Category Archives: admissions

admissions, college guidance, college majors

ROTC in college

 

college rotcThe Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) prepares college students for a career in the military by offering them field training. Students who take ROTC classes also have to complete their college coursework like other students. Admittedly, juggling grueling ROTC field training and the demands of schoolwork can be quite challenging. However, the rewards of overcoming such challenges are enormous. For instance, with the ever-increasing cost of college education, ROTC offers students some much-needed financial assistance besides equipping them with numerous important lifelong skills. Some of the other benefits of ROTC in college include the following:

College Scholarships

Students who enroll in ROTC programs stand a chance of receiving financial aid that they can use to pay for their college tuition expenses. In some cases, the ROTC offers full scholarships that cover tuition costs, living expenses and stipends for personal expenses. In view of this, students interested in military careers who qualify for ROTC can pay for their education and avoid debt.  However, because the ROTC offers scholarships based on merit, students who receive these scholarships have to maintain excellent academic scores for the entire duration of their course.

Guarantee Promising Careers

Upon graduation, college students who are part of the ROTC program can begin their military careers as second lieutenants immediately.  Depending on the skills different graduates have, they can easily rise through the military ranking system and start enjoying the benefits of a successful military career. Additionally, even in the rare cases where ROTC members decide not to pursue careers in the military after graduation, the skills they develop while they were members of the ROTC may make it easier for them to find employment in other sectors.

Continue reading ROTC in college →

admissions, college guidance, college planning

5 Simple ways to prepare for college in high school

 

high schoolGetting ready for college or post-secondary school is a huge milestone in a student’s life and is the first real step towards adulthood. As a college student, you will be on your own immersed in schooling that will become your job for the next two to four years of your life. For the first time, rewards will be based entirely on what you produce and the time you are willing to commit to becoming successful. College really is a time that allows you to shape your future career, so it’s important to start preparing at a young age rather than at the last minute.  Here are a list of ways to help start preparing early for college in order to ensure a successful experience that will prepare you for your career:

  1. Meet with your high-school counselor by the end of your sophomore year. This is a person you want on your team for the next few years you are in high school. Your counselor will ask what you envision doing beyond high school, your goals and vision for your future career. He or she will help you draw out a plan to reach those goals.  If you wait until senior year it could already be too late to get particular requirements you may need to attend the school of your dreams.
  2. Research college degree requirements. Throughout high school, you may have the opportunity to get some college credit out of the way without even knowing it. At some universities, four years of a foreign language in high school will be enough to satisfy language requirements for your degree. Also, AP and honors classes can sometimes fulfill certain degree requirements, which will be very beneficial to you once you reach college so those classes will already be out of the way.
  3. Develop a high school schedule with your counselor. Prepare, prepare, prepare. One of the easiest ways to have a smooth transition from high school to college is to prepare. Work with your high school counselor ahead of time to pinpoint what school courses you need to take and pass to fit those college subjects the best. Sift through options of high school electives that match with the specific degree you will be going for.
  4. Get involved with extracurricular activities. Universities want to see students whom will involve themselves in campus life and have shown their dedication in the past. It is a great idea to get involved with clubs, volunteer work, or even sporting teams to prove to universities that you are able to manage your time with other events and work aside from homework.
  5. Begin preparing for and completing the PSAT/ACT/SAT. As annoying as studying for a standardized test can be, it really is important to do well on these tests in order to get into the school of your choice. Many high schools have you take these in your junior or senior year, and all universities require one of these standardized tests in order to be considered for admission. It is important to note that some college degrees require a minimum score on these tests in order to be accepted into their program.

 ______________________________

Today’s guest post is written by Trae Lewis, a recent graduate of University of Colorado and a staff writer for CollegeFocus, a website dedicated to helping students deal with the challenges of college, including housing, finance, style, health, relationships, and transferring from a community college to a four-year university. You can follow CollegeFocus on Twitter at @CollegeFocus101 and Facebook at www.fb.com/collegefocus.

 

admissions, college planning

The Common App: Available August 1

 

common app

Starting August 1, the new Common App will be available for students to complete. The CA4, as it’s called, will have a few notable changes:

  • The online experience will improve–The questions will be tailored to each individual student’s relevant information, with help available onscreen alongside each question. The app will offer continuous status checks so students can keep track of their progress; and the school code search has been streamlined.
  • The Arts and Athletics portion of the application have changed–The Arts Supplement will be replaced by Slideroom.com for easy integration with the application. The Athletic Supplement will be discontinued and become a part of the application itself.
  • There will no longer be the option to print and mail your application–You can no longer print your application and mail it to the colleges. Students can print to preview, but all applications must be submitted online.
  • There will be unlimited edits–Recognizing the need to edit the Common App for errors or updating information, students can now make unlimited edits.
  • Students can have three submitted essay versions–The essay can have a maximum of three submitted versions, allowing students to make corrections and updates.

The Common App has also improved how it collects the information from the student throughout the application process.

When August 1st rolls around, it’s a good idea to take a look, fill out the parts of the application you know will not change, and save it for later completion. Doing this over the summer allows your student has time to pay close attention to detail and become familiar with the application components.

To view a more detailed explanation of the changes for this year, check out C4: The New Common Application. 

 

admissions, college planning, websites

A new tool for college admissions

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statfuse college admissionsWhen I come across a product or service that can benefit parents and students during the college admissions process, I like to pass it along. StatFuse.com is a FREE service to help in choosing a college.

Getting into college these days is not as easy as it once was. The process for college admissions has changed over the years and become increasingly difficult. Even though the bar has been raised, admissions to college still are at the forefront of every prospective students mind.
Creating a list of schools to attend and crossing off the list as you get to know these institutions better. StatFuse.com takes all of your information and compares it to the standards your choice colleges have set. Our services can tell if you have what it takes, what you should do next, and maybe find a school that you didn’t even think about.

StatFuse allows students to create a free account where they can calculate their chances to colleges (through the “Chanculator”), find recommendations to colleges, track their progress to specific colleges, and much more. Parents can now plan their students’ future properly with the help of these tools while saving money on applications and other unnecessary fees.

This company was launched by two Southern California students, Jeet Banerjee & Supan Shah (ages 19 & 17) who wanted to help their fellow students solve some of the problems they faced as high schoolers. These young entrepreneurs developed the algorithm and innovative tools offered on the website and are focused on keeping this website free so that it is accessible to all students.

When asking the co-founders what their plans in the future for this company were, they simply said: “Our goal is to let every high school student and parent know about our product and how they can benefit from it.”

While StatFuse is beneficial in the college process, it’s important for parents and students to remember that statistics may predict your chances, but the human factor is also important. Choose your college wisely: using statistics, preferences, academics and future goals.

 

admissions, parenting

Are helicopter parents getting a bad rap?

 

helicopter parentIt’s no surprise. Colleges and universities view today’s breed of college parent with some disdain. They see us as interfering in our student’s lives and overly involved in the college admissions process. If you compare us to the parents of 20 years ago, you might draw the same conclusion. We’ve been given the following names: helicopter parents, snow plow parents, and bulldozer parents. These nicknames have emerged over the last few years viewing parents as “the enemy”.

But are these characterizations really accurate? One school administrator thinks otherwise. Beth Moriarty, Director of Residence Life and Housing at Bridgewater State University and adjunct faculty member in the Student Affairs Counseling Program believes that it is time to change our views on parental involvement. In a recent post, she prefaced her argument:

K-12 literature supports the premise that parents who are involved in their students’ education, have students who are more likely to succeed both academically and socially. Additional research states that parents who are involved have students who are less likely to participate in at-risk alcohol and drug behavior. Research on first-generation, low income, and minority students suggests that parental involvement can increase the likelihood of students in these groups persisting to graduation. With this being said, perhaps we should embrace parents as partners, rather than fearing them as the enemy.

It’s a fact that some parents do get overly involved in their student’s life. But saying that all parents are helicopter parents is wrong. Our roles as parents have changed and evolved over the years. Today’s parents are invested in their student’s educational future and success. With competition among students more prevalent than ever before, encouragement and support can often translate into over-involvement. How do we help university officials see that parenting can be viewed in a positive light? Should parents be embraced as partners and should the colleges help parents embrace that role?

Take a few minutes and read the complete content of Ms. Moriarity’s post and comment here if you agree or disagree. I would love to hear your thoughts.

 

admissions, college guidance, college majors, college planning

4 Reasons to Consider a Business Degree

 

business degreeNarrowing down the best major is often difficult. Some students choose the wrong path and end up regretting their degree program. Likewise, other students choose degree programs with limited job opportunities. Choosing to enroll as a Cardinal Stritch business management student, for instance, can open the door to several career opportunities in the future. If your student is on the fence and can’t decide between a business program and another degree, here are four good reasons to pursue a business degree.

1. Better Job Security

There is no guaranteed way to avoid a job lay off. However, obtaining a business degree can provide greater job security. Education level can impact unemployment, as well as the type of education. Business is an in-demand degree, with many graduates able to find stable employment upon completion of their degree.

Continue reading 4 Reasons to Consider a Business Degree →

admissions, college guidance, college planning, essays

How to Make a Winning College Application Video Essay

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video essay

Today, I’m reviewing a book entitled “How to Make a Winning College Application Video Essay” by Max Kiefer and Rosa Wolfe. This book is written by parents for students: “We are a husband and wife writing and filmmaking team who have worked together so long that finishing each other’s written sentences is literally our stock in trade.”

In the beginning text in the book, they talk about the emergence of the video college application essay:

UTube officially arrived in 2009 when Tufts University invited applicants to submit an optional one-minute video. Tufts’ director of admissions, Lee Coffin, made this decision after being so impressed with a student video he famously remarked, “I thought, ‘If this kid applied to Tufts, I’d admit him in a minute, without anything else.’ ” With or without Tuft’s paradigm-changing decision, in the Internet age the college admissions video was inevitable. For a generation that has grown up swimming in social media, for whom images are a critical adjunct to communication, it’s hard to imagine that videos would not eventually become an element in the college sweepstakes. George Mason University, William and Mary, and St. Mary’s College have also begun inviting video submissions. More schools will surely follow. In any case, providing the colleges to which you apply with a DVD or a link to a short video essay won’t hurt. You don’t need to ask permission. If a college doesn’t want to look at your video, they simply won’t… but there’s every chance they will.

Continue reading How to Make a Winning College Application Video Essay →

admissions, college planning, websites

The College Application Process–New Tools for the Digital Age

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It always excites me when I find a tool that helps parents and students stay organized during the college admissions process. In the past, we have used filing drawers, wall calendars and to-do-lists to stay on top of all the admissions requirements. Then we moved on to usb storage drives, smartphone calendars and Evernote, which have worked seamlessly over the last few years. But today, there is a new tool for the digital age: The College Application Wizard.

 

 

College Application Wizard is the brainchild of Lynell Engelmyer and Kelly Herrington. Between Lynell and Kelly, they have over four decades of experience in college admissions, college counseling, and college financial aid.  Lynell, a former Director of Financial Aid, owns a successful college counseling practice in upstate New York, and frequently writes and speaks to groups about all aspects of applying to and paying for  college.  Kelly is the Director of College Counseling at a high school in the Pacific Northwest and is the former Associate Dean of Admissions at Union College.  Lynell and Kelly worked with a team of graphic designers, programmers and writers to create the first online personalized college organizer – The College Application Wizard.

 Just to see how the program works, I signed up for a free account (one college) and walked through the process. It was simple, self-explanatory, and allowed you to tailor your list by setting your own deadlines on the tasks and adding any extra to-do lists for each task. The application gives you all the requirements for each individual college: transcripts you need to gather, recommendation letter requirements, forms required for financial aid, application and financial aid deadlines, and essay topics. Here’s a screenshot of the college that I set up–Bentley University.
The cost is free for one college and $9.95 for up to 15 colleges for one year of access (more than enough in a narrowed down list). The fee includes the customized online organizer tool and a host of other resources including the advice of professionals with almost a half-century of college admission and financial aid experience.  The fee also allows the student to share their account with two people (parents, counselors, mentors, etc.)  These mentors enjoy read-only access to the student’s file. In my opinion, this is a BARGAIN!

Why Do Students and Parents Need The College Application Wizard?

Gone are the days when every high school had enough college counselors with sufficient time to work with each student. Today, one counselor is often assigned to hundreds of students.  At the same time, the process itself has become more complex and the competition increased.  In the past, students applied to three or four colleges.  Today, students often apply to 7 to 10 colleges or more.  Students who used to take either the SAT or ACT now take both tests and may also need to take SAT Subject Tests as well.  Arts majors may need to prepare a portfolio.  Athletes must prepare an athletic resume and submit game film to schools.  Students need to request teacher recommendations and follow-up to make sure they were submitted by the deadlines.  Families applying for financial aid face another important set of requirements and deadlines with very high stakes attached.   It’s the rare person who can seamlessly navigate and organize every step of this process.  For many applicants, this process is a complex, confusing maze.

The College Application Wizard takes the confusion out of the process and straightens out the maze to organize, guide and support students along the path to college.  It helps students understand the steps they need to take and take those steps in the right order and at the right time.  It relieves anxiety and takes the stress out of the process for parents.  In the words of a parent who saw the prototype of the College App Wizard, “This is a parent’s dream come true!”

admissions, college apps, college costs, college guidance, college housing, college majors, college planning, college visits, dorm life, financial aid, parenting, scholarships, student loans, test prep, tutoring, Uncategorized, websites

Comprehensive List of College Info Websites

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college planning

Here’s a current comprehensive list of my picks for college info websites. Do you have any additional suggestions?

COLLEGE BLOGS

ParentingforCollege.com–You will find the MOST information ere olege news. Come here first to find the latest and bhest tools to hn our blog: college guidance, college planning, college coaching, and colelp you navigate the college maze.

TheCollegeSolutionBlog.com–An excellent resource for college-bound teens and their parents: admissions, testing, and financial aid.

UniversityLanguage.com/blog–Great blog articles about everything related to college admissions geared toward students.

GreatCollegeAdvice.com/blog–An excellent resource about the college admissions process providing expert advice helping students map their college journey.

USNews.com/Education–The education channel of U.S. News and World Reports providing the latest news and information related to college.

CollegeBasics.com–An excellent resource for information about college essays, college applications and high school resumes.

InsideHigherEd.com/blogs–Several different blogs related to higher education.

CollegeAdmissionsPartners.com/blog–An expert blog dedicated to helping students find the right college.

CollegeFocus.com/colleges–A virtual clearinghouse of blogs related to college life, parenting, college searches, etc.

Road2College.com–You can find just about any topic related to college prep at this site: financial aid, college planning, student loans, test prep, and more.

PARENT SITES

UniversityParent.com–A site where parents can ask questions, gather information, and download and view college guides and campus newsletters.

CollegeParentCentral.com–A blog created to give parents useful information about college and the college admissions process.

YourCollegeKid.com–A site with parent forums and other college prep tools.

CollegiateParent.com-A site dedicated to providing parents with information for their college students.

FINANCIAL AID

Fafsa.ed.gov–The official government website for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

SallieMae.com/plan–A FREE education investment planner that will help determine college costs, compare college costs, and provides information about student loan repayments.

SavingForCollege.com–Everything you need to know about financing a college education.

FinAid.org–An excellent resource for the answers to all your questions regarding college financial aid.

CollegeFinancialAidAdvisors.com–Help with the college financial aid process.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Fastweb.com–An extensive scholarship search website with a massive database of scholarships, along with articles and helps designed specifically for parents.

Chegg.com–A free service for students and parents where students can showcase themselves, connect with colleges, and search for scholarships.

Cappex.com–The place to go to find merit scholarships and academic scholarships from colleges across the country.

Scholarships.com–An extensive scholarship search engine that helps you search and schedule alerts for deadlines.

How2winscholarships.com–A guide for parents and students on how to effectively apply to and win scholarships.

COLLEGE VISITS

SmartCollegeVisit.com–Created to provide information about college visits, help parents and students plan, and view personal accounts from both parents and students.

CollegeWeekLive.com–A virtual college fair that sponsors free LIVE events with archived presentations, student chats, and college booths.

Youniversitytv.com–Learn about colleges by watching video tours, chat with students on campus forums, post questions and get answers.
CustomCollegeVisits.com–Offer custom tailored to your family’s needs, whether you’re visiting college & university campuses close to home, across the country or from overseas.

COLLEGE PLANNING

Cappex.com–A site created for students to help them simplify their college search, create a profile and search for scholarships.

CommonApp.org–The common application site used by 400 colleges and universities across the country.

PrincetonReview.com–The best value colleges list for public and private institutions across the country.

UPromise.com–UPromise partners return a portion of eligible purchase money back to you. Those earnings accumulate in your Upromise account until you decide to use it to invest in a 529 plan, help pay down eligible student loans or assist with college expenses—all tax-free!

CollegeBoard.com–It’s here you’ll find the CSS Profile application (required by many private colleges), register for the SAT, and read articles about planning for college.

CollegeXpress.com–A search site that groups colleges in categories and provides college “hot” lists (i.e. top college for late bloomers, colleges for students needing a second chance)

VolunteerMatch.org–Find local volunteer opportunities for your college-bound teen and teach them about the importance of giving back to their community with the added bonus of adding that service to their high school resume.

KnowHow2Go.com–A college planning site for college-bound students providing helps and aids from middle school to senior year: interactive and fun!

 BigFuture.collegeboard.org–A planning tool to help parents and students get ready for college.

TEST PREP / TUTORING

TutorsForTestPrep.com–An SAT expert and coach offering tips to help your college-bound teen improve their SAT/ACT scores.

FairTest.org–The site for the National Center for fair and open testing providing information about colleges who do not use the SAT/ACT for admissions decisions.

QuincyTutoring.com–A resource to find a tutor and schedule a tutoring session.

LaunchpadEducation.com–Tutoring to help students with learning disabilities and ADHD.

CramBetter.com–CramBetter uses bite-sized video lessons to help you focus on the material that’s most likely to show up on your exams in math, physics and chemistry.

TEXTBOOKS

ECampus.com—Find textbooks, sell textbooks, search for college supplies and college apparel all on this one site.

Chegg.com–A hub for students to compare textbook prices, study for exams, and choose the right courses.

RECRUITING

NCSASports.org–The college recruiting site for athletes.

BeRecruited.com–If you have a teen that’s a student athlete, they can create an online profile here and help colleges and coaches find them and be recruited.

admissions, test prep

FindTheBest offers test prep comparison

 

For seniors, the end of the college application process has come to an end.  Acceptance letters should be rolling in and they should now start gathering information and comparing different schools to see which one they want to spend the next four years.

But for juniors, the process has just begun (if it hasn’t already).  Spring is not just the season of flowers and birds; it is also the season of standardized testing.  And since it is generally advised to take the SAT or ACT two to three times in order to get your best composite score, students should start taking the tests now.

For those who have already taken their first SAT, taking it a second time is almost statistically guaranteed to improve your score.  But what can improve your score even more is doing test prep.  Compare test prep courses based on exam, class size, category, total cost, and total hours.  

Of course, there’s also always the option of buying one of those giant blue practice exam books and teaching yourself through discovery.  But it is usually worth it to just attend even a few hours of class, even if it is just to learn a few basic tips that will allow you to squeeze every point that you can out of the SATs and ACTs. Remember, however, that not all test prep companies are alike. Do the research, ask around and talk to some experts on Twitter before you drop some serious cash on test prep.

 

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