More than 120 students and parents attended the May 9 Best Fit Colleges, Best Fit Careers Tour stop at Tappan Zee High School! TZHS was one of just 10 high school’s on the spring tour, a collaboration of Roadtrip Nation and The Princeton Review.
Speakers gave practical advice and shared resources to demystify the college application process and help students identify potential careers that connect with their interests.
The first step is for students to define their interests. “What do you enjoy doing in your free time? What do you like to do without getting paid?” asked Roadtrip Nation National Events Manager Ben Sienko. “The next step is to think about how you can combine those interests into a career you’ll love.”
Roadtrip Nation’s career exploration videos are part of the Naviance platform, which is introduced to TZHS students in the spring of sophomore year. Through Naviance, students can search and explore over 3,500 video interviews with people who have common interests that they have translated into a career. “You don’t need a production team and an RV to go out and talk to people,” Ben advised. “Research and reach out to people with cool jobs and do informational interviews to learn how they got to where they are.”
One of the biggest mistakes people make is approaching college admission as a game of winners and losers, according to The Princeton Review’s Regional Director of Outreach Chris Piane. “Fact #1: It has never been easier to get into college than it is now,” he advised. “Fact #2: It has never been more difficult to get into college than it is now.”
Chris explained that, with roughly 4,000 four-year colleges in the U.S., there is actually a shortage of freshmen to fill all the seats. The problem is that so many students apply to the same, relatively small number of, schools. To illustrate, he asked participants to write down their top three “dream” schools, then had them cross off those who typically have the highest numbers of applicants per available seat.
“All the Ivies? Cross them off. Binghamton, NYU, Lehigh, Lafayette, Northeastern, MIT, Stanford, UCLA, Notre Dame? Cross them off. DC area schools: Georgetown, George Washington, American, University of Maryland…cross them off,” he said, continuing to call out school names as participants whittled their lists. By the end of the exercise, many students and parents had only one, or no, schools left on their lists.
Chris explained that a “selective” designation simply means that a school receives more applications than the number of its available seats. The greater the difference between number of applications and number of seats, the more selective a school appears–and this drives rankings. “People tend to attach meaning to ‘selectivity’–better professors, better post-graduate outcomes–that don’t belong. Brand perception, athletics, name recognition don’t translate to the best fit for you,” he noted, advising that students should focus on four key things in their college search process. “Look for academic fit, financial fit, campus culture and career services.”
To improve one’s chances of getting into a “best fit” college, Chris offered the following:
- For the first round of admissions review, GPA is the most important measure. Admissions counselors review applicant transcripts to see whether the student has consistently challenged themselves all four years (including senior year). Second to GPA are standardized test scores (for those schools that require it) which, he contends, are coachable.
- Applications that proceed to the next step are evaluated on the personal statement (“Who am I outside the classroom?”), letters of recommendation (“Who do others say I am?”), and extracurriculars. “Shy students, consider that those who participate in class are more likely to stay on top of the minds of teachers from whom you may be seeking recommendations. Speak up,” he advised. “And, in terms of extracurriculars, don’t be jack-of-all-trades and master of none. Focus on a few interests and increasing responsibility in your roles.”
- Have the opportunity to interview? Take it–and prepare in advance. Admissions counselors are considering how you will complement their college community, so be sure to speak to that.
TZHS alumna Jessica Cannon (‘99), an actress and voiceover artist, offered some additional college and career advice. “Don’t be afraid to talk with your teachers and professors. Find the ones who are helpful and ask them for guidance. And be flexible…having a career in the arts isn’t always a straight path. I’ve been successful because I’ve said yes to things I didn’t expect to be doing and those things led to other opportunities.” Ben chimed in that “the power of saying yes has been a common theme on the Roadtrip Nation tour.”
“The Best Fit College, Best Fit Career event was fun and informative,” said TZHS School Counseling Team Leader Richard Weissberg. “The speakers offered great advice and recommended that students use the summer to identify a few key interests and reflect on how they can pursue those interests through relevant coursework, extracurricular activities and part-time work. They also encouraged students to take the initiative, be proactive and reach out to people in their fields of interest to learn about career options and see how others’ experiences might help inform their own paths forward.”
Mr. Weissberg added that although all students in grades 10-12 already have access to Naviance, current freshmen who are eager to get started can be registered, too. “Just make an appointment with your counselor if you’re interested,” he advised.
