Tag Archives: college prep

college planning, college prep, Guest Posts

A New Platform to Help Plan Your Student’s High School Journey

new platform

Being an involved parent is crucial to your child’s success, especially as they explore the world of possibilities in high school. Not surprisingly, many kids don’t understand this; they want to do everything on their own.

A new platform, spikeview, helps parents prompt meaningful conversations about interests and potential career tracks, in part by showing the big picture with the various explorations and steps in their journey so far. By making kids be a key stakeholder in navigating their journey through high school and into their dream college, spikeview helps with planning early and often to avoid unnecessary panic. Beyond just a well organized, secure,  portfolio, teens are encouraged to build a network with others, take on leadership opportunities in interest-based online groups, and find opportunities (like internships, jobs, and high quality classes, tutors, career counselors, and summer programs) to strengthen their college application. 

 Here are 3 unique ways you can support your teens’ journey!

Drive Interest Aligned Discussions

Nothing is more off putting to a budding independent high-schooler then pushing all those amazing activities and experiences that YOU believe are so good for them.  While you may be right, you might need to consider how those opportunities fit into the overall interests of the student. Looking at a snapshot view of their experience and interests and discussing why those are so valuable or exciting for them will establish trust and open them up  to the possibility of considering other opportunities.  This enables a “data-driven” conversation which tends to  be more objective and palatable to a teens. We love the “My Story” visualizing tool that does the job and is a fun way to acknowledge your teens efforts. 

Finding a supportive online community, and tapping new opportunities

new platform

Let’s face it, it is hard to be the parent of a teenager. Whether you have one or multiple kids, each is different and each has unique interests and hobbies. While we are always bombarded with camps, classes, online programs, it is not easy to find good quality opportunities that will interest your teen and will be worth the expense. It takes a lot of time to find the right fit opportunities and maybe requires you to ask other community parents. But, what if based on your kids’ past experiences and interests, you could see specific opportunities that helped magnify their impact, explore other  avenues they may not have considered previously, or strengthen their college application?  What if you could create and participate in discussions with other parents in the same situation as you, or those with older kids who have learned some of the harder lessons. What if you could get access to good quality content and opportunities that actually align to their interest. What if you could see students and parent reviews to help you decide? Think of how much time you would save, and discover something that will truly resonate. Easily create your teens profile and let the auto-discovery save you some time. 

Preparation prevents panic and panic prevents progress

For this generation of teens, technology and media play a large role. Kids enjoy using media, digital content socializing through online platforms. They are not as interested in boxes full of photos , certificates or badges sitting in the garage that make up their experiences. So why not become a part of their world as a parent, and even better, use a medium that is fun, ubiquitous, and permanent. Help kids digitally organize their assets, and give them control of who gets to see what aspect of their data.  Once uploaded into the secure spikeview cloud, you can decide what to share using custom views tailored to each opportunity or interaction. It can be polished and professional for applying for an internship, or casual and  fun when reaching out to an online club. It can cover all your achievements, or showcase just one of them. The profile can be built over time with all types of experiences, achievements, thighs they are proud of.  This can serve as a digital journey book across all phases of life and an invaluable shared asset between you and your teens. Best of all, parents can rest easy knowing that the default setting on spikeview is privacy. 

With all the blood, sweat, and tears we put into them, it is almost criminal that all the planning for camps, internships, and classes, all the effort in polling other parents for the best coach or tutor, all the time invested in weekend games, and all the endless drives to and from activities – is forgotten within a few weeks, with nothing at all to show for it. What’s more, in most cases, the kids themselves don’t remember these critical building blocks of their life within a few years, losing the key formative steps, friendships, and memories that could make for an engaging, compelling life story. Rather than panicking looking at a last-minute sparse “brag sheet” to prepare for college admissions essays, these small nuggets instill confidence and make all the difference between getting into your dream college and opening a thin envelope. 

Guest Posts, parenting

Talking to College-Bound Teens About Risky Behavior

risky behavior

You’re likely to feel a little anxious about the idea of your teen going off to college. Your years of being able to protect and coddle your child are about to end, and you know how cruel the world can be. 

One fear that you might have about your teen going off to college is that of drug and alcohol abuse. Many teens face problems such as peer pressure and the need to fit in with the “everybody’s doing it” crowd. 

Here are some tips for talking to your teen about the dangers of succumbing to peer pressure and risky behavior in college.

Avoid Sounding Too Autocratic

The tone of your conversation is the most critical factor in reaching your college-bound teen about an essential topic like alcohol and drug abuse. 

Young persons tend to get defensive if they feel as though a parental figure is “laying down the law” or restricting their lives. You should approach your child as if you are a friend and not so much a parent. 

The best way to approach this subject is to wait until you can have a calm discussion about the matter. You might want to discuss it after dinner or while you’re driving somewhere with your teen.

Reassure Your Teen of Your Love and Trust

Your teen needs to know that you respect their independence and that you trust their judgment. At the same time, you must help them understand that unfamiliar situations are going to arise. They’ll have to deal with people who don’t have the best intentions. 

Let your teen know that he or she will come across people from a variety of family backgrounds and cultures. Those backgrounds and cultures might clash with the ones that you established as you were raising your teen. 

Tell your child that it’s okay to stand his or her ground and not go along with suggested behavioral changes just because it may seem trendy to others.

Draw From Your Experiences

Storytelling is an effective way to reach your teen about alcohol and drug recovery. It will help you to connect with your teen emotionally, and it will display your empathetic nature. 

If you can think of a time that you overcame peer pressure, you should tell your teen a story about it. Tell your child who presented the peer pressure and what you did to overcome it. 

Alternatively, you can share an experience that you had experimenting with drugs or alcohol. Be honest if you ever had to seek alcohol and drug recovery.

Use Scientific or News-Based Quotes

Sometimes, young people don’t believe anything until they can see hard evidence that it’s not good for them. In that case, you might want to gather news reports and statistics that pertain to drug and alcohol recovery. 

Find articles and statistics about the health hazards of drugs and alcohol. Collect news stories about college students who have suffered the negative effects of drugs or alcohol. 

Many students have failed out of college, gotten into accidents, and lost their lives because of substance abuse. Your teen needs to know the reality of such incidents. Don’t sugarcoat the truth at all.

Boost Your Teen’s Self-Esteem

It’s important to point out your teen’s good qualities when you’re discussing peer pressure. 

Many teens fall victim to peer pressure because they need to feel as though they belong to a particular group. They desire acceptance, and that desire for acceptance sometimes gets them into trouble. 

Spend some time giving your teen positive affirmations that will help encourage self-esteem. Your teen will be less likely to fall into the trap of peer pressure if he or she is aware of all the positive qualities that make that person unique. 

A person who has a strong sense of value won’t feel the need to fit in with anyone else.

Establish Positive Communication Lines

Finally, you must establish healthy communication with your college-bound teen. Your teen should feel confident that you will be available for questions or concerns or to tell you about each day away at college.

Let your teen know that you are available to talk at any time of the day or night. You might even want to set up a regular day and time that you can voice or video chat with your teens to let them hear your voice or see your face. Your teen might find a lot of strength in knowing that you’re present even though there’s a distance between you.

The tips mentioned above should help you communicate your concerns to your teen without causing him or her to get offensive. Hopefully, your son or daughter will go on to have a fruitful experience in college and live to his or her full potential.

_______________________________________________

Author Bio: Patrick Bailey is a professional writer mainly in the fields of mental health, addiction, and living in recovery. He attempts to stay on top of the latest news in the addiction and the mental health world and enjoy writing about these topics to break the stigma associated with them. 

Sources

college prep, parenting

Early Preparation for College

This article was originally written for TeenLife Magazine.

college

With competition for college admission becoming stronger, parents are recognizing the need to begin college prep early. That doesn’t mean that you start drilling college into your toddler’s head (although some parents have been known to do this). It does mean that you begin a foundation for their education that will carry them into high school and eventually into college.

Looking at the three phases of education, what should parents do to prepare their students for college?

Elementary School

When discussing college prep, most of the discussions start in middle school and the steps begin when a student is in high school. But for a student to be truly prepared for college, parents should begin talking about it, thinking about it, and discussing it as early as elementary school.

Start talking about the value of education

Begin talking about the importance of education when your child enters kindergarten. The first seven years of education are filled with learning fundamental skills and gaining knowledge. This is the foundation of all future education. If your child loves school, excels in school, and is motivated to study and achieve excellence, the logical progression will be to continue their education by going to college.

Start talking about college

The opportunities that a college education provides can be relayed to your children during the early years of education.

For example, if your child is interested in dinosaurs, parents should talk about how people that research and recover dinosaur bones had to go to college first to learn how it’s done. Or if he is interested in space, discuss how scientists and astronauts go to college to learn the skills they need to work in that field. A child’s enthusiasms are the perfect opportunities to start a discussion about how college is key to pursuing and following those interests.

Visit colleges with the family

Visiting college isn’t just for teenagers. Many universities provide campus tours and visiting days when a staff member will guide a grade school class, or other group of children, around the campus and explain the unique and exciting things they can do when they grow up and go to college. Parents can also schedule outings with their children to the college or university from which they graduated. The important thing is to make college sound interesting, exciting and accessible.

Middle School

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

Start planning academics

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

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

Read, read, read

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

Partner with your child’s educators

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

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

Start working on extracurriculars

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

First Year of High School

It’s the year of new beginnings. Wide-eyed freshmen enter high school campuses overwhelmed on the one hand and excited on the other. High school puts them on the path to adulthood and independence. It means added responsibility and academic challenges, especially if they plan to apply to college at the beginning of their senior year.

Establish a relationship with the high school counselor

This is a person you want on your child’s team for the next few years in high school. The counselor will ask what your child envisions doing beyond high school; goals and vision for your child’s future career. They should help draw out a plan to reach those goals. If you wait until senior year, it could already be too late to get particular requirements your child may need to attend the school of his dreams. Work with your high school counselor ahead of time to pinpoint what school courses your child needs to take and pass to fit those college subjects the best. Sift through options of high school electives that match with the specific degree your child is interested in pursuing.

Research careers

By now, your teen should know what interests him in school. Is he drawn to the sciences? Or is drama his cup of tea? Does he excel in math? Or is he interested in literature? These interests will serve to guide your teen down the right career path.

It would be useless to pursue a career in the medical field if science and math are your teen’s least favorite subjects. It would also be frivolous to head down an acting career path if your teen does not like being on stage in front of people. Analyze their interests and strengths to guide them in choosing the career that would best suit them and feed their passion. Take personality and career tests and attend career days.

Plan a rigorous academic path

Throughout high school, your child will have the opportunity to get some college credit out of the way. At some universities, four years of a foreign language in high school will be enough to satisfy language requirements for your degree. Also, AP and honors classes can sometimes fulfill certain degree requirements, which will be very beneficial not only on the college application to communicate commitment to academics, but will also save you money paying for expensive college classes.

Research colleges

Finding a college that compliments your child’s educational goals, personality, and learning style takes time and effort. Start by making a list of what criteria the perfect school would have. From that list, focus on the schools that meet those needs with regard to location, size, character and degree programs.

Each academic year produces it’s own set of challenges if your child wants to go to college. By planning ahead, you can minimize the stress of senior year and ensure that your child is ready to pursue higher education after high school.

admissions, college planning, college prep

Use This Admissions secret When Applying to College

admissions secret

Many college experts offer advice on how to get into college. They recommend stellar standardized test scores, a killer college essay, a high GPA, and strong extracurriculars. While all those application components are important, did you know that there an admissions secret students can use to increase their admission chances by 40 percent!

Data from the National Association for College Admission Counseling show there is a powerful tool students can use to improve their admission chances: demonstrated interest.

Students who visit a college before they apply, are up to 40 percent more likely to be admitted than students who do not visit or show demonstrated interest, the data says.

Why does demonstrated interest matter?

For colleges, it’s difficult to know which applicants are really interested in attending. Due to the ease of the Common Application, students can apply to multiple colleges at once. Students often believe that applying to more colleges will increase their chances of getting accepted.

When a college receives your application, admission officers look for ways to determine whether you will accept their offer of admission. Since all colleges have quotas to fill and determine their admission offers based on percentages of acceptance, showing interest lets them know you will likely accept their offer. As they see it, why offer admission to someone who isn’t interested when there is someone who is likely to accept?

How do you find the colleges that place a strong interest on this?

Which colleges want your student to show them some love? You don’t have to guess. You can use a tool like Collegedata.com to determine if a college uses demonstrated interest in its admission decision. The colleges are asked to rate 19 admission factors by using these four categories: very important, important, considered, and not considered. Each year, colleges are surveyed and this data is used to compile the information on its website.

To access the data, you simply search for the college, click on the Admissions tab, and scroll down to the Selection of Students heading. Then you can see the importance a college places on a student’s level of interest. Harvard, for example, lists this as “not considered.” In comparison, the United States Naval Academy, lists it as “very important.”

Every college is different so it’s important to check before applying to determine whether a college visit or another demonstration of interest is warranted.

To learn how your student can demonstrate interest for a college, read my article at TeenLife.com.

college guidance, college planning, college prep, parenting

College Prep Is a Team Effort

college prep

The college admissions process can be overwhelming. It will be a stressful time for both you and your teen. Your teen will need your help and your support. They will need to know they can count on you to do your part so they can do their part. It’s truly a team effort. Good parenting is key, especially during college prep.

Here are some helpful suggestions for you that will help you help your teen during college prep.

Make a visit to your teen’s counselor– Let the counselor know that you intend to be an involved parent and establish a relationship at the start. The counselor is an important source of information and of course guidance regarding your teen’s college pursuit.

Establish relationships with teachers and staff– Since most parents tend to drop out when their teen reaches high school, it’s crucial that you make it clear to the educators that you will be a partner in educating your child. Keep in touch and verify your teen’s progress via email if it’s available and attend any teacher conferences or parent meetings that are scheduled. Show up at PTA meetings and parent information sessions, making you visible to the staff.

Read all school information– Once you have stressed to your teen the importance of ensuring that ALL information gets home to you, you must take the time to READ it. This means reading the school handbook, teacher handouts, letters to parents, guidance department newsletters, any rules and policies, and homework and attendance rules. Discuss these with your teen to alleviate any future misunderstandings that might arise over failing to follow school guidelines.

Stress the importance of good attendance– Attendance is key in high school. Missing even one class can put the student behind. Schedule appointments, when possible, before and after school. If there is an absence, make sure your teen does the make up work in a timely manner. If the absence will be for an extensive period of time, coordinate with the teachers to assure the makeup work is completed.

Encourage strong study habits– These habits will follow your teen to college. Set aside a regularly scheduled study time. Studying needs to be a priority before any added activities. GPA rules in the college admission process and good study habits will assure your teen enters the process with an impressive one. Don’t allow your teen to procrastinate and go into overdrive because they waited until the last minute to complete a project.

Stress regular contact with teachers and counselors-This contact will play an important role when your teen needs recommendation letters. It will also establish in the minds of these educators that he or she means business. They will see that your teen is there to learn and excel and ask questions. Those students are the ones that are recommended for leadership positions and academic awards. It can be something as simple as saying hello in the hallway or using the counselor’s office to research scholarships.

Be the organization coach– My mantra for high school was: Preparation Prevents Panic. If you know where everything is, have a schedule and a plan, you won’t get stressed and frustrated. Sometimes the only filing system a teen has is their floor. It’s your job as their parent coach to help them start and maintain good organization for their date planners, notebooks, folders, files and college related materials.

Stay informed and involved– This does not mean camp out at the school every day and follow your teen around (although that is tempting). It means monitoring quizzes, grades, daily homework assignments and long-term projects. If you begin to notice any problems, schedule an appointment with the teacher and work out a plan for tutoring if it’s necessary. Don’t wait for the report card to lower the boom. If you stay proactive and informed, you and your teen will be able to fix any problems before they become catastrophes.

Know your teen’s friends (and their parents)– Your teen’s out of school activities will always affect in-class behavior. In high school, it’s as much about social activity as it is about academic success. Assuring that your teen’s friends share the same values and goals will make a difference in their focus in and out of school. Encourage them to make friends that have college as a goal and have the same study habits. Take the time to meet and get to know your teen’s friends’ parents. Make sure they share your values and understand your position on smoking, drinking and drugs.

Be proactive when you encounter problems– All types of problems arise in high school: academic, behavioral and even social. There is a logical solution for all of them, but the key is to be aware when they arise and address them quickly. Academic problems require additional teacher help, tutoring, and possibly study skill courses. If you encounter behavioral problems, contact the school counselor or principal and discuss with them recommendations for the particular situation. Coaches can often help, along with a mentor. Sometimes professional counseling is warranted. Don’t ever be afraid to ask for help. And don’t make the mistake of turning your head and going into denial. Problems only get worse if they are ignored, especially in high school.

life lessons, parenting, Uncategorized

Is Your Student Prepared for College

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prepared for college
American Housewife

These are tough times we live in. From the coronavirus to the widespread protests, families have had to cope with some difficult circumstances and answer some tough questions.

My grandsons have asked questions–many questions about what is happening in their world. We try to prepare our children for foreseeable difficulties as adults, but sometimes life slaps us in the face and we face obstacles we did not anticipate and would rather avoid.

The question we should all be asking our students is: Are you prepared for college?

I’m not talking about academic, extracurriculars, or standardized tests. I’m talking about the “real” college prep: adulthood. Because this is the most important college prep of all. If your student isn’t ready to study without being constantly nagged, attend class without a wake-up call, or make wise choices when every negative influence in the world bombards them, then he or she is not ready for college.

We must, as parents, prepare our teenagers for independent living. That means they must know how to self-advocate. They must know how to say “no” to behaviors that have negative consequences. They must be responsible with their time and their money. It’s no easy task and in today’s world, we have to add the ability to make wise social and economic choices.

I love “American Housewife” for the examples of good and not-go good parenting techniques. Their daughter, who will be attending college in the fall, was required to complete a massive to-do list before they would agree for her to attend her senior prom. Some of the items seem simple to most, like changing a tire; but the goal of this parenting was to prepare her for independent living.

Do you have a to-do list for your future college student? Can they live within a budget? Do they understand the importance of study and class attendance? Do they know how to choose the right friends? Will they make wise choices about alcohol, sex and other risky behaviors. Preparing them for college is so much more than academics.

college prep, parenting

Helping your Student With Dyslexia

dyslexia

Dyslexia can affect one in five people, according to the National Institutes of Health. Once you have noticed the symptoms such as laboured or inaccurate reading and/or spelling. As well as difficulty rhyming, associating sounds with alphabetic symbols, sequencing and ordering sounds you can take the next step to be diagnosed. There are many ways to help Dyslexia. 

Schools that specialize in Dyslexia 

Schools such as CLOI’s Dyslexia PD offerings can often provide extra attention towards teaching them how to utilize, systematic and sequential instructional approach while reading and writing. The best method they use is a multisensory method. This can ensure that each plan is helping them to succeed with every journey with something like their writing and reading. They understand Dyslexia in a way that looks at it from different views to ensure that they choose the best method for them as every case is different. Having a personalized program is essential. 

What parents can do to help

If your child has Dyslexia, you can often feel helpless. There are multiple ways in which you can help at home. Start reading aloud of your child as young as you can, even six months and younger can make a massive difference to their vocabulary. If you are not comfortable with reading aloud yourself, then playing a recorded book with your child can be an effective method. Work side by side with your child’s school to ensure that you can proceed with the same techniques at home to avoid confusion. Scheduling in reading time each day can encourage your child to read that will improve their literacy skills. You could do this by reading something of your own while your child read their book. This shows that you are there to support your child, and they will see that reading is an enjoyable activity to do together. 

Support your child

Finding ways to support your child without being intimidating can be difficult. Expressing your love and support when they are reading or talking can help build their skills and show their strengths. This can be done by having conversations with your child regularly.

Designating a specific time of day to help them at home by organizing a place and time for your child to study. This space is then known as a place of work rather than play. This also means limiting the amount of time they spend on electronic screens and swapping them for reading practice.

If you are feeling alone at this time, then joining a support group can help you massively to provide useful information and emotional support. Building you and your child’s relationship to helping their strengths and weaknesses.

Hopefully, with this guide, you will be able to find different learning techniques to learn your child’s Dyslexia. Whether that is having support from a school such as CLOI’s Dyslexia PD. They offer comfort and personalized methods to help your child. And changing up your home environment to allow your child’s reading and writing to grow and improve.

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 . . .

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. 

financial aid, parenting, scholarships, social networks

8 Facebook Pages and Groups to Help With College Prep

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Have you ever had a question about college prep and there was no one to ask? Do you wonder what other parents have done in your situation? Is there a question about paying for college that you simply can’t find the answer to?

Odds are, you can find most answers to your unanswered questions on Facebook (or at least a suggestion on who to ask). From parenting a teen through the college process, paying for college, financial aid, scholarships and connecting with college parents, you can find groups or pages to help.

Here’s a list of my favorite Facebook groups and pages:

Grown and Flown

This is a widely popular group for parents of both college-bound and college students. You can connect with experts in college prep here or get advice from other parents who have been through the process and/or have current college students. It’s a friendly, conversational group and if you have a question, it’s easy to post it and usually get an instant response from another parent or expert in the group.

Paying for College 101

If you have a question about paying for college, this group is available to help. Helpful articles are posted daily and questions are answered quickly by experts and mentors on the page. They cover topics related to college prep and often offer training sessions and webinars to help you with the college admissions process.

College Talk

Financial aid can certainly be confusing for parents and students. College talk provides parents with tips and strategies related to college financial aid.

How to Find Merit Scholarships

Looking for merit scholarships? This group is devoted to sharing merit scholarship opportunities and discussing ways to find schools generous with financial aid and merit scholarships.

How to Win College Scholarships

Need help searching for scholarships? Need help with scholarship applications? Have a question about the scholarship process? You capayn find the answer on this page, along with endless lists of scholarships available. Check this page daily for the best in scholarship information.

Parenting for College

This is my page and you can find the answer to any college-related question here. I post informative articles daily and am happy to answer any question you might have about college prep. I also frequently post scholarship opportunities and free training opportunities as well. Check back often to see new news about college admissions.

Parents of High School Students

This is the portal for you to ask any question, raise out any concern or get feedback from the group. This type of forum rarely exists in the college admissions space, but it’s space for parents to expand their network, build connections, establish relationships and form a support system in this competitive field. This is also the place for parents and students to grow and even enjoy their college admissions journey.

College Essay Guy

Everything you need to know about the college essay, personal statements and supplemental essays can be found on this page. From podcast episodes to essay samples to expert advice, the College Essay Guy is available to help. Your student can also join his private group page for personalized essay help: College Admission and Application Forum.

…and one more

College Connections Educational Consulting Services

A page with over 14,000 members offering great college advice, current articles in the news, and a forum for students and parents to comment on them and ask questions. College Connections’ main objective is to have our students gain admission to the college which is their best match, and where they find happiness, success and a solid academic program.