RETHINKING THE HIGH SCHOOL VISIT: IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMS TO CONNECT STUDENTS AND ADMISSION COUNSELORS
Gregg Murray Michael Nation Karen Rowe Viewpoint School Oaks Christian School 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 STUDENTS AND 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 IndependentPK – 12270 upper school students2 College Counselors for graduating class
of ~70100% 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
VIEWPOINT SCHOOLCALABASAS, 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
130College Admission Counselors surveyed
College Admission Counselors greeted
by students47%College Admission Counselors offered tours by students
69%85%College Admission
Counselors responding that fewer than 1/5 of high schools they visit had a greeter
91%College Admission Counselors responding that fewer than 1 out of every 10 high schools they visited offer a tour
Admission Counselor Survey
RATING OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Welcoming Professional Friendly Informative0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
VerySomewhatNot Very
PLEASE INDICATE WHETHER THE GREETER/GUIDE HAD AN IMPACT ON
YOUR PERCEPTION OF THE FOLLOWING:
Facilit
ies
Acad
emic R
igor
Visu
al A
rts
Athl
etics
Acad
emic C
lubs
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
PositiveNo ChangeNegative
SAID TOURS IMPROVED THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCHOOL CONTEXT.
“Love seeing the HS from the
students perspective”
“Receive genuine opinions about the school”
“Feel welcomed and that the HS values my visit”
“Better
understanding of
school culture, arts
opportunities,
resources, electives,
facilities, etc.”
“There is a great level of authenticity with the personal greeting and
conversation”
“Enhanced my perspective of the school
and/or a particular student”
64%
25% OF RESPONDENTS SAID THE TOURS DID NOT IMPROVE THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE 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
51 Students surveyed
Thought the program to
greet/give a tour was beneficial to
themselves
100%Thought the program to
greet/give a tour was beneficial to their high
school
88%Rated their
experience greeting and/or touring the
admission counselor as excellent
Student Survey
94%
Improvements were also reported in Professionalism and Communication
WHY DID STUDENTS BECOME INVOLVED?
“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 CATEGORIES OF NONCOGNITIVE FACTORS
Academic Behaviors Academic Perseverance Academic Mindset Learning Strategies Social Skills
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 [email protected]
Gregg Murray - Viewpoint School [email protected]
Michael Nation - Oaks Christian School [email protected]