When children are young, they often hear the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” asked repeatedly to them. They respond by saying “a princess,” “a pop star,” or “construction worker,” while daydreaming about stuffed animals and being isolated from the flaws and evil of the world. Twelve years later, they are asked this question again on a college application. This time, their response will dictate their future.
College counseling at Saint Viator can help with the daunting process of college applications. From the cost of tuition to the number of schools to apply to, Mrs. Maggie Bleeker, the college counselor at Saint Viator, is helping students every step of the way.
Recently, a partnership with HelloCollege was brought to the attention Viator staff by Mrs. Angela Ferrazza, the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Viator.
“I am beyond grateful for the incredible opportunity HelloCollege is providing to our students and families. Their willingness to advocate for our community in such a meaningful way is truly a gift. This collaboration between our college counselor and their extensive resources sets a new precedent for how Saint Viator can support and guide our students as they navigate one of life’s most important decisions: finding the right path to college” said Ferrazza.
“HelloCollege is going to be an additional resource for students in addition to everything else we already offer at Saint Viator. They are going to give us access to a database in January,” said Mrs. Bleeker.
This database is a college search platform that will give students information about the selectivity of different schools, the popularity of their majors, and other different types of information. It is a collection of all the information HelloCollege has collected from different types of schools.
”Everyone is used to having digital access. Having something at your fingertips is helpful if you have a question,” said Mrs. Bleeker. “And if it’s not, then you can shoot me an email and ask the question.”
New innovations and technology have changed the world. Robots, the internet, and WiFi have increased contact from people all over the world, making the world more connected.
“When I applied to college, it was on paper. Now, everything is electronic and kids can apply to a lot more schools because they can,” said Bleeker.
Increased connectivity has also affected the college admissions process. Postcards and emails expose high schoolers to thousands of schools across the country, allowing them to find colleges that their parents have never heard of at all.
AI can also provide an additional resource to college applications if it is used correctly,
”You can ask AI a lot of questions on your essay without having it rewrite it for you, such as using it to check your grammar or asking if a sentence flows,” said Bleeker.
AI is also influencing the workforce, as it is causing jobs to evolve. People now educate themselves how to use AI to help them do better work and to prevent it from taking their jobs.
Technology has influenced the world by giving more resources in the college admissions process, and HelloCollege is a perfect example. Their database will allow students to discover new colleges and help make the college admissions process a little easier, preparing students for successful careers and giving them bright futures.
