College Preparation

Seniors, it's almost over!

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:15:16 -0400

Congratulations to the class of 2013!

In this post, I wanted to provide you all with 10 things you will need for your dorm.

1) An alarm clock. Mom/Dad won’t be there to wake you up.

2) A desk lamp, so you can work late into the night and not have the ceiling light on in case your roommate wants to sleep.

3) Flip-flops. Great to wear in a communal shower.

4) A storage trunk. This comes in handy if you want to lock anything up,

5) Thin storage containers that can be stored under a bed.

6) A fridge and a microwave really can come in handy.

7) Air freshener is always good to have. Glade plugins!

8) Some type of chair for friends to sit on when they visit your room.

9) Trashcan and trash bags.

10) Photographs and posters to make your room more comfy.

Public Transporation Public Transpiration

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:38:00 -0500

Most college students that live in dorms don’t have cars on campus. Several colleges don’t even allow freshmen to have cars on campus. And the campuses that do allow parking, it’s normally very expensive for a parking permit. So, if mom or dad won’t be picking you up, you may have to rely on public transportation. Thus, when you are choosing a college, consider how you will get home. Is there a bus, train or plane that will take you home? Also, is getting to the public transportation easily accessible and priced reasonably? Trust me, when you are trying to come home for Thanksgiving, Christmas or spring break, you will want to get home quickly and at a cheap rate.

Safety School

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 09:17:01 -0500

Seniors, as you begin to apply to colleges, definitely have at least two safety schools on your list. A safety schools should be a college/university that you are pretty sure you would get accepted to. Look at the school’s average GPA and SAT scores. If your GPA and SAT scores are much higher than the college’s current students’, you probably have a good chance of getting admitted. Also, make sure the college has a major that will meet your future endeavors, so the college will believe that they can offer you a suitable education.

International Universities

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 13:53:00 -0400

Most of my readers are from the USA, so I am going to assume that most of you all only consider attending universities within the 50 states. However, there are many great international universities. For example, the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom and the University of Toronto in Ontario are well respected universities. And there are many more out there.

In addition, some international schools may have special scholarships for international students. Lastly, you’ll receive the opportunity to learn about a new culture. Do some research and find out if going abroad is for you.

Don’t limit yourself. Check out international universities.

Tuition-Free Colleges

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 11:28:10 -0400

Tuition-free college? That sounds like an oxymoron. But, there are some colleges out there. In 2009, the Wall Street Journal published an article on 8 colleges that offer free tuition. I am posting the link. It’s worth the read.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124214844075811349.html

College Advice From A Professor

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 05:33:49 -0400

Over the weekend on Twitter, a student asked Tulane Professor Melissa Harris-Perry , “As a professor, do you have any study tips for the college student prepping to start in a week?”

Harris-Perry’s advice:

Learn to read *smart* not read *all* in your courses w/ 100+ pages a week. Focus on main ideas, big conclusions.

Try to put together a study group or team in math, econ, science & other classes w/ problem sets if it’s allowed.

Try to keep up w/ syllabus. Don’t save it all for the reading week. It’s ok to slack once in a while but stay steady.

If you struggle with writing, ask Profs if you can write a draft before the assignment is due. Get feedback.

Remember college education is a process. Ask questions.Seek help. Be open to critique.Make progress don’t force perfection.

And more than anything else. Be honest. Adhere to the honor code. An honest C is much more valuable than a dishonest A.

*Great nuggets of wisdom from a smart lady.

Talk With Current Students

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 09:51:14 -0400

If you want to know what a college is like, talk to students who are currently enrolled at that school. Many schools have students who are employed as admission assistants. These students serve as liaisons between the university and prospective students. Take some time to contact the admissions office of a college you are interested in and let them know that you want to speak with a current student.

You can ask this student what it like is to be a student at this particular college. Ask questions about the academics, social life, financial aid, housing, and any other topics that are pertinent to your college choice. A current student’s perspective is valuable.

Camp Cyber

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 16:00:03 -0400

Camp Cyber hosted by the Howard University Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence (IC CAE)

The goals of this program are to:

Increase awareness of the U.S. Intelligence Community

Provide exposure and training in topics related to cybersecurity and engineering

Encourage talented underrepresented students to pursue collegiate studies in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics

Students will have the opportunity to gain knowledge about the US Intelligence Community, in addition to increasing their critical academic skills and exploring careers in engineering, cyber security and national defense.

*Rising juniors and seniors can check this link out for more information. Applications must be completed by June 29th. http://www.howard.edu/iccae/campcyber.html

p.s. I am sure there are other summer enrichment programs out there for high school students. So, do a quick Google search and find them for this summer or next.

Serving Our Country

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 07:28:03 -0400

In most public high schools, a few times a year, you will see military recruitment officers in the schools. Or you may even get a brochure in the mail or a telephone call. These recruitment officers want to enlist you in the military. Serving the military is a path that some high schools students take to help them finance their college careers. Below, I’m posting a link that goes into some of the financial help the military officers.

http://www.collegeanswer.com/paying-for-college/other-ways-to-pay/military-service.aspx

Years 1-3

Mon, 21 May 2012 09:17:22 -0400

It’s so important to do your very best academically between your freshmen and junior year of high school. As you progress through high school make sure that your grades are getting better. This will show that you are serious about school and committed to your education. If your grades are getting worse from freshmen to junior year then a college admission counselors may feel like you are lazy, and that won’t look favorably on your application. I know the material may get harder in the upper grades, but do your very best in all of your classes.

I say that years 1-3 are important because most students will be sending off their high school transcripts to colleges in the fall of their senior year. As a result, admission committees may only get to see one semester of your senior year transcript. So, it’s important to perform your best through years 1-3 due to the fact that admission counselors will have your complete transcripts between these years.

Coursera

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:07:38 -0400

Take a moment to browse www.coursera.org. It’s a website that allows users to take online courses with professors from prestigious universities across the country. Selected professors from Princeton, Standford, University of Penn, and the University of Michigan teach the online classes. The courses are free, however, students don’t actually get college credit. So in a sense, you are getting the information and instruction for free. Definitely consider taking a class. There are a wide range of classes from engineering to social science courses. In addition, the online course can give you an idea what workload to expect in a college-level class.

Sports in High School

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:20:23 -0400

Oftentimes, playing a sport in high school motivates students to obtain good grades. Due to the fact that they must maintain a certain grade average, or they will be kicked off the team. Thus, playing a sport can be a good incentive for students to keep their grades up.

Some sport teams also have assigned study hall times. That’s when all the team members meet together during a certain time slot and you must work on homework or study during that time period. You will have that window of time to work on homework with others in a group setting if you need help.

Finally, if you are exceptional at a sport, then there is a possibility that you will receive a scholarship to play on a college team. Athletic scholarships tend to be pretty great packages. Free tuition and room and board will help paying for college a lot easier. Try out for a sport in high school. You never know what can happen.

In-state tuition vs. Out of state tuition.

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:45:50 -0400

There is a huge benefit of going to a college/university in the state you reside in. For instance, if you live in Pennsylvania, try to find a state college/university that has the major you would like to pursue. If you decide to stay in the state you live in, then you will be eligible for in-state tuition. Let’s use Penn State (PSU) as an example. In-state tuition at PSU for an academic school year is about 16 thousand dollars.

If a student wanted to come to PSU from a state other than Pennsylvania, then they would have to pay out of state tuition. The current rate for non-PA residents is about 28 thousand. That’s almost double than the in-state tuition fee. So, if possible, stay in your home state for college, because it will make paying for college a lot more affordable.

How Should I Spend My Spring Break?

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:25:07 -0400

Spring break is a great time to visit various colleges! The weather is nicer for the most part, so it’s more comfortable walking around campuses. Most colleges have different spring breaks than high schools. So when you visit, you will get to see what the campus is like during a regular day, compared to visiting a college in the summer when most students are not on campus. Most importantly, you have the time! Instead of sleeping in or watching t.v., think about visiting some colleges during your spring break!

To plan a tour, just go to the admissions’ section on any college website, and there should be information to schedule a group tour or private tour. Let the admissions office know what day you can visit, and they will let you know what times tours are available. Try to visit as many colleges as you can in a week. Take advantage of your spring break!

Personal Statement

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:37:07 -0400

Oftentimes, colleges will ask you to write a personal statement as part of the college admissions process. In this blog post, I am going to discuss some key points that you should definitely include in your personal statement.

In your personal statement, there should be something about your personal endeavors as a high school student. Talk about any clubs you were involved in, discuss any community service you have done, and give example that shows you are a serious scholar. This could be simple as mentioning that you stayed after school with your math teacher so you could ace the material. Then, wrap this section up discussing how you will bring these qualities to their college community.

The statement should also contain why you want to go to this college. Let’s say you are applying to a nursing program. You need to say I want to go to this school because they have the best nursing program in the country. Let them know you have talked to professors and students in the nursing program, and that you feel like this is the best fit for yourself. Let them know that you believe the professors are renowned, and that the classes would prepare you to be an effective nurse after graduating.

Wrap up the personal statement by saying how much the school means to you. Talk about briefly some of the aspects of the school you really enjoy, and let them know that this school is your number one choice, because no other school would help you achieve your goals like this one.

Study Groups

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 10:23:17 -0500

In your high school career, you’ve probably found out that some classes are harder than others. Well, in college, there will also be some classes that are harder than others. So, you should start a study group to help you do well in your college classes or if you are still in high school, you can create a study group for your high school class. Using your free time to study outside of class with a group of classmates is a productive way to spend your time.

Find some students in your class who seem like they are interested in doing very well in the class. Then, find a time where all of the group members can meet outside of class time to study and choose a place to study. A library or local coffee shop is a great place to meet as a group. Have everyone bring their notes, and any questions they may have.

There are many advantages of study groups. One of your classmates may be able to explain a concept you don’t really understand or vice versa. Or maybe you want to compare notes, so you can find out what you’ve missed. In addition, studying with a group is sometimes more enjoyable because you are talking instead of just looking at your notes in solitude. Consider starting a study group for your courses.

Two Awesome Resources

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:20:00 -0500

Collegeboard.com allows users to search a college/university by name. Once you type in a school, you will see its profile. As an example, I typed in Harvard. There are various sections for users to browse such as at a glance, admission, cost & financial aid majors, housing & campus life, and the like. This website gives you a general overview of some of the most important aspects of colleges. Go to CollegeBoard.com and do a search on a school you are interested in.

The other resource is collegeprowler.com. It’s like collegeboard.com in the sense that it allows you to take a glance at a college’s profile. CollegeProwler.com includes a report card where various aspects of colleges are graded on a scale from A+ to F. In the at a glance section, there are comments that include the best thing and worst things about the school. And one of my most favorite features of the website is that it contains video or picture tours of college campuses.

Attend College Events

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:09:17 -0500

Colleges have many events throughout any given week. You’re probably thinking “does a party count as an event?” No, I’m not talking about a party. I’m talking about events such as a sports game, lectures, or a campus concert. Attending college events will give you an opportunity to assess school pride, and asses the college’s commitment or lack of commitment to sponsoring social event.

Going to a college game will allow you evaluate school pride. Some people may be at the particular game just because they just like the sport, but I would argue that a lot of people may also be at the game because they love and want to support the college. See if there are a lot of older people in the crowd. The older people may very well be alumni. If they are coming back and supporting the school, it’s probably safe to say that they genuinely enjoyed their experience as a college student.

Many colleges also plan many lectures or concerts from individuals who are famous. It costs colleges lots of money to have these people visit the college and spend money. So, if a college is willing to dish money out for these people to come speak to the school body, I would say that the college is making a commitment to offer students positive activities to attend.

College Admissions Essay

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:25:19 -0500

Part of every college admissions application will be an essay. Normally, there will be a specific question that you will have to answer. For example, the University of Pennsylvania once used the essay prompt: “What is the best advice you ever received? Why? And did you follow it?” Make sure you answer the question, check for grammar issues, and answer the essay prompt as creatively as possible.

Make sure you answer all parts of the questions. In the example question I used, there are three different parts. So, you want to make sure that you have three distinct sections that will address each question. If you start writing and you aren’t addressing the question, the admissions counselor will assume that you can’t follow direction and that may hurt your chances for admission.

Having great grammar is your essay is a must. There shouldn’t be any misspelled words, or misused words. The best way to avoid grammar issues it to have someone proofread your work and have them edit your essay. If an admissions counselor reads your paper and sees that you are having grammar issues, they might not think you cared much about the essay and it shows that having a good essay wasn’t a priority.

Most importantly, you want to write an essay that is very creative. Your essay has to be one that stands out. Admissions counselors are reading many different essays. Make sure that your essay is unforgettable. Answer the essay question in a creative manner.

Summer College

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:53:00 -0500

Throughout the United States of America, there are numerous Summer College programs. Normally, Summer College is an opportunity where high school students stay on a college campus in a dorm and take college courses during the summer. A Summer College program will enhance your college admission application.

Once you complete Summer College, you will have a few college classes under your belt. When you submit your college application, the admission officer will see that you have taken college classes. If you do well in the college class, the admission counselor will know that you are able to handle college course requirements, and maybe will infer that you are a strong admission candidate.

Summer College will also introduce you to a variety of different people. You will meet people from all over the country or possibly the world. Their life experiences will be different than yours and you will have the opportunity to learn from them, and they will possibly open up your eyes to new ideas.

Being on a college campus for the summer will give you a genuine college experience. You’ll know what it’s like to be away from home and your family. You will have to be responsible, because you will have to wake yourself up for class, and make yourself go to bed at a decent time so you can wake up on time for class. There won’t be anyone there to make sure you will do your homework, so Summer College will definitely teach you responsibility.

Do a Google search on some of the various Summer College programs. Most cost money, so see if there are scholarships available, or save up money so you can attend one summer. Having Summer College on your college admission application will look better than working at the local pool over the summer. So, consider participating in a Summer College program!