Well, maybe I shouldn’t put it that way, this is just one school’s manner of determination. I want my students to read this because much of my advice can be worth $$$$’s (like staying in touch with your admission rep). It is worth knowing in advance the kinds of small things a student can do [...]
Full Story »Why Parents should leave their college kids alone
An article from the Washington Post asks this question, and answers pretty nicely, actually. There is nothing in the article I disagree with. By continuing to micromanage our children in college, we set them back as adults. College should be graduating young adults who are ready to take on the world, not kids who still [...]
Full Story »Beloit’s Class of 2015 Mindset List
The Beliot Mindset List was created to show the “mindset” of an incoming class. It was started for students born in 1980 to let professors know what was a “normal” mindset for students born in that year. It has become a highly requested list, utilized not only in colleges but globally. So what is a [...]
Full Story »Failure teaches important lessons
Grade grubbing. Burnt out. Academic dishonesty. Outright cheating. These are frequent in the high school race to get into a “good” college. Please read this article written by my colleague, Lisa McLaughlin, and send it to your high school friends and parents. This is tremendously important for both parents and students to read. It strikes [...]
Full Story »Who owns the college application process?
Answer: the student. I believe that it is the student who must be responsible for the college application process. (Of course the parents must be involved in some aspects, don’t go overboard!). Many parents are loath to take a backseat…they believe they know best, and hey, maybe in some areas they do. BUT when it [...]
Full Story »Are you getting your info from US News rankings?
PLEASE THINK AGAIN. At the NACAC conference recently, college counselors and consultants ranked rankings poorly. Do rankings (actually, those who do the ranking) honestly believe that their ranked college list is right for every student? I have news: they are not right for every student. Read about it here!
Full Story »Community Service
How important is it to have Community Service on one’s college resume? Perhaps not as important as actually performing Community Service! Parents have a great deal of influence in this area. If they perform service, it is likely the child will value service. There are so many charities and non-profits it is not difficult to find places to serve. You can make it a family event, or a tradition!
Full Story »Depression is not uncommon among college students
We are told that “college will be the best years of your life!”. Well, hopefully not, I certainly hope that after college your life will be awesome, too. But college brings stress, as well
Full Story »Book Review: Getting In by Karen Stabiner
Getting In is a novel about 5 families in Los Angeles with seniors who are applying to college. 3 of the 5 are private school students, 1 is a former private school classmate who is now at the local high school, and 1 is the daughter of immigrants who is the valedictorian of the local high school. I recommend the book to students (and their parents) who are applying to college or will be applying to college, mostly to demonstrate the poor parenting, cyncial college counseling, and selfish student attitudes that are so prevalent today among those who believe there are only a handful of colleges worth going to.
Full Story »What the Health Care Bill did for Education
Tucked into the Health Care Reform Bill is a massive higher education change: the government is now the only loan administrator of student loans, saving the government 61 billion dollars in subsidies to private banks. It also saves the Pell Grant award from being almost cut in half, and part of the savings will go to deficit reduction.
Full Story »
