Summer Wrap-Up for High School and College Students

Posted on August 11, 2016 by

Transferring summer college credits, converting SAT scores and more.

By Anne Vaccaro Brady

This week’s post covers some of those loose ends parents and students face before high school and college begin again.

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For college students
Transfer summer credits A student who took a course(s) over the summer at another college will need an official transcript sent to his home school to get those credits transferred. If the information on how to do this isn’t readily available on the visiting college’s website, your student can contact that school’s registrar’s office. While your student will receive credit for those summer courses, the grades will not count toward his GPA, though they will become a permanent part of his official transcript.

Accept financial aid To find out the portion of the college tuition bill your student (or you) is responsible for, she’ll need to review and accept her financial aid on her student account. If that aid includes a federal loan which she plans to use, she must complete the online entrance counseling and provide references before the loan can be credited to her account. The processing of the loan takes a few business days once the online paperwork is completed, so to ensure the college bill can be paid on time, your student should accept and complete the requirements for all financial aid at least two weeks ahead of the payment deadline.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAConfirm graduation Your college senior is heading back to campus expecting to graduate next spring. Unfortunately, I’ve heard of college students who found out too late that they were short the credits or required courses they needed to earn their diploma as planned. Before your senior returns to college, review the requirements for his major and his transcript with him to see where he stands. He should also schedule an appointment with his adviser or the college’s graduation office (or both) for when he’s back on campus to make sure he’ll be wearing his cap and gown next spring.

A requirements and transcript review with your underclassmen is helpful, too. We did this with our son late in his freshman year, which he said helped him better manage his future class schedules. Understanding his prerequisites and seeing where he had flexibility made it easier for him to work with his adviser and stay on track to graduate in four years.

For high school students
Compare new and old SAT scores In March, the new SAT was launched and students who had taken both versions quickly learned that the scoring had changed, too. The old test was based on a 2400-point system, while the new one is out of 1600 points. The College Board, which issues the SAT, provides a score converter on its website. Colleges will continue to accept the old scores for a couple of years and convert them to determine a student’s best outcomes.

Request teacher recommendations Your senior’s guidance counselor must provide a recommendation for your teen for college, but your student will also need one from a teacher. Now is the time for her to reach out to one or two teachers via email or in-person requesting that recommendation. The most popular teachers receive the most requests, so your teen will want to get on those teachers’ lists now. If school isn’t in session, your student can try emailing her teacher(s), otherwise once school starts, she should ask in-person during the first week of classes. Once a teacher has agreed to write the letter, your student can put him on her recommender list on her Common App account and have the online form sent directly to the teacher.

IMG_0948Prepare for application season Hopefully your high school senior has finished the list of colleges where he plans to apply. Check out my post on finalizing the list for tips on how to do this if he’s still working on it.

Once the list is complete, he should check each college’s application deadline and which use the Common App, then gather the materials necessary to fill out the applications. His essay should be ready to go, too. He doesn’t have to start his applications right now, but keep in mind how much busier he’ll be once he’s back in school.

I find it helps to set a completion deadline for all applications, whether it’s really early, like Halloween, or a little later like Thanksgiving, or even New Year’s Day. Most students, and their parents, do best with a goal.

What did your high school or college student need to finish up before heading back to classes? Please share in the comments section below.

 

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Preparing Your Freshman for Life with a Roommate

Posted on July 28, 2016 by

The challenges of living with a stranger.

By Anne Vaccaro Brady

A friend emailed me the other day worried about the fact that her soon-to-be college freshman appears to have nothing in common with the girl who will be her roommate. My friend is not alone. A normal concern among parents of resident college freshmen is whether their teen will get along with their roommate.

For some of us, we relive our own bad freshman roommate experience or recall the complaints we’ve heard from friends and family about their teens’ roommate conflicts. Sure, there’s always the risk of the roommate from hell, but it’s more likely that the two or four or six kids will find a way to live together, eventually. And that’s all they need to do.

Here’s how to help your student transition to life with a college roommate.

Lower expectations A college roommate doesn’t have to be your teen’s best friend, and probably won’t be. That said, your freshman wants someone she can share space with, who she can talk to, feel comfortable around and not want to leave the room as soon as she walks in.

No matter what the arrangement, college dorm rooms are small spaces and living with a complete stranger in such cramped conditions means everyone will need to learn to compromise, including your teen. This is not home and unfortunately, no one on campus really knows how she functions yet, like whether she needs to talk about her day or keep that between her and her journal.

Hopefully all parties involved were honest when they filled out their roommate questionnaires. I remember a friend complaining when her daughter, normally a slob, checked the box for “neat.” Her reasoning: she didn’t want to end up with a messy roommate.

Understanding how colleges pair roommates Some colleges allow freshmen to pick their roommates, even setting up Facebook groups or directing students to apps where they can “meet.” Teens also find roommates at orientation, where they get to know each other, although briefly, in-person.

Colleges that pair freshmen use the roommate questionnaire and the experience of the residence life staff, or a computer program, to put teens together. At some of these schools, freshmen may not have the option to choose whom they live with.

Roommate contract Customized by each college, this contract helps prevent misunderstandings between roommates, covering important issues like study styles, noise tolerance, sharing of personal property, cleaning, visitors, overnight guests, privacy and more.

Resident Advisers (RAs) usually review the contract with all the students on the floor in advance, presenting sample scenarios for freshmen to consider. Roommates usually have only a week or two before they must complete, sign and turn in the contract. Addressing the important issues up front and early on can avert problems down the road. Remind your student honesty matters on this form, too.

The advantages of not picking your best friend If your teen and a good friend are heading to the same college in the fall, they may want to room together. Besides preventing both teens from moving out of their comfort zone and meeting new people, it can hurt their friendship as they learn that living with someone 24/7 is a lot different than just hanging out together. By living separately, they have another dorm room to go to when they need space or want to see a familiar face, plus they get to know each other’s roommates and make more friends.

Dealing with the bumpy moments Your freshman shouldn’t anticipate that there’s no chance she and her roommate will get along, because it’s more likely they will. Sure, they’ll have moments when they get on each other’s nerves, but that happens normally to people who live together. It helps when both roommates are willing to be introduced to new things like going to a concert for a band one of them has never heard of or trying a different topping on their pizza.

If your freshman starts running into issues with her roommate, remind her of these opportunities:

  • Campus is filled with students, so go out and meet them: in her dorm, in her classes, by joining clubs or checking in with the teens she met at orientation.
  • Her RA was a freshman once and has received training in conflict resolution to help roommates work through problems as they arise. The RA is a resource.

Also reinforce the idea of picking your battles. Because no two people do everything exactly alike, she must decide what’s worth addressing—the wet towel regularly left on the floor or the smelly food in the roommate’s garbage pail that doesn’t get emptied for days.

The bottom line Your teenager is about to embark on a new experience, living with a complete stranger for a long period of time—almost a year. No doubt it’s scary, but it can also be exciting. Remind him that his roommate is in the same boat. Getting to know each other and surviving their first year of college may ultimately bond them together.

Share your thoughts and advice on freshman year roommates in the comments section below.

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College Major: Engineering

Posted on July 14, 2016 by

The first in an occasional series on college majors.  

By Anne Vaccaro Brady

With teachers, parents, corporate leaders and even the president encouraging teenagers to become engineers, a well-paying field with solid job prospects, it seems a good place to start this series that explores college majors. Read on to learn more about engineering and whether it’s right for your student.

IMG_0734What is engineering? From whatisengineering.com: “Engineering is the application of scientific knowledge to solving problems in the real world. While science (physics, chemistry, biology, etc.) allows us to gain an understanding of the world and the universe, engineering enables this understanding to come to life through problem-solving, designing and building.”

We encouraged our son to study engineering because he learned by understanding instead of memorizing, had a problem-solving nature—he took things apart to figure out how they worked and, from an early age, showed no fear when touching random keys on a computer to see what they did. He studied computer science and engineering in college, and yes, he is working, using his engineering skills as a product developer.

What skill set and interests do you need to become an engineer? Along with good problem-solving skills, an engineering major should like math and science and possess competence in both. Creativity also helps, because solving problems involves original thinking.

Don’t let the math requirement freak you out. I once heard an engineer, in speaking to a class of high school physics students, explain that they didn’t need to memorize a bunch of formulas, but they needed know how to use them. Engineering departments/firms keep those formulas on hand (imagine a mythical binder filled with formulas).

Students who struggle with math or science need to be willing to put in extra effort and take advantage of their college’s tutoring center if they are serious about earning an engineering degree. Calculus is an essential piece of the engineering puzzle and most disciplines require more than Calc A & B. Choosing an engineering discipline that plays to your strengths rather than your weaknesses helps, too.

What should you study in high school to prepare for a major in engineering? The website Tryengineering.com recommends that students interested in engineering take accelerated courses in these areas: algebra II, biology, calculus, chemistry, computer science, language arts, precalculus, physics, a foreign language and trigonometry. Students who can’t take a course at the highest level offered should at least take the level that challenges them.

What are the most popular engineering majors? The Top 4 include chemical, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering.

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  • Chemical engineering This field covers work on everything from pharmaceuticals to food products, from fuels to paper products, from fertilizer to household cleaners. Chemical engineers work in the lab and the field to create commercial products via chemistry.
  • Civil engineering Think roads, tunnels, bridges, dams and buildings. This broad area also covers applications relating to structural integrity, the environment, water resources and more.
  • Electrical engineering Almost everything you do today involves work by an electrical engineer—the computer or cell phone you’re reading this on, the program you watch on your television via the cable system that feeds it to your home. Electrical engineers work in various industries such as construction, manufacturing and design.
  • Mechanical engineering Considered the broadest of engineering disciplines, mechanical engineering overlaps with many of the other engineering fields. Professionals work on designing machines, systems, energy conversion devices and structures.

How many other engineering disciplines are there beyond the Top 4? Depending upon how specialized you view engineering, there are as many as 29 additional disciplines. These include but are not limited to audio, computer, aerospace, biomedical, environmental, mining/geological, automotive, manufacturing, nuclear, ocean, petroleum and software, among others. To learn about all the engineering disciplines, visit EducatingEngineers.com and Dedicatedengineers.org.

What career options are open to engineers? Engineering graduates can work directly in the field they studied or in a related area. Some would say engineers can work in almost any field they choose, even ones that appear unrelated, because of their problem-solving skills. Engineers do pursue careers in business, law and medicine. Various studies of the top CEOs have shown that anywhere from 20-30 percent hold degrees in engineering, equal to or more than those who earned business degrees.

IMG_0027.JPGHow do you pick an engineering discipline? Fortunately, good college engineering programs require freshmen to all take the same core engineering courses that cross disciplines, enabling students to find which areas meet their interests and fit their abilities in order to declare a major by sophomore year.

Why should girls and minorities consider engineering? Colleges and corporations have finally woken up to the fact that they need more diversity among their engineering students and employees and now offer scholarships and hiring incentives to young women and minorities in order to achieve their goals. Girls and minority teens who want to create, design, build and solve the world’s problems should take a closer look at majoring in engineering.

Where can you learn more about engineering majors and the colleges that offer them? Start with the sites below to find colleges with engineering programs. Then search online to see where schools rank using the terms “top engineering schools” or “top [pick discipline] engineering schools.” Look beyond the top 10; there are plenty of good programs that rank below that.

Educating Engineers—a guide to schools by state

Try Engineering–find a university worldwide

The College Board’s The Big Future

The Online Guide to Engineering Schools—a site created by engineers

Engineering Colleges – Niche

Share your thoughts on engineering degrees and careers in the comments section below.

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The 2016-2017 Coalition and Common App Essay Prompts

Posted on June 30, 2016 by

Both application platforms have released their five essay topic options.

By Anne Vaccaro Brady

IMG_0915You’re likely familiar with the Common Application (Common App), the online application used by more than 600 colleges. This year, the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success (the Coalition) comprised of 90 colleges so far, has created another application, with 58 of its institutions accepting it for 2016-2017. Both applications require an essay. [More about the Coalition in a later post when the application goes live.]

A basic comparison The essay prompts for these two applications are different but aim to illicit similar responses. All admissions essays provide an opportunity for students to share a part of themselves not found anywhere else on the application. Essentially, it’s the place for your teen to show a college who he is beyond his grades, honors, awards and extra-curricular activities.

The Coalition strongly recommends applicants keep essays to less than 550 words. The Common App continues its 650 maximum word count and the prompts remain the same as last year because topics are reviewed every other year. Unlike the Coalition, each Common App prompt addresses a specific topic, meaning there is no “create your own” option.

A quick assessment As someone who works with high school seniors on their admissions essays, I can assure you that your teen can find a suitable prompt on both applications. Though the Coalition suggests that a student can complete a solid essay in only 300 words, in my experience, that’s rarely the case. Applicants should take advantage of the maximum word count.

Encourage your teen to review the prompts for both applications carefully before starting to type. Generally, it’s easier to write the essay working from a specific topic than trying to figure it out after the fact. Keep in mind that with Coalition prompt #5 being an open topic, a student can use her Common App essay for this prompt.

typingAnd the prompts are...

Coalition Essay

  1. Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.
  2. Describe a time when you made a meaningful contribution to others in which the greater good was your focus. Discuss the challenges and rewards of making your contribution.
  3. Has there been a time when you’ve had a long-cherished or accepted belief challenged? How did you respond? How did the challenge affect your beliefs?
  4. What is the hardest part of being a teenager now? What’s the best part? What advice would you give a younger sibling or friend (assuming they would listen to you)?
  5. Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.

Common App

  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.

To learn more about my work as a college essay coach, check out my Services page. 

Share your thoughts on the admissions essay prompts in the comments section below.

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Comparing Dual Majors, Dual Degrees and Concurrent Degrees

Posted on June 16, 2016 by

The factors your student must consider before choosing one of these options.

By Anne Vaccaro Brady

On the many college tours I took with my kids, it seemed like every student guide was dual majoring or in a dual or concurrent degree program. Plenty of kids still study one major and others add a minor, but with all the talk about multiple majors and degrees, you may wonder, like I did, what they are and should your student go this route.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERADual/Double Major A student picks two areas to study, which may or may not be related, like computer science/mathematics or English/business. The diploma will list both majors under one degree. Entering college with AP or IB credits can help a student manage the extra course load and graduate in a timely manner.

Pros:

  • Some courses count toward both majors.
  • The combination can better prepare a student for a specific job/career path, for e.g.: studying biology/education to teach science upon graduation.
  • Strengthens time management skills.
  • Helps a student reach a specific goal after college.
  • Creates career options.
  • Allows a student to pursue his passion in one area and study another related to a chosen career path.

Cons:

  • Some colleges/programs don’t allow courses to overlap, doubling a student’s course load.
  • The extra classes can require an additional semester or two in order to complete both majors.
  • An employer might view the graduate as unfocused or someone who couldn’t make up his mind.
  • Additional semesters raise the cost of a degree and scholarships are often limited to four years.
  • The return on investment may not add up.
  • Often requires summer classes to graduate on time.
  • The heavier class- and workload can limit a student’s opportunity to intern, participate in extra-curriculars and/or socialize.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERADual Degree A student looks to earn two bachelor’s or two master’s degrees simultaneously. The degrees are in different areas, departments and/or schools of a college. A student receives a diploma for each degree.

Pros:

  • Better prepares a student entering a new field or trying to create a unique career path.
  • Employers might be impressed by the work ethic and the extensive knowledge base.
  • Both degree programs can require the same general education/core courses.
  • Enables a student to avoid paying full price for each degree.
  • Plus the other advantages of a dual major mentioned above.

Cons:

  • Usually unable to overlap courses.
  • Can be more expensive than earning one degree, especially if the college limits how many credits a student can take each semester.
  • Must work with two different departments or schools within the university whose credit requirements may not align.
  • Scheduling the right courses in the correct sequence is more challenging with two programs, especially unrelated ones.
  • Limited opportunity to take electives outside areas of study.
  • Almost impossible to graduate in four years.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAConsecutive/Combined/Accelerated Degree I explained this degree program in a previous post, in which a student works toward a bachelor’s and master’s degree or a bachelor’s and doctorate degree in less time than if she pursued them separately. Essentially, the senior year of the bachelor’s program is comprised of the first year of graduate or doctorate courses, which count toward both degrees. A student receives an undergraduate degree after four years, then the advanced degree a year or two later depending upon whether it’s a master’s or a doctorate.

Pros:

  • Cuts a year off the time it takes to earn an undergrad and advanced degree.
  • Saves money.
  • Leads a student to start on a career path sooner.
  • Increases a grad’s marketability as she enters the job market with an advanced degree in hand.
  • Don’t have to commit to the program until junior year.
  • Eliminates the need to take graduate school entrance exams.

Cons:

  • Once committed, a student must complete the advanced degree at the same college.
  • Includes a heavier course load.
  • Limits the opportunity to change career paths, especially if degrees are geared toward a specific profession.
  • Leaves little room to fit in courses outside the major.
  • Same professors likely teaching courses for both degrees, reducing exposure to other perspectives.

I’ve known students who’ve chosen these major and degree options, and generally, those who’ve had the most career success focused on making themselves more marketable and understood their post-graduate options. They found ways to intern for credit, took advantage of opportunities to overlap courses and balanced their course loads with a life outside the classroom.

If your student is considering a multiple major or degree program, he should visit the career services office early on to determine the real advantages of taking this path.

Share your advice and experiences with pursuing more than one major or degree in the comments section below.

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College Admissions News Roundup

Posted on June 2, 2016 by

The latest on searching for colleges, taking a gap year, paying for college and navigating academic probation. 

by Anne Vaccaro Brady

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAFinding and applying to colleges On her My Kid’s College Choice blog, Wendy Nelson shares the lessons she learned about the college admissions process going through it the second time. Like most of us, she found it less scary, but as different as the two children she experienced it with.

A big issue for parents of college applicants concerns whether their teenager will find a job with a living wage after graduation. Lynn O’Shaughnessy discusses how to measure college grad salaries in her post on her College Solution blog.

The National Association of College Admissions Counselors provides a free college prep checklist for juniors and seniors that parents and teens can review together.

Considering a gap year With Malia Obama announcing she’ll take a gap year (a year off between high school and college) before heading to Harvard in the fall of 2018, families with high school students across the country have begun discussing this option. A couple of recent articles provide helpful info:

For the New York Times Well column, KJ Dell’Antonia writes about the long-term benefits of a gap year.

On the U.S. News & World Report Education blog, Varsity Tutors offers application strategies for students who plan to apply to colleges during their gap year.

FAFSAPaying for college The magic number is eight. For those of you just starting the college planning process, check out Michelle Kretzschmar’s list of eight things parents must know about paying for college on her DIY College Rankings blog.

Debbie Schwartz explains the eight financial aid mistakes to avoid when figuring out the real cost of college and how to pay the bill on Road2College.

Also on Road2College, review this chart that illustrates the FAFSA Expected Family Contribution (EFC) based on family income.

Reviewing the 2016-2017 essay prompts Both the Common App and the Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success have released their essay prompts for this year’s college applications. Learn more about the Coalition, a new player in the college application game, on their website and in this article on Inside Higher Ed by Scott Jaschik.

deskManaging academic probation Vicki Nelson of College Parent Central explains what it means when a college places your student on academic probation and how parents can help their child get back on track.

Share articles you’ve found helpful in the comments section below.

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Taking a Summer College Course

Posted on May 19, 2016 by

The who, what, where, why and how on summer college courses.

By Anne Vaccaro Brady

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAfter finishing up freshman year, you may think the last thing your college student wants to or should do is hit the books again. But taking a college course over the summer comes with many benefits. Read on to get more details.

Why take a summer class Students choose studying over the summer for a variety of reasons:

  • To complete a tough course when they have time to focus on it exclusively.
  • To accelerate the road to a degree, hopefully saving time and money by graduating a semester or year early.
  • To open up room in a homework heavy fall schedule.
  • To make it easier to work toward a dual major or add a minor.
  • To earn a better grade in a class already taken.
  • To stay on track to graduate on-time when transferring colleges.

What to take General Education courses transfer easiest between institutions, so students should focus on these classes when deciding what to sign up for.

Summer sessions run anywhere from 3 to 10 weeks. Intensives require students to attend class every day for a set period of time, usually three or four weeks. This option is ideal for kids who don’t want to spend their whole summer working on a course, have a job or internship starting later in the summer, or can fit in a daily class around their work schedule.

Teens who can’t make it to the classroom should consider online courses. Some classes include a weekly online meeting time, but others allow students to progress at their own pace as long as they complete the coursework by the end of the session.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWhere to take a summer course Students who have a reason to stay on campus—they have a job lined up there for the summer and/or have to pay rent for an apartment—should seriously consider taking a class at their own college. But it’s important to do the math before picking this option.

Most college summer courses are open to students from other institutions. Generally, community colleges offer the cheapest price per credit, followed by public universities, then private colleges.

When researching colleges near home, students must first check which ones have the course(s) they want to take during the summer session in order to compare and pick the campus that best suits their needs in terms of cost, schedule and location.

How to take a summer class If possible, students should check with their college adviser to find out which courses will transfer from another school. Transferology.com also provides this information.

Then they should search “visiting,” “transient” or “guest student” on the websites of nearby colleges for information. The results will lead to directions on how to apply and register for a class (expect a fee to complete both steps) and provide a link to the summer course catalog.

An application acceptance can take a few hours or a couple of days. (Follow up if it’s taking longer.) Once accepted, students receive instructions on how to log in to register for classes, pay for credits and access their campus email.

To prove that a prerequisite class, such as English Composition 1, was completed, guest students can usually share an unofficial copy of their current transcript, which they can download from their home college student account page.

As long as the prereqs are met, students can register on their own online or in-person, no adviser required.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWho to see for help For problems registering online, the summer session office or admissions department should be able to help.

Issues with payments can be resolved at the bursar’s office. Note that financial aid is rarely available for guest students.

Before buying course materials on campus, students should compare prices with online retailers for textbooks.

Besides the professor, coursework help is available via the college’s tutoring services, even for visiting students.

Transferring summer credits When their class wraps up, students can fill out a transcript request form, usually available online, to have their summer grades and credits sent to their home school.

Share your advice and experiences with summer college courses in the comments section below.

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