ICE COLLEGE VISITS/CLASS OF 2014

Union College, Schenectady NY

Upcoming College Visits:

SARAH LAWRENCE                    Monday, 9/23 at 11:00 am               www.slc.edu     

SUNY ONEONTA                          Monday, 9/23 at 1:20 pm                 www.oneonta.edu

SUNY COBELSKILL                    Wednesday, 9/25 at 1:20 pm             www.cobleskill.edu/

BARD COLLEGE                          Thursday, 9/26 at 10:00 am               www.bard.edu           

UNION COLLEGE                        Friday, 9/27 at 9:10 am                     www.union.edu

SUNY Brockport, Brockport NY

SUNY BROCKPORT                     Monday, 9/30 at 9:00 am                 www.brockport.edu

SKIDMORE COLLEGE                 Wednesday, 10/2 at 10:40 am          www.skidmore.edu

BENNINGTON COLLEGE           Tuesday, 10/15 at 9:10 am               www.bennington.edu/

CLARK UNIVERSITY                   Friday, 10/18 at 9:00 am                 www.clarku.edu

 THE EVERGREEN STATE COLLEGE                        

Evergreen State College, Olympia WA

  Friday, 10/18 at Noon
  www.evergreen.edu

HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE
Thursday, 10/24 at 12:30 pm
 www.hampshire.edu

CONNECTICUT COLLEGE            TBA
www.conncoll.edu

JUNIATA COLLEGE                        Tuesday, 10/29 at 9:00 am
www.juniata.edu

See you at an Information Session!

Jennifer

THINKING OF YOU ICE CLASS OF 2013

Dear 2013 Graduates,

At I.C.E. the College Office is off a great start!  The seniors are busy finalizing their college applications and are almost ready to apply.  You remember what that was like!  But my
thoughts have also turned to you.  I hope that you are already enjoying your college experience, and not missing I.C.E. too much.

We are all anxious to hear about college life and welcome any posts that you would like to
send our way.  If you do, be sure to include a picture!!

Take good care of yourself,
Jennifer

Goodbye, ICE!

This week, my class with be graduating. Most of us have spent the past seven years of our lives here, so basically we've spent nearly every day for the past seven years with the same 60 kids. After all this time, you'd think we'd be tired of each other, and ready to get out of here. Well, we are. But even though this is true for a lot of us, I think that in spite of it, we've made friendships that will easily outlast those of students at the average high school.

ICE is an environment that nurtures the growth of our friendships and connections with our fellow students. Instead of suffering through exams, we spent middle and high school supporting each other through panels and presentations that prepared us for college and the real world. We worked together and depended on each other for group projects many times. No matter how angry we got when someone didn't do their powerpoint slides or didn't pass on their neuroscience test subjects, we came out of those experiences as better students and friends.

I'm sure everybody already knows this, but ICE is a special school. We always complain about it, but now that I'm done with high school, I wouldn't have it any other way. I am ready for college, but not only because I'm dying to get out of here, more because ICE prepared me for it. As you can see, I got a lot of good things out of ICE (my best friends, great teachers, and of course an exceptional education). I guess my point is, don't take ICE for granted. You probably won't realize this until graduation is upon you, but this is an awesome school!

This will be my last post as Jennifer's intern. Thanks for reading my posts, and I hope they helped you prepare for college!

Isabel

Interview with Jennifer Wells!

As one of my internship requirements, I interviewed Jennifer about being a college counselor. Even though it wasn't for the blog, I decided to post it anyway because it's interesting and she gives some good advice.

What jobs have you had in the past?

I majored in theater in college, and I got my masters in theater as well, so you can see I really wanted to work in theater. I was a waitress right when I got out of graduate school, and then I joined a children's touring theater company, and toured with that for a while. Then I came to New York and worked on soap operas for a year. Then I started writing plays, which I loved. While I was writing plays, I got a job at Paramount Pictures, which was big in New York. I started as an administrative assistant, but then I got a job in the film acquisition department, and I worked as a reader, and I also got to screen films. So I read projects that came in to the film acquisition department. My boss was in charge of picking up films that had already started from independent films, and then buying them and making them into Paramount pictures. So they didn't have to pay for as many films from the ground up. That was a pretty cool job. So then I went away to an artist colony for 7 weeks and while I was there I decided I was going to leave Paramount, and see if I could support myself writing. I got a job with a children's theater group and I wrote 10 plays for them. At the same time, I was writing adult plays. So some of them got picked up and I went to California with one, and I won a grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts for another. I was still doing the children's plays to at this time. I knew John Pettinato at that time as well. I started a theater program for him at Greenwich Village Youth Council. And so I wrote plays while I was there, which are now published all over the country and in Canada! I get royalties from them which is very exciting. Anyway, long story short I decided I wanted something more stable, so I asked John if he had any ideas, and he told me he had just started a school and said that I should be the college advisor. That was the beginning of this. That was about 17 or 18 years ago. So I've been here a long time. Every job I've gotten has been because I know somebody. 

Who are your influences in your job now or any of your previous jobs?

Certainly my biggest influence in this job was John Pettinato. I learned a lot about being open minded and not jumping to conclusions from him. It was a really great thing to learn. the way he was all-inclusive was good, and sometimes I really struggled with it, and I felt like I had to learn not to jump to conclusions. He was so good at problem-solving and I really admired that. When he hired me, he said "You know, you'll be really great at this job. All you have to do is pretend that each of the students is your child and you have to get them all into college. I keep going back to that because it was incredible advice. It was great because if you got along with them, didn't get along with them, it didn't matter because you had to think of them as your children. And maybe that child didn't like you so much but maybe someday they would. If you really began to look at it like he said, it was really an incredible way to work with teenagers. So I think he was a great influence for this job. It goes on to this day with the staff. The dedication they have is really very exciting and gives me energy and makes me remember all the things I want to do. I think the staff inspires me now and John did in the beginning. 

How has living in New York City affected your job? How do you think being a college counselor would be somewhere else?

Well, I think in terms of the day-to-day, I imagine that suburban schools probably have a lot more money, and that some things are easier. You probably don't have to worry about bills being payed. Things like that. We are always struggling to make ends meet. If we had a bigger budget that would be nice, as well as different. But also, I wouldn't trade it. I love living in New York, and having such a diverse population. I don't think our community could be replicated in the suburbs. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so. I grew up outside of a city, and my school was very big and it was diverse in some ways, but in many ways it was not. Everyone was pretty much from the same income area, some a little richer, some a little poorer, but pretty much the same. What is really exciting about working here is that a group of students comes through here, that for the most part is able to work together and respect each other, and by the time they graduate there is a relationship that they all have as a team together. That is such a beautiful thing really, and it makes you wonder why the world can't be like ICE. Can't we learn and accept each others differences and if we're not going to be best friends, at leas have that going forward.  ICE is really incredible. Even when students have started out not liking each other, by the time they graduate, theres usually a little something there. I really don't think a lot of students have that in their schools. 

What is the biggest challenge you've had in your time working at ICE?

I think that with this job, there are lots of challenges, and lots of problem solving. I think there are a number of challenges that present themselves every year, whether it's communicating clearly with parents, whether it's getting a college to take a second look at a student, or trying to get a student to go beyond looking at reach schools and make sure they have some schools they're going to get into. Sometimes I'm successful at doing those things, and sometimes I'm not. When I'm not, it feels really bad. I have to examine why it didn't work well for this kid. You only have so much control over where the kids send their applications. These are the challenges I face every year. I'd like to say that they go away from one year to the next, but I think they always present themselves again in different forms. I think that as much as I can work with the students as juniors, the better. Like this year, it was really good because of the small classes. I feel like I really got to know the kids. 

What is the most fulfilling part of being a college advisor?

There are so many fulfilling parts! To work with young people at this point in their lives--when they are about to start a whole new part of their life--is pretty exciting. You all are in this really exciting place where you are thinking about the future, and soon moving away, and so just to be around all that gives me a lot of energy. I think I get to see the world a little differently then those who work at computers all day. The freshness that the students bring is like a gift. And just knowing that I can be helpful in the college process is really great. When you all graduate I feel like my heart is going to burst from excitement, and I can point to each of you and say which college you're going to. If you ask me about kids who graduated 10 years ago I'll tell you what college they went to. It all makes me feel good. I get a lot of gratification from my job, and I feel bad for people who don't enjoy their jobs. I think it's really important to find something you like to do. 

Thanks Jennifer!

Isabel

Tips for College Interviews from an ICE Senior

11th graders will be doing interviews with colleges soon, so here is a post with some advice and information about college interviews! I have absolutely no experience with these interviews since I didn't do any, but I interviewed a senior (who wished to remain anonymous) about her interview experiences. 

How many college interviews have you had?

I’ve had two alumni interviews (here in NYC) and two interviews at the actual colleges.

What was your best college interview? Why?

I was interviewed by a senior at Haverford College and we related to each other on many subjects so it was really easy to talk to her. We both loved photography and she was an English major and I was thinking of becoming one. She was also doing a senior thesis project (wrote her paper and was going to present to a panel) just like all the ones we do at ICE so it was perfect. Haverford was just like ICE to the extreme. Based on that I think the easiest way to have a good interview experience is to find something you and the interviewer have in common and be sure to show exactly how you would be a good fit at their school and not only why you want to go there. At another interview, the interviewer and I connected because he was also from NYC, and another because she was majoring in what I’m thinking of majoring in.

How would you describe the atmosphere of your interviews? Do you think this is typical of college interviews? Should students dress professional or casual?

For the ones I did at the colleges, we sat in admission rooms and they didn't really have specific questions. Both of them were with a student who works in admissions. The alumni interviews were with older people (duh they've already graduated) and we met in a cafe and a diner in the city. One of the alumni called me and we arranged a date, time, and place, and the other I did via email. The interview usually starts by telling you they want this to be a conversation and not just them asking you a list of questions, then they ask you to tell them about yourself, your school, your interests, and move on from there.

Of course you should dress professionally. No denim! I wore a colored blazer with solid black skinny pants and a nice shirt. Basically you would wear what you'd wear to give a panel presentation. When in doubt I’ve always heard that in general it's better to error on the fancy side.

Do you have any advice for how to do well on an interview?

Like I said before I think it's really important to show your common ground. Don’t just say a program sounds really cool, say my school had something a bit like this we did blah blah and i'm really excited to take this to the next level. Show that you learned from that common experience and how you can use those skills to make you great when you do it in college.

Also, of course, have researched your school and come with questions to ask. Ask your interviewer what they are majoring/did major in and what they're involved with and any questions you have about the school, of course. Another tip, one alum told me where she worked and I didn't search it before I went. It wasn't a huge deal but I wish I had because she referenced it during the interview. Also, in three out of the four interviews, I was asked what I was reading currently, so have a title ready just in case. One good thing that to talk about: ICE’s graduation requirements. They are a good way to show what kind of work you do.

Anything else you want to add about college interviews?

If you can interview at the school, do it. I didn't get into either of the schools I did alumni interviews for (not saying they aren't an asset to your application, these schools were also my extreme reach schools) but they were kind of awkward. one was in a diner and one was in a cafe and there was all this added stress of ordering food or not ordering food (at the diner I got a soda so I could still talk, my interviewer got a meal) and having to talk over excess noise, etc. That said, they were really helpful to learn more about the school and I think it's better to do one if that's the only option, but if it's available/convenient to do on campus I found I preferred those (I got into a reach-ish school and a target via them). Last but not least, you should always get the interviewer's name and send them a thank you card/email!

Thanks to anonymous senior! Hope this helps the juniors who have interviews coming up.

Isabel

NY Times Article-Measuring College Prestige vs. Price

A recent New York Times article, Measuring College Prestige vs. Price, talks about the rising prices of college and whether expensive private schools are worth the massive amounts of debt they entail. Students these days have to weigh whether they can afford to pay for the more prestigious college, or whether they can get into the grad or medical school they want to if they choose the cheaper, less prestigious college. There are a lot of things to consider when deciding how much money to spend on college, such as what kind of life the student wants after they graduate, graduation rates of the possible colleges, any merit scholarships the student may receive, as well as how much debt the parents and the student can handle. Rather than say students should choose their school based on prestige or price, the article concludes with the advice that families should look at what they can realistically afford, or think about how much debt they are willing to deal with. There are a lot of factors that play into the choice, so it varies from family to family.

Here is the link to the full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/20/your-money/measuring-college-prestige-vs-price.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Clark University

In early April I went to visit Clark University for a tour and information session. Clark is located in Worcester, Massachusetts. It's a small private liberal arts and research university, with about 2,300 students, 32 majors, and 31 minors. Clark is an SAT-optional school, and has an acceptance rate of about 60%. The university is especially known for their Geography and Psychology programs. 17% of the students major in Psychology. Clark is also one of 40 colleges in Loren Pope's book, Colleges that Change Lives.

Standing by the Science Center and Admissions Office.

Clark has an accelerated B.A./Masters program, which 25% of undergrad students take part in. It offers a 5th year at Clark with free tuition to get a Bachelors and Masters degree. They offer 14 accelerated degree programs. Here is a link to the information about that: http://www.clarku.edu/undergraduate-admissions/majors-academics/tuition-free-masters.cfm

Worcester is the second largest city in New England, after Boston. It is an hour west of Boston and 45 minutes Northwest of Providence. 

As I mentioned, I was at Clark for a tour and an info session recently. At the info session, there was a student panel who answered questions and told us about their experiences at Clark. They talked a lot about helping and giving to the Worcester community and it seemed that the Clark community and the Worcester community are very connected. We took a tour of the campus, which is pretty small, but has everything that the students need. The students were friendly and inviting, offering only the highest praise for their school. 

I may have a somewhat biased opinion since I'm going to Clark next year, but overall my impression was that it's a great, community-oriented school. For more information about Clark, visit their website: http://www.clarku.edu/

Isabel