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How to find your college match if you have learning challenges

Finding Your College Match If You Have Learning Challenges

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Have you ever wondered how to find a good college match if you have learning challenges?  In order to answer that question and provide insight, I conducted interviews via email and phone with Gabrielle E. Miller, Ed.D., Assistant Vice Provost, Learning Services and Executive Director of the Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques (SALT) Center at the University of Arizona and Julie Yindra, Director of Student Access Services at Hofstra University.  Both of these women are experts in the field of university services for students with learning challenges at two of the most highly rated and respected university programs for students with learning challenges.  Dr. Miller and Ms. Yindra provide invaluable insights into how to choose a college if you have learning challenges and offer details about their university’s programs for students with learning challenges.

 

What are some tips to find a good college match for students with learning challenges? 

Dr. Miller:  With thousands of colleges to choose from, finding the right fit can feel like an overwhelming task, especially if you don’t know where to start or what to ask. That’s why, even before diving into the college search process, I recommend that students with learning challenges spend some time asking themselves some questions to ensure they have a good sense of what they will need from a college.

As students reflect on their past educational experiences, they might start by asking themselves questions like: What types of academic support and adjustments have I found to be helpful thus far? Do I need extra test time, tutoring, study apps, regular meetings with an advisor? Do my parents or teachers have anything else to add? Write down the responses and start organizing them making special note of those things which are most important to you. Also, ask yourself about the type of college experience you would like to have. For example: Do I want to attend a school near my family or go out-of-state? Do I want to attend a school specifically for students with LDs or would I be more comfortable at a traditional college?

This self-reflection exercise will help form the basis of an individualized checklist that you can use to narrow down your selection and then take to colleges to make sure that their level of support matches up with your unique needs.

After having asked themselves some tough questions, the next step I recommend is for students to turn around and start asking probing questions of the colleges they are considering. These days, a lot of information can be gathered quickly online or with the help of college guidebooks. Other insightful details you’ll need to contact the colleges to get. You can use a spreadsheet or notebook to keep your findings organized.

knowing your needs and asking universities the right questions can help

Here are some additional questions you might find useful while remembering to adapt them to your personal circumstances.

        • How often do students meet with support staff or tutors?
        • Are the staff and tutors specifically trained or experienced in working with students with learning and attention challenges?
        • What percentage of students graduate within 6 years?
        • How many students attend this school?
        • What kind of sports and extracurricular activities are available?
        • Is support available for online classes?
        • How long has the school or support program been around?
        • What degrees does the school offer?
        • Is the school well known or ranked for my major?
        • How do you help students as they prepare to transition into the workplace or graduate school?
        • What is the average starting salary of recent graduates?
        • What is the surrounding community like?
        • Can I come and tour the campus and different programs?
        • Can I talk to students enrolled in the program or alumni to get their perspective?

Ms. Yindra:  Go visit the campus, ask to meet students, ask to meet with the office that provides accommodations—the manner in which they offer accommodations, and how, makes a big difference.  If they begrudgingly hand you a form to fill out or if they are truly interested in helping and getting to know you, makes a big difference. 

Many communities have private K-12 schools for students with learning challenges.  Take advantage of these schools as resources and ask them where they’re sending their students to college.

In addition to visiting campuses, use the Click Test. 

The Click Test is going on a university’s website and figuring out how many clicks it takes to get to the learning challenges part of the school’s website.  This can be very telling.  Is the learning challenges page of the website front and center or does it take many clicks to find it?

how many click does it take you to the information you need

Also, search for colleges that are looking for students with learning challenges.  Reach out to someone who works in the learning challenges program and they should get back to you.  The speed with which they get back to you can also be very telling.

What specifically does the SALT Center offer for students with learning challenges?

Dr. Miller:  The SALT Center offers a suite of comprehensive services designed to maximize student engagement and success at the University of Arizona.

For most of our students, this success grows out of a close relationship with their specific Student Support Specialist, an experienced professional that meets with them every week to implement an individualized learning plan, help them explore study strategies, stay organized, and navigate the complex college environment.

Students also benefit from our robust array of tutoring services. With around 100 peer tutors on staff, we’re able to offer one-on-one and small group tutoring appointments for almost any undergraduate class at convenient times throughout the week. Students can also visit our drop-in tutoring labs for help with most reading, writing, math, science, and business courses. Our CRLA certified tutors are specifically trained to help students with learning and attention challenges and endeavor to create a learning environment that facilitates independent and lifelong learning.

know what support the university can offer you

Another popular service that we offer is our educational technology support. Students can consult with a student Tech Coach or the Educational Technology Coordinator for help with a specific tech concern or explore different apps and tech tools to get better organized or study more effectively.

For students experiencing significant emotional health concerns, we’re able to offer our in-house psychological services. Generally, our psychological team assists with issues related to anxiety, depression, stress, grief and loss, substance abuse, sleep disorders, and managing life in college. These confidential meetings with qualified staff provide students with a clinical assessment, treatment plan, additional supportive strategies, and if deemed necessary, referral for outside resources.

Throughout the semester we also put on a variety of workshops designed to give students the opportunity to learn new skills and academic strategies, provide a better understanding of their learning challenges, and explore ways to adapt learning strategies to best suit their individual learning styles.

In addition to our core offerings, students are also provided with various opportunities to develop their social and leadership skills in both formal and informal settings. These include regular outings with a member of the university faculty, career readiness events provided with assistance from SALT Center alumni, small-group social skills workshops for students needing additional focused support, and opportunities for employment as a SALT Center Ambassador, Peer Tutor or Tech Coach.

What specifically does the Program for Academic Learning Skills (PALS) offer for students with learning challenges?

Ms. Yindra:  PALS is a comprehensive fee-based program.  PALS pairs students with a Learning Specialist.  Students have regular one on one meetings with their Learning Specialist to discuss better ways to write a paper, better ways to study for a test, etc.  They really do a deep dive into the student and get to know the student well.  Learning Specialists do not necessarily tutor in a particular subject per se, but it is the job of the Learning Specialist to make sure the student gets connected with a tutor from whatever particular subject the student is struggling with.  The Learning Specialist helps with learning skills and acts as the student’s caseworker and helps them coordinate all of their support team.  Learning Specialists help students organize and manage their daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly schedules, etc.

What sets the SALT Center apart from other universities’ support services for students with learning challenges?

Dr. Miller:  Since our founding in 1980, our approach has been widely recognized as one of the most effective in helping undergraduates thrive in higher education. I feel that much of this success is a result of our unique position as one of the world’s only comprehensive academic support programs housed within a top tier research university.

As an integral part of the university community, we have long been at the forefront of developing and pioneering research-informed interventions. We have strong national and international research partnerships and a history of collaborating with researchers from around the globe. Bartlett Labs, our in-house research division, orchestrates these efforts and strives to ensure that our students are benefitting from the resulting discoveries.

As part of our commitment to providing students with the highest quality support, we also make it a priority to invest heavily in the professional development and continuing education of our staff. We work closely with our campus community of educational and wellness practitioners to provide relevant training and opportunities for collaboration and exchange. Additionally, we are continually evaluating our approach and processes adjusting them to ensure that we are not only in compliance with best practices but setting a new standard for excellence.

Lessons gleaned from decades of LD research inform everything we do all the way down to the design and construction of our award-winning, 21,000 square ft., building. Our center was custom built to meet the unique needs of our staff and students and integrates the latest in educational technology systems, collaborative work areas, and modular learning spaces spread over three different levels.

SALT is a program by university of arizona

Students at the SALT Center also have the benefit of attending a university filled with some of education’s brightest minds from across the academic spectrum. Most professors are keenly aware of our efforts and are eager to learn how they can enhance their instruction to better work with students who learn differently. To amplify our impact and raise awareness of our mission, we regularly meet with instructors and advisors from across campus, holding training and forging partnerships that open doors for our students to be better understood and valued as important members of the learning community.

The last thing that I would say sets our program apart is the degree to which we partner with students to foster their self-awareness, confidence, resilience, and growth.

Many of our students view the SALT Center as their second home and spend several hours a week with us where they are taught to embrace their hardships and learn from their failures. A growth mindset is at the heart of everything we do, and we often hear from alumni that their time at the SALT Center altered the trajectory of their lives giving them the self-confidence and attitude to thrive as adults.

Click Here to Learn More About SALT.

What sets PALS apart from other universities’ support services for students with learning challenges?

Ms. Yindra:  The way that PALS is structured—it is a very long-term commitment.  Many students meet with their Learning Specialist all four years, while others attend regular meetings for the first year and then feel confident enough to tackle the rest of college on their own. 

However, PALS is always there for students with learning challenges.  When you’re a junior or senior and applying for an internship or a graduate program, PALS Learning Specialists will write recommendations for students, etc.

Another thing that sets PALS apart is that it is embedded in the campus community at Hofstra, where we communicate and collaborate across all departments at Hofstra.  The Learning Specialist is not only in close communication with the student but also with tutors and all across campus.  This sets PALS apart from other programs.  Our PALS program generates an 85% success rate in terms of freshman to sophomore year retention.  The graduation rate of students in the PALS program is the same as, or sometimes slightly higher than, the graduation rate of the general population at Hofstra.

Click Here to Learn More About PALS.

Written by Jason Katz

This interview article was conducted and written by Insight Counselor Jason Katz.

Jason has helped hundreds of students gain admission to their best-fit universities. In addition, he wrote more than 170 college admissions/college life columns for the Palo Alto Daily News and the San Jose Mercury News. 

Black lives matter to Insight community

From Our Founders

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Dear Insight Community,

 

It has taken us a number of days to gather our thoughts and put something down on paper to share what we are feeling with our Insight community. The country and the world are going through significant turmoil and the most recent events of the past few weeks, culminating in the murder of George Floyd, left us all numb. Sadness does not adequately describe how we are feeling when faced with the reality of what this tragedy says about our society and the challenges that lie ahead. But we do realize that we have a responsibility to our students, their families, and our employees at times such as these. 

 

Since we were founded in 1999, our mission at Insight Education has been to empower our students to thrive in high school and college, but also to prepare for life after their formal education has concluded. One of the most important things we can do is to inculcate in our students a tolerance for and appreciation of differences across our human diaspora and the strength to stand up against injustice. We strongly believe in justice, equality, and humanity. We stand with those fighting for these basic human rights. For too long, society has stayed silent and those unaffected have conveniently looked the other way. It is time to stand up and demand change. 

 

For those students who want to talk to us about what this moment in our history means to them, we will listen intently. For those students who want to create ways to support their fellow human beings, we will encourage them. For those students who want to learn about systemic racism, we are ready to educate and learn alongside you. For those students who are weary, as we are, about the uncertainty of the time we are living in, we will reassure you. We want all members of our Insight community to feel seen, heard, and valued.  We are listening and we stand with you in solidarity.

 

We believe that college isn’t just about content knowledge and pre-professional development, but an opportunity to learn from others’ backgrounds, to gain exposure to new cultures and life experiences, to understand the inequities and imbalances in society, to engage in intellectual discourse, and to learn skills that will be to the benefit of society at large. We encourage our students to seek out opportunities to stretch their imaginations, challenge their long-held beliefs, and to be receptive to new and difficult ideas. 

 

This is an important moment in all of our lives. It is time to stand up and actively work together to dismantle systems that support racism and build a society that better reflects our values. We must do better and that starts with us.

 

We are committed to doing our part both in our personal lives and in our professional lives, leading Insight forward post-Covid and towards a more just, equitable, and compassionate society.

 

 

Black Lives Matter. We are in this together. 

Purvi Mody & Ajit Jain 

A Little Etiquette Can Still Take You A Long Way

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We live in a society driven by technology, that allows individuals to interact through keyboards and some kind of screen. Unfortunately, this means that some people either lose their politeness or don’t develop it in the first place. The anonymity of how we interact these days means we are losing some of the skills that are truly fundamental to relationships.

 

Unfortunately, high school students and college students will actually suffer from this. First impressions are built upon initial emails and interactions. Interviews are impeded by an inability to understand one’s physical and social cues. Internships and jobs may not be offered. Relationships with peers and colleagues may not forge naturally. So below are a few skills that I hope you will work hard to inculcate in your lives:

 

Please and thank you: In a time of 280-character updates, text messaging and a million emails a day, we often don’t think that we have the time to be polite. But remember to say please and thank you when it matters — which is always. When you write an email with a request, be polite in how you go about doing so. Your rushed off message can come across as rude to the recipient, reducing that person’s desire to assist you.

 

Be courteous in all messages: Unless you are sending a text or message to BFF or mom, start off messages with at least a hello, if not something more formal. Sign off by writing your name or initials. Take the extra three seconds to show that you care about this message and how the other person perceives you. For example, a student sent me a sample email he was going to send his teacher about a missing assignment. It went like this: “Can you put in the missing assignment from Tuesday? I should actually have an A in the class.” There was no “Dear Ms. Teacher.” The email was demanding and selfish in nature, even though that is certainly not how the student meant it. A better email would have been, “Dear Ms. Teacher, I noticed that I am missing an assignment from Tuesday, but I handed that in. Would you mind checking on it, please? If there is a problem, please let me know what I should do to get it sorted out. Thanks so much, Student.” It is especially important to be courteous and use proper and polite language when you are engaging with any type of superior. You can get away with a little more with your casual friends and family.

 

Be on time: A student showed up 20 minutes late this weekend for a scheduled exam. He was told he would have to wait or come back at another time since he was not on time. His father then proceeded to tell me he did not know that his son had to be on time for appointments. Yes, things happen and we cannot always be on time, but we should at least make a concerted effort. Showing up late demonstrates a lack of respect for the person waiting for you. And more importantly, it is wasting their time as well as yours. Plan events that you can be on time for. If you know that you are not a morning person, do not schedule classes, interviews, and appointments for earlier than 9 or 10 a.m. If you will have to travel a distance to get to your destination, account for rush hours, accidents or just traffic. Being late also causes you to be stressed out, which is never a good thing.

 

Learn to make proper phone messages: Do not assume that the person you are calling has Caller ID. When you leave a message, start with “Hello my name is …” Be concise in why you are calling and repeat your name and phone number so that someone can call you back. If you leave an email address on the message, make sure that it is a simple email to understand and spell it out. And say thank you or bye before you end the call.

 

Give people time to get back to you: Often, a student will send me an email and then immediately call me asking the same question in the email. I know we live in a time when people are accessible nearly around the clock but do not assume that you will receive a response instantaneously. Just as you are probably working on many things, so is that other person. A little patience will go a long way in preserving a relationship.

 

More than anything, think about how you would like to be treated when interacting with other people. Human interaction is core to our lives, but it is up to us to make that interaction meaningful and considerate.

 

The Art of Informational Interviews

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Have you ever heard of an informational interview? 

 

The purpose of an informational interview is you are reaching out to a professional to learn more about a specific field of interest, or their job and career. Fun fact, it’s actually because of an informational interview that I ended up becoming a college counselor at Insight! I was curious about college counseling, I reached out to a number of local organizations, and three years later I’m still here happily with Insight!

 

 

The first step is to think “what is my goal” – what exactly is it that you want to get from the person you’re reaching out to. Are you looking for an internship? Are you looking for more information about that field? It’s important to make the “ask” of your email to this person as specific as possible. If you just start emailing everyone that works in a tech company because you’re interested in that field, it’s less likely someone will take you up on your request. Rather, be specific about what you’re asking, and why you’re asking this specific person.

 

Secondly, write out a short and sweet email targeted to the person and/or area that you are reaching out to. In the email you want to include your name, if you have any background experience that is relevant, and ask for something! It’s one of those funny things, you may feel awkward asking for something, but people often enjoy being asked for something like this because it shows how much they have accomplished. Letting them know that you are aware of their work and achievements, and want to learn from them, is a pretty great thing to share. 

Here is an example of an email template you should NOT follow:

 

“Hi Professor,

I am interested in Geology. Please can you give me an internship?

Thanks, 

Student name”

 

The above email is impersonal and it shows little knowledge about the professor and why you are reaching out to them. Remember, before this contact with them, the recipient most likely doesn’t know who you are, which means they aren’t very likely to look at an email like that and say “Yes, ok, I will give this person an internship”.

 

Now, here is an email template that may be closer to what you will send: 

 

“Dear Professor name, 

I hope this email finds you well. My name is student name and I am very passionate about Geology. I am reaching out to you today because I have learned about your research into x area and am incredibly interested to learn more! 

I particularly liked x part of research because it relates to a project I recently completed. My project was about project info here. 

I would love to talk with you for 10 minutes to learn a little more about your research and my future in the Geology field. I want to be respectful of your time, so please let me know what works best for you. 

Thank you very much for your time!

Kind regards,

Student name” 

 

Once you have organized a time to speak with the target of your informational interview, make sure you come prepared with questions that can help you with your “ask”. Depending on who you are speaking with, this may be questions about research, what it was like to major in a specific subject, how they achieved something specific – whatever it may be, do your homework. Being prepared shows that you really value their time and will make a great impression. And remember, while talking on the phone can be a little daunting, making the effort to go further than an email will set you apart from others that stick to behind a computer screen communication only. If one of your end goals is to get an internship, or maybe even a job with this person, putting in the time to set yourself apart from the rest is vital. 

 

Good luck with your informational interviews, enjoy yourself and enjoy learning more from the great people you get to speak with!

 

All the best, 

Team Insight 

 

The Value of Networking

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Networking: It’s an intimidating term to be sure.  I remember first hearing that word as a college freshman, and immediately shrinking away from any follow-up conversation in the moment. Networking sounded like something my Dad did at hospital functions, some obscure activity that only mattered to people who were old enough to legally sip wine, who wore suits and ties to work every day, and who had laminated business cards in their wallets ready to hand out following each handshake. None of it made sense to me – who starts discussions with complete strangers anyway? 

 

Well, as crazy as it is for me to admit, freshman year of college was half a lifetime ago now. And boy has my perspective changed! Having seen firsthand the value of networking in wildly dissimilar workplace environments, in a variety of fields and seasons, from coast-to-coast and at different ages, I can tell you confidently that networking counts.  It is important not just as an adult mind you, but as a graduate student, an undergraduate student, and, wait for it…, as a high school student.

 

Essentially, networking refers to interacting with other people to develop professional contacts and relationships and exchanging information.  Often you are aiming to share details about your services with others, but this process is not limited to those who are a part of a small business or a large company.  Meeting with people of all ages can lead to new ideas, learning about different points of view, and building social friendships. 

 

Networking can also effectively allow students to more quickly grow comfortable in a new setting, such as a college campus.  It really only takes effort and a little self-motivation. Go out of your way to introduce yourself to your professors.  Visit them during office hours. Discuss your interests and seek answers to how you can learn more away from campus. You never know who knows who. The conversation that you were initially nervous to have could end up being your way to secure a job interview, or an introduction to the founder of a local business,  or a startup that is on the fast track. If your professor isn’t available, then meet with your TA, who probably has already been through the exact same process that you are experiencing now. You might even meet someone who has a contact at a company through which you can simply request an informational interview.  Taking that step can demonstrate your drive and interest level since you are telling them that learning about the company is something that you value, even if it doesn’t lead to a job.

 

If you are willing to network openly in high school, even better! The lessons you learn and the skills that you develop will all translate to college life. Go out with your friends, and seek new experiences.  Visit museums and sit leisurely in coffee shops. Look for postings on bulletin boards and go online.  Join Nextdoor to see what people nearby are doing. Create a LinkedIn account and be thorough in your profile, especially as it relates to summer internships, volunteering, activities, work history, and overall interests. You do not have to be 25 to have a LinkedIn account, and in fact, many younger students are realizing that it’s a great way to get their names out there.  Talk to recent high school graduates from the year above you, either in person or by sending a private message.  You’d be surprised how many people will take an interest in trying to help peers who share a similar background.

 

Of course, be willing to join clubs as well. There are few better ways to meet people who love the same things that you love. If you don’t know what you love, you are not alone. Pick a club that sounds intriguing and attend the first couple of meetings. Even if that club is the wrong choice, there is huge value in learning what you don’t love as well, because that knowledge helps to narrow your focus going forward. If you’ve tried 10 clubs in high school and found none to your liking, don’t worry!  Your future college will in some cases offer 20 times the number of clubs that your high school did, many of which you’ve probably never heard of.  And if you’re feeling ambitious and can’t find an exact match, consider starting your own club. Those who join will become your contacts, maybe even your friends, and people who remember that you were the one who provided them with a new opportunity.

 

Remember, don’t be afraid to take chances. Put yourself out there and introduce yourself to the world. Today’s students have more opportunities to network than ever before, so be brave and speak up.  Talk to your Insight counselor about the best ways to get started. Better yet, ask us who we know.  We are here to help.

 

Best wishes,

Zach Pava and The Insight Team 

Encourage Creativity In Your Teen

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One of the questions I always ask recruiters, CEOs and entrepreneurs is what trait do they most want to see in potential hires? 

 

Almost every time the respondent states that, beyond strong academics and analytical skills, the quality they seek out is creativity. In a world where technology is seeping into every facet of the workplace, organizations need employees that are able to interpret numbers differently, are able to think outside the box when looking for solutions, and able to come up with new ideas.

 

If you are the parent of a high school student, you may wonder how this applies to you. Remember that school is not about getting your teen to memorize a bunch of history facts or knowing how many degrees there are in a circle. Those are exercises are all intended to give your child the ability to think. And while students do develop expertise in a given field in college, we know that information becomes old in an instant, but creativity can last a lifetime.

 

So as a parent, work hard to nurture creativity in your children and teens now. Every day will present opportunities to do so, below are just a few examples to get you started:

 

1- When your teen is facing a problem at school, rather than giving them the solution, sit down with them and talk through different solutions.  Ask these questions: What can you do to solve the problem? If that does not work, what is your alternative? If you had to give someone advice about the same problem, what would you say?

 

2- If your child has to create a project for school, encourage them to come up with ideas and stretch the boundaries. Your child might fail, but there is learning to be gleaned from negative experiences. Be cautious of not jumping in to do the project for them, but rather let them bounce ideas off of you. Be honest in your feedback, but remember, your child’s creative juices take precedence over your past experiences.

 

3- Encourage storytelling in your home. I often ask teens to write stories using a list of specific vocabulary words. The stories don’t have to make sense, but they allow students to exercise their brains. If students are really stuck, I get them started with things like – tell me a story using your favorite character from a book, or create a story using your friends as the main characters. You, too, should jump in with your own tales.

 

4- Inspire creative writing at home. Some schools will include creative writing as part of their curriculums, while others stick to more traditional writing. At home, ask your teen to write stories using simple prompts. You might get some resistance at first, but then hopefully your teen will jump right in. Keep topics simple and let your child’s imagination take over. Here are a few to get you started: Facebook, School Bus, Cereal, Field Trip, and the Locket.

 

5- Encourage tinkering. Allowing your child to take apart the DVR and put it back together might not seem like the best idea. But let them. And let them run loose in the garage with the tools and some supervision. And crayons and markers are not just for toddlers. Too often kids are stationed in front of their computer screens. But close the screen and encourage your child to use their hands to create.

 

6- Just like companies encourage their employees to write down ideas on a white board, create a space where ideas can be shared safely. Whether that be a whiteboard, a piece of paper, or a text message, sharing ideas without judgment can be liberating.

 

It is so easy to get focused on the immediate need in front of us – homework, a project, or studying for a test. But step back and think about the long-term goal of education – to prepare your teen for their career and life. Encouraging creativity will give them the skills to be more successful in every facet of their life. 

 

All the best,

Purvi Mody and Team Insight 

Personal Fulfillment Counts as Much as Academic Success

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The holidays are always a great time to reflect on the past year and look forward to a fresh start. With my students, we talk about the past year, revisit goals that had been set and create resolutions for the upcoming year. These are some resolutions that I believe every teen should incorporate into their lives, not just for academic success but also for personal fulfillment. It’s easy for teens and their parents to focus on just academics, test scores, and college applications, but these years are fundamental to who a student will become as an adult.

 

• Resolve to get involved in at least one activity for the pure pleasure of it. You may already have a laundry list of clubs that will look good on college applications, but do you truly enjoy each and every one? Perhaps the Ultimate Frisbee Club or taking photography lessons have eluded your schedule thus far but really excite you. If so, make the time. Remember that life is not just about doing what you have to do but also about pursuing your curiosities and interests.

 

• Resolve to have meaningful conversations with people. Sure, it is easy to just text a quick note, instruction or piece of gossip. But is it really that exciting, being at the mercy of your phone or messaging app? Sit down with friends and talk in person. Talk about what you love, what bothers you, your hopes and aspirations. This is how friendships are strengthened.

 

• Resolve to put your phone away and actually smell the roses. These days, people cross the street with their eyes on their smartphone rather than oncoming traffic. We are so obsessed with this little screen that the world is literally passing us by. There are so many things that can be learned by just paying attention to what is around us.

 

• Resolve to sleep more. Everyone complains about being tired at some point during the year (or every single day). There is one simple solution. Sleep more. Yes, there will be nights when you have so much work that getting a full night’s rest is impossible. Those nights should be the exceptions and not the norm. If you really look at how you spend your time, I am certain that you will find wasted time that could have been better spent getting those much-needed winks.

 

• Resolve to read at least five books this year for pleasure (more is better). While you are required to read for class, find some books that you are excited about. You can check out the New York Times’ Best Sellers list if you need some suggestions. And with all these meaningful conversations that you have resolved to have this year, I bet your friends will recommend some amazing options as well. These books will expose you to new ideas, experiences and perspectives.

 

• Resolve to think of school as a place of learning and not just grades. I understand that there is immense pressure to perform academically, but the idea of learning for the sake of learning has become a foreign concept.

 

We have become slaves to GPAs and test scores. But in your classes, focus on learning concepts and analyzing ideas. Ask the deeper questions. Remember the hows and whys. In the long term, this is what will help you to be more successful in college and in life. At work, people who are able to think creatively and analytically are the ones who are highly sought out.

 

The year can be a fulfilling and meaningful one. 

For High School Grads, the Rocky Road to Success Begins Now

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This time of year inspires much hope, and graduations play a big role in that. Students are leaving a huge part of their lives behind, ready and equipped for that next step. And while messages of “conquering the world” or “doing anything you put your mind to” are heartwarming and empowering, they don’t fully relay the messages we should be sending to our teens.

 

Life is challenging, as it should be, full of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Life will push you to your limits and broaden your perspectives.

 

The path to success is not a line easily treaded. Rather success is defined by how you overcome adversity and learn from your experiences.

 

So with this thought in mind, I wanted to share the advice I give to my graduates:

 

• Don’t forget your manners. About the time you learned to talk, your parents probably started teaching you manners. Please and thank you became major parts of your vocabulary. These manners should not disappear when you leave the house. You can still be a ruthless businessman or the toughest teacher if you are kind. And be kind to everyone even if you think they are “below” you. When someone comes in for an interview in my office, I listen to how he speaks to our office manager or other staff. I do the same with clients. This tells me quite a bit about how you interact with others. And in life, we want to spend time those we like.

• Accept that life is full of failures and disappointment. Don’t sweep these under the rug. Embrace them. Learn from them. Use them to launch you to greatness.

• Ask for help. There is very little that you can do all on your own. Somewhere somehow, someone can help you. Don’t be afraid to ask others for help. Doing so is not a sign of weakness, but rather one of strength. The best teams are built of people who have different strengths that get pooled for maximum results.

• Pursue your non-professional interests. You may want to be a doctor, but your life does not have to revolve around science. You may want to be an artist, but there has to be more to your life than your art. The most interesting people in life pursue many endeavors. Doing so will expose you to a more diverse group of people and friends, give you unique opportunities, and most importantly, bring you happiness and fulfillment.

• Learn to face conflict. Human beings are irrational and selfish beings by nature. These tendencies cultivate conflict. Learn to meet it head-on. Study leadership styles and effective communication. Often, conflict can be handled with a few simple words or easy negotiation. Practice patience. And in escalated situations, remember to ask for help.

• Pick your battles. Avoid unnecessary conflict. Stay away from the petty fights and issues that simply suck up your energy so you have the tolerance for issues that really matter to you. This might mean being choosy with your friendships and time. That is OK. Your time is undefined but finite. Use it well.

• Spend less time online and more time “in life.” It is great to see what your friends all had for dinner, but it is even better to have an amazing conversation with a new or old friend. It is nice to have pictures of all the cool places you have been to, but it is better to immerse yourself in those experiences so you build memories rather than photo books. Experience life rather than just living vicariously through a screen.

• You can do anything you put your heart and mind to. It is just going to be harder and more fulfilling than you can imagine. Graduating from high school will be one of the easiest things you will do in life. That does not mean you did not work hard. You did. But every step is in preparation for the next. Every step (including the backward ones) will push you closer and closer to your dreams. So dream big, but work harder. Imagine a life of possibilities and then prepare yourself for the journey.

 

Congratulations to the class of 2018. You are closing one chapter of your life only to have the rest of your life to look forward to. Enjoy every moment along the way.

 

All the best,

Team Insight 

Dealing with Rejection from your Top College Choice

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You’ve opened the letter, read the email, visited the portal. The response is not what you were hoping for. You’re disappointed, and this is a very fair reaction.

 

Applying for colleges is a long and hard process, one that takes up a lot of your time both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, a lot of students feel that not getting into the top college of their choice is embarrassing or a reflection on them as a person. We want to make sure you know right away:

 

That is not the case.

 

The number of students applying to colleges is skyrocketing. UCLA had a 5.7% increase in freshman fall 2018 applications this year, and those numbers are similar across many college admissions departments. Colleges have a very tough job selecting students to join to their campus, and the hard truth is that they will have to send rejection letters to thousands of very deserving students. 

 

Do you know what the great news is?

 

You will get into plenty of other schools. You probably already have! You will get to open acceptance letters to some other truly great colleges and decide which of those is the best fit for you. It is important to remember that you still have some big decisions to make, and that come time to start at your new college, you will still feel just as excited stepping foot on to the campus you get to call home for the next little while.

 

For now, take some time to feel disappointed. Dealing with rejection is an important part of life as we grow up, and it is natural to feel sad when things don’t go the way you wanted. Give yourself a few days to feel those emotions, but make sure to talk it out with someone you trust (parents, siblings, friends or your guidance counselor are all great options). Practice some self-compassion. 

 

Most importantly, don’t dwell.

 

After a few days, it is important that you get back on track. You will be getting acceptance news, and when you do you will need to decide how you want to make your acceptance decisions. This will be a wonderful time and one that you have earned with all your hard work, so enjoy it and treasure the moment!

 

Creating an Admissions Appropriate Online Persona

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The advent of technology certainly has made the college admissions process easier and more accessible to the nearly 2 million high school seniors who apply each year. But it has also made our lives so much more transparent and visible than ever before. And college admissions officers, trying to glean as much as they can about their candidates, have begun turning to the Internet to do so.

While many kids choose to turn off their social media accounts during the important admissions season, I would recommend letting admissions officers into your online lives a little bit more — but do so very carefully.

Most teenagers these days have Facebook accounts, Instagram accounts, and more and more are tweeting regularly. Some are even on LinkedIn hoping to get a jump start on their networking. And while teens typically look to social media for staying connected and keeping up, it can also be a huge opportunity to show admissions officers what you do in your free time.

So follow these steps for creating an admissions appropriate online persona:

• Privatize whatever you don’t want admissions officers to see, whether pictures or posts. While you cannot control what others post, you can control what others see. You should become familiar with the different privacy settings and test them out as soon as possible. If there are pictures up that you definitely don’t want viewed by admissions officers, or anyone, kindly ask the people who posted them to remove them. If your online self simply does not show you in a positive light and no amount of fidgeting with settings will change that, then block anyone you don’t know from seeing your information. But you should also then think about what you post going forward. These sites are not going anywhere and admissions officers and even employers will be checking them out in their decision making process.

• Watch the language. Whether you are tweeting, writing wall posts or making comments, be aware of your language. Definitely no cursing allowed. Write intelligently and thoughtfully. Don’t write anything you would not want your mother to see. Don’t write something that you wouldn’t say in person – just because you have the mask of your social profile, make sure whatever you are saying is something you would be comfortable saying in-person. 

• Do damage control. Go through your online profiles for the last two years. If you are unsure about something that is posted, delete it. Err on the side of being too cautious. While admissions officers will not spend hours digging through your profiles, you only have one opportunity to make a first impression, so make sure that any click one would make on your profiles would lead to something interesting and positive.

• Post about the positive things in your life! If you had an amazing debate round, or really connected with someone you volunteered with, or had a really amazing volleyball match, feel free to post. If you philosophically disagree with a theory you are learning in economics, are excited about spending the holidays with your favorite cousins, or are counting down the days until the next school dance, feel free to post.

• Be yourself and post about things that are important to you. Doing so will let admissions officers learn more about what you think about in your spare time and how you interact with others. If you love to blog about current events, make those blogs public. If you watch all the new movies and immediately write reviews, make those reviews available. You can still be a teenager. You certainly should not try to be someone you are not. Rather, this is an opportunity to highlight what you want others to see — exactly what you are trying to do in your college applications.

Social media makes it easier for people to see what you don’t want them to see, but it can also be a great opportunity to give others a glimpse into who you are. Rather than wasting that chance, make the most of it by making the most of all that technology has to offer.

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