Fall 2009 Newsletter

Dear Parents:

I presume that now every parent is experiencing the business of the Fall and their children are equally engaged and busy. This is perhaps one of the most stressful parts of the application process as seniors are finalizing their application list, researching schools while still maintaining high grades etc. Knowing that you wish to be helpful and informed, I will outline some of the basic tasks to be accomplished this fall. You will receive these newsletters periodically to give you an outline of what to expect and to assess where your student should be in the college application process.

Most seniors will take another SAT in Oct and some will take two subject tests in Nov. I strongly recommend that all testing (other than senior AP tests) be completed by the Nov. testing. All juniors will take this PSAT this month and their first SAT this Fall. I also recommend that students uncertain about the choice of the SAT or ACT download practice tests from both web sites to determine which one is more suitable.

I attended the UC Counselors’ Meeting and the Cal State Counselors’ Meetings these last weeks and consequently have the most recent statistics about last year’s admission cycle and predictions for this year. As everyone in California recognizes, the dire status of our budget has affected education. There will be fewer admitted freshman both in the Cal States and in the UC Systems. This means that students have to be realistic in their chances of admissions in both systems; their grades need to be stellar and their essays informative. The selection criteria remain the same and students are reminded that their senior course selection must reflect a serious academic effort. Transfers seem to be less impacted by the recent budget crisis.

This fall and summer I went to conferences at colleges in Colorado, the USC conference. I revisited Brown University and this month am going to revisit a number of schools in the Midwest. All of my visits confirm my belief that this is a very talented generation and there are many excellent opportunities for them to explore their gifts and to develop new ones.

Some students who rank at the top of their class will have received a letter from the University of California designating them as ELC: this advantage gives a bit more security to the UC application process. If you have any questions about ELC, you should talk to your student’s counselor at his/her school as the school counselor facilitates the process by submitting the names and GPA’s of their students.

The applications are on line at this time and all students should print out copies to begin thinking about their two statements; they should also get an unofficial copy of their transcript in order to complete the self reported grades. A few schools, USC included, post Part I of their applications at this time; if these schools request such preliminary portions of their application; it is wise to complete them now. Parents are reminded also to complete their taxes early as current tax returns will be necessary for the filing of financial aid applications (FAFSA, College Board Profiles etc. all of which can be completed Jan.2, 2010)

All of my students continue to perfect their Personal Statements and application essays. Usually the process of rewriting takes many weeks but in the end becomes something of a milestone. As most of you know, I teach English 111 at SBCC and know what the colleges expect from students. This is one of my favorite parts of the application process because it gives your student a chance to personalize his or her application and write about his/her own personal strengths and experiences.

Many of you have read the recent articles in the media about the current crisis in Higher Education. Although all college professionals acknowledge that the crisis is real, we all continue to believe there are still good opportunities for your student and that now,more than ever, it is critical to devote the time and care to this important educational decision

Please stay in touch with me and meantime know that it is a pleasure to work with your children.

Regards,

Bonnie R. Corman PhD

Thoughts for Juniors

Many students tell me that their classmates are taking both the SAT and the ACT. There is really no need to do so. Simply download the free practice tests for each and compare your results.  If  you are uncertain about the differences between the tests, do call or email me.