Increase Your Chances of Getting Into a Competitive College
If you are willing to look outside of the zone of colleges kids typically apply to you are much more likely to get noticed. Looking at schools outside of your geographic zone will set you apart from every other student in your area. Look at schools that you fall outside of the “norm” in the following areas:
Geographic
Ethnic
Academic
Athletic
Extracurricular
Socio-economic
Talk to admissions staff at the schools you are most interested in and make sure you identify yourself as calls and visits are often tracked. Here are some sample questions to ask:
I am trying to get a feel for the typical State U student in terms of where they are from and what they study
1. What is the geographic distribution? Is it pretty even?
2. What are the least represented states?
3. You mentioned your most popular majors as …………. What are your least popular majors or departments that you are trying to grow?
Finding out what students are studying and where they are from will help you break the “typical zone” of students that apply to that school and you will seem much more desirable!
Need more help with college selection or how to pay for college? Call our offices today and register for a FREE workshop in your area!
Studies show that ‘F’ in Middle School does matter!
Although we typically start seeing families in the office when kids are already in high school, Middle School/Junior High Parents take note! Patterns that start in middle school/junior high are good indicators of things to come. Students who have patterns of missing class and that receive D or F marks on report cards are at increased risk for trouble in high school. Middle school is when we see a big disconnect from parents. Many parents feel that middle school is the time to let kids handle things on their own but not so. This is actually the time that most kids need extra support from home. Now is not the time to stop asking about homework or to lose touch with teachers. In fact, it is time to step it up. Teachers are happy to hear from parents and respond quickly in most cases. Stay in touch via email and that teacher will be more apt to let you know if there is a problem. Young teens will not like this and let you know that it is now up to them but do not back off! Help keep them on track and focused so that high school will not be such a big transition. Call our office any time and speak to our student planner and sign up for a FREE College Planning Workshop in your area today!
Space Still Available at 11 California Colleges for Fall 09
Got a late start on your college applications or maybe you thought that you would not get accpeted and now you are sad you did not try? Hope is here! Eleven California colleges are still accepting applications for Fall 09. Whether you are an incoming freshman or a transfer student, look at the list below and then call the admissions office for details.
1. Azusa Pacific University
2. California Baptist University
3. California Lutheran University
4. Concordia University
5. Loyola Marymount University
6. Marymount College
7. Notre Dame Namur University
8. University of San Diego
** 9. Seattle Pacific University
** 10. Univeristy of Arizona
** 11. Washington State University
** Not CA. schools but not too far away either!
Keys to College Readiness
Just when you thought you were doing your best to get your kids prepared for college during high school, seven new tips come out that say you should be starting in Kindergarten! You read that right, college readiness starts in Kindergarten. Take a look at these tips that were put together by Montgomery County Public Schools in Rockville Maryland.
Key 1: Read at Advanced levels in grade K-2
Installing the love for reading in children at a young age has always been known to be beneficial. Studies now show that kids who are scoring in the 70th percentile or higher on state tests such as STAR, are reading at an advanced level.
Key 2: Score "ADVANCED" in reading on state tests in grades 3-8
This shows that children demonstrate more complex thinking and creative problem solving skills needed for advanced classes in Jr. High and High School.
Key 3: Complete Advanced math (6th grade level math) in 5th grade.
Students who successfully complete 6th grade math units in 5th grade will be ready for Algebra 1 in 8th grade keeping them on the right math track for advanced math in high school.
Key 4: Complete Algebra 1 by 8th Grade with a "C" or higher
Keep your kid on the rigth math track!
Key 5: Complete Algebra 2 by 11th grade with a "C" or higher.
Students who complete Algebra 2 will do better on the SAT and ACT!
Key 6: Score 3 on AP or 4 on IB exams
Earning a 3 on an AP or 4 on an IB exam just may earn you college credit! If it does not, it might get you out of taking lower level courses and it gives you an edge over other applicants!
Key 7: Score 1650 on the SAT or 24 on the ACT
Scoring at least 1650 on the SAT or 24 on the ACT will increase your chances for gaining acceptance to the colleges of your choice.
Keep your kids head in the game and you will all be happy!
High School Juniors get ready for college
Attention all Juniors and parents of Juniors:
Now is the time to map out your summer! This is the perfect chance to get in some meaningful activities that can be used as essay topics for college admission applications. With many colleges now requiring a shorter “Activity Essay”, you will need a topic that shows who you are and what you can contribute. Remember to look for things that other teenagers are not doing. Of course it is great to help with food drives and at your local elementary school but EVERYONE IS DOING THAT! Check the blog below to refresh your memory!
One more great idea:
Help run a local campaign. Is there a Special Election in your area this summer? How about Governor Schwarzenegger’s latest cause? Or Mayor Villaraigosa’s ideas for the Education Budget? Get involved in one of the campaigns that you care about.
Taking classes to further your education is a great idea but make sure you are not doing it just to get out of school at lunch or take an extra period of Student Service! (By the way – Student Service is not a class and will never look good on an application unless you have a great motive such as; Student Service in the Health Office in order to find out more about becoming a Public Health Nurse).
Another thing Junior’s need to do this summer is complete the Brag Sheet. Don’t leave this until the Fall when “Application Panic” sets in! Do it now, take your time and you will thank yourself. Call me at the office if you need a copy of our Brag Sheet! 661-295-9946 I will be happy to email you one.
Last item for Juniors today – Letters of Recommendation. Please talk to your teachers before the end of the year about writing a letter for you. They might tell you when the best time to give them the information is. Get ahead of the rest of your class!
Visit our website today to sign up for a FREE COLLEGE PLANNING FINANCIAL WORKSHOP
www.collegeplanningexperts.com
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Catch a wave to school!
Since 2003, UC schools have offered Freshman Seminars to freshmen in addition to the obligatory lectures, discussions, and labs. Freshman Seminars are one-unit courses offered exclusively to freshmen. These courses are graded Pass/No Pass and are designed to give students a break from the rigor of their everyday schedules. Each Freshman Seminar has no more than 20 students, allowing professors to interact with the participating students on a level not possible in large lecture halls.
Freshman Seminars allow students to learn about a subject that may be of interest to them but may not necessarily have anything to do with their majors with less time commitment than an average class. Some students at UC San Diego opted to take a Freshman Seminar called The Physics of Surfing. This popular course combines hard science with the passion and pastime of many UCSD students—catching the perfect wave.
Professors strive to intrigue students with their Freshman Seminar topics, and perhaps convince a few to consider pursuing a major in their department. This spring, UCSD offered Freshman Seminars with titles such as: Urban Agriculture; Crime Scene Investigations; Cult Films of the 1950s – 2000s; Art, Language and Culture of Flamenco; Math in the Movies; Beginning Ukulele ("prior experience not needed but should not be afraid of singing"); Slavery in the Work of Mark Twain; Psychology of Humor; and Christian Exorcism in Modernity. Among UC Davis’s Freshman Seminars were American Roots Music, Who’s Afraid of Freud?, Physics of Baseball, Contemporary Shamanism, Life of the Poor in Victorian London, Zombies, and Introduction to Cryptology.
Get an edge over other applicants
High School Juniors:
Get the application edge over other students by participating in some great summer activities that other teens are not doing! This will get you noticed and make you stand out when those admissions officers are reading your application next November! Don't just participate, be a leader and then write about it in your admissions essays.
Some of these ideas might sound a little far fetched but they just might get you thinking of some new and exciting options.
1. Start a recycling program at your old elementary school. Make sure you partner with at least one teacher and get other adults involved. Show that you can plan, organize and manage adults as well as other teens and children.
2. Conduct some scientific research. Not as hard as it sounds, look in your community for a need or problem such as clean drinking water. Start taking samples from school drinking fountains and go from there. Get noticed by calling your local paper, radio and TV stations. Present the findings at a City Council meeting!
3. Write articles for your local paper. Not that hard, most local papers would be thrilled to have an occasional free lance writer that they do not have to pay!
4. Climb Mt. Everest/Mt. Everest Jr or swim the English Channel
5. Volunteer at a medical clinic in a third world country. Think about turning your family vacation into a Volunteer Vacation. Going on an extended trip to visit family? Have your relatives help set up a volunteer job for you.
Help run a local campaign. Is there a Special Election in your area this summer? Get involved in one of the campaigns that you care about.
Don't forget to document whatever you do and take notes for future essays!
Scholarships: Not Just For the Needy
In today’s trying financial climate, it is apparent that low-income families are not the only people looking for scholarship money to help ease the monetary burden of sending a child to college. Many colleges attempt to satisfy this need, as well as saving money themselves, by offering large scholarships to students from affluent families.
Since the mid-1990’s, the amount of grant aid awarded to families making over $100,000 a year has skyrocketed in many prominent institutions. Experts reason that this shift came as colleges realized that it was more cost-effective to offer aide packages to students from affluent backgrounds rather than students from lower-income brackets. For example, a student from a lower-income family may need $30,000-$40,000 in grant aid from a college, whereas a student from a higher income bracket may accept admission at the temptation of $10,000 in grant aid. Because of this, colleges are now making large amounts of grant money available to families making over $100,000 per year.
In order to be eligible for this grant money, students are advised to follow these guidelines:
1) Apply to schools that you know you qualify academically for. You are less likely to get grant money from a “reach” school than from a sure bet.
2) Don’t apply to big name private schools like Harvard and Yale. Pedigreed private schools can afford to give all accepted lower-income students the full financial aid that they need, and so students from higher income families are less likely to receive grants. However, this doesn’t mean you should give up on private schools—many are slashing their tuition by more than 50% for higher-income students.
3) Look at out-of-state schools. Many schools from other parts of the country are eager to accept students from the West, and often offer grant money to higher-income students. Especially look at big-name public schools, as they are eager to attract smart, affluent students.
4) APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID. Even if you are sure you won’t qualify, some schools wont consider giving you grant money unless you fill out the FAFSA and/or the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE. Rumor has it that President Obama will do away with the FAFSA but it has not happened yet so educate yourself! There is a 91% error rate on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid so get some professional help. Come to a College Planning Workshop and get the insider secrets you need to know. Visit www.collegeplanningexperts.com today.
