Quantcast
Channel: ScholarPrep
Viewing all 149 articles
Browse latest View live

How important is my GPA, really?

0
0

Grade Point Average…three words you will hear throughout high school and college.

What is a GPA?

A grade point average (GPA) is a cumulative average of your grades for your coursework and is usually determined on a 4.0 scale.

Your high school GPA begins the moment you take high school level courses – whether that is in 8th grade taking Algebra I, Art I, Spanish I, etc. or your freshmen year taking all high school level courses. Your slate will NOT be wiped clean until you enter college. All high school courses make up your high school GPA which in turn will be a deciding factor for your future. Your grades matter for your future as a college student and scholarship applicant.

What’s the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA?

An unweighted GPA assigns courses a 4.0 for A’s, 3.0 for B’s, 2.0 for C’s, and 1.0 for D’s. Therefore, there is no distinction between a 90 and a 100; they are both a 4.0.

College Board provided a table to quickly convert your letter grade and or percent grade to a 4.0 GPA.

Letter Grade Percent Grade 4.0 Scale
A+ 97-100 4.0
A 93-96 4.0
A- 90-92 3.7
B+ 87-89 3.3
B 83-86 3.0
B- 80-82 2.7
C+ 77-79 2.3
C 73-76 2.0
C- 70-72 1.7
D+ 67-69 1.3
D 65-66 1.0
E/F Below 65 0.0

*Source: College Board

A weighted GPA gives extra points for challenging courses such as Advanced Placement (AP) or Honors. The harder coursework is weighted at 5.0 but on a 4.0 scale. So, an honor student could possibly have a 4.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale because they took more rigorous courses.

According to the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), about two-thirds of high schools use the weighted scale. Since it is unfair for the admissions office to compare weighted and unweighted GPAs due to coursework varying, more than half of the colleges recalculate students’ GPAs to equalize the comparisons.

How important is my GPA?

Your high school GPA along with standardized tests (SAT/ACT) are predictors of how well you will do as a college freshman. Joyce E. Smith, NACAC’s CEO, stated in a 2016 report that “year to year, we find that getting good grades in challenging courses is what college admission offices value most when reviewing applications from first-time freshmen.” Admissions offices look at the courses taken and determine, based on your GPA and how many challenging, college prep courses you took, how prepared you are to succeed at their university.

Students’ GPAs are compared for scholarship and admissions applications. While GPAs are not the only piece examined, it is one of the most important factors in determining winners for scholarships and admissions over other students to a postsecondary education institution.

Other factors looked at by scholarship and admissions applications include your community impact-service to your community, athletics and extracurricular activities in school, and leadership positions. While being well-rounded is vital, your GPA can make or break your chances of receiving scholarship funds or acceptance to your first choice of schools since many large universities put a great deal of weight on your GPA alone.

BONUS TIP: Check out BigFuture’s College Search to compare your GPA with those who got in and enrolled to the university of your choice.

What if my GPA isn’t anything to brag about?

  1. Start studying and putting in the extra work to get your GPA higher.
    1. Complete any and all extra credit opportunities given
    2. Prioritize studying
  2. High standardized exam scores
    1. Prepare for your ACT & SAT
    2. Continue studying and taking the exams to increase your score
  3. Commitment to community
    1. Volunteer as much as possible
    2. Get involved in extracurricular activities in and out of school
    3. Serve as a leader when possible

Bonus Tips:

  • While your GPA isn’t everything in determining your future, it can make or break your college admissions and scholarship application results.
  • Aiming for a 3.5 GPA should be your goal if your desire is to attend a selective college.
  • Lookup admissions requirements for schools of interest to set a goal.
  • Take challenging college prep courses to demonstrate your desire to be successful in your college endeavors.

Your GPA is important to keep in mind as soon as you take your first high school level course. Although it’s not the only admissions and scholarship determinant, it is very important to maintain as high a GPA as possible so your applications don’t end up at the bottom of the pile.

The post How important is my GPA, really? appeared first on ScholarPrep.


5 Day Challenge: Discover My Secrets for Creating Impressive Applications

0
0

Do you want to help your child stand out and create impressive applications?

Chances are, if you’re like the parents I’ve worked with, you have the desire to help your child succeed but you’re struggling with where to start! You want to do everything in your power to make sure they can afford the college of their dreams, but the amount of information out there is downright overwhelming!

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU? YOU’RE:

  • Ready to help your 8th-11th grader so they can achieve their college and career dreams
  • Overwhelmed by all the information out there about preparing for college
  • Worried that college will be a financial burden on your family
  • Excited to have someone guide you through the college planning process, step-by-step

In this free 5-day challenge, I will share my secrets for creating impressive college and scholarship applications. By the end of the challenge, you will know how to help your child stand out from the crowd of applicants so that they can get into the college of their dreams and earn scholarships to pay for it!

THE DETAILS:

  • WHEN: Monday, April 24th – Friday, April 28th
  • WHERE: Online via email and in our exclusive, private Facebook Group.
  • WHO: The challenge includes activities and exercises for parents and students.
  • WHY: I created this challenge to help you learn how your child can stand out! This is one of the most overlooked parts of the college planning process.

HOW IT WORKS:

Every good challenge starts with understanding your WHY. As soon as you sign-up and confirm your email, you will receive the Pre-Challenge Worksheet. It includes questions for parents and students, but don’t worry if you are going through this challenge alone. Just answer your part and we will support you in the ScholarPreppers Facebook group!

Then, the challenge will officially kick-off on Monday, April 24th!

  • Every morning of the 5-day challenge, I will email you the topic and assignment of the day. I will also post this in the ScholarPreppers Facebook Group.
    • Don’t worry, the assignments won’t be terribly difficult or take up too much of your time, but they will be valuable!
  • Once you’ve completed the assignment, you can share with us in the group so that you have other families journeying with you and cheering you on! Remember, this group is private, so only group members can see what you post. This is a safe space to ask questions, share concerns and celebrate wins!
  • Everyday at 6 PM Central time, I will join you in the ScholarPreppers Facebook group for a LIVE video session to go over the topic and answer any questions that you have about the assignment and creating impressive applications in general.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

  • How you can help your child discover their passions – and WHY this is so important
  • How your student can understand and leverage their skills and abilities
  • The importance of leadership and the difference between being a leader and being outgoing
  • Why it’s important for your child to take initiative and create their own opportunities
  • The importance of giving back to the community
  • How your student can connect their passions + skills to create really impressive college and scholarship applications

LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF…

Jordan_HeadshotI’m Jordan, the Founder of ScholarPrep, which I created based on my own experience applying for college and securing as many scholarships as possible. Through lots of hard work I was fortunate to be awarded nearly $50,000. Knowing my brother was not the same type of student, my mom and I carefully outlined and documented the process that had worked so successfully for me.

Since we started, we’ve helped students across the country create competitive applications, get into their top choice school and win scholarships to pay for their education.

I created this challenge because this is one of the most overlooked parts of the college planning process. My goal is to show you how to help your child stand out from the crowd of applicants so that they can get into the college of their dreams and earn scholarships to pay for it!

I truly appreciate you putting your trust in me to guide you through this process and I am so excited to get started!

The post 5 Day Challenge: Discover My Secrets for Creating Impressive Applications appeared first on ScholarPrep.

Expert Interview: Lauren Herskovic

0
0

Our College-Prep Expert Interview series gives parents and students an opportunity to meet an expert who can help them on their college-bound journey. We ask each expert how they got into the business of college-prep, why their work is so important and to share their biggest tips and tricks!


Expert: Lauren Herskovic

Company: Admissionado

Location: Chicago Headquarters

Catchphrase: Laugh it off.

Why we interviewed Lauren: She works for Admissionado, a group of committed experts helping students get into the world’s best schools. She helps students tell their story and present a cohesive, compelling narrative that connects with the reviewer. 


 Let’s start with the big question, what do you do?

Simply, we help talented, motivated, students get accepted to elite universities. The fact is that the world of admissions is more competitive than ever before. A great GPA and a perfect score on the SAT just isn’t enough to get you accepted to the top echelons of universities. Do you know how many Valedictorians got rejected from Harvard last year? A lot. Sure, you’re an academic all-star (or maybe you aren’t… and that’s fine too!), but you’re also a thoughtful, intelligent human being who has passions beyond academics. This entire package needs to be presented to the admissions committee in a cohesive, compelling narrative that connects with the reviewer. We help students tell that story… it just happens to be in the form of a college application.

How long have you been working in the college-prep world?

We’ve been working with students for 10 glorious years, and we’ve worked on over 28,000 applications for students from around the globe! We live, eat, and breathe this stuff. (Notice how I didn’t say sleep. We don’t get much sleep around here :-))

How did you get into this work?

Honestly almost by accident. Admissionado’s co-founders, Jon Frank and Raj Patil, were best friends during their undergraduate studies at Brown University, achieving both academic accolades and acappella fame. After graduating, they went their separate ways (Jon to HBS and Raj to USC for his MFA). As their career paths separated, the one commonality was that friends/relatives/neighbors/coworkers would ask them for help on their own applications. “Jon, how did you get into Harvard?” “Raj, can you review my essay?” Eventually, fueled by a desire to do something together, they decided to team up and help students get into college and graduate school. And now, 10 years and over 100 consultants/mentors later, here we are!

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned through your experience?

I’ve learned that there’s a fine line between being a supportive parent in the application process and actually holding a student back.  And despite their best intentions, many parents end up doing the latter.

I work with families every day and I know that any parents that seek us out are parents who want the best for their children. But doing the work for the kids, making the decisions for the kids, or pushing the kids too hard… it’s helping no one! The college application process is incredibly introspective and when students really dive into it, it can be transformative. I’ve watched students blossom throughout this process, learning a lot about themselves and their abilities. And that’s hugely important now and when they get to college! But when a parent steps in and calls all the shots or shoots down their student’s ideas or, worse, does the essays themselves (yes, parents try to do this every year!), not only does the application fail, but the student misses out on a tremendous learning opportunity and he/she loses faith in him/herself and his/her skills.

The best thing any of us can do for these students is to empower them, push them, and make them work hard for what they want.

Why is your work so important?

Look at the statistics. On average, every guidance counselor is in charge of guiding (at minimum!) 450 bright young minds through all aspects of their high school experience. The (amazing) work guidance counselors do goes faaaar beyond just working on college applications, so it’s humanly impossible for them to be able to give each student the time and attention they need when it is time to work on college apps. Let’s admittedly oversimplify this to make a point: let’s say a guidance counselor has 15 weeks per semester to interact with students. That’s a total of about 600 hours, or for each of the 450 students 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let’s then say that 35% of that time is devoted to college guidance, so roughly 30 minutes a semester. So a total of 30 minutes to advise a student on what should be the ultimate goal of their entire high school experience. It’s a miracle how much guidance counselors do as much as they do, but let’s face it, they need help, and students need more personal, targeted guidance. That’s why we’re here.

Who is your typical client?

When’s the last time your teenager said “I need help”? Doesn’t happen too often, but they often know that they do. Parents, therefore, are usually the first ones to get in touch with us, because they know their kids better than anyone. Concerned parents are our typical customers and they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are parents of 9th graders looking to set their kids on the right path for a top college. Others are parents of 12th graders that don’t know where and how to start the application process. Some have kids that are applying to the top of the top universities and realize that their student needs an edge to stand out from the pack. Others just realize their child needs some extra oomph in that college essay. The great thing is that our team is ready for all of this, and everything in between.

What have you found your clients struggle with the most?

Taking risks. Which I totally understand, being one of the most risk averse people on the planet. This is a HUGE moment, after all; isn’t it best to play it safe?

Nope!

Parents and students think there is a formula for getting into college. And that it’s all about listing off your biggest accomplishments in order to woo the admissions committee. But here’s the thing: there is no formula. And even more, these admissions guys have seen EVERYTHING. Every accomplishment. Every accolade. You won the State Tournament? Awesome! But so have MANY other applicants. You built an app? Cool. But isn’t that what all the kids are doing these days?

Showing a college your resume – no matter how full it is – will not set you apart. For every cool thing you’ve done… there are thousands of other students who have done the same. And all of those guys – since they’re not reading this – are going to list off those accomplishments in their apps and blend into one another.

The REAL way to stand out is to take a risk in your essays. Be vulnerable. Be personal. Be different. Be zany. Have some fun. After that admissions committee member goes numb reading the thousands of boring accomplishment essays, yours WILL stand out. You will be remembered. And that’s the first step to getting admitted.

What is the most important piece of advice you give them?

Start. Early. Start early. We can’t stress this enough. College applications don’t start senior year or even the summer before senior year. The profile you build for yourself throughout your entire high school career matters, and that starts in 9th grade. When students approach us in October before January 1st deadlines, we absolutely do our best to tell the story that has been molded, but imagine a student allowing us to help them shape that story from the get-go. Help them discover their passions and pursue them in a meaningful way. Help them make the most of the courses they select and their summer plans. That story will be immensely more personal and meaningful, and the adcom will know it.

Do you have any tips or tricks to share with families on the college-bound journey?

Besides starting early? Avoid too many cooks! Find one or two trusted resources and stick with ‘em. This process is incredibly subjective and everyone has an opinion. The more people you petition for help, the more muddled the process becomes. At the best, you have to sort through a LOT of conflicting information. At worst, your student’s application becomes a muddled mess, devoid of personality. So just find that one person you trust – a friend, family member, teacher, professional counselor – and stick with ‘em until the end.

What is your favorite college-prep resource?

I think our blog and resources are the best there are, of course! But as members of NACAC, we are also fortunate to have guidance counselors + admissions officers from around the world at our fingertips. And that collective (and brilliant/passionate/knowledgeable) brain trust, to which we can toss any and all questions, is the most valuable resource there is.

What is one thing that makes what you do unique?

We understand that students are busy after school. Track practice, soccer practice, dance lessons, Model UN, Pog Club (my personal favorite); over programmed students is not a myth. The prospect of finishing after school activities, needing to go home to do homework, and also trying to squeeze in some time to meet with an Admissions Counselor at their office is daunting to say the least. Our model is purely virtual, therefore allowing students to interact with their Counselor around their schedule…. And much more often! It also allows us to hire the most talented Counselors in the country, no matter where they’re based. Happy, supported students + rock star counselors = recipe for success.

What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?

Like most people in the 21st century, I’m a big fan of binge-watching TV shows with my dog, Harvey. (Who was named, of course, after a TV character!)

Anything else we should know?

No matter what you think, when it comes down to choosing the best college for you/your student, it’s actually quite simple: go to the best college you can get into. Ignore everything else – it’s just noise! – and go to the best school you can get into.

The post Expert Interview: Lauren Herskovic appeared first on ScholarPrep.

Dual Enrollment for High School Kids

0
0

This is a guest blog post written by our friend Angela, the founder and owner of P-A Financial Services (PAFS). She works to increase financial literacy among children, teens, and young adults. While working in the financial services industry, Angela discovered that many teens and young adults were just like her when she was in high school and college; a young person without the skills and knowledge to manage her money. Today, she is sharing her knowledge with children, teens, and young adults who are getting ready to enter their adults lives. We encourage you to learn more about P-A Financial Services (PAFS) and check out the original post.


Dual enrollment is when a high school student is enrolled in college courses.  The completion of any courses counts as credit on the students high school and college transcripts assuming they obtained a satisfactory grade; a student must have a grade of “C” or better in a course for it to be transferable. Many people know about dual enrollment, but I was surprised to learn just how many people are not familiar with this during a recent trip.

Factors to Consider

Dual enrollment allows students to get a jump start on college and it usually cuts college costs significantly; however, there some caveats to dual enrollment.  

Some colleges and universities, such as Harvard, will not accept any transfer credits from courses that were taken as dual enrollment courses. If dual enrollment is being considered, it is important to check with the college where a student plans to attend to make sure they will accept dual enrollment courses.

If a student is looking at a potential scholarship for sports, or some other accomplishment, they need to check with the college and the sports association about dual enrollment credit and how that might affect their eligibility.  The same is true for any scholarships that might be awarded to the student.

Accreditation is very important as well.  Many, if not most, colleges will not accept transfer credits from colleges/universities that do not meet their accreditation requirements.  It is equally important to check with the college the student hopes to attend to determine their accreditation standards.

Dual Enrollment Options

There are various options for dual enrollment.  One of my kids took dual enrollment courses at a junior college, while two of my other kids took dual enrollment courses online through an accredited college. The courses at the junior college were 16-weeks long, while the online courses were 8-weeks long.

Another consideration when selecting a college for dual enrollment courses is how many courses they will allow a high school student to complete.  Some colleges will only allow for a maximum of 12 courses, while other colleges allow for 24, and some allow students to complete an Associate of Arts Degree (AA).  I’ve seen many high school students graduate with a AA Degree and then, two weeks later, graduate from high school.

Dual enrollment can be a terrific experience and great start for many high school students, but it’s not for everyone.  Many students want to focus only on high school.  One isn’t better than the other.  The decision should be based on the individual high student and their current and future goals.

The post Dual Enrollment for High School Kids appeared first on ScholarPrep.

Should you join an academic club?

0
0

How you spend your high school days matters for your future. Academic clubs offer students another way of being engaged outside of the regular classroom setting. Being involved in academic clubs can open doors for your future and give you some social networking time with friends. School subjects, career fields, technology, or a special interest topic can be the focus of an academic club.

Why get involved in academic clubs?

Getting involved in a club is a great way to find your passion.

Ask yourself, “What could I spend the rest of my life doing?

If you don’t know, think about your favorite subjects and try out some clubs offered at your school. Don’t spread yourself too thin, but don’t be scared to try multiple clubs to find a good fit!

So, what happens when you join a club?

You might…

  • Meet like-minded individuals.
  • Learn more about topics that interest you.
  • Look good on college admissions, scholarship and job applications because they all look for students who are engaged during their high school career.
  • Get exposed to new opportunities.
  • Have the opportunity to participate in competitions and receive awards.
  • Attend conventions.
  • Take fun field trips.
  • Participate in volunteer opportunities with other students.
  • Meet mentors who offer invaluable information, knowledge and expertise.

Bonus Tip: You need to show leadership experience on college, scholarship, and job applications. Utilize clubs to seek out leadership opportunities and don’t forget to track your leadership experience as well as awards and honors from clubs! There is a section in your ScholarPrep Organizer for this!

High School Academic Clubs

Most high schools offer many different clubs and activities to engage students outside of the classroom. Not all clubs are offered at every school, but there is at least one club for every student.

Some clubs may directly correlate with a class, such as Journalism. Students who might not be able to fit a class into their schedule but want to be involved can join a club as a way to get involved and gain experience in an area that interests them.

Below is a list of clubs a student might find at their high school. This is not a comprehensive list, but it will give you an idea of what could be offered at your school!

Academic clubs

If a certain club is not offered at your school, don’t hesitate to reach out to a teacher or other school employee to start one! If you are interested in it, then chances are that there are other students who are too! You can initiate it, gain leadership experience in starting the club and reach out to like-minded students to get them involved. This is exactly what college and scholarship committee like to see – students taking initiate!

Academic clubs give students the opportunity to learn teamwork, build a sense of culture and community, and to apply academic skills in a real-world context; therefore, you get a more well-rounded education. Getting involved in academic clubs not only looks good on applications, but gives you a new perspective and experience. You will possibly meet and get to know other students and teachers you may not have met in a regular classroom setting. You’ll get to experience learning topics in a different and fresh way. Make joining at least one club a priority.

 

The post Should you join an academic club? appeared first on ScholarPrep.

Bridging the gap between students, parents, and counselors

0
0

With the growing emphasis on college readiness, the pressure is on schools to prepare students for life after high school. Counselors are expected to coordinate standardized testing, manage interpersonal issues, help students plan for college, and help them find money to cover the cost!

We understand the demands placed on schools to prepare students for college, that’s why we have created our ScholarPrep School Program to help streamline your college prep efforts. Our program motivates and supports students on the road toward postsecondary education, while also engaging families and taking the stress off counselors.

What is ScholarPrep?

The ScholarPrep Organizer is a comprehensive college planning, organizing, and tracking system for students. It covers every section that a student will encounter on a college or scholarship application, it provides helpful tips and information, helps students set goals and track everything that they will need to fill out applications. ScholarPrep gives students an advantage as they compete for college acceptance and the scholarships they need to pay for their education.

Sections include:

  • College Planning Timeline
  • Academics and Testing
  • Extracurricular Activities
  • Community Involvement
  • Leadership Experience
  • Honors and Awards
  • Work Experience
  • Resumes
  • Essays and Statements
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • FYI

ScholarPrep is the most comprehensive college & scholarship planning tool that fully supports students throughout the entire college-readiness process, beginning their freshman year of high school. Click here to watch a quick, one-minute video where we share further details.

What does this mean for schools?

By partnering with schools and organizations, we have increased college readiness and reduced the pressure placed on high school counselors and administration. ScholarPrep serves to bridge the gap between students, parents, and counselors to prepare for the college and scholarship application process.

Student Success with ScholarPrep:Strafford Custom Cover

  • Serves as a guide for building a high school resume
  • Encourages students to start planning for their future now
  • Prepares students for the application process
  • Reduces the amount time it takes to fill out applications
  • Makes the process of applying less overwhelming
  • Gives students a tangible record of their hard work and planning

College-Readiness for Schools:

  • Reduces the pressure on counselors to help students
  • Engages parents in the college planning process
  • Boosts college attendance rates and college-readiness
  • Increases scholarships received by students

Please complete this form to receive a sample of our ScholarPrep Organizers, which can be personalized with your school logo and colors.

REQUEST A SAMPLE

What are schools saying about ScholarPrep?

The schools we’ve worked with have seen tremendous success and have raved about the value to their families as well as the school. If you are looking for a better way to support students in their pursuit of a college education, help to lower the financial burden on families, while also relieving the pressure placed on your school to successfully prepare students for life after high school, then we invite you to join our ScholarPrep School Program.

“The Freshman classes at Forsyth High School have been provided the ScholarPrep Organizers each of the past three years. These books have proven to be a valuable tool for parents and students alike as they navigate the road towards post-secondary education. The organizers are easy to use, succinct in their instructions, and provide a tangible one-stop-shop for all of the various elements necessary for college admission. I highly recommend this product!”

– Christian Meier, Principal, Forsyth High School

“The Boys & Girls Club is using the ScholarPrep books in the Teen Centers in conjunction with our College and Career Readiness curriculum. They are an invaluable resource to keep the students organized as well as well informed about what they need to do to obtain scholarships and be ready for college.”

– Cindy Dodson, Scholarship Director, Boys and Girls Club of Springfield

What are parents saying about ScholarPrep?

The ScholarPrep Organizer was designed specifically to help parents and students prepare for the application process without any stress. Our Organizers include a monthly log, quick tips, and tracking pages for every section a student will encounter on a college or scholarship application. The Organizer is the tool that parents will keep on their desk at home as a physical reminder to sit down with their student each month to do a little planning and goal setting.

“As a mom of three, two of which have gone through the college process and one still in high school, I love everything about the ScholarPrep Organizer. I know how important organization is in the process of applying for college (and scholarships!) and am excited to use the book as a valuable tool while my youngest son is still in high school. Not only is it full of excellent information and timely tips, the organizer is well made and easy to understand how to use. Great job!”

– Monica, Mom of Three Boys 

“Thank you for the amazing resource you have created. I first started going through the ScholarPrep Organizer and was blown away by the simple step-by-step process to get on track and stay on track. I have at my fingertips a complete system to start and get my daughter’s records organized. With this at my disposal, I am confident that this will not be the chore I have so been dreading. We will be ready! Again, thanks for creating something for parents that is so thorough and easy to follow.

– Leah, Mom of a High School Sophomore

“My how I wish we had this two years ago! We will make it, but starting half way through my son’s junior year seems late! Thank you for this wonderful organizational tool! What a wonderful guide! And this is coming from a former event planner turned kinder teacher!! So I get how important organization is! You’ve made this very doable!”

– Beth, Mom of a High School Junior

“This is a fantastic book. It has made the daunting task of preparing for college so much easier! It allows us to keep everything extremely organized. We will never have to second guess whether or not we are missing something. I am so thankful that we got this my daughter’s freshman year of high school!”

– Angi, Mom of a High School Student

How does the school program work?

Examples of the models some of our schools and non-profits have used include:

  • Providing Organizers to all incoming freshmen, to be distributed at the beginning of each fall.
  • One district worked with community businesses and organizations to cover 100% of the cost to provide books to all of their incoming freshman students.
  • Purchasing Organizers to sell back to families at a discounted price at freshman orientation and throughout the year as needed.
  • Utilizing Organizers as a college-prep curriculum as part of a current mentorship and college-readiness program.

Forsyth School Program

We are committed to ensuring that ScholarPrep is a success at every school and non-profit organization, so please contact us to discuss a tailored approach for implementing ScholarPrep into your current programs.

Ensuring your students will succeed in higher education and beyond is what you do every day. We are here to make that a little easier for everyone. 

By working together, we can empower students to actively determine their own future and learn lifelong skills for success. This is our opportunity to help students pursue a college education while also lowering the financial burden on families.

Complete this form to receive a sample of our ScholarPrep Organizers, which can be personalized with your school logo and colors.

REQUEST A SAMPLE

If you have questions, send us an email at info@scholarprep.org or give us a call at 417-763-3133. We look forward to working with you to see how this resource can be incorporated into your existing college prep program.

The post Bridging the gap between students, parents, and counselors appeared first on ScholarPrep.

The Anti-Boring Study Cycle

0
0

This is a guest blog post written by our friend Gretchen Wegner at The Anti-Boring Approach to Powerful Studying. They help de-stressify school for overwhelmed students who struggle with time management, organization and effective study strategies. We encourage you to learn more about Gretchen and the Anti-Boring Approach!


“To me, doing schoolwork was like dying for a short time.”

I ran across this quote in a short story recently. The author was reflecting about his relationship to school as a child, and the accuracy of this quote floored me. For sooo many students (and their parents!) schoolwork DOES feel like “dying for a short time” every night.

I work as an academic life coach, helping overwhelmed students manage their time, organize their things, learn to to study, and advocate for themselves with their teachers.

The truth is  that for so many students (and parents too!), school is overwhelming and stressful. This is true for the struggling student whose grades are often lower than they’d like, and the perfectionist, who is anxiously trying to keep up the high standard of your grades.

I used to think that the problem was mostly around time management, organization and motivation. As a coach, if I could help student develop routines for staying on top of their work,

But then I realized that the problem is deeper and more insidious than that —

I discovered that schools never teach students HOW to STUDY! It turns out that one of the major causes of anxiety and overwhelm is that students spend too much time studying in ineffective ways. They review their notes, and re-read textbooks. They make flashcards and study those ad nauseum. The conscientious students invest HOURS in these study tactics that work against the brain’s natural inclination to learn; the struggling students sometimes can’t motivate themselves to get started with these study tasks, because they feel so boring.

Once I started experimenting with teaching students how their brains work and how to use the built-in power of their neural pathways to design powerful study techniques for themselves, everything changed — motivation went up, anxiety went down, students became more willing to study over time (rather than at the last minute), and schoolwork felt less like dying and more like living.

So, students, let me talk directly to you for a moment — would you like to learn the “secret” to how to study in brain-friendly ways? What if there were some simple things you could do that makes studying and school work interesting enough that you don’t mind doing it… and maybe even have some fun too. What if you could actually spend less time studying, while raising your grades, and having a social life too?

Yes! All that is possible. The key is what  I call “The Anti-Boring Study Cycle”. Neuroscience shows that there are 3 actions the brain needs in order to truly learn new information and skills. If you can design a study process for yourself that cycles through these 3-actions over and over again, you’ll discover that you can learn more in less time. I summarize The Anti-Boring Study Cycle in this 5-minute video over on my website, and I encourage you to check it out (sometimes it’s easier to learn through a quick demonstration than by reading).

However, I’ll summarize it here for you, too.

  1. First, you need to learn the information in the first place. The brain scientists call this process “encoding.” In school teachers are usually in charge of helping you do the initial encoding.
  2. Secondly, you need to practice testing yourself, or showing yourself what you know and what you don’t know. The brain scientists call this process “retrieval.” It is imperative here that you learn to test yourself from memory! Too many students rely on their teachers to test them, and don’t learn solid retrieval skills. The point of testing is to get clear about what you’ve learned, and what you haven’t learned that you still need to study.
  3. Finally, and most importantly — you need to re-encode the information that haven’t learned in a new way! This is where most students slack. If they re-encode at all, they do it in the same boring ways that they learned the information initially — by reading the textbook and mindlessly reviewing their notes. Learning new and interesting ways to re-encode what you don’t know is one of the most important academic skills you can give yourself before you head off to college!

So, those are the 3 steps of The Anti-Boring Study Cycle. I strongly suggest you head on over to my website to watch the 5 minute demo. Then, if you have any questions about how to apply the Study Cycle to your current classes, don’t be shy! Pop me an email from the contact form on my site. I’d be happy to help.

Remember — schoolwork doesn’t have to feel like “dying for a short time!” and you don’t have to lose your life to school and studying. Learning the Study Cycle was the key for most of my high school age clients, and I bet it’ll be your lifeline too.

The post The Anti-Boring Study Cycle appeared first on ScholarPrep.

How to choose courses for your future career

0
0

Have you thought about your future career and what you need to major in after high school to accomplish your career goal? Planning for your future career starts in high school. High schools offer career and technology education courses to help students plan and prepare for post-secondary education and career endeavors. Having a clear understanding of what interests you will help guide your course selection each spring for the following school year.

Note to Parents:

  • Attend course planning meetings with your student and his/her guidance counselor to help choose the best courses.
  • Communicate with your student about his/her future and what they plan to do.

Note to Students:

  • Don’t be scared to challenge yourself by taking rigorous courses in high school. Your future is worth it!
  • Don’t take “slack off” electives with your friends to get the easy A.
  • Take courses that will benefit you in your future career.
  • You may find what you think you will like is actually something you don’t enjoy. Learning in high school is much better than wasting money on college courses or time in a career you don’t enjoy.

Career & Technical Education

Career & Technical Education (CTE) coursework offers college preparation as well as workforce skills and knowledge so students can utilize high school as a time to explore and prepare for a future career.

Federal support is provided for CTE programs throughout the United States through the Carl Perkins Career & Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins). Perkins strengthens the connections and accountability between high schools and colleges/university education by concentrating on the academic and technical accomplishments of CTE students.

Bonus Tip: Each state has CTE resources for high school students and their parents. Check out your state’s resources here.

Career Clusters

Career clusters are groups of occupations and industries based on required knowledge and skills. Following the coursework sequence gives students the opportunity to gain career credentials and certifications. The sixteen career clusters include:

  1. Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
  2. Architecture & Construction
  3. Arts, Audio/Video Technology, & Communication
  4. Business Management & Administration
  5. Education & Training
  6. Finance
  7. Government & Public Administration
  8. Health Science
  9. Hospitality & Tourism
  10. Human Services
  11. Information Technology
  12. Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
  13. Manufacturing
  14. Marketing
  15. Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math
  16. Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics

The Minnesota Careerwise Education provides a resource allowing students to research the cluster, pathway, and possible hobbies, activities and academic clubs to join. Click on the cluster of your choice to learn about careers, industries, pathways, majors, and hobbies/activities for the cluster.

For example, if you want to be a financial analyst, you click on Finance, majors in this cluster, then Finance and Financial Management Services. The site offers sample degrees, careers, schools offering this major, related majors and college preparation advice.

Interest Assessments

There are a multitude of interest assessments you can take to help narrow down your list of career options and courses to take. Utilize high school to take courses to determine your true interests. This will save you time and money by avoiding getting a degree in something you won’t enjoy.

Even though that may seem so far away, thinking about this now will allow you to begin exploring your options. Explore careers that might interest you. Each year, take one or more assessments to see if your interests have changed:

If you enjoy art, but are also interested in criminal justice because of the law shows on tv, think about becoming a forensic artist. There are so many careers people don’t consider because they are new or because their interest doesn’t seem to fit a career… you never know! Sometimes you just have to think outside the box.

Next Steps

Once you’ve picked a career, what can you do in high school to prepare?

  1. Choose courses that will benefit you in college and in your career. Take courses beyond the obvious. For example, if you want to be an architect, your courses should be useful for your future.
    • Learn to visualize and conceptualize in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography and other art courses.
    • Art history provides you with knowledge in movements in architecture.
    • Getting involved in band, choir, or team sports will help you learn to work well with others to produce a product; architecture is a collaborative process with many people working toward one goal. So, having these types of experiences will be invaluable.
  2. Get field experience to determine if this is truly something you enjoy.
    • Volunteer or find an internship to gain hands-on experience. For example:
      • If you want to be a coach, volunteer to coach a peewee league team. You will learn how to prepare for practices, how to motivate athletes, a rotation so everyone plays in the games, and more!
      • If you want to work in advertising, look for an internship at your local newspaper or radio to learn common terminology at the worksite, apply marketing concepts to problems within the industry, to produce high quality documents, demonstrate multi-channel communication skills, and much more!

Using your high school courses to prepare for your future career allows for trial and error. Talk to you guidance counselor about which classes are offered at your high school and get on the right career path today!

The post How to choose courses for your future career appeared first on ScholarPrep.


Expert Interview: Shelia Cain

0
0

Our College-Prep Expert Interview series gives parents and students an opportunity to meet an expert who can help them on their college-bound journey. We ask each expert how they got into the business of college-prep, why their work is so important and to share their biggest tips and tricks!


Shelia Cain HeadshotExpert: Mrs. Shelia Cain

Company: B-Forc! – The Bound for College Readiness Program

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Catchphrase: B.A.M! B-Always Motivated!

Why we interviewed Shelia: She is passionately committed to helping students pursue their dreams and avoid student loan debt. Shelia uses the power of social media to share scholarship opportunities and encourage students to win!


Let’s start with the big question, what do you do?

I am the founder of B-Forc! providing personal college prep and scholarship coaching for parents and college bound students (I will bring the B-Forc! Plan to you. If you have students, I will travel). Through our social media presence B-Forc! Nation and iTeenKC aka iTeenGlobal, we connect parents and students locally, nationally and globally with the resources needed to pursue scholarship pipelines (opportunities) we find and share often.

How long have you been working in the college-prep world?

I have been sharing scholarship information for over 12 years. I started out sending emails, but the email list grew to 800 people. However, I have been coaching parents and students through the college prep and scholarship process since 2011.

How did you get into this work?

The journey and purpose was initially for our daughter. My husband and I started the college prep journey when she was in the 8th grade. Although she was attending schools that provided the basic college prep resources, we wanted to be knowledgeable, proactive and persistent in securing a successful college and scholarship journey for her (above what we were receiving from the schools). As passionate parents starting the process early was a logical and strategic necessity for her success.

Very early in the game, we discovered the importance of an academic resume. Building a stellar resume was the first phase, along with finding pre-college opportunities for her to explore her potential college major interests and possible college choices.

By the time she was a junior in high school, we began pursuing scholarship opportunities. After she won her first $10,000 scholarship from Kohl’s Kids Who Care, our scholarship formula and process took off. When she graduated from high school she walked across stage with $250,000 in scholarships from varies resources.

Her scholarship winning success inspired our community to seek us out for assistance. At the time, our daughter had participated for two years in the UMKC Summer Scholars Program for aspiring teens interested in Med School. They hired me to create and facilitate a college readiness and scholarship prep program for their parents, whose high schoolers attended their College Prep Saturday Academy Program. This awesome relationship and venture that lasted four years was the birth of B-Forc! The Bound for College Readiness Program.

In the past five years, as of May 2016, the students I have personally coached have won collectively $2.5 million dollars in scholarship money… the B-Forc! Plan works and every year I strive to ensure the plan is new and improved.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned through your experience?

The importance for college bound families to become a team in prepping for college and scholarship wins. I learn to evolve, change my own parenting style from being a helicopter mom (that do-as-I-say kind of mom) to becoming a parent coach for our daughter, which was an important lesson I experienced and embraced. In order for her to be successful, I had to change my parenting approach. I had to become not only her life coach for the college journey we were preparing for, but a scholarship coach to motivate and continually encourage her success and a winner’s attitude. We became a team. Today, this concept and parenting skill is shared as part of the B-Forc! Plan for the college bound parents, guardians and families I coach. Helping them embrace the team concept and understanding the end game is #TeamNoStudentLoans.

Why is your work so important?

These three words: student loan debt, which is a global epidemic that is affecting the fiduciary future of many college students from the recent past, the present and the rising cost of a world class education will impact many. My deepest concern is that the cost and fear of debt will discourage future bright minds from pursuing a college education. I often say, no one’s college dream should become a “Dream Deferred” and a student loan should be a last choice not a first option. So, I share, show and tell all who want to know, what I know, for them to potentially be scholarship rich and not student loan debt poor.

Who is your typical client?

The clients I personally coach are parents and/or college bound students (rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders). They range from the academically brilliant to those who may have struggling test scores and grades. I have successfully coached ESL/ undocumented students and via my Facebook page I have advised international students and college students with their scholarship process as well.

What have you found your clients struggle with the most?

Staying motivated, being diligent to applying for the scholarships, especially when the win hasn’t arrived…yet.

What is the most important piece of advice you give them?

The college dream, discussion and exploration needs to start as early as middle school. B-Persistent! B-Determined! B-Encouraged! B-Prepared! and throughout everyone’s college prep and scholarship process, always B-Lieve! in your potential to B-A Winner! It is true, “Your attitude will determine your altitude.” – Zig Ziglar

Do you have any tips or tricks to share with families on the college-bound journey?

As you well know there are a lot of great tips to help guide the process but here are two B-Forc! Tips:

Tip #1: Before you commit, you must go see where you want to be. All colleges look the same size on the internet, of course this will depend on the size of your monitor and everybody posts their best selfies including colleges.

Tip #2: College bound students should use their summers wisely. Choose at least one summer pre-college program or camp during high school; the experience can prove to be priceless. Volunteer in the community for network building, community support is valuable “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know or who knows you” also work on your scholarship applications.

What is your favorite college-prep resource?

First, let me testify that there are a lot of wonderful resources available. For scholarship resources and more, I love Cappex.com. They have been my favorite go to scholarship website for 10 years and a part of my B-Forc! Plan for the students and parents I coach. Another favorite is MyMajors.com and now ScholarPrep, your product is something I truly wish was available 10 years ago and is a valuable tool in helping parents with the college prep process and for students to build organization skills which will prove to be vital for their college journey.

What is one thing that makes what you do unique?

One word, Me! My passion, my faith, my love for what I do, the B-Forc! Plan… I love what I do. As a College and Scholarship Prep Coach I am so into the game, the success of it for my parents and students. You didn’t ask this question but my motivational theme song by DJ Khaled for years has been “All I Do is Win, Win, Win” … every coach has to have a theme song for the team…right?

What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?

It’s hard to have favorites, I like to do many things, just don’t have enough time. But if I had to pick I would say binging on Netflix or Redbox movies. I also love a good book, from history to a great mystery. No favorite genre – I’m just drawn to great writers.

Anything else we should know?

I have a life motto I refer to daily that inspires me to do what I do, “A candle loses no light, by lighting another.” I hope to encourage others to share what they know, the success of their college journey and valuable scholarship information. As for me, I’m always ready to light another candle.

 

The post Expert Interview: Shelia Cain appeared first on ScholarPrep.

The 5 Step College Admissions Blueprint

0
0

This is a guest blog post written by our friend Ashly Jordan, the owner of My Education Connections, LLC and a veteran teacher. My Education Connections, LLC provides assistance to students and parents in making important college decisions, with access to insightful resources. They believe that a higher education should be affordable and accessible, and provide personalized alignment of student interests to their best choices for college, major, financial aid, and career. We encourage you to learn more about My Education Connections, LLC!


The simple mention of college can send parents and students alike into a sheer panic. Thoughts of planning, preparing, and making life altering decisions about major, cost, and career options, creep into the thoughts of nervous students and anxious parents. The simplest way to avoid the panic and anxiety is by developing a clear plan, determining interests, and starting now. As a teacher, I am constantly being asked for my recommendations on everything from colleges and financial aid to major and career selection. The best advice I can provide is to formulate and adhere to an action plan. This 5 Step College Admissions Blueprint walks you effortlessly through a simple plan of action, so you each can begin preparing now. Download your free copy of the 5 Step College Admissions Blueprint.

Step 1: Academics

Colleges want to see academic rigor in the coursework a student enrolls in. This includes honors and AP classes when possible. Colleges want students who take their studies and education seriously and treat it as a priority. Try to take AP courses in areas of interest for the student enhancing their academic rigor and specialization.

Step 2: Performance

Grades matter. Many parents often hope that simply because their child takes highly demanding coursework that their grades do not matter as much.  Colleges know that past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior. So not only is it necessary to enroll in rigorous coursework, but students need to achieve high marks in all classes.

Step 3: Preparation

Planning and preparation are key. It is crucial that you and your child start preparing for college as soon as possible. Freshman year is not too soon, in fact it is a great time to start. Be sure they fulfill all requirements for the preferred school. It would be devastating for a student who achieved excellent grades in academically rigorous coursework, but did not take the correct number of math or humanities classes to meet the college’s admissions requirements. This happens each year because high schools often have different graduation requirements than what is required for college admissions, especially if the college is out of state. So the best advice I can give, as a teacher, is to do your homework. Another important component that is often put off throughout high school is standardized test preparation. Students should begin studying for the SAT/ACT as soon as possible. Take a course, get a book, or go online, but the sooner the better. Waiting until junior year to begin studying can put undue pressure on students while they are taking academically demanding coursework and participating in after school activities. Studying and practicing consistently throughout high school can ease the pressure and lead to better scores. This does not mean it is too late for a junior or senior. It is just imperative that they begin preparing as soon as possible.

Step 4: Specialization

Encourage students to pursue their interests and find their passion. It is a myth that colleges want students who are perfect at all things. It is an unrealistic notion and expectation. Colleges want students who do well academically and excel in a couple specialized areas of interest. This could be sports, an instrument, art, journalism, another after school activity, or any combination of these. Specialization helps set the student apart, and it should be something they are passionate about.

Step 5: Presentation

How students present themselves when applying to college and beyond is crucial, and it is often through their writing. It is imperative that all essay and short answer questions be completed on applications. They should never be considered optional because this is the perfect and sometimes only opportunity to make an impression on the admissions officer.

These steps are a great starting point, but it is crucial that each student develops their own personalized plan with aligned interests. Talk with your child and encourage them to pursue their passions and challenge themselves academically. Please reach out with questions on to simplify the college process or with comments to ashly@collegechoicetoday.com

The post The 5 Step College Admissions Blueprint appeared first on ScholarPrep.

College planning begins the summer after 8th grade graduation

0
0

Did you know that high school officially begins as soon as a student graduates from 8th grade? Anything they do after that day can be included on their high school resume for college and scholarship applications. Therefore, the summer before freshman year is the perfect time to start planning for college, even if it seems so far away.

Avoid these obstacles…

Flash forward to senior year… Imagine sitting down with your student to help them fill out a scholarship application. Have either of you ever seen an application before? Chances are, if you’re like many families, this is the first time you’ve seen one, and it’s time to fill it out.

Obstacle 1:

Did you know that there would be an entire section for leadership? How about community involvement? One of the major obstacles that students face when applying to college is knowing what information they need to be tracking. If you figure this out senior year, it will be too late to create a competitive application.

Obstacle 2:

The other obstacle that many students face is trying to remember all of the details of their high school activities and achievements. Do you remember all of the times you volunteered? What about the specific dates and number of hours? By starting the planning process early, students can set goals and track and organize their information over four years. 

There is no way to know in high school what the perfect choices are to prepare for college, as students frequently change their minds. However, we do not want students to reach their senior year and realize they should have taken the ACT test one more time, or that a scholarship they need is going to someone with more volunteer hours.

The only way to ensure that students don’t miss out on opportunities or scholarships is through proper planning and organization, and this should start the summer after 8th grade graduation.

So how do you prepare?

Setting up an organizational and tracking system is the first step. Getting organized will ensure a student’s college or scholarship applications are complete. This step will ensure that nothing is forgotten or missed. The best way to do this is with a physical organizer.

Use a paper planner:

Even though we live in a digital world, the most effective way to keep a commitment to planning is to have that physical component. Applications will require physical copies of letters of recommendation, resumes, cover letters, and other application documents. On top of that, research shows that writing down your commitments and goals by hand will help you accomplish them.

This is where our ScholarPrep Organizer comes in handy. We’ve designed the perfect, organizational system to walk you through the planning process, step-by-step. This isn’t just another book you have to read. Your Organizer will guide you throughout high school. The system is already set up, just plug in your information and track your progress.

The Organizer covers every section that a student will encounter on a college or scholarship application:

  • Academics and Testing
  • Extracurricular Activities
  • Community Involvement
  • Leadership Experience
  • Honors and Awards
  • Work Experience
  • Resumes
  • Essays
  • Personal Statements
  • Letters of Recommendation

What’s inside an Organizer?

For each of these sections, your ScholarPrep Organizer gives you tips to keep you on track and ensure your applications will be complete. Most sections of the organizer also contain a handy storage pocket for easy access to important documents. Saving hardcopies of test scores, letters of recommendation, or community service verification letters will save you time when you need them for your applications.

Tracking all of your information from four years of high school will be less overwhelming if done a little bit each month rather than right before applications are due. Each section of your Organizer includes tracking pages where you can organize and record every detail of your high school experience.

What’s the next step?

Start tracking all of your activities and achievements in these categories. Also, keep in mind that some applications will allow for attachments. A copy of a newspaper article about an extracurricular activity or community service project is a nice addition to any application.

Now is the time to start preparing for college and scholarship applications.

Order your Organizer today!

There is a limited quantity available for just $55 (going up to $75 when these are gone). This is the best investment you can make for peace of mind that your child will be prepared when they sit down to fill out applications.

 

The post College planning begins the summer after 8th grade graduation appeared first on ScholarPrep.

Why you should start preparing for your freshman year of college now

0
0

This is a guest post written by Samantha, the founder of AsLifeGrows.com, where she teaches students everything they need to know to have a successful college experience. Through her posts, weekly newsletter, and ecourses, she has helped thousands of students become more successful in college. During the past few years, she has been able to earn a 3.8 GPA, have a great college career, and even get into physical therapy graduate programs (all without getting grey hairs!) Now, she is here to teach you how you can reach your own level of success! We encourage you to learn more about AsLifeGrows.com and check out the original post!


There have been so many high school graduations going on lately that I have decided to do a series to help those of you who are soon to be incoming college freshman! The transition from high school to college is a big one, but I know you can handle it! However, in order to be ready for your freshman year, you need to start preparing now. So, here are a few reasons why you should start preparing for your freshman year of college right now!

1. EARLY PREPARATION IS KEY TO HAVING A SUCCESSFUL HIGH SCHOOL TO COLLEGE TRANSITION

For those of you who don’t know, I am a big supporter of planning and starting in advance. Preparing in advance helps me to worry less and to start making progress towards my goals. There are some big concerns when it comes to preparing for your freshman year of college. Some of the biggest concerns are not knowing what college is going to be like, not knowing how difficult classes will be, and not knowing anyone at your new college! Luckily, if you start preparing for your freshman year of college right now, you can start checking off some of these concerns! Let’s say you are worried about what college is going to be like, by preparing early and looking up information online, you can have a better understanding of what your freshman year will be like. This will really help you worry less! If you are concerned about studying, you can start preparing by working hard in your high school classes or even taking one or two college classes online this summer to get a feel for what you can handle. Worried about not knowing anyone at your college? During the summer before your freshman year, your college should send you a letter telling you who your roommate will be. Once you get this, you can start texting your new roommate to see who needs to bring what. This way, you will at least know one person!

2. FRESHMAN YEAR WILL BE HERE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT

Another reason why it is important to start preparing for your freshman year of college right now is because it will be here before you know it. I know high school can be a drag, but trust me when I say that your senior year of high school will fly by! One second you will be starting your last, first day of high school and the next you will be graduating! Because this all happens so quickly, it is important to start working on your college preparations as soon as possible!

3. YOU WANT TO BE AHEAD OF THE GAME

As I mentioned above, senior year flies by! So you don’t get behind on your college preparations when life gets busy, you need to start preparing for your freshman year of college today. Start printing out a timeline, packing list, and even making mental notes of things you know you are going to need before you go off to college.

 

4. COLLEGE IS A BIG DEAL

Transitioning from high school to college is a big deal! You are going to be leaving your parents home, living somewhere else, and making friends with complete strangers soon! Because the transition can be so overwhelming, I want you to start looking up college information as soon as you can. You can even look up timelines to help you know when you should be doing what during your senior year. Trust me, these timelines can be a HUGE help!

5. THERE ARE DEADLINES

One of the most important reasons why you should start preparing for college now is because there are deadlines that absolutely can not be missed! These include application deadlines, ACT deadlines, scholarship deadlines, campus visit deadlines, and much more! Preparing for your freshman year in advance will be a big help in making sure that you don’t miss any of these important deadlines!

I hope you enjoyed learning why you should start preparing for your freshman year of college now! 

The post Why you should start preparing for your freshman year of college now appeared first on ScholarPrep.

How to create your honors and awards list for applications

0
0

It’s time for you to start thinking about listing awards, honors, and activities for your college and scholarship applications. There are five blanks for academic awards on the common application. Where do you start? What do you include? This shouldn’t be difficult if you’ve been keeping your awards and honors organized in your ScholarPrep Organizer, saved in folders, or saved on your computer.

Academic Awards and Honors

Academic awards and honors should be the only items listed under the Awards section on your Common Application. This section may not be lengthy if your school does not offer many awards, and that’s okay.

Examples of academic awards include, but are not limited to:

  • AP Scholar
  • Any “honor society” such as, International Thespian Society, National Honor Society, etc.
  • Honor Roll
  • National Language Exam Recognition
  • National Merit Award
  • President’s Award
  • School subject-based award
  • Subject-specific exams (i.e. National Spanish Exam; Science Olympiad)
  • Winner of a science fair or academic competition

Making the List: Title, Ranking, & Description

Title:

Know the correct title of the award you are listing. Look at the certificate, medal, trophy or other item to ensure it’s correct.

Rank:

List the most significant based on the level of recognition first. The highest  level of recognition is where you should begin: international, to national, to state, to community to school. For example, if you placed 1st in district but 2nd in state in a debate competition, you would list the 2nd place first since it was at a higher level.

Next, determine the selectivity for the award. Being an “honor roll” student is not a very selective award as it is very common, especially since so many students are working to get into their college or university of choice. This would be near the bottom of the list based on selectivity. So, if you are a National Merit award winner that would be placed above honor roll student–if you choose to list honor roll student in one of the slots provided for awards.

Description:

The description of the award should be short and specific. Think Twitter..140 characters or less, but use proper spelling and grammar with no hashtags. Focus your keywords on the selectivity of the award. Do not use unnecessary information. Choose impactful verbs demonstrating selectivity to begin the description: “Awarded…”, “Achieved recognition for…”, “Recognized as…”, etc.

Examples include:

  • Selected as one of five recipients of 500 applicants.
  • Awarded second place in a state competition with over 1,000 participants.

Non-Academic Awards and Honors

Many students earn awards or honors not related to academics. The non-academic awards and honors from athletic events, extracurricular activities, volunteering or from the community should be listed in the Activities section, not awards and honors. For example, if you were captain of the football team, you would include it under football. If you won 2nd place at state in track and field for long jump, you would list that under track & field.

When you list activities and non-academic honors, rank them with the most impressive first. For example, if you were a member of FBLA but did not hold any leadership positions it would be listed closer to the bottom following activities with honors/awards.

Outside of the Box Honors and Awards

Are you from a small school that doesn’t offer a lot of academic awards? Or, do you want to add more academic awards? Look online to sign up for academic competitions.  

Academic Competitions

A good place to look is The Center for Future Global Leaders (CFGL). CFGL is a non-profit organization dedicated to cultivating the youth of today into tomorrow’s leaders through educational attainment and character development and sponsors a triad of academic competitions, known as IAC, that seek to recognize outstanding achievement in essay writing, mathematical problem-solving, and a mastery of English vocabulary. The IAC has over 6,000 participants each year from the USA, Canada and South Korea; it recognizes winner at the divisional, regional, national, and international levels.

Academic Clubs

You can also join subject-based clubs that compete, especially if there is one in your future career department. For example, if you are a business, marketing, or finance major you should join FBLA, BPA or DECA and compete in any competitions to gain experience and possibly awards.

Academic awards and honors should be a focus of yours once you enter high school. The more elite university you wish to attend, the more prestigious awards you will need to list. Start thinking about your future and what you need for applications, join the clubs you need to in order to compete, sign up online for competitions, and make sure you stand out from the crowd!

The post How to create your honors and awards list for applications appeared first on ScholarPrep.

Moving Out On Your Own for the First Time

0
0

This is a guest blog post written by our friend Angela, the founder and owner of P-A Financial Services (PAFS). She works to increase financial literacy among children, teens, and young adults. While working in the financial services industry, Angela discovered that many teens and young adults were just like her when she was in high school and college; a young person without the skills and knowledge to manage her money. Today, she is sharing her knowledge with children, teens, and young adults who are getting ready to enter their adults lives. We encourage you to learn more about P-A Financial Services (PAFS) and to check out the original post.


Many teens and college students are looking at moving out on their own this summer after they graduate from high school or college.  Right now, though, most of them are focused on classes, grades, and their activities.  Our (my husband and I) eldest son will be graduating from college in June of next year and is planning to move out on his own.  We are excited for him. 

As he is completing his courses and the time gets closer, he is planning out his future costs for rent, utilities, insurance, as well as his present costs for things like furniture and household items.  A few days ago he wanted to go visit the new “At Home” store in our town to determine how much he would need to spend for the “essentials.”  As we walked through the store, he began to get a bit overwhelmed.  There is so much more that he needs than he realized.

We walked through the various areas.  He quickly realized he will be a typical college grad with an eclectic array of a few furniture items.  I think it was then that he realized that we (his parents) accumulated much of our personal assets over time.

Do you have a high school or college grad who will be moving out after graduation in 2017?  Or, maybe you are the one graduating?  Here are some of the items our son determined he would need and he is saving money to purchase.  They are categorized by area of the home:

Kitchen:  He already has a dinnerware set, flatware, and knife set.  He will need glasses, pots, pans, dish towels and dish clothes.  He likes to cook and doesn’t want to eat out all of the time to help with his expenses.  He also knows it is healthier.  Due to this, he has determined he will need mixing bowls, a mixer, measuring cups, measuring spoons, spatulas, and baking pans.  He will also need storage containers for leftovers.  A trash can, of course, for trash and possibly a dish rack for washing dishes.  Many apartments don’t come with dishwashers.   

Dining room/eating area:  He has a table that he currently uses as a second desk, which he plans to use as a kitchen table.  He will need chairs for the table.

Bathroom:  Shower curtain with rings, bath mat, bath towels, wash clothes, and soap dispenser.  He will also need a toilet cleaning brush and a plunger.

Living room:  We have an old couch and TV we are giving him.  So, he may need a lamp, which depends if the living room in his apartment has a ceiling light or not; many don’t.  A chair would be nice.  He needs a stand for the TV.  He also needs a bookshelf as he is an avid reader.  He has a desk for his computer and he has a chair.

Bedroom:  He already has a bed, linens, and a dresser.  He may need curtains, but this will depend on the apartment and if it has blinds or not.  He may need curtains for the living room, too.  He will also need hangers, a hamper, a laundry basket, an iron, and an ironing board.  He doesn’t have a night stand and he may need a lamp depending if the bedroom has a ceiling light or not.  Most do, but some don’t.

Laundry:  This is an unknown and is often overlooked by new renters.  If our son moves into an apartment complex, it may have a laundry facility; however, it may not.  Some apartments have a hookups for renters to use their own washer and dryer.  An apartment in a complex with amenities such as laundry facilities, fitness room, and a pool may cost $50 or a $100 more per month in rent.  Since our son pays for a monthly fitness membership, which he actually uses, an apartment complex with these amenities might be a good fit.  On the other hand, if he finds an apartment that is less expensive, but has washer and dryer hookups, he may want to consider that route especially if he can get a good deal on a set. 

This is not a complete by any means, but it is a good start and is an example of how much goes into moving out for the first time.  There are many decisions that new renters have to considered when moving out on their own for the first time.  They usually focus on the rent and utility costs, which is very important, but they forget to think about how living in a particular place will affect their overall budget.  For example, they may choose a location that is a twenty-minute drive from their work because it is $25 to $50 less per month in rent; however, what will the additional expenses in gas be?  Perhaps, an apartment with washer/dryer hookups is chosen, but then a credit card is used to buy a washer/dryer set?  Would it be better to pay a bit more each month in rent to avoid credit card charges for appliances?  A person could then save money each month for a washer/dryer purchase and then buy them with cash. 

The biggest shock to my son, and even to myself when I moved out on my own for the first time many years ago, was all of the things that are actually needed to run a home.  It is a lot of stuff, especially if you are trying to save money by making your own food instead of eating out, for instance.  Interestingly, decorations were not listed even though my son does want to do that as well, but he realizes that will come in time.

The bottom line:  those who will be moving out on their own in the summer of 2017 should start planning early for the next big step in life to maintain control over their finances.

The post Moving Out On Your Own for the First Time appeared first on ScholarPrep.

How to find the perfect summer job

0
0

What are your summer plans? Are you looking for a job or internship? Whether you want to make money for a car, spending money, or to save for college, a summer job can offer you more for your future than you may realize. You will be able to gain or assert your independence and experience for your future career with new skills and work habits.

Where to look

Most of the time, a job will not just fall in your lap. Finding a summer job takes effort.

  • Let people in your life know you’re looking for a job AND ask if they know of any opportunities.Talk to your friends, parents, teachers, neighbors, church or other organizations you belong to, and anyone else you can think of who could help you!
  • Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone! Walk into local businesses and ask if they’re hiring and if you can fill out an application.
  • Look in your local newspaper for job descriptions.
  • Consider an internship. They may offer less money but it could give you experience for your future career. You may learn that you love or hate what you thought was the perfect career.
  • Check out job websites specializing in helping teens.
  • Start your own business. Market yourself with business cards and flyers.

Types of jobs

Do you have an idea of what kind of job you want? Is there a job that will offer you the opportunity to gain experience and skills for your future career?

Do you want to work…

  • With kids? Then consider being a…
    • Babysitter/nanny
    • Camp counselor
    • Tutor for homeschool or summer school kids
  • Outside? Then maybe you could find a job…
    • Walking dog/pet sitting
    • Cleaning pools
    • As a lifeguard
    • Doing lawn care
    • Cleaning or detailing cars
    • Being a golf caddy
    • Delivering newspapers
  • Inside? Then how about…
    • Food service
    • Theater
    • Retail
    • Office administration
    • Hospitality

Creating a resume

Other than an application, your one-page resume is something that can get you an interview for the job you desire. Your resume should highlight you in a way others cannot be highlighted. It should NOT be longer than one page until you have a college degree and career experience. You may need a different resume for each job you apply to since the requested skills will be different.

  • Header: Your name, address, email and phone number
  • Work experience: List your job title, place of employment, location and dates. Some application request more information such as supervisor’s name and contact information.
  • Skills: Relate your skills learned from sports, clubs, organizations, community service, and other job experience to the job you are applying for.
  • Education: Do not list earlier than your 9th grade. Identify name of high school, location and dates attended. If you attended more than one high school, list your most recent first.
  • Activities and achievements: List all extracurricular organizations/teams, position/title, duties, accomplishments and dates–include both school and non-school memberships.
  • Awards & honors: Provide the organization, award name, date, and short description of the award/honor.
  • Volunteer & community service: Include the organization name, specific department, location (city & state), position, duties, number of hours contributed or timeline of service.

Know your references

You need to have three to five references who can give glowing recommendations so the potential employer wants to hire you. References need to be an adult who knows you well. Ask permission before you put them down on your application; they shouldn’t be surprised to get the call requesting information about you for the job.

Who should you use?

  • Teachers
  • Mentors
  • Previous co-workers (over the age of 21)
  • Community leaders
  • Adults from church
  • Neighbors

Filling out applications

Applications can be filled out with pen on paper or online. Here are some tips for filling out applications:

  • Do not fill it out at the place of employment; take it to your car, home, a coffee shop. But, do NOT sit in the place of business and fill it out.
  • Read and follow instructions.
  • Make copies in case you mess up.
  • Do not leave blanks. Use N/A (not applicable) when necessary.
  • Do not put specific hourly/salary requirements.
  • Keep your resume and application consistent.
  • Answer truthfully.
  • If filling out a paper application, use black pen and write legibly

Preparing for the interview

Practice your interview skills before the interview. Ask an adult to walk you through a mock interview asking questions you may face in the actual interview. Sample questions may include:

  • Tell me about yourself.
    • What sets your apart from other applicants? Do not recite your resume/application; they have already seen it. Be enthusiastic and tell them something that’s NOT on the application or in your resume.
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses?
    • Highlight your strengths and identify your weaknesses BUT turn them into strengths by identifying how you are working on them.
  • Tell me about a time you have failed.
    • Everyone has messed up or made mistakes. Don’t act like you haven’t.
    • Accept responsibility when you explain it.
    • Explain what you learned and how you plan to prevent it in the future.
  • Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
    • Describe educational and work endeavors that will lead to a successful future.
  • Why should we hire you?
    • Don’t give them a sob story. Make them believe in you and your future. What have you done and what will you do to accomplish your dreams?

More interview tips:

  • Arrive 10-15 minutes before the interview.
  • Dress to impress. Dress conservatively and professionally. No second 1st impressions are given! People judge you in the first 15 seconds they see you.
    • Grooming is essential. Haircut should be recent and neat.
    • Dress, at minimum, one step above the daily dress code for the workplace.
    • Girls should wear slacks or a skirt with a button up top and blazer. Pantyhose are not necessary. Wear 2” or less heels. Your jewelry should not be too blingy and do not wear excessive perfume or body spray.
    • Guys, you should wear slacks, button up shirt, tie and blazer. Make sure you wear a belt and nice dress shoes. Make sure you shave!
  • Be aware of your nonverbals. Remember to maintain good posture and eye contact.
  • Watch ums/uhs. Remember to breathe and be confident when you speak. Pause if necessary.
  • If you’re not sure how to respond, do not try to bluff your way through. Ask for clarity. Still not sure? It’s okay to say “I’m not sure” or “I don’t know.”
  • Ask a couple questions at the end of the interview. They’re going to ask if you have any…make sure you have researched the company and have a couple questions in mind. This will make it seem like you’re very interested and they’ll be more open to giving you the job.
  • Shake hands when you enter & leave the room.
  • Acknowledge them by name.
  • Within 24 hours, send a note thanking them for the interview & consideration and highlight yourself one more time.

Summer is around the corner! Getting a job is a process, but with the information provided you are set up for success. Don’t forget to be prepared and professional throughout the process. Also, keep an open mind. You never know what might come of your summer job experience.

The post How to find the perfect summer job appeared first on ScholarPrep.


Resource Feature: Gift of College

0
0

Our College-Prep Resource Feature series gives parents and students an opportunity to learn about a valuable resource available to them on their college-bound journey. Once or twice a month, we choose a new resource that we have found valuable. Many of the resources we feature are free, while others cost – we always try to include some kind of discount when we share these type of resources! 


Resource: Gift of College

Gift of College Logo

In a few sentences, explain the purpose of Gift of College:

GiftofCollege.com is a gift registry for college savings plans that lets friends and family contribute easily online or with gift cards. Gift cards are redeemable at GiftofCollege.com for deposit directly into any existing or newly started 529 plans and student loan accounts. Gift of College also provides a social savings platform where parents can promote their child’s education within its community, making saving for college, simple, fun and top-of-mind.

What’s the story behind Gift of College?

Founded in 2008, GiftofCollege.com was born when founder Wayne Weber discovered just how complicated it was to donate to a college savings account.  This realization fired up Wayne’s initial goal, which was to simply streamline the process and design an innovative social savings platform that makes it easier than ever for friends and relatives to help over-burdened parents save for a child’s college education.

How does it work?

Get started by registering your existing 529 college savings plan or student loan account with GiftofCollege.com.

Encourage friends and family to contribute by either

  1. Going to the site and finding your profile thru a last name search in our database
  2. Providing them a direct link to your profile

Then there are many ways they can choose to contribute:

  1. Using a credit card online
  2. Purchasing an e-gift card.
  3. Purchasing a physical gift cards at select ToysRUs and BabiesRUs nationwide

You can also turn unwanted gift cards into college cash (GiftofCollege.com e-gift cards).

Please check out our Gift of College How It Works video.

Why is Gift of College so important?

Why Gift of College Registry and Gift Cards?

  • It’s a smart and timeless gift
  • It’s clutter free and won’t be outgrown
  • They’ll thank you!

Who does this benefit?

  • Parents get relief with help to save for rising college costs.
  • Kids get the gift of a bright future. 
  • Graduates that were given a student loan debt sentence get help to fast track their loan payoffs.
  • Relatives that go thru the “crazy” of what do we give now?

When should someone start using Gift of College?

Your child will be going to college before you know it and it’s never too early or too late to start saving.

Why should you start saving now?

  • A child is 6x more likely to attend college knowing someone is saving money for them to go.
  • Every dollar saved is more than a dollar that you won’t have to borrow for college costs.
  • Education pays. Those with a college degree can earn over a million dollars more over a work lifetime than those without.

What struggle or problem does you solve?

  • Facing the rising cost of college – We offer a way for families to make it easier for friends and family to contribute toward a child’s higher education and change traditional patterns of gift giving.
  • Student Debt Crisis — Millennials in debt can use giftofcollege.com to reach out to relatives and contribute toward paying off their crushing college debt.

Do you have any tips or tricks to share with families on the college-bound journey?

  • Start saving now
    • You can open a 529 with as little as $25
    • Auto-deposit any amount you can afford weekly/monthly
  • Stop Buying It: Your kids don’t need any more “stuff” so encourage all your relatives to support your saving effort:
    • Purchase gift cards online or at ToysRUs/BabiesRUs nationwide.
    • Gift of College gift cards have a price point between $25 – $500.
    • So purchase a higher price point and place it in a card OR
    • Purchase a lower price point and attach it as an add-on to a gift
  • Invitations to those special events:
    • Include your personalized link to your giftofcollege.com profile when sending out those special invitations all year long.

Special tip: when at the grandparents’ house bookmark the site to make it easy for them to get there to gift easily.

The post Resource Feature: Gift of College appeared first on ScholarPrep.

How to supercharge college scholarship applications

0
0

This is a guest blog post written by our friend Monica Matthews, the author of How to Win College Scholarships. She helped her own son win over $100,000 in scholarships and now shares her expertise with other parents and their students. She truly has “been there, done that” in regards to helping parents and students navigate the scholarship process. Ms. Matthews’ step-by-step scholarship guide has taught desperate parents to help their own students win thousands of scholarship dollars. We encourage you to learn more about How to Win College Scholarships and check out the original post!


With hundreds, and very often thousands, of college scholarship applications to wade through, how do students make theirs stand out? Here are some easy ways for students to supercharge their applications, impress the judges, and avoid them getting thrown in the reject pile:

Include all requested material

Check and double check that ALL mandatory materials specified in the scholarship guidelines are included in the application packet. These usually include letter(s) of recommendation, school transcripts, an essay, and a completely filled-out application.  If the guidelines specify the order in which to arrange the documents, diligently make sure they are in that order.  In addition, pay attention to mailing specifications and attachment requirements (to staple or not to staple).

Completely answer the essay question

The essay is the heart of the scholarship application and how the judges truly get a feel for the kind of student that is applying.  Students have a tendency to start off in the right direction when they are answering the essay question, but then go off on a tangent and lose focus. To be sure the question is fully answered; students can have a trusted adult read the essay without knowing the essay question and see if they can figure out what it is from reading the answer.  Students must also pay close attention to word count requirements and never go over the limit specified in the scholarship guidelines.

Do not apply if all qualifications are not met

A student with a 3.4 GPA may be tempted to apply for college scholarships that specify an average of 3.5 and above, but this is a big mistake. College scholarship judges need to eliminate students in order to narrow down the field of possible winners, and ignoring simple guidelines is the fastest way to get applications thrown into the reject pile.  Before spending time on any college scholarship, students need to read all qualifications carefully and only apply if they truly qualify. 

Don’t be standard

Most students start the scholarship essay with these exact words, “I deserve to win this scholarship money because…”  In order to stand out and get noticed by college scholarship judges, students need to be different and start off their essays with a strong, bold, eye-opening, and maybe even shocking, statement.  This “hook” immediately gets the judges thinking about the student and wondering how they are going to answer the essay question with this unique lead-in. The goal of a great scholarship essay is to get the judges to want to read the entire essay, instead of having to read it.  The scholarship essay can easily make or break a college scholarship application.

Showcase leadership

Organizations offering college scholarship money are looking for students that show true promise, so leadership skills should always be shared and emphasized in essays and on applications. There are many ways that students are considered leaders besides the traditional leadership roles such as team captain or student body president.  Did a student lead a group of kids in games at their church’s vacation bible school?  THAT is leadership.  How about starting a club or volunteer group?  More leadership!  Dig deep and examine all aspects of involvement and there are surely leadership roles to highlight and showcase when applying for college scholarships.

The post How to supercharge college scholarship applications appeared first on ScholarPrep.

How to save and display your awards and honors

0
0

Awards and honors are an important part of applying to colleges and for scholarships. Have you been keeping the certificates, medals, trophies that represent your awards and honors? Do you have pictures of yourself at academic competitions? All of those can come in handy during your application process. So, how do you save, store, and display them? There are several methods that will help get you organized during high school and then as you are navigating the application process.

Save

It is imperative you save all academic certificates you receive. Does your school give out course awards? Honor roll certificates? Character certificates? Have you received certificates for volunteering? Make sure you save them!

Saving the certificates will assist you when it’s time to fill out college and scholarship applications and create your resume. There won’t be any wondering about what awards you won because they will be at your fingertips! Staying organized is key!

Store

There are several methods for properly storing your certificates and awards. Choose the method that works best for you. Each person has their own way of staying organized and keeping records. Determine what works best for your family and when the time comes to fill out applications and resumes you won’t have any issues!

  1. Box or file folder
    • Use a file folder or storage container for each grade throughout high school and store all certificates in the selected file folder.
    • If you don’t want to display your trophies, ribbons and/or medals, add them to the box. You can also list them and put the information in the file folders along with your certificates.
  2. ScholarPrep Organizer
    • In your ScholarPrep Organizer there is a folder in the Honors and Awards section for you to store your certificates so they are not damaged.
    • You will also use this section to keep a list of awards by school year.
  3. Scan and save on computer
    • Scanning awards and saving them on a computer is a great method in the age of technology. Always backup your information. You never know when your computer will fail you and everything could be lost.
    • Methods:
      • Computer folder
      • Google Drive or DropBox
        • Free storage with an account.
        • They can be accessed from anywhere you have Internet capabilities.
        • They will not be lost if your computer crashes.
        • Easily accessible when filling out applications and resumes.
      • USB
        • Backup your information to a USB and store in a safe and secure spot.
        • Only use this USB for college prep materials and information such as awards, resumes, etc.
  4. Take pictures
    • Do you have artwork, a science fair project, or something else you won an award for or other academic achievements that are hard to store in a box? Take a picture and save it to your computer, online drive and/or USB drive.

BONUS TIP: Save pictures of you in action. Did you win a debate competition or a science fair competition? Display pictures of you earning your award. Be proud of your accomplishments!

Display

We are in the technology age where everyone looks online to learn about others. Leave a positive digital footprint and create an online resume. With an online resume, you can display your awards and photographs.

Create an e-portfolio or online resume using PortfolioGen, Wix, or OPResume. They all have free options and give you a link to share your information. Not only will you look more professional, this is also an easy way to store and display your awards and other valuable information.

You will need the information about your awards and honors for your applications and a resume. Don’t let disorganization be a reason you miss deadlines for college and scholarship applications. Figure out a system that works for you and get organized today!

 

The post How to save and display your awards and honors appeared first on ScholarPrep.

Athletic Scholarships: A Tale of Two Soccer Players

0
0
 

This is a guest post written by our friend Jeremie Piette, the owner of Global Futbol Training. Jeremie is a former collegiate standout and professional soccer player who has produced hundreds of players at the college level. His current client roster includes current professional players, USWNT players, collegiate players & youth soccer players. His online ball control courses are used across the globe. His main passion is helping soccer players develop the skills to get them to the Next Level along with the character to keep them there. We encourage you to learn more about Jeremie on his blog.


Have you ever experienced something where you thought you had the knowledge, but once you went through it you found that you didn’t know has much as you thought? Of course you have, we all have been there. Today I want to tell you a story about 2 of my students who I have trained and mentored for 7 years who both finally committed to University to play soccer. Both of them I met the same time because a coaching friend connected us when the boys were 10. Both of them played D1 Youth Travel soccer their whole life. I always thought they would get scholarships quite easily, based on their level of playing, their work ethic, connections & more. Stories like theirs teach me more & more that you have to do the right things to get offered a spot on a college team, and if you want scholarship money you have to do them at the right time! 

The power of a highlight video

Before I tell you about these two boys and want to share a story from 5 years ago when I helped a student athlete named Dominique. At the time she was playing club soccer in a 3rd tier league in Dallas, TX which is still very high level since Dallas is top 3 in competitive youth soccer. Long story short, I helped her put together a highlight video for her recruiting process & she ended up getting scholarship to a D1 College out of state. The highlight video was so good that she got better offers than players who played 1st tier club soccer. The only thing that wasn’t great about this story was that when she got to college to play she and her coach found that she was not ready for that level. The highlight video showed her to be a top player, but when it was time to play she never got to.  

The moral of the story

The point of this story is that in our college prep course & DIY highlight video course we give you the tips on how to make an amazing highlight video. However, just like anything else, video can be edited to showcase talent that, without proper development, opportunity cannot be sustained. College coaches say that they get hundreds of videos every year but most of them are not good, either because the content in the video or the quality. I will show you how to make a video that will have coaches contacting you with offers. Then it is your job to decide which school. Just make sure you don’t pick a school for prestige and bragging rights, but one that will give you a chance to play by your sophomore year. We play sports to play, not to sit the bench.

Competing with the world

Now let’s get to another story from a player named Thomas, who ended up getting an offer on a D1 College team out of state but he didn’t get scholarship. The reason is because he thought that playing top level club soccer (Development Academy) he would just get offers rolling in. (For those of you who don’t know, there is a boys development academy level that is so good their players are not allowed to play in high school).

He did have tons of letters and communications from big schools like Duke, Syracuse, SMU, Wake Forest but that doesn’t mean you are getting offered money and it doesn’t mean they really even know who you are. These schools are sending out letters to thousands of kids to spark interest and keep you from committing to other schools. They hope that you are going to commit to their school without asking for any money, because obviously money doesn’t grow on trees.  

College coaches are trying to save every penny possible so that they can give large amounts to top players across the world. That’s right, across the world. Not only are you competing against kids across America but kids on every continent are trying to get to America for opportunity through their athletic and academic talents. So my student Thomas ended up signing with a D1 school and is really happy about it because he made connections with the coach and players. He felt good about the situation because it looks like he will get some playing time as a freshman and with the older players on the team they have lots of seniors who will be gone after this next year which means Thomas will probably have the starting spot from his Sophomore year on. This is important and what you should be thinking about. Don’t just go to a school because they have a big name; go because you have a peace about it and opportunity to get playing time early. That’s what it’s all about, continuing to play the sport you love. The coach told him that if he plays well as a freshman that he will get scholarship money his sophomore year. Now let’s hope Thomas plays well and that the coach is honest.

Dealing with the setbacks

Another college recruiting story is my student Max who ended up getting injured his junior year in high school, which is the worst time to get hurt. This is the time that all the showcase tournaments which college scouts are going on. AND for boys, junior and senior year is when you get signed, as opposed to girls getting committed as early as summer before 9th grade. Not only was it an injury, but it was a ACL tear. So pretty much a shock for the family because now you are wondering if you will ever get recruited and achieve your childhood dream.  

Max just signed with an out-of-state D2 school and I am so happy for him! But he and his parents did the right things in order to make this happen. One thing was right after he was released by the doctor to play, he contacted me to get his skills, confidence and leg strong. I remember encouraging him saying you are going to do great things just keep working hard. This helps the mental part of his game to have someone else believing in him. Sometimes we need someone else to believe in us, before we can believe in ourselves.

Seniors in shock

These two players both were in shock when by their senior year they had not committed anywhere due to setbacks. Thomas’s club coach changed his position from an attacking player, which he played his whole life, to a defender. He didn’t know how to play that position, which is scary at a time when you are getting recruited. Then Max had a devastating injury that set him back 8 months. All the schools that were looking at him before the injury dropped off the radar and he had to start all over.  This is why I am writing this to you guys, so that you can at least know two things that can happen to you or people you know. If they would have done what we teach in our College Prep Course they could have been committed to a school with scholarship money before these things happened  to them. They would have gone through a lot less stress and they would have saved tons of money, not having to travel across the country 3-5 times. Think about how much money those things cost, traveling out of state: gas, flight, hotel, food plus all the extra time they spent researching when they could have done the right things at the right time to get early offers from schools. 

I want you to start the process early (7th, 8th grade, 9th grade – no later) so that you can save your family tons of stress in wondering what you need to do and if you are going to get into a school. Also there is lots of money floating out there for scholarship but you have to know the secrets to get it. Some people try to hold back in spending money, but find out later that they had to spend more in the long run.  There is the old saying you have to spend money to make money. Earning scholarship is making money and we want to help you get it.

Doesn’t matter what sport you play, the process we give so many is the same in terms of when and how you contact schools. What are you waiting for? Start your learning in how to make money through your talents both academically and athletically. 

The post Athletic Scholarships: A Tale of Two Soccer Players appeared first on ScholarPrep.

How to make the most of your college tours

0
0

You’re about to make one of the biggest decisions of your life. Where will you spend four years studying for your future career? Have you thought about what you’re looking for in a college? Whether you’re a freshmen, upperclassmen, or a middle school student, going on college tours can help you make the big decision.

Research colleges that offer what you’re interested in studying and get started with your planning today. Along with this post, we have put together a College Tour Planning Packet which includes a planning checklist, questions to ask, and a rating sheet to help you as you tour colleges. These tools will help you reflect, compare and make the best decision possible.

Prepare

You have multiple colleges and universities you want to tour. Great! Tour them all (or as many as possible) and then tour some more. This is not something to be taken lightly. Print our checklist to help you stay organized!

  1. Write down dates that the whole family is available for touring campuses.
  2. Contact the admissions department and set up a group or individual tour.
    • Write down the contact person’s name, email, and phone number when you schedule your visit.
  3. Find driving directions to the campus. Save them so you don’t have to use data or in case you lose service while driving.
  4. Print a map of the campus or bookmark the map on your phone or tablet for easy access. 
  5. Make a list of questions to ask. We created a list to help you get started! 
  6. Fill out our campus rating sheet and make notes during your tour; this form will make it easier to compare your visits.
  7. Decide on your method of taking notes on your visit. Smartphone? Tablet? Pencil and paper?
  8. Find out if a campus tour request form is required. Often these are optional, but they can be helpful to complete.

BONUS TIP: Ask if there is an overnight option to gain the full experience. If it is, they allow you to stay in a dorm room, eat in the cafeteria and “live” like a college student.

Download the college tour planning packet to find out what questions to ask on your tour and to grab our college rating sheet:

Tour Day

It’s the day you’ve been anticipating. It’s a day you should enjoy, but don’t forget that you’re there to learn about your potential college… so there is business to be conducted during the fun! Whether you’re on a group or individual tour, there are places you need to see and things you need to do to get a real feel of the campus.

What should you see on the academics side? (I mean, this is why you’ll be attending college, right?)

  • Classrooms, especially in the area of your interest
  • Library
  • Computer labs
  • Bookstore
  • Career Center

What should you look for as far as student life is concerned?

  • Newspapers
  • Athletic events
  • Bulletin boards
  • List of organizations
  • Housing
  • Recreation facilities
  • Radio station
  • Health care facility

Bonus Tip: Drive around town. This will be your home for four or more years. Does it offer what you want and need: stores, restaurants, theaters, parks, other things to do, safety?

Where do you find food?

  • Cafeteria
  • Student center
  • Where else??

Talk to students and professors on your tour. Ask questions you prepared and ones that pop up while on the tour. They will love answering your questions and will want to persuade you to attend “their” college or university.

Pro Tip: Get names and business cards or email addresses of those you encounter so you can reach out after the tour if you have questions.

Follow up

Follow up with a note to your tour guide or your contact on campus with a handwritten note. This note should thank them for their time, tell them what impressed you, and ask any questions that you have. Handwritten notes make a big impact, but your note can also be an email especially if you have questions or concerns so they can be addressed in a more timely manner.

Reflect

When reflecting on your tour experience, try to place yourself at that school longterm. Committing to a college for your future is a huge decision.

Fill out our rating sheet that looks at important aspects of your tour: people, social life, major offered, classrooms, housing, town, campus, food, and safety. You can add other factors if you consider it important and a basis for your decision.

What did you like best? What was the worst thing about the college? Did it have everything you need and want? For example, would there be a good chance of you getting a part-time job doing something you enjoy? Are there enough things to do in your spare time to unwind?

Touring colleges and universities should be fun. Staying organized with your planning helps you enjoy and get the most of your experience. Tour as many colleges as you can. The decision of where to attend college should not be taken lightly. Start as early as your 8th or 9th grade year and tour more each year. Repeat if necessary. Just remember, this will help you make one of the biggest decisions of your life!

The post How to make the most of your college tours appeared first on ScholarPrep.

Viewing all 149 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images