Category Archives: college prep

college prep, parenting

The Race to Nowhere: Are We Pushing Our Children Too Much?

3 Comments

 

race to nowhere

With all the talk and the hype about college prep, we should ask the question: Are we pushing our children too much? I believe in preparing for college. I don’t believe in pushing so hard and preparing so much that your student becomes stressed, over-anxious, and burned out. Recognizing that there’s a real problem, Vicki Abeles, a concerned parent, directed a documentary about the pressures our students face. The result was a documentary called, “The Race to Nowhere”.

“Race to Nowhere” is a film that calls us to challenge current thinking about how we prepare our children for success. Named by TakePart.com as one of “10 Education Documentaries You Don’t Want to Miss”, “Race to Nowhere” brings communities together to spark dialogue and galvanize change in America’s schools.
 
Featuring the heartbreaking stories of students across the country who have been pushed to the brink by over-scheduling, over-testing and the relentless pressure to achieve, “Race to Nowhere” points to a silent epidemic in our schools. Through the testimony of educators, parents and education experts, it reveals an education system in which cheating has become commonplace; students have become disengaged; stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant; and young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired.
 
Shown nationwide and internationally in more than 7,000 schools, universities, cinemas, hospitals, corporations and community centers, “Race to Nowhere” has become the centerpiece of a nationwide, grassroots movement for the transformation of education.

Do yourself and your kids a favor and watch the trailer for this film and encourage your student’s school to set up a screening for parents. It might change the way your family views college prep and relieve the stress around the process.

admissions, college prep, podcasts

The Parents’ Role in College Prep (The College Checklist Podcast)

 

college checklist podcast

About a month ago I was happy to be a guest on a podcast with Lauren Gaggioli of Higher Scores Test Prep. The topic of the conversation: What is the parents’ role in college prep? For 30 minutes I shared my own family’s college prep experience and why I became a Parent College Coach.

I answered the following questions:

  • What do you see as the parent’s role in college admissions?
  • Where is the Goldilocks zone? That “just right” amount of involvement in the process?
  • What can parents do to reduce the family’s stress around the cost of college and make sure there is clarity regarding tuition responsibilities?
  • How can parent further help to reduce stress around college admissions?

If you’ve ever asked these questions or would like to hear about my college prep journey, you can listen to the podcast here:

Or download the podcast to your smartphone and listen at your own convenience.

Subscribe to The College Checklist Podcast on iTunes
Subscribe to The College Checklist Podcast on Stitcher Radio

What is a podcast: a podcast is an on-demand radio​ show that you can access online through your smartphone. They’re like a blog post or news article you can listen to at the gym, on the road, or while making dinner.

 

admissions, college guidance, college planning, college prep, mom approved tips

Mom-Approved Tips: Other College Blogs I Love

3 Comments

 

1383208_93464262It’s easy to get college information overload online. Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and others are shouting “Read Me! Read Me!”. But let’s face it, we only have so much time to assimilate college information and even less time trying to decide what to read. And that’s where I come in. I know who has the best college related blog posts and where to find them.

Apart from mine (shameless plug), these are the other college blogs I love. Sign up for their mailing lists, follow their blogs and soak up all the relevant information they provide. Because who wants to read every single post from every single college expert? And . . . who has the time?

Planning for College-The Ugly Blog

Paul Hemphill, an independent college counselor is famous for his “no bull” advice to parents. He doesn’t mince words and tells it like it is. He’s on the parents’ side, always and exposes some unknown truths about colleges and how they handle admissions.

The College Solutions Blog

Lynn O’Shaughnessy blogs about everything related to college prep and admissions. She is an expert in the area of college admissions, has written books on the topic and also a course to parents called, “Cutting the Cost of College”. You will find accurate and up-to-date information on her blog.

College Financial Aid Advisors Blog

Jodi Okun blogs about financial aid. She’s an expert with the FAFSA and advises parents on all areas related to financing college. As an added bonus, Jodi hosts a weekly chat on Twitter (#CollegeCash at 5PM PT).

College Prep Examiner Blog

Wendy David-Gaines (POCSMom) blogs at examiner.com about college prep and the latest college news. Her advice is directed towards parents and you will find all topics on her blog: admissions, financial aid, scholarships and college news.

TeenLife Blog

Sponsored by TeenLife Magazine, this blog offers college news, parenting tips, information about summer programs and gap years, along with all sorts of information about college prep.

Smart College Visit Blog

This blog is jam-packed with all sorts of tips and advice for parents and students involved in the college prep process. It offers scholarship tips and parent tips along with advice for all aspects of the admissions process.

college prep, Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: New Year’s Resolutions and College Prep

1 Comment

 

new year's resolutionsI’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions. It’s rare that we keep them. I do, however, love to review goals, examine past mistakes, and make corrections along the way. College bound students should be using this tactic all throughout high school. As each semester passes, students should evaluate these four areas of concern on a college application:

Academics

Evaluate your student’s grades every semester. Look at his test scores, his essays, his research papers and daily class work. Where can he improve? Where has he excelled? If you determine that he needs a tutor, don’t be afraid get him help.

Extracurriculars

Is your student maximizing his free time by participating in extracurriculars? Is he showing consistency? Should he be spending more time in one particular area and less time spreading himself thin? Is there a balance between school activities and community service? Where should he focus his time to show a consistent participation?

Faculty/Mentor relationships

This might be the most important area to evaluate each year. These relationships will provide your student with recommendation letters needed for the college applications. Build those relationships throughout high school, starting with your student’s high school counselor and key teachers. If your student is participating in a community service project, encourage him to find a mentor within the organization he’s working with.

Social media

Monitoring social media throughout high school is a critical task because your student’s social media presence reflects on his character. He should also establish social media relationships with the colleges he is interested in attending. Those relationships will be valuable when he submits his applications. Colleges are looking for students who express an interest in attending. These social media relationships express that interest.

As with any project, the key to its success is to evaluate your progress. Evaluation enables your student to move toward the eventual goal of applying to and being accepted at his first choice college.

Read Wendy’s post: College Prep New Year Spoiler Alert

_____________________

Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Wendy and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!

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

Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from parentingforcollege to pocsmom.com and vice versa.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, college prep, college visits, mom approved tips, parenting, Top 10

T is for Tuesday, Top 10 and Tips

1 Comment

 

top 10 tipsIt’s Tuesday. It’s not hump day. It’s the day before New Years Eve and time to reflect on 2014. And nothing says Tuesday more than Tips. Put it all together and you have Tuesday’s Top 10 Tips from 2014.

Tip #1: Insist your student graduate in 4 years or less

Did you know that at most public universities, only 19 percent of full-time students earn a bachelor’s degree in four years? Even at state flagship universities — selective, research-intensive institutions — only 36 percent of full-time students complete their bachelor’s degree on time.

Nationwide, only 50 of more than 580 public four-year institutions graduate a majority of their full-time students on time. Some of the causes of slow student progress are inability to register for required courses, credits lost in transfer and remediation sequences that do not work. Studying abroad can also contribute to added time and credits lost when abroad. According to a recent report from CompleteCollege.org some students take too few credits per semester to finish on time. The problem is even worse at community colleges, where 5 percent of full-time students earned an associate degree within two years, and 15.9 percent earned a one- to two-year certificate on time.

Read more . . .

Tip #2: Be wise—apply to backup schools (but make sure those schools are ones you want to attend)

Being admitted into your first choice school is a challenge and not a guarantee. No matter how positive you are about your application, no matter how hard you’ve worked to be an ideal applicant, it is important not to assume that gaining admission to your top choice for college is a sure thing. But don’t get dejected or cynical! Here are three ways to increase your chances of being accepted by applying to backup schools.

Read more . . .

Tip #3: It’s never too early to prepare for college

How early is too early to prepare for college? We’ve all seen those movie clips where the parents are agonizing over the right preschool to prepare their kids for the right kindergarten, the right grade school, and the right college preparatory school. These overachieving parents are convinced that college prep begins at birth. They take it to a whole other level elevating college jerseys into full blown college prep. But just how early is too early and how far should parents go when preparing their children for college?

Read more . . .

Tip #4: It matters very little where your student goes to college

Much is debated about college names and prestige, especially among parents. It’s logical that parents want their kids to have the best opportunities available. It’s illogical that they place more value in the name than in the education itself. But so many parents encourage their kids to make illogical college choices. Where you go to college is not as important as you might think.

Read more . . .

Tip #5: Don’t neglect the college visit

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

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

 Read more . . .

Tip #6: Know when to hold ‘em; know when to fold ‘em

In just a few short months, your student will be making college decisions by the May 1st deadline. For some families, it’s easy. For others, it’s emotional and gut wrenching. If your student got into their dream college and the money is there, congratulations. If your student was waitlisted, or there’s a financial issue, or they didn’t get an offer of admission to their first choice college it’s time to examine the deck. By doing this, you can help your teen make the best decision.

Read more . . . 

Tip #7: Practice tough love

Parenting is easy if you give into your child’s every whim, never be consistent with discipline, or simply don’t pay attention. Parenting children who strive for excellence in everything requires some tough love. And tough love is not easy; especially when it comes to the raising a motivated, educated, and successful student.

How do you, as a parent, raise a child that’s motivated to strive for excellence where their education is concerned?

Read more . . .

Tip #8: Listen to college podcasts

Every day I grab my trusty iPod and head to the mall to do my 2.5 miles of walking. I hate walking. To me, it’s boring and a waste of my time. However, it’s critical to my health and every day I tell myself it’s just something I have to grin and bear.

But then I discovered podcasts. Not only are they great when exercising, you can listen when you’re cooking dinner, commuting to work on public transportation, eating your lunch, or any other time that you are performing daily tasks and want to make them more productive.

Read more . . .

Tip #9: Don’t ignore the FAFSA

The most important advice I can give parents is: don’t ignore the FAFSA! Many parents are misinformed when it comes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). They believe that they make too much money to qualify for any kind of financial aid—and they decide not to file. That is the worst mistake you can make. I encourage every family of a college-bound senior complete the FAFSA (and complete it before February 1).

Read more . . .

Tip #10: Teach your teens the value of money

Before you send your teens off to college, they need to learn about the value of money. Ideally, it starts at an early age; but if you haven’t started, there’s no time like the present!

When your children are away at college they are going to be responsible for their own spending (and saving). There will be offers galore from credit card companies because college students are their biggest target market. If they hook them while in college it usually means they have them for the rest of their lives.

Read more . . .

admissions, college guidance, college planning, college prep, parenting

Are You Thinking About College During the Holidays?

 

holidaysGo ahead. You know you are. You try and shove it to the back of your mind but it’s there–lurking in the distance. Even if your son or daughter has completed their apps and received early acceptance, there is so much more to do. But don’t let the to-do lists and the looming deadlines spoil your holidays.

Before you start your holiday baking, finish wrapping your presents, and gather around the tree with your family, here are just a few tips to help you deal with the college prep stress:

In the Charlie Brown Christmas, a song rings out, “Christmas is time is here; happiness and cheer”. If only. Unfortunately, the holidays for most are anything but cheerful. We have replaced holiday cheer and happiness with stress. And if you’re a parent of a college-bound teen, add all the tasks involved during school breaks and your holiday stress goes through the roof.

Add to the stress of the holidays and the entire family could combust. Never fear…help is here! Here are 3 tips about stress and how to deal with it.

Mom-Approved Tips: Stop stressing about college rejections

It’s that time of year. As the New Year approaches and regular admission dates loom in the very close future, parents begin stressing about college rejection. Although not as much as their kids do. Probably the most stressful time of senior year is waiting to hear from the colleges and dreading the wrong response. Why does this happen and what has caused everyone to be so stressed?

Mom-Approved Tips: 6 Stressful college tasks (and how to keep from freaking out)

It’s no surprise the middle name of college-bound teens is “stress”. According to a recent survey, 76 percent of college-bound students say they are stressed. If you live with one, you’re stressed too; and not just you, but your family as well. Granted, there are plenty of reasons to be stressed. And plenty of reasons why it’s impossible to avoid feeling stress (try as you might).

Wednesday’s Parent: 5 Tips to help with application stress

There is no greater stress than application stress. Every component breeds stress: standardized tests, GPAs, the essay, and even the recommendation letters. It’s no wonder students are feeling the stress when they start the application process. As a parent, it’s difficult for you to watch the stress levels increase as it gets closer to application time. And when stress levels increase with your student, the family stress goes up as well.

Need more tips? Head over to Wendy’s blog and read: 7 Holiday Stressbusters

 

App Tuesday, college prep

iPad Apps for College Prep

1 Comment

 

iPad apps for college prepCollege prep has certainly changed over the years. Twenty years ago you trudged to the library spending hours foraging through books looking for college facts, test prep, and scholarships. Ten years ago, with the internet explosion, you could do most of your research online and even apply to some colleges. Today, you can do almost everything online: search for scholarships, apply to colleges, study for standardized tests, and get essay help and organization. It certainly is a high-tech world.

The Changing Face of College Prep

I can’t even imagine what it will be like when my grandsons apply to college. If you don’t keep up with the times, you’re going to be left in the dust. With the explosion of apps on portable devices, the face of college prep has changed yet again. Companies are using apps to help students organize, write essays, study for standardized tests, understand financial aid, plan college visits and more.

BestCollegesOnline.com has compiled a list of iPad apps for college prep. I felt it was a good list and want to share it with you.

25 iPad Apps Changing College Prep

You might also like my College Prep App Recap post

 

college prep, parenting, Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: Enjoying a Break When There is No Break

 

college prepFor parents of the college bound, there’s no such thing as a break. Even when you take a break from all the college prep, your mind never shuts off. During the four years of high school, every class, every activity, every amount of free time is cultivated to present a stellar application at the beginning of the senior year. It’s the nature of the beast—all hands on deck for the college prep and then when it’s all done, you can relax. At least that’s what we tell ourselves.

But after the applications are submitted, we worry about the outcome and agonize over the decisions that will need to be made. It’s a never-ending drama that engulfs our lives if we have a student aspiring to college.

But how do you enjoy a break when there is no break?

Enjoy the ride. You have to grab snippets of time throughout the whole process. Whether it’s the car ride to visit colleges, or a 30 minute conversation in their room while they are getting dressed for a date, you have to steal those moments.

Make it a point to not allocate every waking moment to college prep. It should be an exciting time. Don’t ruin it for you and for your student by becoming a nag or a dictator. This only adds to the pressure they feel and escalates your level of frustration and stress.

Let the holidays be the holidays

If you have a senior, the holidays bring increased college prep activity—with college applications either looming or decisions waiting to be received. Set aside some time for fun when neither you nor your student discusses college prep. Even if you go to a movie or a hockey game, it takes your mind off the elephant in the room and helps you relax, even if for a short time.

The good news—this too shall pass. There will come a day when you move from college prep to college drama. If you don’t believe it, just ask any parent of a college student. College prep activities are replaced with roommate issues, annoying professors, and homesickness. Enjoy the four years while you can—they pass so quickly.

Read Wendy’s Post: 6 Ways to Prevent College Bound Burnout

_______________________________________

Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Wendy and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!

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

Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from parentingforcollege to pocsmom.com and vice versa.

college guidance, college planning, college prep, websites

Campus Steps: A Free Resource for Students and Parents

 

campus stepsCampus Steps, the first free platform for students, parents and counselors to connect, communicate and navigate the road to higher education, launched recently. The company is being incubated by Campus Explorer, a leader in college recruitment technology in partnership with developers from Learning Core, which provides integrated school communication and content delivery systems.

Campus Steps addresses the nation’s broken college preparedness system. Nearly 75 percent of high schools lack online counseling technology solutions that can fundamentally improve the success of college and vocational school-bound students. For every 477 students, there is just one counselor and the average student receives less than 30 minutes of college counseling over their entire high school career. According to the American Psychological Association, high school students are now considered the most stressed-out age group with 80 percent of their stress related to workload.

“Students lack the critical support they need to find the right college or vocational school,” said Mark Eastwood, general manager, Campus Steps. “Campus Steps brings transparency and empowerment to the college admissions process. Just as adults use Linkedin to manage their professional profiles, our goal is for students to use Campus Steps to manage and track their academic profiles.”

Campus Steps hosts multiple online and mobile ready apps to easily allow a student to keep tabs of their academics, search colleges, apply for colleges and communicate with their counselor via text or email. The platform matches students to colleges based on a database of more than 8,500 public and private four-year universities, community colleges and trade/vocational schools, regardless of their academic level, socioeconomic background or location.

Key apps for students include:

  • High School Resume – Students track academic info and accomplishments with a mobile friendly, easy to use tool. The Resume Score shows where a student stands compared to the national average.
  • College Matching – Discover new colleges with the personalized matching technology.
  • My College Goals Manager – Students create a college goal list and manage their application process all in one place.
  • Student Resources – Articles, resources and guides answer all college related questions.

Campus Steps also helps counselors better manage their workflow through setting appointments, automated messages and tracking their students’ college search and application plans.

About Campus Steps

Campus Steps is the first free platform with powerful apps for students, parents, and counselors to connect, communicate and navigate the road to higher education. The platform currently has 150,000 users and democratizes access to higher education, regardless of a student’s academic level, socioeconomic background or location. Based in Santa Monica, Calif., the company is being incubated by Campus Explorer, a leader in college recruitment technology in partnership with developers from Learning Core, which provides integrated school communication and content delivery systems. For more information, visit www.CampusSteps.com. Follow us on Facebook @CampusSteps and Twitter @CampusSteps.

college planning, college prep, Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: College Prep in Middle School

 

college prep in middle schoolMost parents don’t begin to think about college prep until junior or senior year of high school. But the problem with that strategy is that by that time you will be at the end of the line. While I’m certainly not a proponent of ramming the thought of college down your middle schooler’s throat, I do believe there are some tasks you should do for college prep in middle school.

I recently wrote an article for TeenLife on “How to Prepare for College Before High School”. Here’s an excerpt from the aticle:

In a Forbes article about preparing for college, Director of Admissions MaeBrown said, “Start preparing for college at grade six. ”That’s when parents and students should increase the focus on the final goal after high school graduation: college.

Start planning academics

Middle school students should begin planning their academic path that will carry into high school. Meet with the school counselor and discuss the courses that can be taken in middle school to prepare for high school, especially in the math and science categories. Many middle schools offer classes that were traditionally reserved for high school students. These math classes are required to take more advanced math classes in high school and to take science classes like chemistry and physics. In addition to taking math every year in middle school, your child should take:

  • English: Every year.
  • History (including geography) and science: As many classes as possible.
  • Foreign language: Many colleges require at least two years of a language, which your child can begin in middle school.

Because college work and many jobs now require computer skills, your child should also try to take advantage of any computer science classes offered in middle and high school. He’ll gain new skills and may discover a career path.

Read, read, read

Establish an environment at home that encourages reading. Students can start adding to their vocabulary by reading diversely. Tweens should be reading all types of books, articles, blogs and news articles. This increases their vocabulary, which is a strong component in essay writing and standardized tests. While you’re at it, why not make vocabulary building a family game by learning a word a day? There are lots of free subscription services that will email a word of the day.

Partner with your child’s educators

Middle school is the time parents tend to be less involved, but it’s the very time your child needs encouragement and guidance. Meet your child’s teachers, if you haven’t already done so, and make it clear that you want to be kept up to date about any changes in your child’s work or behavior.

Go over your child’s standardized test results with the counselor to identify strengths and weaknesses. Talk to the counselor about your child’s interests to see if there are electives and extracurricular activities that will help him develop his talents. If your child needs extra help or more challenging assignments in a subject, talk to the counselor about how to arrange it.

Start working on extracurriculars

A key ingredient in the college application is extracurriculars. Begin looking at areas that interest your child in middle school. Try out some volunteering, connect with a mentor for an internship, and explore hobbies and interests. If your child enters high school committed to one activity, it will be much easier to carry that through the next four years.

Read Wendy’s post: 3 Ways to Prep Middleschoolers for College Prep

_________________________________________

Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Wendy and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!

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

Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from parentingforcollege to pocsmom.com and vice versa.