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…
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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…
Gargantuan Changes in Admissions
The class of 2017 has had it rough. First they were told there would be a brand new SAT launching in spring of 2016. Then they were informed that the ACT would undergo a few changes too. Next, a new FAFSA would launch in the fall of 2016. Oh… and a new application called the Coalition would come into play. Then, surprise! The UC’s announced new essays this year. Current high school juniors have had a ton of gargantuan changes to their college admissions process this year. So what do these changes mean for you? Most families had plenty of time to deal with the new SAT option. Some families opted for the ACT to avoid change. Even though the ACT had a…
4 Tips to Write an Incredible College Essay
Sitting down to write a college admissions essay is tough. For many high school students, this is the first time they will write an autobiographical piece. Instead of writing a book review or a analytical piece about a theory, they have to talk about themselves. Trying to get creative when discussing your life can be difficult. Many students question: what have I done in my 16 years that is essay worthy? These 4 tips will help you figure that out. 4 Tips to Write an Incredible College Essay 1.- Brainstorm. Your essay needs to show a reader who you are as a person. So, who are you? What are your strengths? What do your family members or friends say when they talk about…
Recruiting International Students
There was an interesting article in the New York Times today concerning the recruitment tactics that U.S. colleges are using to attract international students. The article found that in many cases colleges are lowering their standards to recruit these students who are more than willing to pay top dollar to attend college in the United States. The trouble is that “educators worry that students may be victimized by high-pressure sales tactics, and that universities are trading away academic standards by recruiting less qualified students who pay higher tuition,” (Saul, NY Times, April 19, 2016). It is a difficult situation. What once started as a recruitment effort aimed at making a more “global community” on college campuses has shifted. It is turning more towards…
Costco Admissions Essay
In case you missed it, Brittany Stinson was recently admitted to 5 Ivy League colleges and the most selective college in the country, Stanford. She had what most applicants for those schools had–great grades, impressive test scores, solid community involvement, documented interests… but what she had that was unique was a different admissions essay. An important part in college admissions is standing out. You need to be personable, smart, and passionate. These things are hard to show on an application that is merely a reflection of your course history and activities. The essay can set you apart. Stinson’s essay focused on her growth and discovery–against the backdrop of Costco. She grew up visiting this massive hub of consumerism, and there her curiosity grew….
Tips to Pick Your Best Fit Colleges
Creating your ideal college list can be a challenge. There are over 4,000 colleges in the United States. That is a lot of schools with which to become familiar! It is a big reason why families hire professionals to help them make these decisions, but you can start the process on your own. If you follow these different areas then you can begin comprising your perfect college list. Geographic Location One of the first things you can do to cut down a large list of 4,000 schools is limit your geographic area. Is it important for you to be a day’s drive from home? Do you want to be somewhere warm? Do you want to be somewhere with seasons? Think about the geographic…
How to Negotiate for a Better Financial Aid Award
It’s that time of year again. Families are beginning to hear from colleges regarding financial aid. For a few families, this is exciting as they are getting more in aid than originally anticipated. For most though… it can be a stressful and frustrating experience. When you aren’t getting the type of financial aid for which you believe you deserve, you may be left to question if college is even an option. Let me tell you… it is! You just need to know next steps. Most parents don’t consider negotiation with financial aid at all, and they figure that whatever the schools offer them will be the best that they will get. Let me tell you something… this belief is false. FALSE. When you…
