Category: Tips for Parents
WiseStart™: Exploring Extracurricular Activities in Middle School
Get a Jumpstart on Exploring Extracurricular Activities with WiseStart™
When reviewing college applications, admissions officers also evaluate what students are doing outside of the classroom, which is why it’s so important to have strong extracurricular commitments throughout high school. Instead of stressing out about finding the right activities during freshmen and sophomore year, students can take advantage of their time in middle school to pursue fields they are passionate about and build a strong foundation for high school.
Early College Prep and the Importance of Executive Functioning Skills
Learn Why Early College Preparation and Executive Functioning Skills Are So Important
The college process can feel overwhelming, especially when students get a late start. From compiling a best-fit list to writing essays, there are many steps in the college application process. Consequently, we always encourage students to start early and build executive functioning skills that will serve them throughout college and beyond.
K-12 Admissions: What Families Need to Know
What to Expect When Applying to K-12 Schools
While many families are aware that the college application process is comprehensive and multi-faceted, far fewer anticipate a similar process for K-12 or primary and secondary school admissions. Although there are significant differences, many younger students will still need to complete testing, interview, and submit an application for middle and high school.
SSAT Testing Changes for 2020-2021
SSAT Testing Updates to Keep on Your Radar
The SSAT is one of the most widely recognized standardized tests utilized by admissions officers to assess independent school applicants. The exam measures basic verbal, math, and reading skills and is offered in three levels: Elementary (for students in 3rd and 4th grade), Middle (for students in 5th-7th grade), and Upper (for students in 8th-11th grade).
Parents: How to Keep Your Student Motivated During Remote Learning
Make the Most of Time Spent Social Distancing with Your Kids
For students who are used to juggling coursework, extracurricular activities, and time spent with friends, the transition to remote learning has proven extremely challenging. While every student will react to all this time at home differently, parents can play a powerful and important role in helping students make the most of this experience.
2019 Holiday Gift Guide
The Top-Choice Gifts for Every Type of Student
With the holiday season right around the corner, now is the time to take a momentary step away from regular round college applications and put the finishing touches on seasonal gift lists! Instead of losing sight of your academic goals entirely, students can take their study game to the next level with gadgets that will set them up for success in college and beyond.
Parents: How to Discuss College Costs
Learn How to Have an Impactful Discussion About Saving for School
It may sound daunting, but it’s important for parents to discuss college costs and budgeting as part of the college search process . College is an investment and in order to feel confident and excited about your student’s educational choice, your entire family needs to be on the same page financially.
How to Manage College Admissions Stress
Applying to College Can Be Stressful But It Doesn’t Have to Be
It’s only natural for teens to feel pressure when navigating the college admissions process – it is, after all, one of the biggest decisions many teens will have made up until this point. In the January newsletter we covered how to manage test anxiety, which is common among many teens taking the ACT or SAT in hopes of getting into their dream school. While testing anxiety can be crippling, the college preparation process extends beyond one Saturday morning test. Many students can feel overwhelmed going into the process, and the stress can cause problems with grades, family, friends, health, and more.
8 College Admission Dos and Don’ts for Parents
Parents Need to Be Involved When Students Apply to College But Avoid Overwhelming the Process
As a parent it’s hard not to want to play a major part of your student’s college search and application process. While it’s important to be involved in the process, there are some boundaries that parents of college bound students need to observe.
How to Manage College Admissions Stress This Fall
Don’t Let College Application Anxiety Keep You From Having a Fun and Successful School Year
The glow of a new school year has worn off, and now college-bound high school seniors are diving head first into college applications – and the stress that comes with it.
2015 College Admissions Trends Families Need to Know
Common App Questions, International Admissions, and More: Here Are the College Admissions Trends Families Need to Prepare for This Summer
The admissions process for the Class of 2019 is just wrapping up, but we’re already seeing new trends developing for the Class of 2020. From online education to alternative admission options, and even problematic Common Application questions that colleges can use to make admissions decisions, there’s a lot brewing for the next crop of college applicants.
Building a Well-Rounded Class: Why Colleges Want Specialists
Debunking the Myth of the Well-Rounded Student
The truth is, there is no foolproof way to guarantee admission to your top-choice college. Admissions officers look at a variety of factors when evaluating college applications, and no singular quality is going to make you a shoo-in.
Tips for Parents During the College Admissions Process
Parents: Be Supportive But Let Your Student Guide the Process
The college admissions process can be difficult both for the students and the parents. Sometimes, parents don’t know what their role should be in the process, and other times, parents get frustrated because their goals may not align with their student’s goals.
Researchers Find Mindful Meditation May Increase Test Scores
In addition to decreasing stress and increasing focus, new research from the University of California-Santa Barbara suggests that mindful meditation may also help students increase test scores and retain information better.
Financial Aid Breakdown
Now that the new year is in full swing, college applications are being submitted, and decision letters are being sent, it is important for students to plan ahead for decision-making time. The 2013-2014 federal financial aid application was released on January 1st, and while many deadlines are a few months away, it is important for students and families to plan ahead and discuss how they will finance college. For many college applicants, following an acceptance to a college or university, or maybe even included in that large envelope waiting for you in the mail, is a financial aid package. As it becomes increasingly expensive to fund a higher education, financial aid packages become more important in making a decision about where to attend.
Video Games Can Make You Smarter
Playing Video Games Can Build Critical Thinking Skills and Sharpen Your Mind
It’s long been a fight between parents and kids about how boys and girls are “rotting their brains” with video games. Sitting in front of a screen for hours on end seems like mindless activity, but in reality, playing video games can help make you sharper and smarter.
5 Essentials for College Freshmen Move-In Day
Check Your List and Check It Twice!
The fall semester is here, and with it comes the day new students look forward to the most, and the day some parents dread the most: college move-in day! For many incoming freshmen, this is the first time they will be living away from home, and the task of getting everything they need to survive in only a few boxes can be a tricky one.