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)
While the statistics tend to vary depending on the organization conducting the research, between 38% - 44% of post-secondary students in the United States are adult learners (over the age of 25). We tend to think college is only for 18-22 year olds, but the reality is many adults who bypassed college upon high school graduation are re-shifting their academic goals and pursuing a post-secondary education.
A demanding economy plays a significant part in motivating people to take their education to the next level. We all know that the higher the education level, the greater the opportunities. With the rise of part-time and full-time online and/or weekend degree programs, non-traditional adult learners are finding it more accessible to obtain a degree while juggling work and family life. They are also attending community colleges, enrolling in certificate, continuing, or professional development courses, and/or receiving training in their workplace - all of which open doors of opportunity for advancement in personal, professional, and financial arenas.
Aside from certificate or degree seeking adults, there are also Life Learners; people who love to learn for the sake of learning. Our local Adult Schools not only offer much needed ESL (English as a Second Language) courses, but a variety of enrichment courses of every interest: Arts and Crafts, Languages, Health and Wellness, Computers - the list goes on and on.
This just goes to prove that you’re never too old to continue your education, and you’re never too old to learn something new.
