Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Considering a gap year

In many European countries, taking a year or two off after graduating from high school before attending college is the norm. By spending time working, volunteering, traveling around the world, or studying at a community college, young people gain time to mature and think about future career plans.

When planning a gap year in the US, the rule of thumb is to apply for college and, once accepted by the school of choice, asking for a deferral to the following year. As long as there is a viable plan for the gap year in place, most colleges approve.

This website outlines the basics of a gap year:
http://www.collegeplanningsimplified.com/GapYear.html

Inspiration: How to Become a World Citizen Before Going to College in the New York Times.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Finding their passion in beauty and culinary arts

Your children telling you that they have found their passion in life is one of the most fulfilling parts of parenting, Houri G., mother of two Churchill alumni, said in a recent interview at an UES coffee shop. The road there, however, is far from universal. While her oldest son (a non-Churchill student) attended a traditional liberal arts college, her two Churchill sons have chosen other paths. Michael, 24, (Mika) works as an assistant manager and hair dresser and Alex, 21, is enrolled in the French Culinary Institute (FCI).

Independent and entrepreneurial, Mika left Churchill after 10th grade and spent his junior year at Bard College at Simon’s Rock. Instead of a conventional high school senior year, Mika then returned to New York City and enrolled in a combined GED/college associate program at Pace University. Having grown up watching his parents run the family business Vartali Hair Salon, Mika had always been interested in a career in hair and beauty. Upon obtaining his high school diploma, he enrolled in beauty school full time and graduated with a certificate in hair dressing and beauty.  After two years of working at two different hair salons to acquire business experience and to prove himself, Mika was allowed to join Vartali.
“He is a great hair dresser,” Houri says. Mika enjoys his work and his goal is to master the business well enough to succeed his father when he retires.

Alex, who graduated from Churchill in 2009, discovered his passion for cooking in 10th grade while watching the Food Network on television. Working with the Churchill College Office, Alex selected colleges known for their culinary arts programs and was accepted at Johnson and Wales University (JWU)’s Providence, RI campus. Between his freshman and sophomore year at JWU, Alex worked as a cook at an Armenian youth summer program. After his sophomore year Alex swapped JWU for the prestigious French Culinary Institute (FCI), which offers a more specialized cooking program than the JWU program. JWU is more academically rigorous and less hands on than the FCI.
“The sparkle is back in his eyes,” Houri says and describes how happy Alex looks when he leaves for his classes. After graduation in June 2012, Alex plans to travel around the world for two years and work as a chef at cruise ships and hotels. 

In terms of SAT prep and hiring outside advisers to help guide and prepare your child for college, Houri advises to listen to your child and only invest in services for which your child feels a strong motivation. “Otherwise, your child will not put in the work required,” she says.
Alex participated in Churchill’s SAT club and did not prepare for the standardized tests besides these classes and other Churchill college prep resources. He knew what colleges he was interested in, and scored well enough on the SAT to get accepted by his choice of school. Despite not fulfilling his original plan, Alex values his two years of traditional college experience, which he will always carry with him to build on if he decides to change career in a distant future.

ACT, SAT and "testing optional" schools

Many colleges are testing optional when it comes to admission. Once the student is accepted, however, some testing optional schools use ACT and SAT as a guide for placement.

The Princeton Review has published a book about the difference between SAT and ACT, which is also summarized on the Princeton Review's website: http://www.princetonreview.com/sat-act.aspx
The ACT is described as the more straightforward test of the two, mirroring the high school experience, while the SAT tests strategic thinking and demands a strong vocabulary. On the other hand, the ACT has a science component, which the SAT lacks, and the ACT math part includes trigonometry while the SAT focuses on algebra and geometry.

The National Center for Fair and Open Testing has compiled a long list of "testing optional" schools:
http://fairtest.org/university/optional

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Career Exploration Days at Johnson and Wales University 2012

Johnson and Wales University (JWU) is a career-oriented university with campuses in Denver, CO, Charlotte, NC, Miami,FL and Providence, RI. The four-year programs include culinary arts, hospitality/hotel management, counseling psychology, fashion, business and technology. The Providence Campus is the largest with a little more than 10,000 students and the other three campuses have around 2,000 students each. There are LD centers at JWU and LD support.

During the summer of 2012, JWU offers a career exploration program where rising high school juniors and seniors can spend three days at campus living in the resident halls and exploring a program of interest. Click at the Career 2012 Explorations brochure or paste the link below into your browser:
http://jwu.edu/uploadedFiles/Documents/Admissions/brochures/JWUCareerExplorations.pdf

Friday, January 13, 2012

Michael A. is thriving at Muhlenberg College

Michael A. has come a long way since he was a first grader and his school did not know what to do with him. Then, he was accepted at Churchill. Today Michael, a junior on the Dean’s List at Muhlenberg College, is pursuing a double major in Political Science and International Business. Much of his success at college comes from attending Churchill, his mother Lisa K. said in a recent interview at a bistro near Union Square.

During his junior year at Churchill, Michael started attending Churchill career evenings and alumni nights to learn about life after Churchill. At one of these events he connected with two lawyers who were Churchill alumni, which triggered an interest in the law that eventually may lead to law school. He also explored different career opportunities including a summer internship with a law firm.
“He is open and he jumps right into things with a positive attitude,” Lisa says. “He got that from Churchill and it is being reinforced at Muhlenberg.”

At college, Michael takes advantage of the Learning Center, which he visits on average twice a week. In addition to his academic adviser, he has a Learning Center adviser who communicates with his regular adviser to ensure necessary support. Accommodations include unlimited time and a special room when taking tests.
“It’s a hard school and you have to be self-motivated,” Lisa says. 

The decision to attend Muhlenberg came late in the college process. Initially Michael applied to 11 schools and was accepted by six. Then, someone suggested Muhlenberg. They visited and immediately felt like it would be a smooth transition from Churchill.
“When we had lunch at the dining hall he had this big grin on his face,” Lisa recalls. In addition to great academics and a supportive environment, the opportunity to play on Muhlenberg’s hockey team also tempted. Michael managed to get all his application material together and was accepted. 

“At Churchill, Michael learned how to advocate for himself,” Lisa says. At the start of each class he walks up to his professor, introduces himself and explains about his learning style. He knows he learns differently, that he has to work harder than most other students and, most importantly, how to utilize available support. Last year, overwhelmed by a heavy work load, he temporarily went back on medication for his attention issues. When he stopped taking medication while in middle school, his Churchill adviser counseled him that he may need medication at some point in the future. Because of this preparation, Michael knew that at this point medication was the appropriate tool.
“My son left Churchill proud of what he is and has no fear asking for help and getting the tools he needs to succeed," Lisa says.

Colleges that change lives

A popular college guide is  Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College, by retired New York Times education editor Loren Pope. Churchill alumni attend several of these colleges, including Clark University, Hampshire College, Goucher College and McDaniel College.

Based on his years of research as a journalist, as well as his direct interaction with students at hundreds of schools during numerous campus visits, Pope dismisses magazine rankings based on test scores and alumni giving. Instead, he used the following criteria:
  • Admission is holistic and the focus campus wide is on the transformation between orientation and graduation, rather than on the accomplishment of admitted students 
  •  Learning is collaborative, not competitive 
  • There is a discussion of values in the classrooms and elsewhere on campus
  • There is a sense of community and connection that goes well beyond 4 years of attendance
  • Students are there to learn, not to just get a degree
  • Students want to tell the story about how the college has changed them

Friday, January 6, 2012

Thoughts About Life After Churchill

In addition to share information about the college process, the purpose of this blog is to prepare for the transition to life after Churchill. In the efforts to help our children/young adults find paths to fulfilling careers and futures it is easy to get caught up in the college frenzy and overlook alternatives to the traditional four year college. I am in the process of interviewing alumni families to get ideas and insights to share later this month.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

SAT/ACT tutor

10th grade parent Elisa Resnik recommends Fletcher Poret who specializes at tutoring and preparing LD students for the SAT and ACT. His site: http://myldtutor.com

Churchill Alumni Night Jan 4 between 5 - 8 pm

Alumni night offers a unique opportunity to meet former Churchill students currently attending college and learn about their college experiences. To Churchill HS students and their family, the Churchill Alumni Night is an  chance to get inside views of colleges that may be places worth considering and further researching. At the school between 5 - 8 pm.

As a public service, SUNY is offering two Statewide Student Financial Aid Days: January 21 and February 11. At these events, prospective students and families will receive assistance from SUNY financial aid professionals in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Many host campuses will provide access to the online FAFSA.

These workshops are offered free of charge and are available at many different campus locations. Visit www.suny.edu/studentevents to see a list of all participating campuses. Students and families should attend the program that is most convenient.

Pre-registration for SUNY's Statewide Student Financial Aid Day is available at www.suny.edu/studentevents or by contacting the SUNY Recruitment Response Center at 800.342.3811.

Invitations have been sent directly to students. We appreciate your assistance in reminding them about this important initiative.

Recruitment Response Center
State University of New York
State University Plaza
Albany, NY 12246-0001
Phone: 800.342.3811
Email: askSUNY@suny.edu