Tag Archives: college planning

college guidance, college planning, college prep

7 College Statistics to Use When Choosing a School

college statistics

I’m not really a math geek, but I do like to look at the statistics. Statistics are more than just numbers on a page; they tell a story. College statistics can tell you a story about the college your son or daughter is applying to.

Even though applying to college is an emotional decision, it’s important for parents to help students look beyond the emotions. Students use factors like sports teams, campus appeal, Greek life and more. While these factors should help your student choose the right college, it’s also a good idea to factor in the numbers.

Two good sources for college statistics are College Navigator and College Data. These two resources will help you make an informed college choice. Numbers aren’t everything, but consider these seven important stats when you and your student are looking at schools:

1. Financial aid percentages

If your student needs financial aid to attend college, these statistics are important. How much aid a college awards to its students is reported and tabulated each year. If your student needs financial aid, a college with a low percentage of merit aid might be eliminated from your list. Use the figures to help you refine your list.

2. Acceptance rates

There are many fine colleges that give credence to hard work and commitment. College truly is for everyone. If your student is an average student, don’t despair. Look for the colleges that will recognize potential and see your child as a viable applicant. Look for colleges with high acceptance rates. Better yet, look for the colleges where your child would be a top applicant in the applicant pool. This translates into more merit aid in the financial aid package.

3. Student-to-professor ratio

If your student has trouble focusing in class, is intimidated by large crowds, and needs more personal instruction to be academically successful, a large state university might not be a good fit. There are plenty of small liberal arts colleges with great academic records and majors. When my daughter was choosing a college, our decision was highly dependent on this factor alone. Once we found colleges that had low professor-to-student ratios, we were able to look at other key factors in making the decision.

4. Freshman retention rate

As many as one in three first-year students don’t make it back for sophomore year. The reasons run the gamut from family problems and loneliness to academic struggles and a lack of money. If schools you’re considering have a low freshman retention rate, there’s a reason. Some colleges do a great job of taking care of their freshmen; some don’t.

5. Graduation rate

Did you know that graduation rates differ wildly? About 400,000 students drop out of college each year. When you research the college, look up their graduation rates. Low rates could be a red flag. Graduation rates don’t necessarily determine the quality of a degree. Yet students who start college but don’t finish are typically no better off professionally and financially than those who never even started, and in some cases, if they took on debt, might be worse off.

6. Average indebtedness

Even if students graduate, it’s no guarantee they will secure jobs; at least not one that will pay enough to cover too much student loan debt. If the average student indebtedness is high, and your student needs financial aid, this college might not make the final list.

7. Percentage of students employed after graduation

If your student graduates and can’t find a job, it’s going to be a tough road ahead. Colleges with a strong alumni network and active career centers will have a high percentage of employment after graduation. Colleges with a high percentage of unemployed graduates should be avoided by students who need to incur high student loan debt.

*Portions of this article were written for TeenLife.com

academics, admissions, college planning, college prep

How To Create a Perfect College List from 5 Experts

college list

With any project or goal, you look to the experts to help you reach success and achieve the goal. These five experts know all there is to know about creating the perfect college list.

What’s Critical in a College Admission Checklist

According to Lynn O’Shaughnessy of The College Solution Blog, using  a college admission checklist is critical when your child is applying to colleges and universities.

Allowing  a teenager to apply to any colleges without a solid game plan can be a financial and academic disaster.

There are five college check-list items that you and your child should accomplish before sending out applications.  If you’ve already submitted your applications, you can definitely still do some of these tasks:

  1. Use Net-price calculators
  2. Check the generosity of individual colleges
  3. Apply for financial aid as soon as you can
  4. Consider including a mix of schools
  5. Check academic departments

Read more . . .

What makes a good college fit?

Debbie Schwartz of Road2College.com offers parents advice from multiple college experts and points out with thousands of colleges and universities to choose from, finding the “perfect” school is a seemingly impossible task for any high school student and their parents. 

Many college hopefuls have their eyes set on a particular dream school, while others may feel overwhelmed by endless options varying in size, location, reputation, and expense. 

Applying to and gaining acceptance to colleges is daunting enough, let alone deciding where to attend in the fall. 

So how exactly do you make the right decision?

Keep in mind that the true secret to college success is not necessarily attending the most selective or prestigious university.

It’s finding the right school for you where you can be your best self. And much like with dating or job-hunting, there is no one-size-fits-all college, but instead, a number of potential great picks for every individual student. 

In this article, you can find the answers to these questions:

  • Good Schools: Are They a Thing?
  • What is a College Fit?
  • How Do You Find the Right College?

Read more . . .

Your College List: Researching the Academic Side

Katherine Price of Great College Advice, reminds parents and students that picking the final list can be a daunting task.  One way to narrow things down a bit is to really look into the academic departments at the schools you are interested in.  Since academics is one of the most important aspects of attending college, it is important that students feel connected to the curriculum and the major that they could potentially be studying.

When looking at college academics, consider these topics:

  • Look at the curriculum
  • Go beyond what majors are offered
  • Get to know the faculty
  • Research special programs and events

Read more . . .

How Are You Conducting Your College Search?

Jeannie Borin or College Connections, reminds us that in conducting the college search, it is important to make sure a college list is well balanced with “reach,” “50/50” and “likely” colleges that fit the student’s profile academically and socially. Thorough research is necessary to be sure that students are applying to the right colleges for them. The research will also come in handy when completing applications and when answering essay questions that ask why an applicant wants to attend that college.

Here are some helpful tips that should help in your college search:

  • Examine the campus life
  • Explore academic programs
  • Review college statistics
  • Other factors to consider

Read more . . .

Using Statistics to Find Your College Fit

I always recommend that parents and students take a close look at the college statistics.

You might be surprised to know that in addition to all the factors students use to choose a college, there is one they might overlook: statistics. While location, major, campus appeal, and others are certainly important statistics will help you and your student make a more informed college choice.

Why statistics? Statistics will help you determine some of the key factors involved in choosing a college. With statistics you increase the odds of your student being accepted, receiving more financial aid, and graduating on time. You can also determine the class sizes, the freshman retention rate and the odds of finding a job after graduation.

Numbers aren’t everything, but consider these eight important stats when you and your student are looking at schools:

  1. Rankings (simply as a baseline for comparison)
  2. Financial aid percentages
  3. Acceptance rates
  4. Student-to-professor ratios
  5. Freshman retention rates
  6. Graduation rates
  7. Student indebtedness
  8. Percentage of student who are employed after graduation

Read more . . .

college planning, GPA

The Pass/Fail Grading System and Your Student

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pass/fail grading

Over the course of the last month, as school districts make the choice on whether to give students grades or transition to a pass/fail grading system, parents are concerned that this will certainly have an impact on their student’s high school transcript and GPA.

Some parents, students and local school board members are concerned that ”the new grading system takes away students’ opportunity to show academic progress and will hurt high school juniors’ chances at college admissions, despite public assurances from major colleges and universities.”

No true measure of achievement

“There is a huge correlation between academic achievement and learning,” Allen Weiner, the president of the Sequoia Union High School District school board, said on April 15 after casting one of two dissenting votes as the board majority approved credit/no credit system. “Kids who get better grades have learned, and we should honor that.”

Parents who have seen their students work hard during this semester even with the confines of having to attend class online, feel it’s unfair to give those students a pass/fail grade. Some teachers believe it would be better to institute a case-by-case grading system and reward those students who have excelled with an actual grade.

Parent Susannah Hill said she had a “very strong reaction” when she heard the district could institute a pass/no pass grading system because her son, a junior at M-A, “has worked extraordinarily hard this whole semester” and would like to see that work recognized. She said he’s now even putting in about 11-hour workdays with his distance-learning assignments. She thinks there could be other solutions, such as giving students a quarter grade for the first half of the semester to acknowledge their work up until the March shift to distance learning.

Impact on college admissions

Palo Alto parent Tricia Barr worried that students will be compared to applicants from districts that kept letter grades and that “it could absolutely hurt their prospects in the college admissions process,” she said during the school board’s virtual meeting on April 21.

However, private and public colleges and universities across the country have said that students applying from these districts will not be disadvantaged.

“Certainly, we understand students are primarily taking courses online and often with modified grading scales. Rest assured that we are sensitive to these challenges and realities,” said Richard Shaw, Stanford University’s dean of undergraduate admission and financial aid. “We expect coursework to be completed but will accept whatever grading scale is used by the school.” (Stanford itself has moved to a credit/no credit system for the rest of this school year.)

Parents and students are still wary that colleges will still evaluate a student’s GPA without taking into consideration the current situation. It remains unclear how any parent or student will know exactly how the colleges ultimately handle this situation.

A fair solution

A school board in Spokane, Washington came up with these grading guidelines:

  • Select to receive a pass/fail grade on their high school transcript, for those who don’t want to negatively affect their grade-point average;
  • Opt to receive a letter grade in hopes of improving their GPA;
  • Request a credit waiver from the school principal (for students with a failing grade and those who do not need certain credits to graduate or provide competency-based model to receive a pass grade).

In some cases, teachers will use their professional judgment in assessing competence in a given subject.

So far, these seem to be the best solution. This puts the decision in the hands of the student and gives them control of their own GPA.

There is much at stake as colleges and universities weigh a prospective student’s academic progress. There is hope that colleges will adjust their current guidelines and take into account how students have been forced to study online during their spring semester.

academics, college guidance, college planning

Strategies for Academic Success

academic success

While there are no single shortcuts to academic success, there are fortunately a number of beneficial ways for students to actively increase the chances of it. Here are the best techniques to encourage your college-bound student to stay motivated and achieve.

Start Preparing Early

It’s widely known that successful students are often those who are forward thinkers. Before leaving for college and starting the first semester, encourage your student to research the syllabus of the course and learn what it entails, such as the deadlines and dates of any essays or exams they will have, as well as any academic books that they may require. Building forward thinking structures such as this can prepare them for the organisational skills that they will need at college.

Learn Effective Note-taking

Note taking is a valuable skill for college life and can make the difference between passing and failing an exam. Numerous studies surrounding students and note taking have proven that those who effectively take notes remember the material better than those who don’t. Students that write down everything that their professors say can prove to be inefficient. It’s best to encourage them to take time to actively listen and jot down the most significant points that can aid their study, and to review and organize their notes to ensure that they are coherent for when they need to refer back to them.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Extra Help

Most colleges offer an array of support services to make the student experience as helpful as possible. While it can be rewarding to feel academically challenged, it can sometimes cause unnecessary stress which can affect student’s overall work quality and performance. If applicable, encourage your college-bound student to attend workshops, one-to-one meetings with their professors, academic writing classes, or even online course training and exam preparation websites such as https://www.athomeprep.com.

Embrace New Opportunities

Keeping an eye out for academic opportunities such as societies and work experience through flyers or social media can greatly impact your student’s academic success. Getting involved can enable students to be recognized, network with others, and learn new invaluable skills that can be instrumental to their desired future careers. It can also be a great way to meet like-minded people and quickly make new friends!

Learn the Art of Balance

While putting effort in at college equates to success, it’s important to remind your college-bound student that their well being should remain a priority above all. Students who spend all their time studying may begin to neglect their sleep, nutritional habits, physical and mental health, as well as their social lives. This can result in the feeling of “burn-out” and can even induce feelings of anxiety. College life can easily be balanced through allowing well-deserved breaks from studying, and smart time management. For example, it can be useful to create daily reminders in digital calendars on their phones and laptops to outline their schedule and set goals, as well as know when to organize study days and rest days. 

organization, study tools

5 Tips for Soon-To-Be College Students

college students

As a college student, it’s an environment where you’re constantly learning, and when it comes to getting the most out of it, there are ways that you can help give yourself that extra boost. Here are some tips for soon-to-be college students to improve their skills.

Always Be Practicing

Practicing something is a sure-fire way to achieve the success of something quicker than you would normally do it if you weren’t. Getting yourself into the mindset of practicing can be tough, but if you have the drive to do so, it can get easier. Think about what skills you need to work on and how you can implement that practicing in some way, shape or form. For example, you could be building on your experience as a writer and so creating a blog might give you that opportunity you need in order to write something new every day. It could simply be using a word generator to help you find better ways of describing or saying something. Opening up your vocabulary is important, and there can be so much use in practicing.

Time Management

Being able to handle your time appropriately is important because you need to be able to attend any lectures you might have throughout the week, make time to study and to see your friends around campus. So time management is something that’s definitely important, yet it’s not something you can always achieve easily, to begin with. It might take a little trial and error to get right but trust yourself to make the right decisions when it comes to getting up and doing something. If you struggle with time management, work out what’s making you late to lectures or to other commitments and then work on the ways that you can help change this for the better.

Learn How To Deal With Stress

Dealing with stress is something that many of us will have issues with throughout our life. It can be an emotion that we all feel to some degree, and some of us can handle it better than others. Try not to panic or make anything seem like too big of a deal. As much as getting qualifications and degrees are important, they are not worth harming your body or your mental health. If you’re struggling, always ask for help.

Consider Money And Budgeting

Money is a big thing for students because you can easily spend it on rubbish that doesn’t benefit you in any way. There are lots of ways to help budget your money better if you’re having a hard time of it at the moment. Look at the ways you’re spending your money currently and how you might be able to cut down or make better choices when it comes to using your money around the college. Perhaps try to limit yourself to a certain amount each day.

Learn organization

With so many tests, deadlines, and social activities it’s crucial to learn some organizational skills. Use data keeping tools, calendar apps, and good old-fashioned note-taking to stay organized in your classes and in life.

Improving your skills as a college student is always going to help make this experience a lot better and fulfilling if you follow these tips.

college planning, Top 10

10 Podcasts for the College-Bound

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podcasts

Who doesn’t love podcasts? It’s the best way to be entertained or educated wherever you are: in the car, at work, at home or waiting at the doctor’s office. There truly is a podcast for every interest. My daughter listens to the History Chicks and has learned a great deal of history while listening. I like to listen to inspirational podcasts that motivate and encourage me.

With all the college information available to parents today, there’s no excuse for being uninformed about the ins and outs of the college process. Podcasts are a great way to stay informed. Here’s a list of my favorites:

The College Essay Guy Podcast

Practical, up-to-date interviews with experts in college admissions, financial aid, personal statements, test prep and more. Ethan Sawyer (aka College Essay Guy), interviews deans of admission, financial aid experts, and veterans of the admissions field to extract, then distill their advice into practical steps for students and those guiding them through the process. From creating an awesome college list to appealing a financial aid letter, Ethan skips the general advice and gets right to the action items, all in an effort to bring more ease, joy and purpose into the college admissions process.

Prepped and Polished Podcast

Here you’ll find tips and tricks for studying specific subjects and how to prepare for major tests like the SAT and ACT. You’ll also discover valuable insights from local and world-wide educational experts as they discuss poignant topics like “How to Help Teens Reduce Stress” and “Navigating School and Career with Physical and Learning Disabilities”.  Practical tips and shortcuts for students are revealed in episodes like “Vocabulary Memorization Shortcuts for the SAT” and “Google Docs Organization for School”.

The College Prep Podcast

Nationally recognized experts Megan Dorsey and Gretchen Wegner share tips and tricks about creative study strategies, SAT/ACT prep, college applications, essay writing, teen-friendly time management tools, and more. They will also host experts on a number of subjects including scholarships, parenting, test prep, learning differences, NCAA athletics, and more! About the hosts: Megan is a college admissions consultant and test prep guru who helps students and parents plan and prepare for college admission. Gretchen is an academic life coach who helps stressed out students and their families feel smart, confident and ready for the rigors of college without losing their lives to school and studying. Together, they are a one-stop shop for how to survive…and thrive!…during the final approach into higher education.

College Prep Genius

College Prep Genius will teach you all the tips and tricks to ace the SAT and get FREE money for college (no strings attached)! Jean Burk’s program will give you all the inside information on how to get money for college, put together a college transcript, and become a logic-based thinker. Jean will debunk myths and misconceptions, all while providing you all the information on how to stop fearing the SAT.

Inside the Admissions Office: Advice from Former Admissions Officers

Need help navigating the college admissions process? Every other Monday they bring you exclusive interviews with Former Admissions Officers, graduates from top universities, and admissions experts. Each episode will be filled with application tips and first-hand experiences that will help you get into your dream school. Brought to you by InGenius Prep, the world’s largest team of Former Admissions Officers.

Admissions Uncovered – College Applications and Admissions Explained

Two high school seniors and one Columbia freshman explore the black box that is the college application process. They cover topics like handling deferrals, asking for letters of recommendations, the college essay and more.

Getting In: A College Coach Conversation

Each week on VoiceAmerica College Coach hosts their internet radio program and podcast, Getting In: A College Coach Conversation. Each week, former University of Pennsylvania admissions officer Elizabeth Heaton leads the discussion on a variety of admissions and college finance topics including: approaching and crafting essays, successfully appealing financial aid decisions, selecting the right college, determining the most effective savings vehicle to help pay for it and more!

Demystifying College Admissions

Julie Kim, a Harvard-graduate college consultant, the founder of Julie Kim Consulting is the host of Demystifying College Admissions. This podcast is designed to inspire high school students to identify their passions, learn all about the most updated college admissions strategies, with guests and experts from all industries! She also dives into mental health so that this podcast will be a healthy, safe, and vulnerable space for all teens and parents.

College Admissions Podcast

Applying for college is more complex and often times more confusing than it used to be. In addition, there are so many resources out there. How do you know which is the right one? The best one? Shouldn’t everyone have access to the best information out there, regardless of price? On this podcast, Mark Hofer and Anna Ren, both independent college consultants, share real and relevant topics in college admissions to provide you with a fresh perspective and truly actionable takeaways that you can use as you prepare to apply for college.

Your College-Bound Kid

Let a college admission expert (Mark) and a mom who’s been through the process (Anika) guide you through the college admission process. Learn key strategies and hear true stories on topics ranging from building the right college list, getting admitted to the colleges on your list; how to pay for college, and even choosing the right career. The podcast combines in depth knowledge and insights about college admissions and college life with a lighthearted, and at times, entertaining style that makes Mark and Anika easy to listen to.

financial aid, financial planning, Student debt

How To Avoid College Debt

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college debt

Parents want what’s best for their children. I’m sure you do. You want your student to succeed in life and if that path is college, you don’t want them to be saddled with college debt after they graduate. Entering the work force with debt puts strain on your student and their ability to live independently after college.  

But with college costs rising it almost seems impossible to attend without borrowing money to pay for it. At least that’s what you might think; but with some smart planning and wise financial choices, I t can be done and here’s how:

Know how much you are willing to pay

Before even starting the college search, you should know how much you are willing to pay. Set a budget before your student starts looking at colleges. If you know how much you are willing to pay, you can avoid going over-budget on a college, even though it’s a college your student wants to attend.

Have the money talk

After you know what you’re willing to pay, have the “money talk” with your student. Discuss with them how much you are willing to pay for college and how much you expect them to contribute. Do not (I repeat do not) allow them to apply to any colleges beyond your financial reach unless your student has been working toward and receiving scholarship awards. Do not count on financial aid or merit aid to fill the gap when planning for college. If your student applies and is offered admission to a college you cannot afford it makes for a difficult conversation and a very disappointed student if you cannot pay for the tuition.

Research individual college statistics

Before applying, research the financial aid footprint of every single college on the list. How much aid do they typically give? How much debt does the average student graduate with? Use their net price calculator and determine what it will cost to attend there before applying. If your student is offered admission, there will be no surprises and disappointment if you do your due diligence before the application process begins. Colleges offering small percentages of financial aid in the form of scholarships and grant

Think outside the box

There are thousands of colleges in this country. Many families make the mistake of not researching affordable colleges before applying. Smaller private universities offer more generous financial aid packages. Recognizable names and Ivy League colleges are not the only schools offering a quality education. Don’t assume that a state university is cheaper than a private college out of state. Look at the numbers, research colleges, and think outside the box.

Consider community college

Two years at a community college will save you and your student a substantial amount of money. After completing the basics at a much lower cost, they can transfer to a four-year college and graduate. Your student may also choose an associate’s degree in a technical field and graduate from community college with a skill and a career. In the past, community college has gotten a bad reputation from parents and students for being “less than” a “real” college. But smart parents and students know the education is the same at a much lower cost.

Apply for scholarships

Until your student graduates from college they should be applying for scholarships. The sooner they begin, the better. There are scholarships for all ages and if your student accumulates awards all throughout high school and into college those awards will go a long way to help them graduate without debt. There are resources to help you and your student find and apply for scholarships—take advantage of them.

Get good grades

Scholarships and grants are disbursed by colleges based on merit. Grades are a key factor colleges use to determine merit aid. They use this aid to entice student applicants to accept their offers of admission. Putting your student at the top of the applicant pool with good grades stack the odds of merit aid in your favor. Believe it or not, a great GPA results in more scholarship money than athletics. Use this to your advantage.

Graduate in four years or less

You might be surprised to learn that most students take more than 4 years to graduate from college. On average, a college degree takes six years. That’s two years more of college costs, not to mention two years of lost income. Plan to pay for four years and make a plan for your student to stay on track.

Become a National Merit finalist

Your student doesn’t have to win a National Merit scholarship to score some generous financial aid. All they have to do is become a semi-finalist—and with a little study for the PSAT, it’s entirely possible. Colleges who have money set aside for the finalists will use merit aid to entice your student to attend: full tuition, room and board, books and fees, laptops, study abroad and even spending money. They might also offer automatic entrance into the honors college, the best housing and priority registration until graduation.

Take AP exams or CLEP tests before college

It’s possible for your student to take AP or CLEP exams and test out of freshman subjects. Your student could enter college as a sophomore, cutting a whole year off the degree. For a small test fee, your student can save thousands of dollars and time by taking advantage of these tests.

With all these options available, your student does not have to take on college debt to receive a quality education. With knowledge and hard work, your student should be able to graduate college debt-free.

college planning

Starting the New Year Right

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new year

With a new year and a new decade beginning, it’s a good idea to evaluate goals and take stock of your progress. This is true with college planning and life in general. The easiest thing in the world is to say you’re going to do something. This is especially found when we suggest we’ll ‘do it tomorrow’. When we do that, we basically offset our need to complete a task or to even think about it, because having to do said task or start off from zero can seem stressful and worrying.

But the truth is that while the rumination is a bottomless pit, so is the satisfaction that comes from actually taking care of the tasks you plan for yourself. In fact, the art of staying on top of things and realizing your dreams, such as 2020 new year resolutions for example, is a satisfying journey without end. Once you complete something you gain that true sense of satisfaction, and you feel even more motivated to achieve something anew. The more you do this, the more the philosophy of ‘I will act now’ becomes a harmonious chorus in your mind rather than a grating shout.

With that in mind, we hope the following advice can help you curate this potential within yourself:

Find Something You Can Orient Yourself Towards

Like any vehicle, you’ll struggle to leave the driveway if you’re empty on fuel. The fuel that we’re talking about here doesn’t come in the form of a meal or an obligation, but in something you willingly submit yourself to, something you perceive as worth your time. Perhaps you know that losing weight is necessary if you’re to reduce the risk of health issues now you’re in your 30s. Maybe this can help you learn how to best run a Couch 2 5k or how to get over your fear of the gym. Nietzsche once said ‘he who has a why to live for can bear any how.’ Through this pursuit, you’ll be making good on that concept.

Take On A Challenge

Why not take on a challenge, or something that you may not otherwise have done? Maybe this could be as simple as taking a second language night course, or going up for a five-minute open mic comedy session at a local bar. Whatever makes you quake in your boots yet helps you realize a dream is often a good way forward. You’d be surprised just how much this can actualize your life and make every day feel important. Sometimes, you have to dive in the deep end to get things moving.

Plan Your Progress

Plan your progress going forward. Breaking down your goals for 2020 and noting them, step by step in Midori planners can help you correspond action to days. This in itself can give you a vital step up over your previous efforts, because when your plans are staring at you in black and white, it’s hard to refute you ever made them when struggling to get out of bed. Planning your progress can also help you see how far you’ve come – and that is not something to take for granted.

With this advice, you’re sure to apply the artful practice of making things happen in life.

college planning, extracurricular activities

7 Extracurricular Activities to Impress Colleges

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extracurricular

When your child is applying to a competitive college, every single thing that goes on the application makes a big difference. Grades are obviously very important, and so is the college application essay, but there will be plenty of students that have good grades and a great essay. So, how do the colleges choose between applicants? If they can’t separate them based on their grades and essays, they will start to look for other things, like extracurricular activities. The things that your child does outside of their normal studies make a big difference because they demonstrate a lot of the skills that colleges are looking for.

If your child participates in certain extracurricular activities that develop a wide range of skills, that looks great on their college application. It is often the thing that separates them from the other applicants and lands them their place, so it’s very important. There are all sorts of things that they can do, but it’s important that they choose something that they actually like. A college admissions officer will be able to tell the difference between somebody that is engaging in activities for their application alone, and somebody that is passionate about them.  

If your child is not currently engaged in any extracurricular activities, these are some of the things that look great on college applications. 

Student Government 

Student government is a great thing to get involved with if your child has any interest in politics or even if they want more of a say in how their school is run. Colleges love it because it demonstrates a few very important qualities. Firstly, it shows that you are a good leader and the other students in your school look up to you as somebody that can be relied upon. Secondly, it shows that you are responsible and capable because you are trusted with important issues. Colleges also like students that are willing to engage with the student community and get involved in events that promote the college, so student government is a great thing for your child to put on their applications. 

Educational Summer Camps 

Educational summer camps are a great way for students to learn new skills and boost their existing knowledge so they can improve their grades. There are some great camps that teach very desirable skills, like Coder Kids, for example, which teaches computer coding skills. If your child attends these educational summer camps, it shows colleges that they are dedicated to their education and they are willing to put in the hard work. It will also help them to improve their grades, especially if there are certain subjects that they are struggling with. 

Academic Teams And Clubs 

Academic teams and clubs are another great way for students to show their dedication to education, especially if they enter competitions. It shows that where academic pursuits are concerned, that student is willing to rise to the challenge and push themselves so they can improve. It also demonstrates a competitive spirit which a lot of colleges like. If your child is particularly interested in a certain subject and they excel at it, you should see if the school has any teams or clubs that they can attend. Math and science clubs are the most popular, but there are teams for most academic subjects. If there is not one available, they should consider starting one of their own because this also demonstrates good organizational and leadership skills. 

The Debate Team 

The debate team has always been a very popular among extracurricular activities for students to put on their college applications. Being able to form a coherent argument is an important skill for college students when they are writing essays or giving presentations on a subject. Being a member of the debate team shows that you have the critical thinking skills to weigh up both sides of an argument and draw conclusions. It also demonstrates that you have good public speaking skills and you can perform under pressure. Their speaking skills are very beneficial in a classroom setting because they will encourage discussion among their classmates and improve the learning environment. People on the debate team are also more likely to have a good understanding of current events.

Internships 

The thing that a lot of college students lack is work experience. This is an issue when they graduate and start looking for jobs because they do not have much real world experience. Colleges want as many of their students to graduate and get good jobs afterward because it reflects well on them, which is why they like applications that have obtained an internship. It also shows that you have the general skills that people need in the workforce like organisation, time management, and people skills. It also shows a level of maturity that a lot of students won’t have. 

Volunteer Work 

Volunteer work is a great way to give back to the local community and meet a lot of interesting people at the same time. It’s also great for developing new skills, and colleges love to see it on applications. In fact, a lot of the best schools consider it a must-have for any successful applicants. The best way to find volunteering opportunities for your child is to think about their existing hobbies and how they could incorporate them in a volunteering capacity. For example, if they are passionate about sports they could coach a local kids team. If they love animals, local shelters are always looking for people to help out. Volunteer work is only beneficial if it’s something that they really care about, so make sure that they find something that is a good fit. 

A Part Time Job 

Some applicants worry that their part time job doesn’t leave them enough time for extracurriculars and that will hurt their application, but that isn’t the case at all. Colleges recognize that some students need to work to help out their family so it won’t work against you. Having a part time job also teaches you a lot of the desirable skills that colleges look for. 

If your child is in the process of preparing a college application, these extracurricular activities will be a huge help.

college costs, college planning

Hidden Fees? Every College Has Them!

Want to know how much a college will cost you? Look on their website. The tuition, room and board is most likely clearly listed. But is that all it will cost you? If you have or had a student in college, as I did, you know that the tuition, room and board are just the beginning. There are hidden fees you might not see.

By the time you add on lab fees, student fees, dorm damage deposits, technology fees, parking and car registration, activity fees, and the elusive “miscellaneous” fees, you will add from $1000-$5000 in fees to your college bill, depending on the college.

Added to these, you can tack on the cost of books, Greek life, meal plans, and dorm, computer or health insurance to total college costs. And don’t forget travel expenses if your student chooses to attend a college far from home.

In an article in Fortune Magazine, one parent voiced her frustration with the lack of transparency related to college costs:

The fees are typically provided by the college’s bursar’s office, if requested, or listed in various places on a university’s website—but they aren’t always easy to find, says Michelle Gillespy-Goldstein, whose daughter attends the University of Colorado at Boulder.

“The lack of transparency is frustrating,” Gillespy-Goldstein says. “They tell you so many things when they’re recruiting you, but they fail to mention that piece.”

Before choosing a college, parents and students should ask for a detailed listing of additional fees involved if they aren’t listed on the website. In addition, talk to current students on the tour and ask about hidden costs they have encountered while at college.

Why do this? You don’t want any surprises when the first bill arrives.