On December 10, Jessica Kaiser, who is the College and Career Counselor/AP Coordinator at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, sponsored the Junior Planning Night to inform fellow students at the high school about the college application process, choosing a college that is the right “fit” for you, and informing students about general college trends.
Mrs. Kaiser started the night with a brief schedule of upcoming events. Lunch and Learn is an upcoming opportunity where she will cover various college-related topics during lunch to discuss the college process.
January’s topic will be “Where do I start?” to help those who both have an intended major and who are undecided learn how to approach the college search process.
Juniors and seniors are allowed to have up to three days for college visits, open houses, or campus tours.
Some colleges track demonstrated interest through these visits and students can use social media and college websites to register for or find out about upcoming events. Lastly, information about the letter of recommendation will be provided throughout April. Mrs. Kaiser advises students to request letters of recommendation from teachers they have a strong connection with and in whose classes they have demonstrated solid academic performance.
Ms. Kaiser recommends that students begin researching colleges now. It is essential to find a college that “fits” your interests, taking into account factors such as location, available majors, honors programs, campus environment, internship opportunities, and financial aid. Because college can be very expensive, students should also research commuting costs, tuition, housing expenses, loans, graduation rates, and job placement outcomes. To help with this process, every college provides a net price calculator on its website.
Next, Ms. Kaiser went over a few recent college trends that have been observed the past couple of years. For example, colleges like Rutgers have recently had lower acceptance rates due to the large number of applications they are receiving.
Also, because Rutgers is test-optional, those who do submit their SAT or ACT scores inflate the school’s average test scores. Mrs. Kaiser says if a university’s acceptance rate is 30% or lower, it automatically becomes a reach school. She recommends that while researching universities to find at least two to three reach schools, six realistic or target schools, and two to three that are considered safety/probable colleges.
The majority of the schools students should apply for are ones that fit their stats, and would have a good chance of getting accepted into.
The college application process is a lengthy one, and takes a lot of dedication and time to complete. Mrs. Kaiser believes students should start as early as possible on their college research to make the application and admissions process much easier their senior year. Juggling senior year with college applications can be difficult, but counselors such as Mrs. Kaiser are here to help their students every step of the way.
In the Spring, there will be a college fair at Hillsborough High School and Hunterdon Central Regional High School. The Bridgewater-Raritan High School will not be holding a college fair in the Spring. More information will be available as the year progresses about the college fairs. If students have any questions about the college process, email Ms. Kaiser at [email protected] or their designated counselors.
