Tag Archives: college

admissions, parenting

FREE Webinar–Beating College-Bound Stress

It’s not often that parents can find information about how to deal with the stress that surrounds the college admissions process, let alone find it for FREE. Kay Kimball Gruder, a Certified Parent Coach by the Parent Coaching Institute, and Wendy David-Gaines, author of “Parents of College Students-Survival Stories” are joining together to provide parents with some tips on how to de-stress during the college process, especially during your college-bound teen’s senior year of high school.

Date: Tonight September 26, 2011

Time: 9PM ET

Location: Online–Register by clicking here

Cost: FREE

If you are the parent of a college-bound student, particularly in the senior year of high school, chances are you are feeling STRESSED. This webinar is designed to reduce college-bound stress by sharing common communication patterns that exist and traps to avoid. Participants will gain STRATEGIES for better communication concerning:

  • Issues of money
  • Expectations for your student’s senior year in high school
  • Partnering in the college process
admissions, college guidance, college planning

High school seniors gear up for college

3 Comments

Fall is in the air (at least in most parts of the country) and seniors are gearing up for a busy year of college-related activities. To help parents and students stay organized and on top of the college to-do-lists, I’m sharing my senior list from my Parents Countdown to College Toolkit and Parents Crash Course.

My good friend and colleague Paul Hemphill has another take on the senior “to-do-list” (3 Things High Seniors should do early) that you will also want to share with your college-bound teens.

FALL

  • Continue to follow a rigorous program of study and verify that your course plan is consistent with college admissions criteria. Keep tabs on your GPA and your class rank; double check your transcript for any errors.
  • Start collecting recommendation letters. Gather any that were done over the summer and if you need to add additional ones, ask for them early when school begins.
  • If you need to take admissions tests again, register for and take the SAT and/or ACT and SAT Subject tests. Fill in the proper codes for each college to assure they receive your test scores.
  • Lock in your college choices and visit any on your list that you haven’t already checked out.
  • If you are applying to a military academy make sure your file is current and in the possession of the person from whom you are seeking the nomination.
  • If you are seeking an athletic scholarship, send a copy of your game schedule to the appropriate coaches; ask your high school coaches to help with contact names.
  • Finalize portfolios, audition tapes, writing samples, or other evidence of talent to send with your college admissions application.
  • If you are going to apply for early decision or early action, be sure to submit application materials by the deadline.

WINTER

  • Gather all the data for the FAFSA and encourage your parents to complete income tax returns early so that you can file in January. Complete the CSS/Profile as well if necessary.
  • Continue your scholarship search process focusing on those for 12th grade students. Request any college specific scholarship applications and apply.
  • Apply to the colleges that you have chosen and assure proper completion of each application package.
  • Verify that your mid-year transcript has been sent to the colleges to which you have applied. This is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. Follow up and verify that the colleges receive the transcript.
  • Review your SAR Report for accuracy and submit corrections if necessary.
  • If any college requests additional materials or forms send them promptly and verify they are received.
  • Apply for State Financial aid which may require additional forms.

SPRING

  • Plan to take AP Exams. Check with your colleges and verify that once the tests are taken you will receive college credit.
  • Compare college award letters and financial aid packages. Contact the school’s financial aid office if you have questions about your award. If you would like to dispute your award due to extenuating circumstances, follow the guidelines outlined in the toolkit.
  • Visit colleges that have invited you to enroll and talk with students, professors and admissions advisers to help you make your final decision.
  • Complete any loan paperwork if you will need to take out parent or student loans.
  • Make your final decision and notify the college you will be attending, along with the colleges you will be declining admission. (Remember: there are students on wait lists that will be waiting for spots to open. So be respectful and notify ALL schools of your decision).
  • Accept or decline your financial aid awards in writing. You have the option to accept all or part of the aid awarded.

SUMMER.

  • Attend Freshman Orientation and gather information regarding your course offerings to begin searching for textbook offers and deals.
  • Write thank you notes to the people who recommended you and thank them for taking the time to write those recommendation letters.
  • Apply for a summer job and save that money for college expenses.
  • If Federal Work Study is part of your package it’s your responsibility to secure a job and follow up with the financial aid office when you arrive on campus.

Print the list–email it to your teenager–post it on the frig for easy reference. It will help remind YOU and your college-bound teen that senior year is NOT the time for senioritis to kick in.

college guidance, college housing, Guest Posts, social networks

Using Facebook to Jumpstart your Collegiate Experience

2 Comments

 

As parents, you may not quite completely understand the utility of Facebook. Even when I was in high school, I thought that the friends of mine who were on the earlier social networks like My Space were just plain silly. However, when I matriculated to pursue an undergraduate degree, Facebook was just starting to take off throughout the world, and I cannot begin to describe how using the social network made inserting myself into a vibrant social world so much easier. If your child is on the cusp of going to college for the first time, here are a few useful ways to employ Facebook and make that college transition easier.

  1. Find people who will be living in your dorm. As soon as you get that letter informing you which building and room you will be living in, you can be sure that there has already been a Facebook group created with your dorm’s name on it. Running a search of your dorm building is a great way to find people who may already live there, find the roommate your school selected for you, and it’s also fun to become friends and begin chatting with other matriculating freshmen who are just as excited as you are.
  2. Find housing and furniture if you are no longer living on campus. If you do not intend on living on campus your first year, or if you have completed your first year and want to try moving off-campus, Facebook is a great way to find both new roommates, a new house or apartment for lease, and some cheap used furniture. Facebook Marketplace is helpful, but sometimes just looking through college groups or friends’ and acquaintances status can be just as effective. The way I found my off-campus living and roommates was simple. I scrolled through my news feed, randomly found that an acquaintance had found a 3 bedroom apartment but needed one more housemate. After a few days I was living in a wonderful apartment with two friends. That beats going through a realtor to find off-campus living!
  3. Keep up with events happening on campus. If you join a group that is associated with your school, or if you “like” your university’s official page, then often you will be updated on your news feed if any interesting events happen on campus. This way, you don’t have to rely on fliers or word-of-mouth to attend events where you can have fun, be involved with your campus community, and meet new people.
  4. Join study groups. Once you’ve begun to get in the swing of things academically, it will be likely that someone in a few of your classes will have started a Facebook group for that class. If so, joining it, or starting a group yourself, can reap many benefits. For one, you can organize study groups more easily, you can discuss class material in a forum format, and you can borrow notes or books if you happen to miss class.

These are just a handful of ways that you can use Facebook to enhance your first few weeks and months in college. Remember, Facebook was founded by college students for college students. If you use Facebook for anything, use it to become more acquainted with your college and fellow students.

*****************

This guest post is contributed by Barbara Jolie, who writes for online classes.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id: barbara.jolie876@gmail.com.

admissions, Guest Posts

College Application Videos

3 Comments

In this multimedia age that we live in it should come as no surprise that many colleges are now accepting video applications. This trend has taken off at a number of institutions, but many young students are wondering how exactly to present themselves via video application. Where do you even start?

Most students chose to make the video themselves with the use of their own equipment and some even choose to shoot their video straight off their iPhone. But those who want their video to stand out can go to a video production company for guidance. However your student chooses to shoot the video, there are a number of things they will want to take into consideration when shooting.

  • Make sure they don’t read straight from a poster board. You will want to make sure that they come off as natural and comfortable as possible. Reading straight from a script will achieve nothing for them. Instead, suggest that they make bullet points on a poster board and place it behind the camera. This will serve as a handy tool that can guide them during their presentation.
  • Dress appropriately. There will be no need to pull out the tux or gown for this, but a nice shirt will go a long way. And remind your student to smile!
  • Remind them this isn’t a reality show application. Several students have used their video applications as a tool to showcase their talents such as singing, juggling, what have you. Sure it’s important to come off as unique, but using the entire time to show off talent is a big no-no. Instead, have them talk about some interesting hobbies as a way to show off their uniqueness. Some other topics to discuss could be about family, inspirations, or maybe just a dialogue about college and what they hope to accomplish while there. An advantage of a video application is that the student can decide what to share, so however your child feels that they can best present their originality is the way to go.

The thought of a video application may seem odd to many of you, but the advantages of doing an application through video are numerous. A traditional application doesn’t allow the student an opportunity to truly show off their originality. Also, through a video submission college representatives are able to see how the student looks, sounds, and presents themselves. Video applications are the wave of the future and students need to prepare themselves for the possibility of having to present themselves to college representatives through the use of video.

Four schools are now encouraging students to send videos instead of essays. According to Newsweek about 5-10% of the applications sent to the four schools include videos. The four schools include Tufts, George Mason, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and William and Mary. Some of the videos submitted have gained thousands of views on YouTube.

********

Today’s guest post is from Danielle, a resident of Indianapolis who blogs for Professional Intern (http://www.professionalintern.com), a website devoted to reading, literature, writing, and education.

greek life, Guest Posts

Mom and Dad’s Guide to Greek Life

1 Comment

Dropping your son or daughter off at college is one of the hardest days in a parent’s life. You know they’ll have all kinds of great experiences, but oh, wouldn’t it be nice to share in them, too! Rushing a fraternity or sorority and being accepted into that organization is just another excellent experience for your student, but you don’t have to be kept in the dark – we’re parents and Greek alums ourselves, and we’re here to help prep you for your college student’s emergence into Greek life.

  • Busy Bees! Your son or daughter will be participating in all their usual extracurricular activities – combined with attending Greek chapter meetings, participating in fundraisers, holding leadership positions, and spending time with their brothers and sisters. Greeks today do a great job of preparing students for the hustle and bustle of Greek life, but be sure to keep an eye on your son and daughter’s stress level.
  • Better Grades. Most fraternities and sororities require their members to maintain a certain GPA. It’s no surprise that your student may get higher grades – on average, the GPA of Greeks tend to exceed that of overall collegiate GPA. Greeks of today know how to have fun and are smart cookies, so don’t confuse them with the media’s portrayal of Greek life!
  • Participation Wanted! Many Greek chapters hold at least one parents’ night each semester, so your presence will be wanted. Greeks also conduct fundraisers for their own chapter as well as for non-profit organizations each semester, so your Greek student may be asking for your help in supporting their fundraising efforts.
  • Mentor? Check. Greeks today also do a wonderful job of connecting brothers and sisters with mentors in their field of study, so if you hear your student mention a local businessperson or community leader they’re meeting with, you’ll likely know why! 85% of Fortune 500 executives are Greek alums, and they do typically enjoy meeting and mentoring with current Greek students.
  • Greek Pride. Greeks also take a great deal of pride in being part of a Greek chapter and national Greek organization. Expect to hear quite a bit about what their fraternity or sorority is doing, as well as drinking from that Greek “Mom” mug your daughter got you for Christmas, and a Greek “Dad” keychain on your key ring!

Modern day Greek life has been revamped from the media’s negative portrayal of Greek life, and there are plenty of benefits to your son or daughter going Greek. Sure, the parties still exist, so educate your student on enjoying responsibly. Hazing is illegal and no longer tolerated by Greek organizations, so your student should not be hazed. It may sound poetic, but your son or daughter will really meet the friends they’ll have for life and be part of an instant support network. We have a feeling you just might want to go back to college and be a Greek, too!

********

Today’s guest post was provided by GreekForMe.com. Here at GreekForMe.com, we’re parents ourselves and were Greeks in college, so we know all too well the concerns most parents have about Greek life. We’re happy to shed light on the real deal of Greek life and get parents excited for their son or daughter. Embrace that Greek spirit and support your college student with Greek Hoodies and Greek Blankets!

college guidance, Guest Posts, social networks

Top 5 Social Media Tips for Students

6 Comments

Students who effectively use social media create an advantage for themselves with colleges and in the future job market. They can digitally network with professors, alumni, and fellow students before, during, and after college. Every student should invest some time in building their online presence. The days of MySpace are over, though, and your social profiles speak volumes to anyone who finds them. You never know if a college admissions rep, recruiter or employer will Google you before offering you an opportunity. For this reason, a professional filter should always be applied.

Here are my top five tips for college-bound teens and college students jumping into the social media river.

  1. Try new things. Facebook and Twitter are the basics. Consider expanding your reach by signing up for accounts on LinkedIn, Tumblr, or any other platform that intrigues you. And if you get your hands on a Google+ invitation, give it a test drive.
  2. Mind your audience. If you are using your social media for professional networking, then remember that anyone (uncle, co-worker, teacher, etc.) can find what you are saying. (Everyone from my grandmother to my boss can see my tweets.) Even if you “protect your tweets” or have really tight Facebook privacy settings, nothing is private. Anyone can take a screenshot of anything they see on Facebook, or retweet you into the twittersphere for all to see. There have been countless examples of people losing their jobs or even being denied admission because of inappropriate posts on social networks. Make sure you’re not one of them.
  3. Don’t be afraid to say “hello!” Social media has created the world’s largest networking event. Feel free to offer comments, ask questions, and challenge opinions. Never lurk in the corner.
  4. Speak clearly and carefully. Avoid spelling and grammar errors; watch out for foul language. If you want to be taken seriously, make your posts reader-friendly.
  5. Leverage your presence. If you’ve invested time in building your online influence, then make sure people know it. Put links to your social profiles on your resume, or consider building a personal website. Whatever your major or intended major, be it Dance, Sociology, or Marketing, your digital presence will set you apart.

 ********

Adam Britten is a recent graduate of Syracuse University, where he worked as a member of the school’s social media team. In the fall, he’ll be pursuing a Master of Digital Marketing. He maintains the blog www.genYspot.com.

parenting, test prep

What “EdTech” Means to a New Parent

There have been a lot of new developments in my life recently.  I started a new job working with an online and mobile test prep company known as TestSoup that makes flashcards for a variety of different standardized tests.  I am learning about marketing, social media, and (of course) education.

But perhaps the most significant change in my life recently (within the past year and a half) is that now I am a parent, and am viewing the world through a very different set of eyes.  It affects everything, but mainly it forces you to look at everything in the long term.  When you go through something, you wonder how it will be for your child when he or she goes through it.

This is exactly what happened at the end of last month, when TestSoup attended its first conference: ISTE 2011.  Not only was it TestSoup’s first conference, it was mine as well.   It was an interesting experience, I must confess.  Lots of walking, lots of talking, and lots of hand-shaking.  There were other things too, but those are the three that stood out the most.

As I wandered around the conference, gawking at the amazing educational technology (EdTech) tools available these days, I couldn’t help but imagine what it will be like when my child goes through school.  What will schools be doing five or ten years in the future?  What are they doing now?

As it turned out, there was an entire section of the conference devoted to answering that question, and it was in that section that I spent most of my time.  I wanted to learn all I could about what these schools were doing.  Of course, I wanted to tell them how TestSoup could help them by offering their schools free access to our online test prep materials.  But in talking to people about what I could offer them, I ended up learning boatloads about what they were already doing for their students.

Some of these projects sounded absolutely out of this world.  Building a 3D replica of a botanical garden that you navigate on a computer?  Awesome.  Constructing and programming robots over the internet with students from Korea?  Amazing.  Helping Elementary School students run their own online newspaper?  Incredible.

These were the types of assignments that I hope my child will complete when he is in college.  Heck, these are the types of projects I would be happy to do now.  The face of education is changing, and we owe it almost entirely to technological advancement; to EdTech.

If you are a parent of a college-boud teen or current college student, I strongly encourage you to get involved and see what kind of EdTech can be adopted by their school.  There’s some very, very exciting stuff happening.

********

This guest post was contributed by John J. Walters, Director of Marketing for TestSoup, the premier provider of online and mobile test prep solutions.

admissions

Is college really attainable for everyone?

1 Comment

If you work hard in school, study and do your best you should be able to get into a good college. At least that’s what I told my kids who were from a middle class background. But what about the disadvantaged and those who don’t have parents in their corner cheering them on.

Here’s a quote from an article called, Where Poor People Don’t Go to College, and Why posted a few months ago in the Washington Monthly:

Asking why low income people don’t make it to America’s most exclusive colleges is sort of like asking why low income people don’t buy more BMWs. It’s because the price of the good largely prohibits the economically disadvantaged from purchasing that good.

It’s a sad fact that the elite tend to fare well and the disadvantaged aren’t afforded the same opportunities.Here’s an infographic that says it all:

Rags to Rags - Riches to Riches

admissions, college guidance, college planning

Getting In-The Zinch Guide to College Admissions

3 Comments

 

When Gil Rogers at Zinch asked me if I would be interested in getting an advance copy of this book I jumped at the chance. First of all, I love reviewing books for parents. Secondly, I knew it was going to be quality material and I was excited to get my hot little hands on a copy.

I’ve read plenty of books on college admissions. Some are so scholarly heavy that you need a degree to figure them out. Others are so shallow you can find most of the material in your teen’s high school handouts. Zinch’s book is neither of the above. It’s geared toward the student, but is also extremely valuable from a parent’s perspective. Zinch reminds the student that while the college process often involves the entire family, the final choice must be their own. I agree with this whole heartedly. Every parent should grasp this truth.

Since this book is jam-packed with information, it would be difficult to speak about all of it. Suffice it to say that Zinch covers EVERYTHING from beginning to end. It’s an invaluable resource to have for your student (especially at the beginning of the process), because it walks them through admissions step by step.

Following are some of the highlights (and my favorite parts):

  • The Truth About College Admissions-This chapter alone is worth the cost of the book. They debunk the myths about college, college rankings, and tell you the things colleges don’t want you to know. Superb!
  • Behind the Scenes-This chapter goes into great detail about what goes on in a college admissions office. As a parent, this chapter will be an eye opener. If you’ve ever wondered what goes on, Zinch spells it out!
  • College Input-One of the impressive components in the book is the input Zinch includes from actual specific college admissions officers. It helps you see how they think and how they view the process.
  • Social Media-Zinch recognizes the importance of social media and how it can affect the college admissions process. The book talks about your student’s online presence and reminds them that Google never forgets.
  • The Hook-This is the first book that I’ve seen that talks about “marketing” the student to the colleges. Zinch explains how important this is in order for your student to stand out.
  • The Application process-Since this is the most important part of college admissions, the book goes into specific detail about every aspect of the application with step-by-step guides and tips.
  • Three Case Studies-This is my favorite part of the book. Zinch takes three college applicants of different backgrounds and academics and presents their entire application to various colleges for review. The colleges then give their recommendations for acceptance, wait listing or rejection, giving you insight into the “whys” of the decision, along with how they came to their decision. It’s a wealth of information for both students and parents.

The book reads easily and provides many highlighted examples related to each chapter topic. Zinch tells the reader in the first few pages how to use the book:

  1. Read it. (to get an overview of the entire process)
  2. Ask your parents to read it. (to liberate the student and parent from the myths surrounding college admissions)
  3. Start early. (they recommend no later than junior year—I say freshman year)
  4. Role play. (put yourself in the role of the admissions officer and evaluate each one)
  5. Reread the appropriate chapter. (refer to the information as you need it)
  6. Work smarter, not harder. (the book provides you with the tools you need to be prepared)

If you are a parent of a college-bound teen (that means even middle school) you should pick up a copy of this book. Amazon has it on sale now for $9.86 and you can get a sneak peek inside the book as well. If you pick up a copy, let me know what you think. You can also post your comments on Twitter using the hashtag #GettingIn.