Minimalist Packing List

There are lots of lists out there, and you probably have gotten a list from the college, but I have found that those lists tend to have TOO MUCH stuff on them, and too much=clutter lack of space.

My first tip is two-fold:

1. Sign up for your local Container Store College night event. Everything in the store will be 20% off, so even though it is generally a little pricey, the discount makes a lot of sense.
   
2. Make sure you do a "dry run" first. The store will be INSANE on the night of the sale, with a line leading out the door and down the block. If you spend time before the event making a list and picking out items, you will have a much less stressful experience. Also, the under-the-bed boxes always sell out first, but you can get a rain check to pick one up later if you know what you want.

Packing tips:

• Remember that you are not going to the ends of the earth! It won't be long until parents weekend, so they can bring you anything you have forgotten. There are also plenty of stores around campus, including the bookstore that supply frequently forgotten items.
  
• Don't rely on your parents to ship anything you need at a moment's notice. UPS/Fedex and the US Mail may deliver swiftly, but the college mailroom can take a week or more to deliver to your mailbox.
  
• Many items you need can be pre-ordered at a local store and picked up at a “sister” store at the college.  Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, etc.  allow students to shop locally and have it available at the store nearest to your college campus. Any prescriptions should be sent to a CVS or Rite Aid so that they can be renewed locally.
  
• Communicate with your roommate beforehand so you don't duplicate large items like refrigerators, microwaves or fans.
  
• Do not overpack clothing... cold weather gear can be picked up at Thanksgiving, so just bring one coat and waterproof boots for unseasonable weather. There won't be a lot of storage space, and initially less is more.
  
• Bed Risers can be helpful to create more room for storage under the bed, but many schools have beds that have adjustable heights, so check before you buy them!
  
• Clothing: Plan on bringing as much underwear as you have because you will probably not be doing laundry weekly. Start out with a very limited wardrobe. You can always add items after Parent's weekend and Thanksgiving. The less you have, the less you have to keep track of.
  
• Finally: Pack with a view to what you will have to do at the end of the year. Shipping back and forth is expensive, so look into storage places in the area so you don't have to bring things back and forth. Or hire a service that packs up, stores and delivers to your new dorm in the fall (expensive, but it can be worth it for the stress reduction!)

At the end there is a cute video of 10 items to take with you... but here is the essentials list:

The Minimalist Packing List: These items are essential

Electronics

Surge Protector
Desk lamp or bedside Lamp
Laptop Computer, case, carrying bag (if you can afford a computer, it will be convenient to have. If you can't bring lots of thumb drives)
Printer and ink (unless you get free/cheap printing on campus)
thumb drives
Alarm clock/Radio (or Iphone/Ipod dock), Headphones (good for privacy)

Desk Items (most can be bought on campus)

pens and pencils, highlighters, scissors, tape, stapler, notebooks, post it notes
Dry erase calendar/board

Things for your room

Hangers (bring more than you think you will need... drawer space is limited)
Coat Rack (a great place to throw clothing to get it off the floor when your parents visit)
Trash can
Plastic cup, plate and bowl, fork, knife, spoon, coffee cup, ziplock bags, dish soap, paper towels, trash bags
Toolkit
Milk crates or storage cubes
Under the bed storage
Adhesive hooks, tacky adhesive, mounting tape
Bedding (sheets, pillowcases, pillows, towels, mattress pad, blankets, bed cover)
Laundry items (Basket or bag, detergent)
Sleeping bag for guests, (or if you are sexiled)
Broom and dustpan or small vacuum
Sewing kit
Small/Medium duffel bag for coming home

Personal care items

Cosmetics and toiletries including soap case, and toothbrush case (cases can help to keep things clean)
Shower tote, Shower sandals, bathrobe or large towel
First aid kit, vitamins, personal medicine

Good to have

Compact umbrella (also consider rain boots)
Flashlight

These items are nice to have (but check with your roommate first):

Compact Refrigerator
Coffeemaker or electric kettle
Microwave

And here is the video:

10 College Admissions Myths

When you have a process as complex and seemingly random as the current College Admissions climate, myths inevitably spring up that people cling to. Some of them are holdovers from when the parents applied, and some are hopeful efforts to ease anxiety. Here are some of the most common myths that I have seen over the years...

1. The Common Application makes it easy to apply to multiple schools who accept it. (The only thing that the Common App makes easier is that applicants don't have to fill in basic data for each application, and there is one main essay. Each school has it's own supplement which can be quite involved to fill out, and you still have to pay for each application!)
   
2. Grades and test scores will get you in or keep you out — the quality of the application doesn't really matter. (How you fill out the application can make a big difference, and extracurriculars, essays and other choices are the parts of the process that can make the difference between being a one note student, and a 3 dimensional applicant)
   
3. If your grades and test scores put you in the middle 50%, you'll probably get in. (I wish! That middle 50% is an average. In practice, students who score in the middle 50% and don't have other things on their application that set them apart are most often rejected or at best waitlisted.)
   
4. If you apply to 10 schools that each have a 10% acceptance rate, you'll definitely get in to at least 1 of them. (Once again, that math doesn't work. Even if you have top test scores and grades, each school has it's own institutional priorities, and you CAN get rejected from all 10.)
   
5. If you are a legacy at a school, you have a pretty good chance of getting in. (This falls into the "it depends" category. Did you apply early decision? Are your parents big donors? Do you have the grades and scores that make you desirable to the school? Then MAYBE, and only maybe.)
   
6. If a coach says he/she really wants you on the team, admissions will go with it regardless of the academic fit. (Uh, No. Do not count on this. Too many students have had a rude awakening mid-December—or later—when they were not accepted to a school that recruited them. Coaches do not always understand the institutional priorities that are the basis of admissions decisions!)
   
7. Athletic coaches are totally honest all of the time. (Wouldn't it be nice if this were true? But coaches are working to build the best team, not be nice people.)
   
8. If your grades and scores are above the 75% (or 80% or 90%) percentile for a college, you are guaranteed to get in. (This is the safety school myth. Give it up. There is no such thing as a safety school anymore. No colleges want to be considered safeties, and will often reject or waitlist students who haven't shown the demonstrated interest that they will actually attend if they are accepted.)
   
9. Valedictorians, and students with perfect scores get in wherever they want. (All of the most highly competitive schools regularly reject valedictorians and those with perfect scores, especially if those students don't have anything else on their resumes. If you have spent all your time studying, it is unlikely that you will actively contribute to campus life.)
   
10. The more schools you apply to, the better choice you will have. (Each application you submit should be put together in a thoughtful way. If you apply too widely, the quality of each application will be compromised. Very few students have enough time, energy and focus to multiple high quality applications that are specifically tailored to each institution. The quality of the application and the essays ready do matter even for large public universities. )

Are there any myths you have heard that I have missed? I am happy to put them through the True/False test!

 Thanks to Lori McGlone, Tractus Education, for her initial list of myths.

Decisions

This is the week. By Friday, you should have responses from all your schools. It has been a long wait, and now is the time to take control again and make some decisions. Bear in mind, that in the end, you are the one who will have to live with your decision, at least for the next year.

I have some things I want you to take into consideration:

• Wait list is not a rejection. It means you made the cut, and if they had room, they would have taken you. If one of your favorite schools has you on wait list, consider visiting and pleading your case directly to an admissions officer. Send in an extra recommendation. Write a personal (passionate) letter talking about all the reasons you love that school.
• Go back and visit again. Visiting now is much more important than schoolwork at this point. Colleges look different with an acceptance in your pocket. Your "first choice" may not be as attractive. If at all possible, go without your parents and experience the travel and the college by yourself. You are going to have to get yourself back and forth next year.
• Talk to your Parents about finances. Now is the time to make sure that you take the financial realities into account. Figure out that the unmet gap is, and what will need to be paid back, so you understand the financial liabilities.
• Narrow your list. If you got into several schools, narrow your list down to 2-3. It is impossible to compare more than 3 schools because you will get overwhelmed. 
• Emphasize the positive. This year has been brutal. But in the end, everyone will end up somewhere, and almost 70% of students end up happy at their colleges. If we did our job right, you liked most of the schools on your list enough to attend any of them. So don't dwell on the negative. Those colleges just didn't appreciate you, and it is their loss.

Best wishes for happy visits, and good choices!

March is the LONGEST month

April may be the cruelest month, but for high school seniors and their parents, March is the LONGEST month. The end is in sight for the college admissions process… but it is still a month away. And then, when you do find out where you got in, and where you didn’t, inevitably there will be a wait list here and there, muddying the results. Financial aid packages will dribble in, too, and because each will have its own unique combination of merit aid, need-based aid, and loans, it will be hard to compare to them without a spreadsheet. And don’t get me started on what the stress and anxiety does to relationships within the family!

So what can you do, aside from making time move faster?

1.     Be patient with yourself and others. Spend this month doing things that you really enjoy, that you may not have a chance to do next year. Hang out with friends (but DON’T talk about college). Cook elaborate family dinners, or bake cookies and cakes. Enjoy the gorgeous weather, and spend time doing outdoor activities. Whatever helps you get out of your head, and remember that this, too, shall pass.

2.     Remember that no matter what happens, you can only attend one college (at a time). This is sort of like choosing a romantic partner… there is no such thing as perfect, so you are really looking for a place that you will enjoy, and won’t be sick of within a year. About 30% of college students transfer (for a variety of reasons, including finances) so no decision is final, but given your choices, make the best decision for you, and don’t look back.

3.     Spend some time thinking about what factors are the most important to you… is it a location, a specific major, or some other factor that will make or break your decision? This is a good time to go back and look over your notes, or revisit some of your choices so that you can make the decision easier. Otherwise, plan on spending some time on the road in April, visiting your top choices to make the final decision.

4.     Focus on your academics. It may not seem like grades and scores matter anymore, but they do. Your high school will be sending your final grades to your college, and if your grades drop, your acceptance could be rescinded, or you could be asked to attend summer school (ugh!). Also, scores on AP and IB exams will be helpful to you in the fall, for extra credits, getting out of freshman English, or taking an upper level class.

I wish I could tell you that it will all be fine, and you will get into your top choice school. Sadly, that may not be an option. But I can tell you this: Most students end up loving the school that they attend, and the most important part is the fit, and the affordability of the price tag, and not the name or prestige level. The bottom line is that your education is what you make of it, and you can get an amazing education at any of the colleges you applied to!

A Parent's Role in the College Application Process

I got a question the other day about a parent's role in the college process, and you might find my answer surprising...

While I usually insist that students take the reins and control the application process, there are some specific things that are best for parents to take care of:

College Visits: Because parents are better able to see the big picture and plan logistically, it is easier for them to schedule and plan college visits, including travel, hotels, and making reservations for tours and interviews. If your student is able to focus on this, by all means, let them do it, but it is my experience that juggling coursework, testing and extracurriculars makes it tough for high school juniors to focus on this as well.

These arrangements should be made with the participation and approval of the student... this means: visit the colleges they want to see, and make sure they aren't missing important academic and sporting events.

Scheduling testing: Because this involves a credit card, I generally suggest that parents schedule the SAT, ACT and Subject tests on the College Board website. Your student should know or pick the password, however, because we will need that later in the process when we send the scores.

Financial Aid: Students often think it is their job to fill out the FAFSA and CSS Profile forms for financial aid. But the most important information on the form is the parent's financial information. So unless you share your tax returns with your student, this is a job for the parents.

CommonApp: This item may have you scratching your head, and I agree... I would prefer that most students fill out their own Common Application form. However, there is information that they don't know, such as the year you graduated from high school/college/graduate school. Most students also don't know their social security numbers, which they also need on the form. You can provide this information to your student, and we can make sure the forms are done, but at the end: I will want you as parents to look over the Common App to make sure that you are happy with what we are sending, and that nothing important has been omitted. This does not mean editing the essay again, but it does mean that all the extracurriculars and honors have been listed, etc. You won't need to worry about this until just before we send it all off.


And that is it... everything else should be something that your student can take care of with your support (and mine).

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to let me know...