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I Finished My Sophomore Year…Now What?

Posted on 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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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. 

Posted in Admissions During COVID-19, Uncategorized

How Will College Admissions Look Moving Forward?

Posted on 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.

Posted in Admissions During COVID-19, Uncategorized

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

Posted on 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.

  1. 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.

Posted in Admissions During COVID-19, Uncategorized

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

Posted on 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.

  1. 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:
    1. Khan Academy for SAT
    2. Free ACT Test Prep
    3. Free SAT Practice Tests you can download and print out
    4. SAT Study Guide for Students
    5. Free SAT Prep Material
    6. Method Test Prep Free SAT and ACT Resources

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.

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.

Posted in College Admissions, Financial Aid/Scholarships, Uncategorized

Patience Can Pay Off Even More In College Admissions Today

Posted on 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

Posted in College Admissions, Emotional/Mental Counseling, Uncategorized

A Denial Is An Opportunity

Posted on 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.

  1. 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!

Posted in College Admissions, Uncategorized

“Adulting” in the College Application Process

Posted on by Trevor Creeden

I hope you all have had a great start to the school year whether you are a student or a parent. One phrase you may have heard this summer is “adulting”. If you would like to read up on how “adulting” came about and what it is click here. We are offering a SAIL class at DC called “Adulting” and it filled up quickly. This is a nationwide trend as well. Please feel free to click on the links below to see what other adulting classes are being offered around the country.

“Adulting” class in Kentucky

“Adulting” School in Portland, Maine

“Adulting” class at UC Berkeley

Why, all of a sudden, are high schools and now colleges offering this class for high school students? I could fill this entire post with reasons but I will use a couple quotes from a book I am currently reading by Ben Sasse titled, The Vanishing American Adult.

“In a different time, there was decent clarity about what coming of age into adulthood meant. Leaving childhood and becoming an adult was conceptually clear. It was a gift that older generations gave to the younger. No longer. Ours is now an odd nation of both delayed grown-ups and delayed-children who create words to mock the idea that we could ever become responsible, civic-minded leaders.”

“I believer our entire nation is in the midst of a collective coming-of-age crisis without parallel in our history. We are living in an America of perpetual adolescence. Our kids simply don’t know what an adult is anymore – or how to become one. Many don’t see a reason to even try. Perhaps even more problematic, the older generations have forgotten that we need to plan to teach them. It’s our fault more than theirs.”

Now, I am not writing a post on the “adulting” phenomenon but I do want to mention a few ways I have already been “adulting” seniors in the college application process for years and how parents should support their senior through this process. I am big on having seniors be advocates for themselves throughout the application process because they are the ones applying to the colleges, not the parents. The parents are supposed to support, encourage and remind if necessary. This is an important part of the college application process that get’s overlooked and can play a roll in a college admissions officer’s decision to admit a student to their school or not. Below are ways seniors should be “adulting” in the college application process:

  1. Know the admissions counselor who has our school.

Before they apply, seniors should go to each of the websites of the colleges they are applying to and find out who the admission counselor is who will be reading their application. They can do this by going to the “Admissions” page of the college’s website and clicking on a “meet your counselor” or a “contact us” link and see if the college admissions officers at the college are listed. They should find the representative for Pennsylvania, Eastern PA or Philadelphia (sometimes this is divided between the city or suburbs) as the territory they are responsible for. Write or type this person’s name, phone number and e-mail address somewhere.

2. Communicate with this counselor in person, over the phone and through e-mail.

Each senior needs to be communicating with the admissions counselor who will be reading their application. This can be somewhat difficult for some because it is getting them out of their comfort zone and forcing them to interact with someone in authority they do not know and has influence because they will be making a decision on whether to admit them or not to their school. If this school is a “safety” school on the senior’s list, it will alleviate some of the pressure, but it is still great to develop rapport and have good communication with them. If it’s a “target” or a “reach” school on the senior’s list, there could be more pressure, but the communication and rapport with this counselor is much more important. The parent(s) CANNOT overstep the boundaries and be the one to communicate and ask questions. This can create a negative perception in the admission counselor’s mind that the student cannot advocate for themselves and why would they want to admit a student like this to their school?

If the senior can meet with this admissions counselor in person, especially if this counselor visits our school, they must make this a priority. I had a counselor in my office last year who knew that a couple seniors were applying to their school. Those seniors did not come visit them and it left a negative impression on them. The counselor said, “If they were really interested in attending my school, and I made the effort to come to their school but they couldn’t meet with me, what does that tell me about whether they would like to attend my school?” Seniors also need to be the one to call or e-mail the counselor if they have questions. When a senior comes to my office with a question about their application that I can’t answer, I have made them call or e-mail the counselor (with my support if needed). Another note for parents: When you are visiting a college or attending an interview or college fair with your senior, they need to do all the talking. Please don’t own the conversation because, again, this takes away from the impression your senior is leaving with the admissions counselor. Never attend an interview with your senior. Stay in the car, lobby, or leave and pick them up.

3. Complete the admissions and scholarship applications yourself by the deadline.

This sounds crazy but you would be surprised at how many times I know that a parent completed an application for their senior. The college may not even know (even though I have heard plenty of admissions officers tell me they knew) but you are also not helping your senior mature and go through an important process that will benefit them in the future. I’ve had parents give me reasons such as, “but they are so busy I was trying to help them” or “they weren’t getting it done so I just did it” or even “If I did it I knew it would be completed correctly.” All you are doing is enabling them and preventing them from true responsibility and growth. Even if they are driving you crazy because they are putting it off and the deadline is a week away or sooner, if they miss the deadline then they will need to deal with the consequences and in the long run they may learn from this experience and mature from it. Seniors, I preach in my meetings and classes that part of becoming an adult is understanding that you need to plan ahead, prepare and complete things in a timely manner so that you are not rushing to get something done right before a deadline. If you waited until the last minute to complete a big project for a job you had in the future you may not have that job for long. If you learn this now, you will respond and execute much better in any future occupation you have.

4. Talk with your parents about your college financial plan.

This is something that is very important to do before you start completing your applications senior year. It may even benefit to have this conversation in the spring of your junior year as you begin to strongly consider a few schools. Parents, you need to be upfront and honest with your child about how much money you have saved and expect to have when paying for their college education. Don’t give your child the impression that they can go to college wherever they want when you don’t have the means to pay for it, or even worse, you think they can take out a ton of loans to pay for their college education. If you are not upfront about the financial situation surrounding your child’s college decisions, the conversations you have later after they have been accepted to certain colleges can be difficult and heartbreaking. If your senior understands the financial means by which they have to pay for each school they are applying to, they can “own the process” when it comes to whether that college is a good financial fit for them and they can even pursue merit based scholarships at colleges with more focus and intensity. Lastly, I recommend that the parent completes the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) but have their senior with them while they complete it.

5. YOU make the decision on where you will attend college.

This seems like another no brainer because I haven’t known many parents at all over my last 18 years of college counseling who have made the decision for their child on where they will attend college. However, I do know parents “strongly influence” this decision and my advice is for the parent(s) to give their advice, suggestions and honest feedback and then back away and pray for their senior. Pray that God will guide and direct them to where He would want them to go to school. It is important that the senior have complete ownership of this decision because they are the one that is attending the school, not the parents. The last thing a parent wants is their child blaming them because they attended a school their parents told them they should attend and they ended up not enjoying it. Seniors, you also need to pray about your decision if it is down to one, two or three schools. Make sure you seek God’s direction and be wise when it comes to fit and finances. YOU (the senior) are making the final decision. OWN IT!

Posted in College Admissions, Financial Aid/Scholarships, Uncategorized

The Value of a High School Internship

Posted on by Trevor Creeden

High school students who have an opportunity to complete an internship will have a greater perspective on what they would like to, should and should not major in when they apply to college. That’s if the internship is completed before the end of the summer before their senior year. There’s nothing wrong however, with doing an internship after senior year. You just won’t have the benefit of that experience occurring before you complete college applications. I am excited to begin Career Week at DCCS next spring. This will be a week long internship that is mandatory for every junior at DCCS to complete. It will take place at the end of their junior year which I think is a perfect time for a high school student to do an internship. Below are a few very important reasons why I think internships are very important for high school juniors to complete.

  1. It gets them out of their comfort zone. More today than in the past, high school students do not learn the value of hard work and how to respond in situations that are difficult or unpredictable. I would encourage every parent to read this article by Alex Chediak. In the article Alex says, “Our wealth, technology, and digital economy have radically changed this pattern. We now emphasize the protection of our children rather than their productivity. While our kids may be safer, they’re also softer — more hooked on comforts like AC, their own bedroom, an Xbox, etc. They are unfamiliar with manual labor at a time when lifelong learning and flexibility are more important than ever in our disrupted economy.” I couldn’t say it any better. This isn’t true of every high school student but it is more common today than every before. This is why encouraging our teens to drive when they are able and encouraging but also making them get a job is critical for their overall emotional, mental and spiritual growth from a teen to an adult. In today’s society, because they live in more “comfort” than previous generations, they may not want to do these things, but it’s on the parent to push them. After working with 16-18 years olds for over 18 years now, I definitely see more maturity in the kids who drive when they are able and have a job.
  2. They will understand more what they want to major in and also what they do not want to major in. When I coordinated Career Week with juniors at the previous school I worked at, it was great to see the perspective that they had once the internship was over. Some students were encouraged to keep pursuing the career field their internship was in, others didn’t want to rule out continuing to pursue that career field, but were exposed to some things that surprised them or were more difficult than they thought. Then there were some students that completed their internship and realized that they didn’t want to pursue that career field anymore. To get these perspectives while in high school before you apply to college is invaluable. This will allow seniors to get more specific when entering a major to pursue in their college applications and also write with more confidence about why they want to pursue that major in essays they will write when completing their applications.
  3. They are beginning to establish connections and network. This is a very important aspect to career growth and having more future opportunities. If a high school student can begin networking then they are able to build on those connections earlier and have more connections when they are in college and beyond. I hope this internship may lead to working more with their supervisor in the summer. This is also helpful when they apply to college because now they can have their supervisor/boss write them a letter of recommendation to include with their application. We all know the phrase, “it’s not what you know but who you know”. While the “what” is still important, the “who” can be just as or more important depending on what major a student pursues and what opportunities they take advantage of to work for that “who” or who else that person knows while still in college. In Jeff Selingo’s book, There is Life After College, he calls these individuals “sprinters”. These people begin working while even still in college or get a job quickly right after college and their career earnings far exceed the two other individuals he talks about, the “stragglers” and the “wanderers”. I would encourage you to read his book.

I am looking forward to working with next year’s juniors as we prepare for the first Career Week at DCCS. I would encourage any high school student, however, to take advantage of an opportunity to intern, work, job shadow or any opportunity that get’s you to serve others and takes you outside your comfort zone. I understand we are more busy today than ever before but these are invaluable experiences that will give you new perspective, understanding and wisdom that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. God will use these experiences to grow you more and more into the person He wants you to be. I am providing links to two articles written by Alex Chediak that refer to vocation plans and choosing a major. I read through these articles with the juniors in my Career Stewardship class every year and they provide a great perspective on both of these topics.

Posted in Uncategorized

What Can We Learn From the “Varsity Blues” College Admissions Scandal?

Posted on by Trevor Creeden

There has been a lot of reporting and discussion around the recent “Varsity Blues” college admissions scandal that the FBI brought to light on Tuesday, March 12th. Here is a link to the story if you would like to review what has been reported. I would like to share with you my response and why I think this happens. I say “happens” because I think the practice of parents paying colleges or personnel at colleges large sums of money to give their child an advantage in the admissions process happens more than we think and I am not surprised. First and foremost, we are all sinners in need of a Savior. Nobody is immune to committing the crimes that we are talking about in the news. As Christians, I think it’s important to remember three things in light of these circumstances and hopefully learn how it correlates to our relationship with God.

  1. Pride

Because of The Fall we all will succumb to pride and selfishness. We live in a culture where we want what we want and we want it now. If we start thinking that life is about me and getting what I want, then you start making decisions that will attempt to keep us at the top and will benefit us the most. Having this perspective is not all bad. As Christians we should work hard, utilize the gifts and talents God has given us to glorify Him, but keeping Him first is the key. If the reason that we are getting to the top is so that we can be recognized, celebrated and affirmed, these results will be temporary and we will crave for more and more attention and recognition. Eventually, our moral and/or ethical judgement will get blurred and we will start making decisions that we would never have thought you would make. If we are giving God the glory, not pointing to ourselves but Him when we succeed and achieve great things, we will have a joy and contentment that will last because we understand as believers in Jesus Christ, He gave us the talents, abilities and gifts that allowed us to succeed and He is the one that blesses us in ways that we don’t deserve nor should expect. If we have this perspective we will continually have an outward and not an inward focus which is what Christ had while He was here on earth. Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility value others above yourselves.” Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall”.

2. Identity

There is a question in the “College Essay Preparation Survey” I give juniors that asks, “how would your friends describe you?”. This is an interesting question that gets students to think about what their identity and reputation may be. If you are believer in Jesus Christ and believe that He died for your sins, you should be getting your identity in Him alone. If you are not a believer, you can only get your identity in something that would put you as the focus. There are very nice, kind, thoughtful and generous people who are not Christians. In the end, however, if your identity isn’t in Jesus Christ, you are going to make decisions that help boost your reputation, status and identity. There are also plenty of Christians who do this, don’t get me wrong. Who you associate with and the people you surround yourself with on a regular basis will definitely influence you as well. If you value what others think of you to such an extent that you will make decisions that make sure you stay well respected, popular and successful with those you associate with, you will make choices that are irrational and unethical at some point. This has to happen because it’s no longer truth that is driving your decision making anymore at this point, it’s human expectation and your own understanding. That’s what could have happened in this scandal. It was important enough for the parents to say that their kids went to a certain school to “keep up with” the others in their social circle, so they were willing to make a terrible decision to maintain this identity. The parents may also have put so much importance on where their children went to college because that reflects on their own reputation and status within their circle of influence. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be misled, bad company corrupts good character.”

3. Control

From my perspective, this is the main issue in this “Varsity Blues” admissions scandal. When one has affluence, high status and/or a “popular” reputation with outsiders, they typically have been able to control the circumstances in their life. If the opportunity is there to just pay a bit more money to get what they want or make something go away, they will do it. If they have the capability to do this, why not? This is dangerous however, because one thing that we give up in our lives if we ask Jesus Christ to become our Savior, is control. I have heard talk show hosts, news networks over the past week say, “Although I think what they did was wrong, I can understand why they did it”. Some can chalk up what these parents were doing as “loving” their kids so much they would do anything for them. Ultimately, they had the financial means and an opportunity to control the outcome so that’s what they did just like they may have done in other instances in the past. People say, “the kids we are talking about come from families that already had an advantage and the kids already were going to have opportunities in the future and not have to worry about money”. I completely agree, but when Jesus says in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”, he is saying that if our hearts are corrupted by selfish motives because we are letting worldly things like money and status drive our decisions, we will continue to make decisions to maintain control. If we cannot submit to God’s will and plan for our lives, then we haven’t given Him control of our lives. We can’t just make him a small compartment in our lives to pull out and use when we want. We need to give Him control of everything in our lives and that includes our future which is unknown and may not go the way we want it to go. Ephesians 1:11 (ESV) says, “In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.”

Two other articles written on this “Blues Varsity” scandal are below. These are two great perspectives as well.

http://www.breakpoint.org/2019/03/breakpoint-the-college-admissions-scandal/

College Admission Scandal: Symptom of a Larger Problem

Posted in Uncategorized

What’s a “Good” Job?

Posted on by Trevor Creeden

I am currently working through the topic of majors and careers with juniors and also just finished another College Bus Tour with 41 juniors in which we visited 6 colleges in 3 days (Messiah, Penn State, Grove City, University of Pittsburgh, Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland). Something I hear often when discussing majors with students and also talking with alumni of Delaware County Christian School is that it is important to get a “good” job. However, nobody seems to ever understand or know what a “good” job means. Most people determine that a “good” job is one that you can make a lot of money. Others may say that a “good” job is one in which you are doing what you love to do. Both of these interpretations of a “good” job have some truth to them but I also think there are many misunderstandings when it comes to getting a “good” job. Let’s look at some myths when it comes to finding a “good” job and see if we can come to a bit more of an understanding of what a “good” job is.

Myth #1: A “good” job is one that makes me a lot of money. 

I tell students all of the time that you can make all the money in the world, but if you do not enjoy what you are doing and you are not using the gifts and passions that God has given you to glorify Him in your work, then you will ultimately be miserable. High school students assume that in order to be happy in life you need “a lot” of money. I don’t think they even know how much “a lot” is, but they get the idea in their heads that if I have enough to afford the things that I want to make me happy, I will end up living a happy life. This ultimately is a heart issue and understanding who we are in Christ. Are we storing up treasures on earth or in heaven? Which is going to make us happy (which happiness is here today and gone tomorrow) or joyful (which lasts) and being content?

Myth #2: I need to get a “good” job right out of college

There are individuals who do land a “good” job (well paying in a field they were studying) right out of college but this is also pretty rare. Most need to start “at the bottom” and work their way up, gaining experience and skills and knowledge necessary to move “up the ladder”. Most starting salaries are in the $30,000-40,000 a year range but some start lower and there are jobs in the science, medical and computer fields that pay more. Nevertheless, a lot of individuals get a job in something they are not really excited about but they can network, gain experience, get the knowledge and even training in areas they enjoy and then use that to transition to a position that does utilized their gifts, abilities and skills a bit more. I get discouraged when I hear individuals turn down job opportunities right out of college because it wasn’t exactly what they wanted to do. Then they are still not working because they are looking for that perfect fit. When you are 23-30 years old, there may not be a “perfect fit”, but God may provide opportunities that you should take advantage of in order to grow and learn. Take advantage of these opportunities even if it may not pay what you want to be the exact job description you want.

Myth #3: I need to get a job that is in the same field as my major in college.

There is obviously nothing wrong with this and a number of people do get jobs that are in line with their degree, however, it is okay to pursue opportunities that come along that may not be what your degree is in. I share with the juniors in my Career Stewardship class with them that there are 10-12 majors that students need to start taking courses to fulfill requirements to complete right away freshman year. These majors are ones that you need a degree in a specific area to get a job in that field after college. Some of these majors include Engineering, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Athletic Training, Physical Therapy, Education, Accounting, Architecture, Pharmacy, etc.

There are then a plethora of other majors that you can start fulfilling the requirements 2nd semester of sophomore year and still complete your degree to 4 years. These include English, Psychology, Business, Political Science, Math, Communications, Marketing, Pre tracks (Law, Med), etc. You can major in any of these more broad majors and get a job in a field that doesn’t have to do with your major. What is more important when applying for jobs with one of these majors is great communication and interview skills, willingness to learn, strong work ethic, working well with others. I am not saying that you do not need these skills to be successful in one of the “specific” majors mentioned above, but it is not as important.

Myth #4: A “good” job lets me live the way I want to live

I am going to piggyback a bit on the first myth. High school students tend to think that they need to get a job that supports the “way they want to live” which means making enough money in order to get the nice house and cars, be able travel, have kids and buy things they want. While all of this sounds nice, one really needs to re-evaluate their motives and selfish desires if this is the case. Let me also say that there is nothing wrong with any of these things. If God does provide because one is able to pursue a career in something they enjoy, love and are using the gifts and abilities God has given them, that is great. I know people that are able to afford more than others but they are also very generous, giving individuals whose heart is in the right place. It’s when we pursue these things with the intention that this is the only way to be (or seem) successful and we are concerned about our reputation more than joyfulness and being content in what God has provided.

I tell my students all the time that if you are pursuing a career utilizing the opportunities God has presented to you, and you are using the gifts, talents and abilities he has given you, you will make enough money to provide for you and your family. If we have the proper perspective of who we are in Christ and that we are stewards of everything he has provided for us, we are going to be “successful” and have joy in our lives.

Myth #5: There are only a handful a “good” jobs out there. 

I wanted to make sure that everyone knows that there are more majors to pursue in college than you think and there are so many types of jobs and careers in today’s workforce that we are not even aware of. There are many majors and careers that haven’t even been created yet. Please keep pursuing the opportunities that God provides for you today utilizing the gifts, talents and abilities He’s given you and He will eventually place you in the major and then career He has planned for you. For more information about today’s workforce and what occupations there are please visit https://cew.georgetown.edu/