Monday, March 17, 2014

Goldilocks as a Cowboy

Do you remember the story of Goldilocks?  She was the young blonde gal that broke into the bears home and tried out their beds and ate their food.  I bring up this story because Goldilocks went into the house and tried all the beds until she found the one that was just right.  She tried all the food until she found the one that was just right.

In picking colleges, I have noticed that kids have a funny way of deciding what makes a school just right.  A lot of our students are picking schools based on word of mouth or on rankings that they have found on the internet.  Did you know that for a lot of those rankings (like the US News and World Report) the ranking is largely determined by how difficult it is to get in.  Ever heard of Harvard?  They accept 6% of the kids that apply.  That means they reject 94% of the kids that sent in their $75 dollar non refundable application fee will be disappointed.  Approximately 35,000 kids apply to Harvard.  That means the school makes about 2.6 MILLION dollars, just on kids hoping to get in.  Most Ivy Leagues have the same story to tell.

What about schools closer to home?  UCLA accepts about 22% of the students that apply.  Last year 80,000 kids applied to UCLA.  That's 4 MILLION dollars the school received just because kids want to go there.

I tell you this because I want you to understand that colleges are a business.  They make money by making you want to attend, and apply, to their school.  After you take the PSAT, schools are going to start sending you emails, brochures, and cool stuff.  How do you decide which school is best for you?  Which college is going to be just right?

Deciding which college, university, or program to attend after graduation is one of the biggest decisions you will make in your lifetime.  Such a big decision deserves a lot of time and research on your part.  That may seem a little overwhelming, but that's why you have counselors here at Canyon.  Our job is to help you navigate all the information and find the perfect spot for you.

Reading this blog is a great start to your journey.  Visiting with your counselor and letting them know you better is a next great step.  Attending our workshops will help give you tools to make the decision process easy.

If you are thinking to yourself, "I have no idea what I want to do after graduation" then let your Canyon Counselors help.

On March 26th, the late start Wednesday, at 8 am in the Q-theater, we are having a workshop titled, "The Pathway to Success Breakfast".  We will teach you how to start picking the school that is perfect for you.  Plus, we'll feed you something yummy!  We'll make it fun and simple to start your journey.  Please come!!




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