 Celebrating 30 Years! |
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Dunbar Educational Consultants Newsletter
February 2014
Edited by Hope Murtaugh - Dunbar Consultant, Greenville SC |
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 February 2014 Nothing makes the wait for college decision letters longer than a dreary winter, which is what this winter has been for many of us. But while you wait, Seniors and parents, we have some helpful tips in this newsletter: tips on how to demonstrate continuing interest in your preferred colleges, a list of social media "epic on-line fails," and some good resources for college financial questions. While the Seniors are waiting, Juniors are working on their college lists with their Dunbar consultants and preparing their spring break campus visits. Juniors will be working on applications in a few short months, and Dunbar consultants are filling their Junior rosters now. We hope that you will call us to discuss the services you need. - Hope Murtaugh, Editor
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Seniors, While You Wait, Show Them You Care . . .
In college admission offices all over the country, freshman classes are being finalized so that the financial aid offices can fly into action, putting together aid packages for many students. If you are a senior, now is the time to update admission officers one more time on those accomplishments and activities that you have done since you filed your applications. Did those last SAT scores in January pleasantly surprise you? Send an email to your regional admission officers. Did your colleges require Mid-year Reports from your high school counselor? Make sure that they went out and were received by the colleges. Were you elected captain of the track team, or did you complete an independent research project or internship successfully? Send in that news to the colleges as well. If you have a first-choice college, you may want to reaffirm your interest in them, including why they are your preferred college, and make sure that your guidance counselor knows your preference.
Remember that colleges are tracking your responses to their emails, so monitor your email accounts and "click through" to links in emails from the colleges you are considering. Respond, even if it is with a brief thank you, to emails from individuals. Many colleges track these contacts, and use them to predict your likelihood of attending-which can impact your admission decision.
And remember to let your Dunbar consultant know the final college decisions-we are waiting eagerly as well!
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SAT and ACT: Study Shows Students Who Don't Submit Scores Perform at Same Level As Those Who Do
A ground breaking comprehensive study recently released by William C. Hiss (former Dean of Admission at Bates College) shows that there is no significant difference in the GPAs of college students who do not submit standardized test scores and those who do. The full report, as covered by NACAC (the National Association of College Admission Counselors) is linked here. This significant report should add impetus to the test-optional movement in college admissions.
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. . . And Continue to Watch Your Social Media Presence!
Remember that all admission decisions are "contingent" upon a student's completing high school in a manner that is consistent with their previous performance. This includes maintaining a clean Internet social presence. Admission offers have been rescinded for students who brag about partying, who send in deposits to hold spots in more than one freshman class (a definite no-no), and then join both colleges' "Class of 2018" Facebook pages, etc. Remember that admission officers are reading their blog sites and freshman class social group pages daily, as well as monitoring Twitter feeds that mention their college.
As long as you have applications active at colleges and are still waiting for decisions, be careful about what you post online about being admitted elsewhere. Even posting positive things about one college (such as, "Just got into X College; Class of '18 here I come!"), may cause another college to think twice about admitting you.
Epic On-line "Fails" for Seniors:
- Using profanity (in comments that you make OR that your friends post on your photos, etc.)
- Making gang signs or obscene gestures in pictures, posting pictures in inappropriate clothing, while partying or drinking, etc.
- Tweeting critically about a college in any way
- Posting negative comments, profanity or criticism in a college's social group ("Class of 2018")
- Commenting in ways that are hostile to your peers ("burn" comments on pictures, or tweeting/posting negative comments about other new members of your college class)
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Dunbar Changes
As Dunbar Educational Consultants celebrates its 30th year,
unforgettable--and entertaining--founding partner John Greenwood has retired as an active consultant, but has joined our Advisory Board, and the Dunbar group continues to grow with the addition of new colleague, Shelly Levine, located in the Boston area.
John Greenwood was instrumental in growing our firm to its present size and stature. He opened the New Canaan office in 1993 when Don Dunbar was living in Brookline, MA. With his inexhaustible energy, John rapidly became an expert in college and school admissions. He continues to stay on top of college admissions trends through his many contacts in higher education, and we look forward to John's continuing counsel as he serves on our Advisory Board.
Dunbar is delighted to welcome an award-winning teacher and veteran guidance professional to our team. Shelly Levine guides students and their families through the college admissions process.
Before joining Dunbar, Shelly spent over thirty years at Delbarton School in Morristown, NJ, teaching AP English Literature and serving as the English Department Chairperson and the Dean of Guidance. She has had significant experience counseling high achieving students as well as those with learning differences.
In addition to her above work, Shelly has worked for more than twenty years as an independent college counselor, helping students with all facets of the college admissions process. Before her career at Delbarton, Shelly developed and taught her own SAT prep course.
Shelly is a cum laude graduate of Cornell University with an MA in English from Hunter College (CUNY), and her husband is a professor at Rutgers University. Shelly is in the process of moving to Wayland, MA, and is already working with students from the Boston area as well as students at a distance.
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Dunbar Volunteer Efforts Continue
Several Dunbar colleagues continue to work with non-profit organizations that help college-bound students. Karen Fong Donoghue, who is the volunteer academic advisor to the
USA Rugby High School All-American team, has worked with youth sports organizations and New York area Dunbar consultants have partnered with Latino U College Access and the Center for Global Studies to provide assistance in the college process to their students.
Karen says, "In the last 6 months, I have been excited to provide college guidance services pro bono to different community groups. At the end of 2013, I participated in a college planning workshop with the New York Rugby Club's high school program, a non-profit sports group that provides not only athletic instruction in the sport of rugby, but also provides ongoing character and education development. After the workshop, I continued to provide personalized college essay guidance for many of the seniors, the majority of which were first-generation college bound students. I have also had the wonderful chance to continue building my relationship with a Los Angeles-based charter school rugby program, Inner City Education Foundation, which provides rugby instruction to thousands of middle and high school students in South Central Los Angeles. The rugby program is a safe outlet for these teens who live in areas overrun with gangs and poverty. I provided a college planning workshop for their Juniors and younger students, offering critical information about how factors like grades and test scores play a role in college as well as encouraging them to dream big and attend college."
Latino U College Access is a Westchester County based non-profit that helps first generation Latino students with their college search and application process. Latino U's goals are to make college more accessible to first generation students and to help them succeed while in college. Last fall, a Dunbar team headed by Don Dunbar led a series of workshops to train volunteer mentors so they would be better able to assist their students, and later organized application essay workshops for groups of high school seniors and their mentors.
Caroline Brokaw Tucker has been working with the Center for Global Studies at Brien McMahon Nigh School in Norwalk, CT, bringing presentations on application essays, curriculum planning, standardized testing, and extra-curriculars to the magnet program which draws students from 17 different school districts. Last October, Caroline and Lee Gowen Marine spent two days reading and critiquing application essays for a total for forty seniors. "It's a wonderful opportunity to support a group of motivated students, all of whom have sought out this specific academic program but many of whom will not be working with private counselors. We review all our material - presentations and handouts - with the CGS faculty and admissions counselors before each event, and have even presented together.
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Questions? Please email us at info@dunbarconsultants.com
or contact us by phone: (203)972-0730 |
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