High School Sophomores, Now is the Time To Think About College

If your college bound student is a sophomore, time is your ally. Use this time strategically and you can reap the most out of the college selection process. Use it foolishly, and you will need to read the following blog post in two years. Here are some tips on how to maximize your alliance with time. 

Rigorous Coursework

Over the years, I have had conversations with numerous college admissions representatives and the same people that read your student's college applications. One of most important factors colleges use to evaluate an applicant’s admissions are their high school transcripts. Each representative examine high school transcripts to assess how much a student has challenged themselves, especially looking for  Honors or Advanced Placement level coursework. They understand that these elite courses were not for each student and do not want to see poor marks on the transcripts. The suggestion was given for a high school student to enroll in the hardest courses that will challenge themselves, while experiencing success.

Visit Colleges

If you have not already stepped foot on a college campus, perhaps now is the time to plan a visit. As I have stated in a previous blog post, this is a great way to determine if your student is the proper fit for a campus. Being a first semester sophomore, it is a good time to expose students to a college campus. Perhaps there is a local campus that has an 'open house' on a fall day. Take advantage of the campus tour and the admissions information session. Researching online, reading brochures and talking with college admission representatives at fairs cannot replace the unique 'feel' of each campus. This experience will benefit the entire college bound family.

Take Interest Inventories

Sophomore year is the right time for a student to explore potential college majors. Students should seek subjects they enjoy in school and discuss potential career options. Students can talk to family members in potential fields or search out these careers online. Another good way is to take an interest inventory. Perhaps their high school uses Naviance or a similar program to seek potential majors/careers. If not, they could seek out a professional to administer a Myers-Briggs Type Inventory or similar test. Once they receive their results, students should discuss the results with their family, then research ideas that are of interest to them. This will help guide the college selection process. 

Internships/Job

Another way to find a potential career or college major is for the student to seek out employment in a field of interest. This will provide invaluable experience in the field while being exposed to its everyday tasks. If a job is not available at a particular company, perhaps there are summer internship opportunities or even a job shadow program. This will also help build a student's communication skills and high school resume, while exposing them to the concept of networking with potential employers. 

Do you have other ideas on what a high school sophomore can do to prepare for college? Add in a comment and let us know.

Need help with your sophomore applying to college? Have other college admission questions? Contact Us

College? My High School Student is Only a Freshman.

The first quarter of a freshmen's high school career has just ended. You are saying to yourself, "this is surely too early to think about college." Actually it is not. Freshmen have two big advantages in the college search process; time and a blank slate. Time because there is plenty of it to conduct a proper college search and a blank slate because students can properly create an impressive transcript and college resume. Here are four ways to do that.

Develop Good Study Habits

If a student has not already done this, make sure they develop this lifelong habit now. Perhaps a student is overwhelmed by a fall sport or participating in every extracurricular that has been announced over the PA. The best study skill is always time management. Establish a plan as to when the student will be completing their homework each night, including reviewing class notes and rereading the material. Make sure they are working in a well lit area that is free of distractions. Other important habits that are often overlooked include ensuring the student receives the proper amount of sleep (to focus in school) and eating a proper diet (eating brain foods such a fruits and vegetables). Stay consistent with these study skills and do not develop ones your student will not be able to break.

Earn Good Grades

It seems simple, but often it is not. Many times a high school freshmen does not think their actions can impact the rest of their life. It can and does. If a freshman earns poor grades, they have to work that much harder to raise their Grade Point Average (GPA). Remember, colleges only consider a student's first six semesters of school work because they apply during the first semester of senior year. If a student receives a 'D' during their freshmen year, the 'twak' you just heard could have been a college closing the door on your student. Colleges consider GPA during the admission process, along with the rigor of courses taken. It is never too late to begin to correct mistakes. It is never too early to learn new skills.

Get Involved

If your student has not already done so, they should get involved. Every school has a plethora of sports, clubs and activities. If they are unsure about a club's activities, they should seek out the sponsor or attend a meeting. Remember, they are not obligated to attend the next meeting. In addition to being involved, these activities are the beginning to their college resume. Colleges seek students who actively participate in clubs. They should seek out leadership roles in one or two clubs, another item that would look great on a college resume. Joining clubs can help students find new friends, establish their college resume and perhaps even find their passion, which could lead to their future career. 

Find Your Passion

"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." said Confucius. This is very true, but how do we know what we love to do? The best way is to seek out opportunities until we find something that we enjoy. Perhaps none of those activities will be your student's passion, but somewhere along the way, your student will find it. Seek out many opportunities, whether it be: volunteering, applying for a job, clubs, sports, or academics. As my mom told me, "It is always easier to quit than join.” This is sound advice. Hopefully along the way, you find your passion. 

Do you have other advice for a high school freshmen? Add a comment, we would love to hear it!

Need help with your sophomore applying to college? Have other college admission questions? Contact Us

Is My High School Junior Behind the College Eight Ball?

There is a fair amount of time for a college bound high school junior to be thinking about college. But if a family does not take advantage of this time, there will be plenty of seniors in a panic at this point next year. A well planned timeline can help a junior properly prepare for college.

Standardized Test Prep

If the college bound student has not yet taken a standardized test, this should be done as soon as possible. Completing the ACT and/or SAT will help the family understand the potential colleges they should consider. Perhaps your student hit a ‘homerun’ the first time they took the ACT. This will alleviate much of the stress of trying for higher scores when engaged in the college selection process. If the score is not what a student would have hoped, do not worry, a student can take the exam as many times as they wish. Perhaps purchasing some test prep booklets, using an online test preparation course or even working with a tutor would benefit the student to raise their score.

College Fairs and Reps

The time is here for a student to actively engage in the college selection process. This can be done by talking to college admission representatives. Your high school junior should personally converse with as many colleges as they can in order to gain a proper perspective on the types of schools and their offerings. Students can do this when admission representatives come to their high school to 'recruit' students or by seeking out a local college fair.

Campus Visits

If you have not already stepped foot on a college campus, perhaps now is the time to plan a visit. As I have stated in a previous blog post (4/8/13 blog post), this is a great way to see if your student is the proper fit for a campus. Is it a very active campus? Intellectual campus? Athletic campus? Does the culture of the campus fit with the personality of your student? Researching online, reading brochures and talking with college admission representatives cannot replace the unique 'feel' of each campus. Walk the quad, eat lunch in the dining hall and sit in on a freshmen level course to answer these potential questions.

Bank Accounts

Begin to examine your financial accounts to determine the amount that can be used to pay for college. Consider how much has been earned in a college saving program and how far that will stretch. Will this be able to pay for four years at a university or will loans have to be considered? Perhaps the time is now to begin searching for scholarships. If nothing else, shift as much money as possible out of the college bound student's name by the end of the calendar year, the first semester of junior year. This is because when filling out financial aid forms, including the government's form (2/4/13 blog post) fall of senior year, you will use the previous year's tax returns. Thus, the student's financial situation will be required and these forms assume that money in the student's name will be used for college. This will then lower the amount of your financial aid package.

Need help with your junior applying to college? Have other college admission questions? Contact Us

MY SENIOR HAS YET TO APPLY TO A COLLEGE!

No need to panic, that will only create more stress. There is still time to make the proper college selection. Make sure to have a detailed strategy and stick to a tight schedule to decide where to apply.

The College Essay

The first strategy for a college bound senior would be to complete the Common Application (CA) and answer one essay prompt. This application is shared by 517 colleges and universities in the United States and 6 foreign countries. Each college can add unique features, but the majority of the application is as the name suggests, common. Most likely your senior will apply to a few schools that accept the CA, thus once they decide on which CA schools to apply to, they can submit their application immediately.

How Will Your Student Apply?

Applying to college has changed drastically in the past 15 years. In addition to no longer using paper applications, colleges have different application deadlines.

The first deadline is Early Decision (ED). This is a binding agreement between the student and college stating if admitted, the student will withdraw all other applications and accept admission into that school. These are usually due beginning November 1^st. 

Early Action (EA) This application deadline means the student will apply earlier than the majority of students to a particular college/university. This usually takes place between November 1st to December 1^st. Colleges agree to act on their application earlier, usually by the end of the calendar year.

Regular Decision This is the standard or last date that a student will be considered for admission into the college. Some schools will notify students in the applicant pool on one date, others will have Rolling Admissions; admitting/denying students within weeks of their application being submitted. 

Visit Campuses

Now that applications have been submitted, consider visiting campuses. As stated in a previous blog post (How to Get the Most Out of Campus Visits, 4/8/13), this is a great way to see if your student is the proper fit for a campus. Is it a very active campus? Intellectual campus? Athletic campus? Does the culture of the campus fit with the personality of your student? Researching online, reading brochures and talking with college admission representatives cannot replace the unique 'feel' of each campus. Walk the quad, eat lunch in the dining hall and sit in on a freshmen level course to answer these potential questions.

Avoid Senioritis

Senioritis is a terrible ‘disease’ plaguing seniors. The best remedy is to make sure your college bound senior does not develop poor study skills and maintains their grades. Even though colleges consider a student’s first six academic high school semesters for admission, colleges still review their senior year course schedules. Most even require first semester and final transcripts be sent. This ensures the admitted student has continued to make academic progress and can handle the rigors of a particular school. Every year students have their acceptance rescinded because the student did not take their senior year education seriously. Make sure this does not happen to your college bound student!

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