Don’t Overlook the College Admission Counselor!

1. Don’t Overlook the College Admission Counselor! Jamie Staggs Senior Admissions Counselor Western Illinois University Susan Deppe Associate Director of Admission, St. Louis Region Millikin University

2. Resources Commonly Used: • Viewbooks • College Course Catalogs • Web sites • Friends & Colleagues • Students • Your College Admissions Counselor

3. 10 Ways Your College Admissions Counselor Could be a Valuable Team Player • Admission Criteria Advisor • Scholarship Search Consultant • Financial Aid Advisor • Difficult Parent or Student Counselor • Document Tracker • Information Therapist • Special Topic Presenter • Career Counselor • Travel & Ticket Agent • Reality Checker

4. Admission Criteria Advisor • What you see in print isn’t always firm • The “gray” area • Alternative Admission • Wait Lists • Reference Letters • Special Circumstances

5. 2. Scholarship Search Consultant • Help identify scholarships • Assist with the search • Share new scholarships • Explain scholarship stacking policies • Review performance scholarships • Matching Scholarships

6. Financial Aid Advisor • Discuss Cost of Attendance • Explain the “GAP” • FAFSA Help • Payment Plans • Clarify Work-study options • Comparing Apples to Apples • Special Circumstances

7. 4. Difficult Parent or Student Counselor • We have experience with crying, yelling and blaming too • Giving a Consistent Message • Move concerns along

8. 5. Document Tracker • No need to guess if a document made it • Parents LOVE to check on what we’ve received • Unnecessary Documents • Letters of Recommendation • Counselor web page log in

9. 6. Information Therapist • Change is constant in higher education • No one wants to give out bad information • Ask for the highlights on a major • Ask “What’s new?” • Tell us what you want to know

10. 7. Special Topic Presenter • Financial Aid Night • College Access Programs • College Prep Session • Student Assembly • Career Day • Professional Workshop • Luncheon Meeting We are usually FREE of charge.

11. 8. Career Counselor • FREE career navigator resources • Let us highlight a major • Student to student shadow options • List of student internship opportunities • Salary Information • Job Outlook • Introduce student to college advisor/professor for their program

12. 9. Travel & Ticket Agent • Theater Production • Music Performance • Art Exhibit • Sporting Event • Campus Tour • Open House Date • Special Requests • Bus Trips • Student Travel Reimbursement

13. Reality Checker • We can explain decisions • We can suggest alternative paths • Review options

14. What do you wish your team players could do?

15. Share Examples of how you have utilized your college admission team players.

16. Questions?

17. Contact Information Susan Deppe Associate Director of Admission, St. Louis Region Millikin University (636) 395-7245 Email: sdeppe@millikin.edu Jamie StaggsSenior Admissions CounselorWestern Illinois University(618) 635-3087Email:  jj-staggs@wiu.edu