One benefit of Advanced Placement (AP) classes and exams has been the ability to earn college credits, while still in high school, for an exam score of 3-5 on a 5 point scale. However, before assuming EVERY college will provide the college credits and the college credits for the SUBJECT in which the test was…
Tag: High school sophomore
Learn HOW to Learn: The Legacy of Mr. Coombs
At this time of the school year–after first semester grades and well-into the next semester–I receive increased requests for tutor referrals. Parents and students naturally assume that a less than expected grade in a class is due to content deficit–that somehow the student just “isn’t getting it”; “it” being the ideas and concepts presented in…
Change Comes, Even for the SAT
The College Board recently announced that the SAT will be considered for revisions, although no time frame for a revised test to be used by students and colleges was stated. Despite speculation about why the SAT is being revised, given the previous changes were made only a decade ago, the reality for prospective college applicants…
What the what?!? Pick A College Based on Surfing?
There’s a myriad of ways to select colleges for application. Major choice and future careers usually pop into both students’ and their parents’ minds as the first criteria for choosing a college. However, many get stumped, because at seventeen a student may not have identified a specific academic concentration, nor an intended career. And, parents…
The Skinny on Increasing College Tuition
Wondering why college seems more costly than in the past? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, college tuition has increased 559% since 1985. Over the same time, disposable income has increased only incrementally, which can create the perception of greater costs for each family.
“Talk With Your Teacher”: Not Always a Simple Task
“Talk with your teacher” is usually advice that parents give to their high school aged student when an academic issue arises. Teens can typically have the following reactions to their parents’ suggestion: they silently agree, then don’t actually talk with the teacher or they protest, with reasons about the teacher not liking them or being…
The Wisdom of Our Parents
Do any of the following concerns sound familiar? “Is my student motivated enough?” “I don’t want to be a nag. How much do I remind my high school student to get her/his homework done?” “When do teenagers normally start taking greater responsibility for their homework and academic achievement?” I don’t want my daughter/son to lose…
Sleep, More Sleep and Summer Camp: A Teen’s Summer Vacation Agenda
The months long stretch of unscheduled summer vacation can be enticing to both teens and their parents. For teens, the idea of sleeping in until afternoon and no pressure about daily homework assignments is enthralling. For parents, summer can be an unrestricted time to explore other academic interests and hobbies. (And, in fairness, for teens…
Do You Wonder if College Admissions Offices are Single-Handedly Keeping the U.S. Postal Service In Business?
Availability of information is not the problem when starting a search for colleges. The sources of information–admissions statistics, YouTube, college websites, college search engines, Facebook pages, parents swapping stories on the sidelines at the soccer game, alumni returning to high schools to talk about their college experience, aunties and uncles freely offering college advice at…
How to Reduce the “Yuck” in Preparing for the SAT & ACT
The SAT and ACT are unlike tests students see in high school. First, teenagers will need to be awake at 7:45 am on a Saturday morning, bright-eyed and bushy tailed, knowing the score will play a role (although how large is unknown) in determining their competitiveness for admissions to colleges of their choice. Second, teenagers…
“Demonstrated Interest” & College Admissions
Parents know from experience that relationships and networks can create opportunities in the job world. Often, moms and dads will apply this same “build a relationship” thinking to the college admissions process, to try and gain an advantage for their rising Senior student. The theory is that the more the kid makes himself/herself known to…
Need Based Financial Aid Explained
Paying for college can sometimes be a separate worry from concerns about admissions. Often, parents ask us nervously about how to afford college, as well as the family’s chances of actually qualifying for any financial aid. I find that parents are most concerned about need based aid, given the family’s income and asset values. The…
Academic Cheating: No Simple Explanations
Harvard recently required 60 students to withdraw for up to two years, after being found responsible for cheating on a take-home final essay exam last spring. (The students will be eligible to re-enroll after the forced withdrawal period is over.) Is it surprising that Harvard students cheat? Or surprising that 125 students, about half the…
On Being Educated
Supposedly, the older you get, the less you know, which can be a sign of wisdom. For me, the Harvard educated, lifelong ‘A’ student, however, the idea of knowing less is deflating. I was the nerdy kid, the one in the corner, even at extended family gatherings (which my cousins kindly remind me every chance…
Guest Post: The Savings for College Challenge, Part 4 – Saving for College vs. Saving for Retirement
About the authors: For over 25 years, Cynthia S. Meyers, CFP®, MBA, has assisted people with their Lifetime Financial Planning–helping to build and preserve wealth in every area of life. Jenny Hood, CFP® has been a paraplanner with Cynthia S. Meyers for five years and enjoys being a part of the financial planning process. ____________________________________…