Enhancing School Visits through Student-Admission Counselor Connections
Explore innovative programs to cultivate meaningful interactions between students and admission counselors during high school visits. Learn how these initiatives can foster student engagement, personal growth, and provide valuable insights for both parties, ultimately transforming the college application process. Gain insights from The Meadows School, Viewpoint School, and Oaks Christian School on the benefits of connecting students and admission counselors. Discover practical advice and future initiatives to enhance the high school visit experience.
- School Visits
- Student Engagement
- College Preparation
- Admission Counselors
- Student-Counselor Connections
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Presentation Transcript
RETHINKING THE HIGH SCHOOL VISIT: IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMS TO CONNECT STUDENTS AND ADMISSION COUNSELORS Gregg Murray Viewpoint School Michael Nation Oaks Christian School Karen Rowe The Meadows School
OVERVIEW Why Connect Students and Admission Counselors? Programmatic Overview The Meadows School Viewpoint School Oaks Christian School Admission Counselor Survey Results Student Survey Results Supporting Students Noncognitive Growth
WHY CONNECT STUDENTSAND ADMISSION COUNSELORS? Add authenticity and depth to the high school visit Allow admission counselors to interact with students Educate admission counselors about student life Enable students to serve as ambassadors of the school Support student engagement in college process Encourage active participation in college search Allay student fears of the scary admission counselor Enhance students noncognitive learning opportunities Provide alternative methods to develop soft-skills
THE MEADOWS SCHOOL Las Vegas, NV Independent PK 12 270 upper school students 2 College Counselors for graduating class of ~70 100% college acceptance , very high achieving College Ambassadors Club
COLLEGE AMBASSADOR RESPONSIBILITIES Greet college admission counselors Members used for panel discussions Senior members speak with 9th and 10th grade advisory classes Sponsor Instagram account Write for the college blog Make treats for recommendation appreciation
FUTURE INITIATIVES Sponsor May 1st celebration Sponsor college of the week during announcements Sponsor a college assembly Write thank you notes to admission counselors Make a podcast highlighting the school
PROGRAMMATIC ADVICE Change can be tough Teacher buy-in Getting more underclassmen involved
VIEWPOINT SCHOOL CALABASAS, CA Independent, co-ed., college prep, PK-12, day school 500 students in grades 9-12 4 college counselors for a graduating class of ~120 students 100% college acceptance, very high achieving
FOUNDERS CLUB RESPONSIBILITIES Greet college admission counselors Provide campus tour option for college admission counselors Assist with check-in and serve as college representative hosts for Junior Case Studies Night
FOUNDERS CLUB GOALS Encourage active participation in college process Build productive relationships Create an inviting experience for college admission counselors Promote and spread college knowledge within the school through sponsored activities Promote non-cognitive learning opportunities for students
FUTURE INITIATIVES Write college visit blog from student perspective to post on social media Assist with Summer Enrichment Fair Establish leadership roles within Founders Club for individuals interested in assisting with student-to-student scheduling and communications Encourage students to create tour route and informal script for other Founders Club members
PROGRAMMATIC ADVICE Logistical issues Matching students with college admission counselor Maintain Counselor-to-Counselor relationship Student leadership & Communication
OAKS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA Independent, co-ed., college prep, 6-12, day school 950 students in grades 9-12 5 college counselors for a graduating class of 240 students 98% college acceptance, high achieving
COLLEGE COUNSELING AMBASSADORS Provide opportunities for students to become comfortable and familiar with admission counselors and the college exploration process Create an inviting atmosphere for college admission counselors with at least 1 student and 1 college counselor in attendance Promote an environment for students to see that great colleges are not defined by rankings
COLLEGE AMBASSADOR ACTIVITIES Students volunteer at the beginning of the year Greet admission counselors Host the admission counselor at a roundtable discussion (using a questionnaire as a guide- when needed) Offer a tour of the campus Walk the admission counselor out Write handwritten thank you notes (newer addition to program) Help admission counselor get a glimpse into Oaks Christian
COLLEGE COUNSELING PREFECT One student selected by a committee Announces which colleges will be on campus to peers during an all-school assembly Recruits volunteers for college counseling events Announces events that the College Counseling Office is offering Coordinates all college counseling ambassadors hosting dates/times Meets with a college counselor each week
IMPORTANT FACTORS Teacher/Administrator buy-in Well advertised (Weekly Counselor e-mails, Posted on TV s, announced at assembly each week, updated on School calendar and Naviance) 10th grade students are required to attend two visits Prefect does a lot of daily tasks Any given period we have 100-200 students with open periods If missing class, students get a teacher permission slip signed Closed Campus- one place to check in for admission counselors
IS IT WORTH THE EFFORT? Admission Counselor Responses Student Responses Learning Outcomes
Admission Counselor Survey 91% College Admission Counselors responding that fewer than 1 out of every 10 high schools they visited offer a tour 130 College Admission Counselors surveyed 85% College Admission Counselors responding that fewer than 1/5 of high schools they visit had a greeter 69% College Admission Counselors greeted by students 47% College Admission Counselors offered tours by students
RATINGOF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE 90 80 70 60 50 Very Somewhat Not Very 40 30 20 10 0
PLEASEINDICATEWHETHERTHE GREETER/GUIDEHADANIMPACTON YOURPERCEPTIONOFTHEFOLLOWING: 60 50 40 30 Positive No Change Negative 20 10 0
64% SAIDTOURSIMPROVEDTHEIR UNDERSTANDINGOFTHE SCHOOL CONTEXT. Enhanced my perspective of the school and/or a particular student Feel welcomed and that the HS values my visit Love seeing the HS from the students perspective There is a great level of authenticity with the personal greeting and conversation
25% OFRESPONDENTSSAIDTHETOURSDIDNOT IMPROVETHEIRUNDERSTANDINGOFTHE SCHOOL CONTEXT. Least favorite Aspects of Greeter/guide programs Not enough time to take a tour (cannot do it/feel bad saying no) When the student greeter replaces the opportunity to meet with a counselor Would like to know a tour is available ahead of time If it is a lesser known college, students often lack enthusiasm or are dismissive. Students should do some research before greeting them When shy, non-talkative or socially awkward student hosts greet or tour
Student Survey 51 88% Students surveyed Rated their experience greeting and/or touring the admission counselor as excellent 100% Thought the program to greet/give a tour was beneficial to their high school Thought the program to greet/give a tour was beneficial to themselves 94% Improvements were also reported in Professionalism and Communication
WHYDIDSTUDENTSBECOMEINVOLVED? To build a relationship with the college I want to go to Get a kick-start on the admissions process and get acquainted with who d be reading the applications for our school I wanted to show the rep the real me and not just the paper version they will see in my application It helped my ability to greet and connect with complete strangers
FIVE CATEGORIESOF NONCOGNITIVE FACTORS Academic Behaviors Academic Perseverance Academic Mindset Learning Strategies Social Skills Social Skills Interpersonal Skills, Empathy, Cooperation, Assertion, and Responsibility Academic Behaviors Academic Performanc e
STUDENTS SELF-REPORTED NON- COGNITIVE LEARNING OUTCOMES Professionalism Conversation Skills Communication Confidence Self-Advocacy Networking Public Speaking Leadership Initiative Accountability Time Management Organization 58% 55% 40% 36% 36% 32% 28% 25% 24% 16% 14% 14%
QUESTIONS? Karen Rowe - The Meadows School krowe@themeadowsschool.org Gregg Murray - Viewpoint School gregg.murray@viewpoint.org Michael Nation - Oaks Christian School mnation@oakschristian.org
