Weekly Counseling News, 6/12/08

IN THIS ISSUE: Things to do with your summer vacation. This is a long email, but it's worth keeping for your reference this summer.

I. Ask for letters of recommendation
II. Visit colleges
III. Read books
IV. Brainstorm essays

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I. Ask for letters of recommendation
As I mentioned in my email last week, now is a great time to ask your teachers for letters of recommendation. It’s best to ask for these letters in writing in hard copy—NOT via email. The best way to do this is to contact your teachers via email and get an appropriate mailing address from them. Then send that teacher a written request and a brief resume of your achievements via snail mail. Remember, you’ll probably need two recommendations, and they should come from an academic teacher. Ask me if you have any questions.



II. Visit colleges
The summer is a great time to attend tours and information sessions at colleges around the country. Check out different universities’ admissions websites for information on when such events are scheduled and how you can sign up to attend.
Remember to print out a copy of the College Visit Cheat Sheet I generated for your use. You can find it in the Class of 2009 folding on the college counseling page in Edline.
Although it’s good to check out colleges during the summer, it might be worth visiting schools during the fall when students are back on campus. That way, you’ll have the chance to see what life as a student really looks like. Review the Student-Parent Handbook for our school’s policies on missing class for college visits. (Hint: these are excused absences—just check them out with me and Mr Cusack and we’ll give you the okay.)


III. Read books
There are some great books out there that are great for getting in a positive, productive mindset for the college admissions process. I have two main ones I’d recommend: Colleges That Change Lives, by Loren Pope; and Less Stress, More Success, by Marilee Jones and Kenneth R. Ginsberg. The former is about a group of colleges across the US (including Texas’s own Southwestern University and Austin College) that have extraordinary resources and programs. I recommend the book not to endorse the specific colleges but instead to help you get a sense of what’s out there now in terms of great college programs. It’s a great resource for learning what to look for as a consumer in the college admissions process. The latter book is another great text on a fit-focused college search. Both books are readily available at stores like Barnes and Noble and Borders, and I have a couple of copies in my office in case you’d like to borrow them.



IV. Brainstorm essays
As I’ve mentioned to you before, there are several essay topics that come up again and again on college applications. As you narrow down your list of schools to which you’ll apply, start to keep a good list of the essay topics you’ll be required to address in those schools’ applications. As you know, I’ll be here all summer, and I’ll be glad to help you organize your ideas, brainstorm essay approaches, and plan the writing process.
Depending on how many people are interested, I’d be glad to host some weekly summer workshops on these subjects. Drop me a line and let me know if you’re interested in putting some of these together; I’d be glad to do it.