Category Archives: college prep

college prep, guidance counselors

5 Ways Your High School Counselor Can Help With College Prep

You would be surprised at the amount of material that comes across your high school counselor’s desk: from scholarship opportunities, to college admissions counselor recommendation requests, to leadership positions, to volunteer opportunities. Making friends with your counselor may well be the most important and valuable relationship your teen cultivates during high school.

It’s no surprise to parents that high school counselors are busy. They juggle regular counseling duties, paperwork and college prep. Most have too many students to advise and most are required to spend so much time on paperwork that it’s impossible to speak with every student. Research shows that the average counselor to student ratio is 470-1. All the more reason to cultivate that counselor relationship and ask for help.

High school counselors are eager to help when asked and recognize their value and part in the college prep process. Here are five ways high school counselors can help with college prep:

1. Help with planning high school courses

A school counselor can guide your teen in choosing courses that will challenge them academically and prepare them for college. There is no substitute for a solid academic, college focused education. Your teen’s transcript will be the cornerstone of their college application and college admissions counselors weigh the content of that transcript to determine your teen’s ability to handle a rigorous college course load. A college education builds on the knowledge and skills that your teen has acquired during junior high and high school. Most selective colleges with the highest admission requirements look for students who have taken challenging science and math courses beyond the basics.

If you high schools offers AP (Advanced Placement) courses and exams, the counselor can recommend the courses that colleges look for on a transcript. AP courses are college level courses in approximately 16 different subjects helping students to prepare for college level work while still in high school. After the course is completed, your teen can take an AP test in the subject and many times receive college course credit. There is a difference between Honors classes and AP classes. Honors classes are advanced classes. AP classes and AP Honors classes offer the opportunity for testing once the course is completed. Having these difficult courses on your teen’s transcript communicates that they are up for the challenge of college and they can successfully complete college-level courses.

Many schools also offer an opportunity to take Dual Credit courses. Counselors should be able to provide you with information if this program is available. A dual credit course is a college course taken by a high school student for which the student earns both college and high school credit at the same time. Some courses are taught at the high school campus during high school hours while others are taught at local colleges during the day, evenings, and weekends. By participating in the dual credit program, it enables your teen to make substantial progress toward their college degree before finishing high school. Students who begin taking courses in their junior year can earn thirty or more college credits by the time they graduate from high school if they also take summer classes at the college. It is possible to earn sophomore status even before they start college full time.

2. Recommend colleges

High school counselors stay in contact with colleges and their admissions representatives. They can recommend the colleges that best fit your student’s interests, academic profile and other criteria such as size and location. Helping a student understand his or her academic standing and how it can affect the chance for admission is a key part of the college prep process. Counselors have mounds of literature about colleges and universities that can help your student choose the right route while looking at their interests and career aspirations in the process.

Counselors have information related to college fairs and on-campus meetings with college admissions representatives. These opportunities help students gather the information they need to help make an informed college selection.

3. Put you in touch with volunteer opportunities

Counselors receive information about volunteer opportunities and community service projects. Once the counselor knows your student’s areas of interest, they can put them in touch with the activities that fit those interests. Some high schools even offer academic credit for volunteer work through service learning — a program that offers hands-on learning through service to the community. To find out if your school offers service learning, talk to your school counselor.

Your student’s volunteer work illustrates your interests and character. When you list your volunteer work on your college applications, you show admission officers the value you’ll bring to their campus community. Since volunteer and community service are important aspects of the college application, be informed about these opportunities when they become available by staying in contact with your high school counselor.

4. Provide you with scholarship applications

High school counselors receive scholarship information and applications each year from those companies, organizations, and colleges offering scholarships. They provide information about the PSAT and National Merit Finalist Scholarships as well.

Students should visit their counselor regularly to inquire about any new scholarship applications their counselor has received, especially during senior year. In many cases, the counselors also have information about local scholarships, which can be hard to find online. These scholarships offer the best odds of winning for your student since few apply and the competition for the scholarship is less than widely popular national scholarships.

5. Write recommendation letters

One of a counselor’s most important responsibilities when it comes to college prep is providing a recommendation letter to the colleges. It stands to reason that if your counselor knows your student and has assisted them in college prep, they will be more likely to write a much more knowledgeable and personal recommendation letter.

My daughter and son attended a rather large high school. At the time, being uninformed and unaware, we did not understand the value of this relationship. When senior year came along she missed several scholarship opportunities because the counselor did not even know she was applying to several of the colleges. When recommendation letter time came along the counselor refused to complete her recommendation stating that she did not know my daughter well enough to write a letter for her. My daughter had to explain to several admission committees why she was not able to obtain a counselor recommendation. Spare yourself this complication by cultivating the counselor relationship.

The high school counselor relationship is a key part of the college prep process. They exist to help parents and students work toward their goals after high school—college prep is a key part of the help they provide. Start each year off with a meeting with the school counselor, ask questions, and ask for help with college prep. Utilizing this resource can help parents and students stay informed and equipped throughout the college prep process.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, college prep

5 First Semester Tasks for Seniors

This article was originally written for and published at TeenLife.com

seniors

The first semester of senior year is filled with anticipation. It’s your last year of high school and you have so much to look forward to, such as graduation and college. But in order for seniors to reach those goals, you have some high-priority things in the area of college admissions and creating the best college application that you can.

1. Get recommendation letters.

There’s no time to waste. Teachers and administrators and other mentors are busy people. With multiple students asking for recommendation letters, you want to be first in line. If you’ve done your homework, you have built relationships and now it’s time to ask for that college recommendation. Choose people who know you well and will be able to make the recommendations more personal.

2. Complete the college essays.

It’s time to put the finishing touches on that college essay you began working on over the summer. Remember the essay is your chance to demonstrate who you are. Be yourself and don’t try to write what you think admissions officers want to hear. Once your essay is completed, have someone proofread it before submitting with the application.

3. Finalize your college list.

It’s time to nail down your college choices. Review your notes and anything you learned during college interviews. Look at the entire picture for each college: Is it a fit academically, socially and financially? Are you at the top of the applicant pool and in the best position to receive merit aid? Make sure you have some colleges on your final list that are reach schools, some that are perfect fit schools, and some that are schools where you are pretty much ensured acceptance.

4. Visit the colleges on your list.

Fall is the perfect time for college visits. Not only will those visits help you finalize your list, but visiting a college demonstrates interest. Once the colleges receive your application, they will check to see how interested you are in attending and that will influence admissions officers. While you are on campus, schedule an interview and an appointment with the financial aid office. Ask questions that will help you finalize your college list.

5. Complete the FAFSA.

The FAFSA – the Free Application for Federal Student Aid – is available online. You should make filing it out a priority and the sooner the better. Colleges will be awarding financial aid this year along with their admissions decisions. You want to be first in line for this merit aid, so file now. Students who complete the FAFSA are not only eligible for federal aid, but for college-based aid such as grants and scholarships.

6. One last task: Submit your college application ASAP.

Consider submitting your application early. Applying early decision or early action means you will hear from the colleges sooner and also get information on your financial aid award. If you apply EA (early action) you’re not bound to any one college and you can apply to more than one. If you know the college you want to attend and it’s your absolute first choice, you can apply ED (early decision). You are bound to accept the school’s offer of admission, however, and you cannot apply to other colleges.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, college prep, college visits

Lessons I Learned During the College Search

college search

The college search is easily stressful for both parents and students. The amount of knowledge a parent needs to help their student navigate through college prep can be overwhelming. From choosing the college, to deciding how to pay for it, to making the final decision, it’s hard not to become stressed and frustrated.

Both my children attended college but took different paths. One entered college straight out of high school and the other after four years of military service. Even though the college search for each of them was different, during their individual searches I learned some valuable lessons.

Expand your search beyond the usual perimeters

When you begin the college search, you should cast a wide net. Many students limit themselves to state colleges, colleges with prestigious names and even nearby schools. There are over 4000 institutions of higher learning in the United States and even more if you expand your search beyond our borders—Canada and even internationally. Canadian colleges offer excellent educations and are often a better financial fit than many U.S. colleges.

Moving outside your comfort zone might help you and your student find a better fit. My daughter had her heart set on a large university and while doing a college search, we unearthed a small private college in the same city that was a better academic, social and financial fit for her. Keep an open mind and don’t discount a college simply because of name, location, or lack of notoriety.

Do the leg work

Do your research before narrowing down the final college list. Look at statistics. They will tell you so much about a college. You should compare graduation rates, financial aid award percentages, freshman retention rates, admissions acceptance rates and more. Make your choices based on your research statistics and whether or not the college fits your student’s academic and social needs.

These websites that can help with your research: College Navigator, Cost of Learning, Big Future, and the Department of Education.

College visits can be highly emotional

College visits for you are fact-finding missions. College visits for your teen are highly emotional. You can expect to hear words like “I’m just not feeling it”, “I won’t get out of the car”, “I don’t like the look for the campus/buildings”, and other irrational comments. Just remember that feelings are a part of the final college choice. You can’t expect your student to make their new home at a college they don’t like, for whatever reason.

I experienced this with my daughter. She received an offer of admission and a full-ride scholarship from a college we applied to but never visited. Based on the website, location and academic offerings she felt it would be a good fit. When we arrived on campus in early April for our first visit, she refused to get out of the car. She didn’t like the look or the size of the campus. Of course, I was completely frustrated with her, but she just instinctively knew it was not the college for her. Looking back, even though it seemed emotional, she knew what she wanted and ultimately chose the perfect college she felt was a good fit.

Organization is critical

You will be bombarded with information during your college search. The key to keeping track of it all and staying on top of all the deadlines is to stay organized. Your teen should set up an email purely for college information and correspondence. Make it official by using firstname_lastname @gmail.com. All college correspondence will come to this address and your teen can set up folders to help organize it.

You should also maintain a filing system for organizing paper. This might be anything from college brochures to scholarship materials and applications, to keeping track of accomplishments for the resume. Keep all college-related materials in one place—a college landing zone.

Ask for help if necessary

Some parents like me choose to work alone and guide their student through the college process, while others choose to hire a professional college consultant. Choose what is best for your family and its own financial resources. If you choose to work alone, there is a wealth of information online from blogs and social media. If you have a question, leave a post on a Facebook page, comment on a blog or DM someone on Twitter. Most professionals are happy to help with anything that might stump you.

You can also seek advice from your high school counselor, teachers or even college admissions staff. You don’t have to flounder around hoping you have the right information. Approach the college search with knowledge and determination and your student will succeed!

college prep, parenting

Summer Reading Suggestions-for parents of high school students

summer reading

The summer is half over, but if you’re lucky, you can steal some reading time. With a teenager in the house and college (or something else) on the horizon, a prepared parent is a less stressful parent. When school starts, you want every tool in your arsenal and these summer reading suggestions can help arm you for the task ahead.

College Bound and Gagged

Nancy takes the everyday aspects of the college admissions process and puts them into terms that parents can easily understand and relate to by using humor. And if that’s not enough, she sprinkles some of the best college admissions advice along the way by tapping into her own personal experiences and her network of college experts that she utilizes throughout the book.

DebtFreeU

When Zac Bissonnette headed off to college, he had the funds to cover the tab. Bissonnette has seen the currently flawed system first hand. He’s a contrarian, and his book is packed with studies and statistics to back up his analysis. It’s a magical combination that college-bound students and their parents should read, even if there’s plenty of money set aside to pay the tuition tab. There’s no harm in learning ways to get the biggest bang for your buck and the best education available at the same time.

How to Win College Scholarships

The best part about Monica’s e-book is that it’s simple and easy to understand. If you follow her easy 10 step program, the scholarship process becomes doable for any parent and their student. You can sit back and hope that your student does all the work, or you can offer help and support by grabbing a copy of Monica’s book, reading it, and rolling up your sleeves.

Toward College Success: Is Your Teenager Ready, Willing and Able

This is a book to help parents of middle and high school students. This book prods parents to ask if their teenager will be ready, willing, and able to handle self-management, personal safety, roommate conflicts, personal finances, interactions with teachers, academic responsibility, and much more. Included in this book are numerous interviews with parents, college students, school counselors and advisors, law enforcement per- sonnel, teachers, medical personnel, and school administrators. At the end of each chapter are examples of how parents can prepare their teenagers for a successful college experience and turn their students into confident, reponsible young adults.

25 Top Secrets Expensive College Consultants Reveal Only To Their Clients About College Admissions: Get An Unfair Advantage When Applying To College

For college admissions help, give your child that “unfair” advantage in applying to college, without cheating, offering bribes, using legacy, or giving donations. Here’s the kind of insider information that’s made the author’s own clients refer him to their friends for the past 17 years. It’s a free, fast and entertaining read that’s designed for the hard-bitten realist who takes nothing at face value, especially in light of the college admissions scandal of 2019. This ebook comes with an option to take advantage of the author’s free videos that are designed to expand and update the book’s content when necessary.

The College Solution

The second edition of The College Solution, which contains approximately 90% new material, is aimed at helping parents and teenagers become empowered consumers as they navigate through the college process. Billions of dollars are available to pay for college, but not everybody gets their share. It’s not always the families with the brightest students or the parents who are struggling financially who receive the most money. The College Solution shares the secrets of how you can capture some of this money for your own family. The book provides advice on such topics as financial aid, merit scholarships, athletic scholarships, admission hooks, the important differences between colleges and universities, college rankings, the best student loans and the latest online tools to evaluate the generosity of schools. O’Shaughnessy presents an easy-to-use, proven road map for getting past the ratings, and finding the right schools at the right price.

Getting In-Inside the College Admissions Process

I’ve read plenty of books on college admissions. Some are so scholarly heavy that you need a degree to figure them out. Others are so shallow you can find most of the material in your teen’s high school handouts. Zinch’s book is neither of the above. It’s geared toward the student, but is also extremely valuable from a parent’s perspective. Zinch reminds the student that while the college process often involves the entire family, the final choice must be their own. I agree with this whole heartedly. Every parent should grasp this truth.

Higher Education: How Colleges are Wasting Your Money

The authors observe how conventional universities are coming to resemble for-profit diploma mills through inexpensive, Orwellian-titled “distance learning.” At Florida Gulf Coast University on the outskirts of Fort Myers, students in Humanities 2510 sit in dormitories or at home studying painting, sculpture, and architecture via online lectures. Adjunct professors with modest credentials answer questions by e-mail; telephone calls are not allowed. Multiple-choice tests emphasize dry facts and figures. Short papers are required, but students don’t have to attend performances or see art in person. In lieu of customized grading, instructors draw on “sample stock comments” they slap on student papers. “Humanities 2510 seems close to cramming for a quiz show,” the authors write. To readers, it might just seem like a rip-off.

Secrets of a Financial Aid Pro

Jodi Okun’s book launched today and the presales put it on the Amazon #1 Best Seller list. This book is more than help for financial aid questions. In it you can find out how to give your student the financial skills they’ll need for life, with talking points and scripts to help you with important conversations you need to have before college. Jodi provides parents with expert advice and in this book shares her experiences of helping parents pay for college.

How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success

In this book, Julie Lythcott-Haims draws on research, on conversations with admissions officers, educators, and employers, and on her own insights as a mother and as a student dean to highlight the ways in which overparenting harms children, their stressed-out parents, and society at large. While empathizing with the parental hopes and, especially, fears that lead to overhelping, Lythcott-Haims offers practical alternative strategies that underline the importance of allowing children to make their own mistakes and develop the resilience, resourcefulness, and inner determination necessary for success.

Will College Pay Off?: A Guide to the Most Important Financial Decision You’ll Ever Make

College is the biggest expense for many families, larger even than the cost of the family home, and one that can bankrupt students and their parents if it works out poorly. Peter Cappelli offers vital insight for parents and students to make decisions that both make sense financially and provide the foundation that will help students make their way in the world. Adding to the confusion, the same degree can cost dramatically different amounts for different people. A barrage of advertising offers new degrees designed to lead to specific jobs, but we see no information on whether graduates ever get those jobs. Mix in a frenzied applications process, and pressure from politicians for “relevant” programs, and there is an urgent need to separate myth from reality.

Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type

Using the world-renowned Meyers-Briggs personality testing system, the author leads the reader through a self-assessment to uncover their specific personality type. The results of this personality assessment suggest appropriate careers that are most suitable for the unique characteristics of each of the 16 personality types. By better understanding your strengths, you can be more open-minded and self-empowered in determining the focus of your career and your own needs when it comes to feeling satisfied.

college planning, college prep, parenting

Surviving a Busy summer

summer

If you have a high school student, especially one who is focused on the goal of attending college, your summers aren’t just vacations. Gone are the days when you took the kids to the pool, the library and the park. Gone are the days when your time was consumed with planning the summer family vacation and creating a chore chart for the kids to complete chores before play time.

You (and your teen) have other goals in mind.  You’re thinking about using the summer to take care of some college prep tasks to get ahead of the game. Searching for scholarships, doing some test prep, visiting colleges, and having some serious talks about money will consume your summer days. How do you survive?

Share the tasks

It’s unthinkable in this competitive college market to expect a young teen to handle it on their own. Times have changed since we applied to college and there is much more to do than simply apply. You can help them make decisions, help with scheduling, even do some detective work searching for scholarships they are eligible for. This will ease the burden on them and alleviate the overwhelming stress that most teens feel about college.

Schedule and plan

We all know that we don’t ever have the time for a task if we don’t make the time and schedule it. Use any planning tool that works best for your family: an online calendar, an app for your smartphones, a huge wall calendar or a Google doc. Everyone knows—without a plan, you plan to fail!

Stay organized

I’m a huge fan of a college landing zone—everything in one place. Colleges still send information through the mail, registration forms and receipts need to be printed and saved, and flyers about scholarships need to be catalogued and filed. With everything in one place, it’s easy to find anything related to your student’s college preparation.

Make time to talk…and listen

Conversations are crucial to staying on the same page with your teenager. Make the time to talk, even if it’s driving to sports practice or shopping together at the mall. These small conversations are key moments for you to gauge their temperature and share some encouragement. If stress is present, you can help relieve it. If they feel overwhelmed and need help, you’re there for them. Talking about their future and truly listening prepares you both for senior year when things will proceed at the speed of light.

Of course, you want to have fun this summer; but a little work and some focused preparation will make the next school year seem doable. Use the summer time wisely.

admissions, college planning, college prep

Is Your Student Ready for College?

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college

When you have children, you know that you always have to play the right kind of role in their lives. And that can feel quite overwhelming. You need to keep them safe, you need to ensure that they’re healthy, and until their old enough to make the best decisions for themselves, you also need to guide their futures too.

This is why we’re often so interested and invested in the college process. When it comes to college prep, you’ll often know that you need to be actively involved. But sometimes, you won’t know what that looks like, or what you should be doing in order to help them prepare. So let’s take a look at some of the things that will help.

Grades

To start with, you’re going to want to make sure that the basics are covered – grades. Because your kids will need to have good grades to get into the best colleges. Or, at the very least, you need to know what the grade requirements are, and ensure they can keep up. This needs to be seen as the base.

Extracurriculars

But you do have to remember that college is about more than just grades. So many kids have fantastic grades, so it’s important to standout in other ways. This is where extracurriculars come in. There are lots of impressive extracurriculars that your kid could try. Think about their interests and where their strengths lie, and then sign them up as early as you can to see where they flourish.

Tutoring

Now, it’s also a good idea to think about tutoring. When it comes to getting in, a college prep tutor could be great. Your child many not necessary need tutoring academically, but it can often help to work with someone that knows the process, and can help you get in!

Summer Camp Prep

From here, you’ve then also got camp to be thinking about. Summer camp can be so rewarding for your kids, alongside tutoring. So why not think about enrolling them in a camp that can help? You could look into something specialist, such as CT STEM classes, or just a general camp that covers off a wealth of different areas. Either way, this experience can help them develop for the future.

That Je Ne Sais Quoi

Finally, you may also want to think about the little things that will help your child get into their dream college too. Now, not everyone will want to go Ivy League – but even other top schools can be competitive to get into. And it’s nice for you to think about ways for them to stand out. Do they have special interests? Any experiences that they can press? Having that little special something, or je ne sais quoi, can really help when it comes to applications. So pinpoint their special qualities and run with it.


admissions, college planning, college prep

Attending a Suburban College

suburban college
Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts

When my daughter applied to college, she knew she wanted to make the move from Texas to an eastern college. She wanted to live in or near a large city and she applied and was accepted to colleges in New York City and Boston. Coming from a small city, I feared New York might be overwhelming since she was traveling thousands of miles from home and was barely 18. But Boston offered the next best things—a suburban college near an urban environment.

Bentley College (now Bentley University) was the perfect option. It was nestled in a small community, Waltham, Massachusetts; but it was close enough to Boston to make it feel like she was attending an urban college. The mass transportation available made it easy for her to take advantage of all the culture and entertainment available without feeling swallowed up by the big city.

Suburban colleges offer some qualities of both urban and rural schools, and might be the best choice for your student.

What is a suburban college environment?

Suburban colleges give students more options for activities off campus in the surrounding rural and urban areas. They often give students the freedom to choose between outdoor activities similar to those at rural colleges and urban offerings such as museums, concerts, plays and other cultural events.

Colleges often provide local transportation to and from the local community and the urban areas surrounding the college. Local venues surrounding the college often offer student discounts for access to eating, shopping and entertainment in the area.

What are the benefits of attending a suburban college?

If your student is looking, as mine was, for the benefits of an urban college in a suburban environment, this would be an excellent choice. In a suburban college you can enjoy the benefits of an urban college experience but escape to the comfort of a college that feels more like home, usually surrounded by nature and part of a local community. Essentially, you get the best of both experiences.

For my daughter, her small college in a suburban area was the perfect fit. Coming from a small high school in a midsize city, the large population in New York City and the overwhelming size of the colleges she applied to would have swallowed her up. When homesickness set in, as it always does, her tight knit community rallied around her and helped her through.

If your student needs more support or feels a smaller, suburban environment would suit them better, this type of college might be the perfect fit.

admissions, college prep

Making the Best Admissions impression

admissions

Your student will spend the best part of the college application process trying to impress. Impress teachers. Impress college admissions. Impress scholarship judges. It’s part of the process and it’s something they will do as they enter the job market after graduation.

There is a lesson that we as parents must teach them about self-confidence and being able to present themselves well. There is a point where their approach to their wild streak has to mean something as they must understand not everyone is like them. There is sometimes a convention that we must follow because it gives us a solid and meaningful foundation from which to stand on. So why don’t we teach our kids how to impress others in certain situations in life? They will need to at some point and yet we don’t often take the time to sit them down and show them when and how they could possibly do this. Here are some scenarios and techniques you can show them to getting people on their side and get their admiration.

https://youtu.be/kTNHTc6YZWM

The starting point

Your children will first need to impress someone for real in their lives when they go for a job interview. Hopefully this will be when they are young and in their mid teens. Working as a newspaper boy or in a grocery store is good life experience for them. But they must get the job first and this is when we need to give them life advice on what the employer is going to be looking out for. First off the simple things, they need to stand and sit up straight and not hunch their shoulders. They need to work on maintaining eye contact and speaking in a steady and clear tone. They should also dress the part, take the extra mile. Even if they are applying for a job in their local cafe, dress as if they are applying for an office role with formal clothes. Ask them to put themselves in the employer’s shoes and hopefully these things will begin to make sense to them.

A stand out essay

When they go off to college they will want to be noticed by their lecturers and other teachers. The common things they will get asked to produce are essays and reports. Aside from proper writing form and style they should also make their work stand out. This can be done by making a cover for their work. This is also helpful when compiling the scholarship application essay. They can use embossing folders which can imprint their own name, title of their work and even logo or slogan. This will create a 3D design on their work, which will also be unique to the touch as the gel used will remain semi-hard. This will no doubt make their work stand out from the piles and piles of other students’ work. It will impress the lecturer and make a good first impression. It’s not just words either, you can imprint shapes and sequins as well to give the cover a little more flare and character.

There are times in our lives when we need to impress someone. But the college application process is a perfect time to help your student put their best foot forward.

admissions, college guidance, college majors, college planning, college prep

Attending an Urban College

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urban college
New York Film and Acting School

I just returned from a visit to New York City and am always amazed by the college opportunities available in such a small space. Manhattan is a mere 23 square miles and there are hundreds of colleges for any interest beckoning for the adventurous student. From focused studies in film, acting, music and fashion, to the traditional four-year college, Manhattan offers a wide variety of secondary education choices.

Is your student craving for an urban experience at college? If so, there are a few things to consider.

What is an urban college environment like?

In New York City, the colleges have become part of the city itself. They are mingled within the skyscrapers and citywide neighborhoods. In other cities, the college is more self-contained in in their own little neighborhoods. Since this type of environment can be overwhelming, especially for students who come from small towns or rural areas. Don’t fool yourself into thinking just because you want to escape the small-town mentality, that an urban environment will be easy to navigate.

It takes some tenacity and fortitude to navigate the subway system in New York, along with the millions of people who live on Manhattan. The same is true for colleges in Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago and other large metropolitan areas.

What are the benefits of attending an urban college?

Urban colleges, like those in New York, offer a wide range of cultural off-campus experiences and a variety of entertainment like museums, concerts, plays and more. In addition, urban colleges offer students a larger pool of possible internship opportunities since many companies operate within these large cities. For instance, if your student is studying film, acting, fashion or music, a college on Manhattan will put them in close proximity to many opportunities to hon their craft and get advice from those currently working in these areas.

For example, in New York City, there is a restaurant called Ellen’s Stardust Diner that offers budding Broadway hopefuls the opportunity to perform each day live in front of an audience of diners while earning wages as servers. In addition, the establishment pays for additional acting, singing and dancing classes for its employees. This year alone, 17 of its employees have joined Broadway productions.

Is an urban college the right choice for your student?

Urban colleges are good environments for outgoing students who have a spirit of adventure and who like to interact with people of different cultures and backgrounds. There will always be something going on in the city and it will be easy to access any activity that interests you.  

It’s easy to get around an urban college because you will have access to a large public transportation system. It likely won’t be necessary to have a car while attending college because of the easy accessibility of transportation.

If a certain city is a hot sport for your student’s chosen career field, like Broadway theater is in New York, they might consider attending a college within the city. It will be easier to do networking and make connections while attending school.

Tomorrow, I will explore the advantages of attending a suburban college. Stay tuned!

admissions, college guidance, college planning, college prep

Busting 5 college myths

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college myths

Have you ever heard someone say, “College is a waste of time and money”? Or, “There’s no way I could afford to go to college”? These are some common college myths that many people believe to be true. But the reality is that neither of these statements is true.

Following are some common myths about college, examining the reality of each of them:

Myth #1: College is a waste of time and money.

College is only a waste of time and money if you waste your time and your money. Choose the right college at the right price and you will recoup your investment ten-fold. Choose the wrong college and incur a tremendous amount of debt and the myth could become a reality. Waste your time drinking and partying without devoting time to academics and that tuition money could fly out the window.

Myth #2: There’s no way I could afford to go to college.

Many students and parents believe that financial aid is only for the extremely poor or highly gifted students. That’s simply not true. Everyone qualifies for some form of financial aid and there is an affordable college solution for everyone. Community college is an affordable option. Winning scholarships can decrease your college costs as well. Working during college can also help defer some of the costs. If college is your dream, there is a way to finance it.

Myth #3: The college with the lowest price is the most affordable.

This is not necessarily true. Colleges with high sticker prices often give the most financial aid based on alumni contributions and generous donors. After taking financial aid into consideration, a seemingly more expensive college may be more affordable than one with a lower sticker price.

Myth #4: The only good degree comes from a 4-year college.

Nothing could be further from the truth. There are many satisfying and good paying jobs that require 2-year or technical degrees. If those type of careers interest you, then you should not discount that type of education. Getting the degree you need for the career you want is more important than graduating from a 4-year college.

Myth #5: Small colleges offer limited opportunities.

The size of a college isn’t enough to make a complete judgment. Small colleges and large universities all offer unique opportunities for the students who are looking for that perfect fit. The philosophy and vision of the college and its leadership is much more important that the size of the student body or campus.

Don’t believe everything people say about college. Do your own research and evaluate using the information you gather. Separate the myths from the realities.