Prior to the shift to all-virtual school, you may have seen an unfamiliar face or two in the Guidance Office. One of these people is Ms. Nicholson, MLHS’s new College and Career Counselor. I recently sat down with Ms. Nicholson (via Zoom, of course) and asked her a few questions about herself and her role in our school.
To start us off, where are you from?
I grew up in Connecticut in a town that I would say is pretty similar to Mountain Lakes. Students were very academically motivated but also really involved in athletics.
If you didn’t work in education, what would you be doing?
That’s an interesting question… When I first graduated college I worked at a hospital, working with adolescents who were experiencing mental health struggles. And I really loved that experience, but admissions and college counseling were a bit of a better fit for me ultimately. I think if I was to leave the education or admissions sector, I would probably return back to that area.
What’s your job here at MLHS? What can students come to you for?
Anything college-related, which I know covers a lot. But in terms of coming up with a list of colleges, narrowing that list down, working on essays—I’m happy to help you brainstorm, proofread, give suggestions—and preparing for interviews. I used to interview students myself when I worked in admissions, so I think I can give students some good insight on what to expect in an interview. In terms of looking for and applying for scholarships, I’m happy to help with that. Editing applications, reviewing financial aid awards. Those are some of the more common things I work with students on.
What’s a piece of advice for seniors who are anxiously awaiting college decisions?
For seniors, I know decisions for early action and early decision are going to be coming out shortly. I think many of them will likely be released next week. I think many students will be receiving good news and that’s what we hope for, but for those who don’t receive news that they were hoping for—whether that’s a deferral decision or denial decision—I would say it’s okay and normal to be disappointed and frustrated. Do give yourself some time to experience those feelings, but once you’ve gone through that take a step back and just try and look forward, not backward. And don’t take it too personally. Colleges have their own institutional goals and missions that they have to fill.
There’s a quote by the Director of Admissions at Tulane, and he says that what the college admissions committee thinks about your application is not what they think about you as a person. It’s not a reflection of your character or potential. I think that’s a really important thing to remember in this process.
Any advice for juniors who are dreading their college application process that is about to begin?
I hope some people are excited, not dreading it! We’re going to be hosting a whole bunch of events for juniors starting in the new year, so they should look out for that. I think my biggest pieces of advice are to start early and to stay organized.
I think if students follow that it makes the process a whole lot less stressful later on. In terms of staying organized, by that I mean keeping track of deadlines and being sure to check your email and actually open emails. They can contain really important information about perhaps application materials you’re missing, requests for an interview, or scholarships you could qualify for. If you don’t open those you could miss out on some big opportunities.
For juniors and seniors: we’re going to be having the alumni panel on December 21st. So we’ll have recent alums come back and share their advice, which I think is even more valuable to hear from students who have just been through it.
Here are some fun questions: Do you have a favorite music genre or artist?
Growing up I never liked country, and I got into country music more recently. One of the things I’m looking forward to when Covid is less of a concern is going to a Sam Hunt concert. He was supposed to play at PNC on the Jersey Shore. He was supposed to play there last summer and I had tickets to go, so I’m hoping to be able to do that next summer if it’s safe.
Okay, now for the age-old question: Pineapple on pizza?
That’s a good one… I do not like pineapple on pizza. Yeah, hard no.
What are some binge-worthy shows you’ve seen lately?
I just finished The Undoing on HBO Max, and that was a good one. And then I’ve also been binge-watching Curb Your Enthusiasm… a bunch of the old seasons. That show always makes me laugh. And then—last one—I love The Office. I’m always watching reruns of The Office. That would be my favorite show.
What’s one fun fact about yourself?
A fun fact would be that I have the same birthday as Harry Potter, and I have a scar on my forehead that kind of looks like a lightning bolt. So I’m still waiting for my acceptance letter from Hogwarts to come in… hasn’t yet, but who knows. Maybe one day.
That’s all for our interview with Ms. Nicholson. We hope you enjoyed it. Welcome to MLHS, Ms. Nicholson!
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