Tag Archives: preparing for college

admissions, college guidance, college planning

5 Simple ways to prepare for college in high school

 

high schoolGetting ready for college or post-secondary school is a huge milestone in a student’s life and is the first real step towards adulthood. As a college student, you will be on your own immersed in schooling that will become your job for the next two to four years of your life. For the first time, rewards will be based entirely on what you produce and the time you are willing to commit to becoming successful. College really is a time that allows you to shape your future career, so it’s important to start preparing at a young age rather than at the last minute.  Here are a list of ways to help start preparing early for college in order to ensure a successful experience that will prepare you for your career:

  1. Meet with your high-school counselor by the end of your sophomore year. This is a person you want on your team for the next few years you are in high school. Your counselor will ask what you envision doing beyond high school, your goals and vision for your future career. He or she will help you draw out a plan to reach those goals.  If you wait until senior year it could already be too late to get particular requirements you may need to attend the school of your dreams.
  2. Research college degree requirements. Throughout high school, you may have the opportunity to get some college credit out of the way without even knowing it. 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 to you once you reach college so those classes will already be out of the way.
  3. Develop a high school schedule with your counselor. Prepare, prepare, prepare. One of the easiest ways to have a smooth transition from high school to college is to prepare. Work with your high school counselor ahead of time to pinpoint what school courses you need to take and pass to fit those college subjects the best. Sift through options of high school electives that match with the specific degree you will be going for.
  4. Get involved with extracurricular activities. Universities want to see students whom will involve themselves in campus life and have shown their dedication in the past. It is a great idea to get involved with clubs, volunteer work, or even sporting teams to prove to universities that you are able to manage your time with other events and work aside from homework.
  5. Begin preparing for and completing the PSAT/ACT/SAT. As annoying as studying for a standardized test can be, it really is important to do well on these tests in order to get into the school of your choice. Many high schools have you take these in your junior or senior year, and all universities require one of these standardized tests in order to be considered for admission. It is important to note that some college degrees require a minimum score on these tests in order to be accepted into their program.

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Today’s guest post is written by Trae Lewis, a recent graduate of University of Colorado and a staff writer for CollegeFocus, a website dedicated to helping students deal with the challenges of college, including housing, finance, style, health, relationships, and transferring from a community college to a four-year university. You can follow CollegeFocus on Twitter at @CollegeFocus101 and Facebook at www.fb.com/collegefocus.

 

college guidance, college planning, parenting

Preparing for college studies

preparing for college

 

There comes a time when parents have to send their children off to the world of university or college, and hope that the child acts appropriately and completes the studies in a mature manner. Though independent, there are certain lessons that parents should strive to teach the child before they leave home to enter their first year of college studies.

The following are four ideas and lessons parents should teach their child to ensure they are preparing for college studies:

Teaching Healthy Study Habits

Encouraging a healthy study habit is important, but first the student must learn the study habits that are going to help them to excel in their classes. Teaching methods to remember and recall information, habits to study alone and as part of a group, and habits that can help the student to embed the information to their memory are essential for students transitioning to a university setting.

Parents should emphasize the fact that cramming, or waiting until the last minute to study large amounts of material, isn’t an effective way to absorb the information. Proper organization and planning is required for successful studying. Encouraging healthy eating and sleeping habits as part of the lifestyle can help students to get in the right state of mind for studying.

There are classes parents can register the student for that teach basic studying techniques, as well as identifying the type of learning that works best for your child. Using these classes, parents and students can find studying techniques that work.

Teaching the Student to Ask for Assistance

There are many sources of assistance available throughout the post secondary education. Students can find help through study sessions taught to enhance the information that has been learned in the lecture hall, group sessions between peers that can be used to understand ideas, and tutoring services that are available through the university or college, free of charge.

It’s important to teach the student that it’s okay to ask for help, and learn about the options that are available for the student to find the help needed. Asking for help at the beginning of the confusion of concepts, rather than waiting until the concept has been built upon, can help the student to understand the lessons being taught.

Teach Short and Long Term Goal Setting

Parents should teach students the importance of setting goals and the differences between short and long-term goals. Creating goals that are semester wide and education wide both as short and long term can help the student to reach their goals.

It’s important to teach the student to set goals that are achievable and realistic to be reached within the time frame. Always include a time frame that includes completion of the goal. A goal without a timeline is not a goal at all. Teach the student that it’s okay to reward themselves once the goal has been reached, but rewards should be practical and match the type of goal that has been completed.

Teach Accountability

Unlike high school, where students have teachers and parents that ensure the work is being completed, students are held accountable to themselves in post secondary school. If work is incomplete and tests aren’t attended, zero marks are given to the student.

It’s important for the student to realize that they are held accountable to themselves and that they are solely responsible to study and get the course work completed. This is one of the most important things to teach the student before they head off to college (especially for students that are leaving home and going to school). Students must be aware of the privilege and cost that comes with post secondary school and ensure that the lessons are being absorbed, to avoid a squandered education.

The combination of these four lessons can help to increase the chances that the student is going to be successful in their first and subsequent years of post secondary studies.

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Author Bio

Ryan Ayers is a writer who creates informative articles relating to education. In this article, he offers tips for students to prepare for college and aims to encourage further study with a Master in Higher Education.

college planning, Guest Posts, Uncategorized

Six Simple Steps to Prepare for College

The competition for college acceptance has never been tougher, which is why preparing early for your college education can help you position yourself to get into the college you want.  High school graduation may seem like it is ages away, but now is the time to start preparing for college.   Getting ready for college means planning for the future and making some very important decisions early—we advise following these six steps below to maximize your chances of getting into the best college possible.

1) Visit a College Counselor as Early as 9th Grade

Students should begin visiting a college counselor as early as 9th grade. Visit your school’s college counselor early and often to assist with SAT prep, college choices, college applications and letters of reference at no additional cost.

2) Do Your Research to Find a Great Match

Finding a college that compliments your educational goals, personality and learning style takes time and effort. Start by making a list of what criteria your perfect school would have. From that list, focus on the schools that meet your needs with regard to location, size, character and degree programs.  I highly recommend the various college searching tools available at Student.CollegeBoard.org

3) Visit at Least 6 College Campuses

It is recommended that you visit at least six campuses before senior year begins and applications start going out.  Once you have edited down your list of potential schools, schedule an appointment to visit each campus. Also, make sure to check out the schools’ social media sites to get the inside scoop before you visit.

4) Explore Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Total School Costs

Many students find it helpful to prepare an excel spreadsheet to manage information on colleges’ costs, financial aid program and scholarship offerings.

Review national lists of scholarships, awards and grants for college. BigFuture.com is one of many great resources for finding scholarships and awards.

5) Line up Your References Before Junior Year Ends

Get to know teachers and administrators, who can provide valuable letters of reference to accompany your college applications.  Get involved in extracurricular activities, such as leadership and service opportunities, to build strong relationships.

Allow enough time to show them why you are worthy of their endorsement and provide ample notice, at least four weeks, for them to write the letter. Send a thank you note after you receive your letter to show your appreciation.

6) Take the SAT Exam Seriously

Preparing for the SAT should start well before you even book the date of the exam.  The test draws on information learned during the school year, so make sure you do well in class, working with a tutor as necessary.

Lastly, strong consideration should be given to the type of high school you attend, for not all high schools are created equal.  Many colleges will take into account the academic structure and relative rigor of your high school, so attending a respected boarding school or private high school could provide several advantages as well.  But, regardless of what high school you attend, the single most important advice I can give you is to start early—getting into the college of your dreams will make all this preparation worth the hard work.

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Today’s guest post was contributed by Amanda Green, a freelance writer who normally writes on the topics of education, business, and personal finance. Amanda has been writing for multiple years on the web and enjoys writing on less serious topics like pets and crafting in her spare time! You can read more writing by Amanda at paidtwice.com

admissions, college guidance, college planning, parenting

Q&A: The College Prep Process

5 Comments

Last week, I was a guest on #CollegeCash chat on Twitter discussing college preparation and the online resources that are available for parents and students. Since not everyone can attend these chats or is active on Twitter, I thought it would be nice to share the questions and answers here on my blog.

Question: When do parents start the college prep process?

  1. Ideally you should start talking to your student about the value of an education when they start school and amp it up in middle school.
  2. 9th grade students should pay close attention to course selection enrolling in AP honors classes, math and science.
  3. 9th graders should also start looking for that ONE extracurricular activity to concentrate on in high school.

Question: What do you see as the parent’s role in the college prep process?

  1. Parents should let the student “drive the car” but go along as a passenger/guide
  2. Parents can help with organization and gentle reminders regarding deadlines
  3. Parents need to be there for advice, support and questions but don’t take control of the process

Question: What online tools do you recommend for comparing colleges side-by-side?

  1. I love Zinch because you can create a profile, compare colleges and get matched w/colleges and scholarships http://www.zinch.com
  2. You can use the College Board’s tool to compare colleges as well http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/index.jsp
  3. Some more sites are: http://www.collegeview.com/index.jsp & http://www.collegexpress.com/ & http://www.cappex.com & http://www.collegeconfidential.com

Question: What online tools do you recommend for test prep?

  1. For vocabulary prep, @sheldonwordnerd has the BEST online tool available http://www.word-nerd.com
  2. Practice tests are imperative so take advantage of them online here http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice & http://www.number2.com/ & http://www.actstudent.org/testprep/index.html
  3. Read their blogs & follow on Twitter: @elizabethonline @akilbello @sheldonwordnerd @preppedpolished @PWNtheSAT @staceyhowelott 

Question: What online tools do you recommend for financial aid?

  1. The definitive site for financial aid info is http://www.finaid.org/
  2. Of course ALL parents should complete the FAFSA http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ to qualify for financial aid
  3. Saving for College provides parents with all the info about financial aid http://www.savingforcollege.com/ & lets you compare savings plans

Question: What online resources do you recommend for college visit preparation?

  1. Visit college websites and look for video tours and information related to each individual college
  2. @collegevisit has all the tools you need to plan, organize and prepare for college visits http://www.smartcollegevisit.com
  3. Before the visit you can check out @YOUniversity ’s virtual college tours and even hear from students  http://www.youniversitytv.com/

Question: What online tools do you recommend to help with the essay?

  1. @vcollegeadvisor has some great essay tips via video http://www.youtube.com/user/PreCollegeCoach#p/a/u/0/Ago6tIEnL0g
  2. @collegebasics offers some good tips on different essay topics http://www.collegebasics.com/applying-to-college/admissions-essays/
  3. @butwait provides a pocket essay editor of 13 tips https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=ah89knd3kmzc_469cq94ghdq
  4. If you’re looking for some actual student essay examples, look here http://www.teenink.com/college_guide/college_essays/

Question: Where do you find information about individual college statistics?

  1. I like College Navigator because it’s easy to view statistics and compare  http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ 
  2. Another great resource for statistics and more is CollegeData http://www.collegedata.com/
  3. The College Board also offers a tool to research college information http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/index.jsp

Question: What information can you share about the Net Price Calculator?

  1. The net price calculators were mandated to help parents and students estimate the actual cost of college BEFORE applying
  2. Not all calculators are created equal; use them as a tool but don’t expect 100% accuracy on cost estimates
  3. Colleges are required to have them on their sites but they are often hard to find; you might have to do some digging

Question: How can parents be assured they are getting EXPERT advice about college and not just being scammed?

  1. I wrote a blog recently about this topic https://www.parentingforcollege.com/2011/11/07/parents-beware-its-a-jungle-out-there/
  2. Some key points: investigate all claims using Google; ask about them using social media; are they associated w/other experts?
  3. Don’t believe claims unless backed up with facts and if it’s too good to be true, it usually is

I would also like to add another great resource for parents, especially because it’s another parent going through the process with her kids and blogging about it:

Dr. Strange College : How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Journey