Tag Archives: college prep

admissions, college planning, college prep, parenting

New Survey Shows Parents Want to Be Involved in the College Process

college process

You probably don’t need a survey to tell you what you already know: parents are more involved in the college process than ever before. They want to participate in the decision and communicate with the colleges. They want to help and guide their students in the decision-making process.

Here’s what the survey found:

Insight #1-Parents want direct communication from colleges.

Parents want to be more involved. Parents are increasingly anxious and hands-on. Parents want communication from the college and want to participate in the college decision. They want to be involved at the same time as their students in the college search.

Continue reading New Survey Shows Parents Want to Be Involved in the College Process →
admissions, college guidance, college planning, college prep, parenting

Should Your Student Apply to 40 Colleges?

2 Comments
colleges

I read a post from a parent on one of the Facebook groups I follow. Her son was applying to 40 colleges and she asked how he was going to do it using the Common App since there is a maximum of 20 allowed in the application.

Parents chimed in with suggestions on how to supplement the Common App by applying via college websites and choosing alternate college applications. I read all the suggestions, which were logical and helpful. I kept wondering if anyone would respond by encouraging her to help her son narrow down his list.

Finally, someone spoke up with that suggestion. I’m hoping the mother took their advice because it was the most logical of all.

Continue reading Should Your Student Apply to 40 Colleges? →
college guidance, college planning, college prep, parenting

When Parent and Student College Choices Differ

college choices

The teenage years are all about the battles. The nature of the relationship between teens and their parents lends itself to conflict. The wise parent uses these conflicts as teaching lessons. The wiser parent learns when to recognize their teen’s desire for independence and let go and when to stand firm.

The college process often brings conflict between parent and student college choices. The following is a list of do’s and don’ts for parents when the conflict arises:

Continue reading When Parent and Student College Choices Differ →
college planning, college prep, mom approved tips, parenting, Uncategorized

10 Tips for Moms This Summer

Need for help with summer college prep? Learn everything you need to know about applying for college by using my Parent Crash Course.

10 Tips for Moms

Summer has begun and your student is enjoying some down time from their academic studies. Down time is good, but if you have a college-bound student, summers are also a great time to do a little bit of college preparation.

As parents, it’s our responsibility to make sure our teenagers make the most of their time in the summer and help them get ready for the upcoming school year. That’s why I have broken down the summer for each year your student will be in school in the fall by providing 10 tips for moms to follow. Just follow the links below each year to help your student make the most of their summer.

Continue reading 10 Tips for Moms This Summer →
college planning, college prep, college visits, parenting, SAT, standardized tests, summer programs, test prep

Will Your Student Be Bored This Summer?

Get a head start on college prep this summer. Learn everything you need to know about applying for college by getting my Parent Crash Course.

summer

When my kids were teenagers, “I’m bored” came flowing out of their mouths almost every single day during the summer. They missed their friends. They missed the constant activity. They missed participating in all the school-related extracurricular activities. If you have kids, it’s inevitable that those words will be spoken in your household during the summer.

When you hear those words (and even if you don’t) here’s a list of summer activities that will keep your college-bound teen busy AND help their college admissions process in the future.

Continue reading Will Your Student Be Bored This Summer? →
college costs, college guidance, college majors, college planning

How to Find the Best College Bargains

college bargains

In today’s world, we are all looking for bargains. How much can I save on this purchase? Is there a coupon for that item? The college decision process should be no different. You never want to pay full sticker price on a car, and you shouldn’t pay full sticker price for the college education. Here are just a few money saving tips on how to find the best college bargains.

Use online information to find the most generous colleges.

You can start your search by looking at the colleges who are generous with their financial aid by meeting the highest percentage of financial need. How do you find those colleges? It’s simpler than you might think. You can research them at the College Board’s site: Big Future. You need to follow the box at the bottom of the page that says “Find Colleges” and click the search button.

For a step-by-step guide, you can read The College Solutions Blog with photos of each step and how to use the tool.

Continue reading How to Find the Best College Bargains →
college prep, essays, Guest Posts, parenting

Supporting Your College-Bound Student Without Going Crazy

Today’s guest post is from Brad Schiller, an MIT graduate, as well as the CEO and Co-Founder of Prompt, the world’s most respected and fastest-growing college essay coaching and feedback company.

_____________________________________________________

college-bound student

There is a secret to successfully helping your student with their college essays. 

Before we get to it, we have 4 questions you should consider to help alert you to pitfalls that often plague parents who “just want to help” during college application season.

But before we even get to those questions, let’s begin with the bottom line: the best thing a parent can do for their college-bound student is to be loving, supportive, and simply there for them. And that’s not easy. 

Applying to colleges is stressful and often emotionally draining. As college essay coaches, we see this all the time. Make it your top priority not to correct grammar, improve writing, or get your kid into a “better” school, but to make this year as good as it can be for you and your teen. 

Continue reading Supporting Your College-Bound Student Without Going Crazy →
college guidance, college planning, college prep, parenting

Resolving Parent – Student Conflict During the College Process

parent-student conflict

When parents and students enter the college-bound process, issues arise. It’s the inevitable clash of what parents think is best for their kids, and what the kids want. Over the past 18 years the clashes have been over such things as food, friends and entertainment choices. As college approaches, the parent-student conflict intensifies.

Following are five areas that typically cause parent – student conflict along with some advice on how to handle it and work toward a compromise.

Continue reading Resolving Parent – Student Conflict During the College Process →
college prep, parenting, senioritis, Uncategorized

How to Help Your Senior Fight Senioritis

senioritis

Senioritis is a disease contracted by most high school seniors. Its onset might be hard to recognize because it starts innocently. But once the disease has taken hold it can have a devastating effect on your senior’s future college aspirations. As with any disease, knowing the symptoms is the key to an early diagnosis and treatment.

All kidding aside, however, senioritis is a very real problem for most students, especially if they have already been accepted early decision or early action. They are coming into the home stretch and it’s only natural for them to try to rest on their laurels, so to speak. But every parent needs to be vigilant and act to stop it before it’s too late.

Continue reading How to Help Your Senior Fight Senioritis →
academics, college books, college prep, life lessons, parenting

Books for Students and Their Parents

books

My daughter loves books. Her joy of reading began in grade school and she still loves reading and collecting books. Books never get old and there are so many to choose from. If your student is into digital versions of books, there are many programs available as well.

I’ve done the research for you and each link has multiple suggestions for you and your student. I hope these books are helpful and will be great additions to your library.

Continue reading Books for Students and Their Parents →