New Product Survey - Chance to win $25

I got an email from Betsy about a new online counseling program.  They're looking for counselors to take a survey.  Here's what Betsy wrote:

PossibilityU.com is on a mission - and we need your help

Our goal at PossibilityU.com is to offer great college admissions advice at an affordable price so more college bound families feel clear and confident about their choices. Our online program features video and tools refined over 20+ years of research and private practice. It teaches families how to select schools that will fit (academically, socially and financially), how to prove that they belong (essay and application strategies) and how to get aid.  

We are asking a few high school guidance counselors to give us around 5 minutes of time and honest feedback in this survey. When you complete it, we'll enter you to win a $25 gift card from Amazon (5 winners will be chosen on Friday 10/28)

To participate: www.surveymonkey.com/possibilityuguidance

We are eager to engage you in the process, and thank you for your help! 

Betsy Peters

Founder, PossibilityU

Sports Career?

Do you have students who love sports?  Being a superstar athlete is one career path, but.... that's not much of a plan.  Are there careeers in sports for non superstars?  
Well, yes, I got an email from Randy Just, about their site,  Degrees In Sports.  Might be worth checking out if you have students who would love to know what a career in sports might be.

Here's the press release:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/8/prweb8724516.htm  .

College Essay? There's an app for that

What if there was a way to keep track of all those essay requirements in one place?  Well, now there is.  I got an email from Dr. Rebecca Joseph about their new App, All College Essays, (full disclosure:  They're coming on as a sponsor).  It is a great idea.  There are so many different essay requirements, with different deadlines, if you could know what's expected in advance,  it could really help organize and strategize that part of  your college search.  Below is their press release.  After you download it, let us know what you think.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Dr. Rebecca Joseph 
ALL COLLEGE ESSAYS
323-646-5759     
getmetocollege@gmail.com
www.allcollegeessays.org

ALL COLLEGE ESSAYS RELEASES INDISPENSABLE
NEW APP FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS, PARENTS, AND COUNSELORS

The One-Stop Destination for ALL College Application Essay Requirements

Applying to college is tougher than ever, and every high school student needs every possible advantage to help negotiate the competitive process of college applications. All College Essays has developed an iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch app to help students, parents, and counselors with the essay portion of the application process. More and more colleges require several essays as part of their application. Moreover, college application essays are often the top non-academic measure for evaluating a student’s qualifications. The right essays can help tip students into their match colleges.

Dr.  Rebecca Joseph designed and has just released the 2011-2012 version of ALL COLLEGE ESSAYS—the only app on the market for ALL college application essay requirements. Designed for high school seniors, parents, and counselors, ALL COLLEGE ESSAYS conveniently compiles all the major private and public university and college application essay requirements into one app.


Collecting and organizing the application requirements can be a challenge for high school seniors.  Dr. Joseph designed the app to provide all application requirements for more than 540 colleges, including each college on the COMMON APPLICATION and public universities in all 50 states. 

The app includes the required length of each essay, due dates, links to college websites, submission formats, and plenty of tips for writing powerful essays that communicate a student’s story effectively. 


The app helps students answer numerous admissions-related questions, including:


• How can I strategize to manage my application submission process and workload based on due dates?
• How can I write the fewest, most powerful college application essays?
• How many schools on my planned college list require the Common Application? Their own applications? Supplemental essays?
Now available for purchase on iTunes, the App Store, and Amazon, ALL COLLEGE ESSAYS is a one-stop reference tool to help students and counselors collect and organize college application essays.


Dr. Joseph is updating the app each day as more colleges release their essay requirements. She is a national expert on college application essays and on college admissions. You can learn more about ALL COLLEGE ESSAYS and Dr. Joseph at http://www.allcollegeessays.org.



For additional information, contact: 
ALL COLLEGE ESSAYS
Dr. Rebecca Joseph                                                         
323-646-5759
rjoseph@allcollegeessays.org
www.allcollegeessays.org


ALL COLLEGE ESSAYS: The One-Stop Destination for ALL College Application Essay Requirements
About Rebecca Joseph and All College Essays: An associate professor at California State University,
Los Angeles, Dr. Joseph is a national expert on college application essays. She also trains urban teachers and counselors, teaches English support classes for remedial freshman, and does outreach to schools and communities about college access. She received her bachelor’s degree from Harvard, teaching credential and masters from Towson University, and a PhD from UCLA. She frequently addresses groups and organizations across the U.S. and Canada about college admissions, college application essays, and the overall application process. Dr. Joseph will be presenting later this month in New Orleans at NACAC. Her session, “Communicating their Stories: Strategies to Help Students Write Powerful College Essays,” will be offered on Friday, September 23 at 10:15 a.m.


# # #

Gaming the Admission Process?

Sometimes the competitive nature of  college admissions, with it's winners and losers,  makes the whole thing seem like a big game.  It's a confusing process, and one that easily can become overwhelming.   There are many tools that can assist, but they're not much fun.

Well, I got an email from Kathryn, at a brand new company called Acceptly.  It's an online tool that lets students track their progress as they apply to colleges.  What's new, (I think pretty cool), is the whole thing is presented as a game.  Interesting idea, especially for the students who may need a bit of a push.  It's brand new and I'd love to hear what you think.  Here's what Kathryn sent to me.

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Help more students reach their college dreams this year with Acceptly. Acceptly is a free, web based tool allowing students to track their progress through the entire college preparation, application, and admissions process. By breaking down the process into accessible steps, we walk students through optimizing their college profile. Using gaming and social elements, we keep the experience fun for students.

Acceptly is a place your students of any age can get on track and learn the college basics, showing up at your office more prepared and organized. Students will become motivated and excited to prepare for college. Not only will the tool give them step by step guidance, but our team is also available to answer questions and educate your students and parents. Our free, weekly webinars cover college topics like testing and college search with a live question and answer component.

Acceptly is currently private, but you can check it out by following this link. Please share this link with your school, your PTA, and any interested students or parents. Acceptly's community director wants to hear from you! Please send your thoughts and feedback to kathryn.favaro@acceptly.com.

https://app.acceptly.com/account/access-code/768020

Summer Again - Keep in Touch 2011

Another school year has come to an end. I can always tell, not just by the weather but by the ever increasing returned email saying, “XYZ High School is on Summer Break. See you in August and have a great summer!” We decided some time ago to take that advice. But before we sign off for that much needed break…


There’s a lot we’ll be doing this July on the web site, along with some other projects. We will be updating our web site with news so you can check for updates http://www.hscounselorweek.com/. We also will be tweeting over the summer. You can follow us on our twitter page: http://twitter.com/hscounselorweek. We’ve also been writing a blog on Kaarme.com. So check us out there, too: http://kaarme.com/hscounselorweek. That should keep us busy. So we’ll see you in August and we will do our best to have a great summer. You do the same.



- Gene

Weekend in Vermont - Learn About College Admissions

I got an email from Lauren Starkey last week about a new program she's working on for this spring.  Lauren writes for the Examiner and her column often appears in HS Counselor Week.  In my, opinion her advice is always spot-on.

Lauren's press release is below.
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INNOVATIVE WEEKEND COURSE ON COLLEGE ADMISSIONS EDUCATES PARENTS

5 January 2011—Essex, Vermont. Just three months from now, hundreds of out-of-state parents will spend the weekend in Vermont. They won’t be there for the skiing, for a sample at Ben and Jerry’s, or for a fresh bottle of maple syrup (although those will be available). Instead, they’ll be taking a crash course on college admissions.

Vermont College Admissions 101 (VCA) offers a comprehensive understanding of the admissions process, from selecting a school to maximizing financial aid. Held at The Essex, one of New England’s premier resorts, the program is lead by a panel of admissions experts from five states as well as representatives from Vermont colleges.

Says Executive Director Lauren Starkey, author of Write Your way into College and 20 other books, “Admissions isn’t what it used to be. Even those parents who went through the process a few years ago with an older child will be surprised to learn, for example, how the financial crisis changed many types of aid. The early decision landscape is also completely different than it was just a year ago.

“We’re bringing an expert panel together to give parents cutting-edge information, and we’re holding it at The Essex to offer an exceptionally comfortable experience. Tours of colleges will be attended by college counselors, who will explain how to get the most out of them. What should parents look for, what can you really tell from a tour? Many travel hundreds of miles to visit a school without really knowing how to make the most of their time and money.

“Once the educational sessions and tours are over, The Essex—rated one of WorldHotel’s Top 10 for luxury—offers gourmet dining, a cooking class, and spa treatments. Nearby outlet shopping, a new state-of-the-art movie theater, proximity to downtown Burlington, and outdoor activities provide something for everyone during down time.”

Starkey adds, “College admissions doesn’t have to be stressful. When you’re armed with the right information, and you understand what to do when, you can help your student select and apply to the right schools for him or her. But it all starts with educating yourself.”

More Information

info@vtcollegeadmissions.com

http://www.vtcollegeadmissions.com/