admissions, mom approved tips, organization, parenting

The Summer Before Senior Year of High School (10 Tips for Moms)

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seniorIf your life isn’t crazy enough right now, it’s about to get even crazier. Once your child becomes a high school senior, your time is not your own. Anything and everything is focused on college. Your family (not just your teen) will eat, drink and sleep all things college. Before the year ends you will wonder how you will survive mentally, physically and emotionally. It will be a rollercoaster of highs and lows for both you and your college-bound teen.

We entered the beginning of my daughter’s senior year with anticipation and halfway through I began to think we would never survive. By the time she walked across the stage at graduation we were both exhausted. Senior year begins with a slow pace and amps up in January, culminating in a feverous pitch in April and May.

Here are some tips to help you keep your sanity and navigate the college maze productively.

1. Do the prep work

Get ready for the mounds of catalogs, test prep booklets, flyers and email reminders. Start your filing system now, before school starts. Set up an email account (firstname_lastname@gmail.com), purchase a small thumb drive for filing computer files, create a landing zone for all college-related materials, start adding tasks on a calendar (either a wall calendar or an app that can be synchronized with the family. Here are 5 Free Apps for College-Prep Organization.

2. Do your best to control your emotions

It’s going to be an emotional time for both you and your student. Angry words will be spoken if you don’t make a conscious effort to bite your tongue, count to 10, and take a deep breathe. You are the parent and your teen needs emotional stability during this time, not an emotional basket case.

3. Prepare for rejection

The upcoming year will most likely mean that your student (and you) will have to deal with rejection. It’s not personal, but you will feel like it is. I know it’s tempting to spew platitudes like, “Everything happens for a reason”, or “I know how you feel”, or “They didn’t appreciate you.” But the reality is, all the platitudes in the world aren’t going to remove the disappointment. Once the dust has settled, however, it might be good to offer some words of wisdom from those “in the know” about the college admissions process: The Truth About College Rejection Letters.

4. Decide what role you will take

Please. I beg you. Do NOT be the parent that shoves, manipulates, and actually does the work for their student. Be the parent who encourages, supports and offers help and advice when needed. Be a coach, not a bully. Decide before things ever get crazy to let your teen OWN the process, or “drive the car” as one admissions officer often told me.

5. Prepare for emotional outbursts

This is one of the most stressful times in your family. There will be emotional outbursts as the stress intensifies. Your student will say things she does not mean. You will lose your temper and wish you didn’t. Just remember that most of what is said is fueled by the stress of the process and when it’s all over everyone will breathe a sigh of relief, hug and move on.

6. Discuss the money

If you want to avoid disappointment when offers of admission arrive, have the “money talk” before your student applies to colleges. Decide what you can afford, what you will be willing to contribute toward the costs, and what you expect your student to contribute.

7. Accept there will be consequences to actions

Your student will most likely fail or mess up at some point during senior year. When she goest to college, your student will have to fix her own problems. Let her do it now, while she lives at home, and it will be easier for her once she is gone. Rescuing your kids all the time only makes them into dependent adults and colleges aren’t impressed with those type of students or the parents that come with them.

8. Be open and not pragmatic

Be open to any college choices your student might make. You will not be the one attending the college and it’s not up to you to choose for her. You can give your advice and direct her in what you think would be the best path for her; but don’t shove her toward your alma mater or toward a college with a prestigious name if that is not her choice. If your teen mentions a gap year, don’t panic. Gap years are becoming more popular and it might be exactly what your teen needs. Read this post for some insight on gap years: What Parents Need to Know About a Gap Year.

9. Don’t push-it simply won’t help

If your student is unmotivated, it’s not going to help to nag her and push her to do the college prep work. If there is one thing I learned with both of my kids (and clients), if your student is not invested in the college process she won’t be invested in college. Save yourself some time, money and heartache and wait until she is. If not, she can learn from the college of hard knocks (as my son did)–minimum wage jobs are the BEST motivator! Here’s a post about my son and how he finally saw the light: Motivating an Underachiever Toward College?

10. Enjoy the journey

This is an exciting time in the life of your teenager. She has worked hard and will be planning her future. You can be proud as well. Enjoy the next year, even when you feel stressed and overwhelmed. It will pass all too quickly and before you know it she will be walking across the stage accepting her diploma and heading to college in the fall.

Guest Posts, Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Scholarship Friday: Tips to Efficiently Apply for Scholarships

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apply for scholarshipsWhen financial aid administrators at a college are in charge of scholarships, they may receive 200 applications or more for each opening. They don’t see much personal information, but rather a list of numbers and dates. You need to do everything in your power to make your application stand out from the rest.

Not every scholarship candidate will get called in for an interview. The helpful tips to efficiently apply for scholarships below will allow you to make a good impression on the people who determine whether you get scholarships or not.

Get all the Information about every Scholarship

Every school and organization has its own ways to handle applications for scholarships. Reading all the information completely is vital. If you’re not sure of something, email or call the scholarship provider to make sure everything is clear to you. If your desired scholarship is funded by a company or organization, go to their website and find out more about them.

Make Sure You are Eligible

It’s important that you only apply for the scholarships that are relevant to you. Check to be sure that you fit the special group, age or gender specified in the information.

Organize your Documents

Make files for each individual scholarship you wish to receive. Sort these files by the due dates of the applications. You will need other paperwork in addition to the application. They include:

  • Financial aid forms, such as the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE® or FAFSA
  • High school transcripts
  • Parents’ latest financial information, including their tax returns
  • Standardized test scores
  • Letters of recommendation (the number will be specified by the scholarship)
  • Essays
  • Proof that you are eligible for the scholarship

Prepare your Resume

Some organizations and colleges will ask for a resume when you apply. If you have held jobs, include those, but don’t worry if you have no work experience yet. Point out honors and awards you have received, and all volunteer service you have completed. If you have spent many hours in volunteer service, omit those that are not as significant as the rest. You want to impress the committee without boring them.

Get Eloquent Letters of Recommendation

Letters should come from academic advisors or teachers who are familiar with your scholastic abilities and your personal interests, as well. This will show the reader that you are able to carry out the specified program you want to pursue. If your academic advisor or teacher knows of your leadership ability or community service, that should be included, too.

Ask people early, if you want them to write letters of recommendation for you. They should know why you are applying and what area you wish to study. Speak with them to help clarify your plans and goals in their minds. Give your writers plenty of time. Don’t wait until the last minute.

Your Application Essay

This is sometimes called a statement of purpose or a letter of intent. It gives the scholarship committee the information they need to become acquainted with you. It should tell of your experiences in the field you wish to pursue. Tell them what you will do with your degree, after you earn it.

Your personal statement gives you a chance to speak about yourself. Show the committee that you have valid opinions and ideas, that you think in a logical way, and that you express yourself eloquently, yet economically.

Have your Transcripts Ready

Many applications require transcripts of schools you have previously attended. Get this information as soon as you know you’ll be applying for scholarships. There may be a small fee for your schools’ official transcripts.

Before you Submit your Application

Proof-read your application with care. Use the grammar and spelling check on your computer. Have someone else read it and offer any helpful ideas they may have.

Be sure that you fill in every blank. Contact the sponsors if you’re not sure what information they want.

Be sure that anything hand-written is legible. Filling the application out online, if available, makes it easier than writing information by hand.

Be sure that you sign and date the application.

Keep Copies of all Documents

Having extra copies of all your documentation makes it easy to send additional forms in, if requested by a scholarship committee. If you apply online, save your work on your laptop.

Track your Package

If you submit your scholarship application through the mail, you may wish to send it via certified mail, or request a return receipt, so that you know your documents arrived on time.

 

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Today’s guest post is by Pyper Barnes, a Junior Finance Major at the University of Alabama. Pyper is the owner of WeirdScholarships. WeirdScholarships.net is a website dedicated to helping students find unique and interesting scholarship opportunities. 

mom approved tips, parenting

The Summer Before College (10 Tips for Moms)

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summer before collegeThe summer before college was a stressful time in our house. My daughter had a new boyfriend, college was looming on the horizon, and my very young daughter who had not yet turned 18 was experiencing the full monty of emotions. She was excited, scared, anxious, panicked, in love (or so she thought), and stressed. Compound this with the fact that in August, a rather large hurricane hit our coastal town flooding our home and my daughter’s room along with all the items she was taking to college.

My daughter wasn’t the only one with out of control emotions, however. I was worried that her newfound love would influence her to opt out of college since it was 2000 miles away and he was still in high school. I was concerned that she was young, much younger than most college freshmen, and naive and dependent. I often found myself hyperventilating at the thought of her leaving home, since she would officially make our home an empty nest. And just as worried and concerned as I was, I was also excited with anticipation for her to enter this new phase in her life.

I preface today’s post with these experiences because I know many moms are having the same type of summer. Knowing what I know now and listening to so many other stories from moms like me, my older self would have some words of advice for my younger self.

1. Embrace the experience

This is an exciting time for both you and your teen. Don’t spend the entire summer worrying about move-in day or dreading the empty nest. It’s the classic case of living in the moment and not worrying about the future.

2. Don’t take it personally

Your teenager may become scarce after graduation. She is feeling angst and dread over leaving all her high school friends. She feels less panicked if she can spend time with them. Time with friends means less time with you, but don’t take it personally. It’s all part of the separation process.

3. Think before you speak

With all the stress in the house, there will be emotions. These emotions can often lead to conflict and words that can’t be taken back. Before you say something you will regret, leave the room, count to 10 and don’t say want you wanted to say in the heat of the moment. The last thing you want is to part on strained terms.

4. Listen before you react

Your teen will be spouting all types of frustrations. She may regret her college choice, wish she was going to school close to home, or announce she is not going at all because her boyfriend is pressuring her to stay. Give her a few days, let her calm down, and odds are she will gain her senses and change her mind again.

5. Don’t ignore your emotions

When you feel like crying, go ahead and cry. But do it in private, away from your daughter. Don’t suppress your emotions because if you do, they will all come pouring out when you drop her off at college.

6. Go on dorm shopping trips

It goes without saying that your college-bound teen is going to need dorm furnishings and supplies.There are numerous sites that provide parents and students with dorm essential lists. Check out the resources provided by Bed, Bath and Beyond for a campus checklist. This shopping trip can be fun and exciting for both parents and students—make a day of it!

7. Make the last few days (and weeks) special

Schedule some “date nights” with your college-bound teen. Do some things they love and make the time special. Schedule some family nights and if possible, a family vacation. These days and weeks will help your student cope with homesickness later during the year, and you cope with empty nest syndrome when they are gone.

8. Don’t give in to fear

Boy how things have changed since we went to school in the 70’s and 80’s. They’ve even changed since my kids went in the 90’s and 2000’s. It’s a scary world out there and you would be crazy not to be anxious when your kids leave your care every day. But don’t let them see it; they need to feel safe and secure at school. Even though we know they are at risk, we have to trust that the teachers, staff, and administration will do their utmost to assure their safety.

9. Pat yourself on the back.

When a child goes away to college, sometimes so much focus is on how hard it is emotionally that parents forget that it’s a major achievement that they can be proud of. Not only did their child graduate from high school, but they did well enough to be accepted into a college that can prepare them for their career. So, as you’re wiping away some of the tears that will inevitably happen, pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

10. Talk about expectations on move-in day

Don’t hang around when you’re not wanted. If your student wants you to help her move-in, help and then leave. Some parents take their student to dinner after move-in and then say goodbye. Don’t embarrass her and let go when it’s time.

scholarships

The Summer Scholarship Project

summer scholarship project

The lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. Kids are out of school. Families take vacations. The last thing anyone wants to think about is scholarship searching. But wait! It’s the best time for a summer scholarship project. Spend the summer searching and applying for scholarships. Everyone is playing and your college-bound teen will be hard at work (well maybe not that committed, but he’s putting forth some effort) and it will pay off when the scholarship awards come rolling in.

Here are a few summer scholarship search tips to help your teen on the path to finding big scholarship bucks over the summer (and it’s not just for upcoming seniors):

Find out about local scholarships

The odds are best when you apply to local scholarships. The applicant pool is smaller. The awards may not be as big but every dollar counts. Many local organizations have trouble finding scholarship recipients every year and their money is not awarded. Cash in on this opportunity.

Sign up on some search engines that match you to scholarships

You might as well maximize your time by letting the search engines match you with scholarships. Complete the questionnaire and you’re on your way to locating all kinds of scholarships.

Devote some time each day to checking your email for scholarship matches

Now that you’ve registered on the search sites, you’re going to get daily emails. Read them. It does you no good to let them pile up in your inbox. That’s the way you miss application deadlines.

Devote some time each day to searching

Decide how much time you can devote each day to searching (parents can help). If you’re teen gets overwhelmed, start with 20 minutes a day. If he’s motivated, reach for an hour. And don’t just depend on the search engines. Look for scholarships on Twitter and Facebook as well. Your teen is on social media all day, he might as well use it to be productive.

Apply for at least one scholarship a week, more if possible

Once you’ve done your searches, start applying. Set yourself apart by submitting a killer application packet. Then wait for the money to roll in.

With a little effort, a ton of organization, and some stellar detective skills those scholarship awards should start rolling in. The first one is always the most exciting!

Penn College

Degrees That Work: Why Choose Pennsylvania College of Technology?

 

pennsylvania college of technologyTomorrow night Pennsylvania College of Technology will be the guest on #CampusChat (9PM ET). I’m excited to hear from them about why you should choose Penn College and share their unique philosophy of higher education. After much exposure to the college itself, its course materials, and speaking with its faculty and administration, I have my own reasons for choosing Penn College as a higher education destination for your student. Following are five of them:

Penn College offers hands-on education

The labs at Penn College are like no other on any college campus. These labs simulate the working world and students get hand-on experience developing career skills, problem solving, and a hands-on approach of what it will be like to work in the “real world” after college. Students are able to take what they learn in the classroom and use it immediately in these work environments.

Penn College’s faculty is unique

The faculty at Penn College is unique in the sense that they are all industry professionals, not merely academics. There are no student-taught classes like you might find at larger universities. The faculty is committed to assuring that once students graduate, they have the skills to immediately enter the workforce as a trained employee. With a small student to faculty ratio, students are given the individual attention and training they need to succeed.

Penn College offers a well-rounded college experience

Penn College is not just a technical school—it’s so much more. This is no ordinary college. The college not only offers state-of-the art labs and trained professional teachers, it offers every amenity you will find at a traditional college: Greek life, on-campus student housing with an active residential student population, collegiate sports, student clubs and organizations and much more. Students are not only immersed in the technical aspects of their career, but they receive a strong liberal arts education as well, grounded in math and science.

Penn College is affordable

With tuition at under $30,000 a year, this makes Penn College affordable. The college is committed to helping students finance their education as well and have backed this up with scholarships and merit aid. The alumni of Penn College raised 6.4 million dollars last year for their scholarship fund. This money is earmarked for deserving students, both with need and with no financial need.

Penn College puts students first

Penn College believes that a strong student population means a successful workforce. The college also invests in future students by providing opportunities for young students to help them discover careers that interest them. The faculty builds relationships with the students, starting with the future generation and continuing as those students go on to attend Penn College. All members of the faculty are accessible and can often be found in labs throughout the day, even after scheduled class times, helping students with questions and providing additional training.

If you would like more information about Pennsylvania College of Technology (@PennCollege) or to speak directly to the President of the college, Dr. Gilmour (@GilmourDavie) set a reminder for tomorrow’s chat (Wednesday at 9PM ET on Twitter using the #CampusChat hashtag. Penn College might be one of the best kept secrets in higher education, but it could be the right fit college for your student.

entreprenuership

How to Become an Entrepreneur Before College

 

entrepreneurWhen it comes to entrepreneurship there are many stories, both of success and horror. A good one of success, is that of Anne F. Beiler or Auntie Anne’s, from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She came from a family of eight children and was the designated baker. Before she started making pretzels, she worked other jobs such as waitressing and looking after a food stand at the farmer’s market. When she started selling hand-rolled pretzels in 1987, she had yet to earn her college degree. Her first time was at a market stand in Maryland. Then, in 1988 at a market stand in Pennsylvania, she officially named her product Auntie Anne’s Pretzels. Later in life, she received honorary doctorate degrees from both Elizabethtown College and Eastern University.

The story of Auntie Anne proves that being an entrepreneur before college is possible and if she can do it, you can too. If you have a good idea for a product or service, pursue it. Start by taking a pen and piece of paper and come up with a blueprint for your product or service. Do your research and find out if similar products currently exist in the market or have in the past.  Did or does the product sell? Was it or is it a flop? What made or is making the idea succeed? What made or is making it fail? Find out as much information as you can and make revisions to your idea accordingly, to make it better.

Next, put your product or service to the test. Invite some friends over and present it to them. It is important, of course, to try out your idea on your target market. Are you selling to mothers or single women? Are you selling to fathers or single men? Give them a sample, if possible, to find out how well your product or service will be received. Keep in mind to also consider, as an entrepreneur, what payment methods you will accept and how you will accept them.

It’s also a good idea to get advice from someone you trust and respect as a businessman or businesswoman. Getting a second opinion is always a good thing because they might be able to see things that you don’t and can provide an alternative prospective. Always get constructive criticism from someone who can help you on your way to success.

Finally, as soon as you are confident in your product and have a clear idea of who you want to sell your product to, develop a marketing plan and take advantage of your student status to get as many potential customers or referrals as possible.

It is possible to become an entrepreneur before or even during college. You just need a clear understanding of where you want to be and the direction you need to take to get there and you’ll be on your way.

Penn College, Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Scholarship Friday: Penn College Scholarships

 

penn college scholarships
Penn College students showing appreciation for alumni scholarship fundraising.

As part of my #DegreesThatWork series, I thought it would be fitting to write about Penn College scholarships. They are committed to helping their students finance their education and have backed up that commitment with scholarships and merit aid.

As I mentioned in my first post, Degrees That Work: A College’s Best Kept Secret, the alumni of Penn College raised 6.4 million dollars last year for their scholarship fund. This money is earmarked for deserving students, both with need and with no financial need. This is no ordinary college. The lists of scholarships available to students is mind blowing–yes, I said mind blowing. And the good news is you only have to fill out their scholarship application once a year and it will match you with available scholarships, making it easy to find them and apply.

Head over to their scholarship page for an extensive list: http://www.pct.edu/scholarships/scholarships.htm

And…if that’s not enough, the page also provides you with an External Scholarship List for various majors, and a link to their STEM scholarship.

These available scholarships are just one more reason to consider Penn College when creating your college list.

Next week on #CampusChat, we will host @PennCollege as our guest. Bring your questions and learn all about the amazing opportunities available at Penn College and their Degrees That Work program.

parenting, Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: Talking to Your Teen About Irresponsible Behavior

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irresponsible behaviorOne of the first things we learn growing up is that all of our actions have consequences. If we pull a glass of water off the table, it will spill all over us. If we touch a hot burner on the stove, it will burn. If we pick up a knife on the blade, it will cut us.

Selective memory loss

Teaching teens the consequences of irresponsible behavior can be challenging. Unfortunately, too many teens begin to make choices during their teen years that are life changing and life altering. They don’t rationalize that sleeping with someone you just met can have consequences: sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, pregnancy, rape and even at the very worst murder. They don’t think that cheating on a test in school, even if you don’t get caught, robs you of an education and learning. They don’t see that getting in a car with a drunk driver could end in tragedy because most teens who are drunk believe they have the capacity to drive. They can’t look far enough into the future to see that going to a college they can’t afford could land them in overwhelming debt after graduation.

Running down the scenarios

I know. All those scenarios are a bit dramatic. But let’s just think before we discount them as viable examples of ignoring the consequences of our choices. Your teen would be well served if he did the same. The next time your teen is tempted to sleep with someone they just met, what would happen if they ran over the previously stated consequences in their mind before they decide to do it? There would be consequences to their decision: good or bad. Before they get into a car with another teen who is drunk or drive drunk themselves, imagine what would happen if there is an accident and their friends or other innocent drivers and passengers are killed. Before getting wasted, imagine what would happen if he got alcohol poisoning and his friends couldn’t recognize the symptoms or get help when it was needed.

All decisions have consequences

When you’re young and your whole life is ahead of you, you tend to function in the present. Twenty or thirty years from now seems like an eternity to someone in their teens. But time has a way of catching up with us and every choice we make when we are young has both good and bad consequences. The trick is to know when those consequences aren’t worth the risk. And the other trick is to pause long enough before taking those risks to weigh both the good and the bad.

If your teen gets anything from this bit of advice, let it be this: take time to think before you act. Weigh the good and the bad consequences. Then once they decide, make the best of their decision and swallow the good with the bad. Every path they take in life has the potential for greatness. Encourage your teen to be wise and think before they act, knowing that their choice could potentially be the wrong one.

Read Wendy’s Post: College Prep Red Flags

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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.

Penn College

Degrees That Work: Penn College Has a Vision for Tomorrow’s Students

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This is the fourth article in a series about Pennsylvania Technical College: Degrees That Work. 

tomorrow's studentsPenn College is not only committed to its current students, but it has a vision for tomorrow’s students. While I was visiting the college, I had a conversation with a middle school teacher who had brought some her students to work in the computer lab. It was a yearly tradition for her and afterwards many of her students decided to attend Penn College.

The college offers opportunities for young people to help them discover careers that interest them and get some hands-on work with the professors in the process. In the spring and the fall, they host a career day for over 1000 middle-school students. The event is designed to give participants a taste  of a variety of tomorrow's studentscareer options, which will help them make informed decisions about their future education. In a program funded by the U.S. Department of Education, seventh and eighth graders in an after-school program visit the college once a week to explore career options. In the spring, Penn College offered more hands-on activities for children and their families at a Science Festival. The math and science demonstrations were geared toward elementary and middle school students, in an effort to make learning fun.

Summer Career Events

In the summer, Penn College has various events scheduled for students to give them more information about various careers that will help them decide a career path after high school graduation.

Business for the 21st Century Career Camp

This two-day camp introduces students entering grades 9-12 to a variety of digital marketing and sports & event management and promotion career areas. Students will receive information on management and marketing skills relating to sports, events, and digital marketing along with hands-on workshops.

Designing a Digital Future Camp

This two-day camp introduces students entering grades 10-12 to a variety of digital media-based careers. Participants will receive information on gaming, web, and graphic design careers along with hands-on workshops developing personal games, mobile applications, and Lego robots.

Future Restaurateurs Career Camp

This two-day camp introduces students entering grades 9-12 to a variety of hands-on demonstrations and explores careers in baking & pastry arts, culinary arts, and hospitality management. Students participate in menu planning and dining etiquette workshops  as well as developing kitchen and baking skills.

tomorrow's studentsHealth Careers Camp

This two-day camp introduces students entering grades 9-12 to a variety of health careers who also tour health facilities and network with current students and faculty as well as health employees.

SMART Girls

Penn College developed Science and Math Applications in Real-World Technologies (SMART) Girls to counter an alarming academic and social trend: girls tend to shy away from math and sciences as they enter adolescence and their important high school years. SMART Girls provides young females the opportunity to experience math and science as a foundation for careers in technology. It offers young girls, in grades 9-11, the opportunity to experience math and science as a foundation for careers in technology. Hands-on experiences will range from crushing concrete (working with compression strength) to cyber challenges (creating Web pages).

Creativity Art Camp

Creativity Camp at Penn College provides kids entering grades 4 – 6 the chance to explore art and creativity through a variety of art media. Campers work with professional artists to produce unique works of art, focus on the creative process, and develop their imagination and creativity.

Youth Training for Athletic Development Camp

The program format is specific to youth training based on National Strength and Conditioning Association (NCSA) guidelines, and is taught by Penn College Physical Fitness Specialist faculty. Participants in the camp learn injury prevention, technique fundamentals, sport-specific training, nutrition education, agility and speed progression, functional training, and resistance training.

Degrees That Work TV

Early exposure to technology and emerging career fields helps prepare students for rewarding futures. Educators (grades 7-12) are encouraged to use episodes of degrees that work.tv and corresponding free lesson planning guides to help make that connection. Each 28-minute episode of the documentary series reveals interesting stories and valuable information related to the U.S. Department of Education’s career clusters, which provide career awareness and direction for students.

Check out the other articles in the Degrees That Work series:

admissions, college planning

Wednesday’s Parent: 5 Reasons You Should Not Rely on College Ranking Lists

 

college ranking listsEvery year the college ranking lists roll out: U.S. News-America’s Best Colleges, Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges, Princeton Review’s The Best 379 Colleges and more. Parents often use these lists to create a list of dream colleges for their student. These lists may be jumping off points, but putting too much emphasis on them can harm your student.

Here are five reasons you should NOT rely on college rankings lists:

  1. Colleges and universities often cheat. Read this post from Lynn O’Shaughnessy about the cheating that goes on when colleges send incorrect, inaccurate and inflated data to the list makers. (Colleges and Universities That Cheat)
  2. Rankings don’t measure what sort of job a college or university is doing to graduate its students. No list even attempts to measure the education students receive or the quality of that education.
  3. Rankings encourage colleges to favor the rich. O’Shaunessy explains, “Many teenagers end up as collateral damage in the rankings race because schools that are more selective are rated higher, which encourages them to accept more wealthy students. US News awards schools which generate higher test scores and grade point averages from their freshmen. This focus on selectivity has been a boon for affluent high school students, who tend to enjoy better academic profiles. These teens can afford expensive test-prep courses and are more likely to have attended schools with stronger academic offerings.” The most elite schools boast that they reserve their aid to the families who need financial help to attend college, but most of these institutions offer admissions to a shamefully low percentage of needy students.
  4. The rankings encourage admission tricks. The US News rankings favor schools that spurn more students. Colleges increase rejection rates by recruiting students they have no intention of accepting.
  5. Rankings encourage debt. Rankings ignore how much debt students are incurring at the colleges. The colleges at the top of the lists are expensive and middle income students who aspire to these schools and are accepted are often forced to take out huge student loans in order to pay the high tuition. In this case, the prestige of the college often outweighs the cost in the mind of the student and the minds of the parents.

The bottom line: don’t rely on these rankings to create your college list. Create your own list by researching the data yourself. Websites like CollegeData and CollegeNavigator will provide you with data that is not inaccurately reported or inflated to rank the college higher on a list.

Read Wendy’s post: 7 Great Ways to Use College Rankings Lists

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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.

Helping parents navigate the college maze