Category Archives: college prep

admissions, college planning, college prep, parenting

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

college process

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

Here’s what the survey found:

Insight #1-Parents want direct communication from colleges.

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

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

Should Your Student Apply to 40 Colleges?

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colleges

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

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

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

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college prep, test prep

Destressing Before Tests

It’s exam time, and you’re feeling the pressure. Your heart is racing, your palms are sweating, and your mind is racing through all the possible outcomes – good and bad. You know you need to calm down, but it feels like everything is working against you.

Don’t worry; everyone has been there. The good news is that there are ways to calm yourself before an exam, so you can go in feeling prepared and confident by destressing.

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college guidance, college planning, college prep, parenting

When Parent and Student College Choices Differ

college choices

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

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

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college planning, college prep, mom approved tips, parenting, Uncategorized

10 Tips for Moms This Summer

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

10 Tips for Moms

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

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

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college planning, college prep, college visits, parenting, SAT, standardized tests, summer programs, test prep

Will Your Student Be Bored This Summer?

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

summer

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

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

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admissions, college planning, college prep, FAFSA, financial aid, financial planning

Do You Understand the EFC?

EFC

I will never forget the moment we received our Student Aid Report and I saw the EFC (Expected Family Contribution) on the right-hand corner. I was in shock as most parents are. How could the powers that be believe we could afford to pay that amount for college? It was a mystery to me how they came up with that number, as it is to most of you.

The EFC determines how much financial aid the colleges will award to your student. You can’t receive any federal or institutional aid without getting an EFC when you complete the FAFSA. We are stuck with it and will probably never truly understand how they use to determine how much money your family can afford to pay.

If you are going to need financial aid for college (and who doesn’t?), you will need to understand the EFC.

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college prep, essays, Guest Posts, parenting

Supporting Your College-Bound Student Without Going Crazy

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

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college-bound student

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

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

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

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

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college prep, parenting

How to Motivate Your Student to Study

study

As your child gets older, they will have to learn how to take on more responsibility. They will have to learn how to get their homework done and they will also need to be able to rely on other students for support. How can you motivate your student to study?

As a parent, it is vital that you have an active role to play when it comes to your child’s studying, but at the same time, you should be trying to avoid forcing them to do it. If you do force them, then you may find that you end up demotivating them and this is the last thing you want.

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college prep, parenting, summer programs

Prepare for College at Summer Camp

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summer camp

Most of us have experienced summer camp at one point in our life. We sang Kumbayah around the campfire, went on nature hikes, and played pranks on other campers. At the end of camp we went home with plenty of dirty laundry, arts and craft projects, and some new friends. Back in those days, the thought of going to summer camp to prepare for college was the last thing on our minds, or our parents’ minds for that matter. They shipped us off to camp to keep us occupied and enjoy some well-deserved time to themselves.

Times have certainly changed. Parents have recognized the need for college preparation; and they are now able to combine that preparation with a camp. That’s right–summer camp can now be more than dirty laundry and arts and crafts.

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