By John Raftrey And Lori McCormick
E-mail John Raftrey And Lori McCormick
About this blog: We are writing this blog to give practical advice to students and parents, to reflect on issues affecting college admissions, and to provide a platform for a robust community discussion on post-secondary choices. We occasionally f...
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About this blog: We are writing this blog to give practical advice to students and parents, to reflect on issues affecting college admissions, and to provide a platform for a robust community discussion on post-secondary choices. We occasionally feature "guest? bloggers and invite other college counselors to join the blog team. We are members of the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) and the Western Association for College Admissions Counseling (WACAC).
Lori McCormick: I began my college advising career in 2006 at Notre Dame de Namur in Transfer Admissions. Since then, I have worked at San Jose State in the Career Center, for a local independent college advising firm, and for BUILD a college access program for underrepresented youth. I graduated with a BA in Sociology from UCSB and a MA in Psychology with a concentration in Career Counseling from Antioch University. I am an active volunteer with The Parent?s Club of the Peninsula (PAMP), the Palo Alto Community Child Care (PACCC) and I am a seasonal application reader for the
Maisin Scholar Award. I reside in Palo Alto with my husband and two sons.
John Raftrey: I have been advising students for the last three admission cycles. I regularly attend conferences, tour colleges, and keep up with the changing landscape of college admissions. I'll share what I learn and throw in a few opinions along the way. I moved to Palo Alto in 1991. My three sons are all veterans of PAUSD and graduated from Paly. I graduated from the University of Michigan, earned an MBA at Columbia University and hold a certificate in College Counseling from UC San Diego. In my past life I worked in TV news and high tech marketing.
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(Written by Lori McCormick)
High school isn’t for everyone. Fortunately, there are alternative academic options for “non-traditional” students. One such option is Middle College.
Middle College is designed for high school students in 11th and 12th grades who are seeking an alternative path to completing their high school graduation requirements. The students I have encountered who have chosen this path have been self-motivated, academically driven, and eager to move on to college or beyond.
One student in particular I worked with several years ago enrolled in Middle College her senior year of high school. She not only completed high school on time with honors, but also had a years worth of college credit completed. During her year at Middle College, she was still able to participate in all of the normal high school social activities, such as dances, sporting events, and graduation. She went off to college out-of-state earning Bachelor and Master degrees. She continues to blaze trails working for local a social networking company.
If you think you (or your child) is a candidate for Middle College, representatives from Foothill College’s Middle College will be visiting local high schools soon. Below are the dates. Deadline to apply is March 10th.
LAHS - Feb 23rd at 10:55 am in the Cafeteria
MVHS - Feb 25th during lunch in Room 206
Paly - Feb 25th during lunch in the Library Conference Room
Gunn - Feb 23rd at 9:45 am in the College & Career Center