Archive: Around Town

"The college process is different from when we applied for college," says High School Principal Michelle Stone.  That's why juniors and their parents were invited to attend "College Night" at Lansing High School last night.  The purpose of the event was to begin to prepare students and their families for the application process.

Guidance Councilor Carol Miller explains that it takes real work to get into the right school.  "You have to take the time to find out what school fits you best," she says.  She and her colleague Nancy Fish put the event together to try to make sense of the application process.  Stone says that schools aren't interested in resumes that list umpteen extra-curricular activities any more.  "Colleges are looking for depth," she says.  "Seeing their passion and playing it out... colleges are sick of seeing resume padding."


Sessions included "How do I begin: Researching Colleges," led by Miller, followed by "SAT vs. ACT: Which Test is Best" by Fish.  TC3 Director of Transferring Students Heather Stevens conducted a session on 2 and 4 year colleges and the transferring process.  The Rotary club was there to talk about being an exchange student.

Attendees got a "College Admission Process" pamphlet, a computer CD and other information, and had their first taste of talking to the college representatives that participated.  "We've put together a list of questions for parents to ask these people so when they go to other events they'll know what to ask," says Miller.


"The College Admission Process" is a work book that helps students organize their qualifications and put together the materials they will need in the application process.  Miller has been writing it over the past five or six years, adding new sections each year.  "It's my little project that I'm quite proud of," she says.

It is impressive, demystifying the admissions process, helping students pick the right school, to build a resume and to focus on their interests.  It includes tips for getting organized, getting recommendations and writing admissions essays.  It also helps students prepare for interviews, anticipating the kinds of questions they will be asked.  There is also a section on financial aid and a chart for comparing colleges when choosing which to apply for.

Your Chances of Getting Into Schools That Lansing Students Commonly Apply To
COLLEGE Name	Acceptance Difficulty	Total % Accepted	Average SAT Verbal	Average SAT Math	Average (Lansing) G.P.A.
Cornell	Competitive	34%	660	700	94.55
Binghamton	Competitive	41%	590	620	88.67
RIT	Selective	78%	570	600	92.25
Albany	Selective	63%	560	570	90.59
Mansfield	Selective	81%	480	480	79.15
Syracuse	Selective	58%	590	600	89.54
Ithaca	Selective	70%	580	580	88.87
-- From Lansing High School's "The College Admission Process"

The event also hosted a modest college fair.  Representatives came from 16 schools including Albright College, Alfred University, Binghamton University, Cayuga CC, Elmira College, Ithaca College, Keuka College, SUNY Alfred, SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Cortland, SUNY IT, SUNY Morrisville, SUNY New Paltz, TC3, Utica College and Wells College.

 "We're a work in progress here," says Stone.  "Carol had the idea to have this mini college fair last year, and now it's growing."  Students from Southern Cayuga, Groton and Newfield were also invited to attend, which Miller used to attract more colleges to the event.


Stone hopes the evening will relieve some of the pressure students feel as they try to get into college.  "There is a huge pressure to choose something that will affect the rest of their life," she says.  "They don't realize they can change."  But she says that it is important for students to realize that everything they do throughout their High School years is important.  "What they do in their Freshman year impacts what they'll be able to do.  What they do opens and shuts doors." 

She also noted that students can't afford to indulge in "senior slump," because college admissions officials don't like that.  But she said that the majority of Lansing students get into college, and that many of those who don't apply go into the military.  Meanwhile a new class of Lansing students got to launch the process for themselves as they look ahead to life after High School.

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