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It ain't over 'till it's over...

Junior year is the hardest one, right? And senior year is… vacation! Well, maybe not…

The truth is, when it comes to applying to college, senior year counts.

Think of it this way:

Senior year = the last two minutes of the NCAA Tournament game!

Here are some tips for making your senior year and your college search a win-win.

1. Choose challenging courses: College’s wants to see consistent improvement over four years and a challenging curriculum. Siena requires four years of English and History and three-four years of Math, Science, and a Foreign Language, depending on your intended major (Business majors – this means four years of math!). In addition, AP or honors level classes are great preparation for college and proof that you’ve challenged yourself academically throughout high school.

2. Keep your grades up: Most colleges are going to request your first quarter grades (at least) so it’s very important to work as hard as possible and finish out the year strong. Don’t forget, we see your final grades too – so don’t slack off, even after your acceptances.

Final minutes of the game, don’t let up.

3. SAT/ACT: Feel free to take either test more than once but no later than October 1st.

Fouled on jump shot, a second chance to score some points!

4. Stay involved: Continue to participate in clubs and activities; but don’t try to join too many senior just to fill your resume. Think “quality over quantity”.

As the clock winds down be as active as possible.

5. See your counselor: Meet with your school counselor regularly to make sure your information is organized and arrives to colleges on time.

Final timeout of the game make sure everything is in order - no mistakes!

6. Maintain college contact: Schedule visits/interviews for September-November. Get the business cards of admissions counselors you meet and follow up with a call or e-mail should you have any questions (we love thank you notes too!).

Get involved in the game as many ways as you can.

7. Have fun!

Win the game in crunch time, when it matters most!

Checking In

Hello Readers!

We hope you've been enjoying our blog and learning from our insider tips and tricks.

Thank you for all of the positive comments! Please feel free to ask us to blog about a particular topic of interest as well - we are happy to give you the information you need most.

Recently, there have been some great news articles about college education. Some have mentioned Siena and some haven't, but we thought you may be interested to read the few below.

Enjoy! And as always, let us know what you think!

Rah, Rah, Resume! Like the schools mentioned in this New York Times article, Siena's Career Center offers lifetime services to alumni. So if you lose your job in twenty years? We've got your back. Click here to visit Siena's Career Center online.

Prospective students are concerned over the cost of tuition. And so are current students! With a depressed economy, even students who are already in college are worrying about making tuition payments and many are forced to consider transferring to schools with lower tuition. In Albany's Times Union, Siena gets a shout out for helping even our current students find the aid they need.

As a Met's fan, this one stings a little. But there is a little sweet in this bitter loss - because this winning Major League Baseball Star is a Siena grad!

Pictured above - Kelly Patterson '12, Alex Evanciew '10, and Neila Lachhander '12, on the patio of Siena's Sarazen Student Union on a beautifully sunny day in Loudonville!

Applying to College with a Learning Disability

The first question for many parents and students alike is, “Do I, or don’t I reveal my LD to the college admissions office?”

The answer: YES!

Now, let me tell you how….

THE DISCUSSION

Your K-12 LD accommodations are governed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (I.D.E.A. - for full text click here). This is legislation focused on the successful completion of high school graduation requirements. Your districts’ responsibility to meet the recommendations of your I.E.P. (Individualized Education Program) is regulated by this document.

While colleges do offer a wide array of accommodations for students with LDs, I.D.E.A. does not extend to higher education. College offices for learning disabled students are focused on students understanding and utilizing the entire scope of resources available to them. However, they are powerless to aid students unless students self-advocate for their needs first.

Therefore, a serious discussion must take place between you, your parents, and your school counselor concerning your progress through high school. Review your accommodations; which resources have you consistently used resulting in positive and successful work? Furthermore, which resources do you believe you need to continue that success at the next level, college? After having this conversation you are ready to speak in more detail to admissions counselors in regards to their college’s resources.

THE SEARCH

Notifying admissions of your LD provides those who review your application with a clearer picture of your academic experiences. After being accepted, some families release the students 504 Plan and achievement tests for review. After confirming with an institution, it is left to the college students to contact the LD office and requested accommodations. Examples of accommodations offered at many colleges are extended time, note takers, and read instructions/questions, to name a few.
Although resource rooms may not be an option, understanding your need for access to faculty members and other academic support services can be intricate to your search.

For example, at Siena where the average class size is 21, professors are readily accessible in class or during office hours. Siena offers students support at our Counseling Office, Tutoring Services, and our student-run Writing Center. These are universal services available to all students, but can be particularly helpful to students needing an encouraging mentor or extra help.

Public versus Private

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No, I’m not talking about displays of affection. I’m talking about college options!




As you conduct your search, you realize you have a lot to figure out. Small vs. big, liberal arts vs. technical, suburban vs. urban vs. rural, your list of options looks like the March Madness NCAA bracket. Where is the ESPN commentary of college admissions?

Mary Buckheit, a 2002 Siena grad and writer for ESPN Page 2, breaks down public versus private in her comparison of Ohio State and Siena before their first round match-up in March of 2009. Choosing a college could be simple if you only had two choices; double overtime or your point guard shooting to win at the buzzer.

We know there are more choices when searching for the college that best fits you. While compiling your list, look at both public and private institutions. Read the mission statement of the college and underline the words that are important to you. Then ask the college officials how those words in the mission are put into action for the undergraduate student.

If reading mission statements for all of the colleges you plan on applying to seems daunting, then try this route:

Since private and public colleges offer many similar experiences, asking these basic questions will help you discover their differences:

What is your student/faculty ratio and average class size for my major and for core classes? How many of your faculty members teach full-time?

Why? Smaller faculty/student ratios and smaller classes lead to an engaged undergraduate experience. Faculty members know your name and recognize your potential. Full-time teachers at institutions are ready for your questions and are eager to push you; their student. There are endless stories of undergraduates publishing work, taking classes abroad and presenting at conferences with faculty mentors. These relationships and experiences add depth to your resume and increase networking opportunities.

Siena’s answers:
Student/Faculty ratio: 14:1
Average class size for all: 21
Full-time faculty: 178 with 93% holding the highest degree in their field

What is your freshmen retention rate? What is your four-year graduation rate? What is your job/professional school placement after graduation?

Why? Freshmen retention essentially means the percentage of first-year students who enjoyed their experience and are psyched to come back for year two. Graduation rates offer a way to measure students’ success. The students enjoyed their four years and the classes offered and they graduated on time. You don’t want to be a super senior. Lastly, what they are doing after graduation tell us they were prepared for success.

Siena’s answers:
Freshmen retention rate: 87%
Four-year graduation rate: 73%
Job/Graduate school placement: 98%

What is the most active club on campus? What is the second most active? Do you find the students living on campus for their four years?

Why? College is about developing the whole person – academically, socially, spiritually and professionally. You are in the classroom about 15 hours a week. If college is a 40-hour work week, you have 25 hours of unfilled time, not to mention the nights and weekends. That’s a lot of time that needs to be filled with studying, writing papers, listening to speakers, volunteering, joining clubs, planning and attending school events and just hanging out. It’s also a lot of time to learn life lessons outside of the classroom, to figure out what is important to you, and to push yourself to exceed your potential. If you’re at a place that does not challenge you academically or socially, or a place you just don’t like, it’s a lot of wasted time and money.

Siena’s answers:
Most active: Dog Pound – our student cheering section for the basketball games
Second most active: Habitat for Humanity
On-campus residents: 78%

The point is, you don’t have to just rely on the NCAA brackets for your college search. Remember, whether public or private, the only right college is the college that best fits your ability and personality. These questions allow you to navigate the college search and find out if the character of the college best matches your own.

Writing Your College Essay: tips from the people who read them

It’s time to sit down and write your college essay. Hopefully, you are not in a state of last minute panic, but you are probably a bit nervous and wondering how you can make your essay different from all the rest. Don’t be nervous! The college essay is a great way to show the admissions committee who you are and what you can bring to their school.

College essay questions come in many forms, but they can generally be broken down into 3 categories:

1. The Why You Essay
2. The Why Us Essay
3. The Creative Essay

The Why You essay is exactly what it sounds like, why would you be a great asset to the college? An example of a Why You essay question, taken from the Common Application, is: “Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.” Think about what you would like us to know that can’t be found on your transcript or resume.

The Why Us essay is about the college to which you are applying. Make sure to research the college before writing this type of essay. An essay about your desire to study at a major research university in the heart of a metropolitan city will make an admissions counselor from a small, rural, liberal arts college wonder why you are applying to their school.

The Creative essay allows you to show yourself off in a unique way. An example of a creative essay question, taken from the Common Application, is: “Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.” A writer can have a lot of fun with this type of question.

As you are writing and editing your essay, please keep the following in mind:

1. Answer the question. Applicants tend to write what they think the colleges want to read or may use one essay for several applications. Make sure the essay you are submitting reflects the essay question of the college to which you are applying.

2. Make it interesting. Admissions counselors can read 30 to 50 applications a day. Make your essay the one we pass around the office.

3. The admissions committee can learn a lot about you in 1-2 pages. We know you want to share a lot, but a 10 page autobiography isn’t necessary.

4. Have your essay read by a few people whose opinions you value. Your school counselor, English teacher, parents or even an older sibling are great choices. This also requires having plenty of time for editing, so don't wait until the last minute!

5. Remember that spell check does not catch everything. Keep your eyes open for typos and grammatical errors.

6. If referring to the college to which you are applying, make sure to send the right essay to the right college! We understand that you are applying to many schools, but we never like to see a competitor's name in one of our essays.

Most importantly, have fun! Writing your college essay is not as daunting as it seems. Just remember to start early, write thoughtfully, and never hesitate to ask for help.

Happy Writing!

We All Scream for Ice Cream

- surviving (and enjoying) the college admissions process -

Completing the college admissions process is a lot like making an ice cream sundae... yes, it can be fun!

The Ice Cream:

For your base, you have numerous resources (or flavors) to choose from:

Your School Counselor: Be sure to talk about…

1. what you’re looking for in a college (How far from home do you wish to be? Do you prefer urban, suburban, or rural? Do you want a big school? Or small? What do you want to study?)
2. your senior courses
3. who will write your recommendations
4. important deadlines

College Guides & Websites:

U.S. News and World Report: Best Colleges
Princeton Review: 368 Best Colleges
College Board
http://www.siena.edu/
http://www.rusiena.com/

The Hot Fudge:

College Visits: Just like hot fudge visits should be fun!
1. Make appointments with different schools. We recommend that you start during the spring of your junior year. Remember, in the summer, college students are on break. So plan spring and fall visits for an accurate impression of the school.
2. Set aside three hours per visit: One hour for an interview with an admissions counselor, one hour for a tour of campus, and one hour to visit the bookstore, have lunch in the cafeteria or visit something further.
3. Pick up materials and take notes of things you want to remember.

For more tips, see Nikki’s last blog, “The College Visit”.

The Whipped Cream:

1. Keep gathering information, like whipped cream, the more you have the better.
2. Start working on your college essay.
3. Attend college fairs and make contacts with admissions counselors (always ask for their business card).
4. E-mail or call the colleges if you have questions.
5. Keep an eye on all application, financial aid, and scholarship deadlines.

The Sprinkles:

1. Start filling out applications and requesting letters of recommendation. Give them plenty of notice along with your resume or activity sheet.
2. In November/December, request your high school transcript and your SAT or ACT scores from the respective testing sites to be sent to all of the college you are applying to.
3. Make sure to fill out any additional components required by that college to complete your application. If you use the Common Application, you may have to fill out a school-specific Supplement.

At the end of the sprinkle process your applications are completed and submitted!

The Candy Toppings:

1. Follow-up with the colleges you applied to. Make sure your application is complete.
2. Continue to still work hard in school. Senior year counts!!

And finally… The Cherry!

1. Your acceptance letters arrive as early as November and through March. Congratulations!
2. Re- visit the schools you’ve been accepted to.
3. Complete the FAFSA and any other financial aid paperwork. The FAFSA should be filed between January 1 and February 15 of your senior year.
4. Take advantage of online chats, accepted student web pages and read your mail.
5. Keep working hard – your grades still count!

6. Prepare for a great four years ahead!

Need help staying organized? Print our College Planning Calendar & Checklist:

Conducting a College Search: Timing is Everything.