Every spring, many sophomore families seek more strategic college admissions advising. With high school at the halfway point, suddenly each choice seems to have greater consequence: A grade slips, managing more advanced coursework is challenging, long-term extracurricular commitments are sometimes questioned. Seemingly overnight, the conversation at the dinner table becomes a strategic planning session: Parents…
Many high school students believe the persistent myth that taking more Advanced Placement (AP) classes means a stronger college application. However, while AP courses represent “academic rigor”, simply collecting AP’s without reflection, students may not demonstrate what admissions officers actually value: curiosity and depth. The Problem with “Collecting” Credits Many students add AP’s as markers…
For some students, especially those who have only ever earned A’s, the first “B” can seem like a crisis. Families often wonder if this single grade will damage college admissions chances. The truth: it won’t. Admissions officers use a holistic evaluation process. That means they look at much more than a GPA snapshot: In fact,…
Most parents simply seek to connect with their children about their daily lives, or understand if their teen needs support, or some combination of both. However, some teens, seeking to assert independence, may rebuff their parents’ conversation starters, resent parents’ checking online grading portals, or some combination of both. As both teen and parent are…
Many thanks to all the moms of South Placer County National Charity League (NCL) for hosting Jill of Creative Marbles at their recent meeting. I wanted to add more details to questions asked during our lively discussion: ❓ Should my student take the SAT or ACT if many colleges are test-optional? ❓ What if my…
At the halfway mark in the semester or changeover in quarter, students are receiving their first progress reports. For some, grades may fall below expectations, sparking concerns about academic performance. Before hiring tutors to remediate a perceived lack of understanding, I’d recommend reflecting and analyzing the course to more effectively pinpoint the issue and determine…
As many English teachers are assigning the college essay as a classwork grade, students can maintain two separate drafts: one for their class assignment and another for their college application. Writing for a grade can constrain a teenager from writing with the candor characteristic of a personal narrative. While class assignments are a valuable opportunity…
As students prepare for the May 2024 Advanced Placement (AP) exams, knowing what college credits may be awarded for a particular score can be useful. The College Board has created a tool, which can be sorted by college, state, city and AP course. When awarded college units, students can benefit in the following ways: Creative…
A high school sophomore recently shared her thoughts on the challenges of earning an A in her Chemistry course—a grade that she, her peers, parents, and many others view as essential to be “competitive” for college admissions and a reflection of her intelligence. She realizes that she needs more time than typically allotted in a…
Starting high school can be an adjustment filled with uncertainties and anxieties: learning to navigate a new campus, understanding the academic expectations of unfamiliar teachers, meeting new friends, all with allusions to “how will this affect my college admissions?” Acknowledge the complexity Starting high school can be complicated, and it’s natural to be anxious in…
In the perceived race for college admissions, savvy students and their families often seek any advantage to be admitted. As a high school sophomore shared recently, “If every kid looks the same, how do you distinguish yourself?” And, as the extracurricular resume is one place where students can demonstrate their uniqueness (since the academic requirements…
Often, students and parents believe being ranked #1 or in the top 5% of a high school class is a guarantee of a college acceptance. In reality, class ranking is but one factoid which may or may not even be reported in the college application. The University of California (UC) and the California State University…
Now, at the mid-school year point, many families worry that a student’s fall term grades were less than expected, many concerned about a dwindling college admissions opportunities. Seeking to bridge the gap between what happened and expectations, families can rush implementation of a solution, typically hiring a tutor, without understanding what is breaking in the…
In Spring, Seniors can experience “Senioritis”, needing more effort to complete everyday homework, while coping with anxiety of waiting for college responses. In some cases, such a lack of motivation can lead to strategic missteps, from which the consequences can be destructive, especially for college admissions. All college acceptances are conditional or provisional. Often, one…
Students generally need to study two years of the same Language Other Than English (LOTE) in order to meet minimum college admissions eligibility standards. (The caveat is some colleges, like MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, do not require LOTE courses for admissions eligibility.) So, families should check eligibility requirements for first year admissions at a…