Give Us an Hour; We’ll Give You Answers

On Tuesday, November 30^th, I’ll be hosting a FREE live teleconference for college-bound high school students and their parents to talk about college admissions, the right college, and college counseling.

“Winning The College Admissions Game - How To Get Into The College Of Your Choice” is going to be full of insider tips and tricks on defining your perfect college, and how to navigate the admissions process.

Here’s what one of our last attendees said:

“Planning for college was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I didn't know what steps to take and when I should take them. With the help of Rhonda and A2Z, I was able to complete a professional resume, apply for scholarships, and submit applications to four colleges. I am proud to say that I was accepted at 3 out 4 colleges. A2Z helped me more than I could have possibly helped myself.”

Take the first step to an easier, less-stressful college admissions process by attending this teleconference. All it takes is a phone and an hour of your time, and you’re guaranteed to get great value!

Time: Tuesday November 30^th at 6:30pm EDT

Cost: FREE

Register Here

Do you know someone else who is college-bound? Send me an email and I’ll personally reach out to invite them. 

- Rhonda Manns, College Admissions Consultant

Five Tips for Parenting The College-Bound Child

Raising a child is the most challenging thing most people will ever do, and sending them away to college is one of the toughest parts.  Helping your teenager choose the perfect college is a great start – but how can you help them succeed there? Education is your child's first real job, and college might actually be the hardest job they'll ever do. You can't go with them and can't do their work for them, but send them as well prepared as possible with these five tips.

First, prepare your child for a big step up in academic expectations.  For the vast majority of students, college is a tremendous increase in academic difficulty.  They can expect work to get harder and grades to get lower.  If your child doesn't expect this they might become discouraged. 

Second, prepare your child for self management.  In high school, it is the school's job to see to it the student passes.  In college, it's the student's job to satisfy the college that they should be allowed to pass.  Your child has to manage their own relationships with their instructors, their own administrative matter, and their own studying.  Get them to manage these things in high school, especially in their senior year.   Your child will be treated as an adult by their college, so they should get some practice as soon as possible. 

Third, help your child learn the school beforehand.  Orientations, campus tours, literature, and talking to former students is invaluable for preparing to move away and profoundly change their lives.  Even a moderately large school has the area and population of a small city and the bureaucracy can be just as hard to navigate. The more your child knows before college starts, the less shock they will experience. 

Fourth, help your child budget.  If your child is on their own for the first time the temptation to blow through their spending money can be overwhelming.  Get the numbers down on paper and show them what they have and how it can be stretched out all year.  The last thing a young student needs come exam time is to panic over a money shortage.

Fifth, don't overemphasize post-college plans.  It's good to think about careers, but as the old sports saying goes, you have to play them one game at a time.  Your child might change their mind, change majors, or adjust any number of things, but the critically important thing is to graduate from college first. 

Your child is about to embark upon a journey of four or more years.  You can’t lead them but you can at least start them off with a map and a compass! 

Should You Plan to Work While In College?

To decide whether or not you should hold down a job while you're attending college (or, for that matter, in high school as you work towards getting into your dream college) you first need to budget your school year.

First, add up the total amount of money you have to work with – not just what you've got yourself, but what you can expect from your family, from education saving accounts, bursaries, grants, and student loans. Then add up your projected expenses – tuition, residence or rent, books, supplies, food, and don't forget transportation; flying home for Thanksgiving and Christmas can make a big dent. Then add twenty percent to all your living expenses. Budget for the unexpected!

If your expenses exceed your available money and loans, consider a job. While a job can distract you from your studies, being in financial trouble will distract you more. The last thing you need come spring and exam time is to have money problems on your mind.

If you want to hold down a job, ask three questions:

1. Is it compatible with my studies? The best jobs are those related to your field of study, even if the relationship's a distant one. Taking economics or business? Try to find temp work in a small or medium business. Taking drama? Work for a theater, even if it's the ticket booth. Planning on a career in medicine? Find work at the student clinic. No matter how modest the work, future employers and school evaluators will be impressed that you worked in your field.
2. What's the real wage? Holding down a job means added trouble and expenses. A three hour shift at $10 an hour is really $7.50 an hour if it takes you an hour to get to work and back, and if you're out transportation costs, it's lower still. On the other hand, if you work enough hours, you might qualify for benefits, and avoiding debt means you're saving interest. Add up all the benefits and drawbacks, not just the hourly wage.
3. Can I handle the workload? This you might not know until you get to college and start to juggle your time. If you're not sure how many hours your college of choice will ask of you, don't be afraid to call them up and ask. Department offices will be able to tell you what your course schedule will look like. Don't forget to add time for studying!

It might seem obvious that the decision to hold a job is the trade-off between money and time, but the key is to ensure that you have an accurate picture of exactly what the trade-offs are. Start your budget and planning now... and get your resume ready!

Managing Your Study Time

If you're making the effort to get into the perfect college, you may be one of the many students who just can't seem to study enough.

But, believe it or not, it's possible to allocate too much time to studying. If you feel like you're abandoning social life or extra curricular activities to hit the books, or just feel there's not enough time in the day to study, you might want to consider better study time management. Study smarter... not longer!

Try these three tips:

1. Budget your time. Parkinson's Law states that any task given unlimited time will probably never be finished. If you don't set aside a specific amount of time for schoolwork, you might fall into the trap of feeling as if you've never done enough.

Instead, try to set yourself a fixed amount of time per evening. My suggestion is 85 minutes per day. Set an alarm for that time and when it rings, close your books and finish. After a few days you might be amazed at how your studying will become more efficient just because you're unconsciously working towards that limit.

2. Plan a week ahead. If you don't have a plan before you crack open the books, you won't be efficient in your studying. If you sit down with mounds of essays, labs, upcoming tests and readings and no idea where to start, you'll be distracted by everything you're not doing while you try to do something. Furthermore, you might find yourself spending so much time on one subject you don't leave enough time for another.

Instead of sitting down to a pile of notes and textbooks, plan your week.. Using your work due dates as guides, figure out what you want to do on Monday, Tuesday, and so on, and stick to it as closely as possible. And what you're not planning on doing tonight, get it off your desk! Concentrate on one task at a time to do it right and absorb the information.

3. Don't burn the midnight oil. If you usually go to sleep at 11, staying up until 3 isn't going to help, and in fact, it'll probably hurt. Doing work while you're tired will just result in poor work. Studying while you're tired will almost certainly result in your remembering nothing. Worse, losing sleep will reduce your energy, attentiveness, and performance in class.

Instead of cramming to the wee hours of the morning when exam time comes around, why not find other times to study? Bus and train rides, quiet time, even skimming a textbook while eating, all allow you to absorb information and come up with ideas when your brain is alert, and leave you with time to get a good night's sleep.

Your brain uses more energy than any other organ in your body. To get into the college you've always dreamed of you need to keep your brain from getting worn out!

FREE College Planning Teleconference

Are You A High School Student Or Parent Of A High School Student?

Did you know that 3.3 million High School Seniors will graduate this year?
Of those, 2.1 million will apply for college. Who gets accepted to the college of their choice and who gets rejected depends on many factors.


What Are The TOP 5 Factors In College Admissions Decisions?
Why The College Admissions Process Is So Competitive… And What You Can Do About It?
The Effects Of The Economy On The College Admissions Process.
Why College Counseling In High School Is Not Always Enough?

To receive answers to these questions, join us for a FREE teleconference: Winning The College Admissions Game-How To Get Into The College Of Your Choice? Our experts will give you the inside scoop on what matters most in college admissions.

The Teleconference will be held on Tuesday, November 30, 2010 from 6:30-7:30 PM EST. Click here to register http://www.a2zcollegeplanning.com/teleconference.html

Do you know another high school student or parent of a high school student who are planning for college? If so, please share information about our FREE Teleconference and have them visit our website www.a2zcollegeplanning.com for more information.

Best Wishes,
The A2Z College Planning Team
PO Box 13056
Durham, NC 27709
www.a2zcollegeplanning.com
info@a2zcollegeplanning.com
919-450-0171

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2010 PSAT Information

PSAT- Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT)



The 2010 PSAT/NMSQT test dates are Wednesday, October 13 and Saturday, October 16. Check with your School Guidance Counselor for registration information. This test is administered by high schools, not through College Board test centers. Visit http://www.collegeboard.com/


10th Graders-It's a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT.

11th Graders- Remember your 11th grade PSAT scores are used as qualifier for National Merit Scholarship.


Best Wishes,
A2Z College Planning Team
www.a2zcollegeplanning.com
info@a2zcollegeplanning.com

Follow us:
Facebook: Plan-for-college-a2z-collegeplanning
Twitter: @plan for college

12th Graders- Strategies for managing the application process

Many high school seniors and their families are beginning the college application and admissions process. Here are few suggestions on how to make the process less stressful.

- Be smart about your short list. Five to seven is a good number of schools to submit applications.

- Make sure you feel good about the schools to which you are applying. Don’t apply to a school if you would not consider enrolling should you be accepted.

- Develop an application tracking document.

- Read the Supplemental Forms. Schools that use the Common Application or
the Universal Application may require additional information and/or essays.

- Know and follow know your high school’s procedures for getting transcripts, grade reports and recommendations to your colleges.

- Create a personal data spreadsheet. Include all the data that might be
required on an application (from social security number to your parents’
middle names to the dates on which you sat for the SAT/ACT). Doing the
research once will save you time and energy as you begin filling out
applications.

- If you are applying online, print out a copy of the application. Fill it out long hand.

- Continue to express an interest in schools that interest you. Attend local information sessions and college fairs. Identify the school's admissions representative for your area and direct any questions you have about the school or admissions process to the representative.

- Continue to visit college campuses. It is important to experience
first-hand the campus culture of any college you are considering. Take
tours. Visit classes. Whenever an interview is offered, take it. Talk with
students and faculty. Ask questions.

- Don’t procrastinate! It might be easier said than done but you need to
be disciplined about managing the application process. Putting things off
will only make it harder for you to do a good job as you approach
deadlines.

Best Wishes,
A2Z College Planning Team
www.a2zcollegeplanning.com
info@a2zcollegeplanning.com

Follow us on Facebook: Plan-for-college-a2z-collegeplanning
Twitter-@planforcollege