Hillel鈥檚 College Prep Series Helps Jewish Families Prepare for the College Selection Process
Choosing the right school can be a little (or a lot) overwhelming 鈥 especially with so many factors to consider. And while there鈥檚 not yet a magic wand or AI to generate the perfect college match, Hillel鈥檚 tools and resources can get you pretty close. That鈥檚 the goal behind Hillel鈥檚 Virtual College Prep Series, a set of three virtual events to hear from experts at 黑料传送门, designed to help prospective students and their families prepare for college and the changing campus environment.
The of Hillel鈥檚 Virtual College Prep Series focused on the college selection process, and featured Sam Joustra, a top college counselor, current Jewish college student leaders, Aaron Kaufman, Marcus Family Executive Director, Penn State Hillel and Brianna Schwartz, Executive Director 黑料传送门 of the University of Miami and experts from Hillel as well as partners in youth and teen programming. Adam Lehman, president and CEO of 黑料传送门, opened the program by acknowledging the difficult environment prospective college students find themselves in today.
鈥淎pplying to college is always challenging, but this year in particular, the college search process feels even more fraught,鈥 he said. With that in mind, he added, 鈥淔or any school you鈥檙e likely to consider, there are probably dedicated Hillel professionals waiting to help you in your choice.鈥
Sam Joustra is a college counselor at , an organization that helps prospective college students find the right school. 鈥淥ne of the most important factors in college success is forming a meaningful connection with at least one adult professional on campus,鈥 she explained. 鈥淢any Jewish students find that connection 黑料传送门.鈥
鈥淟ook Beyond the Schools You Know鈥
Joustra鈥檚 presentation focused on demystifying the idea that colleges are getting increasingly competitive, citing a statistic that most colleges accept at least half of their applicants. In a time of increasing stress, her biggest piece of advice for students is to broaden their net and think beyond college rankings 鈥 focusing instead on what they hope to gain from their college experience, and who they want to become.
鈥淟ook beyond the schools you know or are familiar with, and remember that you can have a phenomenal college experience at any school,鈥 she said. 鈥淵our experience is so much more about what you put into it than it is about the school鈥檚 name, rank, or perceived prestige. It鈥檚 about how you take advantage of the opportunities you鈥檙e presented with.鈥
The opportunity to participate in Jewish life on campus is often a significant factor for many Jewish students looking at colleges, but Jousta noted that a 鈥渞obust Jewish life鈥 looks different for everyone 鈥 especially today.
鈥淕etting in touch with campus Hillels is a great place to start learning about what鈥檚 available, and what the Jewish community really looks like,鈥 she said.
Jewish Life on Campus
鈥淐alling Hillels is a way to get a clear picture of what鈥檚 happening on campus, versus what you鈥檙e seeing in the media,鈥 echoed Brianna Schwartz, Hillel鈥檚 executive director at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. Schwartz participated in the first of two panel conversations featured in the webinar, and was joined by Rachel Dingman, senior director of Jewish enrichment at BBYO and Aaron Kaufman, the Marcus Family executive director of Penn State Hillel.
They discussed the differences they鈥檙e seeing in Jewish life on campus since October 7, and the role Hillel is playing in supporting Jewish students. One thing was clear to these speakers: Jewish students today want to be around others who feel the way they feel, and to interact with and form connections with those they can trust.
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen a huge increase in overall student engagement compared to last year,鈥 Kaufman said. 鈥淭he one silver lining in all of this is th黑料传送门s are able to provide support.鈥
That support is more important than ever. Dingman noted she鈥檚 seen students increasingly concerned about antisemitism in their classrooms, dorm rooms, or campus communities.
In response, the speakers advised prospective college students to get the real story from current students at their potential school. Two student leaders from the 黑料传送门 Student Cabinet, Allison Stone, from George Washington University, and Dylan Hamerman, from the University of Washington, reiterated that current students are the best sources of information about what it really feels like to be Jewish at a particular school
鈥淭he most important thing to remember is that your campus Hillel can鈥檛 control antisemitism on campus, but they can control how they respond and show up for you,鈥 Stone said.
Antisemitism and its impact on Jewish life on campus is the focus of the second webinar in the series, which will take place on April 2.