By Alexandra Mier y Teran
Staff Writer
Amidst the complicated college application process, many seniors do not know how to utilize Costa’s College and Career Center to its full capability. Although the CCC has gone through difficult transitions in the past, students should become familiar with the CCC services and have confidence that the new counselors are prepared to help students effectively.
According to Principal Dr. Ben Dale, both new counselors, Judy Park and Caryn Ramirez, exemplify impressive resumes tailored to college and career counseling. Park has a history with college planning in grades six through 12, and Ramirez was previously a University of Southern California admissions officer. By using their past experience, Park and Ramirez should be able to improve communication with students, a skill essential to success in the application process.
In the past two years, four counselors have left their positions in the CCC. Former counselors Gail Currey and Katherine Folkman left after the 2012-13 school year to start private college counseling businesses. According to Dale, former counselors Kristi Branim and Megen Anspach were not specifically trained in college and career preparation and left to pursue careers as head guidance counselors. These major transitions occurred very quickly yet are advantageous to students due to the passion for and experience with college counseling that the new hired applicants have.
Ramirez agrees that more students are hiring private college counseling rather than relying on the CCC for guidance. If students were more familiar with the services the CCC offered, they would likely be more inclined to utilize the center. Increased CCC awareness could potentially save students time and money when seeking college advice.
Although students are encouraged to walk in and out of the CCC for minor questions, students should be aware that the CCC counselors offer individual 30-minute meetings by appointment for more detailed advice. This demonstrates the obvious effort on the part of the counselors to aid students as much as possible.
Additionally, Park and Ramirez plan to combat communication problems by sending emails more regularly. This will help remind students of their current responsibilities and important deadlines.
To schedule an appointment with the counselors, students must fill out a form, turn it into the counselors and wait for a confirmation email. Instead of this system, the CCC should implement a virtual sign-up sheet and calendar through Naviance, making it more convenient for students.
After previously hosting a letter of recommendation workshop on Sept. 11, Park and Ramirez are hosting another on Sept. 24 and have already scheduled additional workshops throughout the year. These workshops will help ease students’ stress by guiding them step-by-step through the admission and scholarship process.
In addition to their responsibilities helping students, according to Dale, the counselors also plan to do data analysis of last year’s admissions and contact admissions officers to find out why Costa students were denied. This shows that the new counselors are willing to go above and beyond their job description to help students.
According to Naviance statistics, Costa’s students’ admittances to Ivy League colleges has dropped from 24, 21, and 24 in 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively, to 10 admittances in 2014. While the cause of this decline cannot be determined, the counselors have the capability to help students improve this statistic.
It is a relief to students that the College and Career Center counselor positions have been filled with qualified candidates. Park and Ramirez have the potential to improve the structure and performance of the CCC with a few adjustments to the current system with increased communication and publicity.
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