College Counseling Prepares For Admission Weekend
As the college process begins for the Class of 2016, more than 300 family members of uppers will arrive on campus Friday to attend the annual Admissions Weekend hosted by the Academy’s College Counseling Office (CCO). The weekend’s programs will begin Friday morning, with a keynote address from Terry Cowdrey, former dean of admissions at Colby College. Events will continue through Saturday, including the Gap Year Fair, a financial aid workshop and a documentary film screening.
According to CCO Director Elizabeth Dolan, the office hopes to use the weekend to introduce uppers’ parents to the college admission process and landscape, as well as give parents the opportunity to hear “accurate information, instead of media hype or sensationalism” regarding college admissions. Parents will meet their child’s college counselor and have time during registration to meet other parents. The schedule and format will resemble the Admissions Weekend of 2014, which CCO found to work effectively.
“The college counselors make clear that this isn’t just something that the parents take over and that it is the student’s process to decide where they want to go to college. It’s pretty important to establish this connection that will be important for the upcoming year.”
“This is a terrific event and parents appreciate the knowledge, wisdom and insight the Deans, Directors and college counselors provide throughout the weekend,” Dolan said.
The CCO expects around 300 to 375 parents and guardians to attend, despite the recent storms and possible snow fall this Thursday and Friday. The CCO will, however, pay close attention to the weather and stay in contact with Campus Safety, Campus Facilities and Principal Tom Hassan in case weather develops into an issue. According to Dolan, there remains a possibility that the event may have to be rescheduled or cancelled due to weather. Locations have also been adjusted for the snow, along with the addition of a shuttle bus. The event was cancelled once due to weather in 2013, but that was the only instance in the past 10 years.
Upper Zhengyan Shi’s parents cannot make it to Admission Weekend due to business in China. Shi, however, did not think his parents’ absence would be an issue. Being the only one in his family able to attend, he also did not see the importance of his presence at the event.
“I don’t really need this specific time,” Shi said. “I also communicate with my parents a lot and we discuss things together. So there is no problem with them not being here.”
For parents like Shi’s, who cannot attend, CCO will record Friday’s keynote address; the speech as well as the other workshops and extra information will be made available on the Academy’s website through Parent Portal.
Some parents who are unable to attend will have the chance to meet college counselors later in the year, such as upper Tan Nazer’s parents, who live in Saudi Arabia. They thought the flight would be too much of a hassle for just a two night stay and will instead be coming to campus to meet Nazer’s college counselor during spring break, when they visit longer.
“I’m a little disappointed that they won’t be able to attend the fair,” Nazer said. “But my college counselor offered to meet with them when they do come and fill them in on all the details.”
While many students’ parents are unable to attend the event, college counselors “emphasized heavily” the importance of one-on-one time with parents, according to upper Cameron Rider. As the oldest child among his siblings, Rider will be the first child in his family to experience the college process and feels it is important his parents are exposed early on to the process and their role.
“I think it is a good opportunity for parents to meet the college counselors and get a sense of their role in the student college process,” he said. “The college counselors make clear that this isn’t just something that the parents take over and that it is the student’s process to decide where they want to go to college. It’s pretty important to establish this connection that will be important for the upcoming year.”
Others shared a similar opinion; upper Kyra Dawkins said that she was glad to have the opportunity for her parents to be involved and believed it would make the process smoother.
“My mom is interested in getting me acclimated to the concept of college in general,” Dawkins said. “The whole point of the CCO weekend is to get the parents involved with the college process, so if there is a college I wouldn’t even think to apply to, my mom could be like “oh, well, you should apply to that college.”
For other uppers, though, who already feel intimidated by the college process, the involvement of parents can add even more stress. Upper Nick Madamidola said that having parents involved could definitely “up the ante” for the pressure on these students.
However, Madamidola believes Admissions Weekend will also help “dismiss the anxiety students feel.” He looks forward to the weekend and what it has to offer.
“For many of us, we’re just starting the college process and we’re not sure what will happen,” he said. “But what we do know is that we’re going to be guided by amazing counselors who know what they’re doing. If parents realize that, then I think a lot of stress will be relieved.”