Picking Your Future

Trying to answer the question of what college to pick proves to be tricky.

JODIE KAUFMAN
Special to The Jewish News

C

ollege. This single word brings much
apprehension. High schoolers are often
caught with worries and fears about
college, and with nearly 4,000 to
choose from, where do you go, and how do you
get there?
Brandeis University-bound Mark Tapper says
he was initially "very anxious about the whole
college thing." A senior at Cranbrook-Kingswood
High School, he was worried about issues such as
"geographical location, student/faculty ratio, per-
centage of Jewish kids, and playing a college
sport."
Tapper says he didn't want to be 'tunnel
visioned' in a way, applying to the same schools
all of the West Bloomfield and Bloomfield Hills
kids were applying to I wanted to take a closer
look at my options." With Brandeis as his top
choice, he applied to three schools, hoping to
get into Brandeis early, which he did.
It is often preconceived that in order to get
into the top schools, you must be involved in
every possible activity, on top of your academics.
William Hancock, director of college counseling
at Cranbrook, disagrees. Younger students who
are trying to compile impressive high school
careers should not "try to be Joe and Janet every-
thing; try to find your passion and pursue it with
depth and quality."
Ellen Posch, the guidance director at
Bloomfield Hills Andover High School, reminds
her students that there are "thousands of schools
to choose from, and if you are not admitted, and
the student feels the capability to attend, if they
so desire they can transfer." She also adds that a
"good student has no control over the admis-
sions department." A student may be qualified
for a particular school from grades and test
scores, but "because of numbers and geographi-
cal distribution," not get admitted.
Both Hancock and Posch advise their stu-
dents to apply to at least three to four schools,
and prefer maxing out at six or seven schools.
They both recommend having a safety school,
and then aiming for something that seems a lit-
tle out of reach.
Andover senior Carl Seidman, who plans on
attending Lyman Briggs College at Michigan
State University, emphasizes that you should
"not count on getting into a particular school."

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1999

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Most students heading for

x college take either the ACT

or the SAT, and prepare by
getting tutoring or study-
ing from books. McDonald
says taking an ACT prep
course was the best route
for him. "It helped me
immensely because my
biggest problem taking the
test was the time restraints
and practicing only helped
me adjust to them."
Berkley senior Brian
Urnovitz, who plans on
attending MSU next fall,
recommends computer
programs for preparation,
Andover High School guidance counselor Ellen Posch talks with a group of
and Solway suggests that
juniors at an assembly.
you "give yourself enough
time to retake the tests."
Birmingham Seaholm High School senior
Seidman
agrees,
saying
his scores increased a lot
Erica Solway recommends looking in books first
by
retaking
the
ACT.
to find schools you may be interested in, and
Another important facet of applying to col-
then visiting to narrow down the choices.
lege is the essay, which Cranbrook senior Danya
Solway is considering the universities of
Abt realized "should be started early." She began
Michigan, Wisconsin and Northwestern.
at the last minute and found herself rushed to
Posch recommends deciding on a few basic
complete her applications.
criteria before narrowing down your college list.
Those who have been through it, unani-
Consider if you want: "a large or small school;
mously
recommend that students apply to col-
[location] near or far from home; a city or col-
leges
as
early as possible. That relieves a lot of
lege-town environment; a public or private uni-
the
stress
and confusion as well, knowing your
versity."
material is in to the school and giving you
"Students should do a lot of self-study about
ample time to complete something you may
how they learn and if the environment [of the
have forgotten. In the case of rolling admission
specific school] is going to enable them to
schools, you will be notified of your decision
learn," advises Hancock.
earlier as well.
Berkley High School senior Adam McDonald
Says North Farmington High School senior
was attracted to Indiana University "because of
Shayna
Levine, who plans to attend James
the campus, diversity, reputation and academic
Madison
College at MSU: "applying early
opportunity.
helped my nerves; I got to stop worrying about
The college process can begin as early as
the whole college thing a lot sooner."
sophomore year. By 10th grade, students
After all the visits, standardized tests, summer
should be thinking about college," says Posh.
programs
and applications, getting in does earn
She encourages visiting schools even if the stu-
its
worth.
dent does not plan on attending that particular
When Berkley High senior Lindsay
one, to see if they offer the kind of environment
Hollander
was accepted into U-M, she says she
he or she is searching for.
"was really pleased, because I knew that they
Posch also adds that parents can involve
were only letting in a select few students this
themselves early in the process by getting "to
year, and I am happy to be one of them." 17
know the high school counselor and begin
attending college nights, as well as encourage
Jodie Kaufman is a freelance writer and a senior
their children to use Web sites to help under-
at Cranbrook-Kingswood High School.
stand the college admissions procedure."