<![CDATA[Turner College Consulting, LLC - Blog]]>Wed, 19 Mar 2025 20:08:26 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[My Response to the College Admissions Scandal...]]>Wed, 27 Mar 2019 15:56:35 GMThttp://turnercollegeconsulting.com/blog/my-response-to-the-college-admissions-scandalI watched the press conference live two weeks ago as details of the college admissions scandal were described. I heard about very wealthy people paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to ensure that their children were accepted to a handful of 'elite' schools. Test scores were falsified. Fake qualifications were submitted. Coaches and test proctors were bribed. And then I heard the worst part - many of these students were kept in the dark. At prestigious colleges around the country, students learned that they didn't earn acceptance to their college but that their parents committed felonies to get them admitted. I can't begin to imagine the damage done to these students. Not only did their parents believe they couldn't be admitted to college on their own, but they received the message that only a tiny handful of colleges are worthy. How do we as a society continue to accept this myth that only a few schools are good enough to attend? As if these elite schools sprinkle magic fairy dust on students to guarantee them a happy and successful life. As if attending another college would lead to disaster and shame upon the family. What's going on here?!?!?!?

I've been wondering if, given the means and opportunity, more parents would engage in these crimes to make sure their children were accepted to fancy schools. Sadly, I'm sure they would. Some parents would do it for the bragging rights, as parent ego is so very tied in with college acceptance. But some parents would do it out of intentions to give their students a good education. Somehow we have bought the lie that these schools are the only means to a life worth living. I want to scream from the rooftops that THIS IS JUST NOT TRUE! I have visited hundreds of colleges around the country, and I know that high-quality teaching and learning is happening all over the place! 

Here is my advice to families going through the college admissions process right now: Burn the college rankings magazines. They are full of nonsense. Instead, do the hard work of researching and visiting a wide variety of schools to learn about the amazing opportunities available to regular people with regular incomes and regular test scores. They are abundant. 

College admissions in the US is a hot mess. But the education available at most of our colleges is quite wonderful. If only we would stop obsessing over the famous schools and notice. 

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Here is a few link to the official response from my professional organization, the Independent Educational Consultants Association, plus some information about our ethical guidelines:


]]><![CDATA[What to do with Admissions Decisions]]>Fri, 16 Dec 2016 00:29:24 GMThttp://turnercollegeconsulting.com/blog/what-to-do-with-admissions-decisionsAs seniors start hearing back from colleges, they will discover quite a menu of possible responses. Here is an explanation of the possible decisions you will hear from colleges in the coming weeks and months, as well as action to take for each one. 

ACCEPTED: Celebrate, but get back to the books as soon as you can! Senior grades matter big time, and your mid-year and final grades should look as good as, if not better than, your previously submitted grades. Do not drop hard classes at this point. Your acceptance is conditional, so stay on task all the way through graduation day.  Remember, you do not need to send in your enrollment deposit until May 1, so wait until you hear back from all your colleges (including financial aid offers) before making your final decision. 

DEFERRED - This is the big one that requires more attention on your part. First, read all communication from the college very carefully and follow all instructions. They are most likely waiting to see if you submit higher test scores and/or higher grades as the year goes along. They will probably tell you which test dates they will still accept at this point. If you have received a deferral and your current test scores are below or near the bottom of the average range for that college, and if you still want to go to that college, I recommend that you take the SAT or ACT one more time and have those new scores sent directly to the school. In addition to testing, make sure you are earning the highest grades you possibly can this semester. Have your school send mid-year grades to the college after semester grades are ready. Finally, email an admissions counselor at the college to express your continued interest in the school, and if it is your first choice, tell them! If you have not yet visited the college, schedule the visit. Then include the date of the visit in this email. I know this is not the decision any of you want to hear, but hang in there and keep trying! Many students who are deferred end up being accepted later in the year. The game is most certainly not over! 

DENIED - This one hurts. There’s no getting around it. Give yourself some time, and then try to focus your energy on other schools. You still have time to submit additional applications, so please contact me ASAP if you want to discuss that. There are many January 1 deadlines, so you would need to request transcripts and recommendations from your high school before the break. 

WAIT-LISTED - Be sure to communicate with the college expressing your continued interest and your desire to be on the wait list. And get excited about some other schools. 

SPRING ADMIT - Sometimes colleges offer students admission starting in January of the following year instead of August. This means you would have that first fall to do something else, kind of like a “half gap year.” You could take classes at a community college, work to save money and try out different career areas, or spend time traveling or doing community service. Many students have found this option to be a wonderful blessing in disguise, so if this is something you are offered, give it some consideration.

GUARANTEED TRANSFER - The college might give you this option, which means that you can enroll there as a sophomore if you attend college somewhere else the first year and make a certain minimum GPA. The first college could be a community college or a 4-year school. 



]]><![CDATA[Senior Year - Buckle Up! ]]>Thu, 04 Aug 2016 21:39:07 GMThttp://turnercollegeconsulting.com/blog/senior-year-buckle-upby Cindy Turner
Originally published in Community School of Davidson's Next Steps Blog, August 2015

Keep your hands inside the vehicle, fasten your seatbelt, and hang on tight! Senior year is not for the faint of heart.  A thrilling acceptance one day may be crushed by painful rejection the next. Guilt and insecurity invade a friendship when one friend gets in and the other does not. Parents worry as much about how this kid will figure out laundry and budgeting next year as they worry about paying the tuition bill. Pride and joy in their students’ accomplishments can be mixed with sadness, knowing a new chapter is about to begin. How do we get through this year in one piece? Buy extra Kleenex. Find people you can talk to. Be incredibly patient with each other. And keep the lines of communication open.

Whatever happens this year, you will remember it. To make those memories good ones, here are some tips –

Parents:
  • Please do not talk about college applications every day. This can make students more anxious and upset. They are already thinking about it every day, even if they don’t seem to be. Find a time each week to check in with them about how the application process is going, and offer to help if they ask.
  • Honor the risk your student is taking each time he or she submits an application. This is no easy task! They are making themselves vulnerable to rejection, a terrifying feeling for any of us.  It can be scarier than asking someone to prom or interviewing for a job. Applying to college takes courage and confidence. Let your student know you understand by sharing times you have put yourself out there, unsure of the outcome. Remind them of your unconditional acceptance of them, no matter what these colleges decide.
  • Some students deal with the conflicting emotions of senior year (excitement/fear) by acting out at home. Typically sweet kids can become rude to parents and siblings as they prepare to move out, sometimes saying later that not getting along with their family made it easier to leave them.  Be patient if this happens, and try to get to the core of what is going on.
  • Ask for assistance from your counselor if you need help figuring out anything around the college application and decision process. So much anxiety can come from not understanding something or worrying about doing it right. We are here to help, so please ask!
Students:
  • Be nice to your parents! This is a life event for them too, not just for you. They’ve probably been thinking about this longer than you have, and they want it to go well just as much as you do. They may nag you about deadlines and talk about college way too often, but all that comes out of love. Remember that when you start to get frustrated with them. They are so very excited for you, but they’re also going to miss you more than they will ever say. So make this year a happy time with them. They’ve earned it!
  • Not only are you dealing with your own emotions around college applications and leaving home, you are also around friends all day who are feeling the same way! Help each other through this, be patient, and remember things will settle down soon.
  • You may not get into every college you apply to. And it will hurt. It’s okay to be sad for a while. Then you need to keep going and get excited about the places where you do get in. Remember that you are exceptionally fortunate to have this chance to go to college. Appreciate that gift, and approach this new experience with gratitude, wherever you end up going.
You have worked hard, and you are now in the process of determining that next best fit for your educational path. Celebrate your unique path as you figure it out over the coming months. And look forward to celebrating your final decisions!

]]><![CDATA[College Application Workshop Announcement! ]]>Fri, 10 Jun 2016 15:38:20 GMThttp://turnercollegeconsulting.com/blog/college-application-workshop-announcement

Do you need help with essays? Do all the different application deadlines confuse you? Do you understand how to find scholarships? Would you benefit from some dedicated time to work on college applications before school starts? 

Join us for Turner College Consulting's
   
College Application Workshop! 

Friday, August 5th and Friday, August 12th from 9am-noon
18139 West Catawba Ave, Suite 3
$375 per student
Limit 8 students


The goal of this 6-hour workshop is to help students carefully complete the majority of their college application tasks before the hectic school year begins. Under the guidance of Cindy Turner, an experienced independent college consultant, students will 

  • Refine their college list to include their best college fits,
  • Understand admissions options, such as early decision and early action,
  • Craft application essays, personal statements, and resumes,
  • Complete online application forms, and 
  • Find and work through scholarship applications.



Space is limited! Contact Cindy to register today! ]]><![CDATA[To the reluctant application essay writer - Let's do this.]]>Thu, 19 May 2016 15:15:21 GMThttp://turnercollegeconsulting.com/blog/to-the-reluctant-application-essay-writer-lets-do-thisPicture
Juniors, you are tired! You've worked hard all year, made it through a crazy season of testing, and can't wait to relax this summer and catch up on all that glorious sleep. So after a good long nap and maybe a trip to the beach, I encourage you to turn your attention to the next season before you: College Application Time. 

You know it's coming. You saw your senior friends become frazzled and stressed last fall. Your parents are talking about it. Your friends are groaning about it. You know most colleges want you to write some kind of essay.  And in your head, you may be saying things like, "I'm a bad writer," or "I'm not good at talking about myself," or "I have nothing interesting to say." And maybe these thoughts are convincing you to put off writing essays until next fall. After all, who wants to think about this stuff right now? It's almost summer! 

The reason you should start thinking about essays now is that you care about how this application process turns out. You care a lot. And putting in a few hours of work over the summer instead of hanging out will be more than worth the sacrifice. 
 
Here are the TOP 5 REASONS to write your application essays over the summer:

1. These essays aren't as bad as you think.  Don't spend all summer worrying about this! The essays are usually 1-2 pages. Yep, that's it! And they can be funny.  Don't build it up in your head to be worse than it is. Just do it. 
2. You don't do your best work at the last minute. You may think that sudden burst of energy a few hours before the deadline will be just what you need to write a fabulous essay, but you are wrong. This is too important to take that risk. And you are busy. You may have very good intentions to devote time to essays in the week leading up to the deadline, but all sorts of things can feel more important or more fun than writing these essays, and time may get away from you.  
3. You will have time to start over. A few times. You may end up not loving the first topic you chose, or the second, so give yourself the gift of time to sort that out, keep trying, and end up with an essay you really love. 
4. You will have time to seek help and feedback. You may not know how to start, or you may get stuck. And you will definitely want people you trust to read your essays and give you feedback. This all takes time. 
5. The essay is your clean state. Let's face it, you can't change your GPA or test scores much at this point in your high school career. And if you don't have any stellar activities or leadership yet, it's a bit late in the game to start now. But the essay? Now that's something you can do! The essay is one of the last parts of the application you still have complete control over, so don't waste this opportunity to shine. 

Application deadlines start rolling in October. They hit you fast, and then they seem to come one after another as you juggle classes, sports, clubs, and all the other commitments of senior year. You can scramble to fill up a required word count at the last minute, or you can calmly and confidently attach well-written essays to your applications. The choice is yours. And the choice happens now. 

For information about one-on-one and small group application essay help over the summer, contact Cindy Turner, CEP at cindy@turnercollegeconsulting.com. 

Let's get started! 

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