Category Archives: academics

academics, college guidance, financial aid, parenting

My Daughter Turned Down a Full-Ride Scholarship

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full-ride scholarship

 

During this financial aid award season, several years ago, my daughter had to make a difficult decision: which college would receive her acceptance of an offer of admission. Of the many colleges she applied to, they included private colleges, state universities, and trade colleges. Some offered her financial aid, others did not. It was a heart-wrenching decision for her: choose the college that offered the best financial aid package with a full-ride scholarship, choose her dream college that gapped her offering no financial aid, or choose the college that was her perfect fit.

For me, it was a no-brainer. One college offered her a full-ride scholarship, along with the major she wanted to pursue. It was in the city she wanted to live in. All the boxes were checked off. There was one problem, however. Since the college was over 2000 miles away from her home, she applied without ever visiting the campus.

Still stuck on her dream college, we scheduled college visits to the other colleges on her list. Here’s where the emotional issue of choosing a college entered into the mix. For teens, the college choice is always more emotional than practical. For parents, this factor makes it even more difficult for you to guide your student in the best decision.

After visiting three colleges in the same city, one her dream college, she was faced with a difficult choice. If it were up to her, she would have chosen her dream college. Knowing this decision would put her into debt, I was able to convince her to look at the other schools.

One of the other colleges offered her a full-ride scholarship; but when we drove onto the campus she immediately balked. Her reaction was so severe that she wouldn’t even get out of the car. My reaction—total anger and frustration. But I knew that I would regret forcing her to consider this college when she was so adamantly against it. So we drove away and moved on to the next college; knowing full well this meant she was turning her back on a full-ride scholarship.

The next college was a slam dunk. She loved the campus. She loved the tour and the students she met. She loved the location, its surroundings, and the total college experience it offered her. It was a small campus and since she would be so far away from home, it would be easier for her to assimilate in this type of environment. Since it was a liberal arts college, she could minor in English—something she had always wanted to do. The next best part, their financial aid package was doable. With her scholarships, grants and work study, she would only have to take out minimal student loans.

Seeing her turn down a full-ride scholarships was a tough pill to swallow. As her parent, I was completely focused on the financial aspect of the decision. But once I saw how excited she was about the other college and saw the smiles on her face, I knew this was the right decision.

Letting her make an emotional college choice (coupled with some financial sense) was the right decision. She flourished at that college. She met lifelong friends. She was able to get a well-rounded education and graduate with a degree that was employable. She still thanks me every day for letting her make that emotional choice and for also standing firm on the impracticality of her dream college.

Choosing a college is a highly emotional decision for your student. Your job as a parent is to guide them into a practical choice while taking into account that you want a happy student going off to college. Although financing should be a key part of the decision, it’s not always about the money.

academics, college guidance, college planning, Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: Dual Enrollment Pays Double

 

dual enrollment

In my book, anything that saves you money on college is a good investment of your student’s time and your financial resources. Dual enrollment can not only prepare your student for college level courses, but can save you money on college. These courses are offered in conjunction with local colleges and students can take both high school courses and college courses at the same time.

According to Wendy David-Gaines, the Long Island College Prep Examiner and POCSMom, dual enrollment courses offer huge benefits:

academics, admissions, college guidance, financial aid, parenting

Mom-Approved Tips: Insist Your Student Graduate in 4 Years or Less

 

Did you know that at most public universities, only 19 percent of full-time students earn a bachelor’s degree in four years? Even at state flagship universities — selective, research-intensive institutions — only 36 percent of full-time students complete their bachelor’s degree on time.

Nationwide, only 50 of more than 580 public four-year institutions graduate a majority of their full-time students on time. Some of the causes of slow student progress are inability to register for required courses, credits lost in transfer and remediation sequences that do not work. Studying abroad can also contribute to added time and credits lost when abroad. According to a recent report from CompleteCollege.org some students take too few credits per semester to finish on time. The problem is even worse at community colleges, where 5 percent of full-time students earned an associate degree within two years, and 15.9 percent earned a one- to two-year certificate on time.

graduate in 4 yearsWhat is lost when a student doesn’t graduate in 4 years?

MONEY! My good friend, and college counselor, Paul Hemphill of Planning for College put it into perspective recently. (See chart to the right). It’s not just the cost of the education that your student loses, but the earning potential over the additional year or years. Nothing speaks louder than cold, hard numbers.

What can parents do to ensure on-time graduation?

It’s not a difficult task, although the numbers might speak otherwise. Taking control of the process and making a plan will go a long way in ensuring on-time graduation

Show your student the numbers—Nothing speaks louder than showing your student a loss of thousands of dollars in earning potential if they don’t graduate on time.

Help them plan their major and degree plan, ensuring it can be done in 4 years—Help them plan, ask questions of their advisors, and have solid discussions about their career and/or major.

Encourage AP testing and dual-credit courses—With AP testing and dual-credit courses, a student can enter college with multiple credits out of the way. The cost of these tests and courses pales in comparison to the cost of a college credit and extra money paid if they don’t graduate on time. It’s conceivable that with the right planning, a student can graduate in less than 4 years.

Attend community college for the basics during the summer before college—Not only will your student get some courses out of the way at a cheaper rate, they will enter college with credits under their belt.

Use some tough love—Explain the importance of graduating on time and explain that you will support them for 4 years only. After that, the cost is on them. Nothing motivates a teen more than realizing they will have to pay for college themselves.

Below is a neat little graphic (courtesy of Paul Hemphill) breaking it down for you.

graduate in 4 years

academics, admissions, college costs, college majors

Payscale’s 2015 College Salary Report

 

salary reportWith college costs rising, along with student debt, it’s more important than ever for parents and students to look carefully at college ROI (return on investment) when creating the college list. Payscale recognizes the importance of choosing a college major that will be a good return on investment and has released their 2015 College Salary Report.

Following are just a few of the categories covered in the data:

Majors That Pay You Back (Associate and Bachelor’s Degrees)

When somebody tells you they are headed to a college or university, whether it’s for an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, MBA or PhD, the first question out of everybody’s mouth is “Where are you going to school?” In reality though, the choice of major can have a much bigger impact on your future earnings than the school you attend. PayScale ranks the top college majors by salary to help you figure out how much you can earn after graduation.

Most Recommended Majors (by alumni)

What makes graduates recommend their major to students trying to pick a major today? One look at this list of most recommended majors shows us that the majors that people rave about are the ones that allow them to easily find a job in their intended field. It’s not necessarily how much money a person makes, but the likelihood that they can find work doing what they want to do.

Best schools for particular majors (by earning potential)

Choosing a college and deciding to get a degree are big decisions, so do your homework and choose the degree and school that will set you up for the career of your dreams. PayScale’s 2015 College Salary Report ranks undergraduate and 2-year colleges by the highest earning graduates.

Common jobs for particular majors

Choosing a college and deciding to get a degree are big decisions, so do your homework and choose the degree and school that will set you up for the career of your dreams. PayScale’s 2015 College Salary Report ranks undergraduate and 2-year colleges by the highest earning graduates.

College Comparison Tool (compare up to 5 colleges side by side)

Trying to decide which college or university to attend? PayScale has alumni salary data about more than 1,000 schools. Select up to five schools and see how they compare based on earning potential and more.

Most Meaningful Majors

When it comes to choosing a career and picking a college major that will help you achieve your goals, money isn’t everything. Job meaning counts for a lot too. That’s why PayScale asks everybody who takes our survey if they feel like their job makes the world a better place. This list ranks 207 college majors by the percentage of graduates in each major who answer that question with a resounding “yes.”

Here’s an article published in Money Magazine, “Choosing a College Major by Age 16 Pays Off”, proposing that students should think about choosing a major early to avoid spending more for the college education than necessary.

A college choices isn’t all about the money, but it should certainly factor into such a large financial investment. Parents and students should do their homework, just as they would if purchasing any other big ticket item.

academics, college planning, guidance counselors

Wednesday’s Parent: Choosing Courses to Impress Colleges

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coursesHelping your college-bound teen choose the right courses is one of your most important jobs as a Parent College Coach. Along with your teen’s high school counselor and after doing a little research, you should be well prepared to guide your teen in choosing courses that will challenge them academically. There is no substitute for a solid academic, college focused education. Your teen’s transcript will be the cornerstone of their college application and college admissions counselors weigh the content of that transcript to determine your teen’s ability to handle a rigorous college course load.

A college education builds on the knowledge and skills that your teen has acquired during junior high and high school. Most selective colleges with the highest admission requirements look for students who have taken challenging science and math courses beyond the basics. Basic computer skills are essential, along with three or four years of a foreign language.

Advanced Placement (AP) Classes

Many high schools offer AP (Advanced Placement) courses and exams. AP courses are college level courses in approximately 16 different subjects helping students to prepare for college level work while still in high school. After the course is completed, your teen can take an AP test in the subject and many times receive college course credit. There is a difference between Honors classes and AP classes. Honors classes are advanced classes. AP classes and AP Honors classes offer the opportunity for testing once the course is completed. Having these difficult courses on your teen’s transcript communicates that they are up for the challenge of college and they can successfully complete college-level courses.

Dual Credit Courses

Many schools also offer an opportunity to take Dual Credit courses. A dual credit course is a college course taken by a high school student for which the student earns both college and high school credit at the same time. Some courses are taught at the high school campus during high school hours while others are taught at local colleges during the day, evenings, and weekends. By participating in the dual credit program, it enables your teen to make substantial progress toward their college degree before finishing high school. Students who begin taking courses in their junior year can earn thirty or more college credits by the time they graduate from high school if they also take summer classes at the college. It is possible to earn sophomore status even before they start college full time.

Electives

As you begin to plan your teen’s high school curriculum add any electives that might interest them: art, music, theater arts, JROTC, computer science, and business to name a few. If they are interested in pursuing a college education in theater arts, they should definitely add Drama to their curriculum. My daughter felt like that was what she wanted to do after high school. But after taking a few Drama courses, she realized it was not for her. It saved us thousands of dollars in the long run because she would have had to change majors in college and most likely increase the time of attendance. Letting them experiment in high school will also cement their interest and help in choosing the college that is best suited for their specific interest.

Your teen’s high school counselor should be able to offer additional help in the selection process and answer any questions you might have regarding specific college course requirements.

Read Wendy’s Post: High School Courses and College Admissions

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Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Wendy and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!

Join @pocsmom and I tonight with a #WednesdaysParent version of #CampusChat at 9PM ET with guest Nicole Lentine (@nlentine), Admissions Counselor at Champlain College, Co-Host of Admissions Live on the #HigherEdLive network discussing “How to Choose High School Courses.

Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from parentingforcollege to pocsmom.com and vice versa.

academics, App Tuesday

Parent Toolkit App

 

 

parent toolkit app

The Parent Toolkit App is designed to help you navigate your child’s growth and development from Pre-K through 12th grade in the classroom and beyond. For each grade, the app offers benchmarks to see what your child will be learning in school, and recommendations for diet, sleep and physical activity. The grade-by-grade tips work into your everyday schedule to support what your child is learning and promote a healthy lifestyle.

Choose whether you want to browse through academic or health and wellness benchmarks and tips. The academic information will help you ensure your child is on the path to success. It also provides helpful advice on homework, parent-teacher conferences and supporting learning at home. In the health and wellness section, you’ll find tips on encouraging physical activity, eating a well-balanced diet, and ways to make sure your child gets enough sleep.

Set priorities for you and your child to come back to using The Parent Toolkit App. A priority is an item that you mark as important to your child’s development. It can be something you want to review later, or a tip you want to remember to try. Use the “+” button to mark items as priorities and create a list for review later. You can then mark items as completed once you’ve accomplished your goals. You can also share helpful information and tips throughout the app with family, friends, and more using social networks or email.

The Parent Toolkit App is produced by NBC News and sponsored by Pearson. It has been accessibility tested and works with VoiceOver. Download The Parent Toolkit App in English or Spanish and get started today — it’s free!

You can download your FREE mobile app here: http://lksn.se/toolkit 

Or text “Toolkit” to 33733

academics

Academic Writing Tools

 

recommendation letterMany people view academia as “pretend” – as something separate from the real world. While there are many things about school that don’t translate well into real life, there are many things that do. The process used for writing a dissertation, and in fact writing anything, can be a good foundation for how to approach any real-life problem.

Formulate An Idea

This is probably the hardest part of writing. You need something to write about. There are a lot of ways to come up with ideas, but one of the best is to think about what you’re most passionate about, what needs further research in your field of study, and then find the crossover point.

Poll your professors, other students, and alumni for answers. You can also hire a company like Ivory Research to get the wheels turning. Companies like these are professional research companies that help with the research and writing process. But, they’re not just good for a dissertation. They can help you write practically anything.

Start With Brainstorming

A good brainstorming session begins with a clear, yet focused, mind. You must clear your thoughts of all distractions. A good way to do this would be to do some meditation before you write, or go for a walk in the woods – somewhere where you can find peace and tranquillity. When you’re ready to write, get rid of all distractions.

You should silence your phone, shut off access to the Internet, and close and lock your door for privacy. Then, start writing. Don’t think too hard about what you’re writing – this is a mistake most students make. This is not a time for editing anything. This is a time to write from your subconscious.

Your first draft should look almost like a stream of consciousness. You might veer off onto tangents. That’s fine. You’ll go back and edit it later. Eventually, your drafting process will become cleaner so that extensive editing won’t be necessary. However, and especially if you’re not an experienced writer, your first draft will be quite ugly.

Do not edit anything. Resist the urge to edit as you type. This not only slows you down, but it can kill the creative writing process, which is necessary to make your dissertation, or research paper interesting as well as informative.

When you’re out of college, this technique is useful for just about any problem-solving you will do. You can whip out a sheet of paper and start writing down questions and problems you’re facing – even if they initially don’t make sense. Then, you can go back and analyse them.

Analyse The Draft

There’s a lot that won’t make it into the final draft. The editing process is where you decide which takes priority. This is the time when you can be objective about your writing. Before, it was purely subjective. You were tapping your subconscious for ideas – powerful, emotionally-driven ideas. Now, it’s time to justify those ideas with logic and reason.

Think about the process itself and uncover patterns you might have developed subconsciously.

Think About The Process

The writing process itself is a learning experience. Thinking about your process consciously and objectively can teach you about how your subconscious reacts to certain situations, ideas, and how you feel about things.

Naturally, this carries over in real life. When you’re feeling distressed about something, or happy, you can use writing to write out all of your emotions, questions, and ideas. Then you can think about the processes going on inside your head. Why did you think or feel a certain way?

This can help you uncover hidden motivations in your writing, patterns that limit your writing, and even processes that strengthen your writing.

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Jenny Wescott has been an online tutor for some time now. She likes to share her insights to help others research and write better. You can find her blog posts mainly on education, research and writing websites. 

 

academics, Sponsored posts

How to prepare for college level language courses

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language coursesLearning foreign languages is an exciting challenge that opens up a world of possibilities. Students who wish to explore other countries during summer vacations should definitely try to learn a language or two to get the most out of the experience. Fresh graduates will find it quite helpful to be multi-lingual, especially during their job hunting. Lots of positions nowadays require proficiency in a second language.

Spanish is spoken by millions of people in the US, South America, Europe, and the rest of the world. It’s a great choice for college students who are looking to expand their education. It is extremely useful yet not as difficult as others such as Greek or Japanese. Here are some ideas on how to prepare for college level language classes:

Check Out the Books at the Library

The school library should have plenty of books and other resources that can help in the study of languages. The most important one is the professor’s preferred textbook for class as it will contain the specific examples that will be discussed. It is essential to have a copy of it when getting ready for recitations. However, students should not limit themselves to this alone. Look for other reading materials that use different techniques in teaching Spanish. They might clarify concepts that are unclear in other sources. Hunt for English-to-Spanish dictionaries, light Spanish novels, and the like.

Bookmark Online Resources

The Internet is rich filled with educational materials. Anyone can find them after a few minutes with a capable search engine. Bookmark these resources so that they can be retrieved quickly when needed. Students who are planning to get foreign language credits can read these in advance. Doing so will allow them to breeze through the lessons in class and impress their peers. Many of these are free such as Wikiversity’s language courses, Qué Onda Spanish’s fun word games, and Spanish-Resource’s innovative learning platform. Online translators will be useful as well.

Install Helpful Mobile Applications

Nearly everyone is glued to a phone all day so why not install a Spanish app to make it a learning tool? Mobile developers have come up with a variety of applications that aid language learners with their studies. These include dictionaries, phrasebooks, basic lessons, vocabulary builders, translators and games. Some of these can be set to notify the user that it’s time for a certain lesson. This is effective in cultivating consistency, which has been found to be the key in boosting retention. More established software brands are also available for desktop and laptop computers.

Listen to Audio Recordings

Audio tapes have been a staple of language learning for a long while. These allow learners to get a good grasp of the sounds so that a foreign language soon comes across as quite natural to the ear. The companies behind these tapes can approach the lessons quite differently. Some focus on providing instructions in a very organized manner. Others make their tapes more conversational and spontaneous. The rest offer a mixture of these schools of thought. The best approach is a matter of personal preference. The only way to know is to try and fortunately most have samples on their official websites.

Watch Foreign Language Films

Make learning more enjoyable by watching foreign language films at every opportunity. There should be plenty of Spanish movies for rent on DVD and online streaming services. Try to find copies that have the original audio with subtitles. This can be distracting at first but stick with it and the patience will be rewarded. It’s a fantastic way to learn more about language and culture — two things that are truly inseparable.

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Author Bio

Fred Johnson is a writer and blogger who focuses on the areas of education and language. This article helps students prepare for university language classes and promotes language comprehension tools such as those at http://spanish-resources.com/

 

academics, spotlight on

The GPA isn’t everything. Or is it?

 

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gpa
Photo courtesy of Zinch

GPA’s enter our teen’s world in high school. Everything they do academically affects their GPA. If they start out strong and stay consistent, that GPA could mean offers of admission from multiple colleges. Colleges look at a student’s GPA to determine their capabilities to perform well in a college academic setting. Less that stellar grades, or even average ones, could communicate a lack of commitment or even an attitude of laziness.

If their grades begin to falter, not all is lost. There are things they can do to bump up their grade point average and get back on the path to improved academics. Is it easy? No. Is it worth it? Absolutely.

Our friends at Zinch have given us some simple tricks that can save your GPA. Follow their simple steps and your student could see rapid improvement and also improve their chances of getting into the college of their dreams.

Read Zinch’s “Simple Tricks That Can Save Your GPA”