Category Archives: college prep

college prep, parenting, senioritis, Uncategorized

How to Help Your Senior Fight Senioritis

senioritis

Senioritis is a disease contracted by most high school seniors. Its onset might be hard to recognize because it starts innocently. But once the disease has taken hold it can have a devastating effect on your senior’s future college aspirations. As with any disease, knowing the symptoms is the key to an early diagnosis and treatment.

All kidding aside, however, senioritis is a very real problem for most students, especially if they have already been accepted early decision or early action. They are coming into the home stretch and it’s only natural for them to try to rest on their laurels, so to speak. But every parent needs to be vigilant and act to stop it before it’s too late.

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academics, college books, college prep, life lessons, parenting

Books for Students and Their Parents

books

My daughter loves books. Her joy of reading began in grade school and she still loves reading and collecting books. Books never get old and there are so many to choose from. If your student is into digital versions of books, there are many programs available as well.

I’ve done the research for you and each link has multiple suggestions for you and your student. I hope these books are helpful and will be great additions to your library.

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college planning, college prep, parenting, Uncategorized

Supportive Parenting During College Prep

supportive parenting

The teenage years are a challenge for parents, and many find it hard to prepare for their kids going to college. In this guide, we’ll discuss some steps you can take to practice supportive parenting as your children get ready for their next adventure.

Learning and tuition

The years that lead up to college are among the most intensive and stressful for children and their parents. The workload can get heavy, and many teens feel under pressure to perform. With exams and entry tests looming and a steady stream of assignments to complete, it’s hugely beneficial for parents to play a supportive role in learning and tuition. Some parents may want to take an active role at this point, while others may feel more comfortable letting their children study with friends, teachers and tutors.

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college planning, college prep, organization

Organization During College Prep

ORGANIZATION

Believe it or not, research reveals that Americans spend an average total of 2.5 days a year looking for misplaced stuff. That’s nearly half a workweek we lose just searching for things. But time lost isn’t the only costly consequence of being forgetful. The study also shows that 60% of people have either been late to work or school because of lost items, followed by 49% who have missed appointments or meetings, and even 22% who’ve missed flights, trains, or bus rides. Turns out misplacing things can be more than just expensive; it’s a major time drain too. Don’t let disorganization cost you and your student. Make organization a priority.

Organization is half the battle when it comes to helping your teen prepare for college. If you stay organized, you won’t be fumbling around senior year in a panic. And as with any organizational system, it’s important to have the right tools. These tools will make the organization simple because you will have a place for everything, and everything should stay in its place. You’ll not only save time, but you won’t miss deadlines and be stressing to find that all-important application information.

Take the following steps to help you and your teen stay organized during the college prep process:

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college guidance, college planning, college prep

10 College Search Sites

college search sites

If you have a junior in high school, you are starting to think about which colleges might make their top 10 list and the best place to start collecting information is online through college search sites. College search sites match colleges to your teen’s interests and abilities. Encourage your teen to spend some time on each of the sites changing preferences a bit. They might wind up with an entirely different list of colleges that might introduce them to unique possibilities.

When my daughter was searching for college possibilities, she knew about Boston University but had no knowledge of a much smaller college in the same area: Bentley College. The search process using college search sites unearthed this gem and it turned out to be her final college choice. If she did not spend time searching for colleges in the Boston area, she would never have found the school she now calls her alma mater.

If you’re putting together your college list, check out these online search engines:

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college planning, college prep, Guest Posts

How to Get the Most Out of College

Today’s guest post is from Elliot Felix, author of “How to Get the Most Out of College”.

College can really feel like a maze. It’s complicated, expensive, and the future is at stake. It’s also a different maze than what we went through a generation ago, and so are today’s students. They are more diverse in terms of age, race, income, and experience. More transfer between colleges. More work during college, live off campus, and study part-time. Even before the pandemic, about one in six studied fully-online and about one in three took at least one online class. Compared to 30 years ago and adjusted for inflation, private colleges are twice as expensive and public colleges are three times as expensive. Students today have only a 50% chance of making a better living than their parents compared to an 80% chance 30 years ago. Is it any wonder why today’s students and families are more career-focused, more value-conscious, and need more support?

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admissions, college planning, college prep, college visits

Moving Beyond the College Visit

COLLEGE VISIT

Believe it or not, colleges want to know you are interested in attending and many students simply stop with the college visit. This interest will influence their offers of admission. If they give you a coveted “accepted” slot, it only makes sense that those slots will go to the students who demonstrate interest. They are selling a service and they want interested customers, not casual shoppers. You can find out how much weight a college puts on “demonstrated interest” by researching the college’s statistics on College Navigator.

The college visit is a great place to start: taking the student-led tour and connecting with other students on campus. But if the college truly interests you, you should take that college visit a step further by considering these additional campus experiences.

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college prep, life lessons, parenting

Teaching Your College-Bound Teen Essential Car Maintenance

car maintenance

Starting college is an exciting adventure for almost everyone. Yet, it can be difficult for parents to ensure they’ve adequately prepared their young adult children to navigate the worldindependently. 

Most parents know that college-bound teens will need to know how to do laundry, cook simple meals, and where to go if they need medical attention.

However, if your child is planning to take their car to college, it’s also necessary to teach them the basics of car maintenance. From changing a tire and checking fluids to basic safety techniques while doing the maintenance, these skills serve them throughout their lives. 

Whether your teen is taking the hand-me-down vehicle or you did your research and bought them a new or used car through Edmunds, it’s essential to know what you should cover and what your options are if you don’t feel equipped to teach these skills?

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college prep, parenting

Involved Parenting Paves the Way for College

involved parenting

Getting the best out of your teen is easier than you think. A lot of the time, there are solutions that we don’t think of because they are too simple. Instead, we try to complicate things when there really is no need. In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some involved parenting to get the best out of your teen and help them grow towards independence before college.

Show Up

The first, and arguably most important thing that you are going to need to do is to show up. Kids and teens live by example, so if you are not showing up, why would they? Your kids need you to show up, be there, support them and do everything that you say you will. You don’t realize it at the time, but your teens are constantly watching you and learning from you. When people talk about having a mini me, this is literal. Your kids are either going to follow what you do, or go in the complete opposite direction, depending on a number of factors, though the former is the more likely of the two options.

If you show up, your kids will know that you care. It really is as simple as that. Showing up is the most important part to your teens, so make sure that you do this. 

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admissions, college planning, college prep

Admissions Expert Sheds Light on What it Takes to Get Into College

admissions

From Ivy League admissions expert Dr. Aviva Legatt comes an insider’s college admissions guide that teaches students to identify and harness their authentic passions, stand out from the crowd, and achieve their dreams in college and beyond, “Get Real and Get In”

“Get Real and Get In” teaches readers to think outside of the box and focus on what admissions officers are really looking for—young people who dare to be their most authentic selves. Through engaging, accessible, and empathetic prose, this book forms an inspirational roadmap for readers to uncover their true passions and leverage them to create applications that truly stand out from the crowd. Aviva encourages students to look beyond just getting into a “good” college and focus more actively on identifying and attaining their long-term goals.

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