Your college applications say a lot about you – how well you do in school, your test scores, your hobbies and passions, and your personal statements. However, colleges also want to learn more about you from someone that isn’t you. According to The Princeton Review, colleges typically ask for letters of recommendation from at least two high school teachers, but some allow you to include additional letters from coaches, counselors, etc. Make sure you know everything you need to about your letters of recommendation: when to ask, who to ask, and what exactly to ask for. 1. Start Early: Just like most parts of the college application process, it is important to plan ahead. Start building relationships with your teachers as early as your freshman…
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Every College Student Needs to Download THESE Apps Today
Believe it or not, apps aren’t only used for fun and games – download these five apps recommended by Concordia University for college students to stay on track! 1. myHomework Student Planner: Provides you with a calendar to track your upcoming assignments, tests, projects and other events! 2. 2Do: Creates your own to-do lists, categorizing your tasks by priority and subject. 3. Evernote: Not only a note-taking app, but helps manage your to-do lists by syncing personal checklists across multiple devices! 4. Pomodairo: Helps avoid a burnout while writing essays – it breaks up writing into 25 minute intervals, allowing for a 5 minute “brain break” in between sessions. 5. SelfControl: Blocks certain websites & apps for a certain period of time while working on…
Get Into These 4 Universities for Entrepreneurship
According to Forbes, today’s teens are far more entrepreneurial than their parents. Over 70% of teens have self-employed jobs rather than traditional workforce positions. More specifically, today’s teenagers are becoming masters and teachers of an art, creating and selling items on social media platforms, managing their own babysitting services and more. These young entrepreneurs are not looking to the future with hopes of working in a corporate role, rather they are looking to create, manage and sustain their own businesses! With that said, college entrepreneurship programs are becoming more sought after than other major programs, so Forbes came out with a list of four schools that offer unique entrepreneurship programs: 1. University of Dayton: This entrepreneurship program has been ranked in Princeton Review’s top 25…
Time-Management Hacks Every College Student Should Use
College is one of the busiest times in your life – between going to classes, completing assignments, interning, working part-time, visiting with family and friends, and social commitments, you’ll be running everywhere you go! Whether we’ve already helped you get into college or you’re starting your first semester in the Fall, here are six helpful time-management tips every college student should know according to College News: 1. Use the Priority Matrix: It’s very difficult to complete too many tasks with too little time. Categorize your obligations into a matrix to make sure you get everything you need to get done, done! This will help you get your priorities straight. Here’s a helpful matrix: Important and urgent Important but not urgent Not important but urgent Not…
10 Ways to Help You Choose Your College Major
Attending college in the Fall and still not sure which major is right for you? Here are 10 factors to consider to help you choose your college major from U.S. News: 1. Explore out-of-school experiences: Help yourself understand which major path is the right one for you by participating in hands-on learning opportunities outside of your everyday classes. 2. Beware of advice from family & friends: We all love our families, but when it comes to college majors, it would be more beneficial for college students to speak with industry professionals- they know what they’re talking about. 3. Think about requirements: Some majors may seem appealing to you, but the classes required to complete the major might make you want to run the opposite way….
Benefits of College Internships
According to U.S. News, internships throughout college can better prepare you for the “real world” post-grad! Also, internships can not only help you decide which career path is best fit for you, but can help clarify which careers are NOT for you! After getting a better idea of your desired career goals, you can then cater your college classes to what you’re interested in. Colleges and universities can play a big role in guiding you through the internship process – college applicants should be prepared to ask their prospective colleges about their internship and career opportunities. This will ensure the college you attend can help you during the internship process! Here are some good questions to ask prospective schools according to U.S. News: 1. What…
Your Guide to Maintaining Straight A’s
Even if you’ve already submitted your college applications, it’s extremely important to keep up with your grades and extracurriculars, especially if you feel the “senioritis” starting to kick in. Believe it or not, colleges do actually look at your senior year grades on your transcript, even if you’ve already been accepted to their school! Reader’s Digest released a list of 11 things you should get into the habit of doing to maintain your straight A’s: Set priorities: Manage your time well- put away your phone, turn off the TV, and get going. Study anywhere and everywhere: Pick a study time that works best for you and stick with it. Consistency in your studying is key. Get organized: The best way to keep track of your…
3 Effective Ways to Start High School
For many, freshman year of high school marks the transition from child to adult. It also serves as a transition to a focus on college. For the first time ever, many parents are thinking about their child’s next steps in life. We receive questions all of the time from families who want to know how to make the most of high school. They want to know what they should be doing freshman year to ease into the college planning process. We’ve put together a list of the top 3 ways to make high school effective your freshman year. 1.) Get Involved The biggest tip we have for families of freshman is to ensure their child gets involved. Whether it be sports, clubs, performing…
Get Half Off the Cost for College
It amazes us every year to see how many families are misinformed about the financial aid process. Many assume, for example, that they make too much money to get financial aid. They assume because their neighbor didn’t get financial aid last year then they won’t. They assume their students’ grades are too low for any aid. They assume their home ownership will hurt their chances of getting aid. These are myths. Financial aid is for everyone. In fact, we read an article via Time.com today, which specifically tells how, on average, private colleges offer half off their costs. That’s a pretty big deal. When the average private college is $60,000 per year, a 50% discount would put them at $30,000. That is…
5 Summer Activities to Stay Ahead
If you have a junior in high school, college is approaching fast! Pretty soon your child will be completing applications, writing essays, and scheduling interviews. If you want the fall of senior year to go by smoothly, do these 5 things to stay ahead! Finalize College List- Your student may have NO IDEA where he or she wants to go to college this fall. That’s okay! Summer is the time to really focus. We recommend having a rough college list by August. The reason is that most applications open August 1st. Having your rough college list will enable your student to begin filling out applications (and to know how many applications he/ she will have to do too). Research Deadlines- Once you have a…
