True Colors for College Choice:Counseling to Students’ Preferred

College Style

Jane Webber, New Jersey City Universityjwebber@njcu.edu B-Gr-Go-O INFP

J.Barry Mascari, Kean University, NJjmascari@kean.edu O-B/G----Go ENFP

www.kean.edu/~reinventVincent Varrassi, Fairleigh Dickinson University

vjvarrassi@gmail.com B—Go/Gr/O

Learn how identifying students’ styles using True Colors and Myers Briggs Type Indicator reveal and improve college choices and planning

Ditiberio, J.K., & Hammer, A.L. (1993). Introduction to type in college. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

Kalil, C. (1999). Follow your true colors to the work you love. Malibu, CA: DreamMaker Publishing.

Miscisn, M. (1991). Showing our true colors. Riverside, CA: True Colors

Tieger, P., & Barron, B. (2007). Do what you are: Discover the perfect career for you through the secrets of personality type. 4th ed.. NY: Little, Barron, and Company.

The College Going Experience Most students commute to college within 50 miles of home, but

going away to college is an American rite of passage– “the college experience”

Liberal arts vs. Career preparation is misunderstood

2/3 change their major at least once; many change majors every semester

Most HS students choose a major and college without career counseling self awareness exploration/assessment, or decision making skills

Undecided college applicants and undecided majors need specialized decision making programs

Today’s Goals for Your Preferred Type

• Gold: Detailed information about how to use True Colors and MBTI with students to improve college choice, step by step directions, and organized handouts

• Orange: Fun hands-on activities for True Colors, games, and new jokes to make your work exciting

• Green: Research about student’s color preferences, theory about MBTI and True Colors, and ideas for you to consider in the future

• Blue: Getting to know your colleagues, affirming your true self, sharing experiences, and expanding ways to connect with your students

TRUE COLORS

Sam chose a large highly-ranked public university primarily for financial aid. She first loved the excitement of campus life and football weekends although she felt out of place at parties--like an observer. She preferred reading novels to parties, or talking with one student in a quiet setting. Large lecture classes with 600 students overwhelmed her; she was uncomfortable asking questions. Sam hated multiple choice tests and she rarely had to write papers-- which she loved. Her roommate stayed out late partying and Sam missed the close knit support in her high school. Although she made the dean’s list, she did not return the second semester.

• Sam’s primary color is Blue

Sam’s type is an INFP

Needs time for self; the outside environment can be overwhelming—needs small groups

Needs affirmation and support with strong advising

• BEN, now in his first year at an art institute, had art eight hours a day. He wished he had considered other majors like theater or education, or a college with more majors, but his parents were successful artists. Most students commuted to the institute; his dorm was a boarding house that emptied on Thursday night. He missed the camaraderie of his high school teams and the radio station where he had been a DJ. His roommate practically “lived” in the art studio, and Ben wished he had friends to hang out with.

• Ben’s brightest colors are Orange/Blue• His type is ESFJ• Makes quick decisions to close out choices • Need for affiliation, friends, and campus

support • Lack of career exploration• Bored with early career foreclosure

• Cam applied to 18 “top” colleges, worrying more about getting in to the best school than finding a good match. At the accepted student open houses, most described how wonderful their college was and how great it was to be in the Class of 2009. He gained little understanding about which college was the best fit for him. At one school, reps facilitated discussions about how to make a good personal decision about college and what qualities this college had that matched his interests and style. He learned his type, and he met students with similar colors. Cam reevaluated the colleges based on their colors. He chose a roommate from his brightest color group and reconsidered his early choice of becoming a computer engineer by investigating blue and orange majors.

• Cam’s brightest colors are Blue/Orange and Green

• His type is ENFP• Unable to narrow down choices• Unfamiliar with his E, Blue and Orange

needs• Needed specialized college counseling to

structure his search

Five-point plan to choosing the best college fit

Choose the best college:

That you can get intoThat you can afford financiallyThat you can succeed at academicallyThat you can be happy at sociallyThat fits your needs and goals

True Colors

• Brief personality style assessment• Brightest to palest color• Persons/environments with opposite color

push our buttons• Helps us make decisions based on knowledge

of self• Person-environment fit• Palest color is our weakest style

Using True Colors or MBTI: Helps to answer major questions

• What do I want to get from college?• How will I learn best at college?• How will I spend your free time at college?• How will I live at college or commute to college?• How (and where) will I study at college• When do I want to go to college?• Why do I want to go to college?• Where do I want to go to college?

True Colors – MBTI Connection

• Amiable BlueCompassionate NF Interactive

• Analytic GreenConceptual NT Independent

• Driver GoldConventional SJ Structured

• Expressive Orange Courageous SP

Active

Who is like me?

• Orange 35-40%:

• Gold 35-40%

• Green 12-15% –M 70% F 30%

• Blue 12-15%–M 30% F 70%

Famous Color Types• Orange

– Michael Jordan– Elvis Presley– Ronal Reagan – Marilyn Monroe– Billy Graham– JFK– Lee Iacocca– Winston Churchill– George Patton

• Gold– George H. Bush– Walter Cronkite– Connie Chung– Johnnie Carson

• Green– Hillary Clinton– Rosalyn Carter– Columbo– Socrates– Moses– Carl Jung

• Blue• Mother Theresa• Julie Andrews• Princess Diana• Jimmy Carter• Pope John• Caesar• Ronald Reagan• Ghandi

CAREER PREFERENCES

• OrangeSportsEntrepreneursEnterprising• GoldNurseTeacherPrincipal, Supt.CEOs, Managers

• GreenLawyerComputer EngineerScientistArchitect• BlueCounselorPsychologistSocial Worker

Color Slogans• Green– Think!– E=MC2– A mind is a terrible thing to waste– Rome was not built in a day– I’ll think about it.

• Orange– Go for it!– The thrill of success, the agony of defeat.– Everybody loves a winner.– Where’s the action?

• Gold– Honor thy parents– Be prepared– A penny saved is a penny earned

• Blue– To thine own self be true

– Reach out and touch someone– Did you get a hug today?– Show your true colors

• \

Orange sees self as• Fun-loving, enjoy life• Spontaneous• Flexible• Adaptable• Carefree• Proficient, Capable• Hands-on• Practical• Problem solver• Quick witted

• Confident• Good negotiator• Do many things at once• Eclectic• Can deal with chaos• Curious• Welcomes new ideas• Superior ability to discriminate

among options• Sees shades of gray• Great in crisis/emergency

Gold sees self as• Stable• Providing security• Dependable, • Responsible• Firm• Always has a view• Efficient• Realist• Dignified, cultures

• Generous• Executive type• Strong work ethic• Orderly, neat• Good at sorting, weeding out• Organized• Punctual• Goal-oriented• Seeking closure

Green sees self as• Superior intellect• 98% right• Powerful• Creative• Visionary• Original• Eminently reasonable• Rational• Complex• Competent

• Abstract thinker• Calm, not emotional• Under control• Precise, not repetitive• Able to find flaws• Objectives• Seeking justice• Firm-minded• Able to reprimand• Intelligent

Blue sees self as• Affirming• Great Communicator • Caretaker• Promoting growth, well

being• Relates current experiences

to past experiences• Likes people• Sympathetic• Nurturing

• Warm• Compassionate• Romantic• Spiritual• Idealistic• Willing to work tirelessly for

a cause• Unselfish• Empathic• Loving

Orange needs

• Freedom• Flexible environment• Challenge• Humor• Independence• Spotlight• Stimulation• Excitement

• Expression• Fun/Play• Variety• Applause• Support• Change• Results• Affirmation

Gold needs

• Stability• Order• To be productive• Organization• Expectations met• Recognition• Following of directions

• Loyalty• Completion of tasks• Procedures• Detailed Information• Respect• Rules• Consistency

Green needs

• High achievement• Big picture• Mental challenges• Facts• Autonomy• Strategic plans• Brevity in speech

• Time for reflection• Succinct discussion• Few directions• Time to process• Recognition for

intelligence• Being in charge• Global concepts

Blue needs

• Warmth• Intimacy• Understanding• Physical touch• Inspiration• Compassion• Romance

• Empathy• Nurturing• Approval• Recognition• Affirmation• Affection• Sensuality

Matching roommates by type

• Roommate change requests down 65%

• Residence damage costs down 36%

• Similar roommates are more satisfied

• Opposite roommates have lower GPAs

P or J? Check their car interior(or their dorm room)

Perceiving• Clutter• Like a personal

suitcase• Less organized

Judging• Clean like new• Precise• Out of sight

Extroverts’ Dorm Room• External environments

stimulate them• Choose bright exciting

paint • Often not very organized

—too busy

What will stress students out in college?

• What stresses you out on the job? – At home? – With your friends and family?– In classes?

• Who is not stressed when you are stressed?

Orange is stressed by

• Too much responsibility• Rules & regulations• Abstract concepts• Reading manuals &

directions• Imposed structure• Personal criticism

• Following detailed directions

• Routine• Deadlines• Inactivity• Lack of fun• Lack of variety• Repetition

Gold is stressed by

• Incomplete tasks• Disorganization• Irresponsibility• Changing details or

directions• Ambiguous tasks• Broken promises

• Waste• Nonconformity• Lack of structure• Haphazard attitude• Too many things going on at

once• People who don’t follow

through

Green is stressed by

• Not being in charge• Lack of independence• Subjective judgment• Emotional displays• Elaborate use of

adjectives

• Incompetence• Small talk• Routine• Social functions• Lack of recognition of

their ability

Blue is stressed by

• Broken promises• Too much negativity• Not being involved• Lack of social contact• Too much conformity• Clock watching• Being compared to

others

• Conflict• Lying• Rejection• Insincerity• Completing paperwork

as a priority• Blaming the system

before people

Campus Community Colors• Blue Macalester, Drew, Hamilton, Hobart,

Moravian, Hiram

• Green MIT, Cal Tech, Swarthmore, NJIT, Cornell,

Stevens, UMDNJ

• Orange Sarah Lawrence, Antioch, Syracuse, Full Sail,

Emerson, Prescott

• Orange/Blue Bard, Oberlin, Northeastern, Hampshire,

Colorado College, Pitzer, Paul Smith’s, Lewis & Clark, Grinnell

•

• Blue/Gold Landmark, Notre Dame, Principia

• Orange/Green Reed, New College, Delaware, Clemson, Cal Berkeley, Drexel, Wesleyan (CT), Carnegie Mellon, RPI

• Green/Gold Wellesley, Amherst, Brandeis

• Orange /Gold Citadel, Cooper Union

Rutgers

• Douglass Blue• Cook Green/Orange• Livingston Orange/Blue• Rutgers Green/Gold• Mason Gross Blue/Orange• Pharmacy Gold/Green

Others may see Orange as• Irresponsible• Flaky• Goofs off too much• Disobeys rules• Manipulative• Scattered• Not serious• Not able to stay on• task

• Scattered• Cluttered• Uncontrollable• Resists closure on

decisions• Indecisive• Obnoxious• Not to be trusted

Others may see Gold as

• Rigid• Controlling• Dull, boring• Stubborn• Opinionated• Unimaginative

• Judgmental• Bossy, controlling• Uptight• Predictable• Autocratic• System-bound

Others may see Green as• Intellectual snob• Arrogant• Heartless• Doesn’t care about

people• Ruthless• Unrealistic• Eccentric, weird• Stingy with praise• Afraid to open up

• Emotionally controlled• Cool, aloof, unfeeling• Critical, fault finding• Devaluing relational

aspects• Lacking mercy, unfair• Unappreciative of others

Others may see Blue as• Overly emotional• Bleeding Heart• Mushy• Hopelessly naïve• Too tender hearted• Easily duped• Too touchy-feeling

• Too nice• Too trusting• Smothering• Stuck in the past• Groveling• Fawning• Soft• Talks too much• Pushover

Who would you ask to • Set up games for the freshman get-acquainted party• Train front desk assistants to greet guests• Develop an analysis of dining hall use on weekends• Manage a computerized system for logging in

residence hall visitors• Stay up late to talk with a homesick freshman• Tally surveys for residence hall noise complaints• Organize freshman teams for Spirit Week contests• Welcome new international students when they arrive

The Four MBTI Functions • Extrovert – energized by being around others• Introvert – energized by spending time alone• Sensing – taking in information through five senses,

focusing on what exists, adding to external perceptions (concrete)

• Intuiting – adding ideas to external perceptions through a sixth sense, noticing what might or could be rather than what actually is (insight)

• Thinking – prefer decisions that make logical sense (logical-objective)

• Feeling – make decisions on how much they care or what they feel is right (personal-values oriented)

• Judging – like to have things, orderly, planned or decided• Perceiving – do not want to miss anything and are flexible

and spontaneous

The older we get, the more like ourselves we become…

• Large group types are consistent over time

• In a study of 1,764 college students, their type was not significantly different 10-13 years later

**Individuals’ letters may change on scales close to middle

MBTI1st and 4th position:

Preferred style of choosing courses and exploring major

1st: Extrovert vs. introvert

4th: Perceiving vs. judging

E-J: I want to decide and get it over with!

• Declares major early• Follows steps to goal• Gets career

counseling • Sense of purpose• Makes appropriate

plans (counselors love EJs)

• Most decisive style

• Chooses too early• Premature

foreclosure• Decides before

knowing self• Interest wanes • When disappointed,

chooses another quickly without info

E-P: I want to experience it all!• Ongoing process• “Bungee jumpers”• Decision is the • “Jumping off place

not a final stop”• Many clubs and

courses-wants to try everything

• Needs to talk without making decision

• Keeps changing mind• Trial and error with

majors• Wanders--Dabbler• Forced into default

choice• Frustrates their J

parents• Doesn’t have a

logical college list

I-J: I want to be sure!

• Study options methodically

• Researcher/analyst• Doesn’t consult

parents• Data collector• Counselor’s dream

• Too thorough• Read read read• Thinks alone• Surprises us with

choice• Computer vs. gut

feeling• Counselor’s fear

I-P: I wonder what I’ll be when I grow up

• Stays true to their inner world

• No decision is final• *undecided major• “Wanderers of career

decision-making”• Journey-own pace• Travel, semester abroad• *likes special advising

programs• Outside world info is

overwhelming

• Needs strong advising• Forced choice• *Least decisive style• Counselor’s nightmare

Roommate• Extrovert/introvert roommates need

balance between activity outside and quiet time

• Over-stimulated Introverts retreat into self• Introverts may not be shy• Extroverts may not be socially skilled• Extroverts need more stimulation and

make demands of introvert roommates

Roommate Types• Judging roommates follow schedule, get to

destination• Perceiving roommates choose spontaneous

activities (never decide), meander• Feeling want thanks for personal—caring, helping• Thinking want thanks for doing a task well—

cleaned car, bought tickets• Sensing or Intuitive similar roommates may have

fewest problems• Sensing roommate needs stability but iNtuitive

roommate needs constant change and excitement

RELATIONSHIPS & ROOMATES

ETJs • Most assertive• Set boundaries• Control

environment• Disrespect others’

boundaries

IFPs• Nonassertive• Don’t set clear

boundaries• Lack self

confidence• Give in to others

Dating an INTP

• The only problem with dating is that you have to do it with another person

MELINDA

• Spring 2005– Attended local college, lived at home– Was unsuccessful– Left school; worked various jobs for a few years– Reentered community college, took courses in

culinary arts, worked with a caterer– Worked in day care, enjoyed children, was

successful

True Colors and MBTI

BLUE• Need to feel unique &

authentic• Look for meaning in life,

warm• Need to contribute, care• I value Integrity & unity in

relationships• A natural romantic, poet &

nurturer

GOLD• Follow rules & respect

authority• Strong sense of right and

wrong• Need to be useful & belong• Value home, family,

tradition• Good citizen and helpful

MBTI TYPE: ENFJ

• Extraversion (Where you focus attention)• People who prefer Extraversion tend to relate easily to the outer world of

people and things.

• N Intuition (How do you ‘take in’ information)• People who prefer Intuition focus on the big picture & try to grasp the

essentials-focus on possibilities for the future.

• Feeling (How you make decisions) • People who prefer Feeling like to decide things by considering what is

most important to them. Base their decisions on person-centered values.

• Judging (How you deal with the outer world)• People who prefer Judging tend to like to have things decided; life is likely

to be planned and orderly

EJ types

· Decisive, quickly move to implement decisions“I want to decide and then get on with it.”·Put selecting a major on their ‘to do’ list soon after

getting on campus.·If a major doesn’t work out they want to quickly pick

a new one and ‘get on with it’.· Have a clear set of logical standards, systematically

follow them and want others to also· Forceful in implementing their plans

NF Types

• Typical fields of study:– Counseling, human services– Art and Music (she strongly dislikes this idea)– Behavioral Science– Education– Writing/Journalism (Enjoys writing)

Tests/PapersS

• Facts/practical applications

• Don’t like multiple choice-second guess

• Needs the right answer• On essays write every fact

they know but not integrated “mind dump”

• Write simply and directly—no frills

N• Inferences/meaning• Creative writing• Expansive, long• Embellish, goes off on

tangents• Guess/hunch is right on

multiple choice• Skips over detail

questions• Philosophical-abstract

ideas,

Tests/Papers

J • Linear-finish one paper• Calendar, break down

tasks• Follows specific

directions –exact• Use texts, current

resources

P• Multitasks—several

papers/projects• Deadline-crunch time• Digresses, new themes

emerge• Library/internet search

unending

Study

S • What it is• Memorize facts• Plow through text• Hard to put pieces

together into themes and relationships

• “nitpicky details”

N• What it all means• Ideas, themes• Relationships between

concepts/events• Hard to support ideas

with specific facts, data, or evidence

Study

J • Breaks down study agenda

days/weeks ahead• Organized study desk/career• Goes to extra review sessions• Types notes over• Asks exactly what is on the

test• Study group-too social and

time waster

P• Reads, skims• All nighters• Cogitates• Bed, couch• Lacks notes/study guide• Study groups are

philosophical and social

ST SF

• Management/business• Accounting/banking• Engineering• Law enforcement• Skilled trades

• Health care• Teaching• Community service• Religious service• Office work

NF NT

• Counseling• Human services• Writing/journalism• Behavioral science• Education• Art and music

• Law• Computers• Physical science• Research• Management

Improving College Choices• Use True Colors/MBTI

– for individual planning – in small group and

classroom sessions– Parent-student evening

college planning programs– In family sessions to

compare college environment or narrow down the college list

– For faculty/staff in-service for writing letters of recommendation or teacher advisor programs

– For comprehensive career/college curriculum

• Practical applications for– Common language– Communication-parents– Self-assessment– Career decision making– Understanding conflict

when other types push our buttons

– Comparing college environments

– Identifying potential college stressors

– Matching learning style to instructional style

– Rehearsing for social life