TaborTalk Blog

I didn’t put on my blue suede shoes, but just a few weeks ago I boarded a plane and touched down in the land of the Delta Blues.

My job as a college counselor requires that I visit colleges and universities across the globe to maintain and develop relationships with college admission officers and to stay current on new and innovative academic programs and trends in the industry.

Southern California is well known for its majestic Pacific coastline and beaches, Hollywood, the red carpet, sunshine, and traffic…lots of traffic, but it also boasts a broad and diverse array of excellent college options.

Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors – take note…with early application submissions for seniors now in our wake and individual meetings with juniors set to begin, I’ve been thinking more about the student experience and how students present themselves as candidates for college admission. Academically speaking, students are fed a steady and predictable diet of academic nutrition ranging from English and history to math and science, and that IS how it should be. Up until this point in high school, many students really haven’t done much outside the classroom beyond what we require, which is largely relegated to the realm of athletics. How can students develop a resume beyond the athletic requirements they are beholden to? What follows is some food for thought as you continue to develop your emerging personal story.

As the Class of 2017 starts the next chapter of their lives this month in college, the College Counseling Office wanted to share a few pieces of advice for a smooth transition to make the most out of the next four years! 

More times than I care to recall, I’ve heard enthusiastic students exclaim, “I know I’m applying early …I just don’t know where yet.” Talk about putting the cart before the horse. Application season is upon us, and high school seniors across the globe are preparing to submit applications to college, and many of them will be filed under some type of “early” program. Applications can be filed early decision, which is binding, or early action, which is non-binding. So, what’s all the fuss about early? Well, I can think of two things that jump out about early programs that are extremely attractive to students and generate a lot of fervor in the college search process at Tabor. The first is preference in the admission selection process, either real or perceived, it doesn’t really matter. The second is simply arriving at the finish line, something not to be overlooked in the wake of an extensive search. College search fatigue is real and many students feel a remarkable sense of relief when their first applications are finally submitted.