Getting letters of recommendation requires some thought. It is best to ask adults who know you well and with whom you have had a positive experience to write a letter of recommendation. It can be someone from your school (i.e., a teacher, a guidance counselor, a sports coach or a teacher who oversees an after school club). Or it could be adults who you know well that are in your community (i.e., a neighbor you have assisted, an employer or a scout leader). You need to make sure that individuals writing a letter of recommendation know if you want them to include in their letter that you have a disability. Again, this decision is a personal one and if you decide that information about your disability can be included, the information needs to help demonstrate what you have accomplished.
The process of requesting letters of recommendation has some unwritten rules and expectations:
* Always ask individuals if they would be willing to give you a positive letter of recommendation to a specific college.
* Ask individuals well in advance of your application deadlines (at least two weeks, or if you are asking a teacher or guidance counselor, check with them about how long they need to get a letter ready for you).
* Gather all of the information the individual will need and give it to the person at one time — such as a stamped, addressed envelope; the recommendation form or information requested by the college; the program you are interested in studying; and also a summary paragraph of your activities related to this individual to refresh their memory or a sample paragraph of qualities or traits that you feel you exhibit.
* Send your references a short thank-you note for their time and thoughtful consideration.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Applying - The Essay
Each college application will provide guidance and instruction regarding your personal essay. Some colleges will ask you to write on a specific topic or will ask a series of questions for you to answer. Others will have a more open approach, allowing you to write on a specific topic of your choice. The essay is a way for a college to see a more personal side of you in addition to your application. All essays involve choice and your choices will reflect your preferences, values and thought processes. It is recommended that your essay be focused and specific. Your writing can reflect your organizational skills, your power of persuasion and your general mastery of standard written English. For more information, visit the College Board’s Web site.
Expect to write several drafts of your personal essay. This essay provides an opportunity to briefly express who you are, highlight your strengths, ambitions and values, and convince the readers that you would be a good candidate for their college.
Some students elect to briefly disclose (reveal) their disability in a positive way, especially when it has taught them an important skill or value, such as to be creative or “think outside of the box.” You should carefully consider this decision, and talk with your guidance counselor or teacher about including this information. If you decide to talk about your disability, remember to keep it positive and brief, and focus on your strengths and what you can do. Keep in mind that nowhere on the college application will there be questions about having a disability, so unless you tell them, the college will not know. Also, having a disability is not factored into your application review.
Share drafts of your essay with an English teacher or guidance counselor for input. Remember: if you are sending the same essay to a number of colleges, make sure you use the correct college name in the essay. This mistake is common and made by all students applying for college, so remember to proofread your work!
Expect to write several drafts of your personal essay. This essay provides an opportunity to briefly express who you are, highlight your strengths, ambitions and values, and convince the readers that you would be a good candidate for their college.
Some students elect to briefly disclose (reveal) their disability in a positive way, especially when it has taught them an important skill or value, such as to be creative or “think outside of the box.” You should carefully consider this decision, and talk with your guidance counselor or teacher about including this information. If you decide to talk about your disability, remember to keep it positive and brief, and focus on your strengths and what you can do. Keep in mind that nowhere on the college application will there be questions about having a disability, so unless you tell them, the college will not know. Also, having a disability is not factored into your application review.
Share drafts of your essay with an English teacher or guidance counselor for input. Remember: if you are sending the same essay to a number of colleges, make sure you use the correct college name in the essay. This mistake is common and made by all students applying for college, so remember to proofread your work!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Apply to College
Before you get started, think about how you would answer the following questions.
1. What is the best way for you to manage multiple deadlines?
2. What resources are available in your high school to help you write an impressive personal essay for your college application?
3. What are some advantages and disadvantages of disclosing your disability in your college essay?
Application overview
The college application process can occur over the course of a year. Each college has its own application requirements, form, fees, due dates and acceptance procedures. It is important to keep track of this information in a manageable way.
Getting in
Initially, similar to a job application, it is important to look good on paper. Most college application packets will require the actual completed application, your high school transcripts, your college admissions test scores, a personal essay, a few references and your payment submitted by a particular due date.
Most colleges will have an application form to complete online. You will be asked to attach your essay and other information to the application. Your guidance department will submit your transcripts, so it is critical that you allow enough time for the guidance department to submit your transcripts before the due date of your application. Make sure to have a family member or friend review your application to make sure all sections are completed. It is easy to miss or skip a section. Applications must be fully completed to be accepted.
1. What is the best way for you to manage multiple deadlines?
2. What resources are available in your high school to help you write an impressive personal essay for your college application?
3. What are some advantages and disadvantages of disclosing your disability in your college essay?
Application overview
The college application process can occur over the course of a year. Each college has its own application requirements, form, fees, due dates and acceptance procedures. It is important to keep track of this information in a manageable way.
Getting in
Initially, similar to a job application, it is important to look good on paper. Most college application packets will require the actual completed application, your high school transcripts, your college admissions test scores, a personal essay, a few references and your payment submitted by a particular due date.
Most colleges will have an application form to complete online. You will be asked to attach your essay and other information to the application. Your guidance department will submit your transcripts, so it is critical that you allow enough time for the guidance department to submit your transcripts before the due date of your application. Make sure to have a family member or friend review your application to make sure all sections are completed. It is easy to miss or skip a section. Applications must be fully completed to be accepted.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Interview with a Counselor - Picking a Major
Hi. I’m Erica Lovelace and I’d like to talk to you all today about choosing a major and some considerations that you might want to look at as you’re planning your future. One of the things that I first want to tell you is where I’m from. I’m from the Department of Rehabilitative Services which is also known as Vocational Rehabilitation. And I say that because you all might be interested in contacting your local VR office to see whether or not they may be able to offer you some assistance in helping you determine your major. They have the ability to do some career assessments, career guidance and counseling and exploration. It’s an excellent resource that you all might wanna consider as you’re planning your college career and looking at what is your major study and what types of employment opportunities might you engage in once you’ve completed your education.
Some of the things that you might wanna consider on your own when you’re looking at a major is what are you interested in, what are the things that you like to do as a hobby, as a vocation, those are things that might direct you in choosing your major. Some of the other things that you might wanna consider are not feeling that you have to choose a major immediately. You don’t have to declare your major until sometimes after your second year. The first year to that you’re enrolled in a college program, you’re really concentrating on your core courses: Your English, your math, your history, your science. You also have to get some electives in. What an opportunity to use those electives to help you determine what your major is going to be. You can look at all of the programs that are available, take a few electives in courses that you think you might be interested in and have that help you as a guide and a tool to use as you’re choosing your major.
Some other things that you wanna consider are following your heart. Look at what it is that you truly want to do. I’ve worked with students for quite a few years and I’ve seen so many students that go into a program based on the amount of money they’re going to be able to earn and it really hasn’t been a good match. The money is not the most important thing when you’re considering choosing a major in your ultimate employment. You’re gonna work many, many years. It’s important that you’re working in a field that you enjoy and that you have a passion for. So keep that in mind and follow your heart in what it is that you really wanna do and the environment that you really wanna be involved in.
You’re also going to get a lot of information from many, many different people. Don’t feel pressured into choosing a major based on the influence and the opinions of others. It has to be something that you’re really interested in. Once you’re looking at your major consider the entire course work. There’s probably gonna be some courses that you may or may not like. So as you’re picking your major look at the entire requirements for the degree program and what the courses are that you’re gonna have to take to satisfy that major.
You might also wanna look at the employment areas that are going to be available to you once you complete a major. You certainly don’t wanna pick a major only to find out that the employment arena for that major is either decreasing and or the jobs are being outsourced, so your likelihood of finding suitable employment is not very great. So keep that in mind. And along those lines some things that you might wanna do while you’re still in high school during your summers in helping you choose a major is to actually visit some employers where you think they have the types of jobs that you might eventually be interested in. Do some informational interviewing where you meet with the employer or you meet with an employee within a certain company and you talk to that employee and you ask some very pointed questions. What type of training do they require, what were their interest, what do they like about the job they’re doing, what do they dislike about the job that they’re currently doing, what is a typical day like for them. And maybe one of the most important questions is if they had it to do over again, would they still choose the same field.
The next step that you can do after the informational interviewing is visit a job site. Ask an employer or an HR Department if you could do some job shadowing where you actually are with an employee for a day, a half a day or a prescribed amount of time and you actually follow that individual for a day and you observe what their activities are and the interaction that they’re required to do with others and the actual work that they are assigned. Those are some good ideas to consider when you’re looking at choosing a major.
The other thing that you might wanna consider when you’re looking at your major and as it ties into employment opportunities what types of additional training might be required beyond completion of a bachelor’s degree. Are you looking at a field that is going to require a master’s degree or certification training or perhaps a PhD? Those might be things that you want to consider as you’re looking at choosing a major. There’s places where you can get information on labor market trends, so that you can look at. What are the jobs that are increasing in demand over a period of time? And if those are jobs that are going to become available and their areas of interest you might wanna look at at the majors.
One of the things that as a VR Counselor, I encourage individuals to do is focus on your employment goal. Look at your employment goal and what are the requirements of that employment goal as opposed to necessarily focusing in on a degree or a major, but look at the actual work that you’re interested in and what are the requirements to meet those work requirements.
Another thing that you might wanna consider in choosing a major is what are the expectations from the university. Are you required to get above a 2.0? Some universities require that you have a 3.0 in your chosen major. Those are some things that you might wanna consider before selecting a major.
Some of the other things that you might wanna look at is whether or not a foreign language is required. Do you have to take a foreign language to satisfy that major? And you need to know these things at the beginning of selecting your major. Not at the end when you’re anticipating having your degree.
In closing, I hope that you found some of these ideas helpful and that you’ll use some of the ideas. Most importantly follow your heart, have fun, explore your options as you’re choosing your major. Thank you so much.
Some of the things that you might wanna consider on your own when you’re looking at a major is what are you interested in, what are the things that you like to do as a hobby, as a vocation, those are things that might direct you in choosing your major. Some of the other things that you might wanna consider are not feeling that you have to choose a major immediately. You don’t have to declare your major until sometimes after your second year. The first year to that you’re enrolled in a college program, you’re really concentrating on your core courses: Your English, your math, your history, your science. You also have to get some electives in. What an opportunity to use those electives to help you determine what your major is going to be. You can look at all of the programs that are available, take a few electives in courses that you think you might be interested in and have that help you as a guide and a tool to use as you’re choosing your major.
Some other things that you wanna consider are following your heart. Look at what it is that you truly want to do. I’ve worked with students for quite a few years and I’ve seen so many students that go into a program based on the amount of money they’re going to be able to earn and it really hasn’t been a good match. The money is not the most important thing when you’re considering choosing a major in your ultimate employment. You’re gonna work many, many years. It’s important that you’re working in a field that you enjoy and that you have a passion for. So keep that in mind and follow your heart in what it is that you really wanna do and the environment that you really wanna be involved in.
You’re also going to get a lot of information from many, many different people. Don’t feel pressured into choosing a major based on the influence and the opinions of others. It has to be something that you’re really interested in. Once you’re looking at your major consider the entire course work. There’s probably gonna be some courses that you may or may not like. So as you’re picking your major look at the entire requirements for the degree program and what the courses are that you’re gonna have to take to satisfy that major.
You might also wanna look at the employment areas that are going to be available to you once you complete a major. You certainly don’t wanna pick a major only to find out that the employment arena for that major is either decreasing and or the jobs are being outsourced, so your likelihood of finding suitable employment is not very great. So keep that in mind. And along those lines some things that you might wanna do while you’re still in high school during your summers in helping you choose a major is to actually visit some employers where you think they have the types of jobs that you might eventually be interested in. Do some informational interviewing where you meet with the employer or you meet with an employee within a certain company and you talk to that employee and you ask some very pointed questions. What type of training do they require, what were their interest, what do they like about the job they’re doing, what do they dislike about the job that they’re currently doing, what is a typical day like for them. And maybe one of the most important questions is if they had it to do over again, would they still choose the same field.
The next step that you can do after the informational interviewing is visit a job site. Ask an employer or an HR Department if you could do some job shadowing where you actually are with an employee for a day, a half a day or a prescribed amount of time and you actually follow that individual for a day and you observe what their activities are and the interaction that they’re required to do with others and the actual work that they are assigned. Those are some good ideas to consider when you’re looking at choosing a major.
The other thing that you might wanna consider when you’re looking at your major and as it ties into employment opportunities what types of additional training might be required beyond completion of a bachelor’s degree. Are you looking at a field that is going to require a master’s degree or certification training or perhaps a PhD? Those might be things that you want to consider as you’re looking at choosing a major. There’s places where you can get information on labor market trends, so that you can look at. What are the jobs that are increasing in demand over a period of time? And if those are jobs that are going to become available and their areas of interest you might wanna look at at the majors.
One of the things that as a VR Counselor, I encourage individuals to do is focus on your employment goal. Look at your employment goal and what are the requirements of that employment goal as opposed to necessarily focusing in on a degree or a major, but look at the actual work that you’re interested in and what are the requirements to meet those work requirements.
Another thing that you might wanna consider in choosing a major is what are the expectations from the university. Are you required to get above a 2.0? Some universities require that you have a 3.0 in your chosen major. Those are some things that you might wanna consider before selecting a major.
Some of the other things that you might wanna look at is whether or not a foreign language is required. Do you have to take a foreign language to satisfy that major? And you need to know these things at the beginning of selecting your major. Not at the end when you’re anticipating having your degree.
In closing, I hope that you found some of these ideas helpful and that you’ll use some of the ideas. Most importantly follow your heart, have fun, explore your options as you’re choosing your major. Thank you so much.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Deciding on a Major Part 2
Discover your options
If you are uncertain of your major, you may enroll in college with an undeclared major and begin your general education requirements. Sometimes students discover what they want to major in by taking the required general education classes. A general education program in the humanities or liberal arts offers a great deal of variety and can also help you further identify your interests, strengths and values. A liberal arts degree, for example, can provide a solid foundation for many jobs and future career paths. Some courses include “service learning” to provide hands-on experiences for students. You may also volunteer in different organizations or businesses in which you are interested to get a further idea of your career direction. Some businesses even prefer to hire individuals with a liberal arts degree, as it conveys competent skills in critical thinking, writing, problem solving and decision-making, and allows the company to provide its own training to the employee.
Additionally, when you get to college you can meet with a career counselor at the college career center on campus. These centers have many resources to help you with your decision-making. Your career interests and goals will develop and even change over time. The more you can specify what you want, the easier it will be to reach your goal.
Some majors require performance skills in addition to the academics or “book learning” you get in the classroom. For example, a student who wants to become a teacher may need to go into the classroom and observe a classroom in action or even teach a lesson with supervision. The student isn’t just reading about teaching strategies, he or she is actually doing it or seeing it in action.
It’s important to know if you have difficulty with learning performance skills during a required internship; you may need accommodations to acquire the new skills or be able to complete a task. Let’s say you have difficulty reading weekly written assignments provided by your site supervisor. One accommodation might be that you are given an electronic version of the instructions so you can use technology to read it aloud to you. You can understand the instructions, but you may need to access them in a different way. It’s about being creative to get the job done. But you don’t have to do it all on your own. The disability support services office on campus can talk with you about appropriate job site accommodations. The Job Accommodation Network also provides individualized workplace solutions if your disability presents a challenge to complete a required task. And lastly, your state vocational rehabilitation service has expertise in how to accommodate your disability and help you to work efficiently on the job. Think about inviting a representative from your state vocational rehabilitation service to participate in your IEP meeting.
Identify your interests
To begin identifying your potential interests, meet with your guidance counselor to discuss your interests and assessment resources available at your high school. It is recommended to take several career interest surveys and to discuss them with a career professional. Look under “Activities” to find some things you can start doing now to narrow down your choices in majors and careers.
If you are uncertain of your major, you may enroll in college with an undeclared major and begin your general education requirements. Sometimes students discover what they want to major in by taking the required general education classes. A general education program in the humanities or liberal arts offers a great deal of variety and can also help you further identify your interests, strengths and values. A liberal arts degree, for example, can provide a solid foundation for many jobs and future career paths. Some courses include “service learning” to provide hands-on experiences for students. You may also volunteer in different organizations or businesses in which you are interested to get a further idea of your career direction. Some businesses even prefer to hire individuals with a liberal arts degree, as it conveys competent skills in critical thinking, writing, problem solving and decision-making, and allows the company to provide its own training to the employee.
Additionally, when you get to college you can meet with a career counselor at the college career center on campus. These centers have many resources to help you with your decision-making. Your career interests and goals will develop and even change over time. The more you can specify what you want, the easier it will be to reach your goal.
Some majors require performance skills in addition to the academics or “book learning” you get in the classroom. For example, a student who wants to become a teacher may need to go into the classroom and observe a classroom in action or even teach a lesson with supervision. The student isn’t just reading about teaching strategies, he or she is actually doing it or seeing it in action.
It’s important to know if you have difficulty with learning performance skills during a required internship; you may need accommodations to acquire the new skills or be able to complete a task. Let’s say you have difficulty reading weekly written assignments provided by your site supervisor. One accommodation might be that you are given an electronic version of the instructions so you can use technology to read it aloud to you. You can understand the instructions, but you may need to access them in a different way. It’s about being creative to get the job done. But you don’t have to do it all on your own. The disability support services office on campus can talk with you about appropriate job site accommodations. The Job Accommodation Network also provides individualized workplace solutions if your disability presents a challenge to complete a required task. And lastly, your state vocational rehabilitation service has expertise in how to accommodate your disability and help you to work efficiently on the job. Think about inviting a representative from your state vocational rehabilitation service to participate in your IEP meeting.
Identify your interests
To begin identifying your potential interests, meet with your guidance counselor to discuss your interests and assessment resources available at your high school. It is recommended to take several career interest surveys and to discuss them with a career professional. Look under “Activities” to find some things you can start doing now to narrow down your choices in majors and careers.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Deciding on a Major Part 1
Decisions, decisions, decisions
Some students are very clear about their passions and know exactly what they want to major in from the very beginning of college. The majority of students, however, are not so certain. What can help you to decide on a major?
A sea of choices
There are thousands of occupations from which to choose, many career assessments to jump start your ideas and frequent listings of top 10 careers or hottest jobs. But there is no specific test that will tell you what to be when you are older or what should be your major! Many students initially choose careers that open up job opportunities that pay very well. But it’s not all about the money.
While earning power is a consideration, it is more important to find a career that you love to do, that is right for you and that you can’t believe you are getting paid to do! Your values and what you deem important in life will ultimately play a role in your career satisfaction. Especially important for students with disabilities is to choose a major in which your strengths will be utilized on a regular basis and a major that allows you to compensate for less important skills that are not as strong. These considerations will maximize your chances for success.
What is a major?
A major is an area of study that allows you to build knowledge and skills around a specific subject or specialty area. To earn a degree in a particular major, each college requires certain courses and course credits and may provide choices for predetermined electives. These established programs are often based on national or state accreditation standards in order to guarantee that graduates are proficient with identified skills and knowledge. Most majors also require general education courses such as English, science, social sciences, math, etc.
Some students are very clear about their passions and know exactly what they want to major in from the very beginning of college. The majority of students, however, are not so certain. What can help you to decide on a major?
A sea of choices
There are thousands of occupations from which to choose, many career assessments to jump start your ideas and frequent listings of top 10 careers or hottest jobs. But there is no specific test that will tell you what to be when you are older or what should be your major! Many students initially choose careers that open up job opportunities that pay very well. But it’s not all about the money.
While earning power is a consideration, it is more important to find a career that you love to do, that is right for you and that you can’t believe you are getting paid to do! Your values and what you deem important in life will ultimately play a role in your career satisfaction. Especially important for students with disabilities is to choose a major in which your strengths will be utilized on a regular basis and a major that allows you to compensate for less important skills that are not as strong. These considerations will maximize your chances for success.
What is a major?
A major is an area of study that allows you to build knowledge and skills around a specific subject or specialty area. To earn a degree in a particular major, each college requires certain courses and course credits and may provide choices for predetermined electives. These established programs are often based on national or state accreditation standards in order to guarantee that graduates are proficient with identified skills and knowledge. Most majors also require general education courses such as English, science, social sciences, math, etc.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Going to College
The following are from interviews with reals students about choosing a college:
Lisa:
Take your time and research the college you’re going to, make sure you know what it’s about, take the time to visit the school, spend the night there if you can, spend a weekend there if you can, if you know people that go there already, ask their opinions on it.
Maria:
I was looking at their disability support services centers. Every time I went to visit I would go to the disability support services center to see how comfortable I felt with the staff, how helpful they seemed to be on that day, if they were willing to talk to me or not. I would definitely take a tour of … I took a tour of every campus that I applied to, just to see if I felt comfortable there. I also looked at what majors they offered, what my interests need, what the requirements were because I knew if there were a school that required that for some reason, I wouldn’t know why, I needed four years of a foreign language, that was a turn off to me due to my disability. So things like that, something … just a good feeling on the campus as well as the technical requirements to actually get the degree.
Manisha:
I also looked at the criteria of how the schools are ranked to help me pick which school I liked best for me. I did music so it was important to have a good music program, as well as strong programs in other aspects of the school because you never know when you have to take classes outside of your department and that’s important to know that you’re still getting a really good education outside of your department.
Andrea:
Cast a wide net, list all the schools you think you might want to go to and start there. And then … then you can start narrowing it down by reading more about it, contacting people at the university disability support services. I think it also can be really helpful to talk to other students at the university, even if you call disability support services and ask, do you have any student that’s affiliated with your office who might be willing to talk to someone who is considering the college, to give me a sense of what their experience has been like?
Manisha:
I also picked a school which happened to be located where my doctors are located, so for me that also helped instead of picking a different school because if I needed anything my doctors are right there, a couple of miles down.
Amy:
I knew going in that I wanted a school with smaller classes, when you got into your core classes, because I really enjoy learning but I’m a very interactive learner. So I wanted to be able to interact with the professors and ask the professors questions … and it was setting, I never thought I would end up at an urban school. I always thought I was gonna end up at a rural school with tons of trees and country and horses and dogs, because my family has a farm and I’ve just grown up with all the trees around me and everything. But when it came down to it, especially going in with an international focus, it came down to who has the most diverse student population.
Lisa:
Take your time and research the college you’re going to, make sure you know what it’s about, take the time to visit the school, spend the night there if you can, spend a weekend there if you can, if you know people that go there already, ask their opinions on it.
Maria:
I was looking at their disability support services centers. Every time I went to visit I would go to the disability support services center to see how comfortable I felt with the staff, how helpful they seemed to be on that day, if they were willing to talk to me or not. I would definitely take a tour of … I took a tour of every campus that I applied to, just to see if I felt comfortable there. I also looked at what majors they offered, what my interests need, what the requirements were because I knew if there were a school that required that for some reason, I wouldn’t know why, I needed four years of a foreign language, that was a turn off to me due to my disability. So things like that, something … just a good feeling on the campus as well as the technical requirements to actually get the degree.
Manisha:
I also looked at the criteria of how the schools are ranked to help me pick which school I liked best for me. I did music so it was important to have a good music program, as well as strong programs in other aspects of the school because you never know when you have to take classes outside of your department and that’s important to know that you’re still getting a really good education outside of your department.
Andrea:
Cast a wide net, list all the schools you think you might want to go to and start there. And then … then you can start narrowing it down by reading more about it, contacting people at the university disability support services. I think it also can be really helpful to talk to other students at the university, even if you call disability support services and ask, do you have any student that’s affiliated with your office who might be willing to talk to someone who is considering the college, to give me a sense of what their experience has been like?
Manisha:
I also picked a school which happened to be located where my doctors are located, so for me that also helped instead of picking a different school because if I needed anything my doctors are right there, a couple of miles down.
Amy:
I knew going in that I wanted a school with smaller classes, when you got into your core classes, because I really enjoy learning but I’m a very interactive learner. So I wanted to be able to interact with the professors and ask the professors questions … and it was setting, I never thought I would end up at an urban school. I always thought I was gonna end up at a rural school with tons of trees and country and horses and dogs, because my family has a farm and I’ve just grown up with all the trees around me and everything. But when it came down to it, especially going in with an international focus, it came down to who has the most diverse student population.
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