To know yourself, in order to not be overly edited by others. Photo credit: unknown
Tag: Wisdom
College Worth vs. College Worthy
A single ‘C’ grade in a high school class is not the security guard blocking the door of admissions to college, nor is an middle-of-the-road SAT or ACT score the reason to abandon all college plans.
Top 10 Questions NOT to Ask a High School Senior
Where are you applying to college? You must be excited to graduate high school, aren’t you? Isn’t senior year the best time of your life? What is your GPA? What are your SAT scores? Why do you want to apply there? (referring to a particular college) My son/daughter/nephew/co-worker’s daughter’s boyfriend’s cousin went to _____ (fill-in-the-blank…
Summer Is Not a Time For Slacking Off or Is It?
Parents often wonder how kids can use summers to stay competitive for college admissions, and at the very least, not lose all their academic knowledge from the previous school year. On the other hand, kids are planning how late into the afternoon they’ll be able to sleep, how many Call of Duty levels they’ll be…
Sometimes You Gotta Go Slow to Go Fast
Parents are often afraid that summer vacation will render their children’s minds into mush. Plus, the indulgence in what can be considered mindless activities, like playing video games, for hours on end is a seeming threat to a kid’s long term college admissions competitiveness. Realistically, most students brains, nor their chances for college admissions, were…
Borrower Beware
Student borrowers aren’t the only ones defaulting on college loans… Chart source: Department of Education & Inside Higher Ed
Parenting Is Neither Simple Nor Straightforward
As if there needs to be more evidence of the complicated relationship between parent and child, the October 2013 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll results stated that 55% of those surveyed would die for their children; yet of those same folks, only 10% would die for their parents. So, while parents may willingly sacrifice themselves, their…
Youthful Lessons
Teenage hubris born of naïve invincibility is often mistaken for insolence – punishable by grounding, cell phone revoking, internet banning, and parental embargoes on any activities outside of school. Yet, teenagers may be mere reflections of humankind’s inherent pride – our belief that we as a species and we alone are masters of the universe. The…
Guest Post: Colleges Without Make-Up
About the author: I’m Kerina, a high school senior interning at Creative Marbles. I’ve lived to tell the tale of having completed the college application process. After all the acceptances rolled in, I was faced with the daunting task of having to choose only one college. I can now happily say that I am committed…
“The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same”
One hundred and sixty years ago, Henry David Thoreau wrote, “You may say the wisest thing you can, old man – you who have lived seventy years, not without honor of a kind – I hear an irresistible voice which invites me away from all that. One generation abandons the enterprises of another like stranded…
Tough Love
As regular readers recall, the news about stagnant American household median income is not a new story, more of an evolving story about how more American middle class families are adjusting to life with less income. Lifestyle adjustments are just one possible shift in American households. More often, I’m hearing parents ask questions about how…
They’re Called Growing Pains for a Reason
Seniors all over the country, who are facing May 1st deadline to officially enroll in a college may be at times surly, reclusive, exuberant, talkative, manic, anxious and exhausted – sometimes changing moods within one breath – personifying the complexities of going to college. Zafrin, one senior in the midst of choosing a college, recently…
College Admissions Is Not a Race
When choosing colleges for application, the first criteria considered is often, “Where can I get in?” Students are really asking, “How do I measure up?”, creating a competitive mindset. Then, in comparing the strength of their application to those of other possible applicants, students can generate unfounded or stereotypical conclusions, building nervous energy and aggravating…
Thinking of Others + Ingenuity + Space = Innovation
A teacher colleague once described middle school students as, “Hormones with feet.” These middle schoolers break the stereotype. And, at the same time, the ‘tween girls earned Verizon’s Innovative App Challenge top award of $15,000, plus technical support to bring their invention to life. Don’t underestimate the power of youth.
Got Scantron Nightmares?
Say, “S-A-T” or “A-C-T” to a high school junior, and watch their whole demeanor change. The idea that a test score that will be considered as part of a future college application can provoke a racing pulse and perspiration. A typical conversation with Juniors about the SAT and ACT goes something like this: