As we sat in Ms. Fuller’s office during the interview, students continued to enter with questions about college and graduation. This occupation is truly a lifestyle devoted to students.

How has college counseling changed over the last five years, both specifically and in general?

Well, there is a greater sense of uncertainty for seniors, especially those in the application process. There is more anxiety about their decisions. A lot of this has increased with the changes in the landscape and college advising. The University of California budget cuts have had a large effect of change on the system because that is always a popular system that the students want to go to. They just had a ten percent increase in their out of state enrollment, and that has driven a lot of change.

At Cardinal Newman, there is always a strong population that wants to attend Catholic colleges. So, we [counselors] give advising to apply to out of state colleges, to have a very broad list of applications and still aspire to attend the UC, but this is a lot less certain. Students are having a harder time because it is more selective, competitive and the schools are facing budget cutbacks.

Despite all this change and uncertainty, there are things that remain constant. College counselors call these the “constant six.” Some things never change for students throughout all this process and these include grades, standardized testing, extracurricular activities,recommendations, essays and interviews. Those are constants and the hallmark of our school. Cardinal Newman emphasizes service, well-rounded students, students who know how to take a test and prepare well, and extracurricular activities.

Another interesting aspect of change in college counseling is that compared to the former generation, parental involvement in this generation has increased. There is more involvement in everything from taking college tours, the application itself and visiting colleges. We have a lot more parent involvement, and this generation is closer to their parents that way, in regards to college planning. There is plenty of teamwork. You guys are going to be the next really great generation because of your achievements and teamwork. Students are now better educated and more well-rounded.

Has this been the most competitive year for college acceptances so far?

The competition is constantly increasing. Our students do so well though, and I think they are very happy with all their decisions. It takes careful planning, having a broad list and high goals. Like I said, those constants like test prep never change. Another important thing to remember is to be more open-minded. We have a student actually considering a gap year where they are actually going to travel and do some things. This is a popular new trend. This is another change that will be seen more often down the road.