Our parents are our first teachers and often are our primary teachers. As such, the responsibilities of parents are great to be “guides on the side”, not “the sage on the stage”. Then, our children blossom into the extraordinary beings they are. In an essay for People magazine, Michelle Obama shared the following lesson she learned form her mom, which…
On Monday, March 16, The College Board canceled the March 28 Makeup Test, the test all the March 14 canceled test takers were counting on, as well as the May 2 SAT test date. Additionally, the April 4th ACT was canceled. With the cancelations, tens of thousands of students’ test taking strategies for college admissions have been rendered ineffective. Now,…
Worries about “not being accepted” to a college are common, since most parents and students believe they’re at the mercy of an admissions officer’s decision. Often, students think, “How do I make my experience, like GPA, test scores and extracurricular activities, match the “right” selection criteria of (insert name of college)?” Few students turn the question around and consider: “At…
Recent articles highlighting cheating in college here and here and here, may be shocking to some or just an everyday commonplace for others or somewhere in between both reactions. However, none of the authors of the aforementioned articles question why students and seemingly more students than in the past believe that cheating in college is necessary. Cheating changes the educational…
According to the Common Application, “around 860,000” applications were submitted on November 1, 2019 for Early Action, Early Decision and Regular Decision application deadlines, which for the first time, exceeded the “around 720,000” applications submitted last year on January 1 for traditional Regular Decision deadlines. The increasingly competitive nature of the college admissions process—evident in programs like Early Action/Decision that…
Every college, transfer and graduate school applicant is facing their own “mirror” as they brainstorm their life’s story to draft their college essays, which being autobiographical will be some of the toughest writing they’ve ever done. Being educated isn’t just about learning reading, writing and ‘rithmatic, but also understanding ourselves so we understand our life’s purpose. The personal statements and…
Guest Podcasters, Ally Jeffers and Mikala Rosaia, Santa Clara University Sophomores studying both Political Science and Communications, offer the following advice as they reflect on their first year of college. The pressure to establish new friend networks, while “declaring independence” from their families can have unintended consequences. So, listening to Ally and Mikala discuss the challenges of transitioning to college…
Parents, no matter their net worth, readily take risks, if they believe their children will benefit. And, the risks parents will take know no bounds—as seen in those facing federal prison trying to guarantee a college admissions to those who go into debt to pay for extra-curricular activities. However, why are parents so willing to take such risks for their children?…
“Helicopter Parenting” has become a norm, which can delay adult children taking responsibility for themselves. More colleges staff are now sponsoring a PTA-like “College Parent Groups”. Adult children can also tie themselves to mom and dad; some request editorial advice on college papers through Google Documents. And, as no parent wants their child to suffer, parents lend their support. But,…
