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Hi guys! My name is Ashley Scott, I’m your new Middle School Coordinator. I’m excited to join Crosby Scholars and I can’t wait to meet everyone. What attracted me to this position was that I would have the opportunity to help students prepare for college and give positive advice from my college experience. The Crosby Scholars program is important for students because they learn so many great things. Students become more involved in the community, their school and their studies. They are able to learn about the different options to pay for college and the many career paths.

I’m a North Carolina native and I graduated from Statesville High School, go Greyhounds! I received my Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and my Master’s in Communication from Morehead State University.

In my free time I enjoy being outdoors, riding my dirt-bike, walking my dogs and playing basketball. So if anyone wants to play one-on-one, this is your official challenge. 🙂

My passion has always been to help and create a positive environment. I enjoy lending a helping hand wherever it is needed. I can’t wait to see how I can help contribute to Crosby Scholars and the amazing Middle School students.

During this early part of summer, I am meeting individually with some students from the class of 2021. I am their Senior Advisor. The purpose of our meetings is to see how ready each student is for the college application season.

I have to tell you that we have some excellent students in our Iredell school systems. Most of the students I’ve met with have an extremely high GPA. In fact, several were almost perfect 4.0 unweighted, or 4.5 and above on a weighted scale. These students also had outstanding ACT scores. I’d like to think that this level of talent only exists here in our county, but I’m pretty sure that’s not the case.

So what’s the point in telling you all this? The point is that these students all look very similar when looking at their “numbers”. When only .01 separates one GPA from another, it’s hard to say that one is a better college prospect than the other. It’s not uncommon for many students to have the exact same GPA upon high school graduation.

Test scores–did you know that scores 30-36 on the ACT represent the top 1%? So, all the students in that score range are in the 99th percentile. In other words, they scored better than 99% of the students who took the test in a given year. Can you say that a score of 32 is so much worse than a 35 when they are all so good? It’s hard to make that distinction.

How can a student get noticed in a group with thousands of great college applicants? The answer is extracurricular activities. What students do when they aren’t in school can make them stand out to an admissions officer. Here are a few tips to make your extracurricular activities work. (These same tips apply to scholarship applications.)

1. Find 2 or 3 activities that you enjoy and stick with them. Admissions officers don’t expect students to take part in 20 or 30 clubs, sports, or hobbies. In fact, they would rather see depth in participation instead of breadth.

2. How to get “depth”? Show growth in the activities you choose. Did you become a captain, officer, or committee chair? For these activities to be meaningful, you have to actually participate—not just join. And, being an officer doesn’t mean much if you can’t give examples of how you helped lead the organization.

3. Seek and accept leadership positions and then shine! Grow the group, plan new events, rally fellow students around a cause.

4. Make sure at least one of your activities involves community service. You’ll feel great about what you do to help. And you’ll learn more than you can imagine by volunteering.

5. If you need to work a part-time job, don’t sweat it. This is also an extracurricular activity. Admissions officers value strong students who work.

6. On your college application, be sure to rank your activities. List the best or most impressive ones at the top. If you don’t know which those are, ask your Crosby Scholars Senior Advisor, a parent, teacher, or friend. They will know!

Finally, summer is the perfect time to enjoy some extracurricular activities. If you are starting high school, find out what clubs your school has and make a plan to join at least one. If you’re an athlete, use your summertime to build your skills and abilities. If you like fine arts, learn a new dance, painting technique, monologue, or new instrument. Keep a growth mindset and enjoy your summer.

Back in high school, my summers consisted of socializing with friends, sleeping in every day, and laying poolside. Although I look back on those times with fond memories, I regret not making my summers count.

Whether you enjoy cooking, robotics, theater, or basketball, there’s always a summer enrichment program out there for you to join. If you wish to hone skills, explore your interests, create a new passion, or even meet friends, summer enrichment programs will help you do just that. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, virtual enrichment programs are becoming an option for students as well. Many summer enrichment programs are held on college campuses. So, you not only get to enjoy experiential learning, you also get the chance to see what a college dorm is really like! If you get to live on a college campus for a week while still in high school, the transition from high school to college will be much easier!

Are you curious about how to research different summer enrichment opportunities? CFNC has a great search tool. You can search by location and interest. Try looking at the different opportunities being offered at your college or university of interest. Utilize the time you have over summer to deepen your learning and life experiences!

Why being the exception should not be your rule.

Ever seen a sign at someone’s desk that reads, “Poor Planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.”? 

I really do enjoy working with students and helping them to achieve their goals.  I love the “a-ha” moments when it all seems to click and students learn something about themselves and succeed in ways they never thought they could.  On the other hand I am just as crushed when I see one of my students struggle or fail because of something silly like a missed date, requirement, or misunderstanding.  But win or fail, we learn from each circumstance.  The lesson might be hard but it is valuable and often times that mistake is not repeated — an achievement in itself.  Today’s Lesson is “Exceptions should NOT be your RULE! 

In my role as Senior Program Coordinator for Crosby Scholars Iredell County I often have to ask a question of hundreds of students.  The answer then drives processes.  Every time I send out an email I hold my breath.   Then I hear it, my phone signals that I am getting a response.  Every time I hear the phone ding, I know it is an exception.  Want to know how I know?  Nowhere in the instructions did I say to send me an email to respond.  The reason being, I can’t keep up with 300 individual emails.

I started this blog wanting to help students understand that always asking for exceptions and doing things in a special way just for them is not really doing them any favors.  In today’s world everyone needs an exception, an accommodation, and special excuses.  I am not talking about IEP or 504 accommodations.  Asking for exceptions because of learning differences is one of my exceptions.  (Ha Ha)

You know what I am talking about.  Go into a room of 25 students.  Announce that you need them to perform a specific task on a specific day at a specific time.  Sit back and watch the 5 – 10 hands fly up for the – I can’t make that day, that time does not work for me, I really don’t like that task is there something else I can do.  I am here to say — NO.  Sometimes if you want to benefit from a program or a job or an experience, you are going to have to make it a priority.  Go back to that room of 25 kids.  Take a look at the 15 to 20 students that said, yes, I am here, I am ready, tell me what I need to do to benefit.  These kids are the rule.  Sometimes it is good to be the rule.  For the kids that take every opportunity and meet the requirements and engage with interest and sincerity.  Those are the kids that are going to succeed.  Not only in Crosby Scholars, but in LIFE. 

This does not mean that I am looking for a cookie cutter world where everyone is the same and everyone is alike.  I strongly believe we THRIVE on diversity.  Different views, different ideas, different backgrounds, bring something special to the world.  Let’s take those 15 – 20 students that did not ask for exceptions but each have different educational goals and paths.  I love helping kids explore what can be next and know that they don’t have to follow the crowd.  They will succeed and thrive if they follow their own path.  Checking the boxes of a designed and planned program will only enhance their ability to be successful. 

When did we start thinking that groups, organizations and programs have to bend and sway for individual likes and dislikes?  I believe that we too quickly jump into participation to look good, or check a box, or build that resume.  I would offer that we should be selective of our time and participation and only engage in activities that bring value and fit with your goals, desires & passions.  Ask these questions?  What is the value of the Program? Why do you want to participate in the Program? What do you hope to get from participation?  Do I have time and capacity to see this through?  What are the alternatives if I DO NOT participate in the program?

Your time is valuable. If you do choose to participate I suggest you try to be the rule.  Complete the requirements, participate, engage, and use the resources.  If you don’t someone else will.  Stand out in a positive way and not as the person that always needs a workaround.

In the game of college admissions, scholarships and jobs, there is always an application process.  There are specific steps and processes that need to be followed.  If you are looking for exceptions, don’t be surprised if you do not get them.  When 42,000 students are applying for 9,000 spots, this is not the time to not follow the process or look for an exception.  You will be remembered, but for all the wrong reasons.

(As I sit down to write this blog, I have a headache! The more I study, read, attend webinars, and watch videos about college admissions, the more complicated it seems! If you search, I’m convinced you can find a resource to support any position you want to take when it comes to getting into college.)

That’s why Crosby Scholars is here to help!! You might have heard that taking “rigorous” courses in high school is important for college admissions. This is true. But why?

A high school transcript shows more than GPA and Class Rank. Although helpful, those 2 factors don’t tell the whole story. Admissions officials want to know if students will be able to handle the rigor of college coursework. To make an educated guess, these officials look to see if the transcript shows “rigorous” courses with A or B grades.

So what exactly does “rigorous” mean? It’s widely accepted that AP and IB courses are rigorous. In some circles, honors courses hold the same designation, but not always. Since AP and IB curriculums and standards are universal, there is consistency. Regardless of the school you attend, the expected outcomes are the same. Honors courses, though, lack uniformity from one high school or district to another. So Honors English at one school might be very different at another.

Does rigor impact GPA’s? Yes! Some students and parents have become experts in how to milk every single possible point to build a high GPA. Course scheduling to boost GPA’s has become an art form. Decisions made about what classes to take in high school are often made by how choices might improve class rank. This is nothing new. Years ago a friend of my brother dropped out of typing class because he wasn’t earning an A.

How do colleges evaluate GPA’s?

Did you know that many colleges completely recalculate the GPA’s of applicants?

Here’s how the University of California system does it:

The UC system recalculates applicants’ GPAs. They include only college prep classes. Each A is worth 4 points. An extra point is given for each semester of honors-level 10th & 11th-grade classes. (For out-of-state students only AP and IB classes count.) A maximum of 8 points may be awarded.

The University of Michigan has another approach:

The University of Michigan recalculates GPAs using a 4 point scale for all classes in 9th through 11th grade. Plusses and minuses are ignored (that is, they treat a B+, B, and B- as a B). The university’s website also says, “Additionally, we review the number of demanding courses separately. During the holistic review process the rigor of the applicant’s curriculum is considered.”

Will my college recalculate my GPA? Sometimes it’s hard to find this information unless you contact the school and ask specifically about this. However, most colleges and universities will have similar systems to the examples above. Grades in core courses will be important. Bonus points will be given for more difficult work. Schools will look at your transcript for more than the GPA and rank. This is also why many schools only ask for your unweighted GPA—they will apply their own weighting system.

How much rigor do you need? So does this mean a student should take every possible course with “rigor”? In my opinion, the answer is no. Students should plan a schedule that allows them to take part in other activities they enjoy. Colleges look for good grades, but they also seek student leaders, marching band members, athletes, debaters, researchers, and others. If a student uses every waking moment doing classwork, they can’t build other valuable skills.

Maintaining a balance is key. Too many students today are stressed and anxious a majority of the time. It is good to have a course schedule that is challenging, but not overwhelming. Getting C’s and D’s in rigorous classes won’t help. As parents, we want our kids to be happy. We should help our students find balance while juggling coursework, sports teams, musicals, part-time jobs, and free time. Few students will be ranked number one or have a perfect GPA–and that’s okay. Instead of overly worrying about the numbers, help your child develop their strengths and find success. Remind them of things they do well and encourage them.

Finally, don’t forget that no matter what the GPA, there is a next-step for everyone. Our goal at Crosby Scholars is to help every student find the next-step that is best for them.

GO HAVE FUN!  In the middle of a pandemic, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

By Jenniffer Jamison

Nope, I am totally serious.  The stress of homeschooling, technology learning curve, lack of social contact with friends and family is the perfect reason to add a little fun to your current situation. 

First – Fun is relative.  You might not agree with my definition of fun.  That is okay.  You have to discover what fun looks like for you.  I found an article on Fun written by Rebecca Crespo “Ten Simple Benefits of Having Fun”, on www.minimalismmadesimple.com.  She states that there are two living creatures to look to for guidance on having fun, Children & Dogs.  Think about it, she is right.  Both children and dogs, explore new things, have a sense of wonder and play.    They don’t take themselves so seriously. 

Then, I thought, I need to prove the importance of having fun.  Scientific proof that fun helps with learning and relieving anxiety, and everything else that goes with it.   BORING.  Reading all the data is itself the opposite of FUN! 

Next, I thought I should take a look at the group of people this blog is written for, teens and their families.  This is when I found some examples that took some ingenuity and thought.  I will not bore you with facts about the frontal lobe and cognitive behaviors of teens.  Needless to say, they don’t always think everything through.  They also want to prove to the world that they are so grown up while really still being a child at heart. 

Sixty days ago if you told me that Graduations were going to be postponed, college orientations go virtual and the possibility of not being on campus for the freshman semester was a thought, I would have told you that was CRAZY.  Well, here we are. 

Once the initial newness of the Zoom conference call wore off for my middle school student, we had to look for different ways to keep her engaged and interested.  Middle School students are not the only people in this boat. 

The more you dread something the less you will want to do it.

Add a little fun and like May Poppins says “Snap the jobs a game, and every task you undertake becomes a piece of cake, a lark a spree it’s very clear to see….Okay, finish the song.  You know you want to ….”Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.”

You don’t have to look far on the internet for examples of how people are either dreading zoom calls or disrupting them.  I love the one where the class made it look like they were passing a pencil from one window to the next. 

Some people say that was a waste and a shame – I say what a way for teamwork.  You know it took those kids some problem-solving skills to figure out how to make that a seamless process.  Looking for the videos I found the same class had about 10 other videos posted with different ideas, dancing, sleeping, etc. Everyone had to work together to produce the outcome.  And guess what — It was fun!  While I am not encouraging kids to be disrespectful to their teachers or employees to their bosses, I believe the teacher was in on this.  This is something they will share with others (clearly), talk about, have others talking about.  I am sure something from that experience will help them in the future.  So I say— Worth it!

There are times to be serious but I believe you have to add a little fun, especially in the current time of unknown anxiety and increased isolation. 

While you are having fun you are also, learning, experiencing new things, sharing with others, team building, and problem-solving.  Some might even say the exploration of fun, hobbies & interests can add to finding the right career path and building your college resume. 

I asked our Facebook community what they are doing to have fun and below is a list of things that were shared. 

1. Get Moving– Run, Walk, Jump, Skip just start moving. Exercise helps with mood and energy levels.

2. Get Outside – Something about nature that is calming.  I am currently typing this blog outside and I have to say I feel inspired.  Just look at that blue sky! Sunrise, sunset, meteor shower this month, and a couple of really cool Moons.  Look it up.

3. Get Together – In a socially distant way.  There are ways to be with people.  You cannot isolate yourself completely.  Being with others will have a positive effect.  Can’t walk 6 feet apart from a friend then take your dog for a walk.

4. Play Games – UNO, Monopoly, Cards, Sorry, Trouble, Pictionary, Tabu, Trivial Pursuit, etc.  I dare you to go find your family’s stash of old board games.  Play one a week.

5. Cook – Great time to learn your Mom’s recipes for when you go to school or try something new.  Better yet grab the family recipe box on the back of the top shelf in your kitchen.  Find the recipe handwritten by your grandmother and go for it.  Just no bread — you will not be able to find the ingredients at the store right at this moment. 

6. Explore your Family – Ancestory.com is a great way to learn about your family tree.  Too techy for you, then pick up the phone and call your grandparents, aunts, and uncles.  Heck, ask your parents about when you were a little kid or better yet when they were a little kid.  You will not regret this time. 

7. Explore a Hobby – Sewing, art, writing, dance, playing an instrument, learning a sport.  Pick something you have wanted to learn for a while and go for it.  You might find something you are really good at and a new passion.

8. Help Others – You can find great joy in helping others.  Find ways to help your family, neighbors, and community.

9. Clean your room — Now some of you are calling foul – That is not fun!  You never know what you are going to find at the bottom of that pile of clothes and clearing the clutter from your life might have a positive effect on your mood.  I know your MOM will think that it is FUN!  “Happy Mother’s Day?”

10. BE YOU – Everyone has a different opinion on what fun is.  Go figure out what that is for YOU and do it!

 All of this requires action so GO have fun! 

We tell students to learn to advocate for themselves. But what does that mean? I looked in my thesaurus (I still own an actual paper copy!) to see what words are similar to advocate. Many were listed, here are a few of my favorites. Champion. Speak well of. Stand behind. Support. Speak for. These words help describe what it means to be an advocate—for oneself or for others.

When we self-advocate, we are usually seeking a change to a current situation. People who do this successfully know a few secrets.

Let’s use an example of a student who feels they were awarded a grade on a group project that is unfair. After the steps, I’ll share examples of how this might work.

1. Know the facts of the situation. Take out the emotion and write down the specific points that you know to be true. Do this at the beginning!
   • Example: How many group meetings were you a part of? What specific tasks did you personally complete? What did you do to try and get the group working better? What and when did you communicate with other group members and/or the teacher?
2. Figure out what you want the outcome to be. People will be easier to convince if they know what you are looking for.
   • Example: What do you think your grade should have been? (This should be supported by your evidence in step 1) Do you want your grade to change? Do you need information on how to start some other action?
3. Carefully put into writing what you listed in steps 1 and 2. Be specific about the words you choose so that you set a tone of cooperation. Avoid words that are emotionally charged.
   • Example: Leave out adjectives and adverbs. That is where your emotions will show the most!
4. Follow the “chain of command”. Start your communication with the person closest to the situation. Give them the first opportunity to respond. For example, if you have a concern that you were graded unfairly, start with the person who awarded the grade. Your first communication should not be with the superintendent.
5. Be appreciative. Whether you achieve your desired results or not, thank the people who listened to your appeal. Being polite will reap many rewards in the long run!

Consider these two e-mails:

Which of these students is self-advocating? Which is mostly complaining? Put yourself in the teacher’s shoes. Are you more likely to change the grade for Susan or Sam?