Shared Experiences

In this section of the website I will share information
that I have compiled for a client that may have
more general interest.

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For instance, Alina had a great interest in costume design, which caused me to research theater tech programs at colleges in major cities–another of her requirements.

Brenda is interested in writing, but having done a summer program at University of Iowa, which is renowned for creative writing, she is concerned with how she will develop a career with these skills. So schools of film, communication and applied writing are also emphasized in this report.

Travis imagines himself as a game designer and is attending UC Santa Cruz, which recently inaugurated the first  program with that major in the UC system. Some of the research we compiled on game design programs may help other students with similar interests launch their own searches.

Anne Wager, a professional colleague in Seattle (best know to CollegeConsult clients as the creator of the card sort on college characteristics), described her tour of some schools within the Western University Exchange, a consortium of public schools in 17 western states that reduce out-of-state tuition for students from participating states. Not all colleges participate in the program, notably absent are the University of California system, along with the University of Oregon and University of Washington, but there are lots of interesting options for students who want to go a little further afield or have particular interests. For example, the veterinary medicine program at Colorado State College is ranked second in the U.S. (after Cornell). I also investigated the WUE system with Stacy, a student who agreed to share her profile with future clients of CollegeConsult, because she was interested in agriculture and many state schools evolved from this 19th-century focus.

In addition to profiles of past clients, like Stacy – UC Davis 2012, I recommend that students look at the stories of individual applicants compiled by CollegeData, which can be accessed through this link  Daniel – Yale University – Class of 2013. Does each list of applications seem balanced to you? Were you surprised by the admissions results?Consider whether these students applied to a range of schools compatible with their skills, as reflected by their GPA and test scores. This may give you a more realistic picture of the successful applicant to a particular college. Their observations about the application process may help you avoid common mistakes.

The New York Times runs an annual series of students blogging on their college admissions process, and archives past years, which you can find on the RSS feed from the New York Times on this site. The students’ perspectives on their own search and application process are insightful. And that’s the point: let’s learn from each other, another part of making this process more successful and less stressful.

Another resource that I find useful is High School Counselor Weekly, a compilation of salient articles from the national media, which is also available as an RSS feed on the CollegeConsult home page.