College Counseling Blog

2/8/12 12:07 PM in News and Events

National Signing Day

February 1st is known in the world of college athletics as “Signing Day.” A quick scan of ESPN, CNNSI, CBSSports and other websites revealed countless pages of coverage about Division I football signings. Tucked away in our own little part of paradise here in Bradenton, we had our own Division I signee in another sport with a little less fanfare but a lot of pride. Shannon Morrish signed her National Letter of Intent to join the Women’s Soccer team at Vanderbilt University in front of the entire Upper School, and it was a great accomplishment we were all able to share. Shannon’s stats are mentioned on our webpage, but we have enjoyed getting to know her here in the College Counseling office. She will be a great representative of Saint Stephen’s as she joins the Southeastern Conference, and I look forward to reading about her success in the coming years. As Shannon told one of our administrators, “I had been dreaming about this day since I was 7 years old.” It reminded me goals are what turns us all into dreamers. When those dreams are realized? It confirms the reason we dedicate our careers to education.

During the first week in May we will recognize all student athletes who will “take their talents” to the collegiate level; it’s one of my favorite days of the year. Well done Shannon, and thanks to everyone at Saint Stephen’s who made her signing a quality presentation with her friends in the Upper School.

11/16/11 2:24 PM in News and Events

A Look, Forwards and Backwards, at Athletic Recruiting

So, you want to be a college athlete? This was the title of our most recent presentation to the Upper School Parents, and the attendance was outstanding. Our speaker was Megan Coyne, the Director of Compliance at Florida Atlantic University (who you will read about someday, she will have a very successful career in college athletics). Now, for some people the behind the scenes information is not interesting, but if you are like me, you love to know how things develop prior to a presentation (which is why I am addicted to ESPN’s “30 for 30” documentary series). We usually try to take an outside speaker to dinner, to get to know him/her a little better and to go over the program. Well, the first thing that struck me about Megan was her genuine enthusiasm for being asked to present. She was excited to get some face time in front of parents to go over the crazy process known as college recruiting. I actually felt bad during dinner because I was asking her questions and not giving her a chance to eat! (I, on the other hand, had plenty of time to eat a Monte Cristo from Pier 22, I highly recommend!) Megan was kind enough to tailor her presentation to also talk about her experience as a recruited, successful Division I soccer player. And if any parent in the room mirrored what I did standing in the back, they flashed back to what it was like to be a high school athlete. My experience was much different than Megan’s, but I think we both look back on the time (I, of course have to reach much farther back in time) with the same pride and fondness. There is something about competing past high school that is addicting, and some of us search for that feeling well past our prime.

I remember like it was yesterday (add 21 years to yesterday and it really was!), a high school senior weighing my college choices. For me, tennis was my passion. I was proud that I rose up the ranks in the non-traditional way. My mom was a single parent who worked as a school secretary, so my membership to the tennis club was contingent on sweeping the courts three times a week, either at 6am or 9pm. Often times my hitting partner was a large cement wall at Rotary Park in Rutland, Vermont. I would bike there after dinner and stay until it was too dark to continue. My high school career was under the radar, I played #2 on the high school team and did not play summer tournaments mostly for the cost factor (and those players were really good). And then, I caught lightning in a bottle. I was invited to the year-end Vermont HS singles tournament. In the round of 16 I ran into the #2 player in Vermont. He was from Rice High School, and our team had just faced him a month prior in the state semi-finals. He beat my teammate and they beat us 4-3, robbing us of our best chance to advance to the state championship. Yes, I am still bitter 21 years later. He was the second best player in the state, and I was the second best player on my team, yet somehow I beat him in a third set tie-breaker. I eventually fell in the final four, but for the first time, I was on the college radar. But this was small town Vermont tennis, not the tennis that is played on a daily basis here in Florida. I had only three schools recruiting me, and the one I wanted to go to without question was Stonehill College. I was accepted, but when it came to financial aid, there was no athletic scholarship. In fact, there was not much of anything! I settled on my second choice, Colby-Sawyer College, and I had an amazing college experience playing, and eventually coaching at the Division 3 level.

I think what I remember most was the feeling of importance; coaches were calling me! Granted, only 3 really did, but still! I can only imagine the emotions some of our student-athletes go through having 3 coaches call at times daily. It is the reason I think I am so interested in helping student-athletes here at Saint Stephen’s. I have been in their shoes, but as a former coach I have also been on the other side; recruiting can be a long and thankless process. I hope I am able to provide counsel that best helps all students, athletes included.

Last year, 9 students signed a National Letter of Intent to play at the collegiate level from Saint Stephen’s. This year we anticipate a good number of athletes who will go on to play at the next level, and looking at the younger classes, we will likely be represented at some of the best academic and athletic programs in the country in the coming years. Our job will be to help navigate the added pressure that comes with being a student-athlete. Working with Carlos Boothby, Tod Creneti and to an extent many coaches, we feel very confident in helping students find the right fit both in and out of the classroom. We feel like we have an innovative system in the works to help support our student-athletes. In a rare moment of bragging, I can tell you I am proud of the way we are moving forward in this area. Coach Creneti will work closely with athletes from all sports, helping identify ways in which our students can help present themselves to college coaches. Back here in College Counseling, Mrs. Lord, Mrs. Diamond and I will help build an athletic and academic resume, identify colleges that have both the academic and athletic fit, and help in processing paperwork to coaches, admissions offices, and the NCAA. We intend on working very closely with our students and families to provide information that will best help our students. What I like about our process is that it will be tailored for each student. For some, the important need will be in sending forms. For others, they may work closely with Athletics and College Counseling often as their needs and interests evolve. I think the selfish benefits for me includes working with a dynamic individual like Coach Creneti, as well as getting a chance to tap into the athletic side of my background.

All I ask is that you be patient with me, just in case I drift off in one of the memory sequences you see in a sitcom. In my flashback, I am on my home courts in high school, beating that arrogant kid from Essex who always wore the Andre Agassi spandex outfit. It is also the same feeling I have when I play Mr. Flanigan, but I will save that for another blog.

Rick Ellis, Director of College Counseling

9/20/11 1:07 PM in News and Events

Fit

In the realm of college counseling, it is fascinating to me that a simple three letter word can, in essence, summarize the mission statement of an entire department. At Saint Stephen’s, and hopefully every other college/guidance counseling office across the country, the idea of “fit” drives everything we do in our profession. This notion of finding the right academic, social and personal higher education option for a 17 or 18 year old is the kind of puzzle solving we thrive on, and I am very fortunate to be a place where the idea of “fit” is the number one priority.

As I write this free flow diatribe, the University of Miami is giving an admissions presentation, with fifteen of our students in attendance. And as I occasionally peek in the window that separates my office from the presentation (to the clear amusement of some students!), I can actually see some of these young men and women at Miami for their college experience. But I also see some students in the room for whom the right choice for college has not hit them yet, and that is perfectly fine. Maybe this presentation helps to decide if an application is coming, or maybe it contradicts (beware the first of many cheesy 80’s song references) the underrated ballad band Survivor’s notion that “The Search is Over.” What may be stressful for students and parents actually gives us who are crazy enough to be college counselors energy and purpose.

I remember looking at the matriculation list when I interviewed for this job and wondering how much of the outcomes were true “fits.” You see, the list was very impressive, with some of top name schools in the country represented by our graduating students. I asked our Head of School Jan Pullen and Upper School Director Randy Watts how important the reputation of a college or university was to the Saint Stephen’s community and if there was a quota or goal of having more accepts from the top tier in the future. How my question was answered would determine if I had an expense paid 24 hour trip to this beautiful part of the country, or if I was going to do everything I could to become a member of this community. As you can imagine, the word “fit” was used numerous times in the response. Now don’t get me wrong, having six students last year accepted to six different Ivy League schools was not a bad thing by any stretch, but it spoke more to the determination of the students than it did any pushing by our office. In fact, one of the students decided the best fit was right here in Florida, and she, and we, could not be happier with her decision.

So as Ms. Lord and I travel to our annual conference in New Orleans this weekend (I know, sometimes this job is so unfair) we will continue to do what drives us. We will look for “fit” for our students, and assuming we are not swallowed up by “The Big Easy”, we will be back, ready to make the pieces of the puzzle fit 52 different times.

Rick Ellis, Director of College Counseling

9/8/11 1:01 PM in News and Events

Letters of Recommendation

Currently, I’ve blocked out time on my calendar to work on recommendations for the seniors who are applying to college this fall. That’s what I’m supposed to be doing. But, I’ve sat here for the last 30 minutes agonizing over one paragraph in a student’s recommendation. I’ve whined a muffled “why is this so hard?!” in to my keyboard more times than I care to admit in that same time period.

Why is this so hard?

The purpose of the counselor recommendation in the application is three-fold: one, to promote the student and highlight their accomplishments and personal strengths; two, to provide context for the student’s application; and three, to fill in the gaps that may be missing from the rest of the application. When I worked in college admission almost nothing annoyed me more than a counselor recommendation that was just a laundry list; a Times New Roman recitation of the student’s resume signed, respectfully, counselor X. There are plenty of public school counselors who don’t have the time to do more, that I understand, but those of us who are lucky enough to work in an independent school where our time is not demanded for scheduling, testing and crisis management, it’s just unacceptable. When we talk about essays with students we repeatedly tell students to “show don’t tell,” or to “paint the picture” for the reader. That’s what I’m doing – I’m not writing, I’m painting. My goal is to capture the essence of the student in my one page recommendation and, yes, it’s hard. It takes research, it takes brainstorming, it takes multiple drafts. I spend more time on some of the recommendations that I write than I did on papers I wrote in graduate school.

But, despite the frustration and the rated-G cursing that occasionally carries beyond my office door, I recognize that this is one of the most important parts of my job. I am responsible for advocating for the student to the colleges they are applying to. While I may do so by meeting with representatives who visit Saint Stephen’s, or by seeking out an admission counselor when I am at a conference or touring schools, or by picking up the phone in March to catch their ear one last time before they present my student in committee, this recommendation is the hard copy record of why I believe the student is a strong applicant. Even in the digital age, the written word is still the most penetrating when it comes to the college admission process. So excuse me, I need to get back to writing, and painting, now.

Kim Lord, Associate Director of College Counseling