All posts by Suzanne Shaffer

college planning, test prep

Creating an SAT Study Plan

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When it comes to studying for the SAT, most students don’t know where to begin.  The easy way out is to head over to the local branch of one of the big prep companies.  But, that route can be inefficient time-wise, not to mention extremely expensive.  The good news is that you can create an SAT course yourself!  All you need is some good materials and a little organization.   Here are a few tips to get you started:

  1. Be sure to get started early, ideally at LEAST three months before test day.  Unless you’re prepping over the summer, school and other activities take up most of your day.  Allow yourself a long time frame so you don’t have to cram for eight hours a day the week before the test.
  2. Plan to average about 30 a minutes a day over that time.  Note that’s an average, not a rule.  Spend a half hour here and there, with maybe couple of hours on the weekend.  Grab fifteen minutes before soccer practice.  Keep a journal of what you’ve done, what still needs to be done, and how much time you’re spending.  And be honest!  You might be amazed how much (or little) time you’re devoting.
  3. Take a timed, as close to real as possible, practice test for starting your prep.  I always recommend downloading the free SAT from the College Board’s website and using that as your pre-test.  Be sure to use the printed version.  Don’t take the online version, since you won’t be taking the real thing online!  Use your results as a guide for your prep.
  4. As for materials, there are unlimited options.  There are online courses, books, iPhone apps, podcasts, computer programs and on and on.  Check out a few options, and see what makes sense for your learning preferences and budget.  The only must-have is the Official SAT Study Guide from the College Board.  It should be your primary source for practice sections.  Use any other resources you like to learn strategy, review math and build vocabulary.  Of course, I am biased towards Word-Nerd.com for SAT vocabulary.
  5. In the early stages of your prep, do practice questions at your own pace.  Treat it as an open book test.  When you make an error, analyze it.  Always learn from your mistakes, as well as your successes.  The same types of questions appear repeatedly on the SAT.  So analyze those errors.  When you encounter a similar question on test day, you’ll know what to do!  If you’re stumped by a particular question, ask a friend or a teacher for help.  Or hire a tutor for an hour or two to get you through the tough stuff.  Wyzant.com is an amazing source for tutors nationwide if you need ideas.
  6. Lastly, ramp up your efforts as the big day nears.  By the last couple of weeks, you should be taking practice sections from the Official Study Guide under timed conditions.  Just be sure to give yourself a break the night before the test.  Nothing will hurt your score more than being tired on test day!

If you have a question I haven’t covered, feel free to send me an email at jenn@word-nerd.com – your question may be the topic of a future post on The Fat Envelope, Word-Nerd’s test prep and college admissions blog.  Good luck everyone!

Today’s guest post is by Jennifer Cohen, President and Chief Word-Nerd at Word-Nerd.com. She offers some great (realistic) tips on preparing for upcoming SAT’s. Word-Nerd.com is your best resource for efficient, fun SAT and PSAT vocabulary prep.

college guidance, college planning, parenting

Top 5 College Visit Sites

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With the widespread use of online videos, previewing college campuses has become a “must do” for parents and their college-bound teens. I like to call it “test driving” before you actually set foot on your narrowed down choices.

Here are my TOP 5 picks for those “test driving” sites.

smartcollegevisit

1. Smart College Visit-The educated way to visit a college campus and your one-stop site to find everything you need to know before the visit. With parent-to-parent stories, Smart-See-Smart-Do campus evaluations, travel tips and a place to search for the perfect hotel accommodations, Smart College Visit is committed to providing you with all the information you need to prepare for that all-important college visit.

youniversity

2. YoUniversityTV–Make a stop here to preview campuses, get a campus map, and view user submitted videos of campus life. The videos are more than campus tours; giving you a picture of life in and around the college.

universityparentnew
3. University Parent–Connect with the college campuses and download a college specific brochure with information about the surrounding area: hotels, off-campus housing, and storage facilities. Read what Sarah Schupp, the founder, said about her site:

University Parent-Your Parent Resource

collegeweeklive

4. College Week Live–This site is actually a “virtual” college fair site which is great for chatting with students, admissions officers and faculty. You can also direct-link to college websites through the college fair hall. Their spring college fair is coming up on March 24-25 and campus reps will be in attendance to answer your questions.

collegiate-choice-dvd-240w

5. Collegiate Choice–These DVD tours are videotaped college tours. Each tour is over an hour long and gives you an excellent idea of what a campus tour is like. Use this resource to narrow down your college tour choices. They are especially helpful when you are looking at campuses that require travel and enable you to see all types of campuses throughout the country. This is what Cliff Kamron had to say in a recent guest blog post:

10 Things we learned from videotaping 1200 college tours

college planning, parenting

Weathering the weather




With winter hanging around for longer than usual and everyone wishing for spring, I thought it might be great to share this post with parents about packing for college (as it applies to the weather). And remember our motto: Preparation Prevents Panic!

By Sarah Hubbs for The Real College Guide

If starting school means a move across the map, you’re in for a major change — in mercury. We’ll give you tips on how to bundle up or get your tan on in a new climate.

If your hometown is on one side of the map and your college on the other, you’re not just looking at a change of scenery: It may also mean a climate change. (No, we’re not referring to global warming.)

Hot, Hot, Hot?
Flying south? Going west? For those heading toward a warmer environment, first and foremost, one word: sunscreen! One in six Americans eventually develops skin cancer, so you do not want to fry yourself, OK? Yes, we know you love the sun, and it loves you. (Small amounts of exposure are essential for your body to produce vitamin D.) But if you really feel you must get some color, go for a fake ‘n’ bake. Self-tanning lotions do not create the orange streaks they once did, and tanning salons offer plenty of decent spray-booth options (Mystic Tan, VersaSpa, Magic Tan). Just for the record, UV tanning beds are just as bad for your skin as the real thing — don’t be fooled.

Another essential? A good pair of sunglasses with UV protection. Protecting the eyes from sun damage is important and often overlooked. Shades also make a superslick fashion statement (can I have your autograph, please?) and are priceless on a walk of shame.

Speaking of fashion, if most of your closet consists of corduroy pants, alpaca sweaters and down jackets, we suggest you hit the mall for a shopping spree. Even if your college is in an area that has all four seasons, the beginning and end of the school year can get pretty hot and humid. Here are some warm-weather wardrobe must-haves:

  • Swimsuits (for lying out on the quad)
  • Shorts
  • Cotton T-shirts
  • Tank tops
  • Flip-flops
  • A few sundresses (for the ladies)

Oh, and a few more things:

  1. Get some allergy medicine just in case the warm weather has you feeling a little stuffy.
  2. Invest in some bug repellent.
  3. Buy a refillable water bottle, especially if you’re athletic or otherwise physically active.

And if you’re still sweating it out, invest in a portable fan for those really sweltering days.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Brrr … if your college town is in a climate much chillier than what you’re accustomed to, get ready for the shock of your life. Some prep work is in order to be sure walking to and from class doesn’t result in freezing your buns off — or worse, frostbite. Just like the kids who are going to sunnier spots, you need to shop! Be sure to create a warmer wardrobe before the big move. Your cold-weather closet staples are as follows:winter

  • Winter coat (think: warm and waterproof)
  • Snow boots
  • Waterproof shoes
  • Heavy socks
  • Thermal underwear or leggings for layering
  • Sweaters
  • Knit scarves
  • Wool cap
  • Ear warmers
  • Gloves
  • Heavy pants of all kinds

The key to dressing in freezing temps is layering clothes. If it happens to be a warmer-than-usual day, you can shed a layer or two. On the flip side, if temperatures plummet, you can throw on an extra layer to hold in the body heat. Keep this concept in mind when shopping. Be sure your coat is big enough to go over a bulky sweater, for example.

And don’t forget:

  1. Bring plenty of warm blankets, since you may not have control over your dorm thermostat.
  2. Don’t let the weather get you down — or barricade you in. Bundle up and be social, or you’ll miss a season’s worth of outings.
  3. Stock up on hot chocolate, coffee, tea and other warm beverages to help defrost you when you get back to your dorm.
  4. Have cold medicine and tissues on hand, because few make it through the winter weather without ever feeling under it.
college costs, college planning, scholarships

Ford Motor Co. launches new scholarship

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fordscholars

Ford Motor Company has launched a new scholarship contest on Monday, March 15. Modeled after Ford’s own standard of giving back to the communities in which it works, the two-part scholarship contest is open to high school seniors and current college students enrolled in an accredited U.S. college or university by September 30, 2010.

The contest asks a simple question: what is your heart behind? Ford Motor Company wants to hear what students are doing to make a positive impact in their communities. The first place winner will receive a $3000 scholarship, second place a $2000 scholarship and third place a $1000 scholarship.

Essays will be accepted from March 15 to April 9, 2010 online at www.fordscholars.org. From there, ten semi-finalists will be selected to win an ULTRA HD FLIP Cam for their outstanding efforts. The semi-finalists will then use their new FLIP Cam to produce a 3-minute video illustrating their essay. The videos will be posted to www.fordscholars.org for public voting May 10-14, 2010. The public votes combined with the judging panel will determine the scholarship winners.

Winners will be announced on May 17, 2010.

admissions, college guidance, college planning

In the News: Transferring from community college

In today’s economy, many students are opting to take the community college route after graduation. This choice means getting the basic courses out of the way at community college and transferring after two years to a four year institution. Since community college hours are less expensive, the decision can often save families thousands of dollars in tuition.

But, once the decision to transfer is made, it’s often difficult to find the right college and it’s been hard for the colleges to find and recruit those students. Many colleges are now seeing the value of these transfer students and are going after them, much as they do with high school students. As more and more students decide to take this college route, more colleges will recognize this pool of students and begin recruiting them.

collegefishlogo

A new site, CollegeFish.org (now doing beta testing)  is available free for all community college students. It collects information provided by users, including “co-curricular interests, size of institution desired to attend, housing needs, financial need, GPA, anticipated course load, ability to relocate geographically, etc.” This information is then used in an algorithm designed to “rank [five] colleges which provide the best fit for the student.”

If your teen is considering the community college route, bookmark this site and take advantage of the matching services it offers to students. The transfer process can be a bit daunting and complicated, but this will offer a tool for students to help simplify the process.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, parenting

Friday Q&A-Dropping a high school course

question-and-answer1Each week I will be posting a question that parents ask, along with the answer. If you have a question you would like for me to address, please email me or direct message me on Twitter (@SuzanneShaffer) and I’ll be happy to feature it.

Q. Is it ok for my teen to drop a high school course mid year?

A. Even if your college-bound teen comes to you and says that colleges won’t see their grades and it doesn’t matter, don’t cave. Colleges will make the admissions decision before final grades but they will also request an end of the year transcript. If your teen drops a course it will show there and may raise concerns.

Guidance counselors, with good reason, are vehemently against dropping courses. Some schools even require parents and students to sign a letter acknowledging the risk they are taking related to college admission.

According to Lee Bierer, an independent college adviser in Charlotte, North Carolina, “some students try to get creative and suggest substituting an online course instead of the one offered at their high school and this too is not looked upon favorably.” According to Brown University, “The very fact that they want to take it online instead will raise eyebrows. If they are taking it anyway, why don’t they just stay in class? If there is a scheduling conflict with another advanced course and the school endorses the change for that reason, then we’ll accept that, but if they are simply substituting an online option for an in-class option, we will be less understanding.”

Colleges review the final transcript and use it to gauge future performance based on the strength of the courses your teen takes. If colleges find out that they have dropped courses after they were admitted, it could be seen as grounds for revoking an offer of admission. And honestly, it’s not worth the risk.

Encourage your teen to stick it out. It’s a good lesson in perseverance and it will set a pattern for their college courses when they are tempted to drop them as well. And it will save the disappointment of admission being revoked at the last minute!

admissions, college guidance, college planning, social networks, Uncategorized

Top 30 College Info Twitterers to follow

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twitterIt’s no surprise. Twitter is a GREAT social media site to find out the latest college news and information. Set yourself up a “college info” list on Twitter and add these to that list. As you follow them, notice who they are communicating with and who they follow–add some more to that list. Soon you will have a comprehensive Twitter list that will keep you abreast of the latest college news.

  1. @SuzanneShaffer-The definitive Parent College Coach (helping parents help their college-bound teen navigate the college maze).
  2. @4CollegeParents–University Parent’s twitter account. Great information for parents of college-bound teens.
  3. @CollegeVisit–Everything you need to know about college visits from parents, students and experts.
  4. @CollegeBlogs–Awesome advice about everything you need to know about college admissions.
  5. @SaveCollegeCost–The BEST financial advice around for parents and college-bound teens.
  6. @SheldonWordNerd–SAT help (hook your teen up with this guy!)
  7. @SusanPosluszny–A career counselor with some GREAT career advice for college-bound teens.
  8. @MyCollegeGuide–As always, great information about college and all things related to college.
  9. @USATodayCollege–College news from an excellent news source.
  10. @VideoCoach–Offering videos with all sorts of college advice and help.
  11. @FastWebdotcom–A scholarship site that posts scholarship opportunities.
  12. @TheCollegeGuide–Great blogs about college life and topics related to college issues.
  13. @CollegeWeekLive–An online virtual college fair offering live events and chats.
  14. @Scholarshipscom–A scholarship site that posts scholarship opportunities.
  15. @Cappexcom–A college matching, search, and scholarship site for college-bound teens.
  16. @NYTimesCollege–A college news blog offering up-to-the-minute news and Q&A.
  17. @MoneyMgmt101–Helping college-bound teens and their parents make wise money choices.
  18. @CampusCommons–Offering an informative and fun blog for college students.
  19. @IHEAdmissions–Information related to higher education (great articles and news reports).
  20. @CheapScholar–Helping students and their parents find college funding and bargains.
  21. @EntrepreneurEDU–Tweeting about entrepreneurial opportunities in higher education.
  22. @gilrogers–An admissions officer that tweets information about admissions applications and the students who apply.
  23. @zinch–Tweets about scholarships and finding the “perfect fit” college.
  24. @TheCampusBuzz–Tons of articles related to college.
  25. @CollegeCalendar–Tips for college-bound teens about staying organized and preparing for admissions.
  26. @CollegeSurfing–Great tweets about college news, college admissions and college information.
  27. @MyUsearch–Follow this twitterer for the latest college information and news.
  28. @Unigo–Articles about college and higher education.
  29. @CollegeBlender—Making it easier to connect to college student, faculty, and alumni blogs.
  30. @MindFish—A smarter and more fun way to take on standardized tests. (pass this one on to your kiddos!)
college costs, college planning, parenting

Scoring FREE stuff on campus




Everybody like freebies. Taking advantage of all the freebies that are given away on campus to college students is a MUST. Teaching your kids to watch for them is all part of being an effective parent college coach.. Why pay for something when it’s available for FREE?

By Lauren Joffe for The Real College Guide

It’s no urban legend: Free stuff is doled out on college campuses all the time. But it’s up to you to scout out where to find these complementary goods. From pizza to plane tickets to straight-up cash, we show you what you can get and how to score it … so keep reading.

free-stuff

Free Entertainment
Get tickets to concerts, sporting events, art exhibits, theater openings, forums and lectures.

How to score: Use your student ID card as an all-access pass. Every campus has a student union building, and if you’re unfamiliar with it, we suggest you become acquainted, since it’s plastered with bulletin boards announcing free upcoming events for students.

Free Food
Get free pizza, soda, snacks or breakfast, depending on the time of day.

How to score: Attend club meetings. “If you look in your student building and sign up for all the listservs, you will know when clubs and residence halls are giving away free food,” says New York University sophomore Doreen Naor. “With breakfast, you can basically always get muffins and coffee, and for real meals, most clubs give out pizza.” Join three clubs that meet weekly, and you’re looking at three regularly scheduled meals.

We also like CampusFood.com, where you can play online games that earn coupons for your next restaurant visit. A few clicks at a mindless computer game, and you can have yourself a free meal. Not too shabby!

Free Cash
Earn hard cash (typically from $5 to $10 for about an hour of your time — could be up to $100). No taxes taken out, no checks.

How to score: Participate in a focus group or study, which typically requires very little effort, such as filling out an easy survey. Head over to the campus psychology building, where you’ll find volunteer recruitment flyers.

Focus group companies pay more for your input. If your school is in a metropolitan area, check out focus group centers in need of college student participants. Go to FindFocusgroups.com to scope out opportunities near you.

Free Swag
Pick up product samples, coupons, gift certificates and other giveaway items, including iTunes cards, DVD players and even airline tickets.

How to score: “All you have to do is open your eyes and pay attention,” says NYU junior Annie Baer. “There are always people giving away free things [on campus].” Marketing companies often hire student reps to hold major promotions that often include giveaways and contests on college campuses. Next time you see a student rep giving out samples, ask if the campaign offers any other giveaways.

Note: You can get updates about sponsored events and contests directly from the source. By becoming a Facebook fan of brands or products you like, you can get automatic updates about big promotions and giveaways, and be the first to know about any contests they might be hosting.

college costs, college planning, financial aid, scholarships

Scholarships for Learning Disabled

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learning disabilitiesIf you have a college-bound teen who is learning disabled, you will be happy to know that there are specific scholarships set aside for these type of students.

Start by looking at the Learning Disability Organizations in your home state. Those state specific college scholarships for ADHD will be less competitive than national scholarship programs as well, which makes them worth checking out even if the award amounts are small.

Another resource that students and parents seldom think about is scholarship programs that are only learned about through the Disabilities Department at the college that your teen will attend. It is vital that you check in with, and register with this department at the school, and inquire about available scholarship programs for learning disabled students when doing so.

Check into school specific college scholarships for ADHD available for learning disabled students as well. Many colleges offer at least one, if not several, ADHD scholarships for students who are learning disabled, and who will be attending that specific school, or even students enrolled in specific programs of studies – if they are learning disabled. Of course, ADHD Scholarships, although not specific, are considered learning disability scholarships as well.

Make absolutely certain that you check with vocational rehabilitation organizations or departments in your state and county as well. These organizations exist for the purpose of helping those who have been displaced or unable to work and get the educations that they need to find gainful employment – despite disabilities. Often, people mistakenly believe that these organizations only help adults who have already been in the workforce, but this isn’t true at all. They can also appraise graduating high school seniors and college students about scholarship and grant programs available for ADHD or learning disability scholarships.

Many organizations who would otherwise offer college ADHD scholarship programs for learning disabled students fail to do so because they assume that learning disabled students, such as those with ADHD will not be attending college. Today, nothing could be further from the truth, and in many cases, if you contact organizations or businesses that are related to ADHD in some way, you may find that they will help you to fund your teen’s education in some small way.

Here are just a few examples:

college costs, financial aid, parenting

In the News: Students struggle to repay student loans

 

I came across an article on WalletPop in their Money College section by a recent college graduate. Pop over there and read her student loan story and make sure you are sitting down when you do:

One student’s losing battle with private student loans

Those student loans are tempting. Here’s the rationalization that sucks in many college students:

  1. You don’t have to pay them back until you graduate.
  2. The interest rates are usually lower than regular loans.
  3. Once you graduate, there’s a grace period (allowing you time to get a job).
  4. Almost EVERY student has some sort of student loan debt.
  5. If you can’t pay it back, you can always file for bankruptcy.
  6. They let you consolidate so your payments will be affordable.

All of those statements have some truth in them to some degree. However, it is EXTREMELY important that every college-bound student understand these truths:

  1. The interest usually accrues while you are in college (unless it’s a subsidized loan).
  2. Private loan rates are higher than federal student loan rates.
  3. Going into massive debt for an education is a BAD idea.
  4. Many student loans are not forgivable in bankruptcy.
  5. That grace period creeps up on your FAST!
  6. You may not land a job that pays enough to make those monthly student loan payments.

Parents–please counsel your teens on the downfalls of having tremendous amounts of student loan debt. Encourage them to be financially responsible and prudent when borrowing money for college. Those loans can shackle them for many years after college graduation.