Metro Parent 2018 Guide to College Planning by Metro Parent

GUIDE TO

COLLEGE 20

PLANNING THE IN-STATE COLLEGE ADVANTAGE 18 reasons why home is a sweet choice

WHAT ARE COLLEGES LOOKING FOR? College counselors and admissions experts tell all

‘PREPARING FOR COLLEGE’ CHECKLIST From freshman to senior year

EXPLORING CAREER OPTIONS EARLY The value of internships, job shadowing and more

PA G E

INSIDE 5

Editor’s Note

Why College?

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PREPARING FOR COLLEGE elping your child navigate all the homework, tests, after-school activities and everything else that goes with high school can feel overwhelming. Layer in planning for college and it can feel downright daunting! The good news? Planning for college can be divvied up into smaller steps to make it more manageable – for you and your wannabe college student. Here’s a year-by-year look at what you and your child can do to prepare her for college.

Exploring college choices

Test prep

Class schedules Encourage your child to select classes that will challenge her, but that are still

Extracurricular activities This is the time to explore – pottery club, volleyball squad, marching band, football team, theater productions, speech and debate, Spanish club, show choir – your child can start figuring out what activities he enjoys and would like to keep doing in later years.

Application readiness Keep track of all the awards and activities that your child is involved in – she might want to make a list on a note app on his phone and then share it with you.

DO A SOCIAL MEDIA GUT CHECK “Monitor your social media,” Jen Henson, M.Ed., a professional ACT prep coach, advises high schoolers. “Colleges and workplaces will look at your social media accounts. Ask yourself before posting, ‘Would I want this read on the evening news?’”

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Class schedule Continue guiding your child towards classes that are both rigorous and where she can perform well. She might want to start plotting out classes once she’s an upper classman like, AP (advanced placement) courses that may offer college credits, if she meets certain requirements and her college accepts AP coursework.

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Exploring college choices Start looking around as part of family travels and vacations at colleges that might be of interest to your child. Remember that 2-year colleges, technical schools and certification programs may also appeal to your student and fit her interests.

manageable and where she can perform well. After all, she’s just getting the hang of high school.

Talk to your child about what he’s looking for in colleges – does he want to attend a large university or small liberal arts school? What kind of career field is she thinking of going into? Talk through finances as part of the conversation – that liberal arts school may not be quite as appealing once you check out the price tag that goes with it.

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FRESHMAN YEAR No need to break into those SAT and ACT study books just yet. That said, if your child’s school offers practice tests, encourage him to take them. The more familiar he is with the test – and getting out any butterflies – the better he’s likely to do when the scores start to count.

Test prep Practice test time! Have your child sign up for and take the PSAT and PACT.

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Extracurricular activities Time to start narrowing down the clubs and activities he’s participating in to those that he feels passionate about. While colleges are looking for well-rounded students, they’re also focused on those who show they’re willing to get involved and contribute.

Application readiness As with freshman year, make sure to capture all the awards and accolades your child has garnered over the past year.

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1 2 3 4 JUNIOR YEAR Test prep

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Have your child sign up for and take the PSAT, which can qualify him for the National Merit Scholarship Program, depending on his scores. Now’s the time to break out the test guides and start studying.

Exploring college choices Develop a list of potential colleges with your child, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each, including cost, programs/majors offered and other factors, like if it’s close to home or farther away. Plot out when to visit top choices – for example, you might combine a college visit with a family trip or visit a few over spring break. Make sure to have your child check in with the guidance office to see when college representatives may be visiting her school, or the area, to talk to prospective students.

Pro Tip

Class schedules Students need to keep at their studies. If they feel like they can excel at more challenging classes, like AP courses, consider having them take these classes and then the test for college credit.

Extracurricular activities Now that your child is in fewer activities, suggest that he look into leadership positions within the various clubs/sports he’s involved in.

Application readiness Still have the list of accomplishments? Dust it off and have your child add to it for the year. Also, have him start thinking about what he can write about for his college essay. Guidance counselors will tell you the colleges are looking for authenticity in college application essays – not a dissertation on all their accomplishments.

1 2 3 4 SENIOR YEAR Test time Take and retake the ACT and SAT. Many students take these exams multiple times (yes, your child isn’t alone if she doesn’t get a stellar score on the first go around). Within the application, have your child select the colleges where she’d like her scores sent.

Choosing a college Have your child create a list of his top 5-7 college choices and outline the differences between them, like financial packages available and other cost considerations, deadline for applications and other details so he can easily compare his options – and know exactly when to apply for his chosen schools. If you haven’t already, and if possible, visit a few of the colleges your child would like to attend.

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Class schedules Seniors may be under the impression that they can slack off during their last year in high school. Not so. Your child should continue sticking to a rigorous class schedule, but one that also allows him to explore his interests (journalism course, anyone?), along with building his critical thinking skills.

Extracurricular activities Now’s the time for your student to take advantage of chances to lead within the clubs she’s participating in – track co-captain, backstage manager or drama club secretary.

SET A DATE FOR COLLEGE As a longtime advisor, Patrick O’Connor, Ph.D., the associate dean of college counseling at Cranbrook Schools, says there are two pieces of advice he gives parents of college-bound students. The first, “a little support goes a long way.” He suggests that families take the stress out of college planning, for both the parents and the kids, by setting up weekly 20-minute college-planning meetings. “Having these meetings gives students a sense of support but also autonomy,” explains O’Connor. The second tip O’Connor offers to parents? “Remember the lessons of little league. You can buy your kids the equipment and you can drive them to the ballfield but ultimately they have to take the swing themselves.” In other words, you need to let your child be in charge of the college process as much as possible. “You need to let them drive – they do better when they do the practicing themselves.”

Application readiness Your senior will need to write his college essay – but before he puts pen to paper have him review the application requirements for the schools he’d like to attend. Some may have him answer a series of questions versus submitting a full essay. He needs to review other requirements, too, like whether he needs to submit recommendation letters from teachers. Note: College application deadlines vary quite a bit. Consider having him set a reminder on his phone for all the upcoming application deadlines.

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KNOW YOUR OPTIONS

SOURCES OF COLLEGE FUNDING

Paying for your child’s higher education, explained. BY JESSICA SCHRADER

$18,000 for college – an increase from previous years, but not even close to the 2017-18 nonprofit college cost of around $46,950 for tuition, fees and room and board. Here’s a look at your financial aid options, from loans to scholarships and beyond.

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Scholarships are another financial aid option that doesn’t need to be repaid. While some scholarships are difficult to obtain, the good news is that the options are nearly endless since thousands of organizations offer them. Requirements vary based on the type of scholarship for which your student applies. Some are based on need, while others are given for merit. A student could qualify because of academics, athletics, community service, artistic talent or other merits. Colleges and various corporations and organizations offer scholarships.

Both federal and private loans are available to assist students with paying for the cost of college. With a loan, your student will borrow money that must be paid back with interest – but the interest rates and terms available vary widely. The federal government offers federal student loans that typically offer low interest rates and flexible terms. When students need more funding, private loans are offered by banks and other lending institutions that set their own terms and tend to be more costly. Loans can also be taken out in a parent’s name.

Many students decide to work full- or part-time while attending college to help pay for tuition. The Federal Work-Study program is a form of financial aid that offers part-time jobs for college students who demonstrate financial need. With this program, students are often placed in positions related to their area of study – often at the college the student is attending or at a local public agency or non-profit organization. These jobs are sometimes easier to find than hourly positions. The program is federally funded and currently available at 3,400 participating institutions.

The first step to evaluating your child’s financial aid options is filling out the FAFSA, which stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. By submitting this form, you’ll find out if your student is eligible for federal grants, work-study or loans, all based on your individual circumstances. Timing is key with the FAFSA; you’ll want to fill it out as soon as possible once it becomes available on Oct. 1 (for the next school year). According to Federal Student

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GRANTS This type of financial aid does not need to be repaid, so it’s a great place to start. As you research the grants available for your student, you’ll find that many are based on financial need. These grants can come from the state or federal government, the college you’re considering or even private organizations. Keep in mind that if your student receives a grant, there may be rules about how long they must stay enrolled or paying it back if they withdraw from school. Need-based grants may also be reduced if students become eligible for other types of financial aid.

FAFSA 101

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nowing your teen is college-bound is a proud moment for parents – and, financially, a daunting one since most parents haven’t saved enough to cover the costs. In fact, Sallie Mae’s 2018 “How America Saves for College” report notes that the average family saved around

What it stands for and why it’s crucial.

Aid, a part of the U.S. Department of Education, aid is based on the following factors: • T he cost of attendance at your child’s chosen school. • Y our “Expected Family Contribution,” which is calculated using your taxed and untaxed income, assets and benefits (such as unemployment or Social Security). • Y our family size and number of family members in college or vocational school.

Parents can apply online, print and fill out a PDF of the application, or request a paper FAFSA by calling 800-4-FED-AID (800-433-3243). For more information, visit fafsa. ed.gov.

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RESOURCE ROUNDUP

Fast Fact The core SAT exam experience is 4 hours and 22 minutes, according to the College Board. That includes brief breaks and a 50-minute written essay.

SAT TEST PREP T

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he SAT standardized test is a key piece of college entry. Here in Michigan, most high school juniors will take the exam – which includes reading, writing and language, two rounds of math (one without a calculator) and an essay – beginning April 9, 2019. The best way to conquer it? Practice, practice, practice. And early prep work! These southeast Michigan resources are here to help. B Y M E T R O P A R E N T E D I T O R I A L

AIM FOR A TUTORING Canton, Farmington; Ann Arbor, Troy coming soon aim4a.com Classes are in groups of eight-10 students. Pick from one, two, three or four classes per week. BRIGHTMONT ACADEMY Ann Arbor, Birmingham, Northville brightmontacademy.com Get 16 one-to-one instruction sessions for the SAT’s math and various sections. HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER Birmingham, Canton, Rochester Hills huntingtonhelps.com Highly trained tutors give individual instruction in test-taking strategies, time-management, academic skills and more. Flexible hours. KABIR’S PREP Southfield kabirsprep.com Weekly one-on-one mentorship, 11 practice tests, 17 core lessons, 22 review lessons, a 24/7 online student portal and more. KAPLAN TEST PREP Various southeast Michigan locales kaptest.com Offers in-person and live online SAT tutoring, along with a college prep pass, tutoring, self-paced and other options.

MANHATTAN ELITE PREP Ann Arbor area manhattaneliteprep.com Ranges from 28-hour week-long intensives to one-weekend crash courses, covering mock tests, essay feedback and more.

THE PRINCETON REVIEW Various southeast Michigan locales princetonreview.com Try self-paced online, private tutoring, live online, small group, classroom courses and more. Register for free in-person practice tests and events.

SYLVAN LEARNING CENTER Ann Arbor, Brighton, Canton, Dearborn, Livonia, Novi, Oxford, Sterling Heights, Troy, West Bloomfield sylvanlearning.com Choose from in-center small group seminars or online prep with video lessons.

THE STUDENT CONNECTION Bloomfield Hills, Clinton Township thestudentconnect.com Offers individualized private tutoring and boot camps spanning three days.

TEJAS TEST PREP Livonia tejastestprep.com Covers reading, writing, language and math, from core concepts to comprehension strategies.

THE TUTORING CENTER Birmingham, Southgate, Troy, West Bloomfield; Macomb Township coming soon tutoringcenter.com Full program is 64 hours, starting four months ahead of scheduled exam. Starts with a free diagnostic assessment.

THE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHER LEARNING Ann Arbor ihlprep.com Individualized tutoring in person or live online. Students work with tutors typically over the course of four months.

TEST IT OUT The nonprofit Khan Academy offers an SAT test online, complete with step-by-step solutions to questions students missed. Visit khanacademy.org/test-prep.

Visit MetroParent.com/CollegePlanning for costs, addresses and more for each tutor.

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HOW TO

WRITE AN ATTENTIONGRABBING COLLEGE ESSAY Four essay myths debunked – and the facts that make a difference. BY KIM LIFTON

all of senior year is officially crunch time, especially if your child is eyeing early admission deadlines. But that’s no reason to get worked up. There’s one thing left to do for your child to stand out: nail that college essay! You can help your child by sharing these four college essay myths and facts before they write their essays and click send to the schools of their dreams.

GET MORE TIPS! Download a free electronic copy of Kim Lifton’s book How to Write an Effective College Application Essay, The Inside Scoop for Parents at wowwritingworkshop.com/free-parent-book.

MYTH: There is a right way and a wrong way to write an essay. FACT: Your child’s best story will grow out of the process of writing a college application essay. There are no tricks or shortcuts to writing the perfect college application essay. It’s less stressful if your child allows it to emerge from a process of discovery that includes brainstorming, free writing, revision, review and editing.

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A college application essay is all about reflection; it’s an opportunity for applicants to share something meaningful about themselves. “We get a lot of essays about mission trips, camp counselors and sports injuries,” says Kim Bryant, assistant director of admissions at the University of Michigan, adding students list what they did at camp (playing archery, riding in a boat, meeting a lot of really great people) without sharing much about themselves. Bryant and other admissions officers want to read more compelling essays that “tell us how that experience affected” the student. “The essay does not have to be about something huge, some life-changing event,” says Calvin Wise, director of recruitment at Johns Hopkins University. “You can write about an ‘aha’ moment, what defines you as a person. But it doesn’t have to be really extensive. … What does it mean to you? That is what we want to know.”

The college essay is your child’s story, and it should be written using their words, in their voice. Your son or daughter is a high school senior, and the essay should sound like one. Not mom, dad or their English teacher. And certainly not one of the most revered writers of all time! “I wish I saw more of a thoughtful voice of a 17-yearold,” says Christoph Guttentag, Duke University’s dean of undergraduate admissions. “By the time the applications come to us, many of them have gone through so many hands that the essays are sanitized.”

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FACT: Your child is impressive, not the topic.

FACT: A college essay should sound like the applicant who wrote it.

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MYTH: An application essay has to be written about an impressive topic.

MYTH: A college entrance essay should sound sophisticated, like Hemingway or a college professor.

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MYTH: Only superstar students impress admission officers with their essays. FACT: Anyone can stand out with a great story! Your child doesn’t have to rescue a child from a house fire, get a million downloads for an app they developed or train seeing-eye dogs to impress admission officers. “I think sometimes students feel that because they haven’t found the cure for cancer they have nothing to share,” says Vanderbilt University’s assistant director for undergraduate admissions Jan Deike. “Life is truly lived in the smaller moments.”

Kim Lifton is president of Wow Writing Workshop, a strategic communication and writing services company that is a leading expert on the college application essay. She works directly with students, and trains school counselors, English teachers and independent educational consultants. Reach her at kim@wowwritingworkshop.com.

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How internships, job shadowing and other programs in high school can guide your child’s career aspirations – saving time, money and heartache. B Y

ost parents are well aware of the value of internships for their college students – they provide valuable real-world experience, generate contacts that can help graduates land a job and they earn credits toward a degree. What most parents don’t think about, however, is that those real-world experiences should start even younger – as young as middle or high school. Job shadowing, full-blown internships or summer jobs are key to giving students a peek into careers they might be interested in and a sense of the kinds of skills they’ll need in the real world – especially “soft” skills such as punctuality, professionalism and communication. Not every school offers an extensive internship program, but parents can help their children find opportunities within their own contacts. “I think that parents have tons of opportunities to help them with that, especially in summertime when kids are out of school,” says Ashley Johnson, executive director of Detroit

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College Access Network. “Parents need to use their social networks to find these opportunities.” Ask friends or work colleagues for leads on job shadowing or internships, or even ask if your child can have 15 minutes of someone’s time for an informational interview. Meaningful connections with adults are very important for young people, and work experiences are key for students to meet and get to know adults who aren’t family or teachers. Adults need to understand that even the mundane parts of their day – going to meetings, making phone calls, etc. – can seem really exciting for a student. “For a student who has never been in an office space, to get to dress professionally, go to meetings and all that kind of stuff – these are new exposures and new experiences for students,” Johnson says. If adults are willing to share their experiences and how they got to where they are, that can be very encouraging

AMY KURAS

to young people. “No matter how messy it was, or no matter how imperfect it was, young people also need to know the path to success isn’t always a straight line,” she says. Even one conversation can have a big impact, especially for young people who can feel that any mistake spells doom. Getting career exposure early on can head off a lot of career missteps. Parents are sometimes guilty of seizing on a career path for their children and encouraging it to the exclusion of exploring other options – for example, pushing prestige occupations like medicine or law when a parent has little experience with those fields. If a student hasn’t had any exposure to that career, they can get to college, take classes and end up discovering that they hate that career path but don’t know where to turn next. With some real-world exposure before college, they can get a feel for what it might be like to be in that career every day, and also think about other things they might enjoy that are

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classes, they can interview with employers and, if they are older than 17, begin an apprenticeship program that will pay for necessary classes and allow them to earn a wage for the needed work hours towards their apprentice certificate. Once they’ve completed that apprenticeship, they have an in-demand credential for jobs like electrician, welder or machinist that provide good wages and fairly secure work. Grow Detroit’s Young Talent also provides paid job experience to high school students. GDYT connects Detroit youth, ages 14-24, with meaningful career opportunities during the summer. Students earn a wage for the six-week program, and also have access to free transportation to their jobs through DDOT buses. Students have participated in a Microsoft training program called Imagine Academy, culinary programs, computer coding and more. Older students can access training programs that lead to well-paying jobs. The University of Michigan’s Youth Policy Lab studied outcomes for the youth who participated in Grow Detroit’s Young Talent and found significant gains in school attendance, school enrollment and

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related. For example, a math-loving kid may discover they like architecture or auto design, or a wannabe pre-law major might discover their true passion is social work. At some schools, career exploration is part of the curriculum. At Oakland Schools’ Career and Technical Center, students interested in everything from nursing to mechatronics can do on-thejob training and internships throughout their two years at OSTC. “Kids choose careers from experiences they’ve had,” says Amy Flynn, career development counselor at OSTC’s Southwest campus. “The bottom line is that exposure, exposure, exposure is amazing for students.” Some students interested in various skilled trades – including disciplines not traditionally thought of as trades, such as information technology – can even have a jump-start on their career through the “Going PRO in Michigan” apprenticeship readiness program through Schoolcraft College. Motivated students can start taking a series of classes during high school that will prepare them for specific apprenticeships as dual enrollment students, and have their tuition and fees paid by the state. When they complete the

in taking the SAT. The gains were more significant for students who started high school with weaker academic skills. “The data supports the idea that jobs provide a sense of exposure and empowerment for young people to see what kind of career opportunities are available,” says GDYT executive director Jason Lee. Many of the skills the program reinforces in its participants are also ones that matter to academic success. “Responsibility, accountability – those things are important in the workplace, but also in the education landscape. They are critical skills young people learn when they are on the job.” Those key skills – like being able to work in groups, knowing how to communicate confidently with adults and thinking creatively and critically – are reinforced by work experiences. Those skills help young people now and long-term. “The jobs we have right now will not be jobs we’re really thinking about in the future,” says Johnson. The jobs that today’s students will have may not exist right now but emotional intelligence, keeping a growth mindset and using design thinking are critical in the professional world. Even when young people don’t love their internship or job shadow, it’s still a valuable experience. Flynn says her own daughter, who attends OTSC, had an internship in an office environment and realized she never wants to do an office job. She’s now pursuing the medical track. “It’s a test drive – not just a job but an opportunity to see if this is a space you can see yourself devoting time, energy and effort to,” Lee says. There’s a whole wide world open to young people, and early career exploration is key to helping them figure out their path. “Kids don’t know what they don’t know,” Flynn says. “There’s a whole list of things out there they don’t even realize exists. (Internships) are grounding them in the reality of the work.” Amy Kuras is a writer and mother of two who lives in Detroit.

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WHAT ARE COLLEGES LOOKING FOR IN 2018-19? College counselors and admissions directors answer the BIG question every aspiring college student – and their parents – want to know. BY KRISTEN J. GOUGH

s your high schooler readies for applying to college, she’s likely to get a lot of advice on what will help her application stand out and ultimately get her into the school of her choice. I know my daughter did – she’s thankfully now in her junior year of college. But we’ve started the whole process again with our second child. You’d think as parents we’d have the drill down by now but no matter whether it’s your first child – or your fifth – applying for college is bound to be a bit nerve-wracking all around. Picking a college isn’t just a decision about what school

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is a right fit for your child, but it’s a host of other considerations, including what makes financial sense, too. No wonder, then, your child is likely to hear conflicting advice from a variety of sources, including friends and online forums, on ways to make her application appealing to her top schools. Metro Parent turned to a variety of expert sources – from college counselors to admissions officials – to give you a breakdown of what really makes a difference when it comes to your child’s application and why.

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Don’t be surprised to see on application material that colleges are looking for something along the lines of a “well-rounded individual,” or they look at the student “holistically.” And yet what that idea translates into can be more difficult to put into a class schedule or a list of extracurricular activities and clubs. Holly Markiecki-Bennetts, a school counselor at Mercy High School in Farmington Hills and the current president of the Michigan Association for College Admission Counseling reassures students and parents that “holistic doesn’t mean that you have to be involved in everything.” Instead, Markiecki-Bennetts suggests that for colleges it means they consider what the student does in and out of the classroom and how that reflects who the student is as an individual.

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QUALITIES THAT SHOW STUDENTS ARE LIFELONG LEARNERS

Metro Parent asked Judith M. Stahl, M.A., college counselor at Seaholm High School in Birmingham, about changes in the perception and acceptance by students and families of options for higher education beyond the traditional four-year school. “I’ve witnessed a slow acceptance of beginning a college/career journey at a two-year college transitioning to a four-year institution upon earning either credits or a full associate degree,” says Stahl. “I feel this shift is due to two major factors. One, community college offers a lesser financial burden than a four-year college as credit hours are less expensive. With students/families facing tremendous debt, the option of reducing the cost of an overall education has encouraged more acceptance of heading initially to a two-year school. Second, with the exponential growth of college applications, colleges are becoming more selective to gain entry and thus, beginning at a two-year college can be a viable option for those who cannot gain direct freshman entry to their first choice school. Students can thus begin at a two-year school and transfer.”

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“When we ask colleges about (what extracurriculars they’re looking for) there is no ‘silver bullet,’” says O’Connor, a father of two, who’s been involved with college counseling for 35 years. “There’s no ‘play this sport or this instrument or spend this many hours volunteering at a soup kitchen.’ There’s no one-size-fits all.” Instead, colleges often seek out students who show they’ve truly been involved in whatever extracurriculars they do participate in – it’s a matter of quality over quantity. “There’s a common misconception that kids should be in seven different clubs and the reality is that, given the choice, colleges would rather see students who are involved in maybe two to three but have engaged in leadership positions within those,” notes O’Connor.

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Your student’s class choices tell the college admissions officials a story – his transcripts reveal what types of classes he took and how he did in those particular classes. It’s not necessarily about having your child take the most difficult classes available at his school, but instead classes that challenge him, while still providing the chance for him to excel. For example, taking all AP (advanced placement) classes but doing poorly probably won’t reflect well on his overall transcript. So too, if your child doesn’t take any challenging classes but receives straight A’s, that might be a cue to the admissions officials that he wasn’t willing to opt for tougher coursework. Erica Sanders, the director of undergraduate admissions at the University of Michigan explains it this way, “In addition to academic accomplishment, which includes grades in academic courses, rigor of curriculum in context with rigor available to the student at their high school, trends in academic performance and test scores, we’re also looking for evidence of persistence, drive and motivation to challenge themselves, which will prepare the student well to take advantage of the many opportunities we offer throughout the university.” Rigor is a frequent word you’ll hear among college counselors and admissions officials – they’re seeking students who will thrive at their school with the added challenges, and opportunities, that come with university life. Patrick O’Connor, Ph.D., the associate dean of college counseling at Cranbrook Schools, notes that the way he advises students about choosing a “rigorous” course load is to “make sure you’re taking the most demanding classes you can do well in.”

DEPTH IN THEIR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

ALTERNATIVES TO THE FOUR-YEAR TRADITIONAL COLLEGE GAINING GROUND

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In other words, colleges are looking for the kinds of qualities in students that will blend well and add to their college as a whole. “We’re very fortunate at Cranbrook that we have around 140 to 150 college reps that come to visit our campus and when they come in we ask them what they’re looking for,” O’Connor says. “They never answer with test score numbers – what they say is that they’re looking for qualities of thought. Students who are curious. Students who are looking to dig a little deeper. Students who see things in ways others won’t. Those are the kinds of answers colleges will give us. That surprises our students – what the college really wants to do is put together a collection of learners who can support each other.”

TEST SCORES THAT ALIGN WITH THEIR SCHOOL’S STUDENT BODY POPULATION While colleges do factor in requirements other than test scores, the SAT and ACT still have their place. “Standardized tests such as ACT and SAT level the playing field for colleges/universities looking to screen applicants,” says Jen Henson, M.Ed., a former teacher of 22 years who is now a professional test prep coach. “With schools having varying GPA scales and varying degrees of rigor, it is tough to use GPA as the only means to screen. Instead, these tests are a tool colleges use to make sure that an applicant will be a good fit for their programs. In my opinion, colleges rely heavily on this score. These scores are also used as cutoffs for automatic scholarships at some schools. These ‘merit scholarships’ are a nice way for schools to attract top students.” Review the college’s admissions page on their website to get a sense of the kinds of scores that students who are accepted have earned. Keep in mind, these are averages – not absolutes. Your student may be on the lower end of the scale, or beneath it, and still get into her selected college. Your student should also look into what test the

college accepts – some colleges will take either the ACT or SAT, while others accept only one.

AUTHENTICITY IN THEIR ESSAYS Next to test scores, probably one of the most dreaded parts of college applications is the essay. The good news is that not every college requires an essay anymore. Some offer questions for students to answer (and encourage brief responses), as opposed to an entire essay. That said, the essay can be a real advantage to students – it’s the one place on the application where your child can express herself and fill in the blanks on details about herself that aren’t reflected anywhere else between the test scores and school transcripts. “It’s important on the essay that it’s in the student’s voice,” advises Robyn Weiss, M.Ed., a Berkley High School counselor. “The essay can really become a key piece of their application especially if their grades and test scores don’t reflect who they are as a human.” You might explain to your high schooler to think of the essay as more of a conversation versus a piece of writing. Since the college doesn’t have the chance to sit down with each student and interview them individually, the essay can act as that interview – just on paper. (Get more tips on writing college essays on Page 15.) Meredith Lombardi, associate director of outreach and education at The Common Application, an online tool students and colleges use to manage college applications, frames it for students this way: “Colleges aren’t looking for perfection, they’re looking for how you’re going to contribute to their community. Students get so overwhelmed and stressed out in thinking what are colleges looking for, when instead they should be thinking about ‘This is who I am.’ The truth is, if they present their authentic self and the college doesn’t accept them, then that’s probably not the right fit anyway and that’s OK.”

“MAKE SURE YOU’RE TAKING THE MOST DEMANDING CLASSES YOU CAN DO WELL IN.”

Kristen J. Gough is a mother of three and longtime Metro Parent contributor. 20 • METRO PARENT GUIDE TO COLLEGE PLANNING 2018

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This is probably the most important question to discuss with your high schooler – and one of the most difficult. No one likes talking about money, but your high schooler needs to understand how much college will cost, how much you might be able to help contribute to these costs and how much he might be awarded in various scholarships. There are several college cost calculators available online, but to get a true sense of the cost of college, go directly to the website of the prospective college

your student would like to attend. Look at the cost breakdown on the college’s website and then consider having your child meet with her high school college counselor to review these costs. Many schools offer a variety of scholarships, some based on merit and others on need. There may be other discounts the college will offer your student – her counselor may be able to provide information about how some of the costs can be defrayed and/or who you should contact at the school admissions office to ask for more details.

Pro Tip

THE IMPORTANCE OF VISITING A COLLEGE CAMPUS

“The biggest thing I wish families would do together is getting on a college campus and sign up for tours,” says Berkley High School counselor Robyn Weiss, M.Ed., MA, LPC, when asked about tips for preparing students for college. “Those visits will help families figure out whether that college might be a good fit. And even if it’s not, it’s a springboard into asking questions about choosing a college.”

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Large universities can give students a sense of anonymity, which may be appealing to some students and disheartening for others. If your child thrives in crowds and doesn’t mind some larger class sizes, then he might want to opt for a large university whose student population is the equivalent of a small town. Or, maybe your student excels when she’s in a smaller class with plenty of one-on-one time with a professor. College and university student populations vary widely. For example, the University of Michigan’s total undergraduate population is just shy of 30,000 while Michigan State University nearly reaches 40,000. At Kettering University, a private institution in Flint, and Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, the undergraduate population is under 2,000.

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HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO ATTEND?

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE SIZE OF THE SCHOOL?

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eciding where to pursue higher education – whether at a traditional four-year college or a two-year community college, trade school or certification program – is an understandably overwhelming prospect for students and their parents. But it can also spark enlightening conversations between you and your soon-to-be high school grad. After all, attending college is about more than just picking a place that offers your child’s chosen major (he’ll likely change his mind at least twice anyway), it’s also about opening the door to possibilities. Review these seven questions with your child to start narrowing down her college choices.

If your child is set on becoming a nurse, he’ll want to make sure the school he’s attending has a nursing program. Or, if she wants to go into music therapy, that will help narrow down her college choices. Even if your child hasn’t decided on a major, she’ll want to check that her prospective college has majors and areas of study in fields that she’s likely to go into.

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WHAT AREA OF STUDY ARE YOU PLANNING TO PURSUE?

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Pro Tip

NARROWING DOWN THEIR CHOICES

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DOES YOUR CHILD WANT TO STAY IN-STATE OR OUT-OF-STATE? The answer to this question may already be resolved by finances. Attending an in-state college can offer some deep discounts for prospective students. For example, an out-of-state student attending the University of Michigan will be spending $49,350 in tuition and fees, whereas a student who’s a Michigan resident will be paying $15,262 (keep in mind, these are the estimated general tuition figures for the 2018-2019 school year

and don’t account for scholarships and aid). You’ll also save costs in airline fare and other travel expenditures if your child is attending an in-state college where it’s closer to home. That’s not to say your child should rule out attending an out-of-state college altogether based on costs. Again, colleges offer a variety of financial aid and scholarships to students that can bring the cost of attending down.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 WHAT IS YOUR CHILD LOOKING FOR IN THE SCHOOL CULTURE? Is your child looking forward to attending sports games each weekend and sitting in a packed stadium of thousands to cheer on her team? Or, is he more interested in having a laid-back, serene campus setting? If possible, the best way to answer this question is for your student to visit

the college campus and get a tour of the facilities. She’ll learn firsthand whether the college may be a good fit for her or not. After all, a college that looks good on paper or online may feel quite a bit different once your student has a chance to walk the campus for herself.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 WOULD YOUR CHILD PREFER TO BE IN A BIG CITY, SMALL TOWN – OR SOMETHING IN BETWEEN? The University of Chicago’s Campus lies right in the heart of downtown Chicago. And Wayne State University has downtown Detroit as its backdrop. Compare that to Albion College in Albion, with a population around 8,000, and it’s quite a difference. Some students are looking for a city in their college’s backyard, while others

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want a more small-town feel for their university experience. Besides the decision of city versus small town, there may be other considerations like whether your student wants to attend a school near a certain kind of setting. For example, maybe your student wants a college that’s near a beach, ski resort, national park or some other type of destination.

The best resource for students looking to develop their list of prospective colleges is usually right at their high school. Counseling departments are staffed with counselors ready to assist students in thinking through the careers they might want to pursue and which colleges will give them the best chance of success in that field. Many schools also offer online programs that make college readiness easier. For example, some schools use Naviance, an online system that guides students through their options. It also provides students with career exploration and other tools to help them plan.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 WHAT ARE THE GRADUATION RATES OF THE SCHOOL I’M LOOKING TO ATTEND? Once you’ve zeroed in on your top college choices, take a deeper dive into graduation rates and other indicators that students at the school go onto succeed. For example, what is the school’s 4-year graduation rate? Five-year? And take a look at how many freshmen return to school their sophomore year. You’ll also want to consider how many students are getting jobs after graduation. Does the school have career services to help students find work? What about internships and other programs that can open the door to a fulfilling career post-graduation?

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KNOW YOUR OPTIONS

POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION Learn about your teen’s educational choices after high school graduation. BY JESSICA SCHRADER

he world is at their doorstep. You’ve probably told your teen this a million times, and that’s because it’s true. Their options are wide open – or at least as open as their motivation (and financial aid) will take them.

FOUR-YEAR DEGREES

TWO-YEAR DEGREES An associate degree, or two-year degree, is another popular option for students. Most are offered at community colleges, although some universities may offer associate degree options, too. A variety of types are available, with some of the most common degrees including the associate of arts and associate of science. While some students use this degree as the first step toward a four-year degree, others will find a two-year degree is all they need for their chosen career path. Business Insider reported in 2015 that some of the highest-paying positions that only require an associate degree – jobs with a median salary of at least $45,000 – include physical and occupational therapy assistants, computer network support specialists, web developers, medical sonographers, radiation therapists and air-traffic controllers.

TRADE SCHOOLS Trade schools, also known as vocational schools, give high school graduates the chance to gain technical skills while training for a specific type of job. The New York Times reported in 2018 that 27 percent of high school graduates who get a vocational license or certificate at a community college or a profit-making institution earn more than the average for people with a bachelor’s degree. Plus, the National Center for Education Statistics reports that a higher proportion of students who earned an occupational credential were employed in 2009 compared to students who earned an academic credential. Popular trade school programs include training to be a dental hygienist, power utility technician, plumber, HVAC technician or electrician. The time commitment varies, with some trade school programs taking two years of full-time school or longer.

4 CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS Similar to trade schools, certification programs can offer a positive path for students who have a specific job in mind. Many certification programs are completed within one year, though each program has its own requirements. Certification programs are offered in a variety of healthcare fields including medical billing and phlebotomy, while other students might pursue a certificate in order to work as a day care assistant, truck driver, secretary, legal assistant or clerk. Certification programs are usually offered at community colleges and vocational schools. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a 2012 report found that people who have a certificate as their highest level of education earned an average of 20 percent more than those with only a high school diploma.

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If your grad has her eyes set on a career in engineering, medicine, teaching or a number of other fields, there’s no doubt that a four-year degree – and possibly continuing education after that – will be necessary. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the most common bachelor’s degree programs in 201415 included the fields of business, health professions, social sciences and history, psychology, biological and biomedical sciences, engineering, visual and performing arts, and education. Though a bachelor’s is considered a fouryear degree because it typically takes that many years of full-time study to complete, the National Center for Education Statistics reports that about 59 percent of full-time undergrad students who started a bachelor’s degree program in 2009 had completed it by 2015.

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Don’t fall into the trap of thinking there’s only one post-graduation path to follow and it comes in the form of a four-year degree, though. While it’s a popular choice, it’s not the only one. Consider all your student’s options here.

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RESOURCE ROUNDUP

TOP PROGRAMS

Fast Fact According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the three most popular bachelor’s degree majors are: business, health professions and related programs, and social sciences and history. For associate degrees, the top three majors are: liberal arts and sciences, general studies and humanities.

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AT MICHIGAN COLLEGES

rom nursing to business to information technology and more, Michigan’s community colleges, public and private universities offer exceptional programs for any area of interest. Here’s a sampling of some of the prominent programs at select schools in the state. B Y M E T R O P A R E N T E D I T O R I A L

BAKER COLLEGE Type: Private, 2-year, 4-year and certifications Main Campus: Multiple baker.edu While business is one of the most popular focuses here, health sciences – including nursing, physical therapy assistant, vet technician, surgical technology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, information technology and a culinary program – round out the popular majors. COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STUDIES Type: Private, 4-year Main Campus: Detroit collegeforcreativestudies.edu This world-class institution offers visual arts and design programs, advertising design and interior design programs, an entertainment arts major and so much more. FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY Type: Public, 4-year Main Campus: Big Rapids ferris.edu Offers 180-plus degree programs from health care to construction. GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY Type: Public, 4-year Main Campus: Allendale gvsu.edu Boasts exceptional health profession, business and engineering programs.

LAWRENCE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY Type: Private, 4-year Main Campus: Southfield ltu.edu Engineering, architecture and natural sciences are among the top programs at Lawrence Technological University. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Type: Public, 4-year Main Campus: East Lansing msu.edu Known for its supply chain management, biological/agricultural engineering, education and hospitality management programs. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Type: Public, 4-year Main Campus: Ann Arbor umich.edu Top public university for research funding, which is known for the Stephen M. Ross Business School. Also boasts being the No. 1 dental school in the nation and world. WALSH Type: Private, 4-year Main Campuses: Novi, Troy and Port Huron walshcollege.edu Walsh offers nationally ranked degree programs in business and information technology, accounting, management, marketing, cyber security and more.

WASHTENAW COMMUNITY COLLEGE Type: Public, 2-year, certifications Main Campus: Multiple wccnet.edu Programs meet the needs of a diverse student body and the business community. Partners with many four-year institutions, offering ability to transfer seamlessly; many non-credit community enrichment classes, too. WAYNE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT Type: Public, 2-year, certifications Main Campus: Multiple wcccd.edu Curriculum boasts 123 programs for certificates and associate degrees in premier study areas like nursing, business administration, criminal justice, surgical technology, dental hygiene and computer information technology.

Visit MetroParent.com/CollegePlanning for more state college profiles.

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HOW TO

RESPOND TO COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES AND REJECTIONS Why you need to follow up with the schools – and how to do it

TURNING DOWN AN ACCEPTANCE Lewis says students who are not planning to attend the school should also reach out if they would like to cancel their invitation to the school, so they can be removed from mailing lists and other communications. This communication can happen via phone or even email.

ACCEPTING AN INVITATION

RESPONDING TO REJECTIONS

It’s important to let the school know as soon as possible once you’ve made your decision, Lewis says. For those who accept their invitation to attend Oakland University before May 1, there are admitted student events and other activities to celebrate their accomplishments throughout their senior year. “We have lots of events to get them ready for the next step, meet with other students and introduce them to campus,” Lewis says. While May 1 is the official day colleges use for admissions acknowledgements, it’s helpful to know an applicant’s decision sooner rather than later. In order to help applicants make their decisions sooner, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is open

This might surprise some students, but the schools also like to hear from students who were not accepted. “If the students are not offered admissions, we always recommend that they reach out to an admissions officer for their options. We work really closely to help those students develop coursework for their local community college, so we can eventually consider them as a transfer student. They might not be admitted right now, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen,” Lewis says. At Oakland University, admissions officers are able to talk to students and give them the best options. Other colleges have transfer programs with local community colleges or can help students come up with a game plan to make their college dreams a reality.

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According to Shane Lewis, associate director of admissions at Oakland University, National College Decision Day is May 1. Admissions officers see that as the date when students will make their final decisions and put down any necessary deposits at their school of choice. Lewis says students who have been accepted, decide to go elsewhere and even those who have been rejected should contact the colleges regarding their status. “It’s helpful for us to know whether the students will or won’t be attending our school. If they are attending, we give them the next steps in the enrollment process, help them accept any scholarships, set up financial aid and register for orientation,” Lewis says.

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KNOW THE DEADLINES

for applications earlier in the year. It now opens Oct. 1 of the student’s senior year as opposed to the previous opening date of Jan. 1 of the senior year. This earlier date helps students know what financial aid, scholarship awards and other assistance will be available to them much sooner. Lewis says it often helps them solidify their decisions earlier than before. “We’ve been able to put the scholarship information together and get the financial aid packages out to students in late November and early December now that the FAFSA deadline is earlier. This helps the students lay everything on the table and make their decisions earlier in the year,” says Lewis. When students respond to colleges earlier with their intentions, he said it allows for more planning and opens spots for those who have been waitlisted or need to apply again.

hen the college envelopes begin arriving, applicants are eager to learn whether they have been accepted to their top schools. Regardless of what the letter says, college applicants need to reach out to the schools. Whether they are communicating their intentions or making alternate plans, the schools like to hear from the applicants.

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BY REBECCA THOMAS

Rebecca Thomas is a writer and mother of three from Harrison Township.

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REASONS IN-STATE SCHOOLS OFFER AN ADVANTAGE Three words: Home. Sweet. Home.

B Y PA M H O U G H T O N

h, going away to college. So many possibilities – to say nothing of the lure of the out-of-state college. After all, a degree from an Ivy League is a ticket to the world’s oyster, right? Back in the, ahem, day, it was much simpler. Not everyone dreamt of attending school out-of-state, much less knew what their pal’s GPA or ACT score was. Paying tuition at an out-of-state public university was expensive, Michigan had plenty of good schools, and no matter where you went you were getting away from the watchful eyes of your parents – which seemed to be the point. My own experience is a prime example. In high school, a friend and I spent a weekend at Central Michigan University visiting her brother. We had So. Much. Fun, we decided right then and there to become Chippewas. But after falling in love with Michigan State’s campus via a little detour on our way home, we changed our minds. And that’s the story of how we rocked a little town called East

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Lansing for four years. Yeeeeaaaah. Pretty unsophisticated decision-making, I’ll admit. Times have changed, but if you’re on the fence, you don’t need to go to school out of state to have a great experience. “I don’t think families and students recognize the gem of colleges and universities we have in this state,” says Holly Markiecki-Bennetts, president of the Michigan Association for College Admissions Counseling and a counselor at Mercy High School in Farmington Hills. “The grass is always greener.” Plus, the benefits of being close to home can add up. “In addition to a potentially significant cost savings, attending a local school can offer more flexibility – such as scheduling classes around work and other life commitments,” says Patti Swanson, vice president and chief marketing and enrollment officer at Walsh. Something to think about, for sure. So, without further ado, here are 18 reasons instate students should consider the advantages of attending a school in Michigan.

1. SO MANY CHOICES … “With three major research institutions – Michigan State, University of Michigan and Wayne State – two of which are Division I, medium-sized schools, and smaller, niche schools that may be faith-based or STEM- or liberal arts-focused, Michigan has so many schools to choose from,” says LaShaunta Hairston, associate director of admissions at Kettering University and MACAC immediate past president. 2. CAMPUS SETTINGS AS VARIED AS A NETFLIX PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE “If you are looking for a school with an outdoor feel, you have Northern Michigan University,” Hairston continues. If an urban campus is more to your liking, “There’s Wayne State right in the city.” With even more schools located in the suburbs, in rural areas and near the Great Lakes, “Our state has just about every setting possible.” 3. GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY HAS ALL THREE With a main campus in the rural setting of Allendale, and another in the bustling city of Grand Rapids, you can experience both. Plus, it’s a half hour from Lake Michigan.

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10. OF-THE-MOMENT DEGREES “MSU has a new program that is three to four years old called ‘Experience Architecture,’” Markiecki-Bennetts says. The College of Arts and Letters program helps students become “skilled technologists who have empathy for people and an understanding of the human experience” U-M offers a Bachelor of Science in information – where you’ll study the relationship between people, information and technology. Lawrence Tech added a Bachelor of Science in nursing in 2017.

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13. MORE AFFORDABLE IN-STATE PUBLIC SCHOOL TUITION While private school tuition is the same whether you attend school in or out-of-state, public school tuition is not. According to MSU’s website, in-state freshman tuition = $14,522. Non-Michigan freshman tuition = $39,827. 14. COMMUNITY COLLEGES “There are really strong community college options as well,” says Markiecki-Bennetts. Get a degree in Radiologic Technology from Oakland Community College, for instance, and you will enter a profession with a median annual wage of

15. MICHIGAN TRANSFER AGREEMENTS If you study at community college and want to transfer to a four-year university in Michigan, take advantage of articulation agreements. As long as you complete the courses established between the community college and the receiving (four-year) institution, with the appropriate GPA, the credits are guaranteed to transfer, says Markiecki-Bennetts. 16. YOU CAN BE PART OF DETROIT’S COMEBACK With newer facilities like Wayne State’s Mike Ilitch School of Business in the heart of Detroit’s business community, or Lawrence Tech’s Detroit Center for Design and Technology in Midtown, “it’s easier to be part of the resurgence in Detroit,” says Lawrence Tech’s Cason.

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7. AEROSPACE ENGINEERING “People are surprised to learn Western Michigan University has an aerospace engineering

9. AND BEER Western Michigan University’s Sustainable Brewing program focuses on the science of brewing beer. Developed in 2015, the Bachelor of Science degree isn’t for the STEMshy – you must enjoy chemistry, physics, math, biology and business.

12. NICHE PRIVATE SCHOOL PROGRAMS “At Alma College, students get a stipend to design their own service or internship experience. Hope College has an excellent pre-med program. At Hillsdale, you can study for a semester in Washington, D.C. … There are so many opportunities in our state that students don’t need to leave,” Markiecki-Bennetts continues.

about $59,000, according to OCC’s website.

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6. AWESOME ENGINEERING SCHOOLS There’s Michigan Tech in the U.P, a favored choice for STEM students with a hankering for broomball (which is like hockey but without the skates). Kettering University in Flint boasts a famous alumna in Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors. Closer to the Motor City, there’s Lawrence Technological University in Southfield “With so many Fortune 500 companies in the area, this is a really great location for students looking for engineering and technology jobs,” says Lawrence Technological University admissions counselor Aubriex Cason.

8. YOU CAN MAJOR IN GOLF If you’d like to hit the links in your 9 to 5, Ferris State has one of the oldest and most respected golf business programs in the country, Markiecki-Bennetts says.

11. IF MARINE BIOLOGY IS CALLING YOUR NAME… Consider Lake Superior State’s Fisheries and Wildlife Management program. “It’s one of the top fishery programs in the country,” says Markiecki-Bennetts.

5. … OR SOOTHE A BIT OF HOMESICKNESS “While I would never promote a student going home every weekend … if they are struggling emotionally, there is a delicate balance that can be achieved if a student is closer to home,” Hairston says.

program,” Markiecki-Bennetts says. It’s one of two programs in Michigan to combine flight technology with outer space – the other is offered at the University of Michigan.

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4. IT’S EASIER TO GET HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS … Those flight tickets home get awfully expensive, especially if you are attending school on the other side of the country.

17. CORPORATE MENTORSHIP Speaking of Wayne State’s new business school, if you are a first-generation undergrad, you can apply to the Corporate Mentor program, which pairs students with mid- to senior-level executives in Detroit for formal mentoring. 18. IT’S EASIER TO LUG YOUR LAUNDRY HOME ’Nuf said.

Pam Houghton is a writer and mother of two from Troy.

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THE FUTURE WORKPLACE

IS COOL AS ‘TECH’

What’s the best college major for the workplace of the future? Everyone from grandma to the piano teacher has an opinion. But is it rooted in reality? We talked with Michigan

education experts to learn the best path to a great job after college. Their answers might surprise you.

B Y C L A I R E C H A R LT O N

ur world is changing constantly, thanks to the rapid pace of innovation. Technology impacts everything from the way we order lunch to the way we conduct business, and it’ll affect the workplace of the future, big time. What hasn’t changed is that everyone wants a guarantee. Parents want certainty that their child will be equipped to pursue a career full of opportunities, personal fulfillment, and an ample salary to pay the bills. Students usually want the same thing, and parents have plenty of advice about how to reach that goal. But here’s the rub: parental wisdom is based on what worked 25 or 30 years ago – or worse, on a misunderstanding of the modern job market. Mom and dad, we know you mean well, but the world really IS different now. We asked experts to share the best ways for young people to prepare to enter the fast-evolving, high-tech workforce. We asked for the best majors, the smartest skills, the sure-fire guarantee for getting the great job of the future. Here’s what they said.

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TECH MAJOR OR NOT, EVERYONE WILL NEED DIGITAL SKILLS. Michigan is a major center for advanced industry, and this matters more than other types of industry because it involves innovation and high-paying jobs, according to Mark Muro, senior fellow and policy director with the Metropolitan Policy Program of the Brookings Institution. “Detroit is a top 10 player and I think it’s in the top five for the number of different advanced industries it has,” Muro says. Selecting a course of study that incorporates information technology, data analysis, and software development will help a student secure work in advanced industry. Brookings research also shows that all sectors are increasing their reliance on digital tools, which means students who study non-tech majors, like psychology, English and liberal arts, should seek out experiences in college to develop digital skills, and then highlight them on their resumes, says Katie Korpi, assistant director for career services at Northern Michigan

University. Research, data analysis for class projects, even crafting a profile on LinkedIn, are all opportunities to build skills that employers want. “There can be so much magic in recognizing a skill that you have developed, and then adding that to your resume,” says Korpi. By seeking out opportunities for research, or taking on tech roles in student organizations, every student can gain tech experience valuable to the job market.

IS A TECH MAJOR THE ONLY WAY TO GO? Selecting a major just because it makes financial sense is not the key to career satisfaction. Experts say students should study what they love, knowing that they’ll also need to develop skills outside that chosen field. “Parents and students should disconnect the one-to-one relationship between major and outcome. It’s about diving into competencies,” says Ben Anderson, director of employer development at the LSA Opportunity Hub at University

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Marketable skills can be applied across a variety of industries. As a job, digital game design, for example, doesn’t pay well at entry level, but pivot those skills to another industry and boom! Better pay. “The skills game designers have are on par with our best computer science majors, and when they realize these skills translate into other well-paying careers, they will opt into that better-paying career but continue to pursue game design as a creative outlet,” says Peg Pierce, director of career services at Lawrence Technological University. Agility is key to building and maintaining workplace relevance, and those with lifelong curiosity will roll with the ever-evolving work climate. “We are making sure individuals are agile enough that they can make those pivots when they see something in their organization or department that is changing the way work is being considered and problems are being solved,” says U-M’s McQuaid Borland.

WHERE YOU START ISN’T NECESSARILY WHERE YOU’LL FINISH.

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Jumping into a four-year university degree is an expensive experiment for the truly undecided. Here in Michigan, 811,055 high-demand career openings will go unfilled between now and 2024, with 270,000 of these in IT/computer science, 109,000 in manufacturing and 212,000 in health care, according to the Michigan-based Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN). In 2016, more than 91,000 IT jobs were posted for just 5,767 qualified grads. “Mechanical engineering, IT, computer science, software development are all skills that help students be hugely successful to southeast Michigan businesses,” says Sarah Sebaly, WIN youth strategy director. “I encourage parents to listen to students who are excited about something, even if it requires a different path from what they expected. Parents feel a four-year degree is the only measure that will guarantee success, and that’s no longer true in our job market.” With regional emphasis on connected and autonomous vehicle innovation, parents who worry about the future of the automobile industry do so unnecessarily. “IT is changing as it converges with the automobile, mobility and transportation sectors,” says Dr. Kimberly Hurns, vice president for instruction at Washtenaw Community College. “IT is viral in nature in that it seeps into other fields. Automotive, programming, even audio/visual, are all are so much more technical. In advanced manufacturing, IT brings an infusion of technology.”

BUZZWORD: AGILITY. WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

COLLEGE

Historically, the college career center was the last stop before graduation. Today, it’s the place to visit almost immediately because it’s where students will learn the value of skill development. Here, they’ll connect to projects, organizations and internships where they can thrive. All of this is critical to success and happiness in the workplace, says McQuaid Borland. “It’s not necessarily about picking the best major. Employers will look for a multi-dimensional package showing a student has tested their skills in different types of environments,” she says, pointing to something called “planned happen-

YOUR FUTURE IS CLOSER THAN A BACHELOR’S DEGREE AWAY.

Experts say that students are largely ignorant of what workers actually do in their jobs, which makes choosing a path daunting for a teenager. Michigan public high school students in 12 counties can explore job titles through WIN’s MI Bright Future, then connect to career coaches in a variety of Michigan industries. Eventually, all public school students statewide will have access to the resource.

CONNECTING WITH YOUR SCHOOL’S CAREER CENTER IS SMART. BUT DON’T WAIT!

stance,” a theory pioneered by career expert John Krumboltz,. “Have things in mind you are working toward, but be open to opportunities that present themselves,” she explains. “They will open your eyes to reconsidering your original path, and you can’t shut them off. Open your eyes.”

CHOOSING

of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Anthropology majors, for example, develop cultural understanding and how to navigate within a community in a respectful and strategic way – all skills valuable to sales, marketing, and operations careers. “We talk to employers who look at their high performers and notice a significant number of individuals at managing director level come from liberal arts, and not just a bachelor of business pathway,” Anderson says. Their competencies are a mix of economics, sociology and political science, so they understand the big picture. In an increasingly data-driven world, however, everyone will need to tap into their analytical side, says Kerin McQuaid Borland, director of the University Career Center at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “My advice usually is that you can choose the major that you really love, and that is what you should do, because that’s why you are coming to school,” says McQuaid Borland. “That said, students have to understand that there are skill sets that are important in the work world, including problem solving, analytics, and working with data, that will be critical.”

Parents eager to declare their student’s major on senior grad party invitations may want to save the ink. Nationally, about 30 percent of bachelor and associate students – both STEM and non-STEM – change their major at least once within three years of enrollment, according to U.S. Department of Education statistics. “From a tech standpoint, we can talk

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S P O N S O R E D BY G R A N D VA L L E Y S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

COLLEGE A

CHOOSING

about top 10 careers, but the reality is you need to do what you want to do and what you love to do. The trick is making sure as we grow up, we are exposed to and can explore various aspects of work out there, and not be pigeon-holed into certain careers,” says Pierce from LTU, adding that the “top 10” change every year. In short, the choice of major should belong solely to the student, even if it causes parents discomfort. “Engineers can make $50,000 to $60,000 a year, and that’s typically what people want to see their kids do. I get it. But we have a lot of people who have careers and they hate them,” says John Ambrose, interim executive director of admissions at Michigan State University. “The other reality is students will graduate with a degree and then go on to have three or four different careers.” And that’s a good thing, given the amount of time young people have to dedicate to their careers. “It’s a reality that students in school

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today will be working into their later 70s, based on life expectancies. So if you approach a 22-year old and say you are ready to sign up? This is what you will be doing for 58 years. It’s not so attractive,” says McQuaid Borland. Looking at the world of work through this lens, it’s not surprising students want to take their time, explore and enjoy life – if given the chance.

YOU ARE THE GUARANTEE. Students who take full advantage of what their education offers to develop the core competencies employers seek, and can articulate them clearly, will have the broadest career choices. “It comes down to how hungry they are for knowledge and inquiry, and whether they are doing assessments of themselves,” says Ambrose. “Students should push themselves more on self-analysis.” At U-M’s LSA Opportunity Hub, they call this “getting to your why.” “Students at Michigan don’t need sup-

port finding great jobs,” says Anderson. “They need help getting the initial nudge to talk about how their anthropology degree will make a huge difference within sales. We help them get ready to talk about their why.” Resources and opportunities exist everywhere, but they’re not impactful if students don’t take advantage of them, says Ambrose. “This is the place where you get to practice being grown up, and that’s different for everyone. We remind students that if they come to college they will have to sit in class, listen to lectures, and write papers. But when they are not studying, that’s the time they have the opportunity to explore themselves through student organizations where a good portion of the world is represented,” he says. “We tell them they can be whatever they want to be, but only if they put in the work, which will be hard and painful and require sacrifice.” Claire Charlton is a freelance writer and mom of two sons from Berkley.

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RESOURCE ROUNDUP

ONLINE RESOURCES FOR THE COLLEGE-BOUND

lanning and applying for college has come a long way – no more paper applications or stamps needed to mail in various forms and transcripts. Today, colleges have gone online. And many of the best resources prospective students and parents need on everything from deciding on colleges to exploring career options are right at your student’s fingertips. Here are just a few to get you started. BY KRISTEN J. GOUGH

ACT PROFILE act.org Brought to you by the same folks who develop the ACT test each year, ACT Profile allows student to login and explore various career paths and the colleges that fit those aspirations. BIGFUTURE™ MAKE A PLAN bigfuture.collegeboard.org/make-a-plan The College Board offers a variety of online tools to answer students’ most frequently asked questions about getting into college. With the Make a Plan program, students can develop a college readiness roadmap. BIGFUTURE™ COLLEGE SEARCH bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search This program, also from the College Board, helps you sift through 3,770 available college options into a manageable – and customized – list of choices. COLLEGE RAPTOR collegeraptor.com This easy-to-use website includes a College Match Tool and a Student Loan Finder. Also check out the “Determine Acceptance Odds” feature. COLLEGE NAVIGATOR nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator The National Center for Education Statistics includes a simple tool for beginning the college search. Browse by program of study,

how far you’re willing to go from a certain zip code, the institution type and more.

require families to fill out the FAFSA to determine financial aid amounts.

COLLEGE CONFIDENTIAL collegeconfidential.com Boasting that it’s the “world’s largest college forum,” this expansive website includes links and information about preparing for college tests, looking for financial aid and writing college essays.

GATES MILLENNIUM SCHOLARS gmsp.org For students of color, this website aims to reduce “financial barriers for African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American and Hispanic American students with high academic and leadership promise who have significant financial need.”

COMMON APP VIRTUAL COUNSELOR commonapp.org/virtual-counselor The Common Application makes applying for colleges easier for students and colleges. Instead of filling out the application information on each college’s website, students fill out the Common Application and then submit it to the various schools they’d like to attend (many, but not all, Michigan colleges use it).

NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (NCAA) ncaa.org/student-athletes/future/scholarships For student athletes hoping to play for college teams, this is a good place to start for information on scholarships, choosing a college and more.

FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA) fafsa.ed.gov You’ll want to add this URL to your web browser bookmark list. Many colleges

NET PRICE CALCULATOR usnews.com/education/best-colleges/ features/net-price-calculator This calculator from U.S. News & World Report will walk you through college costs.

THE BEST ONLINE TOOL “One of the most overlooked online resources for students is the college’s website itself,” advises Patrick O’Connor, associate dean of college counseling at Cranbrook Schools. “When parents have questions about admissions, most of those are answered on the admissions website.”

Visit MetroParent.com/CollegePlanning for more resources and advice on all things related to college planning.

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METRO PARENT GUIDE TO COLLEGE PLANNING 2018 • 35

I T ’ S N E V E R T O O L AT E T O

S TA R T S AV I N G FOR COLLEGE

With the rising costs of higher education, opening a college savings account is a must for families – and the earlier you start, the better. But if your child is already in high school, there’s still time to save. In fact, even a couple years of savings helps ease financial stress for families. Here’s how to get started, whether you’ve got a 6-month-old or 16-year-old. B Y M E T R O PA R E N T E D I T O R I A L

uition, room and board, books and supplies – costs quickly add up when it’s time for your teen to head off to college. In fact, according to the College Board, the cost of in-state public college tuition for the 2017-18 year was roughly $25,000, and for an in-state private college, that price was double. With so many other financial burdens placed on families, it’s difficult to come up with tens of thousands of dollars to send kids to the university of their dreams. And while the majority of parents understand the importance of saving for their child’s college costs, according to a survey conducted by the Michigan Education Trust, only about half are actually doing it. Whether your child is 6 months old or just turned 16, read on for details on how to save for your student’s college education.

WHAT’S A 529 PLAN? One of the primary ways families can save for college is to invest in one of Michigan’s two college saving plans: the Michigan Education Savings Program (MESP) and the Michigan Education Trust (MET). Both are 529 savings plans. The “529” stands for the federal code that designates contributions to these plans tax-exempt. Both plans can also be transferred to out-ofstate schools.

MET vs. MESP While both plans are 529 plans, there are some distinctions between these two. MESP is similar to a 401(k), meaning funds will fluctuate with the economy. It can be started with as little as $25. There’s no limit to how much money can be invested annually, but the maximum balance per account is $235,000. The funds cover tuition, room and board, and any additional college costs at any

accredited public or private university, community college or vocational school in the United States – and even abroad. Any unused funds from your child’s MESP account can be used toward an eligible family member’s college savings plan. When it comes to MET, the money is used solely for tuition – and there are three plans to choose from: full, limited and community college. MET allows families to pre-purchase tuition at today’s

rates, which will then be paid out as the future cost of the child’s college education. A MET contract will help ensure that your child will be able to attend and afford their college of choice, even if it is out of state. If your child lands a scholarship that covers the cost of their education, or if they choose not to attend college, the MET contract can be terminated and refunded.

Opening a

MET Account

There are three plan options to choose from for those considering a MET account: Full benefits plan: Under this plan, in-state tuition and mandatory fees at any Michigan public university, or tuition and mandatory fees at in-district or out-of-district Michigan community colleges, is covered. Purchase up to five years, or 150 credit hours. Limited benefits plan: If your student’s college choice does not exceed 105 percent of the average weighted tuition of all Michigan public four-year universities, tuition is covered. However, if the tuition at your child’s chosen university is higher than the average, the number of credits will be prorated based on the number of credit hours MET can purchase with 105 percent of the average cost of a Michigan four-year public university. You can purchase up to five years, or 150 credit hours, under this plan. Community college plan: The plan provides in-district tuition and mandatory fees at Michigan public community colleges. Some community colleges in the state are not in-district, so students are responsible to pay the difference in costs. You can purchase up to four semesters, or two years, under this plan. Purchase in-state college credits at today’s rates in three different ways: Pay-As-You-Go plan Lump sum plan Monthly plans Buy at least one credit hour Buy semester(s) (15 credits/ Commit to buy one semesfor any age. After that, add semester) for any age. ter of college over four, $25 minimum at any time. seven, 10 or 15 years. Visit MET4College.com to enroll online or request a free enrollment kit by filling out a form to receive more information sent to your home. You can then fill out the form and mail it back to MET. The prepaid tuition amount (for lump sum contracts) or the first payment, plus a non-refundable $60 processing fee, is required with each contract. Payments must be made by check or money order.

MESP Account Visit MISaves.com, and at the very top of the homepage, look for the big green button that says, “Open an account,” or go directly to MISaves.com/open to get started. Or, print your enrollment forms from MISaves.com/open,fill them out, and mail them back to MESP. You can request an enrollment kit online, or call to have the materials sent to you. Call 877-861-MESP from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday. To set up an account, you’ll want to have a few things prepared to make filling out the forms quicker. Here’s what MESP recommends: • A blank check and/or deposit slip • Your bank branch’s phone number • Your Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number • The name and Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number of the beneficiary The first Social Security Number you’ll enter on the form is for the account owner (parents, grandparents, etc.), and the second is the beneficiary (your child, niece, etc.).

Whether you choose MET, MESP or both, encourage family and friends to donate to your child’s college savings fund, too. For birthdays and holidays, suggest to family members to opt for one present and a contribution to your kid’s educational future.

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BOUND?

M AY B E . O R M AY B E N O T … Think your job’s done when your child gets accepted to college? Think again. College plans can get the kibosh between acceptance and attendance. It’s called ‘summer melt’ and here’s how to spot the signs and freeze it in its tracks. BY R E B E C C A K AVA N AG H

veryone expected Ken Allen to go to college. “It’s been preached to me my entire life,” he says. But as he neared his high school graduation, that clear course of action started to blur. Between his parents’ divorce and his transfer from Birmingham Seaholm to West Bloomfield High School midway through his junior year, Allen wasn’t focused on academics and his grades suffered. “I knew that if I had this same attitude in college and

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didn’t go to class, it would be a waste of money,” he says. So even though everyone around him remained certain he was college-bound, Allen began thinking about the real possibility of taking a year off. Then he got a letter from Wayne State University. He had been admitted – hooray! – but it was conditional. Because his GPA and test scores did not quite meet the university’s admission standards, he was offered the

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chance to participate, free of charge, in a program called APEX Scholars, short for Academic Pathways to Excellence. If Allen were to successfully complete a rigorous eight-week summer program designed to bridge the gap between high school and college, he could enroll for fall classes right on schedule. “At first I was upset,” he says. “I felt bad that I wasn’t good enough to just get in. But now I realize how lucky I was to be put on this path.” Indeed, Allen could have been a summer melt statistic. According to the U.S. Department of Education, one-third of college-intending students fail to enroll the fall after high school graduation, for reasons ranging from financial to logistical to emotional. Most of us have heard stories of kids who fall off the rails during the summer between high school and college. But Allen wasn’t one of them. He triumphantly passed his APEX Scholars classes, gaining so much confidence during the campus-immersion program that he was cheerfully offering directions and advice to fellow freshmen on move-in day that fall. “Programs like this are all about the second chance,” says APEX Scholars director Mark Jackson, Ph.D., who notes that Wayne State is among many colleges and universities that reach out to underperforming applicants instead of simply turning them away. “Some of these students are coming from seriously underfunded schools. If we can identify and support the ones with big dreams, they tend to catch fire fast.” Before a student is placed in Wayne State’s APEX Scholars program, they must first undergo an interview process, “and if we talk to 500 students, we will hear 500 different stories about how they got to that point,” Jackson says. This ‘summer melt’ affects students across the socioeconomic spectrum but the rate is disproportionately high for low-income, first-generation students. Reasons include: • Anxiety about leaving home • Financial reality setting in

• Loss of high school support system after graduation • Failure to attend orientation • Change of heart about career goals • Deciding to enter the workforce full-time • Taking a gap year to travel or volunteer • Concerns about academic abilities • Buyer’s remorse about college choice • Missed financial aid deadlines • Overwhelmed by forms and requirements With full awareness of summer melt and knowing that the admission and enrollment process can overwhelm all families – not just those encountering college for the first time — higher ed is now making a concerted effort to communicate with students early and often. Wayne State, for example, stays in touch with incoming students through email, snail mail and social media, and is currently developing a series of one-minute instructional videos for its YouTube generation. Where contact used to be event-driven – inviting freshmen to orientation, for example – now there’s a multifaceted communication plan timed around checklist items. Urging students to make their orientation reservation is still a key message, but it’s one of several touchpoints: Have you filed your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)? Would you like to meet with a financial aid advisor to review your scholarship and loan options? Are your housing plans in place? Do you need to purchase a parking permit? “We also call students after they attend orientation for a wellness check,” says Katie Rawlings, Wayne State’s associate director of new student orientation. “Questions usually come up once they get home from their campus experience. Our goal is to help them take care of all the important details so that by the time fall semester starts, the only thing they need to focus on is their classes.” Rawlings says that when summer melt occurs and students decide not to return to campus in the fall, she hears a range

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of reasons during those post-orientation phone calls: “Sometimes they haven’t taken all the costs into consideration, and once they see the total bill they decide it’s too much of a financial stretch. Other times, they’re overwhelmed by the course load their advisor has recommended and opt for community college with plans to transfer to Wayne State later.” WSU works to keep everyone else engaged by automatically enrolling students in a peer-to-peer message board service after orientation. In this safe and staff-moderated space, students ask everything from “When is tuition due?” to “How do I find out which textbooks I need?” Not only do they help each other with answers — turning to peers instead of searching Wayne State’s website, with an occasional assist from Rawlings — they commiserate and connect. And that e-camaraderie just might be keeping summer melt at bay.

EARLY START At Franklin High School in Livonia, every senior leaves graduation with the career counselor’s email address and cell phone number. “Just because we aren’t in the building over the summer doesn’t mean they can’t reach out to us,” says Chris Ferrell, who’s been a FHS counselor for over 10 years and a Livonia Public Schools employee for over 20. But that’s far from the first time Ferrell and his team talk to students about their post-secondary plans. “We meet with kids in 8th grade, before they even start high school, to get them thinking about what comes after graduation,” Ferrell says. “We know the transition from high school to college is a marathon not a sprint, and we offer assistance each year, every step of the way.” Ferrell says it’s important to acknowledge that college is just one of many pathways for high school graduates. “Getting cold feet the summer before freshman year might be a better alternative than failing all your University of Michigan classes,” he says. “Changing and moving

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on to Plan B, even if it means you’ll lose deposits, could save a lot of money and frustration in the long run.” He says defining a back-up plan is crucial, whether it’s enrolling at a community college for prerequisite classes or taking on a full-time job: “Be clear with your student that sitting on the couch and playing video games is not an option.” Oakland Community College student Joel Zizi didn’t feel prepared for the leap from high school to a major campus. So he enrolled at OCC to start working toward his occupational therapy degree by getting his general ed credits out of the way. “This was cost-effective and allowed me to experience college without actually being at a university,” he says, adding that he’s confident OCC’s transfer process will help him when it’s time to take the next step. When students commit to Wayne State with trepidation similar to Zizi’s, learning communities and initiatives such as the Warrior Vision and Impact Program can be game changers. Starting with workshops in the winter of their senior year and continuing in the fall with a range of support to help boost time management and study skills, Warrior VIP acclimates students who might otherwise hit a bumpy road. The university has found that Warrior VIP students who work with advisors, peer mentors and tutors earn a higher GPA in their first year than students not taking advantage of the university support program. Like with APEX Scholars, key Warrior VIP services are in place until commencement. “In addition to providing study skills and connections to internships and career services, we want to make sure students see themselves as part of a supportive community,” says Michelle Hunt Bruner, director of Wayne State’s Academic Success Center. “It’s all part of the student experience and making sure students are thriving and accomplishing the goals they’ve set for themselves.”

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BETTER MAKE ROOM To coincide with the start of the 2018-19 school year, former First Lady Michelle Obama released a star-studded video promoting higher education, in which celebrities share personal stories about the struggles they faced before reaching success. “I came from a working-class family on the South Side of Chicago,” Obama wrote on Instagram when promoting her Better Make Room initiative. “I was young, black and female. Of course I doubted myself.” She credits mentors for keeping her on track toward her goal of attending college, and is offering an electronic version of that support for today’s students. The Better Make Room campaign encourages teens to sign up for a free texting program that sends out timely details and reminders about the college application process, financial aid and more. The site also offers tools for families, including cost calculators and scorecards that help compare apples to apples when deciding between colleges.

COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS From pre-K through graduation, schools at every step communicate directly with parents, who then trickle down key information to their kids. That script flips in college. Now almost all communications go straight to the student, and it’s up to them to share details with their folks. Wayne State holds parent orientation on campus concurrently with student orientation, and nearly 90 percent of students have a guardian attend. But the presentations are not identical. “We warn students that we are not repeating everything we’re telling them to their parents down the hall, and we warn parents that we’re giving them some information, but that they also need to keep asking their

students questions,” Rawlings says. “Ideally, this is the beginning of an ongoing family conversation.” And some of those conversations might need to be courageous ones, says Franklin High School’s Ferrell. “Your son or daughter may look like an adult, but their brain is still developing,” he says. In fact, science tells us that the connections between the emotional part of the brain and the decision-making center aren’t fully formed until around age 25. Good judgment and an awareness of long-term consequences is not something teens excel in, no matter how smart they are. So when it comes to getting ready for college, Ferrell says, “Students need their parents to help them through this process.”

METRO PARENT GUIDE TO COLLEGE PLANNING 2018 • 41

HOLDING YOUR BIG KID’S HAND Making sure all the crucial pre-college boxes are checked isn’t hovering, it’s helping. Here’s how you can help your student evade summer melt. Connect with counselors in high school and college. Before June, ask your student to see if his guidance counselor is available by email over the summer. If they’re anything like Franklin High School’s Chris Ferrell, they’ll say yes.

Bookmark the college website. There is probably a page designed specifically for incoming students, with checklists and links to crucial information. Your student might also have a personalized portal with specific details and messages — have them check in at least weekly.

Read everything the college sends. In addition to staying current with parent communication, ask your student to forward key emails so you can follow up as needed.

Fill out the FAFSA, even if you don’t think you’ll qualify for aid. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is often required for scholarship consideration, so it’s definitely worth an hour or two of effort. Watch for FAFSA workshops hosted by your child’s school and don’t hesitate to call with questions.

Stay on top of financial aid. This can be a confusing area. Students should not be expected to navigate it solo, and parents don’t have to either. Most colleges will offer seminars or oneon-one sessions to help fill out paperwork and explain options.

Take a realistic look at costs. Don’t wait until that first fall bill is due to find out you’re being charged for not just credit hours but also housing and fees. And keep in mind that other expenses like books and football tickets are right around the corner. Don’t shy away from these numbers and work as a family to budget through them.

Go to orientation as a family. Make sure you child attends the earliest possible session. This will clear up misconceptions and erase doubts that could creep in and cause melt. It also gives your family time to complete tasks as needed, instead of rushing around at the end of August. At Wayne State, the student ID handed out at orientation allows access to a range of campus services that could come in handy well before the first day of fall semester.

Encourage your student to keep their brain busy over the summer. “Students should read anything that is interesting to them even if the parent doesn’t think it’s particularly beneficial,” says Kenya Swanson, Wayne State’s Warrior VIP coordinator. “Graphic novels, magazines, comic books — they all count when you are encouraging your child to read.”

Lean on mentors. If your student is apprehensive about college, ask an older sibling, cousin or neighbor to check in with them to offer stories of their recent campus experience. It helps to hear from trusted sources that everyone gets the jitters.

Ask questions. And keep asking until you get an answer that makes you confident about your next step.

Assure your student it’s OK to leave home. Whether it’s an only child who knows her parents dread the empty nest or an older child who helps care for a sibling, students often feel guilty about leaving home. It’s our job as parents to be the grown-up and give dry-eyed assurance that the time is right to take flight. Even as family dynamics change, you want your student to soar. Rebecca Kavanagh is a Farmington Hills writer and mother of two – one in college and another one headed that way.

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I WISH I KNEW ...

I DIDN’T HAVE TO DECLARE A MAJOR RIGHT AWAY An Oakland University graduate offers 4 takeaways for incoming college students.

BY K A R I Z A F FA R A N O

ver since I was a little girl, I thought I wanted to be a teacher. When I got a little older, I thought I wanted to be an elementary school teacher because I loved little kids. I went to college thinking about that and only that and started taking education classes right away. A few years into college, I started having doubts about elementary education and was at crossroads of what I wanted to do next. Through this change of heart, I learned a few things that I think would benefit other college students.

1. TAKE REQUIRED CLASSES FIRST Every university has a number of classes you have to take before graduating. There are classes from all different subjects – including the basics like math, science and English. There are also classes about diversity and public speaking. Taking these classes helps you become well-rounded and can give you a feel for classes you never thought you would take before. Students might figure out they like a certain area of expertise from these required classes and can choose more to take.

2. KEEP AN OPEN MIND I went into college thinking only about my major. I took classes from the general requirements that I thought

would help me to be a better teacher. Looking back at it now, I wish I would have taken more classes outside my comfort zone. College is about finding yourself and I probably would have figured out exactly what I wanted to do sooner if I didn’t focus so much on teaching.

3. MAKE A LIST There is so much pressure on students to declare their major as soon as they can, but it’s OK to take some time to think about it. Learn about other subjects and majors you seem interested in. I make lists for everything and when I was having doubts about teaching, I made a list about things that interested me and classes that I enjoyed taking. This eventually helped me to figure out a new major.

4. DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO It’s OK to change your mind. I did, and it was the best decision I could have made. I realized how much I enjoyed writing and looked more into journalism and what I could do with that degree. I also enjoyed learning about history and decided to make that my minor because I could break up my schedule with a couple history classes every semester. There is no one way you have to graduate college.

Kari Zaffarano is a mom of one from Clinton Township. She graduated from Oakland University with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and a minor in history.

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I WISH I KNEW ...

HOW TO EMBRACE THE SELF-DISCOVERY OF COLLEGE A Wayne State University student says you don’t have to have it all figured out – or compare yourself to others. BY MIRIAM MARINI

like to think of college as the last stop on the winding and often tumultuous journey to fully achieved adulthood. As traditional, or perhaps untraditional, as your journey has been up to this point, it’s led to one final obstacle: college – which is probably the most intimidating and stressful one to date. When I eventually began to think about college and potential areas of study (and as a notorious procrastinator, this process didn’t begin until the fall of my senior year), my mindset was all wrong. I dreaded every appointment with my guidance counselor, I started to hate seeing family members because I knew they’d ask the typical – slightly nosy – questions, and completely avoided the subject with my better-prepared, laser-focused peers. What I failed to realize at the time is that you don’t have to have it all figured out. I hadn’t even stepped foot on campus and I had already felt unprepared and ill-equipped. I thought I had to have my four-year course plan laid out, my plan of action outlined, and my textbooks highlighted and annotated. The truth is, no one expects you to hit the ground running. Sure, it’s nice to have a general plan, but you don’t have to put pressure on yourself to go above and beyond from the get-go. College is a time to explore your options. There are careers and majors that you probably haven’t heard of – from injury biomechanics to therapeutic recreation. Don’t

think you’re contracted to the vague or detailed career plan you have when you begin college. A good way to find these atypical areas of study is to speak to an advisor and to strike up conversation with those around you. Who knows? Maybe gerontology studies is your passion. Another thing I wish I knew when I began college was to not compare myself to those around me. As a highly competitive person, it was hard for me, and still is, to realize that everyone’s on their own journey. My goals aren’t the same as anyone else’s and we’re all trying to achieve different things. Your downfalls might be someone’s talents. The most important thing is to focus on yourself and the progress you’re making on achieving your goals and accepting that sometimes it’s OK to be selfish. One final piece of advice when embarking on your college career is to not limit yourself. As cheesy as it sounds, college truly is a time for self-discovery. If there is something you’ve always wanted to pursue, be it improv comedy or humanitarian work, this is the time to try it out. Step out of your shell and become the best version of yourself. This also applies when making friends. Don’t surround yourself only with people who look and think like you. Most of the friends I’ve made in college are people who I wouldn’t have looked at twice three years ago. Meet new people and learn something from everyone you befriend. Miriam Marini is a junior at Wayne State University. She is studying journalism with a minor in women’s studies. Miriam is the editor-in-chief of The South End, Wayne State’s student newspaper.

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