Ok. Ok. Mention the SAT to any senior and their parents, then take a step back. The anxiety of a 3 hour and 45 minute test, on top of the concerns about being accepted to a college or not, with the effort of 16-17 years worth of homework and driving all over the state for…
Tag: High school senior
More About: To Seek Early Admissions or Not, That is the Question
Admissions rates may be higher for early applicants; however, look closer at the applicants and their qualifications for admissions. The applicants may be more competitive on test scores, grades, leadership activities and classes, thus a greater fit for the university and therefore more “admissible.” Also, beware of applying Early Decision as a strategy for hedging…
B.A. in Common Sense
“Common sense can be uncommon.”–Art Baird Every parent knows with certainty their kid is smart. As Montaigne said, “Everyman has within himself the entire human condition.” Yet, what does smart mean? How smart is smart? Is our current generation of budding adults–actually legally an adult–but mere months away from teenager-dome, lacking common sense? Have we,…
Financial Aid Myths: Fact & Fiction
Soccer field sidelines are filled with parents sharing their college expense stories and sometimes “nightmares” that can create misinformation circulating through the community. Depending on the listening parent’s effort to validate or debunk the information gleaned can determine how useful the shared experience will be in guiding their own children. Here’s a few common myths:
Interest: Another Cost of Borrowing Student Loans
The information above is from the Federal Student Aid website. What it means is described below: Interest accrues daily on any student loan. The interest is added to the principal on a quarterly basis, then the next quarter’s interest is calculated based on the new total principal. Students can make payments on the interest and…
Huh? A School Profile? What’s that Got to Do with My College Application?
The school profile comes through the counseling office and is sent as part of the counselor’s recommendation to private universities, as part of a senior’s college application. Often, its included alongside the Secondary School Report, as part of the Common Application. Why does this matter?
MAAAAIL CALL: ‘Tis the Season for College Brochures
This time of year glossy, thick papered brochures in big 8.5″ x 11″ envelopes, with personalized letters from colleges in far off places–like North Dakota and Ohio–as well as more known places, like Los Angeles or Seattle, begin arriving by the mailbox full to high school seniors all over the country; not to overlook the…
What?!? Colleges Possibly Going Bankrupt?
The changes to higher education and its price in California are partially in response to the recent state funding cuts. Students (and their families) are being asked to shoulder more of the costs of their education–in the form of increased tuition and fees, parking costs, per campus student activity fees etc. At the same time,…
Making the Most of Back to School Nights
Making the most of Back to School Night is a tricky proposition–especially for middle and high school parents, who may only spend 10-15 minutes in each of their student’s 6 classrooms–not much time after the teacher completes her/his presentation and 20 other parents are asking questions. Plus, Back to School Night is usually 2-3 weeks…
Guest Post: Budgeting for the College Years
By: Lisa Dalton, California parent of a senior at the University of Oregon, and sophomore at Washington State University _________________________ With two kids in college, both at out of state universities, friends and neighbors ask all the time, “How do you do it?” The answer is planning, financial education, and sometimes hard choices.
How Common is the Common Application Essay?
In this podcast, Art Baird and Jill Yoshikawa, our company’s educational experts, generously share their 10-years of experience to help students write competitive college admissions essays within the context of the Common Application. They define an effective outline for drafting this complex autobiography. For more helpful information, please also read: Storytelling Season is Around the…
College: Path to Adulthood?
“We treat our kids like adults when they’re children, and we infantilize them when they’re 18 years old.” –Jean Twenge (The Atlantic, July/August 2011) We routinely hear parents share concerns as their grown children are preparing to leave for college that laundry and food and budgeting–basics of managing life–won’t be done, nor learned. (Rarely, do…
Student Debt = Future Income Spent Today
Know the terms (i.e. repayment, interest rates) and possible consequences of taking student loans for college–essentially bringing future income into the present. (FYI: colleges are not obligated to disclose the terms of the loan BEFORE accepting them as part of a student aid package. Students MUST ASK. Also, students are not forced to accept student…
ACT & SAT Test Prep is Not Like Studying for a Regular Test
Preparing for the ACT or SAT is two fold: content review and building test taking skills. The ACT and SAT are unlike other tests students regularly take for high school classes. For example, rarely does a math or science teacher give a multiple choice exam, so students need to be familiar with solving math problems…
ALERT: Common App Change for Counselor Recommendation
The Common Application is allowing counselors to opt out of submitting a personal recommendation, as part of the Secondary School Report (i.e. the Counselor Recommendation) for Fall 2013 applications. Why is this change significant?