Marrs Newsletter Archive
Selecting a College and Finding Scholarships
Dear Parents:
To close out the year I have chosen two articles that cover topics close to my heart when it comes to counseling students. The first article echoes Frank Bruni, the New York Times Education Opinion writer who wrote a book about the College Selection Process. The article reinforces the idea that it is not where you go to college, rather what you do when you are there. Return on Investment is important. If money is no object, then attending an Ivy League school or a highly selective college that does not offer merit aid, is a great option for a high performing student. For most families today, money is important and paying for college is something to seriously consider. The article about selecting a college reminds us what is important in the college search besides name.
The second article is where to look for scholarships once the student has exhausted what the specific colleges the student applied for admission offer. Independent scholarships are tricky because they are often like looking for a “needle in a haystack”. Often students who rely on the internet searches from websites like Fastweb.com to search for scholarships, apply to many and end up not being awarded any or only one. Narrowing the search is critical. This article gives good tips on where to look for merit aid that will give a better result for the effort.
2019 is almost over. It has gone by fast! Reflecting over the year I am grateful for the fabulous and interesting students I have had the pleasure of helping to navigate the college admissions process this year. I am looking forward to hearing from each of my seniors to hear what their options are for attending schools next fall, and what their final choices are in the coming months.
Thank you for your readership. Here is to a great 2020! Safe travels and happy holidays this joyful season!
Sincerely,
Catherine L. Marrs, CEP
The College Your Kids Attend isn't as Important as the Majors they Choose
The colleges your kids attend matter far less than the majors they choose, and multiple studies have shown elite schools don’t offer any extra payoff for most graduates.
Here are the most important facts to know as you navigate the college admissions process and decide how much to spend.
Source: Liz Weston - Nerd Wallet
What Are The Best Resources For Finding College Scholarships?
Scholarships are essentially providing the financial missing puzzle piece in your college puzzle. For many students, they are often either the component that allows to attend college in the first place or scholarships may fill the financial gap between your dream college and the state college down the block.
Source: Michaela Schieffer - Quora/Forbes
Great Tips for Preparing Teens for College
Dear Parents:
The articles selected this month are good whether your student is a senior or a freshman in high school. Parenting teens is a challenge. More importantly, helping your teen become independent with good decision-making skills, is an even bigger challenge. Frankly, it starts when children are not even in school, but it becomes critical as your children enter high school with college looming in their future. We as parents all want to feel confident that our children are ready for the independence that comes with going to college. The first article has several good tips for helping to instill independence, but with accountability.
The article from the Kiplinger Report has great advice about Return On Investment (ROI) when you send your teen off to college. Teens need to be aware of these nine practices when they enter college as a freshman. Good practicesinclude taking strong academic courses, getting involved, but selectively, in organizations and clubs on campus and taking advantage of the career center as early as a freshman. Trying out careers, especially if a student is a liberal arts student majoring in English or History or even Economics. It will be critical to get internships during the four years of college in order to have skills to help them enter the workplace upon graduation. A bachelor degree in English or History teaches students to critically think, but not necessarily concrete skills to make them attractive to employers. Internships and research opportunities as well as leadership experiences in college are critical.
November is a time to be thankful. I am thankful for having a wonderful family and having the opportunity to share my expertise and experience in the college admissions arena with your teens. Helping students navigate the college selection and admissions process can be stressful. I am here to reduce their stress and help them create a strategic plan to give them the best chance possible to achieve their goal of admission to the colleges of their choice.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families. Thank you for taking time out to read my newsletter each month.
Sincerely,
Catherine L. Marrs, CEP
7 College Tips for Parents: Adjusting to Parenting an Adult
Starting college isn’t just a transition for students. It’s an adjustment for parents as well! As your children take steps toward becoming adults and following their chosen career paths, your relationships will naturally evolve. It’s not always simple—but there are a lot of strategies and college tips for parents that can make it easier.
Source: Stephanie Thurrott - Azusa Pacific University
9 Essential Practices to Make College Pay Off
One of the biggest investments families make is the money they spend on college.
Here are nine things college students should do during their school years to help ensure the best return on that investment.
Source: Adam Weinberg - Kiplinger
Financial Aid: What You Need to Know
Dear Parents:
October 1st is a very important date for all parents of seniors applying to college. It is the first day the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) is available to complete. Even families that are confident they do not qualify for need-based aid, in my opinion, should complete the FAFSA and submit it to be shared with all their student’s colleges.
The first article is about avoiding mistakes during the fall of your student’s senior year. It is a cautionary article on how to avoid financial aid mistakes.
The second article is about identifying merit scholarships. Of course, the first place students and parents should explore is the specific colleges the student is applying to for admission. If there are separate merit aid scholarship applications, they will be listed along with the deadlines for those applications.
Most all of us with teens applying to college or with young adults in college, can benefit from any opportunities to be awarded free money to help pay for college. Please do not leave any “stone unturned”.
Wishing everyone a stress-free Fall semester!
Sincerely,
Catherine Marrs, CEP
Three Financial Aid Mistakes that could make College more Costly
It’s only August, yet college students’ best chance at a decent financial aid package is right around the corner.
Oct. 1 marks the first day for students and their families to apply for grants and other aid for the 2020-2021 school year through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. Avoid these three mistakes, each of which could lead to higher costs for higher education.
Source: Elizabeth Myong - CNBC
How To Get Scholarships
College is expensive. The average tuition at a public university for 2018-2019 was $10,230. And if you attend a school out of state, it’s more than double that. Plus, that doesn’t include the cost of housing, food, or books.
So what can you do about it? You could freak out, Or, you could take a proactive approach and get some scholarships.
Source: Ransom Patterson - College Info Geek
Correction Regarding Diversity and the SAT
Dear Readers of my Marrs CAA newsletter:
On Wednesday, August 28th I mailed out the August newsletter, at about the same time as the Wall Street Journal and other news outlets released the news that the College Board was no longer going to have the SAT track diversity as they had stated they were going to do, and what I addressed in the newsletter.
Here is the link from NPR that clarifies their new position on the issue:
https://www.npr.org/2019/08/27/754799550/college-board-drops-its-adversity-score-for-each-student-after-backlash.
Hope you are enjoying the long Labor Day weekend. Thank you for your interest in my newsletters.
Catherine Marrs
Having a Social Media Presence When Applying to College
Dear Parents:
Both articles in this month’s issue are dear to my heart. Many of you know I preach to students daily about social media postings and why it is very important to monitor a student’s social media “footprint”. It can negatively affect a student’s college admission chances.
The second article is about the new effort on the part of the SAT to “level the playing field”. The new push on diversity is not something, in my opinion, the SAT should be getting involved. The SAT is no longer the admission tool it used to be. The SAT was originally created in 1926 to evaluate an individual’s IQ for the army. It evolved over the years and began to be a tool to evaluate a student’s readiness for the rigor of college. It has evolved significantly especially after the 1990’s. Today, a student can make an above average score on an SAT, and still struggle in college. There are so many other factors that must be evaluated when assessing a student’s ability to be successful in college today. More and more colleges are going “Test-Optional” whereby standardized testing is not required for admission.
I am confident this newsletter will stimulate conversation with your teenager at the dinner table now your students are back in school. Thank you for taking a few minutes to read these interesting articles.
Sincerely,
Catherine Marrs, CEP
Why Colleges Look At Students' Social Media
WITH A SINGLE-DIGIT acceptance rate, Harvard University in Massachusetts has been among the toughest schools to get into. But in recent years, some students who cleared that high bar for admission had their acceptance rescinded before even stepping on campus. The reason: inappropriate social media posts.
Source: Josh Moody - US News
The SAT’s new ‘adversity score’ is a poor fix for a problematic test
The College Board recently revealed a new "adversity score" that it plans to use as part of the SAT in order to reflect students’ social and economic background.
The mere fact that the College Board sees a need for an “adversity score” is a tacit admission that the SAT isn’t fair for all students.
Source: Leigh Patel - The Conversation
When to Start Planning for College
Dear Parents:
The focus this month is college planning for students and when to begin the process. Students need to begin in elementary school with focus, commitment to get involved and try different activities. At this juncture, it is parents who introduce new activities more than the students. The goal being to build on the positive experiences and the positive reinforcement the students receive as they grow and develop through the first six years of school and into middle school. By the time the students are in high school, they hopefully have a few activities and a few organizations/volunteer entities that they enjoy, have a passion for and are committed to continue with throughout their four years in high school. Encouraging students early to try different sports, musical instruments, dance, choir or other outlets, can happen when students are young. Helping students find things to do that are not related to video games or staying inside watching television is critical to finding balance for younger students.
The second article is about effectively using the summer to get ahead as students in high school prepare for college. It focuses mostly on juniors and seniors, but I believe ninth and tenth grade students can start thinking about college. There are so many colleges around north Texas that students can visit just to see what it means when a college says they are “a mid-sized private” university or “a large public institution”.
Enjoy your students because we will all begin the hustle and bustle of the new school year sooner than we realize! Our next newsletter will be in August.
Thank you,
Catherine Marrs, CEP
College Planning: When's Too Early to Begin?
Recent news stories about college and career readiness programs in middle and even elementary schools have intensified the debate about how soon might be too soon to plan for life after high school. Parents ask all the time: When should my child start planning for college?
Source: Stephen M. Smith - Forbes
Use the Summer Wisely: Start Planning for College
As former head counselor in Georgia’s DeKalb County Schools, I saw 95% of my advisees go to college, so I know the difference early college planning can make. It allows students to break the application process into manageable chunks and eliminates the pressure of having to do everything all at once.
Source: Lorraine Hastings - Forbes
Refocusing How We Look at Our Children as They Begin Their Journey to College
Dear Parents:
Everyone is focused on our graduating seniors and what an exciting time it is! The only article in this newsletter is a great one in that it is all about how important it is for us parents to pay attention to how we interact with our teens as they grow up. We want them to be independent and ready to leave for college, therefore it is important we start treating them more like young adults. Of course, they have to earn our trust and respect, but I firmly believe that if we expect more of them, they will rise to the occasion. Also, if we make them accountable for their actions and own them, with consequences when they do not make the right choice, they will be far more ready to leave home and our supervision, to attend college.
Enjoy your teens this summer, especially those graduating and leaving home in the fall. It is bittersweet. We want them to grow up, yet we also want them to still need us!
Thanks for taking the time to read our newsletter. There will be one in June, but will skip July and resume in August.
Sincerely,
Catherine Marrs, CEP
Educational Consultant
College Tour Road Trips as Routes to Adulthood
“[…] this is where the college tour comes in. If you are a parent of a junior or senior making the rounds right now, instead of merely ferrying your child from campus to campus, use this time to get to know them for who they really are, and to practice trusting their intuition and decisions.”
Source: Wendy Mogel - The New York Times
Great Information for Parents of College-Bound Students
Dear Parents:
Only six weeks left in the school year for our Texas students. Spring fever is underway as is senioritis! Our seniors are in the final stages of making decisions where they plan to attend college. Fortunately, all have good choices.
The first article is not a surprise to those of us who work with high schools students day in and day out, but for parents, it can be an unpleasant surprise. We all want our students to do well in school, but grade inflation is not good
because students can be ill-prepared for the rigor of college if they have been given high marks throughout high school with very little effort, or have always been praised for mediocre work by their teachers. Grade inflation is becoming more common every year throughout the country.
The second article is one close to my heart. Safety schools are often great schools that roll out the red carpet for students who applied because these students have qualifications in the top 1-2% of their applicants. These are the students who, throughout high school have taken the most rigorous curriculum, have been a leader in most all of their activities and become very involved in their community. Not only are they admitted, but often are rewarded financially. Merit scholarships are a way to differentiate these students, thus makes them special. Often, the President and/are the Deans of the college know who these students are. When my students are selecting their colleges as juniors, I try to make sure they have at least one to three safety schools that they love as much as the other schools on their college list.
Enjoy these last weeks of the school year. Thanks for taking the time to read our newsletter!
Sincerely,
Catherine Marrs, CEP
Educational Consultant
The 'Other' College Scandal: Grade Inflation Has Turned Transcripts into Monopoly Money
The blockbuster college admissions scandal continues to make headlines: The rich and powerful are being charged with engaging in fraudulent practices (bribery and fixing test scores) to get their academically unqualified kids into a number of elite colleges.
Source: Tom Lindsay - Forbes
Let’s hear it for the ‘safety school’
Though college admissions scandals starring the rich and famous have dominated recent headlines, most college-bound high school seniors still apply with a hope and a prayer rather than a bribe. Students (and their parents) are elated when a “reach” school extends admission.
Source: Caitlin Cross-Barnet - The Baltimore Sun
Decision Time for Seniors
Dear Parents:
Our newsletter today is addressing Financial Aid appeals and athletic recruitment. The article about appealing financial aid awards is pointedly geared to seniors graduating in May and June. One of the biggest factors in a student’s decision where to attend college in the fall needs to be which college offers the student a good education at a good price. The financial aid award is key to helping in this decision.
The second article is focused on athletic recruiting at colleges. In light of the recent scandal involving coaches and bribes, this article addresses solid information for parents of students still in high school.
Both articles offer insights into the college admission arena. Parents need as much reliable information as possible during this competitive time when college is so expensive.
Congratulations to our seniors for a strong finish in high school and acceptances into some great schools!
Sincerely,
Catherine Marrs, CEP
How to Get More College Financial Aid: Do's and Don'ts
Between now and May 1, many incoming college freshmen and their families will be grappling with choosing which college to attend, and financial aid could play a crucial role in that decision.
“It is worthwhile to appeal for more financial aid if the financial offer is unreasonable based on your financial circumstances …"
Source: Bernice Napach - Think Advisor
NCSA: Four recruiting tips for parents
Imagine the recruiting journey as a play. In this scenario, the student-athlete takes center stage, while parents assume the roles of supporting actors. For the production to truly shine, the supporting actors need to play their parts to perfection. The right mix of support, encouragement and guidance can empower the lead actor and enable them to succeed.
Source: Joe Leccesi - USA Today HSS
Critical Elements of a College Application
Dear Parents:
Standing out to colleges is a multi-tied task for high school students. One of the items colleges receive from the high school counselor along with the transcript is the high school profile when students apply to college. Students do not have much control over their high school’s profile that is sent with their transcript when they submit their college applications. But, students and parents can definitely ask to review the high school profile, preferably during their junior year, not their senior year when it may be too late to request any changes to the profile before it goes to the student’s colleges. When reading the high school profile, make sure it is an accurate reflection of your high school with correct data about AP classes offered and average test scores as well as a good description of the school.
Another important element of a student’s college application is their resume. All the different activities, clubs, athletics and interesting experiences the student has done during their high school career are important. Interesting projects and activities students do outside of the classroom that are not required can add to a student’s competitive strength to a college.
For instance, students who select challenging, less common senior year projects will get more attention when their application is being reviewed for acceptance to a college. Students who do independent research and even have the opportunity to publish are significantly more interesting and demonstrate more “depth” than students who only do what is required of them in high school. The term “Intellectual Vitality” is used by some more elite college admission professionals to describe students who have gone beyond the norm and demonstrated this by the impressive activities they did during their first three years of high school (senior year activities are not seen when students apply to college).
The second article about senior projects is good to share with underclassmen so they have time to plan for their senior year.
Thank you for taking the time to read these articles. Parents of high school students need to encourage their students to do more than just academics during their time in high school. It is so important that students become interesting young people that colleges will want on their campuses to contribute to their campus community.
Sincerely,
Catherine L. Marrs, CEP
How a 'High School Profile' Makes or Breaks a College Application
Since the Common Application made significant changes in membership policies a number of years ago, many colleges moved to streamline admissions requirements and eliminated elements of what was once considered essential to a complete application for admission.
Source: Nancy Griesemer - College Explorations
5 Resume-Worthy High School Senior Project Ideas
Whether you’re looking to go straight to college, travel, take a gap year or find a job straight out of high school, it is so vital to choose a senior project that will make you stand out in whatever you do. [...]
Here are five senior project ideas that will get those creative juices flowing and surely make you stand out.
Source: Lynn O'Shaughnessy - The College Solution
Good Points to Remember When Researching Colleges
Dear Parents:
Happy New Year! 2019 is here whether we are ready or not! For our seniors, it is the last semester ever of high school. The excitement of which college to attend is building. Final decisions from colleges will be coming out for our “Regular Decision” applicants between March 15th and April 1st.
For our juniors and sophomores, now is the time to start the college planning process with hopefully, plans to tour colleges during spring break. The first of the two articles is good for students to read giving them some good questions to ask colleges as they research and tour the schools they are considering.
The second article is about whether to attend an elite college or not. The main points in this article are thought provoking as students begin their research and touring schools. Lynn O’ Shaughnessy is one of my favorite college counselors who always gives good common sense advice. Whether you have a freshman or a junior, now is a great time to encourage them to start researching colleges to see which ones might be a good fit for them. Discussing different schools and weighing the pros and cons of the attending such schools is great topics to have around the dinner table.
Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read our newsletter. Please keep me in mind should you have a group that needs a speaker. I am always ready and eager to share my knowledge about my favorite topic: college admissions.
Sincerely,
Catherine L. Marrs, CEP
5 Admission Questions to Ask on a College Tour
Exploration of college options is an integral part of personal growth. If done well, it helps a student understand more about the options available to them—college and otherwise—and gives them better insights into their talents, their interests, and their needs. One of the best ways to begin this process of self-discovery is to visit an actual college campus or two.
Source: Patrick O'Connor - Counselors’ Corner
Looking Beyond Ivy League Hype
Does your child need to attend an Ivy League college or other elite university to end up getting great jobs with great salaries? The answer is…
No.
No!
Noooo!
NOOOO!
Source: Lynn O'Shaughnessy - The College Solution