No time like the present for teens and their parents to be thinking about financing college!
Parents of seniors are completing the FAFSA and CSS/Profile… and maybe doing some last minute searching for scholarships…
Juniors and their parents need to be having those first conversations about college costs… Because how do you start looking for college without having a sense of finances? Remember though, there is a lot of scholarship money available, but the time to start looking is now!
Here are some online resources to check out:
www.finaid.org
www.fafsa4caster.gov
www.ed.gov/index.jsp
www.fastweb.com
www.supercollege.com
www.collegeboard.com
www.xap.com
www.collegepossible.org
www.petersons.com
www.collegeview.com
www.collegeanswer.com
www.studentedge.com
www.collegegold.com
Whew! That’s a good start!
And, there’s a list of books in my previous blog post, here
As promised! Here are the highlights from the videos, articles, and sites I have scoured to learn how you can get great letters of recommendation from your teachers.
1. Plan ahead: Give your teachers the information and stamped, addressed envelopes at least 4-6 weeks ahead of the applications’ deadlines so they can get it done. This means that you must know which schools you are applying to (and why).
2. Chose teachers from junior year core courses-math, history, science, english; and, if you are going to specialize in biology in college (for example), and you believe you will get a good recommendation letter from the bio teacher, ask that teacher! Nothing ventured nothing gained!
3. Ask the teachers you chose, “What do you think you can say about me?” or “Are you willing and able to write a letter of recommendation for me?”
4. Prepare for an appointment with each teacher by: gathering materials/the work you completed in that teacher’s class-papers and projects, and your resume.
5. Make an appointment to sit down and talk with the teacher about the materials you gathered, and talk about your passions/what subjects interest you so that the teacher can write about you as a person.
6. Tell the teachers why you want to go to that/those particular schools-why those schools are special AND why you are a great fit for those schools.
7. Letters are not only about academics, they can also describe additional aspects of your personality-leadership skills or citizenship, volunteerism… so you may want to mention those experiences also.
8. If another teacher-in art, health, music-or a coach knows you well then you want to submit a supplemental recommendation letter. BE SURE to ask the college first, to be certain that you are permitted to submit a supplemental recommendation letter, and then talk with the teacher.
9. If you were enthusiastic and successful in class… maybe you didn’t get an A, but you contributed and worked hard, that teacher may be a good person to approach for a supplemental recommendation letter.
10. If you are worried that teachers or the guidance counselor doesn’t like you-yet you need a recommendation letter, make an appointment, sit down with the individual and explain your interests in the colleges-take initiative.
Feel free to send me an email or call me with your questions about getting the very best letters! I’d love to help!
It’s the beginning of November so let’s review who needs to be doing what right now!
Seniors
√ Check in with/Create (!) your calendar -> test dates, fees, deadlines for various pieces of college applications
√ Take second round of SATs and subject tests, and take the ACT
√ Work on college applications – check list of schools that accept common application
√ Write supplemental essays for colleges requiring them
√ Complete financial aid applications/meet the deadlines
√ Complete search for scholarships and add deadlines to your calendar
√ Visit colleges: Visit classes, stay overnight, do interviews
YIKES! That’s a lot to handle!!! To add one last thought to that lengthy list…It’s my hope that you are completing packets for your guidance counselor – your resume, transcript info, recommendation forms for teachers… all those niggling details…
I’ll talk more about how you can work effectively with the guidance counselor/college adviser next week…
Juniors
√ You have taken the PSAT… how did it go? What are you plans for scoring higher on the SAT? Study on your own, taking a class, or getting tutoring? Make a plan
√ Start your self discovery process – What are your strengths, needs, wants, challenges?
√ Think through preferences for areas of study and/or careers of interest, and generate a list
√ Talk with guidance counselor/college adviser. Begin the process of helping them know you better so they can be even more helpful.
√ Talk with your parents about college costs, the range of costs – yet don’t eliminate any types of schools yet!
Seniors you’re nearing the homestretch of your search and selection process… while juniors, it’s time for you to fully engage… the sooner you start the easier it will be for you to enjoy this adventure!
Remember to create a plan and commit it to your calendar!
And if you’re looking for support with your search, join my fr*ee Preview Call, click here How to Jumpstart Your College Search! on November 10th at 8 pm (ET)
7 Steps to Exploring the Colleges, Leaving a Great Impression, and Enjoying Yourself
1. Know what you want to achieve
what are you looking for, what do you need and want
~ to understand the different types of colleges
(state, private liberal arts, historically black)
~ to discover the values of the colleges that are of interest to you
~ to explore more about your areas of interest – possible majors, study abroad, campus life
2. Work out with your parent(s) in advance how you will enjoy the fair
~ Will you go on your own? With a parent(s)?
~ How will you approach the college representatives?
3. Speak for yourself
~ Introduce yourself, shake hands
4. Make a connection with the representative
~Have a conversation
5. Have your questions ready
Don’t’s
~ Where is the college?
~ Do you have… specific sport, sorority/fraternity
~ What are the average SAT scores?
(These are questions that indicate that you have not done your homework about the college… Remember you might interview with these representatives and you want to leave a good impression.)
Do’s
Here are questions that indicate you want to learn about the school and students.
~ Did you go to (the college)?
~ What did you major in?
~ What made (the college) special for you?
~ What is the college known for (for example, traditions, or the nature of student body, the political and social climate)?
~ What are the emphases of the admissions process?
By the numbers (GPA, class rank, SAT’s/ACT or more of a portfolio approach)
~ What’s the typical class size?
~ Do students talk with professors outside of class-> beyond office hours?
~ Do students talk about what they are learning outside of classes?
~ Are any special services offered for support of all students (tutoring or a writing center)? Are there accommodations for students with learning differences or physical disabilities?
~ What percentage of students graduate in 4 years? What percentage go on to graduate school?
~ What is the biggest complaint of students?
~ How does the food plan work?
~ What kinds of financial aid does your school offer?
~ Is housing guaranteed for all four years? How soon can student live off campus?
~Is the campus wireless?
Take notes after each conversation, as there are hundreds of schools at these events, and it’s easy to forget information or get confused afterward).
It might even be easier to print out your list of questions so that you can just write down the answers for each school-one sheet per school, with a place for the name of the school and even the representative on the sheet.
7. Request materials from the representative only if you are interested.
It’s October, and that means that it’s time to get organized so that you can accomplish all that’s a part of the college search AND enjoy your junior year!
It’s way too easy to get caught up in the details (test prep, testing, reviewing college websites and brochures, doing research, visiting campuses), feel overwhelmed, and begin to despair. I’d like to suggest that you take a deep breath and think of the big picture…
With the gorgeous fall weather today, I think about the look and feel of campuses. When you close your eyes and imagine… What type of campus comes to mind? Do you prefer
> traditional, ivy covered buildings or more modern architecture
> a compact campus in a city or one that’s big and sprawling in the countryside?
> a campus busy, teeming with students, or moving at a slower pace?
What feels right to you? Or, is all this talk about environment irrelevant to you?
When I went on my solo roadtrip to check out colleges throughout New England, I saw four different schools in the same number of days. By the time I got to the last school I walked from the parking lot to the admissions office, did my interview, got back in my beloved, secondhand car and headed for home. By the time I got home I decided that I wanted to apply Early Decision to the last school I visited. I gave them a call that afternoon to check that I still had time to do so. I did, and the rest is (happy) history. I have to tell you that the look and feel of the campus were not really important to me… though for some students it makes all the difference…
Figuring out what matter most to you is the key here… Take some time this weekend to get clear on who you are: your strengths, needs, challenges, and wants. As you become clear on who you are and what you want, it becomes easier to sift and sort through the wealth of information available about colleges. Know yourself first and the search becomes simpler!
It’s September!
Have you started your search for the colleges that are the right fit for you? If colleges are not uppermost in your mind, and you plan on being on a campus next fall… It’s time to dive in to the process!
You have some time… yet you need to get started NOW! Get right past that case of nerves that has you anxious (maybe paralyzed) about how you’ll get it all done. It’s time to get into action! If you haven’t thought about the BIG four questions:
What do I know?
What do I have yet to learn?
What are my worries and concerns?
What is my plan?
… then run do not walk (so to speak) to the bonus page on www.facebook.com/majorinyou to download and complete, The 4 Questions You Must Answer Before You Begin Your College Search! It will jumpstart your big, exciting, sometimes challenging, college search. If you have questions about the questions (!), contact me!
Once you have done this foundational work, it’s time to act on your decisions, check out campuses (online, in catalogues, and in person), read the college guides (don’t forget the alternative guides), talk with friends, family and guidance counselors/college advisers, and move into the process. You can complete the process by late November if you jump on it… it will take persistent and consistent action on your part. Let me know if I can help!
Is environment important to you?
I spent three days last week in sunny southern California at a meeting in a beautiful setting. Just by being there, I was reminded of how important where I am is to how I feel, and the work I am able to accomplish.
What about you? Are you the same way, or is setting of less import to you? This is a great question to ponder as you begin your college search. I believe that a campus should be, and feel, both comfortable and challenging-academically, personally, and socially. What do you think? Getting clear about the answers to these questions-really what matters most to you and what supports you in doing your best work and having a great time-will serve you throughout your college search adventure.
And, check out my newest ebook, The 4 Questions You Must Ask Before you Begin Your College Search! It’s here, www.majorinyou.com/ebook, just download and get started. Let me know what you think about the workbook and if I can help!
7.14-16.10, Nashville Tennessee, FBLA conference with close to 6,000 teens: AWESOME!
Finding the College That’s the Right Fit for You! is my most popular workshop and one of my favorites to present. Students flocked to the session! They were hungry for information! We devoted the sessions to discovering what students knew about the college adventure, listing their questions that needed answers and developing personal plans for actions.
The students worked to:
Identify the problem-Finding the rights colleges is a HUGE process!
Where do I begin, what are the steps?
What do I do when?
Who can I turn to for help?
Analyze their situations
What information do I know?
What do I have to learn?
What resources are available to help me (people, websites, books)?
Describe their worries and fears
What if I can’t find any colleges I like, that will accept me?
I have 20 colleges on my list right now, how many should I apply to?
Who should I ask for recommendation letters?
Do I have to interview?
College costs so much, where can I look for scholarships?
Plan for action
They started to answer the question: What will I do now that I am clear about…
what I know
what I have yet to learn
my worries
my resources.
In closing the session I told students about the new eworkbook I had just completed for the conference, it can be found here, www.majorinyou.com/ebook. Everyone is invited to download a free copy! I hope you will complete the feedback survey-I’d love to hear what you think!
If you want to see a short video of the beginning of one of the sessions, click here
It’s the end of your junior year…
- what have you done to date/how much have you accomplished on your path?
- what are you doing right now (well, in the month of May)?
- what is your plan for the summer?
Maybe it’s time to double-check that you have a plan for your college search… Do you?
How do you feel about it? Do you believe that you have all the pieces in place? If not, what are your ideas for pulling together all the details?
Is it feeling big, scary, overwhelming? What do you do, what personal strengths do you call upon to support you when you have a BIG project or feel anxious about accomplishing a task? I LOVE working with students to identify their strengths and then planning with them about how to use them in developing their goals, strategies and timelines. If you love doing that too, now’s the time to start-don’t wait, take action! If you’re unsure of how to move forward, find some support… Can you seek assistance from a parent, older sister/brother/close relative, guidance counselor/college advisor, find information online on sites and blogs, get books from the library, ask you parent(s) about working with a coach… there are lots of resources available to support you once you decide to take the first step.
My thinking…
Take action… even if it’s imperfect action!
PS: If it helps you to envision all the roles you need to play in this all-out effort to find the colleges that are the best fit for you, reading the article below may help!
How does your teen envision her future? What are his hopes and dreams? How will your teen become an independent, responsible adult?
What do you think about your teen and college, do they seem like a natural match? From your perspective, is it a foregone conclusion that he will go, are there some questions to be considered, or is the topic barely on your family’s radar screen? What is your teen’s thinking on the topic, what does she feel about the subject? Have you had that conversation in depth and over time? It’s never to late (or too early) to have those exploratory conversations.
What the purpose of going to college? Is a college degree necessary? Desireable? Those questions seems almost forgotten in our fast-paced lives… though it’s critically important for you and your teen to talk through and answer.
I believe that the continuing education and environment that college can provide enables teens to transition into becoming young adults even more capable of taking advantage of all life has to offer. College poses opportunities to become even more responsible for all the aspects of their lives: to make decisions about who they want to be, to solve problems of both an academic and interpersonal/social/emotional nature, and to learn to engage with others on a variety of levels-to cooperate, negotiate and resolve conflict, in ways that will serve them for the remainder of their lives.
Can teens develop the same knowledge, skills and attitudes outside of a college setting? Absolutely! Though perhaps college, or a technical school or an apprenticeship provides a more supportive, structured approach to their development. Certainly, there are entry level positions that offer opportunities for mentorship and growth.
These are the questions that lead to the conversations we need to have with teens early in their high school years. By helping our teens explore the possibilities, learn what school systems and the world outside school have to offer (art classes, sports, study abroad, internships, apprenticeships and more) we encourage them to make informed decisions about their futures… whether that includes college in the US, looking for universities or academic programs abroad, making time to enter the world of work before going to college, working and attending college, going to a technical school or beginning an apprenticeship, there are so many choices…
I believe that as parents we owe it to our teens to show the breadth of possibilities so that they can take the reins of the decision-making process and step into adulthood. What do you think? What questions do you have about the transition your teen, you and your family are experiencing? Feel free to contact me.
