Vail Mountain School invites Eagle County families to talk about how to make the most of college

Applying to college can be daunting. Figuring out how to ask the right questions about the college experience can make the application process just a little bit easier.

On Tuesday, Dec. 9, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., Vail Mountain School is hosting a virtual conversation with journalist and author Jeff Selingo, who has researched higher education and written two books on how to get into and make the most of college.

Marisa Ferrara, Vail Mountain School’s director of college counseling, will be engaging in a discussion with Selingo about how students can find the right school for them and capitalize on their time there.

The event will help students and families at all levels of understanding and experience with the college process begin to identify schools that offer a great educational experience.

“I think it’s important for folks to know how to decipher what a good education is and all the different types of questions to ask to be a good consumer and find a good education,” Ferrara said.

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The conversation, which takes place virtually, can be attended on Zoom or in person at a watch party at Vail Mountain School. The event is open to all.

“It’s the best information education out there about how to approach this … and we feel that it is important for everybody to have access to this information, for them to also feel like they’re not alone,” Ferrara said. 

What will the talk cover?

Selingo’s most recent book, “Dream School,” is about how to find the right school for each student.

“This isn’t a book about ‘how do I get into college,'” Ferrara said. “It’s really a book about how to engage in and how you experience college, and what we can control.”

Ferrara is in her 16th year at Vail Mountain School as director of college counseling. Before that, she worked in admissions and student services at higher educational institutions.

“I am a counselor at heart,” Ferrara said. “My role in these students’ and families’ lives is to guide them the best way to meet their own goals and dreams and aspirations.”

“We all want to reach for the stars, and you want things to go (well) for these kids who work hard to meet their potential or get into the school that they want to get into. And we know that the landscape doesn’t always allow for that,” Ferrara said. “That’s really what Selingo’s book, ‘Dream School,’ is all about, restructuring our thoughts on what a good education is.”

Getting accepted to college can feel like trying to get a “golden ticket,” Ferrara said. Even if a student does everything “right,” they may not get accepted to their school of choice. “Not everybody gets that golden ticket,” she said.

But in their conversation, Selingo and Ferrara will take a step back and help attendees look at the bigger picture: “There are many ways to get where you want to go,” she said.

“The short game is just getting into college. This (event) is more about the long game, and the outcomes, and ways in which we all can enrich the education of teenagers and young adults,” Ferrara said.

The college a student attends does not actually determine their life trajectory as much as how they take advantage of the opportunities there. It is often more important to pick the school that will provide the most helpful experience to the student, rather than the one with the flashy name.

“When you’re looking for a dream school, it’s not about necessarily a certain place, but it’s the experience that you want to have and are looking to have,” Ferrara said.

Broadly speaking, students should look for schools where they feel a sense of belonging, that offer hands-on experiential learning opportunities and that have good post-graduate outcomes.

Cost is also a factor for most families looking at college, with some schools now charging up to $100,000 per year, Ferrara said.

“Given the cost of education today, the affordability piece is huge for every family,” Ferrara said.

This makes it essential for families to consider, “‘What do I need to look at to make sure that I get my return on investment in college?'” Ferrara said. “I hate speaking about this in business terms, but it really is that.” 

These topics and more will be discussed during Ferrara and Selingo’s virtual conversation on Tuesday, with the opportunity for audience members to ask questions on Zoom at the end.

“This (event) is about what is happening in the educational world right now … and what it is to be well educated and to get an education that you deserve given what you’re paying,” Ferrara said. 

“There is so much that we can’t control in this whole admissions world, but there are plenty of things that we can control. It’s not so much about where you go, but it’s how you do college, and (Selingo is) giving a roadmap of ways in which you can optimize your experience in college,” Ferrara said.

“For Vail Mountain School, being a proponent of good education and working tirelessly to provide a good education, we feel that it is important to share it with as many people as possible,” Ferrara said.

Event attendees do not need to have read the book to attend the conversation or ask questions.

The conversation on Tuesday, Dec. 9, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. can be attended virtually on Zoom or in-person (live-streamed) at Vail Mountain School. It will not be recorded.