Uncategorized – Page 2 – College Counselor Corner

I Finished My Sophomore Year…Now What?

Posted on 14 Jul 20202 Jun 2023 by Trevor Creeden

Congratulations sophomores! You just completed your second year of high school. You are literally half way done (through the end of 12th grade) and figuratively 2/3rd of the way done (colleges guarantee they review your grades for admission through 11th grade). Your junior year will be a very important year when it comes to preparing to apply to college. How prepared you will be for your senior year and for applying to colleges will be determined by how focused, diligent and disciplined you are in your junior year. Can you do things this summer, however, to prepare, position yourself more positively, grow and mature in ways that will benefit you in the college application process and beyond? Yes! Below are some tips I want to give you that I think are important for you to take advantage of this summer.

Stay involved– Up to this point in your high school career you have hopefully been involved in certain activities, volunteered for various organizations, attended certain camps and had various jobs. Continue to do these things if you enjoy them (or need to) and if possible, grow in leadership and responsibility as you get older.
Keep Reading (and Speaking)– This is easy for some and not for others. These two disciplines, however, will benefit you greatly in the college application process as you take the SAT/ACT within the school year and begin to speak with college admission representatives more when you tour colleges, these representatives visit our school and you have college admission, job and scholarship interviews in the near future. If you can put yourself in situations/circumstances where you have to speak in a group setting, speak in front of a group of people or even interview, these opportunities will only prepare you for future opportunities.
YOU communicate with adults…not your parents– Some of you may have been doing this the majority of the time already and that’s great! If you need to ask a question, follow up with or call off/end something, YOU need to be the one to make this communication, NOT MOM AND DAD. Why do I emphasize this? I am going speak from personal experience. As a college counselor, I need to speak into the maturity and growth of my students when I write them a letter of recommendation that is sent to the colleges they apply to. I have to write a letter for 90% of the senior class. Which seniors stand out to me? The ones that I have had communication with, answered questions for, been able to have conversations with from time to time. If I never talk to you, and just talk to your parents through the college application process, how will I know anything about you except what is on your resume? I appreciate and respect your parents…I really do, but I enjoy hearing from you! AND I know college admission counselors think the same thing.
Take a college class online– Many colleges offer high school students the opportunity to take a general education class online for up to 80% off of the actual cost that you would pay if you were to take the class as a freshman in college. If you did not do this the summer after your sophomore year, don’t worry, you can definitely do this after your junior year and senior year. If given the opportunity, why would you not head to college with a few online courses under your belt, at a fraction of the cost, having earned credits that you don’t need to take anymore at the college you attend. Please click here to view the blog post that I talk about earning college credit while in high school.
Continue to serve– As believers in Jesus Christ, we are called to serve others and utilize the talents, gifts and abilities God has blessed us with to bless others. This needs to be our first motivation to serve. Is serving others going to also help you stand out in the college admissions process, yes. Serve in capacities that you enjoy and would like to grow in responsibility. Serve those less fortunate than you. Serving will grow you in many ways emotionally, psychologically, physically and most importantly, spiritually. It will also encourage you to develop and grow relationships that will last a lifetime.
Get a job– Working, while earning some money, will allow you to grow and mature in many ways. You will meet new people, do tasks that you don’t necessarily enjoy but have to do well, work under a supervisor that you may or may not get along with but need to, serve/communicate with customers that can be difficult at times, learn tasks that you never knew how to do before and work longer hours for the first time. These are all tasks/responsibilities that encourage a GROWTH MINDSET which is so crucial for you to have as you get older, go through the college application process and apply for future jobs in college and beyond.
Begin preparing for SAT/ACT– I would like to emphasize that it is still early for you to take the SAT/ACT. I recommend that juniors take their first SAT and ACT in December, February or March of their junior year and take whichever test they do better on in May or June. It’s my understanding, from years of viewing scores, that students do better on the SAT/ACT the more class time they get under their belt and the older they are. I would also like to say, however, that you are the one registering to take the test and you can take it as early and as many times as you would like. There is nothing wrong with taking it early and some sophomores, who have been on the highest track in both math and English for their 9th and 10th grade years, and performed very well academically, can take it at the end of their sophomore year and do well. This is great! What you are doing is moving up the timetable of when you will be done taking the these tests. When should you begin preparing for these tests? This is up to you. I recommend doing some prep on your own to get familiar with each test before you take it the first time. When you know which test you did better on (see chart), then you can spend some money (or not because they are free resources you can utilize to prep) on a specific course that will prepare you for this test. I recommend taking a course through Revolution Prep who we partner with at DC. Please click here for our DC dedicated Revolution Prep webpage with future courses being offered and services they provide.
Take the most rigorous courses possible– More and more emphasis is being put on course rigor by college admission counselors today, especially if they are test optional and you end up not submitting test scores when applying to a college. This doesn’t mean that you should take every AP class even if you think you’ll get a C. Colleges still want to see A’s and then B’s. If you are capable of getting an A or B in a more rigorous class, you should take that class. Also keep in mind, if you are unable to take a class because of a schedule conflict. This will not disadvantage you in any way because I can explain this to the college and they do not count against you anything that was out of your control.

Lastly, I would like to say that your junior year will be a very important year for you to prepare and position yourself well for your senior year and the college application process. You will have Career Stewardship class with me. If you thoroughly complete the assignments you are given and participate in class and in the other opportunities that are provided for you, you will most definitely be ready and prepared for the college application process at the start of your senior year.

How Will College Admissions Look Moving Forward?

Posted on 14 May 20208 Jun 2020 by Trevor Creeden

We are definitely in unprecedented times but the most unsettling thing about this pandemic is not knowing when it will end. As humans, what we want is control. We want to know that if I do X and Y, I will get Z. We want to look forward to an end that we can celebrate. Right now, we haven’t been able to do this and are being told by the media that we shouldn’t expect this in the near future. This “unknown” is throwing colleges and their admission’s offices in a panic because they typically budget for a certain amount of students they will accept, go through the process of accepting students, anticipate a certain amount enrolling and then celebrate their incoming class. Now these numbers are going to be uncertain for at least the next few years.

I’ve been listening to podcasts, reading articles and blogs and meeting with college counselors over the last couple months. As current juniors (and younger) plan to apply to college in the fall. Below are the most important aspects of the college admissions process that are being impacted by COVID-19 and what you need to understand in order to prepare and apply to college in the future. I am also attaching recent articles that can explain things much better than I can.

Deadlines- I’ve posed the question about moving deadlines back, so students have more time to take another SAT or ACT, to a number of college counselors and the answer I get back is that their schools will not be moving deadlines back. It makes sense because the colleges that have an ED (Early Decision) deadline (which is binding) already have an EDII deadline on say Jan. 1st or 15th or are now adding one to give applicants the flexibility to apply ED if they don’t want to apply by the Nov. 1st deadline. If a college only has an EA (Early Action) deadline, which is non-binding, they may encourage a senior to apply by the regular deadline if they want to take another SAT or ACT. I wouldn’t be surprised if I see a college move a deadline back a couple weeks but it does throw their timetable off for when they review applications, make decisions, when to award scholarships, etc., so I think it will be rare.

Standardized Testing- The number of colleges that are making test scores optional for the 2020-2021 admission cycle and beyond keeps growing. Although this is important to understand, also keep in mind that “test optional” does not mean “test blind”. I heard a great point made about college admission officers from colleges that are going test optional for the first time, have never reviewed applications before without looking at test scores. They are going to have a learning curve, especially if most applicants submit scores. Also, keep in mind that if you don’t submit test scores then this will put more weight on your grades, courses you took and essays. These aspects of your application better be strong. Click here for the latest that College Board and ACT are doing for their tests scheduled for late summer and into the fall.

College Visits/Tours- I can see colleges once again offering in-person campus tours and information sessions in the fall but they will be under strict social distancing guidelines. This means that if they gave tours of 15 in a group in the past, that may now be 10 or less. They will need to seat people every other row for information sessions. Some will maybe cancel and still promote their online tours and information sessions, but I don’t think it will be many because they know the on-campus experience is more valuable. YOU NEED TO SCHEDULE THESE TOURS AND INFORMATION SESSIONS EARLY! There’s a competitive element to this that will pressure colleges to do in-person campus tours. If they know other colleges are, they may have an edge in convincing a student to attend. The most competitive admission schools need to get as many applications as they can so they can deny 90% or more of them to keep their admit rate low and stay on top of the rankings. They will have a hard time doing this if they don’t allow prospective students on campus for tours.

Financial Aid/Scholarships- This is really tricky because colleges did lose a lot of money during this pandemic, but they still need to encourage and “recruit” strong academic students to attend their school and they do this with merit based scholarships. There were less and less students applying to college before this all happened. How this pandemic impacts these numbers even more remains to be seen but colleges only thrive when they have the number of students on their campus that their faculty can teach and buildings hold. They don’t want to have less students because that means less money coming in. I think they will still be generous with their merit scholarships and even more so than in the past. If there was a time for students who have done well academically to take advantage of large merit scholarships at good fit schools (not the most competitive), I think it is now.

Transcript/Grades- Click here for a recent well-done article titled “We Get It! College Admissions Deans Speak Out”. This article addresses how colleges will evaluate spring grades during the pandemic and also touches on SAT/ACT and AP scores.

Extracurriculars- Click here for Part 2 of the article above that does a great job explaining how future college applicants can explain and adjust when it comes to extracurriculars, summer opportunities and what colleges want to see from students going through this pandemic.

Distance/Online Learning- Here is a great article that outlines the decisions colleges need to make in the fall. Outside of the State California University system, all colleges that I know of plan to open in the fall for on-campus instruction with social distancing guidelines in place. How this will look I don’t think anyone knows at this point but colleges know they need to do everything in their power to have on campus instruction in the fall because they can’t lose students. The fear is that a good number of students will opt to take a gap semester or year if they are told they have to do another semester of school online through Zoom. I would because I don’t think anyone should pay thousands of dollars to take a class online when I could probably work, make money, and take a few online classes for 4-5 thousand dollars or less.

Admissions During COVID-19, Uncategorized

Not Just Surviving, but Thriving During This Pandemic (For Parents)

Posted on 1 Apr 202022 May 2020 by Trevor Creeden

As we go through this unique time as parents, I understand there will be challenges ahead once this pandemic is over with employment, finances, etc. but in the meantime, we are being asked to be present and involved with our children more than we ever have since they are at home all day. From personal experience with my 15, 11 and 9 year old being home all day, I now have a better idea of how much we eat, how much toilet paper we use, how unreliable my internet connection is now that sometimes 5 devices are on it at once (a new router is on the way!) and how much we have to run the dishwasher. Below are some tips that I hope can help and encourage you as parents to better assist you in fulfilling your role as a parent more efficiently during this pandemic we are experiencing as a country.

Recognizing that teens are likely to understand the scope of COVID-19’s impact, but feel powerless.

Address those challenges first. Academic work can provide a distraction to the news of the day, but should never be considered more important than taking time to simply talk to your children about what’s happening in our world. We should make sure they are receiving encouragement from scripture at this time. For my family, spring is typically a very busy season. Everyone is going in different directions with work, school, sports, coaching and other extracurriculars that we are rarely able to enjoy a family dinner. Right now, we are eating dinner together every night. Take advantage of this time to have honest, truthful discussion and do a family devotion. You will cherish these times later, when our lives get busy again. There are great books out there if you search for dinner time devotions but if you need something quick, there are dinner time devotion plans on the Bible app.

2. Expect school to look more like a college schedule, then high school.

Instead of filling 6 to 7 hours, online school may consume shorter, more intense periods of time each day—similar to taking two to three classes each day as you would in college. Your student may work for two hours, take a break, and then work for another hour or two later. Remember, only a portion of the day during traditional schooling is actual instruction time (there’s attendance, announcements, moving between classes, lunch, etc.). Make sure your student gets away from the screen during the day and when they say they are done with their classes for the day, plan some exercise or an activity activity to do with them. This could be taking a run or walk in the neighborhood, using an elliptical machine at home, throwing the ball or doing a workout. There are many workout plans and videos online.

3. Deal with technology distractions

By modeling the behavior you want your kids to follow can make a big difference. Everyone should be mindful about putting down their phones to engage in productive, “real-life” pursuits, whether that means schoolwork or a hands-on family project or board game. At the same time, instead of saying they can’t play video games or go on social media, it’s about looking at their plan for the day and identifying blocks of time between accomplishments when they can play.

4. Come up with a consistent routine

The best schedule ultimately depends on your teen. Generally, after a good night’s sleep (8 to 10 hours), try to keep a similar routine in the morning on school days. If you are able to get them some breakfast before their first class and have some conversation with them that would be great. They may just want to wake up 3 minutes before class, roll out of bed, grab their device and crawl back into bed. Most teachers don’t appreciate students participating in class from their bed. Once schoolwork begins, tackle the most difficult subject(s) in the morning, take a break (maybe more outdoor time), and flip to another subject. Give your teen some ownership over his or her extensive free time, but encourage them to maintain relationships (grandma would love to Zoom) and creativity works during this time. This is a great time for students to develop non-academic skills or knowledge related to their interests— trying cooking or gardening, painting or learning a new language. They can help with projects around the house, learn how to program, or dig into a research project that relates to this pandemic that may turn out to have a real-world impact one day– and something for their college admissions resume.

In closing, I want to thank you for your hard work and commitment to help your child through this time. It is not going unnoticed! Hopefully, you are enjoying the extra time with them but also recognizing that this time is temporary and this too shall pass. I sent a great article by Paul Tripp to faculty and staff at DC back on March 4th that I also want to share with you titled, “How To Love a Teenager”.

https://www.paultripp.com/wednesdays-word/posts/how-to-love-a-teenager

It’s filled with wisdom and truth that is even appropriate during this phase of life we are in.

Admissions During COVID-19, Uncategorized

Not Just Surviving, but Thriving During This Pandemic (For Students)

Posted on 1 Apr 202022 May 2020 by Trevor Creeden

Whether you are now distance learning as a student or having to work from home as a parent, it can be difficult to adjust. This should not be surprising. We were designed by God to enjoy relationship, fellowship and interaction with one another. We are doing out best to promote this through our distance learning plan, it isn’t the same. I miss seeing my students. I miss having important academic and college conversations in person, teaching my classes in person and just having fun with my colleagues and students. I understand that many are suffering physically and financially at this time and I do not want to minimize that. I am trying to focus on the positives for myself and my family during this time. There have been positives, however, that have come from this time as well. We have the opportunity to be with family more, the opportunity is there to get to know your neighbors more, we’ve been able to get more rest, get some jobs done around the house that tend to get ignored in the busyness of life, read more and hopefully spend more time in God’s Word and growing closer to Him. This phase of life will pass, this pandemic will be over and we will get back to our “normal” way of life, but while we go through this unique and unusual time together, how can you not only survive, but thrive! Below are some tips and strategies for students to take.

As you have been transitioning to online learning. Below are very important tips for studying at home:

Make time for quiet time

This should be your first priority because it’s only through Him that we will thrive during this time. If growing in our relationship with our Lord and Savior isn’t our first priority, what is? If we don’t do this, we will probably get overwhelmed by all the other things that are being thrown at us let alone the grim news we are hearing and reading everyday about the pandemic. If you haven’t made this time a priority and/or need some suggestions as to some great daily devotions you can do, please see the ones below that I have used. If you have a hard copy devotional as well like Our Daily Bread, these are great as well.

Solid Joys daily devotional app by John Piper
Truth For Life app by Alister Begg
Bible Gateway app that has reading plans
The Bible app that has reading plans

2. Create a designated work space

Choose a room, a corner of a room, or a chair that you can call your study space. It’ll make it easier to separate your school and home life if you have a specific location for class and homework within your house, and your family members will also be more likely to recognize that you’re working when you’re within your “school” area. Similarly, find a place in your house (or outdoors, if you have a backyard, porch, or nearby park) that you can go to relax and be away from your work for a while.

3. Keep friendships going

It’s easy to feel that all of your study groups, hangouts with friends, etc. have disappeared overnight with on campus school being closed, but it’s possible to keep those relationships going remotely. Scheduling a phone or FaceTime call with people you know from school can be intimidating, because it may feel like you need to have a specific goal or purpose for the call. But even if you’re just holding a remote dance party with friends or hanging out and talking while you all do everyday things in your homes, it’ll help ease feelings of loneliness to hear and see people you care about.

4. Schedule yourself like you are still at school

One of the most challenging things about the sudden move from having school at an actual school to home can be the loss of many different kinds of ways you spent your time at school. Make sure you attend your online classes on time, but when you have that time between classes, during lunch or even a longer break because of a study hall or class that isn’t meeting online on that day, go outside and get some fresh air, exercise, chat with your friends while outside, and get away from the screen. I will say this is most important at least during the actual school day from 8:30am-3:00pm. Most of you, after school were involved in sports or another extra curricular activity. Can you still continue these activities in some way during the time you would have them normally? That’s a good routine to get into.

5. Be kind to yourself

Having to abruptly uproot your school life is an emotionally disturbing experience, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you find you’re having trouble concentrating on work. Communicate with your teachers about your needs and allow yourself some time each day to process the feelings you may be having. Other students are likely feeling the same way too, so if you want to, call a friend or classmate to talk about how you’re doing. Mrs. O’Leary and myself are only a phone call or Zoom meeting away as well. Don’t be hesitant to ask for advice, help or you just want to talk to someone. We’re here for you!

6. Keep a regular sleep schedule

Even though it’s now actually possible to set your alarm to 30 seconds before the start of class, you’ll get a better quality of sleep if you go to bed and wake up at roughly the same times each day. Avoid doing work or spending time on the your phone in bed if you can, because these activities may cause your brain to associate the bed with thinking and being awake, rather than sleep and relaxation. Plus, you are in front of a screen way more than you are used to so try to find times you would normally be on your phone and put it down.

7. Exercise regularly

Regular physical activity boosts your mental health and provides a much-needed break from everyday stress. If traditional exercise is more your style, go running or walking in your neighborhood or in a local park, or look for a free exercise-guidance website or app to give you daily routines to follow.

Admissions During COVID-19, Uncategorized

Don’t Let the Coronavirus Keep You From Preparing For College!

Posted on 17 Mar 202022 May 2020 by Trevor Creeden

What we are going through currently is unprecedented for anyone that is currently living since the last pandemic that impacted so many people was in 1918. It’s important that we take the necessary precautions and pray for the recovery of those that have gotten the virus. During this time, however, we could be moving forward and doing things that we sometimes would “put off” or even ignore because we are so busy doing what we think is more important. Seniors, click on this very helpful article titled “How to Make College Decisions When Campuses Are Closed”. Also, you can use Discover’s Award Letter Comparison Tool and TuitionFit when making decisions. When it comes to the college planning process, below are six things that you could/should be doing to stay ahead and be prepared for when you begin applying to colleges soon.

SAT/ACT Prep– As of now, the March and May SAT tests and the April ACT test have been cancelled and students will receive a refund or the ability to change test dates for no charge. Juniors, it would be best to take the June SAT and ACT if at all possible if you haven’t taken either test yet. If you were going to take the SAT for the first time on March 14th, then it would be best to take the June 6th SAT. In my meetings with Juniors these past few months I have mentioned that the June 6th SAT is not at a great time because it was sandwiched in between our final exams. If our final exams get pushed back now, the June SAT will not be at an inconvenient time anymore. Whatever the case may be with the school schedule, you do not want your first SAT to be in August, so I highly recommend taking the June SAT (which is at DC) for all juniors who haven’t yet taken an SAT test yet. Juniors and Sophomores, with the time you have available over the next number of weeks, this is a great time to do SAT and ACT prep. Sophomores, if you have been in honors math and English and take advantage of the time you have in the coming weeks to prep for the SAT or ACT, taking the June ACT and/or SAT is a good idea. This will move your timetable up a bit so that you get done with taking these tests sooner in your junior year. A lot of how much you get done depends on your mindset and making it a priority. You can take advantage of one of Revolution Prep’s Live Online classes by going to our dedicated DC page here. There is a free SAT or ACT practice test you can take and Revolution Prep will score it for you. There are additional online test prep options through Method Test Prep, Princeton Review, Magoosh or PowerScore. You can also take advantage of the free SAT and ACT prep options below:

2. Researching Colleges– Many juniors and even sophomores feel overwhelmed with coursework and extracurriculars this time of year so they delay taking the time to properly research colleges in order to get an understanding of what colleges may be a good fit for them. Now that you have some more time to search, research, explore and study colleges, utilize this additional time that you are going to be home to find colleges that would be a good fit for you. There are helpful websites like College Board’s Big Future, College Factual, College Raptor, College Navigator, College Scorecard, Cappex and by completing the College Search tool in your SCOIR account. There are great places to go online to view important college financial information as well like Tuition Tracker, Nerd Wallet, and this article with many other resources from Business Insider.

3. Research and Apply for Scholarships– It is never too early or too late to apply for local and private scholarships. Obviously, you need to make sure the scholarships you apply for meet the eligibility requirements, but with the additional time you should/may have on your hands over the next month or so, you can be applying for scholarships NOW! Parents, here is a great article to read on how you can help your child apply for scholarships. Be sure to look in your Naviance account for any local scholarships that have come through my office. Also, keep in mind that the most money you will receive to help pay for college will be the merit scholarships that colleges offer their incoming freshman. If you add a college to the “Following” column in your SCOIR account, you should also go to their “Admissions” page and click on “Financial Aid” or “Scholarships” to see what merit scholarships they offer. Below are a number of websites to search for scholarships.

4. Take Virtual Tours– Although colleges are cancelling campus tours for the near future, there is still a great way to take a tour and with the advancement in technology, these virtual tours are really well done and helpful. SCOIR has partnered with You Visit and Campus Reel so if you search for a college in SCOIR, many of them will have a virtual tour available and shorter tours through Campus Reel about student life, dorm life, extracurriculars, food, etc. Here is an article that provides other options for virtual tours as well. Some have even gone the route of using Google Cardboard headsets for campus tours.

5. Take Major/Career Assessments- Now you have the time to take the Major/Career Assessments you thought you didn’t have time to take before. It is always a great idea to get as much feedback as possible when it comes to the major and/or career you would be a best fit for. Juniors, you should definitely take this extra time you have to complete the You Science assessment in SCOIR that is mandatory to complete for Career Stewardship before the end of the school year. Freshman and Sophomores, please do not take this assessment yet because you can only take it once in your high school career and I would prefer this be in your junior year. Below are additional assessments, however, that you can take.

My Majors
Career Direct (free Personality I.D.) (full assessment is an additional cost)
M y Next Move
Career Coach through DCCC
College Majors 101 (Not an assessment but great information)

6. Read Good Books and Blogs- Besides this blog (which you can always go back and read my posts from the past as well), there are a couple others that I would recommend reading for great college admissions advice. The College Solution is a great blog that Lynn O’Shaughnessy has been writing for years and she is very knowledgable herself but interviews many other experts in the field of college admissions for her posts. Educated Quest is another great blog I would recommend along with Ivy Wise and the SCOIR College Admissions Blog.

Our times are in God’s hands and He is in control as we go through this unprecedented and unusual time as a school, state and country. I hope this information helps you be more productive and stay in front of the college planning and application process as you have some more time on your hands over the next few weeks.

College Admissions, Financial Aid/Scholarships, Uncategorized

Patience Can Pay Off Even More In College Admissions Today

Posted on 3 Mar 202022 May 2020 by Trevor Creeden

This past October I made DC juniors and parents aware of the recent changes to the NACAC bylaws that would allow for colleges to “recruit” students more aggressively to attend their school. Here is an article in the Washington Post that explains these changes and how they can impact college admissions in the future. This is a very big shift in college admissions that will have a large impact on how colleges “recruit’ students in future years and offer them merit based scholarships.

Please keep in mind that there any many colleges in the United States and each will determine what approach to take as far as offering merit based aid. The perspective I am providing you in this post is an overall point of view based on national trends, feedback I have received from college admission professionals and have read in various news outlets.

Below are reasons why I think it would be advantageous to be patient when committing to attend a college. If you read the article above, you will see that one of the NACAC bylaws that was removed was that colleges should not recruit students if they have already committed to attending another college. So even if you decide to commit earlier to attend a college, another college that accepted you can come back to you with a different scholarship or financial aid offer.

Colleges are having a more difficult time meeting their “Yield”. The “Yield” is the number that colleges budget for based on the number of students that they accept vs. the number of students that choose to attend. Because of colleges not being able to meet their “yield”, when they have a better idea of who is going to attend (in April), and they see the gap compared to how many students they anticipated would attend, they may be willing to offer more merit or need-based scholarship money to students they accepted in order to encourage them to attend their school. If a student commits earlier (December or January) and pays their deposit, that college may not be as inclined to offer them more money because they know the student is already attending; therefore, they offer aid to other strong students who haven’t committed yet.

2. Colleges may not provide the “best” financial aid offer to a student hoping they accept the lower offer. This is strictly my opinion and not something I have read or heard. However, I know colleges today are spending a lot more money to get analytical data on “demonstrated interest”. Take out the students who applied and were accepted through Early Decision, because they have to attend if they were accepted. If the data a college has suggests that a student is likely to come if they are accepted, and they then accept them through the Early Action, Rolling or Regular Decision deadlines, then why wouldn’t they provide them a merit-based scholarship package that may be a bit lower than what they could have offered and see if that student commits to attend? If they do, and ask no more questions, they just got that student to attend at a lower cost to them. At worst, you may have to accept the fact that you will need to accept what was already offered. If you can be patient however, ask if you could receive additional merit and/or need based aid in April, then if the college hasn’t met their “Yield”, they may be more inclined to provide you with more merit or need based financial aid.

3. The control has shifted from the college to the student. One of the big reasons the Department of Justice “forced NACAC’s hand” to remove these bylaws is because they felt that the student should be recruited more and should have more control in their application and decision making process. If the student (and parent) can shift their mindset to understand that the “ball is in their court” more, then they should approach these colleges as businesses who have the ability to give them more money. If they do this, and the student has shown great demonstrated interest toward a school they would like to attend and are at the high end or above the college’s posted mid-50% test scores and/or GPA, then they should be a bit more aggressive in asking for more merit or need based financial aid.

One last point I would like to make is the importance of how you approach financial aid counselors when asking if it would be possible to receive additional financial aid.

You should have this discussion with a financial aid counselor at the school, not an admissions counselor. If the admissions counselor tells you that there is no more aid available or “this is our final offer”, ask if you could please speak with a financial aid counselor. They are the ones that have control over the financial aid “pot” of money.
At least talk on the phone but ideally try to meet in person. Emailing a request is not that personal and will be viewed as such. Making the conversation more personal is going to help. You should at least talk to the financial aid counselor over the phone but if you can have a face to face conversation that would be even better.
It would be best if the student was the one that asks. Parents, I know this may be tough to do, but have your senior be the one who initiates the conversation with the financial aid counselor. This lets the counselor know that the student is serious about coming to their school, is showing great interest in attending and is also showing great initiative and maturity which can also go a long way.
Do not ask for a certain amount of money. To go into a conversation with a financial aid counselor and say, “we need ____ more to attend (college name) or we’re not coming” is probably viewed as threatening to the financial aid counselor and will probably result in them denying your request.
Be honest about your financial situation. Sometimes parents don’t let the financial aid officer know where all their money is going or what other debts they have. If you are not upfront and completely transparent about your finances to the financial aid officer, you may not receive the most aid you could have in the end.
Make the financial aid officer know that you will be an asset to their school. Approach the conversation with the financial aid officer from the perspective of “selling” yourself to them. You want them to want you on their campus so therefore, they should “invest” more in you. Be polite, respectful, thankful for what you already have received, completely honest and the rest will take care of itself.

In the end, we are called by God to be good stewards of what He’s provided for us. Please make the best financial decision you can when deciding on where you will attend college. If you pray about your decision, are proactive and diligent in your communication and make wise choices, God will make it clear as to what college you should attend.

College Admissions, Financial Aid/Scholarships, Uncategorized

Why is Demonstrated Interest Important in College Admissions?

Posted on 30 Jan 202022 May 2020 by Trevor Creeden

When students think about the college preparation and application process, they know that their grades, the courses they take and their standardized test scores will be very important when their applications are reviewed for admission to a college. I explain to juniors, when I meet with them and their parents, that these three factors (the “big” three) do make up the majority of a college admissions counselor’s decision. At certain schools (Private, less students, more competitive) these three factors could make up 50-60% of their decision, while at larger, public, state universities it may make up 80-90% of their decision because they don’t have the time to review other supplemental material. What would make up the other 50-60% of a college’s decision to admit a student? It varies at each school but typically it’s essays, letters of recommendation and extra-curricular activities. More and more, however, “demonstrated interest” is becoming a factor for admission at certain colleges.

What is “Demonstrated Interest”? It refers to the degree in which an applicant has made clear that he or she is truly eager to attend a college. Demonstrated interest has been around for a while now and certain colleges track it more than others. Nevertheless, more colleges are paying attention to and tracking demonstrated interest today because it’s becoming more difficult for some to reach their “yield”. Yield is the percent of students who choose to enroll in a particular college or university after being offered admission. Colleges want to get this “yield” correct because if they don’t, they are either going to over enroll and not have enough housing for students, or what’s even more common, under enroll and be out thousands of dollars that they budgeted on because they don’t have the tuition money from students they expected to enroll. How can they control this “yield”? Through tracking demonstrated interest and doing their best to accept students they know want to come to their school.

How do colleges track demonstrated interest? This is a good question and one that is tough to answer because there are many different ways they can track it and some that I may not be aware of. A lot of colleges who track it today even outsource it to other companies to track. Below are a list of ways colleges track demonstrated interest that are more widely known and understood.

Applying Early Decision (ED)
Visit the college
Well-written “Why Us”? essay
Attending admission information sessions in your area
Attending college fairs and meeting with admissions counselors
Meeting with admissions counselors when they visit your high school

Below are a list of ways colleges track demonstrated interest that are less known or understood.

Student emailing or calling the college admission’s counselor who will read their application to ask questions and express their desire to attend.
Opening emails that the college admissions office sends you.
Writing and submitting optional essays
Having an optional interview
Logging in to a specific college’s portal account to review status of application and whether you received a decision

In knowing all of these ways to express “demonstrated interest”, what then should seniors be doing and paying attention to when they apply to colleges?

You do not need to do all of these things to express proper demonstrated interest. You need to determine which ways to show demonstrated interest are best for your circumstances and for each school you are applying to. For example, Not many students apply ED to colleges because they don’t have a slam dunk #1 choice school and they would like to see their options (especially financial) before they make a decision on where to attend. Another is that some students do not have the means to visit every school they apply to until maybe they know they have been accepted and then they will decide to visit. Colleges understand each of these reasons.
You should complete as many ways to express demonstrated interest that are within your control. Writing a well-written “Why Us”? essay, attending an information session in your area or when a counselor from that college comes to your school, should be automatic things you should do for any college that you are applying to. These shouldn’t take much of your time but can go a long way in showing interest. Colleges DO NOT want “stealth” applications. These are applications that are submitted by seniors but they haven’t had that student communicate with them any other way.
The communication they receive by the student is very important. Parents, it’s great that you are involved and supportive in your child’s college application process, but your child needs to be the “driver” in the process and any communication that is made over the phone or through email by them is considered demonstrated interested. Communication made by the parent is not. Even if they are uncomfortable or resistant to contact a college admissions counselor please encourage them to make the contact. I tell seniors all the time that I am willing to help and assist them with this communication. Sometimes seniors send me emails that they want to send to an admissions counselor for me to look over and proofread before they send it. This is great! I love to do this and help them make sure their communication is appropriate well written.
Express demonstrated interest even for safety schools. This is one of the tougher things to do in the college admissions process because when seniors consider a college to be a safety school, they automatically think that “I’m going to get accepted because my grades and scores are above the mid-50% range that the college posts on their website so why should I tell them that I want to go there?” The important thing to keep in mind is that more and more schools in future years, who are paying more attention to their yield, will defer or deny more students whose grades and scores are above their posted ranges because they haven’t shown demonstrated interest in order to accept students who they know have a greater chance of attending their college. So it’s becoming more and more important that seniors treat their safety schools the same way they treat their top choice schools when it comes to showing interest.

College Admissions, DCCS Specific Posts, Uncategorized

What To Expect in 2020 (at DC and in College Admissions)!

Posted on 5 Jan 202022 May 2020 by Trevor Creeden

We are now in a new decade which may only happen 7-8 times in an individual’s life. Even though I have been at DC since 2010 and a lot has happened since then, I am not going to go back and review the past decade in the DC Guidance Office. I do think it’s important to look back and remember what was important and helpful in order to make the best decisions moving forward. I also think it’s important to look back and be thankful for what God has provided and opportunities he has given each of us. Below is a quote from John Piper to encourage you as we head into 2020.

“The proper response to grace you received in the past is thankfulness, and the proper response to grace promised to you in the future is faith. We are thankful for the past grace of the last year, and we are confident in the future grace in the new year.”

There will be two new things happening this coming year at DC that I am excited about and one thing in college admissions that you may know about but will be new and have future implications in standardized testing.

Transitioning from Naviance to SCOIR– I am excited to announce that this winter/spring we will be changing the college planning and application program we use at DC from Naviance to SCOIR (pronounced like a goal score). This will especially be a change for me since I have been using Naviance since 2009, but there are a number of reasons I am making this change. I will briefly touch on a few below but you will get a communication soon about this change in more detail.

The availability of a phone app that students and parents will be able to use on their cell phones to research colleges, update their accounts and complete application steps. As the counselor, I will be able to remind students and parents of important dates and deadlines through notifications on their phone.
More user friendly and applicable information that students and parents can see quickly.
Easier interface for teachers to write recommendations for seniors and update their status.
Their integration with You Visit and Campus Reel giving students and parents opportunities to tour campuses and what they may be interested in knowing in regards to the dorms, student life, etc.

2. Career Week– You may have heard about this already but the DC Class of 2021 will be the first class to participate in Career Week and I am excited for them to have this opportunity. For those of you who don’t know what Career Week is, each junior will be required to complete a 5 day internship at the end of May of their junior year. They will not have classes during these 5 days but will be reporting to their supervisor in a career field they are interested in pursuing and majoring in. This year’s juniors have been working on understanding what career field/major they may be interested in and finding a professional to intern with already. My hope is that this experience will continue to encourage them to pursue a specific profession or it may discourage them which is okay as well. If they do enjoy their experience it may lead to more opportunities over the summer and beyond and it will also be a big encouragement to them as they apply to colleges a few months later. It will push many out of their comfort zone a bit which is also a great experience.

3. Changes to the ACT Test– Beginning September 2020, students will be able to retake sections of the test, superscore their results and sit for a digital version of the assessment. Students who are interested in ACT section retesting should know these three facts:

Section retests are available only in digital format.

Test-takers who wish to retake certain sections may only do so only online. The ACT will still be offered as a paper-based exam, but the paper test must be completed in its entirety.

Students can take up to three section retests per sitting over seven dates.

Students will be allowed to test seven times throughout the year, and retest dates will always coincide with the dates of the national ACT. During each sitting, students can retake any one, two or three sections. There is also no limit on the number of times a student may retest overall. Thanks to the new superscoring option, students will be able to send their most favorable scores to prospective colleges. As a result, a disappointing score on the fourth required ACT section, for example, would be slightly less problematic if a test-taker’s prospective schools accept superscores.

The cost and registration procedures are not known yet.

It’s going to be a fun and productive 2020!

College Admissions, Emotional/Mental Counseling, Uncategorized

A Denial Is An Opportunity

Posted on 3 Dec 201913 Dec 2022 by Trevor Creeden

Many seniors will hear back from colleges they applied to under the ED (Early Decision), EA (Early Action), or Priority deadlines. If a school was a target and especially a reach school, seniors will be nervous to receive their decision(s) because they know they may be denied admission. They may also be deferred or accepted which would be better than being denied, but I want to share with you why I think being denied admission to a college can actually be a great opportunity.

I understand that being denied admission to a college is disappointing and even upsetting. You should never think that if you are denied to a college that it is a reflection on your intelligence or the hard work you have put in the last few years. To learn more about why you may be denied admission to a college but also what colleges look for when admitting students please click on the links below:

How College Choose Which Students to Admit

6 Common Reasons Why College Applications Get Denied

Why You Were Denied *New*

Below are four reasons why I think being denied admission to a college can be a great opportunity.

You now can focus on the colleges you have been accepted to

When you know a certain college is no longer an option, you now can focus on the colleges that you have been accepted to or still are waiting to hear from. If you are deferred (your application is now going to be reviewed under the regular decision deadline), it’s important to let that college know you are still strongly desiring to attend that school. Please click here and go to the “waitlist and being deferred” topic to know what to do after being deferred. Sometimes it is nice not to “hang on” to an option and just move forward with the rest of the colleges you applied to. I tell seniors all the time that once you have received a denial from a college, the college that was 2nd or 3rd on your list now becomes #1 or #2 on your list. You need to apply to a balanced list of colleges where you would be excited to attend all the colleges you apply to. Click here for an article I give to all of my seniors about applying to a balanced list of colleges.

2. You can still apply to a couple more schools you wouldn’t have considered before

I like when I counsel seniors who “discover” and get excited to apply to a couple more colleges after they submit their initial applications before the EA or ED deadline. Be a continual learner about colleges as a senior and if you are, you should find out and learn about a few more colleges that weren’t even on your radar at the beginning of your senior year. One aspect of my job is to make you aware of the many options that are out there and I get excited when a senior get’s excited about a college in December or January. Another part of the college application process that is changing is the amount of colleges that are still trying to fill their freshman classes in March and April. More and more colleges will still be making attempts to get students to enroll at their school later in the spring now.

3. You have the opportunity to go to a college that is a better fit financially

In most cases, you were going to have to pay more to attend the target or reach schools you applied to because you were not going to receive much, if any merit-based scholarship money if you were accepted. A number of reach schools are also “100% meet need” schools so they do not give out any merit scholarships anyway. These schools, however, are also some of the more expensive colleges in the country and most are asked to pay more than they expected. If you do get denied to a target or reach school on your list, this is an opportunity to now look at the colleges you have been accepted to or you haven’t received a decision from and take advantage of a larger scholarship you received from one of these colleges that you can attend for a lot less. You may also still have the opportunity to apply for a scholarship at a college you wouldn’t have considered before you found out you were denied admission to a certain college. If you can take the SAT or ACT again to receive more scholarship money from a college please do it!

4. Hearing the word “no” will motivate you

I don’t know about you but when I hear the word “no”, it motivates me a bit to take advantage of my next best option and in a way “prove wrong” the one who told me “no”. I think this is a natural reaction that we have when we think we are told that we aren’t “good enough” or “we weren’t what someone was looking for”. I don’t think if you were denied at a college that you weren’t “good enough” because colleges can only make decisions on what they know about you and the information that is in your application. You may face the same situation when you apply for grad school, law or medical school, a job or even a home in the future. In a lot of cases it’s not about what you bring to the table but it’s what the person making the decision is looking for. Take the “no” you receive and use it as motivation. Make the best decision on which college to attend after knowing where you have been accepted and be determined to work just a bit harder to avoid hearing the word “no” in the future. I’m not saying you won’t hear it again but if you do, you are better prepared on how to handle it.

Although we like to be in control, there will be plenty of times after your senior year in high school where you are not in control and these times remind us that God is ultimately in control of our lives and we need to be stewards of the gifts, talents and abilities He has given us. Being denied to a college is another reminder that our times are in His hands and it wasn’t in God’s plan for you to go to that college in the first place. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

DCCS Specific Posts, Uncategorized

2019 DC College Bus Tour Review

Posted on 9 Nov 201922 May 2020 by Trevor Creeden

I wish I was good at taking pictures and did this for each College Bus Tour over the last 6 years but I am not good at taking pictures. I do have some from my 7th College Bus Tour, however, with the DC class of 2021. We had a great trip! The weather was great, each school was very welcoming and treated us well, the food was great at each school and the churches we stayed at were very hospitable. I love taking the juniors on this College Bus Tour each year and want to thank Nicole O’Leary, Cody Skaer and Kaley Ryan for chaperoning this year’s trip with me. Below are a few pics from this year’s trip.