Penn Charter Upper School Newsletter

College Counseling News September 27, 2007

We hope that your summer was relaxing and you are now ready for a busy fall trimester. Members of the College Counseling Office spent the summer visiting college campuses, attending professional conferences and writing letters of recommendation. We continue to expand the role of technology in our office, giving our Class of 2008 families access to Family Connection. Family Connection is the software that allows Penn Charter to research institutions, monitor applications, and analyze admissions decisions.

We are excited to share this technology with families in an effort to fortify them with data and assist them in making thoughtful decisions regarding “reach,” “possible” and “likely” college options. Students and families can anticipate being introduced to this technology during their junior year. Until then, all families are encouraged to visit the College Counseling Office website at: www.penncharter.com/Content/academics/us/collegecounseling.asp

The world of college admissions has undergone much change over the years. Applicant pools at many American colleges are growing – a result of more students going to college but also a result of the simple fact those students are applying to more colleges (the average Penn Charter student applies to 6-9 colleges). At the same time, admission rates at colleges are declining. As a result, admissions decisions are becoming far less predictable. Despite this competitive climate, we continue to be encouraged with the results for Penn Charter students. Last year, 61 percent of the 613 applications submitted for the Class of 2007 resulted in acceptances. Even more impressive is the fact that 94 percent of the Class of 2007 reported that they would be attending one of their top-choice colleges. We consider these strong statistics to be evidence that PC families are giving this important process the time and thought that it deserves while also welcoming support, advice and honest feedback from our office.

Students and secondary schools are not the only ones feeling the pressure; colleges are also being pressured to lower admit rates, increase yield and improve rankings. As a result, factors such as a student’s demonstrated interest in a college (last year, 53 percent of colleges admitted to tracking this) or a student’s ability to pay are now considered by many institutions when making admissions decisions. The current state of admissions raises the point that while application review remains a personal process, families must remember that they should not take this process personally. However, we must remain optimistic and encourage students to pursue their dreams while providing them with reality checks along the way.

Seniors: Whether your summer plans involved work, athletic tournaments, educational programs, travel or community service, I hope your activities were fulfilling. Of course, I also hope you have been staying on schedule with your college search and visiting campuses, collecting applications, and thinking about (better yet – writing) your college essay(s). (Note: A “Summer Check List for the College Process” can be viewed on your Family Connection accounts.) As was explained to you last spring, the College Counseling Office will expect your list of colleges to be fine-tuned by September and final by November. Senior Seminar, which meets weekly throughout the fall trimester, will help you stay on track and meet various deadlines. Planning a college visit? Please remember that you have a total of five days of excused absences for visiting colleges. If you are visiting a college, for the absence to be excused, you must complete a student absence form and bring in a parent note regarding the missed days of school before the visit.

Juniors and sophomores: All juniors and sophomores are required to take the PSAT on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2007. The test will be given at Penn Charter in the Richard B. Fisher Middle School. Students should report to the Balderston Commons by 7:45 a.m. Students are pre-registered for the test and the cost will be billed to their school account. The test begins promptly at 8 a.m. and should be over by 11 a.m. The test and answer sheets will be returned to students in early December along with an explanation of the results.

In addition, on Thursday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m., members of the College Counseling Office, in cooperation with the Athletics Department, are hosting a workshop focusing on student-athletes and the college recruiting process. More information will be mailed to 10th and 11th grade families in November.

Juniors: Juniors who do extremely well on the PSAT, scoring in the top 4 percent nationally, will receive recognition in the spring and enter the scholarship programs of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Sophomores: Even though Penn Charter requires you to take the PSAT, please keep in mind that colleges never see the results. Because the test is designed for the junior year, there will be some math on the test that you have not yet covered. As a result, do not worry if your score is not as high as you were hoping it would be. Please remember that this is practice and it should be viewed as a learning experience that will prepare you for next year when the test does count as a qualifier for National Merit recognition. Having said this, it is still important to do your best because the PSAT results are used by some of Penn Charter’s academic departments, along with grades, for course placement.

Freshmen: The College Counseling Office is pleased to announce its annual Coffee with the College Counselors program for the parents of ninth graders. The program will take place during the week of January 28, 2008, 8-9 a.m. in the Overseers Room. These informal coffee hours will introduce the parents of the Class of 2011 to the college counseling team, give an overview of the Penn Charter college counseling philosophy, reduce anxiety (we hope), while also providing an opportunity for your questions to be answered about this very important process. More information will be mailed to ninth grade parents in January.

Important Dates:

Saturday, September 15 – National ACT Test Date. The registration deadline for this test is Friday, August 10, 2007. Students should register online at www.act.org

Tuesday, September 25 at 7 p.m. – Seniors and Parents College Night. This event will be a wonderful opportunity for students and parents to learn firsthand how admissions offices evaluate applications (the role of the transcript, how standardized testing is considered, the importance of your essay, etc.). We will be lead through a mock admissions selection committee by experienced admissions officers, and we will review and decision real, but anonymous, applications. The program will take place in the Meeting Room.

Saturday, October 6 – National SAT Reasoning Test & SAT Subject Test Date. The registration deadline for this test is Monday, Sept. 10. Students should register online at www.collegeboard.com

Saturday, October 20 at 8 a.m. – National PSAT Test Date. All sophomores and juniors should report to the Balderston Commons in the Richard B. Fisher Middle School building at 7:45 a.m.

Saturday, October 27 – National ACT Test Date The registration deadline for this test is Friday, Sept. 21. Students should register online at www.act.org

Welcome back!

Daniel F. Evans, Director of College Counseling

Erin P. Hughes, Assistant Director of College Counseling

Diona Nicolucci, Coordinator of College Counseling