By John Raftrey And Lori McCormick
E-mail John Raftrey And Lori McCormick
About this blog: We are writing this blog to give practical advice to students and parents, to reflect on issues affecting college admissions, and to provide a platform for a robust community discussion on post-secondary choices. We occasionally f...
(More)About this blog: We are writing this blog to give practical advice to students and parents, to reflect on issues affecting college admissions, and to provide a platform for a robust community discussion on post-secondary choices. We occasionally feature "guest? bloggers and invite other college counselors to join the blog team. We are members of the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) and the Western Association for College Admissions Counseling (WACAC).
Lori McCormick: I began my college advising career in 2006 at Notre Dame de Namur in Transfer Admissions. Since then, I have worked at San Jose State in the Career Center, for a local independent college advising firm, and for BUILD a college access program for underrepresented youth. I graduated with a BA in Sociology from UCSB and a MA in Psychology with a concentration in Career Counseling from Antioch University. I am an active volunteer with The Parent?s Club of the Peninsula (PAMP), the Palo Alto Community Child Care (PACCC) and I am a seasonal application reader for the
Maisin Scholar Award. I reside in Palo Alto with my husband and two sons.
John Raftrey: I have been advising students for the last three admission cycles. I regularly attend conferences, tour colleges, and keep up with the changing landscape of college admissions. I'll share what I learn and throw in a few opinions along the way. I moved to Palo Alto in 1991. My three sons are all veterans of PAUSD and graduated from Paly. I graduated from the University of Michigan, earned an MBA at Columbia University and hold a certificate in College Counseling from UC San Diego. In my past life I worked in TV news and high tech marketing.
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(Written by Lori McCormick)
Happy back-to-school! I took a short break this summer to spend time with my family and visit a couple of colleges along the way. I always love visiting colleges, even ones I have previously visited. I discover something new with each visit.
One of the colleges I visited was UC Santa Barbara, where I attended 20 years ago, and last visited about 10 years ago. My, how the campus has changed! There is ample parking! And students no longer need to walk through tunnels (that always flooded in the rain) to get to Campbell Hall. Today’s Gaucho also has more housing options, more dining options, and more buildings to learn in.
My Mom is a former Gaucho; it runs in the family. She, along with my kids, joined me on the campus tour. Listening to her rave about the new developments and hearing how it was back in her day (nothing around…so boring! Her words, certainly not mine!), helped me see UCSB through her lens. She identified buildings she attended classes in during the early 1960’s. I took classes in those same buildings. She gushed when she found the swimming pool where she remembers swimming laps for exercise. Yep, still there, and still in use. My kids loved riding their scooters in the skateboard lanes. Big grins.
I found this
YouTube video of UCSB, then known as the Campus by the Sea, from the 1960’s. It was a walk down memory lane for my Mom.
While my tour of UCSB didn’t necessarily teach me anything new about admissions requirements, majors offered, or campus life, it was a sentimental journey from one generation to the next. Who knows, maybe one day one of my kids will be a Gaucho, too?
