Congrats to our Graduates!
June 9th, 2009Your Summer Plan: SCOOP for High School Students
June 5th, 2009Ahh, it’s almost summer…but surely that means that your parents are asking you what you are going to do this summer?! Summer programs (including sports camps, and courses at colleges), jobs, internships, and community service can all be great ways to spend the summer. It is a good idea, though, to be sure you have at least one job or internship during your high school years. Amidst the recession, jobs have become hard to find—and this applies to summer jobs as well. While finding meaningful work opportunities in this economic climate can be challenging, with a little creativity and persistence, you can create a summer plan that enables you to learn and to develop new skills! Here is a selection of our SUMMER SCOOP for students:
Tip #1: Be proactive! When pursuing paid employment options, sending out resumes and cover letters and then sitting on the couch, waiting for the phone to ring is the wrong approach! Reach out to people who know you, your goals, and your work ethic. Remember that old camp counselor that you still email? Check in and see if there are any opportunities at their camp. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there – you will never make a shot that you don’t take!
Tip #2: Summer programs and community service are also great ways to spend the summer! There are many good websites for finding summer programs: Enrichmentalley.com, for example, lists programs ranging from summer classes at colleges across the country to international travel and community service opportunities.
The KEY to making the most of your summer is to find a job, program, or community service opportunity that incorporates a current or new interest – you’ll naturally put more effort into it if you enjoy what you’re doing!
Good Luck! Have a great summer!
-Dan
MEET Shannon, Founder and College Coach!
June 5th, 2009So you have my formal bio on the ‘about us’ page - so I’m going to make this a low-key one.
I’m a Yale girl - BA and MBA - and I worked as a reader for Yale’s Undergrad Admissions Office, which gave me great perspective on what makes students STAND OUT amidst today’s competitive college admissions process. Now, I’m focused on bringing this perspective — and five years of experience in advising students to my clients across the country and around the world.
We’re all very proud that over the past five years, over 80% of our students have been accepted to their first choice college, and over 95% have been accepted to one of their top three college choices. This is a serious achievement in today’s incredibly competitive admissions climate!
OK, so on to some fun stuff. I love to run and won nine varsity letters in track and cross country at Yale…still run almost every day and do many local races. Half marathon PR - 1.22. I also love yoga, tennis, and kayaking.
FAVORITE CUPCAKE: it’s a tie - crumbs’ mint choc chip and buttercup’s vanilla
MEET DAN, one of our advisors!
June 1st, 2009Dan graduated with honors from Amherst College in 1998. While at Amherst, Dan was a four year starting catcher on the baseball team and was selected as team captain in his senior year. After playing professional baseball in Europe, he returned to Amherst as an assistant coach from 2003 to 2005. Dan became extensively involved in athletic recruiting, and soon realized how much he enjoyed helping student-athletes navigate their way through this stressful yet rewarding process. After spending a year in Washington, D.C. working with athletes and their families, Dan moved to Manhattan and joined the Collegiate Compass team in 2006. Since then, Dan has worked with a wide variety of students, both athletes and non-athletes, to help them maximize their college options and reach their goals. In addition, Dan is the Director of College Guidance for a non-profit organization in Manhattan. He visits over 30 college campuses across the country each year and enjoys traveling, playing softball in Central Park and taking photographs around the city.
Favorite T.V. Shows: The Office, The Wire
Favorite N.Y.C. restaurant: Stanton Social
Favorite places in NYC: Yankee Stadium, Bronx Botanical Gardens, Riverside
Park
Favorite Travel Spot: Anywhere!
Favorite book: The Alchemist
Our First Post!
April 3rd, 2009Kicking off our new blog today! AND we’re launching our new videos tomorrow on the website!
Good article in today’s NYTimes on this year’s college yields. We’re surprised not to see State School Powerhouses UVA and Wisconsin showing higher yields amidst the recession…part of the reason for that certainly comes the Big Names have increased financial aid and continue to attract record numbers of applicants, while holding yields relatively constant.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/education/11college.html?_r=1&hp