What to Think About for Each Grade
People always ask me, "What are the things I need to think about each year, regarding the grade that my child is in?" So, I want to give you the information that you need for a 9th grader, 10th grader, 11th grader, and 12th grader. With that being said, I'm going to work backward.
Seniors, you're in 12th grade, you should be focusing on essays. Everything on your mind should be writing, writing, writing, typing, typing, typing, so that you can get your essays done in preparation to submit your application, if not now, then within the next 60 days. January 1st will come faster than you expect.
Juniors, you should be focusing on your standardized testing and visiting colleges. You want to expose...
What To Do If Your Child Has “Bad Grades”
I was recently asked a really good question from a parent that was interested in working with us. She asked me, "Would you be able to help my kid, even if he has really bad grades?" I said, "Absolutely." There are 3,500 colleges and universities throughout the country, if your son or daughter wants to go to college and they have bad grades, I don't want them to think that college is not a possibility for them.
I want to give you seven quick tips for you to consider if you have bad grades. The goal is not to get bad grades, but life happens. If you want to go to college, here's what you should do.
- Submit an explanation. Many colleges will listen to your reasoning for why you obtained grades...
College Visiting for Juniors
Today I'm talking to juniors, the class of 2021. Believe it or not, you're going to be applying to college in 12 short months. Right now, you need to consider visiting colleges and learning more about them. Whether it's Columbus Day or Veterans Day, several three-day weekends are coming up this fall that you can take advantage of. They're expecting you to attend their open houses, so please go to the websites of the schools that you're interested in and see when they have prospective students' days, particularly for juniors they are called Open Houses.
I would start with something local to you. There's no need to get on a plane or a train right now. Check out something that you can see within driving...
The Role of The School Counselor
Whatever you call the school counselor at your child’s high school -- guidance counselor, college counselor, etc -- please know that they are an integral part of the college application process. A few elements of their job are:
- to offer college advice to you and your child
- weigh in on the selection of courses for each year
- write a school counselor recommendation on behalf of your child
- send the transcript
- communicate with colleges about your child’s application and interest
Some school counselors do this better than others, and usually it depends on their caseload of students.
As a parent, you should attend any college preparation presentations that your school offers. You should also...
What Parents Should Ask Their Child's School Counselor
Whatever you call the school counselor at your child’s high school -- guidance counselor, college counselor, etc -- please know that they are an integral part of the college application process. A few elements of their job are:
- to offer college advice to you and your child
- weigh in on the selection of courses for each year
- write a school counselor recommendation on behalf of your child
- send the transcript
- communicate with colleges about your child’s application and interest
Some school counselors do this better than others, and usually it depends on their caseload of students.
As a parent, you should attend any college preparation presentations that your school offers. You should also...
Was Your Child Deferred? Here's What To Do Next
With most early admission programs, you can expect three possible decision outcomes: admitted, deferred or denied. In this post, we will focus on what to do if you find yourself in the second group.
First, let’s define what it means to be “deferred.” With an admissions deferral, the college has decided to postpone your admission decision to a later date and will reconsider or review your application with the Regular Decision applicant pool. Because one of the benefits of applying early is knowing whether you have been accepted to your top school or not, it is understandably frustrating when you are neither accepted or denied. However, that is also the bright side - you receive a...
3 Questions Every Junior Parent Should Ask a Senior Parent
If their children applied Early Decision or Early Action, many senior families are DONE with the college application process. They have survived what many call the most brutal 12-18 months of their children’s lives. Why? Because we are a society predicated on success, and nothing screams success more than elite college acceptance.
No matter how you slice it, where your kid goes to college is important. I am not saying he or she must go to a school that is at the top of the rankings, but I will suggest that your child belongs at the right school with the right academic and social resources available to them. That’s why where they go is important.
And now, junior parents, you...
Advice for Parents of Junior High School Students
While high school may be an exciting time for many children, there are many things that they should do in order to prepare for college. This is especially true if you or your children have sights set on selective colleges. Before your children get to their senior year, they need to get serious about school and absorbing all of the knowledge they can. Doing so will make their college admission that much easier. As you prepare your child(ren) for college, make sure you go through this checklist.
- Make them take school seriously. While grades are extremely important, that is not the focus here. Instead, focus on how working hard now can make things easier for them later when it is time to apply...
