Capstone College and Career Advising

PRESS RELEASE (TYLER) – Twenty-five years ago, when parents of today’s high school students were applying to college, the process was straightforward: Take the SATs (just once). Send off a couple of applications. Wait to hear the news.

But today, the process has grown complicated, expensive and much more competitive.  For instance;

• The average acceptance rate at colleges nationally was about 64 percent in 2011, down from 70 percent in 2002.
• At many prestigious public and private colleges, acceptance rates have been declining for years.   Harvard admitted fewer than 6 percent of applicants in 2012. The University of Texas at Austin admits about 47 percent of freshman applicants.
• The average senior now applies to *nine* schools  - a dramatic increase over the last generation. Until recent years, most students applied to no more than two or three.

To help East Texas families, Capstone College and Career Advising is offering a seminar on Saturday, Jan. 19. Experts will explain how parents and students can begin exploring colleges, describe what schools are looking for in an application, and outline how parents and students can prepare for a successful college experience.

“Most parents want to help their child find the perfect school, but the process has changed so much from when they were in high school themselves,” says Donna Spann, CEO of Tyler’s Capstone College and Career Advising, which helps East Texas students prepare for college. “We find that many families really don’t know where to begin.”

Spann recommends that families begin the process as early as the student’s freshman year of high school – to allow time to prepare for tests, improve grades, and build a resume that will be noticed by admission counselors.

EVENT INFO: The Parent’s Survival Guide to College, 9am-11am January 19. 4862 Hightech Drive, Tyler. Admission: $25/family. Reserve at 903.747.3424.

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ABOUT CAPSTONE COLLEGE AND CAREER ADVISING: Capstone College and Career Advising was founded in Tyler in 2011 to help students get into their college of choice. Capstone’s professionals take an innovative, personal approach to advising that helps students navigate through the career and college exploration, admissions, and financial aid processes.

ABOUT DONNA SPANN, CEO of CAPSTONE: Donna’s quest to help her daughters find colleges, choose majors, and navigate career paths led her to create Capstone College Advising. Donna has worked in college advising for 10 years, and has a rich background in community service, public relations, and non-profit leadership.