СOLLEGE KNOWLEDGE: Что, когда, куда и зачем?

Номер #801

Helping You Put the College Planning Puzzle Together

Окончание. Начало в №800

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Elena Mikhailova is a high school counselor and a college advisor with Santa Clara Unified School District. She has 15 years of experience in the US as an educator and a counselor. She holds an M.A. in Educational Counseling from San Jose State University and an M.A. in Education from Russian State Pedagogical University, St. Petersburg. She is also professionally certified in College Admissions and Career Advising by UC Berkeley.

Начиная рубрику “College Knowledge”, хочу сразу оговориться: эта и все последующие статьи будут написаны по-английски, и связано это прежде всего не с желанием выделиться, а с желанием помочь русскоязычным родителям понять и разобраться в обилии лексики и терминалогии, связанной с “College Admissions”. По-английски это получается более естественно и с большим толком для окружающих.
In the previous edition of ‘Kstati’(# 800), we discussed the reasons for College Admissions hysteria, college trends that are taking place these days, and problems and concerns that college-bound students experience in high school (if you didn’t have a chance to read the article last week, you can catch up by reading it on-line at www.kstati.net ).
So how are all College Admissions changes impacting you and what challenges lay ahead?
Challenges faced by Students
College Planning is a family process and should be approached by both kids and their parents. It incorporates the knowledge of the subject matter, research, risks and embracing the unknown. It is critical that today’s students face a reality check that gets across the point that more students are applying to more schools. Selective private schools and UCs had a surge in applications. In the 2009-2010 school year, for the first time ever, UC campuses instituted the waitlist system; more and more students are waitlisted at private colleges as well. But even though students are applying and attending college at the highest rate ever, they are finding that it is harder and harder to understand the college admissions process, as it is seriously flawed and often misleading.
Challenges faced by Parents

With diligence and effort, there are a number of ways kids can get help in the tedious college process: counseling office, college reps, college presentations and fairs offered at school, friends, etc. Unlike for students, services and programs for parents are pretty limited. No wonder that many families are paralyzed by the complexity of college admissions and do nothing or very little planning for college. This is especially true for people from a different cultural background.

In addition, college admissions is not only a competitive, but a highly emotional process. As a result, parents often become either too emotionally invented in it or not invested at all due to lack of understanding of how it works. They often feel uncomfortable trying to support their children in a process they do not completely understand (which often means admitting that they are lost). Being caught up in this emotional, high stake game, families are often uncertain of the rules and even more uncertain about the outcome.

It’s also important to realize that college process is not only about college, it is also about leaving home and making a transition to adulthood. Many parents are not prepared for the responsibilities a child faces alone once he actually gets to college.
But in spite of all the excuses, one thing is for sure: as one of the major milestones in a child’s life, high school is a time for parental involvement and support. Parents can, and should, encourage students to talk about their college decisions. They can help them analyze the vast amount of information they amass. Most of all, parents can ease the stress by keeping kids on track, helping them articulate what is important, and teaching them to manage their time efficiently. But first they need to know how to do it themselves. A good understanding of this process will empower both kids and parents, and will allow them to retain balance and sanity along the way.

So is there a way to beat the system?
Of course there is… ‘College Knowledge’ Series for Russian-Speaking Families is there to help you. The recently opened Palo Alto JCC is offering you an easy and inexpensive way to put the college puzzle together and keep the “if only I had known this earlier” regret to a minimum.
The first step is to make an effort to understand the college planning process. The purpose of this community program is not to overwhelm you, but to help you approach college planning with the right mind-set and to encourage you to learn more.
It will:
– lead the families through the college planning process by providing critical information, tips, steps, and timelines about high school and college
– help parents understand the differences between American and Russian approaches to education so that they could be a better resource for their children
– personalize college admissions process; supplement (not to replace) what is offered in high school and fill in what is not
-help you ‘think ahead’ to ease the stress associated with the college process
With more than 3,500 colleges in the country, there are often too many choices that make it hard for students and families to find the ‘best college fit’. So how can your assist your child find the right one? Well, you need to master the art of savvy ‘college shopping’ to find the best deals/ the best colleges, where your child can grow and benefit not only academically, but socially and emotionally; you need to find a place where your child would thrive and be happy, but not just merely survive.

Final Thoughts
College Admissions is an exciting and overwhelming time for both students and families. While no one can guarantee college acceptance to a particular school, with proper college planning, your odds of winning the college admissions game improve greatly. If you want your child to succeed, you need to start NOW.

We’d like to encourage you to get involved: your child’s future depends on it. Help your child feel empowered both in high school and beyond!

FREE College Information Night will take place on Wednesday, 09/01 @ 7 pm at Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303 (room G-100). Dates and topics for the following sessions will be announced at the first class. To reserve a space please call (650)223-8621.
For any questions please e-mail
collegepathway@gmail.com