Laura is currently serving as the interim pre-law adviser at Georgetown University's Cawley Career Education Center. Her article, "Top 3 Myths Your High School Clients Believe About Law School," was recently featured in the Independent Educational Consultants Association Newsletter. Common misconceptions about law school include:

• Myth #1: I have to go to a "prestigious" college and major in political science to have a chance at attending a top-tier law school.
• Myth #2: I hate public speaking / I don’t want to deal with criminals / I don’t want to work a million hours in a big law firm...so being a lawyer isn’t for me.
  
• Myth #3: I’ll never do well on the LSAT because of those tricky logic games, so I can’t get into a “good” law school.
  

To find out why all of these statements are myths, read the full article here.

You researched colleges, you visited campuses, you agonized over your choices and finally narrowed it down to your one chosen favorite – the lucky winner of your Early Decision (ED) application. After submitting the application in early November, you moved on – there were other applications to complete, midterms to take, and Thanksgiving break plans. But all of the sudden it is now December! You could actually hear back as early as next week from some schools (though most schools will notify applicants more towards the middle of the month).

How can you stay calm while waiting for what feels like the most important decision of your life?

Focus on the great schools you have already been accepted to. This time last year, one of our clients applying ED to Cornell had already received a generous scholarship to Tulane University. Another had been accepted to the Honors program at the University of Pittsburgh. A client who applied Early Decision to Bates College had been offered a substantial merit award from Clark University, and a student applying ED to Tufts was excited to have already been offered a spot at his dad’s alma mater, Indiana University. We encourage all of our clients to apply to at least one school with rolling decisions or early notification. That first acceptance does wonders for students’ stress levels!

Stay off of social media. If your school is one of the later ones to release decisions, or if you didn’t get the news you were hoping for, do you really want to see pictures of your friend Johnny sporting all of his new Duke gear?

Make sure all of your other applications are in. I know it is tempting to let your regular decision applications sit – after all, they aren’t due until January, and you may get good news from your Early Decision school in mid-December. But what if you don’t? Then you’re in a bad mood, it is Winter Break, and you’re doing a sloppy rushed job on your remaining applications instead of enjoying the holidays. Plus Murphy’s Law says that if you invest a lot of time on the other applications, you’ll end up getting into your Early Decision school, right? And at that point, you’ll be so happy you won’t care about the wasted time or application fees.

Focus on your grades. Senior grades matter. A LOT. Particularly for regular decision schools, and any Early Decision or Early Action schools where you are deferred to the regular pool. These schools will all be waiting for your fall transcript, and these are the grades that tell them the most about the student you will be when you get to their campus. And if you are admitted Early Decision or Early Action, schools will still want to see your final transcript before you officially enroll. Last year I had a client who was questioned about her dramatic drop in grades second semester, and she had a rocky 48 hours in June where she wasn’t sure if the school was going to revoke her acceptance.

Spend time with your family and friends. After all, in about nine months, you’ll be moving away – possibly to the next town, or possibly across the country. Cherish the time you have with your family and friends while you can. Have your mom teach you how to do laundry and boil and egg.

Remember that there is more than one “perfect” school. You have a variety of schools on your list for a reason. They all have something to offer and if you put together a thoughtful list then they should all be schools where you know you can be happy and successful. Every one of my clients who did not get in to his or her ED school has ultimately been excited about his or her options.

Continue doing the things you love. Hopefully all of those activities weren’t just for college applications. So keep volunteering at the soup kitchen, training for the half-marathon, or teaching kids to play piano. Hobbies are one of the best ways to relieve stress. I hear that some people find baking brownies to be very calming – if this is you, I can send you my address!

Good luck making it through the waiting game of the next several weeks and/or months. For two great New York Times articles on coping with the stress of college admissions decisions, check out: College Advice for the Cost of a Single Post-it Noteand How to Survive the College Admissions Madness. And just remember Frank Bruni’s sage advice in his best-selling book title, “Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be.”

Denison is a liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio with about 2,300 undergraduate students. Currently two former Vinik EPS clients are happily attending – one is a freshman studying Political Science and the other is a junior studying Exercise Science.  Today Annie and Laura met with Ryan Motevalli-Oliner, a Senior Assistant Director of Admission, and we learned about several exciting new updates.

THREE new majors

• Global Commerce – a liberal arts approach to business, with a required internship.
• Data Analytics – an interdisciplinary blend of Computer Science, Mathematics, and Social Sciences.
• Health Exercise & Sports Studies – ideal for students interested in careers in physical therapy, sports medicine or public health.

 
TWO new academic concentrations

• Financial Economics – another great option for students interested in a liberal arts approach to business.
• Narrative Nonfiction Writing – a unique offering that combines literary storytelling and fact-based research.

 
ONE new performing arts building

The Michael D. Eisner Performing Arts Building is scheduled to open in early 2019 and will provide a new home for the Departments of Music, Dance, and Theatre. Michael Eisner was a member of the Denison University Class of 1964.

For our second postcard in our "Postcards from Campus" series, we will remain in the state of Washington but will hear from someone at a very different type of institution, University of Washington, which is a large, public research university with about 28,000 undergraduates and almost 40,000 total enrollment. Shelley Stromholt is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Science and Math Education in the University of Washington's College of Education, and has been at "UDub" for 8 years.

What is your favorite thing about the school?

Right now, the cherry blossoms!

What is your favorite spot on campus?

Rainier Vista: beautiful old buildings, a big fountain, and Mt. Rainier looming large in the distance.

What is unique about this school, as opposed to other institutions where you've worked or studied?

UW is less an ivory tower than a community partner. So much of the work done across campus is grounded directly in the challenges faced by community members and groups, locally and nationally. Undergrad and graduate students will find there are a million ways to get involved in the community, gain real-world experience, and make a difference.

Any fun factoids about this institution?

UW is the site of the book Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. The airplane hangar that was built in the early 20th century and then converted into boat storage is still on campus (and it's where I store my sea kayak!).

Best pizza on/near campus?

Pagliacci

Best ice cream on/near campus?

Full Tilt

Our first postcard is from Mary Raschko, Assistant Professor of English at Whitman College. Professor Raschko has been at Whitman since the fall of 2014. Whitman College is known for being one of the "Colleges that Change Lives" and for providing an excellent liberal arts education to students who love outdoor fun in the Pacific Northwest. 
 
What is your favorite thing about the school?
I love its exclusive focus on undergraduate liberal arts education - that means everyone's focused on the same mission, there are no graduate or professional schools that compete for funding or attention, and the scholarly work we do on campus involves undergraduates.

What is your favorite spot on campus?
A wooded area with a waterfall that the students call Narnia.

What is unique about this school, as opposed to other institutions where you've worked or studied? 
Especially in fall and spring, Whitman tends to feel like summer camp. We have a main field, rather than a quad, where students are often playing ultimate frisbee, volleyball, flag football, or lacrosse. Our library (open 24 hours a day) sits next to this field, with big windows that look out on it. So it's easy to switch between work and play. We also have an extensive outdoor program - you can rent skis or snowshoes in the winter or equipment for camping or standup paddle boarding in the springtime. Students can sign up for lots of different excursions around the northwest (sea kayaking, a moonlight hike, and rock climbing are advertised at the moment), many of which are targeted toward beginners.

Any fun factoids about this institution?
One of my favorite events is the "Instant Play Festival," where Whitman students write, rehearse, and publicly perform plays in a 24 hour period. We're a pretty informal community in which lots of professors go by their first names. There is cool art almost everywhere you look - in the student center, the library, the academic buildings, even in the stream that runs through campus.

Best pizza on/near campus?
My favorite is the pizza truck Why Not Pizza?

Best ice cream on/near campus?
The Patisserie, a few blocks from campus, has great gelato and amazing baked goods.

By now, many of you are probably thrilled to be finished with the college application process. While I do know of a few February 15 or later deadlines, all of our senior clients have finished their applications and have either sent in a deposit or are waiting for some decisions to be released next month. So, is there anything left to do on the college admissions front? Here are a few things to consider:

• Don’t slack off! I know, I know, you’ve heard this a million times. But I can assure you that colleges revoking or threatening to revoke admission offers is NOT an urban legend – we’ve seen it happen.  More than once.  If you were a straight A student and get a B or two this spring, you should be just fine. But if you suddenly go from a 4.0 to B's and C’s, you could be in real trouble.

• Attend Admitted Student Days. If you are still contemplating your options, these are great opportunities to see a college in a new light, meet prospective classmates, and ask tons of questions.  If you’ve already submitted your deposit, it is still a fun way to get excited and meet people who will be your classmates. I often hear of people meeting their freshman roommates this way!

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• Think about the Summer. Because I am also a career coach, you probably expect me to tell you to get a jumpstart on internships. While that can be a good idea, and a great way to explore your potential major/field and make sure you like it, it isn’t necessary. This could be one of your last summers to truly take it easy – so spend time with your family and high school friends or work as a camp counselor one last summer. The summer before my freshman year at an Ivy League college, I sold shampoo in a mall hair salon.

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• Update colleges sparingly. If you were deferred or waitlisted at a top choice college, you should update them with any noteworthy new information. But make sure it is something they will actually be impressed by, and don’t overdo it!

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• Read your mail (and e-mail). The college where you enroll will send you lots of important information about housing, course registration, financial aid, etc. Make sure you read it all and pay attention to deadlines! If you’ll be away, have your parents keep an eye on your mail. I remember my dad calling me at the beach during Senior Week to read me the letter with the name of my freshman roommate!

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• Join LinkedIn. High school graduation is a great time to join the grown-up world of social media. You’ll want to have a LinkedIn profile when you start looking for your first internship, so you might as well get started – here are some tips for building a great student profile. Also, if you are evaluating different colleges, careers, or majors, the University alumni search feature is a great tool to see what grads are doing with their degrees.

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• Read a Book. If your college assigned all freshman a book to read, read it! Or for some lighthearted preparation for living on your own, read The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College by Harlan Cohen. Here are some other good articles to check out as you prepare for freshman year.

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• Get excited! Once you’ve decided where to attend, join your class Facebook group, follow your college on Instagram, and buy a travel guide for your new city! You can also check out LoJo Bands for some fun spirit wear made by current Georgetown students and founded by one of our former clients!

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Enjoy the rest of your senior year, but not too much!