College Admission Deans Visit CA

2/21/2017

By Sara Purviance

Associate Director of College Counseling

The college process is officially underway for the Class of 2018, and it was launched with the school’s annual Junior College Night featuring three esteemed deans of admission speaking juniors and their parents. Deb Shaver from Smith College, Kevin MacLennan from CU – Boulder, and Mark Hatch from Colorado College shared their expertise in an informative and honest forum. The following morning, Dean Shaver returned to CA’s campus to spend time with parents of underclassmen in an informal Q&A setting. The following are key tips and takeaways from those programs.

How can I get the most out of a campus visit?

Do the information session and campus tour provided by the admission office whenever possible; sit in on classes if you can (you’re going to college to get an education, after all).
Notice what the interaction is like between the students. Have a meal (preferably dinner) with students (not with parents). What are they talking about? Later in the process, do an overnight stay on campus if possible.
Don’t try to do too much (quality over quantity). One to two colleges per day are plenty.

How can I best research colleges and identify “fit”?

Dive into the websites and see what the departments are doing, and then look on faculty pages to see what the professors are doing in the classroom and in their research. See how they’re involving undergraduates.
Find both an academic and social fit. Apply to 6-8 colleges. You should be happy and able to make it work at any one of the colleges on your list.
This about how the campus could help make you the best future version of yourself. CA allows you to customize and personalize your education—don’t give that up whether you go to a small or large school. When a place admits you, you have keys to the front door. Take advantage!
Remember, the hallmark of a great college experience is to be taken out of your comfort zone. So don’t get obsessed with the notion of a “perfect fit”. Truthfully, your growth will come from figuring it out when you’re not comfortable.

Tips for parents to have a good mindset about the college process?

It’s a problem when parents call and say WE just submitted our application but there’s an error in paragraph 2. The process should be a family process, but the student needs to be the CEO of his or her education, the person to step up to the front, ask the questions, and take charge.
There’s a time and place to talk to about the college process—and it’s not at every family meal during a student’s junior and senior year. Ask students, “How can I help you love your last year and a half of high school?” This a gift you’ve given them (CA); help them enjoy the present of being in high school and take advantage of what’s here. Help your child achieve a healthy school-life balance. Too many kids coming in to college stressed out, and not having had fun in high school.
What about test prep? For a lot of students some test prep is helpful, but it’s worrisome when kids start too soon. People fixate on it because it’s quantifiable and when kids do it to the detriment of their schoolwork and activities, it can really hurt them. Please don’t think tests are correlated with how smart your kids are.
Our generation is accused of being helicopter parents. This process may be the first time your child is told no. You need to handle your own anxiety, acknowledge it and then get over it. As anxious as you are, your child is more so.
Is there no role for me? There is! You’re their cheerleader, and you provide the perspective that this is NOT the most important decision that they will make in their lives. Choosing a spouse, or deciding to have children—those are more important decisions. Make sure they know their health stories—once they go to college they need to take care of themselves. Teach them how to budget, how to do laundry. Talk to them about drinking and sex.

How should we be thinking about financial aid?

By law, every college must have a Net Price Calculator on their website. Enter your family’s financial data and it will give you an estimate of your expected contribution. Colleges have worked very hard to make that information as accurate as possible. Families are also encouraged to call financial aid offices—they can help walk you through how the calculator came out with your number.
Ask whether colleges meet 100% of demonstrated need. Some are not able to.
Don’t discount a place by just looking at bottom-line sticker price. Many colleges offer merit scholarships that are not based on a family’s ability to pay.
You can look up the Common Data Set (CDS) for every college—they have to disclose a lot of numbers related to financial aid and tuition discounting via merit scholarships.

Tips for students to have the best mindset about the college process:

College is a time to choose your classes and get to know your professors; you will meet lifelong friends. You have an incredible amount of unstructured time—it’s a lot of fun and your parents aren’t there. You can have that experience at a LOT of colleges and universities—a lot more than you’re thinking about. Do not focus on the getting in part rather than what it will be like to be there.
You all are amazing and interesting—not in a boastful way. Work with your College Office to hone your voice and your best work. Be proud of the things you love to do.
In your essay we want to see what’s important to you. If you’re excited about what you are writing about, we will feel that.
Don’t get hyper focused on the handful of super selective schools that accept only 5%. Resources in higher education are much more widely distributed at institutions across the country than they used to be.
Be present. Dig deep intellectually, form deep and meaningful relationships with your teachers and counselors and peers. Get some sleep. Let yourself have a little fun.