Starting Off on the Right Foot

By Grace Collins ’22, April 14, 2023

Admitted student event shares strategies for collegiate success.

Clockwise: Traci Hughes ’85; Jeff Selingo ’95; Christine Cruzvergara, chief education strategy officer at Handshake; and Elizabeth Bleicher, dean of IC’s Center for Student Success and Retention.

(Photo by Grace Collins '22)

Making the transition from high school to college can be one of the most eagerly — and anxiously — anticipated times in a student’s life. On April 11, nearly 400 admitted students and their supporters logged onto Zoom for “Proven Strategies to Ensure Your Success in College,” an online discussion hosted by Ithaca College about successfully navigating that transition and developing the tools to thrive in college.

In a panel moderated by Traci Hughes ’85, a member of the Ithaca College Board of Trustees, three higher education experts took to the screen to share their insights with future Ithaca Bombers. Their actionable advice empowered students to make the most of their college experience, no matter which institution they ultimately choose to attend.

The panelists represented a wide range of backgrounds and were able to speak to different elements of college life, from managing a schedule to exploring career options. Roy H. Park School of Communications alum and Board of Trustees member Jeff Selingo ’95, a higher education journalist and New York Times bestselling author of “Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions,” was the featured speaker of the evening.

“I try to remind students that while college is one important stopping point in your life, it’s not the only one you’ll have and it’s not the most consequential decision you’ll ever make.”

Jeff Selingo '95

Members of the panel also included Elizabeth Bleicher, dean of IC’s Center for Student Success and Retention, and Christine Cruzvergara, chief education strategy officer at Handshake, a job and internship resource for college students.

Hughes opened the panel with the million-dollar question: How can students pick the school that’s right for them?

In addition to sharing advice about picking a school that’s an academic, social, and financial fit, Selingo offered the participants a bit of perspective.

“I try to remind students that while college is one important stopping point in your life, it’s not the only one you’ll have and it’s not the most consequential decision you’ll ever make,” he said. “People like me and Tracy, who went to IC and had great experiences and now serves on the board, we think it's a great place and we hope you’ll come. But again, it’s not the most consequential decision you’re going to make in your life.”

Much of the conversation throughout the rest of the program centered on taking ownership and making the most of the resources available to them as a college student. Each panelist emphasized that college is the time for exploration and relationship-building, both strategies that will serve students well when it comes time to step into their post-college lives.

Selingo spoke to the relationships he cultivated with faculty members as an IC student that have lasted to this day, and the role that getting involved with co-curricular opportunities like writing for The Ithacan, IC’s student newspaper, had on his college experience.

“Right now, you have to learn yourself really, really well. It's okay that you're still developing, it's okay if you don't know all the things, but you do have to be able to articulate what it is that you know, and what it is that you may still be learning.”

Christine Cruzvergara, chief education strategy officer at Handshake

“I’m still in touch with a faculty member who teaches at Ithaca. When I was up on campus for the board meeting a couple of months ago, I went in and I spoke to her class,” he said. “There are people all over the place during your four years at college that are open to helping students and they all play a different role. Just be open to that and take advantage of that.”

Cruzvergara emphasized the importance of self-reflection when it comes to embarking on the internship search and interviewing for different opportunities.

“When you are going to go into interviews, what you are doing is selling who you are, what you bring to the table and your talents. If you were selling a product, you would have to know that product really well; if you were selling software, you'd have to know that software really well. So right now, you have to learn yourself really, really well,” she said. “It's okay that you're still developing, it's okay if you don't know all the things, but you do have to be able to articulate what it is that you know, and what it is that you may still be learning.”

Bleicher highly encouraged incoming students to enroll in IC Advantage, a summer learning program that allows incoming students to earn up to three college credits before even stepping foot on campus for the fall semester. The first one-credit class is free, and two others can be taken for a significant discount.

“Everybody who's here wants you to graduate and be able to sustain yourself in a work life that is meaningful; that you're not just getting up every morning and going to a job but that you are going into an environment where you can do meaningful work.”

Elizabeth Bleicher, dean of Ithaca College Center for Student Success and Retention

“It's a way to make friends before you get here, and to try out college academics before you get here, and to establish your relationship with a professor,” Bleicher said. “That first course will teach you about college life. You'll either learn about moving to a residential college and living with people you've never met before, or learning how to learn, which is different in college than it is in high school.”

She also called attention to the Ithaca Commitment, the school’s newly announced initiative that simplifies the financial aid process and reduces uncertainty by capping annual cost increases and letting incoming students and families know exactly what they can expect to pay over four years at IC.

“The financials of college can be the elephant in the room, and I want to be honest and transparent that we understand what an investment college is. This is not just an investment of four years of your life, this is an investment in your future,” said Bleicher. “We're really upfront about it because we don't want to hide the ball and we want people to make informed decisions.”

In addition to the panelists answering questions live during the session, there was also a team of Ithaca College professionals working behind –the scenes to provide individualized responses to the questions students shared in the Q&A box.

Those staff members included Laurie Koehler, vice president for marketing and enrollment strategy; Nicole Eversley Bradwell, executive director of admission; Dave Curry, director of the Center for Career Exploration and Development; and Laura Davis, director of residential life and judicial affairs. Each one was able to provide students with detailed information and connect them with further resources.

“Everybody who's here wants you to graduate and be able to sustain yourself in a work life that is meaningful; that you're not just getting up every morning and going to a job but that you are going into an environment where you can do meaningful work,” said Bleicher.