet. “We’ve had 94 college visits so far and another 40 or so in the rest of October and November. We could still get a few more, but the vast majority have been scheduled,” Smith said. College visits are an important part of the program for Sage seniors to get to know the colleges they are potentially applying to. “Students visit with the college reps for various reasons,” Smith said. “Some hope to get answers to questions they may have about the topics in my number four answer above. They also come to demonstrate interest and let the college rep know that they’re serious about that institution. I’m happy to report that we don’t have a problem with students coming to visits simply to get out of class,” Smith said. “Our students are very thoughtful about when they can and/or should miss class. If we see a student at a college meeting, we naturally assume he/she is there for the right reasons.” And as an extra incentive to come to visits, college reps often view Sage as an exceptional school near the top of their list of schools in Southern California to visit, he said. “I met with a college rep from a highly selective university after she visited with students last week and she said, ‘I love visiting Sage! Your students always ask the best questions.’ It’s not unusual for us to hear such comments. College reps know our students are well prepared for the rigors of the collegiate classroom when they leave Sage,” Smith said. “They also value our emphasis on service learning and believe our students will continue to improve the world around them when they enroll at their schools. Since our students are willing to leave California to attend college, college reps from around the country know it’s not a waste of time coming here because there’s always a chance one student or more could attend their school. In general, we’re a must-stop for many college reps.” So do not despair, Sage seniors. In the world of the meat market of college admissions, we’re the choice cut, so they say. “We often hear students ask questions about the admissions process in addition to student life, academics with a focus on potential majors, athletics, fine arts, residence life, research opportunities and scholarships. Our students do an amazing job of engaging the college reps and asking them pertinent questions,” Smith said. So the senior class can, with a moment’s hesitation beforehand to check if we’ve done all our homework…breath. In the midst of the quagmire, the meat market, or maybe for the select few one of the most exciting times in their life so far, it’s looking like we’re going to come out alive.