Newsletter

March 2012

Seniors

The remainder of college decisions should be out by April 1, with many decisions arriving prior to this date. In preparation, we encourage students to follow these 11 points:

  1. Open all correspondence from colleges to which they applied, both hard copy and electronic. Many institutions who release decisions electronically will tend to email students prior to the posting of decisions.
  2. Keep your college counselor updated. The College Counseling Office is in contact with all institutions to which our students apply, but colleges release decisions to applicants.
  3. Conversations can be helpful. Deciding which college to attend can be the most stressful part of the entire process. Your college counselor is here to help.
  4. Waitlists. Prior to taking action, speak with your college counselor.
  5. Deposits. Only deposit to one school. Once you deposit, please notify the remaining colleges that you respectfully decline their offer of admission.
  6. April can be busier than you think. This is the last push for colleges to yield students they have admitted. There will be admitted student weekends, offers for an overnight visit and more. Remember, if you are to miss school, you must receive permission from your teachers, the Upper School Director and the College Counseling Office prior to making your plans.
  7. Financial Aid should factor into the decision. A general rule of thumb is for a student to not borrow more than (s)he will make in their first year out of college, which some financial aid experts put at $8,000/year, for a total of $32,000 over four years. If you have questions about your financial aid package, contact your college counselor. And, you should not deposit at a college until you know the expected family contribution.
  8. It’s not personal. It is difficult to not take decisions personally, especially if you put much of yourself in your application. However, colleges are building a class and decisions are not made in a vacuum.  There are many reasons that colleges will make the decisions they do.
  9. You are part of a community. Your classmates are going through the same emotional roller coaster as you. Be respectful and positive.
  10. And, you are a leader. Remember you set the tone for the entire school. The younger students are watching you. So are the faculty, staff, parents and others. Your actions will continue to affect others.
  11. All decisions are based on successful completion of senior year. Don’t just cross the finish line, sprint past it. Colleges require final transcripts before a student can enroll, and Breck will send your final transcript to the college to which you deposit. However, they reserve the right to retract an acceptance if grades or behavior slide. See #s 8 & 9.

AP Tests
Shortly after Spring Break, students will receive confirmation of his/her AP enrollment. AP tests will be given at Anderson Arena and transportation will be provided from Breck School. All students sitting for an AP exam must submit the Transportation Form within a week from receiving it.

Juniors

Building the College List
Each junior should head into the summer with a balanced college list that has been built in conjunction with your college counselor. In order to get to that point, now is the time to meet with your counselor to start building a list and talking about "the process."

Juniors are expected to complete the College Info Form as soon as possible and no later than March 16.

Parents, there is a form for you as well! The Parent Form can be found on Naviance.  From your home page select "document library," then select "Parent Information form." We believe parents play a vital role in the process, and we welcome conversations. Many families will elect to have a meeting with their college counselor. Often the best arrangement is with parent(s), child, and counselor. Please contact Nancy Dohr (763-381-8258) to schedule an appointment.

Spring Break
In an earlier mailing, we outlined ways students can utilize spring break to research colleges in a College Visits Guide.  For those staying close to home, online research can be quite effective. Also, we are fortunate to live in an area with many types of post-secondary institutions, and we strongly encourage visiting one or two local colleges. For those traveling, you can work a college visit in as a destination point or as a stop along the way. With a little foresight and planning, you can take a lunch break at a college campus, stretch your legs on a tour and then have a conversation piece for the next hour of travel! The vital piece of this entire process is the self-reflection; opening a variety of college experiences to your child can result in some wonderful conversations that can be guided by the list of questions included in the mailing. To access a copy of the College Visits guide, please log onto Naviance, select Document Library, then select College Visits Guide. 

Junior Application Workshop – April 4th @ 6:30pm
This event is always one of our most popular events in the college process! You will read applications and serve on the admission committee led by a senior admission officer from Rhodes College, Washington & Lee University, Scripps College, Northwestern University or University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. The applications will soon be posted online for parents (an email will include the link) and juniors will participate in a workshop earlier in the day. We strongly advise parents to read through the applications prior to the evening in order to get the most from the conversations with the deans.

Juniors and Sophomores

AP Tests
Shortly after Spring Break, students will receive confirmation of his/her AP enrollment. AP tests will be given at Anderson Arena and transportation will be provided from Breck School. All students sitting for an AP exam must submit the Transportation Form within a week from receiving it.

Think Summer
As you may have learned from conversations with your student, our meetings with the juniors and sophomores have allowed us to learn more about your student, provide input and guidance as they choose classes for next year, gain a better sense of how they are connected with the Breck community and beyond, and learn more about how they spend their "free" time. In some of our conversations we have broached the topic of summer programs. While we philosophically believe summer break is a good time for students to rest, relax and reconnect with family, for some students it is an opportunity to explore academic and/or personal interests, cultivate leadership skills, or try something different.

For summer programs, like the college process, there is not a "one size fits all" solution as programs range in focus, location, duration, cost, and prerequisites. In addition, we strongly believe students should approach these programs out of personal interest and not for the sole purpose of impressing a college. We recognize that many families are receiving information about summer programs and may have questions, and we would like to know what you have planned for the summer! Should you have specific questions about summer programs or other opportunities for your student, please do not hesitate to contact your student's college counselor and encourage your student to see the boards outside the US Media Center.

MEF College Fairs
For Sophomores and Juniors who would like to get a jumpstart on the college process, the Minnesota Association for College Admission Counseling (MACAC) will host a series of fairs targeting all Minnesota high school students, and our colleagues at Hopkins and Eden Prairie have issued a special invitation to Breck. To view the institutions that will be in attendance, please click on the following link and select the location (http://www.mn-acac.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=122367). This fair is different from the fall MISP fair that is hosted in part by Breck. Nonetheless, this will provide sophomores the opportunity to see a wide range of colleges, to learn of programs and opportunities that are available, and to enter into the college process in an informal manner. For juniors, it is a chance to make contact with a college representative, connect with a specific college that may be in attendance, or to learn about schools that may not be on their radar. If you have any questions, please contact your college counselor.