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About the AuthorSandra L Berger has been a citizen activist and advocate for gifted childrenfor more than 15 years. She has been led down this path personally by herown gifted youngsters. Berger has received training in counseling and holdsa bachelor of science degree in social psychology. She has served as appointeeon numerous public education advisory committees and task forces andserved for 2 years as president of a county-wide association for the gifted. Sheis a member of the Advisory Board of the ERIC Clearinghouse onHandicapped and Gifted Children. She shares her views on gifted educationvia participation in such activities as conferences, workshops, and a nationalhotline sponsored by USA Today and The Council for Exceptional Children.As a private consultant, she uses knowledge and skills in problem-solving,organization, and communication to network, seek resources, and assist giftedchildren, their familes, and school systems in solving educational problems.This is her first book.

1. IntroductionStudents go to college expecting somethingspecial. Their parents share this hope. Only inAmerica is the decal from almost any collegedisplayed proudly on the rear window of thefamily car. The message: Here's a family on themove.by which students learn that college planning is partof a lengthy"life career development process"(Gysbers & Moore, 1987); it need not be a finite eventthat begins and ends mysteriously or arbitrarily.This college-planning guide is for educators, coun-selors, parents, and others who want to assist giftedstudents in the complex process of college/careerplanning. It is designed to help counselors andparents feel comfortable and be resourceful inBoyer, 1987, p. 11.College: The Undergraduate Experience in AmericaCollege planning is a major event in the lives of manymeeting a variety of unique needs. Information,families. When a child is born, the family mayresources, and, where appropriate, specific recommendations are provided so that a comprehensive,effective, well-organized, programmatic approach toimmediately wonder, "Where will John or Jane attendcollege?" The hopes and dreams of many Americanfamilies are connected to a college education.college planning can be undertaken. The termMulti-million-dollar businesses have arisen in re-programma4c approach means a coherent plan: philoso-sponse to family aspirations. Publishers providemanuals and guides to assist students who seekinformation on college planning, selection, andacceptance. Educational testing services providecourses an manuals to assist students who takephy, goals, objectives, rationale, a variety of method-Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SATs) and other standardized tests. Bookstores devote space to a wide varietyof college-planning material. Every major financialfor the developmental needs of adolescents, theologies, and evaluationsome way of knowingwhether goals Pad objectives are achieved (Colangelo& Zaffrann, 1979; Tannenbaum, 1983). The guideintegrates an understanding of and an appreciationspecial needs of gifted adolescents, career-planningresearch, and specific college-planning information.Counselors and educators who plan such a programshould be aware that it should be predictable and notdepend on a particular counselor who, at a particularfirm publishes information on college costs andprovides advice on financing college.Students are concerned abcut and begin planningfor college as early as seventh grade; however, theirtime, happens to be interested in comprehensiveideas may be premature and unrealistic. They tendcollege planning for gifted students.to make short mental lists that swing from oneDeveloping an organized, effective college-extreme to another: "brand name" colleges, such asHarvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford, and popularplanning program for gifted students is a complexneed to broaden their options. Between seventh andtask. The problems and solutions presented here werediscussed with many students, teachers, counselors,and other individuals who work with gifted studentstwelfth grade, a systematic process needs to take placeevery day. Their concerns are reflected throughoutstate and/or community colleges. These students9

2 / College Planning for Gifted Studentsthe book. Counselors, teachers, and parents statedthat college planning in general is complex and timeconsuming, and college planning for gifted students,because of their characteristics and problems, requiresa thoughtful, creative approach. Students stated thatthey need better guidance.The following ideas provide the rationale for thisbook:Gifted students are unique in many ways; theirintellectual and social and emotional characteristicscreate unusual needs and problems.The further these students are from the norm, themore they differ from each other in talents, abilities,interests, and needs.The assistance they require is as specialized as theircharacteristics are varied.The common characteristic that unites gifted youngpeople is their potential. Each of these students hasthe potential, if appropriately encouraged andguided, to achieve self-fulfillment and make amajor contribution to society and the well-beingof its people.ORGANIZATION OF THE BOOKThis book is organized in a way that will enableparents, teachers, ar.d counselors to:understand the problems and needs of giftedadolescents;understand how their problems and needs complicate college and career planning;understand the elements of a substantive collegeplanning program for these students; anduse the information provided to design andimplement a program that is flexible, yet substantive.Chapter 2, 'The College Search: Defining theProblem," provides an overview of complex collegeplanning problems encountered by all students,parents, and guidance counselors and offers solutionsdiscovered through interviews and research. A comprehensive, systematic 6-year time line, for use byschool personnel, students, and families is included.A 6-year time line was selected for the followingreasons:Comprehensive college planning for gifted students realistically should begin before eighthgrade. By this time many students, ha0 I demonstrated their aptitudes and abilities, have departedfrom the traditional educational age-in-grade "lockstep."Some gifted students .ill require a broad range ofacademic options and unusual educational opportunities that supplement comprehensive high schoolNofferings. Planning ahead may accomplish thesegoals.The time line can be compacted and still be useful tothose who start later than seventh or eighth grade.Chapter 3," Planning for Ufted Students: WhatMakes Them Different?" provides a conceptualframework foi this book. A matrix, structured aroundthe intellectual and social and emotional characteris-tics of gifted adolescents, will help counselors andparents understand the complexity and diversity ofthis group. The matrix can apply to all giftedyoungsters, including underserved populations suchas minority groups, gifted learning disabled, underachievers, and gifted girls (Whitmore, 19S7). Suggestions are offered as to what counselors, teachers, andparents can do to meet the needs of specific groupsas well as all gifted students. Using the matrix todevelop a profile of each student, counselors andparents can plan specific programs that meet individual student needs.Chapter 4, "The College Search: A Matter ofMatching; assumes that the college-planning processis most effective when it is based on the student'sabilities, interests, values, and needs as they relate toeducational, career, and life-style opportunities(Colangelo & Zaffrann, 1979; Davis and Rimm, 1985;Sanborn, 1979). The chapter is designed to providerecommendations and resources to counselors whowant to help students be aware of and understandtheir personal learning styles, values, interests, andneeds. It is also designed to provide information andassistance to parents who want to assist students inthe process of self-exploration.Chapter 5, "Learning About Colleges: What HaveThey Got That I Want?" the second stage of acollege-matching process, is designed for counselorsand parents who want to assist gifted students inresearching schools by reading college guides, visiting schools, and asking a ;,road range of questions.Students will collect information in two differentstages and be able to integrate self-understandingwith an understanding of college offerings. Chapters5 and 6 broaden the scope of the book by includingsections designed for use by students and families.Chapter 6, "The Application Process: What Have IGot That They Want?" describes and explains how astudent's credentials are evaluated by a college or

Introduction / 3university. The chapter includes specific informationon the college interview, writing an effective essay,enhancing the student's application, and collegecosts.College planning should be a positive, growthpromoting experience for all students. It is anopportunity for them to learn more about themselvesand their special skills, interests, and learning stylesand to heighten self-confidence. If they go to a collegeor university that is appropriate for them, where theyachieve academic success, they are more likely tocontribute to the school and set career goals designedto provide a satisfying life.Colleges are looking for students who are willingREFERENCESBoyer, E. L. (1987). College: The undergraduate experience fnAmerica. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancementof Teaching. NY: Harper & Row.Colangelo, N., & Zaffrann, R. (1979). Cour sling with giftedand talented students. In N. Colangelo & R. Zaffrann(Eds.), New voices in counseling the gifted (pp. 142-154).Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.Davis, G. A., & Rimm, S. B. (1985). Education of the gifted andtalented. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.Gysbers, N. C., & Moore, E. J. (1987). Career counseling.Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.Sanborn, M. P. (1979). Differnitial counseling needs of thegifted and talented. In N. Colangelo & R. Zaffrann (Eds.),to take advantage of opportunities provided andmake a positive and lasting contribution. To theNew voices in counseling the gifted (pp. 154-165). Dubuque,degree that both objectives are achieved, the educational experiences of gifted students may be morepersonally fulfilling, meaningful, and relevant. Weall stand to benefit from their educational success,personal satisfaction, and ultimate contributions. Thebroad approach to college planning outlined in thisbook is designed to accomplish those objectives.Tannenbaum, A.J. (1983). Gifted children: Psychological andeducational plerspectives. New York MacMillan.Whitmore, J. (1987). Conceptualizing the issue of underser-IA: Kendall/Hunt.ved populations of gifted students. Journal for theEducation of the Gi,"ed, 10(3),141 -153.

2. The College Search:Defining the ProblemHigh school students and their parents mayhave strong feelings about college, but choosingone is a different matter. Indeed, one of themost disturbing findings of our study is that thepath from [high] school to higher education ispoorly marked. Almost half the students sur-veyed said that "trying to select a college isconfusing because there is no sound basis formaking a decision."Boyer, 1987, p. 13, 14.College: The Undergraduate Experience in Americaself - awareness with learning to make decisions.According to the College Board (1986) report,Precollege guidance and counseling should notbe defined narrowly in terms of helping highschool students learn about and make decisionsrelating to college. Instead we see precollegeguidance and counseling as encompassing abroad set of support functions* that can enhancesuccess in school, increasing the chances forformal learning beyond high school. (p. 3 & 4,There are more than 3,000 colleges and universitiesin the United States. Choosing among them is acomplex task. Many high school students approachcollege selection with less thought than they give topurchasing a stereo or an item of clothing. They makearbitrary choices because they do not know how tomake college and career decisions based on theirvalues, aptitudes, interests, needs, and other personalcriteria. They may not be aware of how colleges differfrom one another or how to match personal criteriaThe NACAC (1986) report recommends that collegecounseling should be part of a long-term guidancecurriculum through which students reach a point of"self-awareness and maturity that equips them todeal with the transition to college." (p. 51)NACAC and the College Board point out the manyproblems encountered by guidance counselors, parents, and teachers as they attempt to meet the diverseneeds of secondary school students. Both offerwith college offerings.Since 1986, three major reports have addressed thetransition between high school and college. Two ofthese reports, Keeping the Options Open, published bythe College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) andpossible solutions and specific recommendations.The third report, College (Boyer, 1987), publishedby the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement ofTeaching, offers a different viewpoint. Boyer and hiscommittee have identified an assortment of problemsFrontiers of Possibility, sponsored by the NationalAssociation of College Admissions Counselors(NACAC), examine precollege counseling in the highschools. They recommend a broad-based approachto precollege counseling and suggest that collegeselection should be a guidance objective combining*CEEB defines support functions as activities that assiststudents in self-awareness, self-exploration, decisionmaking and planning skills, !earning about existing opportunities, and designing a personal plan of action.

The College Search: Defining the Problem / 5that contribute to students' confusion about whatmany ways, but they share the following distinctivecolleges have to offer and how they differ from oneanother in the quality of education they provide. Forfeatures:example,Viewbooks, published by colleges and universities,are generally the first n'-'tten information studentsreceive. Viewbooks a, designed to promote thefacilities and physical appearance of the particularcampus.Campus tours, another method used to learn aboutself 4s, may be limited to quick glimpses ofcampus buildings.Other recruitment procedures, for example, collegefairs and personal contacts, may emphasize fea-tures such as campus social life or last year'sfootball record.College guides present capsule information aboutmop), colleges. Often these profiles are written bythe coil's themselves and, therefore, may besomewhat self-serving. Some guides rank thecolleges but the criteria used may be neithef statednor obvious to the reader.COUNSELING PROGRAMS FOR GIFTEDSTUDENTSGifted students, because of their special characteristics, need a coherent, proactive counseling programthat is responsive to their unique needs as well as tothe developmental needs of all adolescents: identityand adjustment, changes in relationships, and .areerpaths. The program should also allow these studentsto exchange information with others who share theirproblems and dilemmas, test their ideas, and changeideas that are ineffective (Buescher, 1987; personalcommunication, A gust 1987). Such a programprovides opportunit.5 for students to obtain information from counselors who understand their needsand who will listen to them, interpret and clarify theirabilities and experiences, and discuss their concernsabout changing self-concepts. When the counselor'sgoal for students is their heightened awareness of selfand community combined with college and carerplanning, the program must include guidance workshops (structured and unstructured discussions) anda collaborative approach that includes parents andteachers.Interviews for this book uncovered some remarkable counselors and guidance programs. People whoare successful in meeting the social and emotionalneeds of gifted students lead programs that differ inThe programs are coherent and predictable.They begin by seventh or eighth grade andmaintain students throughout secondary school.When possible, one counselor or coordinatorfollows each student's progress from seventh totwe1C ' grade.They are designed to meet the specific intellectual,social, and emotional needs of gifted students.They consist of regularly PCheduled group discus-sions, individual discussions when appropriate,and writing activities. Group discussions may bestructured or unstructured, depending on thetopics covered.They include a specific plan designed to assiststudents in understanding themselves and others.They include students who are identified as gifted(generally through IQ scores) but who may not beachieving academically.When paper-and-pencil exercises are administered(e.g., aptitude tests and interest inventories), thepurpose of the tests and the results are explainedto the students.The principal, teachers, other staff, and parents arehighly supportive of the program.Based on interviews and research, quid, nce programs that meet the needs of gifted students use thegeneral guidelines described in the following preagraphs.Seventh and Eighth Grades. Guidance activitiesemphasize self-awareness, time management, work/study skills, and an introduction to career awareness.Where possible, activities are designed to meet thespecial needs of gifted students. Students design apreliminary academic master plan that includescourses required by the state and courses desired forcollege planning. Students are encouraged to participate in regional talent searches and are provided withinformation on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)and/or the American College Test (ACT), the screening instruments employed by talent searches.Ninth and Tenth Grades. Guidance activities continueto emphasize self-awareness, decision-making, andgoal setting to account for the ever-changing needsof gifted adolescents. Studer is are encouraged toidentify and pursue interests. Some programs exposestudents to selective college requireme .ts to illustrate13

6 / College Planning for Gifted Studentsshort- and long-term goals. Family conferences and/or workshops clarify expectations.Students begin coherent programmatic college andcareer planning. By 10th grade, they become awareof how their academic subjects, values, interests, andgoals relate to careers. They also begin to learn thatsome interests and talents develop into artistic orscientific convictions while others develop into lei-ingredients the institution is looking for in a b

Sandra L Berger has been a citizen activist and advocate for gifted children for more than 15 years. She has been led down this path personally by her