Keep Calm and Test on

For many of us, we headed into the New Year wondering how the recent shift from the ACT to the SAT would affect our strategy for applying to colleges. In the Colorado Department of Education’s haste, school administrators, parents and students expressed dismay at the speedy shift and its impact on student preparation.

 

After the New Year, the drama thickened as administrators scrambled to identify who would have standing to challenge the decision in court.

 

But just as quickly as the SAT decision was made, we learned that students will again take the ACT for one more year and transition to the SAT in the Spring of 2017.

 

Not surprisingly, this fire drill created unnecessary angst among many parents and students looking ahead to their college planning. As I told many of my clients, “Our strategy remains intact.”

 

Even as the ACT and even the SAT alter their content, my goal continues to be to find the most suitable roadmap for each individual student. While these tests remain part of a prospective student’s journey, they each play a role, but don’t dictate, the strategy.

 

So now that the fire drill is over, remember to keep calm and test on.

Finding the right cure for Senioritis

As many of you settle in to your final year or years in high school, fight the urge and the contagiousness of ‘senioritis.’ For those who don’t know, the Urban Dictionary defines senioritis as “A crippling disease that strikes high school seniors. Symptoms include: laziness, an over-excessive wearing of track pants, old athletic shirts, sweatpants, athletic shorts, and sweatshirts. Also features a lack of studying, repeated absences, and a generally dismissive attitude. The only known cure is a phenomenon known as Graduation.”

 

Sadly as students disengage in the final years, their grades slip, their ambition and extracurricular activities suffer, and they sometimes get into mischief. Unfortunately, college admissions rely on many of these areas for acceptance. Not to mention, trying to take the ACTs and SATs with this kind of mindset also leads to poor results.

 

This struggle isn’t new. In fact, a recent US News and World Report even pre-empted the symptoms with its “3 Tips to Stop High School Senioritis Before It Starts.” While these are helpful, keeping students on a path to college can help keep senioritis at bay.

 

As I meet with parents and their juniors or seniors, we map out a path together to best prepare them to find and attend the best college that fits their needs. We specifically identify strengths and areas we need to improve to impress potential admissions boards. We also set a timeline to study for and take the ACT and SAT.

 

Working together we develop and put the pieces together to get into the right school. Once accepted into that school, there will be plenty of opportunities to slip into senioritis type symptoms but don’t hamstring your chances of getting into your best school by succumbing to senioritis early.

Finding the right college is about balance

A recent guest column written by a North High School student in The Denver Post recently caught my eye and helps to capture one of the critical decisions students face when deciding on college.

 

In her article, she compares two opinions shared with her colleagues about paying for college. The first opinion is that money and the ability to pay for college should not be a factor in a student’s decision. The second is that cost should absolutely be a consideration when determining what school to attend. To her credit, she found truth in both these statements.

 

When I meet with my clients, my goal is finding the right college that best meets the family’s budget. While investment into a college degree will typically pay dividends in the form of future higher earning potential, families shouldn’t have to sacrifice their current lifestyle, go broke or saddle both the parents and the student with a lifetime of debt.

 

I’ve spent over a decade helping parents and students bridge the divide between the right college and the right price. The challenge is that the path to and through the best college is rarely the same. The advantage that I bring is that I work with families to map out and guide students on the best path and negotiate the best financial aid package available for each of the targeted schools.

 

The author of this opinion piece is correct that students and families should collect as much information as possible. But, it also helps to have an experienced navigator with them along the way.