Because the economic climate is such that there are fewer jobs for recent grads, the number of applicants for graduate education has increased.  Applying to grad school requires a clear commitment to the process and demands of graduate education.  Part of our work together is a review of the culture and future of your chosen field: what will your field be like in 10-15 years and how can you be prepared to participate?

I will help you sort through the variety of opportunities and more importantly, clarify goals to create an articulate4, sincere statement of purpose.

For specific details about making your essay work, call Bonnie today at (805) 969-3959 to make an appointment!

My impression was that students were fully engaged with their academics and college life. They expressed enthusiasm for their studies, plans for the future etc. The campus is beautiful and invites students to learn from the dynamic city all around it.  I also visited colleges in Maine :  Bowdoin remains a superb choice for a student who is serious about his/her studies and who wants close  faculty interaction.  College of the Atlantic is accomplishing many fascinating innovative ecological discoveries.

The UC will be admitting fewer freshman this fall as it did last fall.  This means that students must be especially careful in choosing their campuses and also realistic in the selectivity of the entire system. I revisited Santa Cruz this summer and realize that they need better signage as I was lost in the maze of trees, bikes and classrooms.  I also visited U
C Irvine and was amazed at the vigor of their building program and the dynamic climate.

All of my seniors are busy crafting their application list, preparing for the Fall testing.  They need and deserve the support of all of the adults around them.  It is a time of stress, of excitement and potential.  It is a pleasure for me to work with them.

1. There should be time for relaxation and introspection. Before the busy fall begins, give thought about what you really want post graduation? College, a gap year? A year to work?  Determining this now will be a great benefit to you.
2. This summer should answer questions for you. If you think you might be interested in veterinary med. for example, volunteer or shadow a vet at an animal hospital.
3. If you believe you will want to present an art portfolio or audition for theater or music, use the summer to add to your repertoire.  I just returned from a meeting and heard the Admission Chairs of Otis and UCLA Architecture schools emphasize that they require a large body of work to determine admissibility.
4. Complete your community Service and do it with heart…
5. Clean your desk drawers: you will need every bit of space to organize your college applications.
6. Go on a college tour: although many schools will not conduct summer classes on campus, some will do so and you might be able to determine fit by visiting now.
7. Call me for appointments so that we can see each other during the summer.
8. If you study this summer, get a recommendation now while your instructor has your work in his/her mind.
9. Read, read, keep a journal, take photos of things, people important to you, have fun too.
10. Continue to review for you fall SAT and subject tests.

Best regards for a happy and restful summer,

Bonnie

I am visiting colleges in Maine but am around most of the summer. Make an appointment now so that we can brainstorm together.

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