Is Your Child's High School Performance Jeopardizing College Opportunities?

Many high school kids go through a phase of revolt where they don't perform up to their potential and think it amusing to appear as if though they don't understand and don't care whether they do or not.

They may fake ignorance of subjects they know very well. This is called the "Cute Idiot" syndrome, and unfortunately it is common; thank goodness in most cases it is also usually only temporary.

This nonsense usually originates from a student who is doing poorly academically and may not have any guidance from home to do any better. The sad thing is that students who are doing well in school often look up to the student and think of them as cool. They emulate the same wiseacre ways to seek the acceptance of the bad kid or to hopefully become more popular themselves.

Some of the signs to watch for if your child suddenly goes "brain dead" and wants to follow in the shoes of the person who is going nowhere are:

1. Always Late for School Activities - You should teach your child to be on time for any event they are expected to attend, and that definitely includes school. This should start in the kindergarten/elementary years and become routine. Being late can progress to cutting classes, too.

2. Losing or Forgetting Homework - This is one of those traits that aggravates teachers to no end. It soon becomes evident to educators that the student who does this doesn't care about class studies, and the teacher will lose interest in wasting time with such a goldbricker.

3. Creating a Scene in Class - The number one trait of a bad student is interrupting the teaching process by attempting to make a circus out of class. Trips to the principal's office probably won't do much good, except to provide some peace for the instructor. The parent usually gets some lame excuse of how their child was mistreated.

4. Postponing Assignments until the Last Minute - This is a problem with many students if their parents don't stay after them. It is a poor habit that may have nothing to do with the "Cute Idiot" syndrome. Still, you can be assured that the person influencing the mutiny is doing the same thing.

These are only four of the ways that a student can jeopardize college opportunities and decent grades because of listening to the wrong drummer. Unfortunately, things can get much worse and lead to many more problems both in school and at home. It is important for parents to get a handle on this behavior early, before extreme damage is done.

Imagine trying to get reference letters for college and scholarship applications from teachers and school officials who have labeled your child's behavior as unacceptable for college. Once the damage is done, it is hard, if even possible, to undo.

How Does Your Child Choose a College Major?

If you have friends who have already sent kids to college, you probably have heard stories about failure along with the ones on success. Failure isn't always indicative of talent or desire; it can be caused by simple mistakes in choice and judgment. Unfortunately, that can happen at the parent level on occasion.

You Can't Decide for Your Child

Some parents have predetermined ideas about what their children will be professionally when they are still very young, and the lesson all parents eventually learn is that their offspring have different plans and desires from those of the parents. A doctor might wish the same profession for his son, but medicine is not for everyone, or there would be more doctors than the world needs.

It is much better to coach a child to focus on what they want to do in life at a very early age than it is to simply wait for a decision or force a curriculum on them. Children should start narrowing down their career objectives by the 9th grade, and if a child enters their senior year with no clue as to what line of work interests them, it is time to have a discussion on the subject.

Their career or choice of major need not be too exact, but defining it to a broad category can save some tuition for classes at school that may not be necessary for a particular area of study.

Here are some tips that might help your child in choosing a college major.

1. You can find tests online that help your child select a major by simply choosing answers to multiple choice questions. This is a good start if a child is stuck, and the process often makes important points clear.

2. Base career objectives on marketable skills and employment in fields that are viable and will be so in the future.

3. Build on strengths, not hopes. A child who doesn't grasp some subjects very well and really doesn't improve with tutoring won't do well if those subjects are requirements in a career. A student who does poorly in math will struggle in a field of study such as electrical engineering or computer programming.

Choosing a college major has to rank within the top five decisions a young person makes. What they need most from their parents is for them to be helpful and supportive.

Never Take the SAT or ACT Too Lightly

Everyone knows that an SAT or ACT score is an important part of the college admissions process, and yet many parents send their kids to take the test without any preparation at all.

Either test is a measuring gauge of what a child has learned up to that point in the education system. To achieve the best possible scores on either of these tests, regardless of how good your child's grades are, some preparation is highly recommended.

How important is the SAT or ACT to a college? It is considered the second most important factor in the application. Scores in high school based on the degree of difficulty and any special academic accomplishments beyond those required provides the primary focus of admissions, but poor SAT or ACT scores can be a debilitating factor affecting a college's decision.

Increase College Offers

Higher SAT/ACT scores mean more choices for majors in college as well as more colleges that will have an interest in the student's attendance. While every college is concerned about filling classrooms and receiving tuition, it is the intent to take the students who will be better able to finish the courses and graduate with honors.

Everyone benefits from added points on the test, and some colleges won't even consider a student for acceptance if their scores fall below a certain minimum.

Sponsors offer scholarships every year to students they deem deserving of their offers. They also use the scoring on the ACT or SAT when determining who receives scholarships.

Do Not Underachieve

The student who "settles" for a score rather than attempts to do their best is limiting their potential. This is also indicative of how the student will pursue higher education and life in general. The parent should instill the importance of academic achievement early in the education process and reinforce that concept throughout a child's academic life.

Some study materials for the SAT and ACT are free, but the better prep packages do cost money. Consider it an investment in the child's education that can make the difference in overall college costs and the level of achievement at that level. Sometimes your school's guidance counselor keeps study material on hand to lend to students.

There are four primary fields of study represented in the SAT or ACT; these are Math, Writing, Critical Reading, and Vocabulary. Concentrating more on the weakest subjects is a proven way to get higher scores and achieve more balanced scoring, which is another consideration during evaluation for college acceptance.

Three Ways to Ensure College Success for Your Child

Parents of high school age children with plans to attend college must prepare in advance. Students who do well at the next level are the ones who began to think about taking that step years before it is time. Most often, the only way that will happen is if the parents press the issue.

Three ways you can help to ensure your student's success at college are:

1 - Choose Challenging High School Courses

Try to push them to take the more difficult classes, like the honors level high school courses. Research has shown kids who take the more difficult courses such as honors math, English, and science do better at college.

The reason why so many students don't make it through the first year of college is they have not learned to work hard enough at their studies. The study skills your child will need at the college level should already be developed before they attend.

2 - Keep a Positive Attitude

Taking harder courses may mean grades lower than those your child would make in easier level classes, but that should be expected. You must be encouraging and helpful instead of judgmental and negative. Try to focus on things you can do to assist, such as helping them find a tutor or suggesting they join a study group.

A positive attitude must be maintained all the way through the college application and selection process and beyond. As you know, even good students may not be accepted by their first college choice. A rejection should not be viewed as a bad situation, just an opportunity to excel at another school.

3 - Visit Colleges That Make Offers

If there is any possibility that your child will attend a particular college, it is highly suggested that both of you visit the campus before making a final decision. Arrange a campus tour in advance and allow sufficient time to cover the campus thoroughly. Discuss your findings at length frankly and honestly and make the decision together.

Two Plans for Parents for College Funding

If you haven't already decided on a vehicle for saving for your child's higher education, think about a couple of choices that have worked well for many other parents in planning funding for college. 


As always, it's best to speak to your personal financial advisor about what plan is best for your family. While I don't particularly endorse or recommend one savings plan over another, below are two possible options that have been in the news recently:

Upromise® for College

A small play on words (you promise) sets the tone for this plan, which originated in 2001. It is free to join and is based on your spending habits. Purchases you make earn as much as 25% cash back in a college fund or just a savings plan. This system works if you don't fall into a trap of buying some things just to get money back.

Some of the items that pay you back are groceries, online shopping, travel purchases, and dining out. Upromise® requires you to register credit cards, grocery cards, and debit cards along with your contact information.

While this sounds a little scary, it is necessary to be sure you get your full credit on purchases hassle-free, and the plan has been around for some time and has proven to be very reputable.

The 529 Plan

Named after Section 529 in the IRS Code, this plan is sponsored by educational institutions or individual states themselves. Every state now has at least one 529 Plan. The 529 offers flexibility in where a child goes to school because it is not state specific when the funds are withdrawn. Your child can live in one state, have a 529 in another, and go to college in a third state under most plans.

States regulate the plans they offer, so all regulations are not completely the same from one to another. A state is not limited to just one plan either, but may offer several. If the plan you choose meets the basic requirements, you have tax benefits for choosing to save in this manner.

The Difference Between Plans

The most obvious difference between the two plans is that the 529 has tax incentives, but it is also strictly a savings plan where you must take money and put it in the kitty.

Upromise® is a way to make money on the necessary and usual expenses in your life. Vendors who agree to Upromise terms do so to acquire your business, which is a good concept as long as you don't pay too much for the products or services or purchase items you don't really need.

You may find other college saving plans that suit your financial situation better or can be used in conjunction with either of these. The important thing is to find some way to put money back for this important part of your child's life, and the earlier you start the better.

When a High School Student Begins to Question if College is Right for Them

Many high school students go through a phase when they wonder if they are college material. Parents place expectations on their children that college is expected, but sometimes don't realize the doubt and concerns their high school student is facing regarding making important life changing decisions.

Kids go through the thought process of how they've gone to school for years and maybe need some time off. Or their grades might slip and they fear they won't be accepted at a preferred college or university.

There is a lot of peer pressure senior year when kids start to compare ACT/SAT scores and some students get accepted to choice colleges while others may not.

But none of these things should stand between your child going or not going to college if that is what they want to do.

All they may need is some motivation and guidance to keep them on the track to their educational goals. Research has proven that students with trustworthy mentors and/or dedicated parents perform better in school.

Monitoring your child's progress throughout high school is an indicator of when their performance may be falling. Maybe they need some assistance in a particular course, or to attend a summer program to develop their writing or reading skills. Maybe they are struggling in a course that has led them to question their ability to succeed in college.

Whatever the reason may be for this self doubt, keeping the communication lines open is essential to determine if and when a problem exists and then plan the right course of action. This is not always so simple and varies with each individual student.

Delicately try to open the subject for conversation and see where it leads. Keep communication lines open, but don't hover or pry. Monitor grades and if progress falls dramatically, try to offer solutions rather than criticism. It is often possible that a few hours of tutoring each week is all that is needed to get back on track.

Often the biggest challenge a parent faces regarding a high school teenager is showing they care without overdoing it. Continue to provide motivation, help when and where you can, and make sure they know they can talk to you.

Continue to focus on college as a positive path, and proceed as normal in the planning required for your child to attend college after high school. Both you and your student will know at some point if the plan should change and can then discuss possible alternatives.

Just don't give in too easily to their sudden desire to avoid college when it has been something both you and they have been planning all along. Most often it is just a phase they are going through and given a little time and encouragement, they will get back on track.

Freshman Year in High School - Start College Planning Now

If you walk up to most 9th graders early in their freshman year and ask them about their college preparation plans, you are likely to get a blank stare. Teenagers have so many things on their mind at that age, and college usually isn't one of them. This is perfectly natural, of course, but this is why these kids need guidance to start planning for their future.

Parents and the high school guidance counselor can help students design a preliminary four year academic plan to make sure they are on the right track for college. For instance, if you plan on taking AP courses in hopes of earning college credit in high school, you must be on the right track academically so you'll have all the required pre-requisites out of the way.

Grades are very important in maintaining a college acceptable GPA, and your GPA plays a big part in applying for certain scholarships as well. Don't assume that only your senior year GPA is all that matters. Being serious about your grades indicates a maturity level of someone who is college material.

How you accept the academic challenges of high school reflects how you will deal with even more difficult challenges in college. Teachers expect high school students to act responsibly and aren't as quick to remind students when reports, papers, and homework are due.

By applying yourself to doing more than the minimum required, you build study skills that will help you succeed in college. If there is a particular concept in a class that you don't fully grasp, work extra problems to help in clarification. If the difficulty continues, ask for assistance from the teacher or a tutor before the problem gets worse.

Be sure to join clubs that interest you and participate in club meetings and activities. Colleges look favorably on college applicants with good grades and a history of club participation.

Beginning your college preparation in your high school freshman year is important, but don't forget to enjoy your high school years as well because they go by in a hurry. After graduation, all your friends will scatter to the four winds, so enjoy your times together while you can including sports activities, fund raisers, dances, proms, and so forth.