Scholarship Friday, scholarships, test prep

Scholarship Friday: The PSAT Scholarships

June 13, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer

In the National Merit^® Scholarship Program, three types of Merit Scholarship^® awards are offered to Finalists: National Merit $2500 Scholarships, corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards, and college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards. Special Scholarships are awarded to outstanding students who are not Finalists and meet a corporate sponsor’s criteria. In the National Achievement^® Scholarship Program, two types of scholarships are offered: National Achievement $2500 Scholarships and corporate-sponsored Achievement Scholarship awards.

Today, however, I want to focus on the merit awards a finalist can receive from the colleges. This is where the big awards appear. And it’s also why the PSAT just might be more important than the SAT.

Why put so much focus on the PSAT?

By outscoring others in your state, your student can become a National Merit Semi-Finalist. In order to do this, they don’t have to necessarily have a perfect score. They have to score as well or better than the state index. By outscoring others in your state, you can become a semi-finalist. Your goal is to beat the state index which isn’t as difficult as you might think since most students don’t study or prepare for the test. For a list of state index scores click here.

How does your student become a National Merit Finalist?

After being chosen as a semi-finalist, there is a 96% chance of becoming a finalist. The only students who do not move up to finalist rank are those who do not submit any information about themselves, do not have good grades, do not take the SAT, or fail to score well on the SAT.

What type of awards are we talking about?

When your student completes the semi-finalist paperwork they will indicate the college of their choice. Only one college can be selected, however; be thoughtful when making the selection. Colleges who have money set aside for the finalists will use merit aid to entice your student to attend: full tuition, room and board, books and fees, laptops, study abroad and even spending money. They will also offer automatic entrance into the honors college, the best housing and priority registration until graduation.

As you can see, with all this at stake, it makes sense for your student to put a great amount of focus on studying and preparing for the PSAT.

For a great explanation on the importance of the PSAT for students and how parents can help, listen to Celest Horton’s podcast on How to Pay for College HQ: Paying for College With Debt-Free Strategies.

dorm life, Guest Posts

Dorm Decor Must-Haves for Your High School Grad

June 12, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer

With high school graduation in full swing, finding the perfect dorm decor for your teen is next on the list. Take a look at these graduation gift ideas to be prepared for fall move in!

Decorative Curtains

Students are going to want privacy when sharing their small space with a new roommate. Hanging a chevron curtain to the ceiling by their bed serves as an innovative room divider and also blocks out unwanted light. Choosing curtains with a bold print will bring in a youthful pattern to the space. Be sure to purchase curtains with ties or hunt for a contrasting ribbon to hold back the curtains when they’re not in use.

Light it Up

String lights are one of the most popular decorations found in dorm rooms. Since candles are rarely allowed, string lights provide a similar ambiance to the room and create a cozy environment. You can even find lights with small lanterns attached for a bohemian, outdoorsy theme. Take a look at Target and World Market, as they have a large selection of decorative lights to choose from. World Market’s burlap star lights are a personal favorite because they’re neutral and aren’t too bright.

Make it Cozy

The next four years are going to go fast, but it’s important for your teen’s dorm room to feel like home. Bring in area rugs to add warmth to the room, layer mix-matched throw pillows for contrast, and work in monograms where you can to personalize their space. Coming up with a color scheme will also give the dorm a cohesive look.

Matching ottomans or floor poufs are an easy buy and are small enough that they can be tucked away when not in use.

Get Artsy

Don’t forget about the walls! Hanging art on those drab, white dorm walls will truly transform the room. Wall decals, such as sticker frames, Etsy prints with inspirational quotes, and decorative mirrors are creative options for your new college student. The For Like Ever poster from Super Rural doesn’t miss a beat with its bold color and typography, and fun saying. Mood boards are another way to personalize their side of the room. Buy colorful pushpins, paint a corkboard a bright color, and collect family photos and other memorabilia to collage with. During the next four years, this board will be a source of comfort and inspiration for your teen.

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This is a guest post by Erica Bryant of Roomations. Roomations is an interior design and e-decor site that connects you with professional designers for custom room concepts online. Work with up to three different interior designers to visualize your project then make it happen by taking to the streets (or your computer) with a shopping list that includes everything you’ll need. Custom interior design has never been so accessible, affordable and convenient! Start by finding your personal style with our free Style Quiz.

parenting, Uncategorized, Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: Oh the conversations you should have (before prom)

June 11, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer

A play on words from Dr. Seuss’ “Oh the Places You’ll Go”; oh the conversations you should have before prom. Apart from the tears, the photos, the worrying and the knowledge that your little baby is all grown up, prom should be an opportunity for you to offer some straight talk about the BIG 3: Sex, Drugs and Drinking. Why? Because at every prom there are students who cross the line and participate in some risky behavior they think demonstrates adulthood.

Sex

Is dating gone? What about courtship? According to a recent NY Times article and most high school and college students it’s a dinosaur. They have random “hook ups” with people they meet–which can include anything from making out to oral sex to intercourse. Parents need to know and understand this new culture in order to prepare their students for college. As I’ve said before, preparation is much more than academics.

Read my post: The Hooking Up Culture

Drugs

If you or your child has been in the public school system in the last 30 years you’re familiar with the phrase–just say no. From first grade on, those words have been pounded into the heads of kids giving them an answer to anyone who offers them drugs or any other form of abuse. It’s not the answer sometimes that’s important, as much as the attitude behind the response.

Research shows that kids who have a good relationship with their parents are less likely to pursue a life of abuse. The drug awareness programs give parents some guidelines they say will help. They instruct parents to do several things and lead us to believe that if we follow those rules, our kids are less likely to succumb to peer pressure.

Their suggestions have merit. But the bottom line is that most kids, no matter how strong they appear or how great their relationship is with their parents, are going to find themselves in a situation where just saying “no” is not enough. Just saying “no” will be met with teasing, pressure, and even ridicule. It’s your job as a parent to prepare them for that moment.

Read my post: When Just Say “NO” is not enough

Drinking

Your teens are graduating from high school and heading to college. There are 17 million college students that drink alcohol, and 8.5 million of them are binge drinking. We’ve heard the terms “poor” or “struggling” college student before, but it’s no wonder they are living off of Ramen Noodles when there was a reported $163 billion spent on alcohol in America in 2011. It’s not all fun and games when young people are consuming 2 gallons per person of alcohol. There are negative consequences of this behavior that includes assault, rape, injury and even death.

Take a look at these two info graphics that will underscore the importance of this conversation:

How Much Do College Students Drink

The Truth About College Binge Drinking

These are brutal conversations to have with your teen but it may be the last time you can exert some parental influence before they leave for college in the fall. A good friend of mine, Paul Hemphill, a college admissions counselor, says, “every school is a party school.” A difficult fact to face but a reality. Have the conversations now—and if you’re lucky some of it will sink in.

For more prom tips, read Wendy’s post: Surviving Your Teen’s Prom

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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!

The bonus is on the fourth Wednesday of each month when Wendy and I will host Twitter chat #CampusChat at 9pm ET/6pm PT. We will feature an expert on a topic of interest for parents of the college-bound.

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.

App Tuesday, test prep, Uncategorized

SAT Prep to your Smartphone

June 10, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer

Say what? Yep. SAT prep to your smartphone via text message. What could possibly be easier. And here’s even better news–it’s affordable. Just $9 a month for the bronze plan and $19 a month for the silver plan. Why not reach kids where they are–on their smartphones?

What is Prepcube.com?

Prepcube.com is a learning management system that allows students to study for the SAT via SMS and our proprietary instant messenger platform. Prepcube has the ability to administer questions and video based solutions for real time feedback via sms and instant messenger. Our system allows students, parents and teachers to track all of their student’s results through our dashboard. Our data shows that students will engage our platform because they are more engaged when they interact with content via sms or instant messenger, which are their preferred mediums of communication.

How does it work?

As the system currently stands, students are pushed one question and solution via text message and have the option for mobile and web based private tutoring. After the initial question they are given the option to study unlimited amounts of questions via a web based instant messenger system. While on this web-based system they are also given the option for mobile and web based private tutoring.

Who is running the show?

All content was developed by the Co-Founder of Bell Curves, a leading standardized test preparation company. He oversees all aspects of the development of programs and materials, as well as the training of tutors. He has spent the last 18 years working as a standardized test prep trainer and materials developer at three different test prep companies.

Score! A developer who knows how to reach teens, has a background in SAT tutoring, and knows how to use the medium to help them learn.

Uncategorized

Mom-Approved Tips: Is Cheating Wrong?

June 9, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer

The answer to that question is easy: YES! But do our teens believe that and why are so many of them cheating, especially on standardized tests?

I watched a news program last night chronicling a cheating scandal. Last week I heard a story about someone who figured out an anomaly in standardized tests to get a perfect score. In each of these instances, their cheating was never discovered and they went on to go to college.

These stories made me wonder—why are our teens cheating? Is it pressure to achieve standards that are unattainable? Is the peer pressure over college so overwhelming that they will do anything to excel over their fellow students? Or is it just easy to do because there are no consequences?

A recent poll

According to a recent ABC News poll of 12-17 year olds, cheating among teens is “widespread if not endemic. And it usually works.” Here are the results from the poll:

7 in 10 say at least some kids in their school cheat on tests
6 in 10 have friends who have cheated
1 in 3 says they themselves have cheated
1 in 8 say “most” kids in their school cheat on tests
Among 12-14 year olds, 23 percent admit to cheating
Among 15 year olds, 36 percent admit to cheating
Among 16-17 year olds, 43 percent admit to cheating
8 percent believe that in order to get ahead in life you have to cheat from time to time
90 percent say cheaters will lose out in the long run
96 percent say their parents would rather have them do their own best work, regardless of the grade, than get good grades if it means cheating.
Most say cheaters don’t get caught
Nearly all teens in the survey said cheating was wrong

The survey also found that teens who hang out with cheaters are more likely to be tempted to cheat and cheat themselves.

The parent factor

Interestingly, communication on the issue is in short supply: just 1/3 of kids say they and their parents have had a serious discussion about cheating. Kids who have spoken about it with parents are no less likely to have cheated than those who haven’t. Still those who are the most likely to say they’ve cheated (16-17 year olds) are the least likely to say they have talked about the issue with their parents. Just 27 percent say they have done so, compared with 41 percent of 12-13 year olds.

Deterrents

Rather than a serious talk from parents, teens say that better teacher involvement and greater risk of getting caught could serve as deterrents. One third of the teens say they would be more likely to cheat if they knew they would never get caught, suggesting better enforcement could help curb the practice.

In a seemingly related result, almost as many teens, nearly three in 10, say they’d be more likely to cheat if they had a teacher who didn’t seem to care about their work. Teachers who develop student loyalty — as well as those who guard against cheating — also may be better-equipped to prevent it.

Grade pressure seems less a consideration. Fewer, 14 percent, say they’d be more apt to cheat if they thought other students were cheating and by being honest they’d get a lower grade. About as many, 16 percent, say they’d be more apt to cheat in a class they thought didn’t matter as far as their future.

No consequences

It’s clear from the survey that consequences play a huge role in the decision to cheat. As long as you don’t get caught, it’s ok to do it. The real problem is that cheating teens usually grow up to become cheating adults—they got away with it in school; they can get away with it as adults.

At the very least, parents should be talking to their teens about cheating. Here’s a good list of 10 reasons why cheating is wrong. I especially like #8 and #10.

Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Scholarships for All Ages

June 6, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer 3 Comments

Most parents, and students, believe that you have to wait until senior year to apply for scholarships–believing the theory that all scholarships are for seniors in high school. That theory is incorrect. There are scholarships for all ages from children, to middle school, to high school (even before senior year). The hard part, however, is finding them.

None of the online scholarship databases includes information about college scholarships that are available only to children under age 13 because of federal privacy laws. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA), 15 USC 6501, and the Children’s Privacy Protection Final Rule, require web sites to obtain “verifiable parental consent” before collecting, using or disclosing individually identifiable information from children under age 13. This effectively prevents online scholarship databases from matching students under age 13 with college scholarships. Because of the difficulties in obtaining consent, all of the scholarship databases avoid the problem by omitting scholarships for underage children from their databases and refusing to register users under age 13. That makes it difficult for parents to find scholarships in that age group.

Today’s post gives you an alternative to searching–links to many of the scholarships available; because it’s NEVER too early to start the scholarship search and application process. Summer is the best time to begin the search and start preparing your scholarship folder/notebook/file.

Bellhops: A Lifesaver for Parents on College Move-In Day

June 5, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer 2 Comments

College move-in and move-out day used to be left up to the parents and students. I’ve certainly done my fair share of lugging furniture, luggage, appliances and bedding up and down several flights of stairs. Even if there was an elevator, waiting your turn when hundreds of students are moving in is a useless cause.

Happily, two Auburn University grads saw the need and started Bellhops to solve the mass moving needs on college campuses in a short time period. They provide college kids for small-scale moving help all over the country. In fact, they are operating in 121 cities. They have over 100 student ‘Bellhops’ in each of their cities which allows you to book them on-demand. Instead of creepy day laborers or craigslist strangers, Bellhops are just great college kids that are ready to treat you like family and take care of your grunt work.

They do everything from loading and unloading to full-scale moves across town, and they are AFFORDABLE! What a great way to put your local college students to work.

Inc.com describes Bellhops’ company philosophy and how it works:

The company has grown from 2,000 to 10,000 employees in just one year by establishing an autonomous workforce. And it’s this autonomy that Bellhops cites as the source of its impeccable customer service.

Bellhops hires City Managers from major colleges and universities throughout the country and then contracts directly with recruited students, or “Bellhops,” to execute small residential moving jobs in their city. All the Bellhops have direct access to a company-wide job board and can “grab” jobs either as the Captain or Wing-man. The Captain manages and coordinates the move with the customer and gets paid a higher wage.

Bellhops are able to execute moves year-round and have complete autonomy over their schedule, who they work with, and how much money they make.

According to co-founder, Cameron Doody, “People don’t just want a job anymore; they want a fulfilling job,” he says. “Fulfillment at work comes with the freedom to make decisions and own your position. Employee empowerment breeds elevated customer service, because everyone treats their job like it’s their own company.”

If you have a college-bound student moving on campus in the fall, give these guys a try. You can book everything online in one simple process. Your legs, arms and backs will thank you!

They gave me a coupon code for 5% off: CountdownToCollege. Pass it along to friends and family–I’m sure you know plenty of parents who could use this service.

Check them out here! www.GetBellhops.com

parenting, Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: Two Kids; Two Types of Students

June 4, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer

If you have more than one child, odds are they are different. One may excel academically and the other may struggle. Parenting both types of students is a challenge for parents, especially if there is competition among the two. I know. I had one of each in my home for 18+ years.

When you have both types of kids, they should be parented differently. You can’t expect the student who struggles to bring home A’s on every report card; and you can’t compare them to the A student. Each has their own academic style and learning capabilities. It doesn’t mean, however, that the student who struggles can’t excel; and it doesn’t mean that the A student will never bring home a B or C.

The “A” Student

Living with an “A” student can be challenging. It doesn’t seem like it would be, but it is. Most students who excel academically are hard on themselves. They see grades as a part of their self-worth. If they don’t make the grades, they have failed. Perfectionism among this demographic is common and often causes all kinds of emotional issues. So much is expected of them to achieve excellence. One college graduate described what her life as an “A” student was like:

“I wanted to dance. Throw a football. Watch a movie, or get in a car and see the world instead of vicariously traveling through stacks of assigned books. Occasionally, I tossed my pen aside and went out, but these instances were rare, and I usually felt guilty about my abandoned pile of work reproducing with each passing second. At the time, I didn’t know why I put so much pressure on myself. My parents didn’t push me. My professors tried to tell me to lighten up and go have some fun. I could only respond, “Stop dishing out so much work.” I could only give it my all, or give nothing. Now I understand that I was a classic perfectionist who had yet to discover how to define my inherent worth without my achievements. Because I didn’t know how to define myself without my perfect grades, I was terrified of failing, and “failure” meant anything less than perfection, causing me years of undo stress.”

“A” students often can’t play, relax or see the lighter side of anything. Their focus is on attaining the highest GPA in their class and this, and only this, is what life is all about. This type of student, more than any other, needs to understand that apart from the grades, they are accepted and loved.

The “C” Student

If you have a “C” student in your house, you have probably tried everything to get their grades up. You’ve tried yelling, punishing, grounding and bribing them into making “A”s. You might have compared them to their brother or sister who is an “A” student. But believe it or not, the “C” students are the happiest. They may struggle in school and force you to have many parent/teacher conferences, but many average students become successful in college and in life.

Robert Kiyosaki, author of “Why “A” Students Work for “C” Students”, urges parents to lighten up. Kiyosaki believes that the school system was created to churn out ‘Es’ / Employees… those “A Students” who read well, memorize well and test well… and not the creative thinkers, visionaries and dreamers –entrepreneurs-in-the-making… those “C Students who grow up to be the innovators and creators of new ideas, businesses, applications and products.

The book urges parents not to be obsessed with their kids’ “letter grades” (“good grades” might only mean they or the student themselves were successful in jamming a square peg into a round hole…) and focus, instead, on concepts, ideas, and helping their child find their true genius, their special gift. The path they can pursue with a love and true passion.

It’s easy to label our kids: he’s smart, or she’s beautiful, or he’s an “A” student, or she’s just an average student. Be careful when you do that. Kids need to, first and foremost, enjoy their education experience. They can’t when there is too much pressure to excel or they are compared to others who have “met the grade” so to speak. Take the advice from valedictorian: it’s not the grades that matter, it’s the person you become that’s important.

Read Wendy’s Post: Parenting the Superstar and the Struggler

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App Tuesday, test prep

8 Vocabulary Apps

June 3, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer 1 Comment

Summer is upon us and it’s the perfect time to bone up on vocabulary for the standardized tests. And since your teens are never without their smartphones, here are seven vocabulary apps they will always have available to work on their vocabulary.

1. Vocabador

Vocabador is an inexpensive ($1.99) all purpose vocabulary app that allows users to study 400+ vocabulary words by using digital flashcards. The words are categorized by difficulty so that you can start with the easier material and work your way up. The flashcards include audio pronunciations, the part of speech, the definition, antonyms, synonyms and a sentence that puts the word in context.

2. MindSnacks

MindSnacks is a free app that is a game based design offering 9 games to help users practice their vocabulary. Geared mainly towards SAT-takers, but the app-makers also label it as appropriate for PSAT and GRE as well. Offers 500+ words and phrases, and even includes games that focus on antonyms. The app has a learning algorithm that tracks your progress and adjusts to help maximize your learning. A fun, easy to use, and effective app.

3. SAT Vocab

SAT Vocab app uses a technique that they call “confidence based repetition”, which is essentially a repetition method at particular time intervals. Users can rate how well they knew an answer (did it come to you easily or did you struggle/guess?) and then repeats the concepts you need to learn more. Offers 1400+ flashcards with 300+ word elements (prefixes/suffixes, etc), and the ability to browse and search for certain words.

4. Vocabulary.com

The Vocabulary.com app, a perfect tool to access at any time, is your personalized adaptive learning game. The dictionary was written for humans, by humans. Look up a word, and you’ll read a friendly explanation that you’ll actually remember. It’s as if your favorite teacher were explaining it to you. They include clever usage tips and thousands of real-world example sentences that’ll show you how words live in the wild and will make you more confident about using them yourself.

5. VocabAhead

VocabAhead combines words and their meanings with visual cues and contextual sentences to deliver a media-rich and highly memorable experience. Each word is supplemented with pictures, sounds and stories. This makes it easy to learn and fun to remember. With over 1000 words in the application, students get a wide choice of high-frequency SAT words with which to enhance their language skills.The application also has a built-in self-testing feature whereby students may quiz themselves as and when ready. Students can learn and remember new words on the go in small manageable time chunks instead of being tied down to academic paraphernalia.

Get the app

6. IntelliVocab

If you’re a logophile or want to boost your vocabulary for a competitive exam like the SAT, IntelliVocab is a fun, almost addictive way to do so. The app quizzes you with multiple choice questions on word definitions, synonyms, and usage. When you answer questions incorrectly, the AI makes a note of it and then asks you about those words again later, in different contexts (e.g., instead of asking you to choose the straight definition, it’ll offer a fill-in-the-blank test).

Mom-Approved Tips: Don’t Neglect the College Visit

June 2, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer

A few years ago, I wrote an article for Smart College Visit about the importance of the college visit: Don’t Pick a College Sight Unseen:

As a parent of two kids who attended college, I learned a very valuable lesson: never pick a college sight unseen. The rules that apply to any major purchase are even more important when making the decision to invest thousands of dollars on a college education. You would never buy a car without test-driving it, or move into a home without taking a walk through and getting a home inspection. Based on my experience with both my kids, I can tell you that your teen should never accept admission to a college without getting a feel for the campus and campus life.

You can read the entire story about my kids and how the visit made all the difference here.

Added to that, I would urge you make a college visit BEFORE applying to any college. That’s why I was excited to be invited to participate in a chat hosted by U.S. News and Education.

On Thursday, June 5, U.S. News Education will host a Twitter chat to help parents and students make the most of college visits. The chat will cover a range of topics, including how to prepare for a college tour, questions to ask on campus and how the experience can shape the college application process.

Who: U.S News Education will moderate a panel of college visit experts, including admissions staff from Boston College (@BostonCollege) and Ohio State University (@futurebuckeyes), Z. Kelly Queijo, CEO of Smart College Visit (@collegevisit), and me (@suzanneshaffer).

What: A Twitter chat on college visits. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #CollegeVisit.

Where: http://tweetchat.com/room/collegevisit

Why: Campus visits are an important step in finding the right college fit, and both parents and students can benefit from seeing a school in person.

While resources like the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings can offer data about a school, interacting with current students and staff members is one of the best ways to gauge whether a college is a potential match. This chat will provide parents and students with tips from experts to make the most out of the college visit experience.

Parenting for College