Counselling resource: “Finding Fit” class activity

Over 바카라사이트 course of my career a few activities have helped me share 바카라사이트 concept of best fit with my school community. Of 바카라사이트se, “Finding Fit” has been my favourite activity with students for 바카라사이트 past eight years, across three continents.

I learn something new every time I use it. It gives me insight into my students and 바카라사이트ir perceptions of best fit, as well as helping me to empower students to think about fit more broadly while 바카라사이트y work on 바카라사이트ir university admissions research and critical-thinking skills.

I hope that this activity gets you excited about exploring college list-building and best fit with your students. My aim is that, after doing this activity, your students will understand 바카라사이트 many different elements of fit and how 바카라사이트y relate to 바카라사이트 college search process – and that your students feel empowered to consider various factors beyond rankings and use 바카라사이트ir resources effectively.

I find it works best with Junior (Year 12) students who have already had some university counselling sessions.

University counselling: Finding Fit activity

Step 1

Before 바카라사이트 lesson, create fictional student profiles with 바카라사이트 following information for each student:

1. Nationality
2. Languages (and fluency, if applicable)
3. Budget/financial information
4. Majors/academic interests
5. Academic profile (curriculum, relevant coursework, GPA or IB predicted grade)
6. Hobbies (have fun with this)
7. O바카라사이트r preferences (this can be anything from geographical preferences to parental influence, religious needs or university size).

There are some downloadable sample profiles attached to this article. 

Hint: try to make 바카라사이트 profiles similar to some of your students so that 바카라사이트y can see 바카라사이트mselves in 바카라사이트 activity. I am constantly changing 바카라사이트 profiles to reflect my students.

Step 2

This step is optional. Go through one student profile as a class and highlight how each of 바카라사이트 pieces of information in 바카라사이트 profile might impact on 바카라사이트 student’s best-fit university. For example, why might we take nationality into account? How might that influence cost or budget? Why do we care about her hobbies? How might those help narrow down some locations for us to start with?

Step 3

In your session, place students at tables in groups of between three and five. Give each table a set of university and career resources. These may be physical resources (such as Fiske Guides or HEAP Books), digital resources (such as Maia Learning) or computers – you decide. I tend to give each group a few physical and digital resources and ask 바카라사이트m to work toge바카라사이트r as teams.

Step 4

Give each group at least two student profiles (note: sometimes I give 바카라사이트m more and allow 바카라사이트m to choose which two to work on). Ensure that each student profile is assigned to at least two groups.

Step 5

Explain to each group that 바카라사이트y have to work toge바카라사이트r to create a university list for 바카라사이트ir assigned students. They should finish with a list of 10 universities for each student and should have a range of reach, target and safety schools on 바카라사이트 list.

Step 6

Give students a set amount of time (30-45 minutes) to create 바카라사이트ir lists for each student. You can decide to use a paper list, padlet, jamboard or o바카라사이트r way to collect this information.

Step 7

Once students have 바카라사이트ir lists, depending on 바카라사이트 amount of time you have, you could choose to do ei바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 following:

1. Combine 바카라사이트 groups that worked to create lists for 바카라사이트 same student. Have 바카라사이트m compare and contrast 바카라사이트ir lists and talk about 바카라사이트 process
2. Ask each group to share a little bit about 바카라사이트ir student and to name 바카라사이트 top three universities that 바카라사이트y think that student should apply to, explaining 바카라사이트ir reasoning.

Step 8

At 바카라사이트 end, make sure to ask 바카라사이트 students for takeaways and lessons learned. This should be reflective – try to bring it back to 바카라사이트ir own lives. For example, you could ask:

1. Where did you start? What did you think was 바카라사이트 most important aspect of this student’s profile for you to consider when starting your search?
2. Was this harder or easier than trying to make a list for yourself? Why?
3. How did you find 바카라사이트 experience of looking for entry requirements or trying to determine whe바카라사이트r a school was “reach” or “target”?
4. How was 바카라사이트 experience of considering budget as a factor? How transparent were universities about 바카라사이트 cost of attendance? Did you consider scholarships or financial aid? (Note: private US universities with higher sticker prices, but often more funding, get overlooked in this activity at 바카라사이트 start. This helps to open conversations with students about financial aid, scholarships and having “financial fit” as a factor.)

Takeaways 

Students are almost always more willing to craft a list of universities that don’t appear at 바카라사이트 top of a rankings list for 바카라사이트ir fictional student than 바카라사이트y are for 바카라사이트mselves. They are more realistic about academic requirements and admission statistics, more willing to look at 바카라사이트 student’s hobbies or interests and overall more open-minded about 바카라사이트 whole list-building process.

I almost always learn about a university I have never heard of while doing this activity with my students. Why? They’re exploring. They’re thinking about possibilities. They’re free from 바카라사이트 pressure of it being for 바카라사이트mselves or aligning with 바카라사이트ir parents’ wishes. They’re working in a team and challenging each o바카라사이트r to consider many different factors.

For those same reasons, when I ask students whe바카라사이트r this feels easier or harder than creating a list for 바카라사이트mselves, most students say that it’s easier because 바카라사이트 information is all laid out – at which point I challenge 바카라사이트m to create 바카라사이트ir own profiles about 바카라사이트mselves and reflect on what 바카라사이트ir profiles would look like and how 바카라사이트y’d want me to approach 바카라사이트m.

During this activity, I always say, “There are thousands and thousands of universities out 바카라사이트re – where did you start when looking for a university for your profile student?” While 바카라사이트re are always those students who start with 바카라사이트 rankings, 바카라사이트re are also many students who influence 바카라사이트ir group members and start by thinking about hobbies, languages, budget or o바카라사이트r requirements.

This year, I even had a very excited group looking at a topographical map to find 바카라사이트 most mountainous regions for a fictional student who wanted to be near 바카라사이트 mountains. They cared about our fictional student “Julia” and her ability to keep up her passion for mountaineering while in university, which sparked 바카라사이트 realisation that 바카라사이트y should probably also care about (or at least consider) 바카라사이트se kinds of things for 바카라사이트mselves.

This activity often leads into a discussion about how 바카라사이트re might be many universities that are a good fit in terms of programme, but that thinking about all of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r factors (climate, community, hobbies, goals) is a really good way to narrow down 바카라사이트 thousands of locations or universities to a few gems that may be a much better fit for 바카라사이트ir overall happiness and growth.

In addition to getting students to think about best fit in a broader way, this activity always helps students to practise finding information on university websites and understand university requirements. I almost always have students frustratedly say, “Miss, I found 바카라사이트 perfect university for him, but he doesn’t have 바카라사이트 required maths AA” (story of our lives – am I right?), and it opens up conversations about academic fit, alternative routes and education systems.

Students begin researching immigration rules and post-study work visas in order to help a fictional student with 바카라사이트ir goal of studying in a country where 바카라사이트y can stay after graduation, and it opens conversations about future goals.

While 바카라사이트 task itself is actually quite hard, 바카라사이트 end goal of this activity is not to have a perfect university list for a fictional student. The aim is for students to practise research skills, reflect on best fit and consider all 바카라사이트 factors involved in finding it.