Tips for Middle School Counselors and Parents

Are your students thinking about attending college or training in a fielocker2ld of interest? It is never too early to get started in the process even if it is a few years away. Each student can start positioning himself or herself to get into college by following the college planning timeline as a guide.

School counselors – talk to you students about:

  • Taking courses required for entrance into high school and developing strong study habits.  Each student should take challenging courses and position himself or herself to take advantage of advanced courses in high school in areas of strengths.
  • Teach organization and time-management skills to prepare them to succeed in high school and beyond. Assist with building good study habits. Click here for more tips.

The Common App and Fee Waivers…Do You Qualify?

The Common App and Fee Waivers…Do You Qualify? Students often ask about fees waivers and the people at the Common App shared this link with an explanation asScreenHunter 253 to how to know if you qualify.

Today, and for the last five years, students who meet any of the following criteria are eligible to qualify for an application fee waiver from The Common App’s more than 750 member colleges and universities:

* Enrolled in or eligible for Federal Free or Reduced Lunch Program

* Annual family income is within range set by USDA Food and Nutrition Service

* Received or eligible for a fee waiver for SAT or ACT standardized test

* Enrolled in federal, state, or local program that aids students from low-income families

* Live in federally subsidized public housing, in foster care, or is homeless

* Family receives public assistance

More than one million applicants, one third of whom are first-generation college students, submitted over 4.5 million applications through the Common App. Last year, nearly one million need-based fee waivers were granted. https://www.commonapp.org/whats-appening/news/common-app-members-awarded-more-55-million-need-based-college-application-fee

The 2020-2021 Common Application Essay Prompts are Here

Yes…the Essay Prompts for the Common App 2020-2021  are available. Juniors in high school can get a head start ScreenHunter_1478 Feb. 16 17.33now!

The Common Application has announced that the 2019-2020 essay prompts will remain the same as the 2018-2019 essay prompts. Based on extensive counselor feedback, the existing essay prompts provide great flexibility for applicants to tell their unique stories in their own voice. Retaining the essay prompts provides the added benefit of consistency for students, counselors, parents, and members during the admissions process.

Plus, with essay prompts remaining the same, students rolling over their existing Common App accounts have more time to plan and prepare their applications prior to the final year of high school.

Counselors looking to get a head start with application workshops this year can take advantage of Common App Ready, a suite of on-demand resources, training videos, and infosheets, details everything students, counselors, and families need to know about using the Common App. This resource includes details on application creation, detailed descriptions of each section, and submission requirements. The tool also includes Spanish language resources.

Read The Common App Essay Prompts Are Changing For more information on essay prompts, click here.

YIKES….Filling Out the FAFSA? Get Free Help Online January 17 From 2PM to 10 PM EST!

ScreenHunter_163 Jan. 08 14.00YIKES….FILLING OUT THE FAFSA?
I received this important email from CollegeWeekLive.  Check out events scheduled in the US at this link – http://www.collegeweeklive.com/event-schedule/paying-for-college

Students, parents and counselor are invited to participate in scheduled events including Paying for College and All Day Access free sessions. There will be opportunity to get questions about the 2018 FAFSA answered, uncover the best scholarships, compare financial aid offer letters, and more. Paying for College Day is pening online tomorrow, January 17, 2018 from 2:00PM to 10PM EST!

In this free online event, you’ll get step-by-step instructions on completing the FAFSA, finding the best scholarships, and evaluating the pros and cons of various financial aid options. You’ll also be able to:
•Chat live with financial aid reps from hundreds colleges and universities
•Get insider advice from the U.S. Department of Education, American Student Assistance and other financial aid experts
•Enter to win a $2,500 college scholarship just for chatting with colleges online

Sign up for free at CollegeWeekLive.com and login anytime during tomorrow’s event to participate!

Thanks!
Sincerely,
The folks at CollegeWeekLive.com!

Quick Tips for Prepping for Standardized Tests

Start soon enough to make a difference. The student should give themselves an adequate amount of time to prepare for the various subject areas. Sufficient preparation will leave the student feeling less rushed and reduce their anxiety.  Various test preparation tools are available such as study guides, flashcards, Internet programs, and CD’s produced by the testing companies. Be sure to get enough sleep the night before the test.  The student should read, read, read to build your reading comprehension skills.

Check out links for free test prep: number2.com, ineedapencil, collegeboard.com, act.org, sparknotes test prep, grock it, and khanacacdemy.com.

 

How Should You Apply to College: Early, Regular, Rolling…

The application deadline is the date by which all completed applications are due to the college. In some cases the date will be a postmark date; in others it will be a date by which all material must be received. It will be helpful to read the section called, “How to Apply” on each college’s website.

Early Action – Early Action is an admission plan offered by some highly selective colleges which allows the most qualified students the comfort of a letter of acceptance in December. The student does not have to withdraw other applications and does not have to accept or refuse the EA offer of admission until May 1. Read more about Early Decision, Rolling Admission, Regular Decision, and the Waitlist.

The Common Application 2016-2017 Essay Prompts

The summer break from school offers rising seniors time to focus on college planning tasks such as the college essay.ScreenHunter_1212 Jun. 05 08.27  Here are the essay prompts for the 2016-2017 Common Application. Take some time to review, mull over your ideas, and begin to develop your response to your choice.

The Common Application Announces 2016-2017 Essay Prompts

The Common Application has announced that the 2016-2017 personal statement essay prompts will be the same as the 2015-2016 prompts. By conducting a review process every other year, rather than annually, we can hear from admissions officers, as well as students, parents, and counselors, about the effectiveness of the essay prompts.

These prompts are designed to elicit information that will strengthen the other components of the application. “We want to make sure that every applicant can find a home within the essay prompts, and that they can use the prompts as a starting point to write an essay that is authentic and distinguishing,” said Scott Anderson, former school counselor and current Senior Director for Programs and Partnerships for The Common Application.

Among the more than 800,000 unique applicants who have submitted a Common App so far during the 2015-2016 application cycle, 47 percent have chosen to write about their background, identity, interest, or talent – making it the most frequently selected prompt; 22 percent have chosen to write about an accomplishment, 17 percent about a lesson or failure, 10 percent about a problem solved, and four percent about an idea challenged.

With the release of the essay prompts and the announcement that student accounts created now will roll over to 2016-2017, counselors can introduce their juniors to the Common App now, or whenever they are ready.

2016-2017 Essay Prompts 
1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma – anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.