Archives for 9 Jul,2012

You are browsing the site archives by date.

, , , ,

How To Build A Great College List

Dobler College ConsultingWith over 4,000 colleges in the country and an endless supply of rankings touting the best of this and the best of that, your college search can get complicated. And it can happen in a hurry. Your friends will be talking about colleges. Your uncle will wax poetic about his alma mater. You will see all the posters and announcements hanging on the walls of your college counseling office. So many options and yet, you can only choose one to attend. How do you know which one is right?

While you may never know which ONE is right, you can identify which ONES may be awesome possibilities by doing some homework and building a great college list.

And here’s how you do it.

1. Know thyself

Before you start looking at colleges, you need to take a good, hard look at yourself. I’m not talking about checking yourself out in the mirror to see if the gear is working today as much as I’m talking about understanding your VIPS – your values, interests, personality style and skills. If you don’t have a good handle of what’s important to you and why, try this exercise suggested in a great book on college admissions called, Going Geek, written by my friend, John Carpenter:

Write an assessment of yourself that covers what you are good at, what you struggle with, what is important to you, and how you learn. Then ask a close friend to write an assessment of you and have each of your parents do the same. Once you have all three, compare them and see what common threads exist.

2. Priorities first

Some of the major attributes you should pay attention to when thinking about how you will qualify schools for your college list include:

·         Size
·         Location
·         Major
·         Student life
·         Chance of admission
·         Types of admission
·         Graduation rates
·         Cost

But now that you have a good handle on your VIPS, you should be able to qualify these attributes even further. Forget the US News. Forget your uncle’s drawn out stories of the good ol’ days. Forget about the school that your best friend daydreams about. In other words, realize that you now have the power to create your own rankings based on what is important to you.

3. Channel your inner Sherlock Holmes 

Okay, you now have a good idea of what’s important to you and why. You’ve created a list of attributes that you want to find in a college. Now, it’s time to do some investigating. Since you can’t visit all 4,000 schools individually, turn to some search engines to identify schools that match up with your most desired attributes. The College Board’s Big Future, College Navigator and Princeton Review each have very extensive databases that allow you to search for schools. Collegeresults.org is another great website with very helpful information. Produced and maintained by the Education Trust, this website allows you to look up a college’s four-, five- or six-year graduation rates and then compare the school’s rate to those of its peer institutions.

As you identify schools of interest, research them more thoroughly, schedule campus visits, meet with admissions reps at local college fairs and check with your college counseling office to find out when these schools may be visiting your high school. Another great way to get to know a school is by connecting with them through Facebook and Twitter.

4. Edit, edit and then edit some more

Initially, your college list may contain any number of schools. Ideally, you want to get it down to roughly 10 schools. As you visit and learn more about each school, try to narrow the list down to down to 5-6 finalists where you would be happy enrolling. Some people will tell you to pick a range of schools where admission for you may be a reach, very likely or a sure thing. My opinion is that you should be picking schools at which you can see yourself being happy. Don’t include a school just because you know you can get in but have no intention of ever enrolling.

5. Don’t be a Sloppy Joe

Building a great college list is one thing but if you fail to keep it organized, the list will lose its value.

Get a binder where you can keep a checklist for each school, notes from campus visits and brochures and other materials. You want to be able to compare apples to apples – keeping your information updated and fresh will help you do that.

6. College lists are made of paper, not stone

Be flexible and keep an open mind. If you get soured on a school for a reason that is important to you (the school is too far away, too expensive or just didn’t feel right when you went for a visit) and want to take if off your college list, then feel free to do so.

Same rule applies when you learn something about a school that makes you want to add this school to your list. Spend some time qualifying the new school and if it feels right and matches up with your priorities, add it to your list.

If you have any questions about building a great college list, please use the comment box below. You can also email me directly at eric@doblercollegeconsulting.com – I would love to hear from you!

Read More
Eric Jul 09, 2012 , , 1 Comment
, , , ,

What It Means To Be A Private College Counselor

I recently joined a BNI here in Cheshire and I have to say that I’m pretty excited to be a part of such an awesome organization. Essentially, BNI is a group of local professionals who help each other network and market their services. At the start of each meeting you get to do a 30 second commercial – a chance to tell the group what you do so that they can understand your business and refer people to you who may be in need of your services.

It’s a great organization built on some outstanding people who just really want to help. I don’t say all of this because I want you to go out and join BNI (though you really should if you own your own business and want to be a better networker). But, I do say it because I’ve realized very quickly that what I do as a college consultant is not very commonplace.

I mean, let’s be honest here, I don’t fit into a category that’s easily recognized or understood like an attorney, an accountant or a financial planner. And for the people who do understand what I do, the assumption is often that my services are for rich folks only.

So, I figured it was time to talk a little more about what I do, why it matters and just how affordable I am.

Who am I? I’m a private college counselor

I work for families in need of good, sound college planning and advice. Some families hire me because their son or daughter is not getting enough guidance from their high school counselor. Others hire me for a second opinion or just to fill in the gaps. For twelve years, I traveled around New England and read thousands of applications making admit and deny decisions for both the University of New Haven and Central Connecticut State University. Whether I’m providing insight into how the admissions process works, helping a student to prepare for an interview or providing feedback on an essay, I draw on these experiences every day.

What do I do? I counsel students and their families on college planning

I offer college planning services that families can choose from and everything I do can be customized to fit each student’s individual needs. Some students will only need my help for one or two meetings while others may hire me to help them for upwards of a year and a half. Regardless of their need, I put together an affordable plan to meet their needs.

When do I do it? I make myself available during non-traditional hours

I work evenings, Saturdays and Sundays. Why? Because that’s when it’s convenient for students and their families. I also do a lot of work by email, phone and Skype for students who live out of state or even outside the country.

Where do I do it? I come to you

I always like to meet potential clients in person first. It gives them a chance to feel me out and ask questions before choosing to hire me. A local coffee shop like Starbucks is always a great choice! After that, it’s up to the client. We can work at their house, the local library or the coffee shop we first met at.

Why do I do it? Because families need the help

Due to large caseloads and other issues that require their attention, public high school counselors can rarely spend more than an hour of time per student each year on college planning. I hardly think that’s fair to any student who is trying to make one of the biggest and most complicated decisions of his or her life.

What does it cost? Not nearly as much as you would think 

My most comprehensive package, called “The Senior,” typically begins in the junior year and costs $2200, or about half of the national average. The timeline can span up to 18 months and includes nearly a dozen 60-90 minute meetings in addition to unlimited phone and email contact. I also offer small budget packages (anywhere from $700 to $1500) or a menu of services families can choose from at a rate of $125/hour.

Considering that the average four-year cost for college including tuition, room, and board can be anywhere from $80,000 to $160,000. Doesn’t it make sense to invest a small fraction of that amount to ensure that your son or daughter’s college experience is a successful one?

If you would like to know more about what I can do to help you, please use the comment box below – I would love to hear from you! You can also email me directly at eric@doblercollegeconsulting.com.

 

Read More
Eric Jul 09, 2012 , , No Comments