TaborTalk Blog

Hashtags. Tweets. Likes. Instagram. Twitter. Facebook.

There is no denying that social media is everywhere, infiltrating virtually every facet of our society. Want the latest news the minute it's happening? Check Twitter. Trying to reconnect with a childhood friend? Do a quick Facebook search. Eager to see what your favorite athlete or celebrity is up to? Follow their Instagram account. Given the rapid development of social media platforms over the past decade, and the frequency with which many of us monitor our respective accounts, it is not surprising that colleges, universities, and yes, even high school college counseling offices have jumped on the social media bandwagon.

SAT, ACT, Subject Tests, AP Tests, TOEFL, Test Optional Colleges. Test Flexible Colleges.   

For Tabor juniors and their families, there’s much to learn and lots to consider.  

Understandably, many juniors and seniors feel anxiety about which tests to take and how they need to prepare to do their best. This is precisely the reason that Tabor’s college counseling office has implemented diagnostic testing and test preparation as part of college search programming.  

College counseling is equal parts staying current about colleges and the industry, and actively listening to the students we advise; these are two areas where anyone can improve, and improvement lies in active professional development. If we are to do our jobs well, our work has to take us beyond our school by the sea to college campuses around the country, and to numerous conferences.

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! 

From the desk of college counselor Lauren Boucher:

Jennifer Delahunty, Associate Dean of Admissions at Kenyon College, spoke of her role in her daughter’s college process as that of “wallpaper.” In her collection of essays on parents and the college search, I’m Going to College –Not You, Delahunty says, “I wanted this to be her experience entirely, but I knew she was watching me for clues. It’s not easy to impersonate wallpaper.” She went on to describe the role as so “ill-defined that we end up feeling like something between a taxi driver and a walking checkbook.”

One of the best parts of my job is visiting college campuses.  I enjoy walking around, talking with students, and getting a feel for each school.  I do what I hope my college advisees will do:  1) I make sure I am prepared to ask questions that might not be answered in a tour or information session;  2) I go into the visit with an open mind; 3) I take photos and write notes to help remind me about the school later on.  

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.

Again this year, Early Decision and Early Action college admissions were popular choices for the Senior class. Between Early Decision Round I and the various Early Action options, 82% of the Class of 2016 (113 out of 137 students) filed one or more applications. With additional students applying Early Decision Round 2, about 85 % of the class will have applied under one or more early program.

By Lauren Boucher, faculty