What College Planning Activities Should High School Juniors Be Doing Now?

High school juniors should be actively preparing for college and taking the following steps:

1. Research colleges: Start researching colleges to determine which ones are a good fit and align with their academic and career interests. Students should consider what factors are important to them in a college experience.
2. Take standardized tests: Consider taking the SAT and ACT, and research college admission test requirements for colleges they are interested in attending. Even though many school are test-optional, students gain a bonus when they submit test scores.
3. Visit colleges: Plan campus visits to get a better understanding of the college atmosphere and culture. Students can only take virtual tours and attend virtual information sessions.
4. Get involved in extracurricular activities: Get involved in extracurricular activities, such as sports, clubs, and community service, to build a well-rounded college application. Colleges also want to see leadership displayed in the activities students pursue out of school.
5. Meet with a school counselor: Meet with a school counselor to discuss academic performance and future plans, and to receive advice on the college application process.
6. Prepare for the college application process: Start preparing for the college application process by organizing transcripts, test scores, and recommendations, and researching application requirements and deadlines.
7. Explore scholarship opportunities: Research scholarships and other forms of financial aid to help pay for college. Keep in mind that colleges are going to be the best source of scholarships. Look for local scholarships because there is less competition than national ones.
8. Consider summer programs: Consider attending summer programs or camps to gain additional experience in their area of interest and improve their college application. Colleges always like to see students get a job in the summer.
9. Take challenging courses: Continue to take challenging courses in high school to demonstrate academic preparedness for college.
10. Stay organized: Keep track of college-related information and deadlines using a planner or online tool to stay organized and on track throughout the college planning process.

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A Wild Ride for College Admissions

There may never have been a wilder ride for college admissions than this past admissions cycle. It has left parents, students, high school counselors and college consultants confused and wondering what is happening. More students than ever before were wait-listed, denied or deferred from schools across the United States.

Many suspect that colleges received far more applications this year than any in the past. Part of this could be due to schools being test-optional. Students often felt that they stood a chance at a competitive university because they had a near perfect academic record, activities and essays to support their applications. Unfortunately, this is often not enough!

This year there was also an influx of international students which added to the college competition. Colleges have also begun hard to push for more first generation and low income students which sometimes means that other students might be overlooked. And then there is the factor of institutional needs that a student has no control over. These can include a college’s desire for more students from a particular geographic area, applicants interested in a certain major or an athletic team that needs more participants.

My advice to students is to make sure they have a balanced list and only concern yourselves with what you can control, not those factors that you cannot!

Do I Need an Educational Consultant?

The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) recommends that high school counselors work with no more than 100 students.  Most public high school counselors have a student load of at least 350 students.  On average, high school counselors spend 38 minutes helping students with the college search, applications, and admissions process.

Educational consultants are also referred to a college consultants or college admissions counselors. They are not associated with a high school or college. They have the time, training, and expertise to provide individual attention to students with their college search, applications and essays, financial aid and scholarships, and the college admissions process.

Here are five reasons why hiring an educational consultant to work with your high school student might be the best investment you ever made:

 

1. Educational consultants understand the college admissions process and visit colleges and universities regularly to discover what makes one school different from another. They meet with college admissions officers at each school so they know about the continuous changes that take place on individual campuses.

 

2. Educational consultants help your student find colleges that are a good fit, not just a big name. They want your student to be successful in the college admissions process and to have a variety of schools from which to choose. They know that students have been bombarded with all kinds of information from schools. After a while, each college begins to look and sound alike.  They help families separate the hype from the facts.

 

3. Educational consultants are able to work successfully with your student because they do not have the emotional investment that parents do. They provide reliable college information and objective advice. They give your family another opinion and try to make the college admissions process as stress-free as possible.

 

4. Educational consultants know that applying to college and college admissions can be a time for students to discover themselves. Students learn to assess their strengths and weaknesses. They determine what it is they want out of a college experience.  This helps them with the college search and encourages students to make better college decisions.

 

5. Educational consultants assist students with their applications and essays. They brainstorm topics that will enable your student to write the most compelling essays that will strengthen their applications. They encourage students to consider topics that have real meaning for them and will convey their personality to an admissions committee.

 

Many parents feel that turning to an educational consultant has been the best investment they could make.

 

 

 

How to Support Your Child During the College Admissions Process.

The college admission process is not easy for teenagers.  It has become far more difficult than ever before with different test options or test-optional schools, a multitude of deadlines from early decision to early action II, to finding the hook in a college essay that will work for more than one college. Most teenagers need their parents support and encouragement during this time. They need parents to provide guidance and advice when they are asked, but not to interfere more than necessary. It is important to remember that your teen is going through the college admission process, not you. When visiting colleges, don’t be the one to ask all the questions. College essays should be in their voice. It is fine to help your student brainstorm different topics that could help a school to get to know him or her better. But, college admissions officers can detect when parents have overstepped their boundaries with the college essays. Parents should not try to persuade their teen to look at particular schools because that is where they attended or they have a bias either in favor of a particular college or against it. Encourage your child to look at a variety of schools so that they will have options in the end from which to choose. Your goal should be to help you child choose a college that offers the best fit: Academic, social, and financial. Where will your child be the happiest?

College Admissions: More Deferrals in Early Admissions than Ever Before

Many students applied early admission to colleges and universities this year. Some were elated with their acceptances; others were disappointed because they were either rejected or deferred.  Those who were deferred are in good company. I am amazed at the number of high school seniors who were deferred and will have their applications added to the regular admission pool.

Believe me, these are students with the grades and test scores to make them very academically competitive for these schools. They also have been involved in extracurricular activities and wrote good essays and had strong teacher recommendations. This still did not get them accepted in the early admission pool.

This biggest issue for these students is that it puts them in limbo and not sure how to figure out just what deferral means. My advice to most students is to send an email to the school if you are still interested and convey this interest. Let them know of any awards, improved test scores, or anything else to support your application. This can be emailed to the college admissions office or the college representative who is in charge of your application.

Keep your college options open and take a second look at the schools to which you are accepted. You do not need to make any final decision until May 1st. The following article may give you some ideas how to strengthen your chances for college admission.

http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/tip-sheet-for-early-admiss…

College Applications: What Do Colleges Want to See?

Frequently students assume that they need to spend money for activities that will make their college applications stand out.  They don’t realize that there are many free things they can do that could strengthen them as college applicants.  With at least a few weeks of summer left before school starts, why not consider what you can do.

While colleges want their applicants to have good grades and test scores, they are always looking for something more. How will you as a college applicant make yourself stand out among the other qualified students who are applying to the same schools? Have you done an internship in an area of interest, volunteered where you have a real passion, or learned something new that was a real challenge?

Perhaps some of these activities might help. Most require some work, but others are designed to help you do a little self-reflection. What would you like in a college experience? Would one of these activities help you determine a possible college major? What are your immediate and long term goals? In the next few weeks, choose a few of these free activities and plan to do them this summer while there is still time.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-57464284/16-things-for-teens-to-d…

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.