Category Archives: college prep

college prep

Use the Summer to Prepare for College

summer

Summer is here and it’s a good time for parents of college-bound students to make the most of the free time. Your student will certainly be busy, especially if this is the summer before senior year.

But there are a few things you should make sure to complete during the summer that will help your student progress along the college admissions path. It’s never too early to start preparing your student for college.

Start preparing your student for independence.

Use the summer to teach some basic life skills. It’s never too early to start preparing for independence. College is the first step toward adult independence. Students will have to make their own decisions, be responsible for their own actions and deal with the consequences of their choices. Some basic life skills can make the transition to adulthood easier.

  • Laundry: If your student isn’t doing the own laundry, the summer is a good time to start. You would be surprised how many college students don’t have a clue on how to do their own laundry.

  • Budget basics: Handling money is a life skill that every college student needs to know. Open a student checking account for summer job paychecks and teach how to handle it. Students can monitor the balance on an app and learn to save and budget for any spending.

  • Public transportation: Many colleges don’t allow freshmen to have a car on campus so it’s imperative to be able to navigate public buses, subways, trains or ride-share services.

  • Basic cooking skills: Fast food can be expensive and it’s easy to save money on food while in college with some basic skills. Even many dorms have kitchens.

Once you’ve started preparing your student for independence, you can move on to some other important projects. Read about them here in an article I wrote for TeenLife Magazine: How to Use the Summer to Prepare for College.

college planning, college prep

How One Student Hacked the College System

A short time ago I was contacted by a college student who has written an ebook about hacking the college system. How did he do it? He took advantage of AP and CLEP testing. He did an entire year’s worth of college in just a few months! Sound crazy? It’s not. It’s a path to getting a college degree without going into thousands of dollars of student debt. His ebook is an easy to read, step by step method on how he did it.

If you’re struggling to find a way to pay for college and your student is motivated, check out this method. Imagine saving thousands of dollars by just taking some tests and never having to attend a class or set foot on a campus. Would you pay $700 or thousands more for a semester of college. I know which I would choose!

Here’s his story:

My name is Grayson. I’m a college student and author. As both college tuition and student debt continue to rise, I had to get creative to get my degree without going into debt. This is my story of saving TENS of THOUSANDS on my degree. No scholarships, no loans, no click-bait.

Student debt is now over 1.4 Trillion in the U.S. The average time spent paying back these loans is 21 years. That’s just for a bachelor’s degree! Imagine what you could do with zero debt. Take more family vacations? Start a business? I believe there is always a different way to go about things, including paying for college. This belief is what challenged me as I approached going to college: Should I follow the crowd into a life of debt or challenge the academic status quo?

I chose the challenge. By teaching myself how to test out of classes, I was able to save absurd amounts of time and money in comparison to a typical college student. Without the restraint of classes, I had opportunities to travel and work while earning real college credits. I studied history while in Tokyo, computer technologies while working in Montana, and art in Las Vegas.

Now I want to share with you how to do the same thing. I want you to crush college debt by fighting the status quo and have opportunities you didn’t think possible while in school. To learn exactly how I was able to do all this while getting college credits, check out my website, www.knockoutcollege.com for my videos and blogs. You can find the official book there as well!

Now that you have read his story, watch this video;

admissions, college guidance, college planning, college prep

A College To-Do List for Your High School Junior

 

high school junior

The fall semester is coming to a close. By now, your high school junior should be concentrating on college choice, preparing for the SAT or ACT, and working on the college essay. I’m sure it’s already starting to become a little overwhelming: so many tasks, so little time. But the winter break is a great time to play a little catchup if you’re lagging behind.

Juniors who aspire to college have much on their mind. Making a college list can seem insurmountable. There are so many choices; how do you know which ones are a good fit? If money is a factor, how do you even know what kind of financial aid you can expect to receive if you apply? What are the colleges looking for in an applicant and do you even meet those qualifications? The list of unknowns can cause a good amount of stress for both parents and students.

Take a few minutes to go over this simple to-do list with your high school junior. Discuss what you can help him with and what he should be focusing on over the break. Breaking these down into small tasks should help, doing the ones that need to be completed first and following with the rest.

Are you tackling these items yet?

  1. Thinking about basic college criteria.
  2. Figuring out how to organize everything.
  3. Setting aside time to visit the colleges.
  4. Figuring out a test strategy.
  5. Keeping focused on academics.
  6. Working on the college essay.
  7. Getting serious about scholarships.
  8. Scheduling regular checkups to evaluate progress.

 

For the details on how to complete these tasks, you can read the original article at TeenLife Magazine: Share This College To-Do List With Your High School Junior.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, college prep

Looking Past the College Names and the Rankings

 

rankings

When I talk to parents and listen to their stories about college prep, it’s hard not to be concerned. I’m concerned because it seems that college choice has become a competition–a competition among parents and a competition among students. It’s all about the prestige, the name, and the rankings and very little about the fit.

I recently participated in a discussion thread on the Grown and Flown Facebook page. A mother was concerned that her daughter was only considering applying to the Ivies. I tried to insert my advice on the matter and was attacked by so many parents whose students were either applying to these colleges or attending them. I was simply trying to point out that these colleges aren’t the “be all and end all” of colleges and there are so many other options out there to consider. Shame on me for disparaging these top-ranked universities.

Seriously though, it surprises me how many parents feel that their student can’t be happy at an unknown college or university. It astounds me how many parents will allow their student to attend one of these colleges and either go into debt themselves or allow their student to accumulate mounds of debt; because, news flash—these colleges only provide need-based aid to the poorest of families and merit aid to the best of the applicant pool. Your student may be accepted but offered no financial assistance.

How do you steer your student away from the these colleges?

If your student is a top candidate for an Ivy league college and you are willing to pay for it, then by all means, she should apply. But if you’re worried about finances or know that your student is applying for all the wrong reasons, it’s time to steer them away from these colleges.

The best way to do this is to draw the focus away from the Ivies and toward other colleges that offer the same benefits at a greater return for your investment. Encourage your student to visit colleges, talk to alumni, connect online with students from other colleges and start a conversation.

How do you find those “diamonds in the rough” colleges?

You can start by looking at the College That Change Lives website. Then move toward College Navigator and fill in some criteria that fits your student’s interests: location, size, major, merit awards, etc.. Look at the stats, financial aid awards, and student debt. After you have a list, do some digging. What is your student interested in studying? Is there a student body better suited for her? If she is at the top of the applicant pool will she have a better chance of winning merit aid?

How do you change your (and your student’s) mindset?

Visit. Interact. Start a dialogue with other colleges. Once your student sees the virtual cornucopia of colleges out there, it will be easier for you to move her toward the colleges that are a better fit. Once she realizes that it’s not about the name, but about the fit, it will be easier to add those colleges that fit instead of choosing one simply based on name or ranking.

With over 4000 colleges and universities in this country, it will serve you and your student better if you look at some of the lesser known colleges and examine their benefits. As my daughter did, she found her perfect match when she moved beyond the college with the ranking to the college that was a better fit for her academically, socially, and financially.

college planning, college prep, parenting

College Prep Stress: Into the Pressure Cooker

 

college prep stress

I have a few friends whose sons are applying to college. The stress and the pressure students face regarding college is palpable. The question bears asking: How do you help your student navigate the process without adding your own college prep stress and pressure? Trust me; it’s not easy. Parents have their own kind of pressure related to college. Most of it revolves around the question: How will we pay for it?

So here is my best advice related to those two important questions.

How do you help your student navigate the process without adding your own stress and pressure?

You must in every circumstance remain calm. This is only one of many choices your soon-to-be adult will make in his life. This is the time when you transition from being a hands-on parent to being a supportive parent. I know that’s easier said than done. It’s hard after making all their decisions for 18 years to step back and let them chart their own course. But this act, in itself, will help alleviate stress for both you and your student.

Once you take a step back, the logical course for you is to become an encourager and coach. You can offer advice, help in the decision-making process and keep track of filing dates and deadlines, make travel plans for college visits and provide tutoring support if needed. This frees your student up for the important tasks: test prep, choosing the colleges, and filing out the applications. Your student knows what is expected of him and you know how you can help. Less stress for both parent and student.

How do you remove the money worries and stress around paying for college?

I can’t tell you how many emails I have received from parents whose students applied and were accepted to a college the parents can’t afford to pay for. The excitement of acceptance is overshadowed by the reality that the student won’t be able to attend due to lack of funds.

The only way to avoid this inevitable disappointment is to do your homework. Before your student applies, do some research about the college. How much does the college cost? What do students typically pay (this is usually not the sticker price)? Does it have a high acceptance rate? What type of aid does it award to students? Do they typically award a large percentage of their incoming freshman substantial financial aid? Is your student at the top of the applicant pool therefore increasing his chances of receiving merit aid? And finally, estimate your EFC (Expected Family Contribution).

After the research is done, how much can you afford to pay? If the college doesn’t award aid, can you pay the difference between the cost of the college and your EFC? Is your student willing to put in the effort to apply and win scholarships to help with the cost?

Once you have all the information, your student should only apply to colleges that are within your ability to pay with a reasonable expectation of merit aid if needed. It doesn’t make sense for him to apply to a $50,000 a year college if you don’t have the means or the ability to pay. Parents often feel pressured into letting their student attend and take out massive student and parent loans to foot the cost. This is not a wise decision and can cause added stress and pressure that is unnecessary.

There are also other ways you can avoid the stress of college prep. Read my article for TeenLife Magazine, Helping Your Teen De-Stress About College Prep, for some additional information.

admissions, college planning, college prep

How to Handle College Rejections

 

 

college rejections

College preparation can be stressful. A student can have his or her future all planned out, with standardized test dates scheduled, a study plan in place, college tours planned, college applications ready to send out, etc. 

It will soon be time to send out the college applications to the student’s pick of colleges and universities. One day, when the mail arrives, the student receives a letter. Excited, she tears it open, waiting for the best news of her day — and life in general. To her dismay, the letter says she wasn’t accepted to the school of her choice. In tears, she doesn’t know how to handle the news.

Sometimes, the best laid plans do not work out. As a student, you could feel like your world is ending because you didn’t get in your dream college. As a parent, you want to help your child feel better and realize that even this situation has a reason behind it and its own silver lining.

If your student is rejected from her first choice college or any other college on her list, here are some tips to keep in mind when dealing with those college rejections.

Realize that you have other options.

One rejection letter or email is not the end of your college career before it has even begun. Make sure you apply to other schools and to other programs that suit your career aspirations. Look at the pros and cons of each. You may not have gotten into the school you wanted, but you could end up being where you need to be — somewhere that is a better fit for you. Focus on your other “yes” and “maybe” letters and aim for those universities. Realize that your self worth does not come from the college you attend (although it may seem like it right now).

Let yourself get angry — and then get over it.

Get mad for a little bit. Work through all of the stages of rejection. Don’t suppress your anger and associated depression after the anger subsides. Get it all out. Talk with friends and family. Manage your stress. If it gets to be too much, talk with a mental health professional near you or on BetterHelp. They will help you work though your college-preparation and rejection stress. Letting the feelings come to you naturally will help you get past the situation more quickly.

Don’t give up.

While it could be easier to just give up, if you have a dream school in mind, and you feel like the representatives didn’t make an adequate choice, then you have the right to appeal. While some schools do not have appeal processes, see if your school of choice does, and then go through the process. If you have received a better SAT or ACT score or submitted something in error, you could be eligible for a second review of your application. You can also decide to try again next year if you didn’t make the cut this time around. You could always transfer after you have a year at another university under your belt.

 

academics, college prep

Back to School? Here’s What To Do!

 

back to school

The summer vacation is almost over and back to school your kids must go! But what do they need ahead of a new semester? And how can you help prepare them for a new school year? We’ve pulled together some handy tips to ensure students can make the most of what’s to come.

Follow these useful tips – and work with your son or daughter to ensure their upcoming school year is the best yet – and in no time at all you’ll witness them receive their hard-earned diploma.

Make a Date with the School Counselor

If your child hasn’t met their school counselor yet, maybe it’s about time they did. Face-to-face conversation is the way to go, as the counselor really will make your son or daughter make sense of the school year and their choices for the future.

Apply for SAT/ACT

Even if your child’s already taken a standardized test like this, there’s no harm in taking it again. Many students opt to improve their scores a second time around, bettering themselves ahead of their next academic or career step.

If your son or daughter is yet to take the tests, there’s plenty of time to register. It isn’t a requirement to submit SAT or ACT scores by any means, but it may improve your child’s chances of a better career later down the line.

Put Some Prep Time in Now

If your child is worried about their performance in a particular school subject, it can make sense to put some preparation time now – while they’re not up against it during the semester. The vacation is a perfect opportunity to dust off those books and get ahead for the new school year.

Discuss Finances

School can come with costs; from books and stationery to bus and food money – but if you have the conversation with your child now, they’ll be more than prepared when the new semester comes around. Will they need to take a job during the vacation, for example, to earn some extra funds? If so, encourage them to look for the right job, which will ensure they can get out of the house to meet new people, and save some much-needed school money.

Read!

As well as getting ahead by putting in some time to study, students can improve their knowledge by reading. Find relevant books, or even novels, and help your child create a reading list that will benefit them when they go back to school. If they’ve shown an interest in a specific subject or discipline, do some research together to find books featuring great success stories from those who’ve followed a similar path. That way, they’ll have a role model in mind when completing their studies, giving them even more reason to put the time and effort in.

Have Fun, Too!

While the summer vacation should be spent planning the new school semester, it isn’t all work and no play. A vacation is just that, after all – and your son or daughter should also find plenty of time to relax and have fun. That way, they’re more than ready to tackle whatever the new school year has to throw at them.

Consider Extra-Curricular Activities

As well as the books we mentioned earlier, there’ll be a whole host of fun and beneficial extra-curricular activities available for sign-up during the summer vacation. Are there any seminars on, for example? Or maybe there’s a useful team-building summer camp, or motivational day to consider? Anything your child can do now to get ahead will stand them in good stead later.

Did you enjoy this blog post? What are your top tips to prepare your child for their upcoming school year? We’d love to know.

college prep, parenting, Uncategorized

6 Ways to Prepare Your Child for College

 

college

Going to college is a huge milestone. It is a proud moment but it can be emotional and overwhelming at the same time. Therefore, you must prepare your child before they step inside those college gates.

Here are 6 ways you can prepare your child early for college.

Understand their Passions and Interests

Learning new things is more fun when kids are interested in them. Find out what your child is interested in and where their passions lie, even if they don’t necessarily fall within the realm of academics. It can be sports, drama, writing, etc.

For example, if the child is interested in sports, they can learn about the origin of a certain sport, evolution of the sport through history, etc. This will keep your child engaged and make learning more fun. Once they are clear what their passions and interests are, they can have a better understanding of which courses to pursue in college. Even if your child opts for online education, there are numerous opportunities to pursue the courses that interest them.

Prepare for College – Academically

Start preparing for college academics from junior high and high school itself. Some of the many ways your child can prepare for college include taking college-level courses and standardized tests as early as possible. This will help them enter college with more confidence.

Prepare for College – Financially

A college education is expensive, which is why you must be financially prepared for it when the time comes. The costs include tuition, course expenses, accommodation fees, personal expenses, etc. Start saving early and invest in saving accounts that offer tax benefits. It is also important that you keep an eye on the different scholarships that your child can apply for.

You can also consider online college education as an alternative instead of traditional college for your children. It is a popular, convenient and more affordable option as compared to traditional college.

Help Them Understand the Importance of College

The attitude of children towards higher education depends on the attitude of the parents. If you emphasize the importance of higher education, your child will take it seriously and focus on it through school and college. Start communicating the importance of higher education while they are still in school.

Teach Good Financial Habits

It is important to ensure that your child’s grades stay up and that they are focused on their academics, but it is equally important that they learn about work ethic and finance management early on. Encourage them to have a part-time job, about 10 hours a week, as it can help them increase productivity, learn time management, leadership and organizational skills. Teach them to be responsible about spending or saving their earnings. This will help them when they are in college.

Set a budget in high school and get them a checking account. Teach them to make smart financial decisions and ensure they know about credit card and debt early. If they plan to have a credit card, teach them to pay off the card each month and to only use it in emergency situations.

Expose them to Online College Courses

It would be a good idea to enroll your child in online courses while they are still in high school. This helps in saving money as the courses are inexpensive as compared to the college fee and your children can transition easily into college. Ensure that the colleges your child is considering applying to accept the coursework and find out what the basis of acceptance are (e.g., a minimum grade).

College is a great experience, so make sure your child is prepared for it, and is confident about treading that path.

_____________________________

About Author: Making education simple and easy to comprehend is Dana Jandhyala’s forte. She’s had a long career as an educator where she has taught in several different schools and institutes in multiple countries. Today, she helps students with personalized online tutorials by SchoolPage that help make concepts easy to understand, making learning fast and fun. She writes to help student s study better, and to coach parents so they can facilitate the success of their children. 

admissions, college prep

First Choice College-Preparing Students for College

First Choice College’s mission is simple, to prepare students for college.  I spoke with its founder, James Maroney, about the college prep process and how he helps parents and students plan for the college application.

What surprises people most about the college application process?

I think that many parents may be surprised by how easy it is to apply to a large number of schools using the Common Application, which will lead them to an even bigger surprise: how expensive it is to apply to that many schools.  Students are often surprised that many schools require a supplement in addition to the Common Application that can sometimes ask some detailed and different questions.

Can you share a tip parents might not be aware of?

I don’t think most parents are aware of how important the college visit is.  Many parents assume it is just for the students to learn about the school, however, many colleges utilize “demonstrated interest” in making their admission decision.  The best way for a student to show demonstrated interest is to visit the college campus.

Just how important is good SAT test prep?

Being prepared for the SAT or ACT is very important.  You don’t necessarily have to get a tutor or take a class, just as some people exercise on their own without joining a gym or hiring a private tutor.  However, I one message board I saw a post where a college advisor had asked an admission officer about whether a student should prepare for a standardized test, and if so, should the student prepare for the first one, and the admission officer’s response was that students should be as prepared as possible each time they take the test.  Not every student is applying to an Ivy League school, nor do you need to go to an Ivy League school to get a good education, but every student should try to put their best foot forward on standardized tests.  While there are many test optional schools, even those school use test scores in determining the size of merit scholarships, so there is a financial incentive to improve your test scores.

When should a child start preparing?

A Yale admission officer once told me that if you are starting to think of packaging a student in his or her junior year, then you are starting way too late.  What does that mean?  For college prep, you need to start in the freshman year, as colleges look at a depth of involvement more than a breadth of involvement.  So, students should start taking the most difficult classes they can handle and getting involved in a variety of activities.  Taking difficult classes and reading are the best ways to prepare for standardized tests over the long term.  As far as taking a test prep class, I recommend starting that kind of preparation in the summer between sophomore and junior years.

What do students typically need help with most when it comes to the SAT & ACT test?

One of the most common problems we see with students is that they make the test harder than it has to be.  That is, they often think that, “Because this is the SAT or ACT, it has to be hard” and they they change the questions in their own head to make it more difficult.  The truth is both tests are very literal tests, and students need to learn to answer the questions the way they are being asked and not put in their own meaning.

What are the benefits of having an SAT tutor to help a child prepare for the SAT test?

The benefits of having a private tutor for the SAT are similar to those of exercising with a personal trainer.  You have one person who is dedicated to your success, and can carefully observe how your are approaching the test, and make corrective actions when necessary.  It gives the student highly targeted and efficient preparation for the test.

Can you tell me a little about First Choice College?

First Choice College was founded in 1999 to help prepare students for college.  In addition to offering test preparation, we also help students with the college selection and application process.  All of our tutors are graduates of Yale or other top colleges.  We see are success as being linked with our student’s success.

Can you tell me about the options First Choice College Offers for SAT & ACT Prep?

We offer private tutoring or classes for both the SAT and ACT.  This can be either in person in our office or live online.  In addition, we also offer a self-guided video course for the ACT.

Top tip or tips for parents with a college-bound teen?

The best advice I can give to parents is to start early.  The early you start planning and thinking about college, the more options a student will have and the less stressful the student’s senior year of high school will be.

For more information about First Choice College visit their website: http://www.firstchoicecollege.com 

college prep

Preparing Students for College

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college

High school students have to be prepared before going to college. This period in the educational journey of students has to be productive enough to gain the right amount of knowledge and skills. College is the real thing. This is where the students will build their dreams. It is where they can look forward into the future and see themselves as a success.

On the other hand, it is also a scary place. College will be full of activities, far harder than those in high school. Knowledge and skills will not be enough. Students also have to possess the needed qualities to thrive in their new environment.

  So now, the question is how do educational institutions prepare students for college? Is there a certain method to do this? In this article, we are going to talk about this critical matter. As you may know, “college” is not for everyone.

In fact, according to a study from Harvard University, only 56% of college students complete their degree. This is very alarming especially if we consider the number of high school students who are not getting a college education.

Why is this happening?

According to the latest findings conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) a.k.a. the Nation’s Report Card, only 37 percent of high school students are prepared for college. Why is this happening in a country where high achievers are very prevalent?

The blame goes both ways. The methods of the schools are not that enough to prepare students for college. Many college students are complaining about their high school education because they feel that it didn’t help them prepare for college. They believe that it all boils down to the quality of learning that high school institutions are offering today. 

In high school, you need to memorize a lot of things in terms of Science and the formulas involved in Math. There are also a lot of quizzes and standardized tests. However, when students go to college, the game suddenly changes. Students discover that memorizing is not that useful, but comprehension is a must.

Students have to understand the lessons and not just learn the facts. Another point to consider is that in high school, when a student attends classes regularly, they automatically get a passing grade.

However, when they are already in college, some professors don’t care if they are going to pass or not. It all depends on their performance in the classroom. Plus, the workload in college is far more demanding than in high school. You have to work hard for those passing grades.

Now, as per students’ opinions, we can say that high school today is not too bad. There are still small things that students should appreciate as high school is where students can learn the fundamentals of each lesson.

High school also teaches the students to acquire the necessary attributes that they can use in college. There are still a lot of things that students can learn from high school. They just have to notice these things and use them when they go to college.

A School That Defies the Norm

While most schools are too busy following their curriculum, there are schools that offers a different kind of learning experience for high school students.

Their methods go far beyond memorizing for exams and quizzes. They are famous because of their education from a deeper perspective. This is the Waldorf Academy in Toronto.

Waldorf Academy offers a wide variety of lessons in Sciences, Math, Arts, and Humanities, with a healthy dose of Social Sciences and Physical Activities. This institution makes sure that students are actively engaged in the learning process. Students in this school exhibit awareness, expertise, and clear thinking in a variety of areas.

Waldorf Academy is a school where students can actually entrust their future. As proof, statistics show that nearly 100% of the graduates from Waldorf high school get into College or other post-secondary programs.

According to the college professors who handled these students, the kind of education that they had in Waldorf Academy is evident. They are showing signs of clear-thinking and interest in the lessons—not only on the context but also in its sense.

Is your child ready for college?

Don’t compromise the future of your kids. High school is a critical part of the children’s educational journey. It is the start of making dreams and building them.

If they are not entirely equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills, and qualities, it would be hard for them to finish a degree.

So, why risk the future of your child while you can choose Waldorf Academy? Choosing a high-quality school with good-quality learning methods and teachers that are the best at what they do. In this school, you can be sure that you child is in good hands.