College admissions officers from schools across North America were on hand offering advice to high school students and their parents at Island Pacific Academy’s College Counseling Night. Over a dozen of these college experts offered helpful information about financial aid and the college application process from start to finish as well as presenting 30-minute seminars on topics such as:
- Demystifying the College Application Review Process
- Looking Beyond Hawaii – Attending an East Coast College
- Liberal Arts: Training You for Life
- What is the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Program?
- International Admissions – Can I actually attend college outside of the United States?
- What does “Holistic Review” really mean?
- How to Present Yourself to Colleges & Universities: Interviews, Email, Campus Visits, and Applications
- Financial Aid 101
- Understanding the University of California System Application
- Selective University Admissions
- The Benefits of Staying in Hawaii for College
- The College Essay and Letters of Recommendation
Each session was held twice during the evening. “We had some students come to the evening on their own which shows a lot of responsibility and initiative. Many other students came with one or both parents so they could split up, attend different sessions, and then share all they had learned as a family,” says Dean of College Counseling, Kori Shlachter. When the presentation sessions were finished, all the admissions representatives then held a college fair.
Parents and interested students were able to learn about different majors and the ways in which courses are offered at various schools.
Parents and students learned more about the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program during a session given by the Admissions officer from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. WUE states include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. (source:Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education http://wiche.edu/askWICHE-wue)
Students and a parent visit with a representative from a college that can offer the WUE program to applicants.
“Applying to college can be such a stressful process for the entire family,” says Shlachter as she explains what motivated her to organize this event for the school. “In addition to the deadlines and decisions, there are buzz words or terms that may not be familiar like ‘holistic review’ or ‘demonstrated interest.’ We want to make sure that our students and their parents can be educated consumers and feel confident evaluating their college choices.”
Admissions representatives met with students and parents in the multi-purpose room for a college fair after the in-depth sessions.
“Understanding what ‘liberal arts’ means is important when choosing a college or university. Learning about these concepts directly from an Admissions representative in person has so much more impact than an article read online,” Shlachter adds. “Another benefit is that many of the college representatives who were here tonight are the very people who will be reading our students’ applications and essays. Meeting and speaking with these key admissions office people is a huge opportunity for our students.”
The Chapman College representative advised students to be professional and purposeful when sending emails to prospective schools, to be “present” (attentive) on tours, to ask tour guides tough questions, and even make time to eat a meal at campus dining halls as a way to compare schools.
Gerald Teramae, Head of School, agrees, “IPA is a college preparatory school and we work hard to ensure all of our high school students have the tools and resources they need to identify, apply, and gain acceptance to great colleges that ‘fit’ their academic and life goals.” IPA’s College Counseling Night was open to all high school students, grades 9-12, and their families.
Interested families could speak with representatives from a university in Canada as well as public and private schools from across the United States at IPA’s College Counseling Night.
Colleges and Universities represented at the IPA College Counseling night included: Chapman University, Colorado College, Hawaii Pacific University, Marist College, Santa Clara University, St. John’s College, University of British Columbia, University of California Santa Cruz, University of Nevada Las Vegas, University of Notre Dame, Wagner College, Washington State University, and Westmont College.
