Archive: Around Town

If you have a senior in high school you are likely struggling with the panic of what to do when and the prospect of an empty nest coming soon to a home near you.  If you have a sophomore or junior you may be thinking about what to do to get ahead of that curve.  The Lansing Community Library is offering a workshop for parents to try to help them do just that.

 "College admissions is a very unforgiving process with rigid deadlines and lots of details to be completed," says Lucia Tyler, a Trumansburg-based college admissions consultant who will be co-presenting "How College Admissions have Changed" on October 1st at 7pm.  "At the end of the year, students who procrastinate can end up with few to no 'Congratulations, you're admitted' emails."

'How College Admissions have Changed' will be presented by Tyler and SAT tutor Eileen Kotzer.  The pair will provide an overview of the admissions process, including a timeline, what colleges look for when accepting students, and dealing with standardized tests like the SATs and the ACTs, dealing with the competition, and financial aid.

Tyler says that students often rely on misinformation they get from peers, and that can get them into trouble.  The admissions process has changed since their parents applied for college, and it is important to understand the process and meet deadlines.  She also advocates a 'less is more' approach, targeting schools that are truly a good match for students.

"One student I spoke with last year applied to 23 colleges because they felt this gave them a better chance," she says.   "This 'shotgun' approach makes little sense because it is hard to do a good job on that many applications.  I will talk about narrowing down college options in my workshop."


In her private practice Tyler has worked with over 40 families to find a good college match. She travels to over 35 colleges per year, and has evaluated over 130 colleges in 15 states.  She worked in higher education at Cornell University for over 15 years.  Her professional roles included researcher, lecturer, lab coordinator, student mentor, grant writer and curriculum developer.

"I can give a glimpse of what types of considerations go on in the decision making of an admissions office because I worked in one," she says

Kotzer is an SAT tutor with more than over 25 years of high school teaching experience in the Rochester area.  She will cover the differences between the SAT and ACT and strategies for preparing for them.

The Lansing Community Library offers a variety of programs throughout the year that are free and open to the public.

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