Category Archives: college planning

admissions, college guidance, college planning, parenting, Uncategorized

A CollegeParent Partnership

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With all the recent talk of helicopter parents, I’ve picked up on some slight disdain from academia when it comes to parent involvement. Granted, there are some parents that would make any admissions representative pull their hair out. But I would like to think that there are so many more parents who view their role more as a coach in the process and would like to have colleges value their input. After all, when it comes right down to it, parents are generally the ones paying the bill for the student’s education.

During a recent #CampusChat on Twitter, Gil Rogers, Associate Director of Admissions and Enrollment Technology for the University of New Haven shed some light on how his college views the parent/college relationship:

We like to be a partner in a family’s college search, not just an option. We simply encourage parents to allow students to have their space and make the choice. Let the kid drive the car. We have, however, developed a number of communication tools with parents in mind. Charger Connection and the monthly eblasts that admissions sends are to prospective student’s parents. The monthly e-mail that goes to all parents we have e-mail addresses for is separate from the student’s with tips. Social Media (and any communication tool for that matter) is about building relationships.

That’s the view that parents like to hear: a partner in the family’s college search. With this view, both parent and student feel valuable; and this translates into the college providing a positive environment for making the right college choice.

University of New Haven has created an extremely helpful parent’s guide: Parents Guide to College and Financial Planning. They cover every topic that a parent needs to know about college choices and financial planning; also giving advice on how to help your student survive the first year of college. This guide communicates that partnership that Gil talked about and emanates through his social media persona.

I hope you will take a look at the University of New Haven and even view their parent’s guide. Here are the links to connect with them online:

University of New Haven

UNewHaven Facebook Page

UNewHaven Twitter Account

college planning, parenting, Uncategorized

Substance abuse in college

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One of my sidelines every year is preparing Red Ribbon Week support materials for the public schools. While it’s rewarding knowing that I can do a small part to contribute to drug awareness education, it’s also a bit depressing to read the statistics related to drug and alcohol abuse.

Each year, the NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) conducts a “Monitoring the Future” study. This study queries high school students and even follows them into college to see if the patterns change. This year’s study added a new facet: the abuse of prescription and non-prescription drugs.  It’s hard to believe that so many teens are abusing prescription drugs (Adderall has become quite prevalent–a drug used for ADHD) and non-prescription drugs (Robotussin leads the list).

Of course, alcohol weighs heavily in the study:

Alcohol use remains extremely widespread among today’s teenagers. Nearly three quarters of students (72%) have consumed alcohol (more than just a few sips) by the end of high school, and more than one third (37%) have done so by 8th grade. In fact, more than half (57%) of 12th graders and one sixth (17%) of 8th graders in 2009 report having been drunk at least once in their life.

The study shows that teens start early abusing substances and carry the trend on into college. I can’t stress enough the importance of talking with your kids early about the dangers of this type of behavior. If you don’t believe your child will drink in college, you’re fooling yourself. Just read the last blog post by a Virginia Tech student and learn how he got sucked into the party scene on campus.

I encourage every parent to read the overview of the study: Monitoring the Future. A knowledgeable parent is a prepared parent.

If you liked this article, you might like:

Parents-Can you handle the truth?

Top 10 Things every parents should know about hooking up in college?

college guidance, college planning, Uncategorized

Lessons learned: a college student's perspective

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If I had the option to press the “reset” button that would send me back to freshman year with the knowledge that I have now about college, I would go back in a heartbeat. Needless to say, there are plenty of things I wish I knew before my freshman year of college commenced. Here are a few key ones:

I wish I knew what “time management” meant.

When I was a senior in high school, all the teachers and recent graduates would tell us that it was imperative that we understood how to manage our time; as in how to balance our social lives with our academics. I didn’t understand what they meant. It was easy enough to hang out with friends and get A’s and B’s in high school, How hard could it be in college? Hard.

Hard if you don’t find some sort of balance. It’s easy to get caught up in the social aspect of college. There are a ton of people to meet, tons of places to go, a whole bunch of activities that you can do every single day. Best thing of all is no parents. So what tends to happen is that a lot of college kids experience full “freedom” and forget that they have classes. I know I did my freshman year. I chose to go out and hang with my new friends instead of studying for an exam that week or I waited till the day before an assignment was due to start it.

Finding a balance takes time and depends on the person. It took me till the end of my sophomore year to finally figure out some sort of balance. I found that using iCal on my Mac and planning out when every single exam, project and assignment was due really helped me know when important things were coming up so I could focus on my work and hang out later. My GPA also helped motivate me because I didn’t want to be put on academic probation. Sometimes an academic kick in the butt can motivate a student to focus on their schoolwork. But you don’t want to slide that far down before changing your ways because if your GPA is low after the first year, it’s hard to bring it back up.

I wish I sampled different classes in the beginning.

I wish I had taken more random classes my first year instead of taking four science classes, one math class, and one English class. I entered Virginia Tech as a biology major and dove right into the science classes, only to find out that I hated labs halfway through the semester. Unfortunately I was caught in a bind because it was too late to drop the classes and I didn’t want to waste my withdrawal credits in the first semester. I was miserable that semester.

What I should have done was taken one science class and branched out and tried out different classes to see what I liked. I know a friend of mine was a journalism major and took an Intro to Film class during her sophomore year. She loved it so much, she changed her major to Film; based on that one single class. That happened to me as well! After my first semester, I ended up dropping my biology major, switching to undecided, then changing to Communications after taking an Intro to Communication Theory class at the end of my freshman year. Pretty big switch, but sometimes one class can do that. I encourage more college students to sample out different classes when they can. You never know what other passions you may have.

I wish I knew that there are plenty of ways to have fun without drinking.

I partied a lot during my first two years of college. Not only did it hurt my grades, but it also got me in trouble. I wish when I entered college I understood the hazards of drinking and that I could have plenty of fun without drinking. Besides the fact that underage drinking is illegal, another problem with drinking in college is that a lot of students don’t understand their limit. They’ll just keep drinking and drinking and go overboard. Some may find it funny to tell their friends how wasted they were or laugh about blacking out, but in all seriousness it’s no laughing matter. I went overboard during the start of my sophomore year and paid the consequences by being put on deferred suspension. Since that ordeal, I’ve pushed myself to limit my drinking and a lot of times I’ll opt not to drink at all. Ironically, some of the best times I had were the ones where I chose to remain sober and remember all the crazy things that happened when other people were drunk.

Some students may think that the only way to have fun is to go out, party and drink, which is not true at all. For one thing, you can always go out to a party and not drink and still have a fun time. You can also check out some of the facilities that your college provides for other forms of entertainment. Here at Tech there are plenty of ways to have fun without the need of alcohol. There’s a place on campus called the BreakZone that offers a variety of games like pool, bowling and darts. Instead of going out and drinking, sometimes I’d gather a group of friends and we’d play a couple games at the BreakZone. If bowling or pool isn’t your thing, why not organize a video game session or watch movies? There are plenty of chances to go out and party; sometimes staying in and enjoying your surroundings can be a refreshing experience.

I wish I got out of the room more.

The dorm is a great place to meet people from all sorts of places, and it’s possibly the first place where you develop some of your closets friends throughout your college career.  While meeting people in your dorm and hanging out in the dorm is nice and all, don’t forget that there exists a world outside of your dorm! I spent way too much time in my dorm, whether it was in my room or in my friend’s room. I chose to stay indoors on nice days rather than go outside and enjoy my surroundings. The one thing I love about Tech is that its campus is pretty big and there are tons of areas to explore. I remember one of my architecture friends gave me a tour of the architecture studio that was located underground. It was an eye opening experience to say the least and I knew that there was a studio somewhere on campus, but never took the time to go out and look for it on my own. After that trip I started to go out more and walk around campus the weather was nice. I figured I might as well enjoy campus while I’m still here.

I encourage students to get out of their dorms during a beautiful day and walk around their campus; after all, college only lasts for so long and who knows when your next visit will be once you graduate. Enjoy your environment and surroundings, and don’t be afraid to go out and explore!  Who knows what you’ll discover!

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This is a guest blog post by Tauhid Chappell, a junior at Virginia Tech majoring in Electronic/Print Journalism. He is the executive editor of Planet Blacksburg; a student-run, online, media organization at Tech. He aspires to be a multimedia journalist and is addicted to social media!

college planning

Packing for College

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Here’s a great help for parents from Sarah Schupp of University Parent–print these lists and keep them handy for that day that your college-bound teen heads off to college.

As students prepare to begin or return to college, making sure they have everything they need to be successful can be challenging.

But now as you wipe the sweat from your brow and pat yourself on the back — your child is going to college! Then it dawns on you. What should they bring with them? Where should you shop? What do they need? What don’t they need?

Relax. While packing your student for college may feel like an overwhelming task, it doesn’t have to be. In fact, you might even have some fun with it.

We’ve compiled the ultimate packing lists for residence hall life, classroom and studying needs and personal items they should bring along  — so that you can get your student off to school and ready to learn! Each list offers tips and tricks to ease the headache of the big move.

Plan and prepare
before you run out to your local stores and buy everything they’ll need, first wait for more information from their college — or visit the college’s web site for further information about what they’ll need for school.

Common sense tells you to begin by making a list of everything they will need. Combine your own list with that of the college, as well as the list of things others may have advised you that they’ll need.

Then, survey your house for these items. Save money by making sure you don’t already own something similar.

Lastly, if they’ve gotten their roommate information, they should discuss what each has to bring –- no need for multiple mini-fridges or TVs when space is already limited.

If they’ve lucked out with a huge dorm room, you both have much more liberty in deciding what goes with them. One piece of advice: Don’t overpack! They’ll end up being stuck with stuff they won’t use, and it will take up precious space that can help keep them organized.

Ready…Start….Pack!

Regardless of their room size, here are some must-haves, in no particular order:

  • Computer/Laptop. If it’s at all possible to buy one or borrow one, do it. Most colleges have pretty good computer facilities that students can use for free, but they’re often crowded and noisy, and not in their own room. If you have a choice, opt for a laptop. They can bring it to class, the library or outside, and can have more options of where to work.
  • Extra socks and underwear. Doing laundry is expensive and a pain. Students can always rewear jeans and sweaters more than once, but clean underwear and socks are a must!
  • Flip-flops. Using communal showers equals foot fungus, an unattractive yet common problem in dorms.
  • Climate-appropriate clothes. If possible, try to pack only what they’ll need for the season and climate they’ll be living in. There is usually not a lot of room for extra clothes, especially bulky sweaters or excessive shoes. They can always trade clothes at home during winter or spring break.
  • Storage bins. Stacking things is the way to go in their dorm room. A variety of storage bins are available at most stores.
  • Group games. Board games, cards and video games are a great way to make new friends and are perfect for breaks and downtime at school.
  • Home reminders. Bring things that remind them of home, such as a few pictures or posters. These things will make homesickness –during those first few days or weeks — that much easier to bear. With photos and personal touches, their dorm room will feel more like a home and less like just a dorm room.
  • Dictionary and thesaurus. Although most computer programs have a thesaurus built in, the paper versions still have many more options.
  • Lamps. Get a cheap halogen or desk lamp — most grads still can’t part with theirs. But before you go out and buy one, make sure their college doesn’t consider certain types a fire hazard.
  • Clothes hamper. They will need something roomy and something they can easily carry when it is time to do laundry.
  • First-aid kit. Just in case.

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Sarah Schupp is the founder and CEO of University Parent Media in Boulder, Colo. UPM publishes print and online guides for parents of students at universities and colleges in 38 states. Online at www.universityparent.com

college housing, college planning

Off-Campus Housing 101

I recently did a guest post for WilliamPaid.com, a website dedicated to helping renters establish credit, pay off their student loans early, and manage their debt. The post was titled, “Your college student wants to move off campus–now what?” Take some time and head over to WilliamPaid’s site and read it. You might not need it now, but there will come a day that you will use the tips.

That post has spurred some additional thoughts that I felt would be helpful to parents of college-bound teens. Here are some things you might need to consider and/or know about off-campus housing.

Most colleges encourage freshmen to live on campus. It helps your teen bond with other students and get involved in campus life. Living off campus during freshman year can cause the student to feel out of touch with the goings on on campus and contribute to instability during an already emotion packed change.

Some colleges (due to size and location) can’t house all the students. If this is the case, get your housing form in ASAP. It’s first come, first serve and if you don’t act quickly, your child could lose a spot in the dorms. If you’re too late, try and connect with other incoming freshmen and find an apartment or house off  campus to share. Check with the campus housing office for information regarding off-campus housing and contact information. Being around other students from the same college will help with adjustment issues.

If you have more than one child headed to the same college, consider buying a house as an investment and let them live there (with other students). This happens often at Texas A&M and University of Texas. Once they have graduated, you can sell the house or keep it and make a hefty profit on rent each year. These rentals are in demand by college students and their families. (Here’s a new site I discovered that will help your search CampusHomesOnline.com)

If your child chooses to live at home during college, encourage them to get involved in campus activities. My daughter had a close friend that lived with family during her first semester at the University of Texas. She was a smart girl that worked hard to get accepted. But living off campus with family caused her to struggle in such a huge campus environment. She never felt involved or accepted among the students. She ended up dropping out after just one semester.

Upperclassmen are often encouraged to move off campus to make room for incoming freshmen. Know the policies and campus housing guidelines of the colleges your teen applies to. If this situation is not acceptable to them, don’t apply to a college that can’t provide housing all four years. Don’t get caught by surprise and have to scramble for senior housing (along with thousands of other college students).

Part of being a parent college coach is being prepared for all scenarios, including off-campus housing. If you’re prepared, you won’t have to panic when/if the day arrives that your college student approaches you with the “best plan ever” for living off campus.

If you liked this, you might also like:

Smart ways to live cheaper on campus

Sleeping with strangers

admissions, college planning

The Common Application

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On August 1st, the NEW and IMPROVED online version of the Common Application goes live! Here’s a sneak peak for you and your college-bound teen:

2010-2011 Common Application

If you’re on Twitter and would like to get some more information, you can attend a chat TODAY at 3PM PST for “Everything Common App”. Just use the  #collegejoin twitter chat hashtag and follow along. If you can’t make it, you can always review the tweets at a later time.

The Common Application is used by 391 member institutions. The benefits? You can fill out ONE application and submit it to any participating college. The same is true of the School Report, Midyear Report, Final Report and Teacher Evaluation forms. This saves your college-bound teen time and that translates into more time available for the other important college admissions tasks.

college guidance, college planning, parenting

That all-important college deal-breaker

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college student
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been having conversations on Twitter about the emotional aspect of choosing a college.

As a parent of two teens who headed off to college, this is no surprise. My daughter’s college deal-breaker had nothing to do with academics or college rankings. From the time she was small, she wanted to go to college in Boston. Coming from Texas, that was a bit of a surprise–especially since she had never visited Boston. But when college decision time came around, Bentley College beat out SMU because of location. My son’s college deal-breaker came when a buddy of his in the Marine Corps told him a college in Texas had “hot chicks”.

I also heard a college student say she transferred freshman year because another school had a sink in the freshmen dorm rooms. That has to be the first time I’ve ever heard that described as a college deal-breaker!

While parents are thinking academics and cost, their college-bound teens have that deal-breaker in mind. It might be Greek life, or the fact that it’s the #1 party school. But trust me, there’s a deal-breaker in the back of their head. And you might be surprised to find out what it is. All this time you thought they were looking for a college with an excellent engineering program, they really wanted a college where the girls outnumbered the boys!

What does this mean for you as a parent? Talk to your college-bound teen. Find out what their deal-breaker is and help them choose a perfect-fit college that addresses it. There’s nothing wrong with having a deal-breaker, but it’s your job to guide them to find the college that makes them happy and provides them with an education that benefits them in the future. If the college with the sink in the dorm rooms also values your teen and offers an excellent program in her chosen field of finance, you’ve found that “perfect fit” college!

college guidance, college majors, college planning

Choosing a major–now or later?

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There was some talk on #collegebound chat recently about college majors and how important they are to your chosen career path. While many students know what they want to major in from day one, a greater number haven’t a clue. My opinion–that’s what college is all about–finding your passion and trying out varied interests.

Here’s some excellent advice along this vein:

*****

Question: Do I have to choose my major before leaving for school or can that wait until I get settled in? I have too much to think about right now!

Answer: Of all the things weighing on you this summer, choosing a major can be crossed off the list. Many, many students enter college with no idea of what they want to study. This is largely the reason for many schools’ general education requirements, which allow you to study a bunch of things before picking what piques your interest the most. (You can often get away with dragging your feet to declare a major until the end of freshman or even the beginning of sophomore year.) If you don’t know what you want to major in, take some intro classes your first semester and knock out some of your general requirements. Then, once you choose something, take more classes in that area.

If you have already chosen a major, great! Take a class or two in your field, then use the rest of your credit hours for electives and requirements. It’s important to remember that as a freshman, you might not get all the classes you want, so have backups and realize that there’s always next semester.

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This Q&A is from Liz Cruger of  The Real College Guide. It is made available to Parents Countdown to College Coach through a partnership with The Real College Guide.

college planning, parenting

From High School to College…

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…What your student needs during the transition.

high school to college
–photo courtesy of University Parent–

Now that your student is done celebrating high school graduation and ready to settle into summer, it’s the best time to gather important information from high school before it gets forgotten in the bustle of back-to-school excitement.

Grab a folder – or a flash drive for the computer – and save the following items for the fall:

  • Previous college credit: Before registering for fall classes, students must provide the university with all college and dual credit information. Save paperwork from previous credits or AP classes, and contact the university to see what they need. Most schools need an official transcript if your student completed credits at another school, and if he/she received an AP credit by exam, those results must also be sent to the university. Have your student contact the high school to request official transcripts, and request unofficial transcripts for your own records. If the official transcripts come to you, be sure not to open the envelopes, and forward them to the university.
  • High school work: Hopefully, your student didn’t throw his senior year’s work in the air, singing, “School’s out for summer!” and leave it behind, never to look back. Important papers, tests and notes can come in handy – especially for overwhelmed freshmen taking college courses, possibly learning how to study for the first time. Professors don’t take valuable class time to review what students learned in high school, so students should do that on their own.
  • Scholarship donor contact information: If your student received a scholarship or grant to attend college, a big “thank-you” is in order. Donors, alumnae, philanthropists and even corporations that provide college scholarships love to hear how their money is used. Sending a formal letter after the first semester is a great way to thank them for their contribution and explain how the first semester went. Cultivating those relationships can be the best tactic to ensure more scholarship money, if they make ongoing gifts.
  • Teacher and coach contact information: Many high school seniors leave a small pond feeling like a big fish – and the first few weeks in college can be overwhelming. If your student had a special relationship with a teacher, coach or mentor, that doesn’t have to end when he/she moves on to different waters. An e-mail or phone call from your student to a trusted adult can be encouraging and provide them with support beyond their parents, and thank-you notes go a long way to show appreciation for teachers who have made an impact. Keeping up with these relationships is important because past teachers can be a good reference for students looking for on-campus jobs or internships.

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This guest post was provided by Sarah Schupp, founder and CEO of University Parent Media in Boulder, Colo. UPM publishes print and online guides for parents of students at universities and colleges in 38 states. Online at www.universityparent.com.

college guidance, college planning, Uncategorized

Start NOW on recommendation letter lists

If your teen is heading into their senior year in the fall, summer is the time to start thinking about that list of people who might write glowing letters of recommendations to the colleges they are aspiring to attend. Put some thought into this list and hit the ground running in the fall!

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What class did you do best in last year? Which class was your favorite? Who was your favorite teacher? Does your guidance counselor know you well? Who knows you the best (both adults and fellow students)? Who will write you the best recommendation?

These are questions to answer this summer if you are going be entering your senior year in the fall. Once you have your answers, make a list of the people who would be your best recommenders. Put some serious thought into who you will ask because these letters are important!

After identifying these top recommenders, ask them if they can write you a strong letter of recommendation. Teachers will greatly appreciate having time to work on your letters. So hit the ground running in the fall before they are drowning in recommendation requests on top of lesson plans and other school-related activities. Get a leg up by approaching them EARLY!

If you remember particular instances where you demonstrated your creativity, intelligence, responsibility, or other impressive qualities, don’t be shy about reminding your recommenders about them. You can even provide a list of things you think your recommenders might want to cover in their letters. The best letters tell stories, and you probably remember those stories better than anyone else!

Examples of things you might want to share with your recommenders:

  • A list of your activities and accomplishments
  • Copies of your best papers in the recommender’s class
  • Copies of your creative writing
  • Notes about particular contributions you made in class
  • Your transcript
  • Your student resume (yes you should have one!)

Any and all help you can give your recommenders, whether it’s giving them plenty of time or helping them with material to put in their letters, will be appreciated and will make for a stellar letter of recommendation!

The benefit to you, besides that you’ll have great recommendation letters, is that when December rolls around, you won’t be biting your nails worrying whether your letters will be in by deadline.

That’s worth a bit of thought and action right now, isn’t it?

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This post was written by Brenda Bernstein, a graduate of Yale University and the New York University School of Law. She has been helping students get into college, grad school and law school for over ten years and is proud to offer college admissions assistance to students through her company, The Essay Expert.  Brenda practiced public interest law for ten years in New York City and knew early on that her calling was in student advising, not legal practice.  She is now a J.D. Career Advisor at the University of Wisconsin Law School Office of Career Services, as well as a writing coach and owner of The Essay Expert. Brenda is also trained as a life coach by the Coaches Training Institute.

Brenda’s company and consultants have helped students gain admission to top schools throughout the nation, including:  Yale, Harvard, Brown, Columbia, NYU, U Penn, Oberlin, Carleton, Northwestern, Georgetown, U of Miami, and UCLA.