College Night at New Ro High School Provided Information, Guidance

Choosing a college can be a daunting enterprise for both the student and parents.

The New Rochelle High School did its part by offering information at their recent College Night.

"Access to information is essential," said Michael Kenny, the school's coordinator of guidance and counseling, "so families can understand what opportunities and strategies are out there for good college planning."

He said parents and the students in grades nine through 11 were encouraged to participate in the evening, with the youngest students getting an early awareness of what they face.

Kenny also said parents of 11th graders should contact their child's counselor, if they haven't already, to start planning their senior year and discuss recommended colleges.

"You want to be at a decision by May 1, 2012," he said.

Speaking before the workshop presentations was Kevin Cavanagh, assistant vice president for admissions at Iona College.

He said there was a fine line between parents being overly involved in the college selection process and the students or parents not being engaged enough.

"The reality is a lot of it is who your student is," Cavanagh said. "Nobody in this room knows our child better than you.

"At the end of the day, you really want your child to be involved in the college search," he said.

"Allowing and helping the students to make smart decisions is going to be transformative for them," Cavanagh said.

Abby Hirsch, admissions counselor for Lehmann College, was one of the panelists for Finding the Right College Fit.

She said evenings like College Night are important.

"It's a valuable, valuable night for parents and the kids," Hirsch said. "It starts the process with them."

Rebecca Williams of New Rochelle attended the event for her 17-year-old stepson, a junior who hasn't started looking into colleges.

She was going to two workshops: Understanding the College Admissions Process and Finding the Right College Fit.

"That will open up a dialog between him and me," Williams said.

New Rochelle High School will be the site Monday of the 2011 New Rochelle Family University, an evening of education and information for middle and high school students and parents. For information, go here.