College Corner
Scott Liedtke
Director of College Counseling
Breaking News: California State University drops standardized testing requirements from admissions. Read article
College Fairs Returning in April
It has been a long time coming and I am happy to announce there will be two (in-person) college fairs on Oahu in late April. These types of events have always been a great resource as students research and discover the various colleges and universities available to them. They are FREE events and open to students and/or parents.Typically, the representatives at the fairs will be the contact during the admission process so it is a great time for students to introduce themselves, while making a favorable "first" impression. At the moment, it looks like there will be 70+ colleges and universities on site which is fantastic. Here is the link to register and to see which schools will be attending. Register
To better prepare our students, I will be hosting different lunchtime presentations on how best to manage and maneuver a college fair and what types of questions to even ask. Once I confirm the dates I will email our student body directly.
Sunday, April 24
Location: Saint Louis School
Time: 1:00-4:00 pm
Monday, April 25
Location: Windward Mall
Time: 5:00-7:30 pm
(I will be volunteering so hope to see you)
Class of 2022
I want to acknowledge the various emotions our seniors may be feeling as college decisions continue to be released. As these decisions land in their college portals, please know college admission is not the culminating capstone of their academic and personal journey – quite the opposite. It is the first step in a completely new journey that will expose them to fresh opportunities and remarkable experiences. The following information was sent to our seniors recently via email.
If you were accepted
Congratulations! Students who were accepted should take a moment to reflect on their college admissions journey, what they have learned throughout the process and the teachers, friends, and family members that have helped them along the way. Before immediately putting down an enrollment deposit, it may be beneficial to wait to hear back from every school you applied to. Students in need of financial aid should make sure to thoroughly review each aid package they receive and have a clear idea of exactly how much they will be expected to pay. Even if you received some acceptances, it's not uncommon to also get some rejections or waitlist decisions at other schools. Celebrate the acceptances and also cope with the outcomes that were not what you expected.
If you were rejected
Rejection can be really difficult to cope with, especially for students who had their heart set on a particular school. Give yourself a few days to process your emotions and reflect on your feelings. Consider journaling about what you are going through or talking it out with a family member or close friend. After taking some time to process these emotions, it's time to redirect and focus on all of the exciting experiences that await. Start to review each of the schools you were accepted to and get excited about the unique opportunities associated with each option. No matter what you choose, take pride in your college admissions process and all of the important life lessons that you have learned along the way.
If you were waitlisted
If you were waitlisted at your top choice college, there's a good chance you're a little bit unsure about how to feel. Students may feel frustrated by the ongoing uncertainty, disappointed that they were not immediately admitted and maybe at the same time, relieved that they were not directly rejected. In order to cope with a waitlist outcome, it's important to be realistic about your chances of admission and make an informed decision about what to do next. Some students may choose to remain on a waitlist while others might find it best to move on and focus on the colleges they were accepted to. Even if you decide to stay on a waitlist, it's important to recognize that there is no guarantee that you will be admitted off of this list. Start to explore the colleges that accepted you and get excited about each of these options, even if you're holding out some hope for the school where you were waitlisted.
Continuing with the waitlist topic, here is a recent article from US News. US News