Senior Grades are Important for College Admissions

Some high school seniors believe that once they have been accepted to a college and sent in their deposit, they can relax and not worry about their grades anymore. This couldn’t be further from the truth.  Most colleges request both first and second semester grades.  They also expect students to take all of the courses they have listed on their college applications and to not skip classes or miss tests.  While the college admissions process is almost over for high school seniors, colleges can still rescind an acceptance.  Colleges are sending a message that they have no problem turning down an applicant in the summer who has slacked off his second semester.  They always have a wait list with students who have worked hard until graduation.  It is obvious that students need to continue studying and not allow senioritis to get in the way.

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Teacher Recommendations May be More Important than You Think

Teacher recommendations are important for college admissions because they give schools a picture of you in an academic setting.  You should make sure to ask  teachers who teach in the core classes:  English, science, math, social studies or a foreign language.  Many schools like to have two teacher recommendations, each from a different subject area.   Do not pad your applications with more recommendations unless they are asked for.

You should not wait until your senior year to request teacher recommendations.  Teachers get busy in the fall and the more recommendations they have to do, the less time they will have to spend on yours.  Meet with two teachers before the end of your junior year and talk about what you would like them to emphasize on the recommendation.  Make sure teachers know about you both inside and outside of the classroom and what you feel you can bring to a college campus.

As colleges continue to receive increasing numbers of applicants each year, the need to stand out from the competition is also increasing.  Teacher recommendations might be that piece of information that distinguishes you from other applicants as colleges make admissions decisions.

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The College Road Trip

There is nothing like a college visit to help students decide whether a school is the right one for them.  Most students enjoy this experience and are able to weigh up the pros and cons of the colleges they tour and whether they could see themselves on this particular campus as a student.  Most times at least one parent accompanies their student on some of these tours.  It is important for both students and parents to know what to expect on a college visit and also what is expected of them.  Read the following article for some useful suggestions.  http://collegeadmissionbook.com/the-college-road-trip/

College Admissions: Great Tips to Make Your College Decision

College acceptances have been arriving at students’ emails and delivered to students’ mail boxes for the last few months.  At last the college admission process is coming to an end for this year’s class of high school seniors.  With that comes some relief, but also the final task of choosing the right college to attend.  Students have until May 1 to respond to a school’s acceptance and indicate whether or not they are planning on attending.  Most schools also require a deposit at that time.  This decision is an important one and it is essential that students look at both the pros and cons of every school to which they have been accepted.  If financial aid is a consideration, they also need to compare their financial aid awards and see which school is offering the best package.  Here is a timely article that I think will help students make sure they are covering all of their bases before they make their final college decision.

http://parentsguidetothecollegepuzzle.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/college-a…