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...
(More)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)
National Decision Day is today. This means that high school students across the country have until the end of the business day commit to their college. Traditionally, high school students would excitedly show up at school today wearing an article of clothing or accessory to unveil their college decision. It is a day to celebrate. It is a day for students to reflect on their college application journey and take pride in their accomplishments.
What does Decision Day mean during a global health pandemic?
Today is still a day to celebrate! The hard work students poured into their application process continues to be a personal accomplishment - no one, not even a pandemic, can take that feeling of accomplishment away.
Our high school seniors are losing out on many of their milestone celebrations. And while they may not be the first generation of high schoolers to lose out on some of these senior traditions, I am proud of our students. They may be sad but they understand the brevity of this pandemic and are taking it in stride. Students are stepping up and helping out. They are volunteering to collect food and distribute to others, making face masks to bring to hospitals, and doing their part to social distance. Our students are preparing for their future and looking forward to college and beyond.
Let’s take a moment to celebrate our high school seniors on this momentous occasion.
Please leave a comment sharing where you or your student will be attending college (or any post-secondary plan!).
