Summer is almost here, and as a parent of three kids at various stages of the high school-college continuum, I know college applications are probably the last thing on your students’ minds right now.

But if they can dedicate a little time to their college searches and applications over the summer, it will really help them once the school year fires back up. For many students, fall – especially senior year – is filled with activities, sports, rigorous school work and social events. Why not use summer to get ahead and make an impression on potential colleges?

Here are some tips on early college prep that I offer during our campus information sessions at Union:

Visit

Many families think summer is not the best time to visit a campus, since there are no students! But the break can be an ideal time. Families often have more flexibility over the summer, whereas during the school year, it’s hard for students to miss school, and both parents and students must find free days.

Union offers open house events at the end of May and in early August, as well as tours, information sessions and interviews throughout the summer. Encourage students to do their own legwork on tour dates and appointments with admissions officials. They may not want to make these calls; it might make them nervous. But it’s good practice for students to learn to advocate for themselves and organize their own lives. It’s part of growing up and a valuable life skill for college.

Get on our radar

Tracking student interest is a growing trend in college admissions. With a significant increase in applications, schools are looking to identify highly-interested students and collect additional pieces of information about them. The thinking is that students who demonstrate interest through multiple contacts are more likely to enroll. Students who maintain interest over a year are far more attractive to admissions officials than those who just apply through the Common Application in January.

In-person visits and interviews are great for getting on college admissions officers’ radar, but we understand not every student has the means and time to travel to campus. Students can also make contact with admissions staff at local college fairs, at school events and through alumni and admissions staff in their regions. Encourage them to contact their colleges of interest during the summer to learn about opportunities close to home. Students can also arrange interviews with college admissions officers via phone or Skype.

Start that essay

No students want to hear this, but summer is a great time to start college application essays; they probably have more time to think deeply and write during vacation. If they can develop an early rough draft, they’ll also have more time for feedback and editing. Like many schools, Union uses the Common Application, and the essay questions really don’t change from year to year, at least in my 30 years of experience! I recommend students work on their essays, then put them aside for a few weeks and come back to them. Time is the friend of good writing.

Think about activities

The Common Application also calls for a list of activities and awards. It can be tough to remember three years of experience in one sitting. Encourage your students to start this list over the summer, looking at it periodically and adding items as they come to mind. Making this list in advance can also show students their “holes,” and maybe they’ll decide to do a new volunteer experience, camp or activity over the summer – something that will make them more well-rounded. Remind students to stay active over the summer; downtime is important, but they should also make effective use of their free time.

Start the application

The Common Application goes live at the beginning of August, and students can start to fill in biographical information at that time. Urge them to start completing basic information early; it will save time and stress in the home stretch.

Prep for Interviews

Another really useful activity students can do over the summer is to prepare for interviews with college admissions officers. They can work with family members or friends to brainstorm questions and practice confident answers. Some students are very good at talking about themselves, but others have trouble bragging about accomplishments. They can find example questions online; Union offers a list of potential questions admissions officers might ask – along with sample questions students can ask – here.

I really encourage students to approach college interviews with a list of real questions. And they shouldn’t feel like they have to memorize everything; they can reference notes. I love it when kids pull out notes during their interview. This tells me they thought about our school and did their homework.

Start recommendations early

And here’s a tip guidance counselors probably don’t want to hear:  summer is a great time to start those recommendation letters students need every year, before the deadline crunch.  And students can ask teachers for recommendations early as well – right after junior year or directly after the teacher’s class is completed (when the teacher’s impression of the student is still fresh). Most high schools have a handful of teachers students absolutely love, and these instructors can get buried in requests as college application deadlines approach. Encourage your students to give teachers plenty of notice and consideration. They’ll undoubtedly get better letters from you – and their teachers – when you’re not under the gun!

The first days new students spend on campus can be crucial, giving them an overview of everything a school has to offer and helping them envision the next four years of their lives.

At Union, we do new student orientation for three days before classes start; this year our program will run from Sept. 2-4. As a guidance counselor, we hope you’ll urge your students to participate in everything orientation has to offer – wherever they’re attending.

My best advice is to participate in everything, from campus tours and official meet-and-greets to social mixers and alcohol education. We tell incoming students this is the last time they’ll have campus all to themselves until senior week – so enjoy!

What goes on at orientation? Here are some details from our specific program that will help you prepare your students.

Our first day is dedicated to moving into the residence halls, meeting roommates, attending informational sessions and panels and connecting with our 40 student volunteer Orientation Advisors. Each student mentor leads a group of about a dozen students, who will travel together during the three-day orientation. (They also reach out to incoming students ahead of time, via Facebook pages, so first-year students will already feel some connection with their advisors and each other.)

There are a number of talks by student affairs staff and directors for students and parents, and special programs for transfer students and medical-track students. Students also receive an introduction to our popular international study program and tour the career center. Finally, after lunch, it’s time to say goodbye to the parents.

Next, students take their class picture and learn our alma mater, which they sing to our president and his wife outside their home; with 560 new students and 40 orientation advisors, it’s a pretty boisterous scene! And a great warm-up for our evening “Orientation Karaoke.” Students also meet their Resident Advisors and learn dorm rules, and participate in a nationally-recognized alcohol education talk, “The Four Stages of Drinking.”

We spend much of Monday exploring some of the social issues students can face at college. Students with learning and physical disabilities meet with support staff and all students attend workshops on sexuality, focused on safe sex, consent and sexual assault. We also hold diversity workshops, preparing students to embrace a new environment full of people who could be quite different than themselves. And Orientation Committee members give incoming students insight into Union’s “True Life” social culture.

Campus-wide tours are also held, along with visits to the library and Kenney Community Center, where students learn about volunteering. This year, “Townie” author Andre Dubus will also return to discuss his award-winning book, which all incoming students receive over the summer.

The capstone social event is “All Around U,” in which students visit all seven of our Minerva houses, designed to provide social and networking opportunities. By this point, all students have been assigned to a Minerva house, but this night gives them a chance to explore all the houses through fun activities, like tie-dying, photo booths and Jackson Pollock-style painting. The goal is for students to see the houses as a social and support outlet.

On Tuesday – the last day of our orientation – we focus on academics. Students meet with advisors, learn about our required Freshman Preceptorial courses, explore choosing a major, talk about goals and complete last-minute class drops and adds. The day concludes with our official Convocation, a campus barbecue and First-Year Fest, a mini carnival.

Obviously, it’s a lot to take in and a lot of fun. Again, I personally urge all students to take advantage of all the activities. They’ll get a broad overview of campus and their next four years, and potentially meet lifelong friends. Orientation really helps them feel they’re not alone, especially when everything and everyone is new and strange.

I also urge guidance counselors to encourage students and families to orientate themselves over the summer. College is such an exciting time – a huge opportunity for students to invent or reinvent themselves as adults. It really helps if students take time prior to the start of school to think about their goals, values and what they want out of the next four years.

Maybe they want to develop new skills, take on new activities, or become more extraverted. Maybe they just want to become more comfortable in their own skins. It really helps to come in knowing what they want out of their college experience and education.

Families should discuss everything from academic goals to alcohol use. (Studies show, by the way, that parent expectations shape college alcohol consumption.) I think if kids and parents do a little soul-searching on these issues before college, they’re less likely to be overwhelmed by the whole scene later.

The transition from high school and home to college and dorm life can be difficult; many students will be making their own decisions for the first time. They’ll face a variety of influences and meet diverse people, and will need to shape their own personal morals and ethics. They’ll be challenged to grow and learn – and grow up.

As a guidance counselor, you can help ensure your students’ success by encouraging them to do a little self-exploration before college. Our orientation is designed to take it from there, preparing students to make the most of their college years.

At Union, we don’t see a huge number of transfer students. In any given year, we might have about 30 transfers, relative to a class of about 565 incoming freshmen.

But we really encourage transfer students and have stepped up our recruitment in that area over the past four years. We like to leave our door open for students to enter college in a variety of ways and at different times and ages. Transfer students are usually a little older and obviously come to us with very different experiences, which can be really valuable.

“Access” is a word we hear a lot these days on college campuses, and we all know students find different routes to a college education. So, if you have advisees who aren’t quite ready for a four-year college now, but want to pursue higher education, talk to them about the transfer path. It can be a good option for a number of reasons.

In some ways, it’s much easier for us in admissions to assess transfer students because the college academic experience is more standardized than the high school experience. But recruiting transfer students can be more challenging than finding talented high school students. Younger students have more guidance from counselors and other forces directing them to college; transfer students don’t always have those resources.

The challenge for us is to compete for the best transfer students in the nation and world.

How do such students find us? Our staff isn’t really set up to visit community colleges across the country. The web helps us recruit students nationwide and worldwide, and we participate in community college higher education fairs.

Transfer students come to Union for a variety of reasons at all stages in their college careers. Some are leaving other four-year colleges, where they didn’t have the experience they hoped for. Maybe they chose a large urban campus, but really wanted a small intimate campus.

Some transfer students are continuing educations they began at community college, building on their two-year degrees. I personally think community college can be a great start for some students. I have a brother who went to community college and transferred, and now has more advanced degrees than anyone in our family. It was the perfect path for him. He found his academic voice and passion in community college, then just kept going.

At Union, we have articulation agreements with several local community colleges, including Schenectady, Hudson Valley and Berkshire County.

Our challenge at Union and other four-year colleges is to find the best transfer students coming out of these schools and help them continue their degree paths.

Advisees should also know that our transfer students are considered for financial aid just like first-year students. Proportionally, they receive the same level of support. We’re as committed to helping transfer students fund their educations as we are to helping incoming freshmen.

I personally just signed off on ten new transfer students a few weeks ago, coming to us from schools as diverse as Boston University, Smith College, Emerson College and Mount Holyoke. There is no “typical” transfer student; the only thing they have in common is Union’s required 3.0 grade point average.

Here, we look forward to taking these diverse students across the finish line to their degrees. After all, there’s more than one way to get there – wherever “there” happens to be.

SAT.

Three little letters. So much stress for your college-bound students. (And don’t forget the equally anxiety-producing ACT.)

Frankly, that doesn’t have to be the case anymore. Union – like a growing number of colleges and universities around the country – is test score optional, meaning we allow all applicants to choose whether to submit or withhold their standardized test scores.

According to recent U.S. News and World Report statistics, selective liberal arts colleges around the country are increasingly embracing this model, which we adopted in 2007. Of the top 50 liberal arts colleges, 34 percent don’t require SAT or ACT scores.

Obviously, we’re proud to be on this list, which you and your students can learn more about at www.fairtest.org. (Here, the National Center for Fair and Open Testing offers a searchable database of schools that don’t require test scores and explores why colleges go “test optional.”)

I admit I can see both sides of the test score argument. But at Union, we think requiring them creates more harm than good.

First, let me say that between 71 and 76 percent of our applicants in the past four years still voluntarily chose to provide SAT or ACT scores. When applicants do include them, we assess them as just one piece of the puzzle, a glimpse into a student’s skills. When applicants don’t include them, obviously all of the other pieces – transcript, interview and essay – gain importance.

At Union, we look specifically at the rigor of students’ classes and their performance, class standing and overall environment. We value Interviews, activities, recommendations, essays and all other aspects of a student’s application.

We believe standardized test scores are just too problematic to require or rely upon. They simply are not the best indicator of a student’s college performance.

A Union student recently completed her senior thesis on student admissions; her research found that students who submitted test scores with their applications performed no better at Union than students who did not, when controlling for high school GPA and/or rank. Her findings correlate with national studies.

We also know standardized tests like the SAT and ACT are culturally biased and favor students from higher-income families. Students from wealthier families can receive more private test prep and have the advantage of being able to take the tests multiple times. Sometimes highly competitive students find themselves chasing a kind of “Holy Grail” test score, paying to take tests five or six times.

Of course, students from wealthier families also benefit from other advantages:  better-resourced schools, more highly educated parents and more tutoring and support.

That said, I’m aware of the downside of not requiring test scores. They can be useful in assessing students from both high-performing schools and low. At the high end, you may have a pool of students who all have strong transcripts and excellent grades. High test scores could set a student apart. For students from low-performing schools, test scores can demonstrate skill and ability against a standardized measuring stick. That can be important when college admissions officials question a school’s rigor or grades.

As a counselor, when advising students whether to include or exclude test scores in their applications, the question is: will the test scores help the student put his or her best foot forward? If so, great.

Ultimately, we in admissions want all students to have the opportunity to show themselves in the best light. That’s why we encourage personal interviews, which many schools don’t offer. We want to evaluate students holistically. We’re not just looking for kids who can test well on any given Saturday. We want students with passionate academic interests, who will contribute fully to our tight-knit community.

Increasing our school’s diversity is a priority for us, as it is for many colleges. We’re proud that in the past four years – comparing two sets of distinct four year cohorts – we’ve increased our domestic multicultural diversity by 4 percentage points and our international student body by 2 percentage points. We’re looking all over the world for the best students.  And we think allowing students to choose whether to submit or withhold standardized test scores helps us attract more diverse applicants.

There’s also a stereotype that only students with bad test scores withhold them. Not true.  Some students disagree with standardized tests and purposefully apply to schools that don’t require testing. Some students withhold scores from all the schools they apply to through the Common Application because they know their scores are a plus at some schools and a drawback at others (depending on a school’s average SAT or ACT scores for incoming freshmen).

So… to submit or not to submit? We think that’s a question for the individual student. It’s something you, as a counselor, can help them work through.

We’ve talked a lot here about applying for college and financial aid – but what happens when students are accepted and receive those sometimes baffling financial aid award letters? As a guidance counselor, how can you help your students understand and compare aid awards?

Typically, these award letters include financial aid from all sources:  state and federal governments and institutions. Students should start by clearly identifying the grants and scholarships, sometimes referred to as the “gift aid” – assistance that doesn’t need to be repaid.  If merit scholarships are included, it’s also important to understand whether these awards are contingent upon maintaining a certain GPA or are tied to a specific school or major.

Students and parents should look very closely at the terms of any loans offered. Consider:  What is the interest rate – is it fixed or variable?  Is the loan interest deferred, or will it accrue during enrollment?  How long do I have to repay the loan? Can I consolidate upon graduation? What will be my total indebtedness and my monthly payment?  If I attend graduate school, can I continue to defer my loan?  If any of the information is unclear, contact the aid office for help. There are also online tools that help students estimate average monthly loan payments.

Although families will initially see the freshmen award, they should determine if any portion of the aid is guaranteed for the full four years of college. For merit scholarships, ask about renewal policies and criteria; it is likely students must re-apply annually for need-based grants and scholarships. Aid renewal policies differ from school to school and application requirements and deadlines for returning students tend to differ from the first-year process.  If clear information is not included with the student’s financial aid package, he or she should contact the aid office. And If families are aware of upcoming changes in their situations, they can ask aid officials how that might affect future eligibility.

At Union, I tell families that if they expect their financial situation to remain stable, they can expect their aid award to continue at the same level. But, if they experience a significant change, be ready for a revised aid award. Probably the one change that most significantly affects financial aid eligibility – and generally surprises parents – comes when another student in the family leaves college.

Many students will see work-study as part of their financial aid package. At Union, students who accept work-study aid typically work 8-10 hours per week and receive a paycheck, which is generally used for books and personal expenses. Students should know how many hours they’re expected to work and how much they’ll generally be paid. At other schools, they should question whether this money can be applied to tuition and room/board costs.

Different challenges emerge when comparing financial aid award letters from multiple schools. Letters are not standardized, though there is talk at the federal level of imposing some structure. The two big numbers to nail down are the total cost of attendance and the total award amount.

It’s tough when different schools include different numbers on their letters. For example, School A might include the cost of tuition, fees, room and board. School B might include tuition, fees, room, board, books and personal expenses. Obviously, School B is going to look more expensive, but School A’s award did not factor in all the real costs of college life.

Advise your students to make an Excel worksheet, with categories for total costs, grants, loans and work study for each school they’re considering. This exercise will help them compare true costs.

Once students have chosen a school, advise them to review and follow all instructions for accepting their awards. At Union, financial aid offers are reserved for students as soon as they pay their enrollment deposit. Some schools ask students to accept awards online or complete and submit an acceptance form. If the process is unclear, call the aid office for clarification.

Students should also remember that their financial aid awards were based upon the estimated financial information they provided on their initial FAFSAs and, for some schools, CSS Profiles.  All need-based awards are subject to income verification and schools typically verify students’ eligibility by reviewing actual tax documents and supplemental verification forms. Aid offices may ask for specific documents to complete this process. If there are significant differences between estimated and actual information, aid awards may be modified. This process generally occurs during May and June.

Many of the calls we receive from admitted students go something like this:  “I am so excited I was admitted to Union and I really want to attend, but I don’t know how my family can afford to send me.”  We generally then ask if their families have experienced any changes in their financial situations since they completed their applications. Or do they have any extenuating circumstances?  More often than not, they offer additional information that can be considered through our appeals process. At Union, we require all requests for additional aid be in writing and accompanied by previous year’s tax returns, W-2s and supporting documentation.

In addition, we discuss other options available to families, such as our 12-month payment plan and Federal Direct Parent Loans (PLUS), as well as private alternative student loans.

Wading through these financial aid award letters – especially when comparing multiple schools – can be confusing. So we always recommend that students or parents just call financial aid offices if they have any questions. That goes for guidance counselors, too.

We’re here to help, and we want to do all we can to get students to college with as little financial and emotional stress as possible!

If there was ever a great moment to explore the nature of athletics at small liberal arts colleges – and the range of offerings – this would have to be it.

A little more than a week ago, the Union men’s ice hockey team made it into the Frozen Four for the first time in our school’s history. We defeated UMass-Lowell to get there, winning the NCAA Division I East Regional title and advancing to the semifinals tomorrow in Florida.

Our entire 2,100-student campus is obviously crazy with pride, and it’s a perfect example of how competitive our athletes can be – going head-to-head with much larger programs at “big hockey” state schools like Minnesota and Michigan. It’s a real David and Goliath story, and we’re making national news. So our recent success got me thinking. . . what’s the larger message about athletic opportunities at small liberal arts colleges? What should guidance counselors tell aspiring student athletes about what sports means on a campus like Union?

Our men’s hockey team is very prominent right now, but I like to tell prospective students we have something for everyone– from dodgeball to yoga, rugby to Frisbee. In addition to varsity sports, we also offer student-organized competitive club sports and intramural sports. I also like to say that that if we don’t have it, and students want it, we’ll start it. A couple of years ago, a few students expressed interest in sailing, which we didn’t offer at the time. But we have a river and a boathouse, so we put a program in place, and the students ran with it. This is one great advantage of liberal arts schools when it comes to sports: if you want to play, there’s usually a way to make it happen.

When it comes to varsity sports, Union’s scene – and probably that of most small liberal arts colleges – differs greatly from big state schools. Sports are very important here, a deep part of the fabric and culture of our institution. But we don’t offer any athletic scholarships. All of our student athletes are considered for merit scholarships and financial aid, just like everyone else. That can make recruiting a challenge, but it’s not a dealbreaker for premier athletes. We also get a fair amount of talented walk-ons.

A significant number of students play varsity sports here at Union: 600. That’s more than a quarter, and I’m sure other liberal arts colleges see similar numbers. This level of participation would be unheard-of at larger schools, where only a minute percentage of students have the opportunity to play top-tier sports. That’s not to say our teams aren’t competitive – they definitely are. And the high number of students immersed in a rigorous daily athletic regimen creates a certain culture. When you play sports at a smaller college, you’re surrounded by peers on the same daily “circuit” – classes, icing and rehab, practice, dinner and evening study. It’s very easy to bond and stay focused.

Unlike larger schools, we also don’t sequester our varsity athletes in their own dorms and dining rooms. This integrated approach – along with the sheer number of students playing – creates a strong culture of support and school pride. Games are the places to be on Friday and Saturday nights, drawing a huge number of students, faculty and administrators. When students do something impressive on the field or win academic achievement awards on their teams, the campus community knows and celebrates them.

Union and schools like us also place a real emphasis on academic excellence, reflected by our athletes’ high GPAs. The stereotypes about coaches pressuring professors to pass failing athletes before big games just don’t apply here. Many schools say this, but at Union and other prestigious liberal arts colleges, it’s really true. Academics are our number-one priority.

All of our coaches are completely on board with this perspective. I always refer to our coaches as teachers, mentors and educators – they’re just in a different “classroom.” They often have even more contact with students than any dean, professor or administrator, so their leadership is crucial. We make sure the right people fill these roles, and that they deliver a consistent message, stressing academic excellence.

Our student athletes get no special treatment in the academic realm. Yes, professors will work with their schedules. But we like to say there’s no place to hide at Union. Athletes take the same small classes as everyone else. Ironically, we’ve noticed our student athletes actually perform better academically in-season than out. The rigor and structure of their sports-season days seem to inspire a consistent discipline. Many of our student athletes also appreciate our trimester system, which makes it easier for them to dedicate a trimester to international study or similar opportunities without missing part of their sports season.

So if your students are serious about sports, tell them to consider a small liberal arts college. Who knows? They might find themselves playing – or cheering – for their team at a national competition like the Frozen Four.

We know applying for financial aid can intimidate students and their families. There are so many requirements and deadlines, and they’re often dealing with multiple schools.

But as a guidance counselor, you know applying for financial aid is crucial. The hour students spend filling out FAFSA forms can mean thousands of dollars off tuition bills or access to much-needed loans.

So how can you help your students – and their families – effectively apply for need-based financial aid? Here are a few tips to share:

Mind the requirements. Make sure students understand and meet the requirements, which vary between schools. And remember, early decision applicants must meet deadlines far earlier.

Don’t miss deadlines. Advise your students to make calendars, create reminders – do whatever it takes to stay organized. Many families worry they don’t have final tax information available to complete financial aid forms, which are based on their previous year’s income. They should simply use their best estimates to complete applications on time; they can (and must) update applications later with official tax data. Just counsel them to make estimates as accurate as possible, so schools can make awards that don’t require dramatic changes upon verification.

Encourage everyone to apply. Some students believe their parents make too much money, so they don’t apply for aid. But there is no downside to applying – it’s free. I say, if spending a few hours on the FAFSA or CSS profile wins a student, say, $20,000 extra per year in aid, well… that’s time well spent! Even if a student receives only loans, those are valuable. Every incoming freshman has access to $5,500 in unsubsidized Stafford loans, and that amount increases every school year. Whether families need students to shoulder some college costs or simply want children to make a personal investment in their educations, access to loans can be helpful. Remember, students don’t have to accept loans. But the money is there if needed.

Don’t say NO. Alert your students to a common mistake some make on the Common Application. There’s a question: Are you planning to apply for need-based financial aid? Some students check “No” and parents may not catch it. This mistake – or misconception— can be devastating. Checking “No” directs students’ applications away from schools’ financial aid offices, taking them out of the running for awards. Later, the student may gain admittance but receive no aid award. Parents wonder:  now what? And the answer at Union, by that point, is often:  “Aid letters went out three weeks ago. The money is gone.”  So, remind families to check “Yes” on this question, ensuring the student’s application reaches a school’s admissions and financial aid offices. 

Guide separated or divorced parents. Again, pay attention to what’s requested. At Union, we require both the FAFSA and CSS (College Scholarship Service) profile. We also ask non-custodial parents to fill out a CSS profile. We’re looking for both parents to contribute, if possible. If a non-custodial parent is unresponsive or not involved, the student, custodial parent or even guidance counselor should submit a letter to the school’s financial aid office explaining the situation.

Detail special circumstances. If your students or their families have special challenges that aren’t reflected on their applications – say a parental job loss or major medical expenses – write a letter to the financial aid office. Such factors can be considered when awarding aid.

Do everything online. Tell students not to mail anything; get a FAFSA pin and do everything online. Our office has access to FAFSA information within 10 days of a student’s submission. It’s the most efficient way to conduct all financial aid business.

Introduce the net price calculator tool. All colleges and universities are now required to offer a net price calculator online. Urge students and families to use this excellent tool, which helps them estimate the real price of colleges. These estimates can contextualize the perceived “sticker shock” of higher-priced schools, which might actually offer more aid. And families can use the calculators years before students apply, which may influence their choices.

Proofread. Make sure students and families carefully proofread all forms. Some parents who fill out applications for students accidentally enter their own names, causing major confusion.

Don’t let students pay for financial aid help. Warn your students and families away from “services” that charge to fill out FAFSA forms (some up to $500). There is so much free help available, and families can also call schools’ financial aid offices, the College Board and federal processors with questions.

Above all, help your students stay calm and follow directions. Remind them that the FAFSA usually only takes about an hour to complete. Updates can be made at any time. The CSS profile usually only takes a few hours. There are so many free resources available. From where I’m sitting, applying for aid is an excellent investment of their time and energy!

Helpful resource sites for students:

The College Board (CSS profiles and Non-Custodial Parent CSS profiles)

Finaid.org

US Department of Education Financial Aid Resources

FAFSA (Application site)

How useful are college rankings?

It’s a question many students – and their parents – are asking guidance counselors. As you help students navigate the college decision process, how can you help them assess the role of rankings?

Many liberal arts colleges struggle with how to handle annual college rankings reports, published by media outlets such as U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, The Princeton Review and others. From a pure scientific research standpoint, they’re not very sound. As a result, academics put little stock in their “results,” and most schools don’t want to give them undue attention.

And yet… we all know that students and parents consider rankings as a factor in their college decision-making process. And because schools, which tend to tout their unique programs and advantages, have not made comparing prices and programs easy, rankings are one of the few independent comparison-shopping tools available to families. We in the higher ed community do a lot of complaining about these flawed ranking systems, but truthfully, we must also take some responsibility for not offering better alternatives.

Every college determines its own approach to rankings. But, as a group, we tend to broadcast them when they’re good, and do damage control when they’re bad.

Some schools completely shun rankings, refusing to participate or to publicize results – whether positive or negative. (Ironically, some of the schools that most eschew ratings are, in fact, very highly ranked.) But all schools must file certain basic facts and figures about their institutions, so ranking organizations can access and use that data.

Other schools go too far in the other direction and seek to game the system. Claremont McKenna College made the news earlier this year when a top admissions official was fired for reporting false SAT scores for incoming freshmen. Certainly it’s not the first, or the last, school to use questionable practices to influence rankings, but it did spark conversation throughout the higher ed community about rankings pressure.

At Union, our best advice is to go ahead and look at college rankings. But weigh them as just one of many important factors that should go into choosing the right college. We’re proud of our rankings and make them readily available to all prospective students on our website, but we don’t place a lot of emphasis on them. And we don’t think guidance counselors should either.

Advise your students to consult numerous rankings sources and compare the results. But remember that these sources have no consistent criteria or methodology between them. Worse, there is often no consistency in their own methodologies from one year to the next (violating the first rule of recurring research studies).

U.S. News & World Report, the “granddaddy” of rankings, uses a large number of mathematically-weighted factors to arrive at a final score. That said, this fall it will still introduce new factors into the equation, as it did last fall. In the Princeton Review, school profiles rely on survey results submitted by the school’s students just once every three years. Often, the students who respond to the survey are not a representative sample of the larger student population.

Rankings are useful, however, for determining the potential “market value” of a degree from a given institution, as they give students and parents an idea of how a school is perceived in the broader world. But a better measure might be the success graduates achieve after college, via the professional connections and educational opportunities provided to them during their time on campus.

At best, rankings are just one piece of the puzzle, and other pieces should carry more weight:  the campus visit, firsthand impressions of students and faculty, the financial aid package offered, the school’s alumni network, the culture and environment. Remind your students not to assign undue importance to any one element. And don’t forget the biggest intangible: “fit.” Does the student feel comfortable and inspired on the campus? Can the student see himself or herself succeeding there? Our own market research with prospective students (scientifically conducted!) found that “fit” is one of the most influential factors when choosing a college.

It’s also a factor that’s pretty hard to capture in any ranking.

As you know, colleges and universities don’t often speak openly about financial aid policies. It’s a touchy topic many choose to avoid.

Why? Because colleges must often make hard choices.

Most choose one of two approaches to admissions and financial aid: “need blind” or “need aware.” Need blind schools don’t consider an applicant’s financial need when making admissions decisions, but many are not able to  meet applicants’ full need with their financial aid packages without adding unrealistic work-study or loan options.

Need aware schools do consider finances in their admissions decisions, but this control can give colleges the ability to meet full need for all accepted applicants.

Some are a combination of both. Neither approach is perfect.

We’re raising this topic – which I also hope to explore in a panel at the College Board Forum in Miami this October – because we think it’s crucial for high school counselors, parents and students to understand. Finances are such a big part of the college decision process, and such a barrier to many who wish to pursue higher education. It’s a controversial subject, but worth engaging.

First, counselors and students should understand that very few colleges and universities have unlimited financial aid budgets. Maybe 20 institutions in the country operate with unlimited aid funds – schools like Harvard and Yale. They can meet the full need of all the students they accept. They are truly need blind and meet full need.

But the vast majority of American colleges and universities must manage to an annual financial aid budget. And this means they’re choosing either the need blind or need aware approach.

I’m not convinced either is entirely right, but I do believe most schools are trying to do the right thing. Colleges and universities are fundamentally mission-driven institutions committed to the public good, striving to do what’s best for students and families. But every school has constraints and must balance its mission with its fiscal health.

At Union, we have a pretty generous financial aid budget – about $30 million per year. But we are need aware, meaning a student’s ability to pay is factored into whether or not he or she will be accepted. Some don’t think it’s fair, that some students might be rejected because they can’t pay. But here’s our perspective: once we admit you to Union, we will find a way for you to attend. We will put together a realistic financial aid package based on your family’s ability to pay, and you will most likely be able to afford our school.

That’s comforting to students. An acceptance letter from a school like Union means they can actually go. They’re really in.

Need blind schools make admissions decisions independent of a student’s ability to pay. But many aren’t able to commit to meeting full need, so accepted students may or may not be able to attend. Finding the money for school can be stressful and students and families may take on inadvisable, high-interest loans to make it work.

So how can families assess their options? I advise them to ask the one question no one ever asks during a college tour:  “Do you manage to a financial aid budget? And if so, how?” The answer will illustrate how the school makes financial aid decisions. Other good questions include:  “What is your graduates’ average debt?  What is the average scholarship award?”

Families should also take advantage of the new net price calculator tool, which all higher education institutions are federally-mandated to offer online. With accurate financial data entered by families, these calculators can estimate how much aid a student will receive from a school and what the real out-of-pocket cost will be. But since schools have some flexibility in how they calibrate their calculators, there are choices here, as well: should they estimate awards conservatively, at the risk of scaring off applicants? Or estimate more generously, with the potential of disappointing families when the real package is awarded?  It’s a tough issue to grapple with.

The bottom line: a school’s financial aid policy and philosophy is important. Our hope at Union is that counselors, parents and students will become better educated about financial aid in order to make well-informed decisions when assessing and choosing a college.

Right now, we here in admissions are literally buried in applications – piles and piles of hopeful essays and glowing recommendations, test scores and resumes.

So let me take a little breather and tell you about a game I like to play as I travel the country, speaking to students about college admissions. Years ago, motivated by the knowledge that listeners retain very little from traditional lectures, I created a more interactive presentation. It’s informative, lively and usually provides a few laughs around how to deal with the dreaded Common App.

I find nine students to hold big cards labeled: Essay, Transcript, Guidance Counselor Recommendation, Test Scores, Teacher Recommendation, Interview and Extracurricular Activities. I also have cards for Special Talents and Spelling and Grammatical Errors.

I then ask them to arrange themselves in order of importance. They generally run around like 5-year-olds playing rec soccer as I sing the Jeopardy! theme song. The result is different each time. As someone who assesses stacks of college applications every year, it’s always interesting to see what applicants think we care most about.

Then I interview my volunteers and move them around, sharing my rationale and tips for nailing the various pieces. My own order can change – some days, I might be particularly anti-test scores. But generally, my priorities go something like this:

Transcript. We talk about the importance of grades and courses and how many advanced honors courses a kid should take. Is it better to show improvement from grades 9 to 12? How can juniors demonstrate progress?

Test Scores. I ask, “Are test scores a reflection of character?” Students always say “No,” and I say, “Say it louder!” We talk about test prep techniques, fear and retesting. We discuss how colleges use test scores to improve their rankings in U.S. News and World Report. We talk about the pros and cons of even applying to schools that require testing. (Fairtest.org lists schools that don’t.) Sometimes I let test scores stay at the number two spot, and sometimes I banish them to the end. And I share my 20-year-old daughter’s favorite study tip:  read Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events books – thin plots, but good vocabulary.

Guidance Counselor Recommendation. I urge students to meet with counselors. Counselors who don’t know a student can’t write an effective letter. Advisors should be familiar with the student’s talents and goals. And I suggest a small thank-you gift. I also remind students to share success with recommenders, but not blame.

Teacher Recommendations. I ask, “Which teachers and subjects do you like?  Union requires one teacher recommendation, so how many should you send?”  My answer:  two. Ask teachers from two different disciplines, but not three. That’s too many. Be sure to email a thank-you and updates. It also helps to give the teacher a letter reminding them what the student did well in class and what they liked. I admit, I like to place more importance on counselor and teacher recommendations than people might expect, because I think students tend to undervalue them.

Extracurricular activities. What’s the right number? Some say “Five!” which is funny. There is no magic number. I ask students to list their favorites, and to not be too general; they should talk about what they really did. Don’t write “community service”; be specific. “Visited a nursing home weekly for a year,” for example.  If they played in the orchestra, name the instrument. Details help colleges see the applicant.

I am often asked if colleges require community service. No, but some schools weigh it more heavily. Emphasize depth and breadth of involvement, which is always impressive. For instance, “I was in Boy or Girl Scouts from childhood through high school.” What colleges really want to know is: has this person made good use of his or her time? And while I’m a strong advocate of hanging out with friends and listening to music, I don’t recommend listing these as activities on a college application!

Essay. I advise students to pick a unique topic, one that reflects and sounds like them. I specifically remember one essay called “Leap of Faith,” in which a student recalled overcoming her fear of public speaking by jumping off her teacher’s desk. Do three or four drafts. Include concrete details to engage the audience, and find a non-stressful proofreader – a teacher, counselor or parent.

I like to share a funny story about my daughter’s successful college essay for her Barnard application, in which she used the word “commode” for cupboard. To many, that means “toilet.” I told her so, and she consulted her English teachers.  But then I stepped back and didn’t ask until years later which way she went. Funny thing:  she couldn’t remember!  It wasn’t important, ultimately.

Interview. So, what should one wear to an admissions interview? UGGs? Neckties? Flip- flops? I always recommend professional dress. Students should prepare for questions about studies, family and activities. They should think about representing their high school as an ambassador. Be prepared for silly questions, and for what I call the “Miss America” questions: “What is one of your better qualities? Proudest moment?  Do you like to read?” (On that one, I recommend following my godfather’s advice:  “Never get into a conversation about any book you have not actually read.”)

Next, I kick the Spelling and Grammatical Errors board out of the lineup entirely. Students often place it next to Essay, but in reality, there’s no place at all for mistakes. I remind them that the Common App has no spell check, so they must find all the mistakes in Word before they copy and paste. And don’t forget to watch out for Word’s infamously embarrassing “corrections.” I’ll never forget reading one student’s essay on “peasant hunting.”

And what about Special Talents? The best answer I ever got on that question: “Shouldn’t that student just go to Julliard?” These should go next to Extracurricular Activities. Sports should be higher if the student is highly recruited. An alumni connection is also a factor, but while family will get you a good look, it won’t get you in. (Of course, if your grandma just gave the school $1 billion, go to the front of the line!)

I love this entire exercise, which can be really fun depending on the audience. I think it helps students prioritize application tasks, whether they’re working with a lot of guidance or very little. It also feels good to shed light and laughter on what can be a stressful process for students, parents, counselors and – yes – even the college admissions officer, digging her way through a mountain of deserving students, all striving to stand out.