7 Smart Steps For Rising Seniors to Take This Summer

 Seven Smart Steps for Rising Seniors to Take This Summer

We know many of you would rather be tanning on the beach, hiking in the mountains, or even working that seasonal job, than to be doing anything related to school this summer.  But if college is a dream for you, taking these seven steps right now can make that dream come true.

1)  Create a "resume". Start by writing  a list of all your activities, accomplishments and awards since 8th grade.  Right now, organizing it isn't important.  Just be sure to include any talents, sports, teams, hobbies, volunteer work, clubs, classes or projects which you enjoyed and spent time and effort on.

2) Organize the above list by category.  Look for a pattern in your interests and activities.  These are your passions.  Passion is what college admissions reps want to see.  Focus on digging deeper into these this summer and  taking a leadership role if possible.

3) With your "resume" as a guide, explore possible majors and careers.  Your high school website counseling page may have Naviance or a similar template where you can do this.  Another good resource is the US Bureau of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook. 

4)  Now create a personality profile.  Where do you thrive academically?  Where is your happy place?  What are your values and your politics?  Is your religion a central part of you? Will you want to attend a big, busy university in a big city?  A small, cozy college in a small town?  How do you feel about living with your parents and commuting to college?  Being a two hour's drive away?  Coming home only during your winter and summer breaks?  Are you interested in study abroad, internships, research, Greek life? Do you want to be near a beach?  How do you feel about snow?

5) Now that you've completed 1-4, you're ready to research colleges.  You need to think beyond and outside of the state colleges and universities where "all your friends" are going. A great place to start is  College Board. The site offers filters so you can narrow your search to the factors most important to you. Aim for a list of a dozen colleges and universities, both in and out of state, public and private.

6) Visit the website of each college on your list.  Look at the net cost calculator, clubs and activities, and majors offered.  Check the admissions deadlines and create a calendar to budget your time.

7) Think about how much help and advice you need and want with your college research, applications and essays.  Sources of help include the college admissions offices, your high school counselor, your parents, friends, college websites and college fairs. Professional help from an independent college consultant such as Wise Ambitions College Consulting is also an option. Look for someone who has received a certificate in college counseling or consulting and is a member of IECA, HECA, or NACAC.  Contact members in your area and set up an initial consultation to see if they can help.
Most of all, be smart and take these seven steps now, when you have the time, and avoid feeling the fall crunch of too much to do!

Waiting for The Middle Class Scholarship

Earlier this year, my first year as an independent educational consultant, I excitedly explained to my clients who made less than $150,000 a year that they could expect to receive the "Middle Class Scholarship".  Funded by the state of California, via the California Student Aid Commission, this scholarship started with the 2014-15 freshman college class and the total award possible increases in amount over the next three years, up to a total of 40% of tuition and fees paid.  It is available to students accepting admission at either of California's two public higher ed systems, the University of California and the California State University systems.
Little did I know that unlike ALL other financial aid offers, the best offer my clients would receive from the UCs and CSUs would be an "unofficial" estimate and the worst, no mention of the scholarship at all.  Even within the same system, college campuses differed on how they presented the Middle Class Scholarship offer. UC San Diego called it a "scholarship", and UC Santa Barbara referred to it as "an Unofficial Estimate of Aid".  Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, a California State University, didn't mention it at all, and simply offered my client $25,000 worth of Federal Direct student and Parent Plus loans. Wow.
A review of the website of the California Student Aid Commission didn't do much to clarify things, other than to imply that most of the aid won't be officially offered until September or October, at which point, of course, students will already be attending college. Basically, students are being asked to accept their admissions offers to the UC or CSU college and then trust that the Middle Class Scholarship will be there for them after they've already paid for their first quarter.
This goes against full disclosure and the rules of the game all other colleges must follow; notifying students of admissions decisions AND financial aid no later than May 1.
Here is a link to the California Student Aid Commission's info relating to the Middle Class Scholarship http://www.csac.ca.gov/mcs.asp and a link to their most "recent update" dated a year ago:
http://www.csac.ca.gov/secured/specialalerts/2014/GSA%202014-07.pdf

As to FAQs, the site states: (italics are mine)

1. If you are selected to receive a MCS:If you are selected to receive a MCS, you will be notified by the Commission.(don't call us, we'll call you)

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2. Need more information about this scholarship?: (like, how much will I receive and when will I receive it???? ) Contact your UC or CSU campus Financial Aid Office or check the California Student Aid Commission’s website for updates.(most recent update, March 2014.)

My FAQ?  Why did I expect that this would go smoothly?  Sigh.  Newbie.

When Your Dream College Says No

Seniors, in just 10 more days you will have received all your college decisions - accepted, denied and/or waitlisted. What if you're denied to the colleges you mentally and emotionally placed at the top of your list? It hurts. Grieve. Then, resolve that it is their loss. You were accepted to other colleges, and they were also on your list, and for good reasons. Examine their offers closely. Revisit their campuses. Being denied admission may have kept you from a bad situation of being in over your head academically, struggling to maintain a C average. Embrace the colleges that are eager to have you. You will do well there.

Testing 5-year-olds

At a public elementary school in California, teachers are asked to sit  their kindergarteners down at a computer to answer questions on a standardized test to assess their academic growth.  Five-year-olds.

And the standardized testing frenzy never lets up from then on.  In high school, students not only have to take their CAHSEE to get out of high school, but their SAT or ACT to get in to college.

According to a power point from CSU Los Angeles, standardized testing “began in the United States in the early 1900s to determine one's individual intelligence quotient” and was used during WWI because “the Army needed a method to determine which soldiers were “Officer Material.”  Then the No Child Left Behind Act came along and, well, you know the rest.

Testing individual students makes sense if there is probable cause…a suspected learning disability, perhaps, or history of developmental delays or neurological problems.  But that isn’t how it works.  Every single student is tested, regardless of their age, effort, grades or native language.  And as teachers, we are asked to not divulge that parents may request a waiver excusing students from standardized tests.

Does standardized testing work as an evaluative tool of teacher effectiveness?  No more so than judging the effectiveness of a postal worker based on whether the bills he delivers actually get paid, or critiquing a doctor based on the number of miles his patients walk per week.  You can’t hold someone accountable for variables beyond their control.

In what other publicly funded government institution is annual testing mandatory for citizens?  Are Amtrak passengers required to submit to a yearly test on their ability to read a train schedule?  Do California sea lions have to jump through hoops for the Marine Mammal Commission?  Does the USDA Rural Development agency ask housing recipients to undergo annual inspections to be sure they have vacuumed and dusted adequately?

All this standardized testing leaves our children with the impression that no matter what they do, they will always be judged, and that their worth is measured by how far above the 50^th percentile a test reports them to be.  Average isn’t good enough, and any talent that can’t be measured by a standardized test must not be very important. 

COLLEGE APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED? HERE ARE YOUR NEXT STEPS!

1) Check your email daily.  Colleges will communicate with you through email with any questions they have about your application, reminders about deadlines, info about events on campus, and materials they need you to send or haven't received from your high school such as transcripts, letters, SAT scores, etc. 
2) In one of these emails should be instructions for setting up a student portal/account.  Do it.  That is how most will notify you if you are accepted, long before the envelope arrives in the mail!
3) Your high school counselor and teachers are responsible for sending your fall/mid term transcript or grade report, your letters of recommendation, and submitting your info for Cal Grant aid.  You are responsible for reminding them.
4)  You are also responsible for using College Board to send your SAT scores to all the colleges to which you applied, or ACT.org if you are submitting ACT scores (except for the CSU system, which won't need them for admission decisions if your GPA is 3.0+).  Most colleges will need your test scores by Jan. 15 at the latest! The UC system requires ALL your test scores and uses the highest total score from all three sections for one test date, but you only need to pay for and submit the scores to ONE UC campus and the rest will get them also. For CSU, use the CSU mentor code to save money and all the CSU's will receive your scores.  CSU will super score so you can send just your tests that are the highest in each section.  Common app schools differ in their test policies; some super score, some don't, and you need to send your scores to each college.   Check the website of each college to which you applied for details and deadlines.
5) Complete (parents will have to assist) the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) AND the CSS Profile (if needed) for all the colleges you applied to, EVEN if your income is $250K plus annually.  Many private colleges use the financial aid applications to make "merit" aid decisions and to award scholarships, and even if you don't qualify for federal aid you will be eligible to take out low interest student and Parent Plus federal loans if you decide to.
Deadlines for these range from Feb 1 to March 1 depending on the college.

6 Things I Learned From My Gardener About Work and Relationships

My gardener has not only won my business, but my friendship.  It surprises me, because I thought we were from different worlds. Instead, over the past year, he has taught me many valuable lessons about doing business and about relationships.

1) Making a Good First Impression is About Being Sensitive to Your Customers' Needs and Developing Trust:
Ernesto was the gardener for the home next door and the one across the street, yet we had never spoken until I took a walk with my new collie puppy.  He was wielding an ear-deafening blower and my dog shrank away from him as we passed.  Ernesto turned off the blower, set it down, crouched down, and called my dog to him.  He petted him, smiled at me, and called my dog "Lassie".  In that instant, a connection was made not only between Ernesto and my dog, but between the two of us. I was in between gardeners, and I needed one my dog wouldn't be afraid of.  I hired him on the spot.

2) Communication is About Understanding, not Language
It is true that Ernesto speaks very little English and understands not much more, and that my Spanish is based on my world of classroom teacher, not gardening. But we somehow manage to hold conversations about rather complex topics, such as why I need a new sprinkler valve or what schedule the timer is on, and whether or not he should prune back the roses so they will be "more beautiful" in the spring, and the best type of grass seed for my lawn.  He relies on eye contact, pantomime, and lots of "I show you", and somehow, as I listen, my Spanish elevates to a level where I'm not translating in my head but actually comprehending.

3)  Don't Judge People.  Period.
Ernesto drives a beat up 20-year-old pickup, speaks very limited English, and is a gardener who thinks nothing of killing a gopher, picking it up and tossing it in the trash and then shaking my hand!
But he knows the LATIN words for my privet hedge (Ligustrum) and plays the guitar professionally on the weekends at various clubs all over the county.  He also likes my dog.

4)  Small Extras Cement a Relationship.
Ernesto usually gardens for me on Saturday, unless he is playing the guitar at a club, in which case he comes on Thursday.  Regardless, he knows my day for trash pick up is Friday, so he always comes on Thursday to take to the curb not only the grass clippings from Saturday but also my household trash and recycling cans.

5)  Be Clear in Your Agreements.
Ernesto explains (see #2) any extra work he feels my garden needs, and whether or not he will do it a little bit each week ("despues y despues y despues, entiendes?") or if it will cost "extra" and also, if that will be his hourly rate or a contract flat price.  If he purchases an item, he provides the receipt.  He is a gardener, but he is a professional.

6)  Take Pride in Your Work.
Ernesto is the first one to beam with happiness when my lawn is green, my beds mulched and my sprinklers working properly.  He smiles and tells me "I am intelligent", and I agree.

12 Steps to a Great College Essay

12 Steps to A Great College Essay

©2014 Laura Rader, Wise Ambitions College Consulting

1.  Give yourself plenty of time.  Common Application Essay prompts are released August 1.  Open, read and save the prompts August 1.

2.  Print out all the prompts in August.  Think about them.  Gather your memories.  Scroll through your Facebook postings, iPhotos and Instagrams to jog your memory.  Next to each prompt, write a sentence or two of an idea or ideas that might work.  You can pull people and ideas from any stage of your life as long as the memory is clear in your mind and focused as follows:

           Snapshots in time.  Choose brief, memorable moments of a larger picture.  You only have about 500 words.  Two pages, tops.

            Symbolism.  People and events that represent your values, personality, goals, dreams and life lessons learned.

            Significant.  What you write about needs to be important and memorable to you, so that you can convey that passion to the reader.

            Additional information.  If you choose to write about a talent or activity you’ve already included in other parts of your application, the essay must elaborate, expand and add additional insight into that.  This is not a resume.

            Personal.  The essay needs to be fully about you, honest, and with a positive spin even if it’s a sad topic.  You can write about death and divorce if you grew from that experience.  Do not write about your drug use, sex life or any crimes committed.

3.  In September, work on expanding all your ideas into an outline of your essay.  Three or four sentences should do it - Beginning, Middle, End, the Point.  Save them.

4.  Settle on two or three essay ideas that spark your creativity the most and that will be the most interesting to you to write.

5.  Start with a hook.  Grab your reader’s attention with action, humor, catastrophe or dialog and keep that going for the first paragraph.  Then back off and explain.  Save what you’ve written and then let those first paragraphs sit for a day or so.

6.   Reread your first paragraphs.  Think about where your essay is going.  Look for a theme you can carry throughout, and pieces you can weave together into a whole.  Then keep writing.  Save often.

7.  If one of your essays isn’t getting off the ground, discard it.  Focus on the one that is beginning to take on a life of its own.  That’s your story.  Commit to it.  Write your two pages.

8.  Finish.  Be sure your ending is as powerful as your beginning.  Walk away for a week and do something else, like study and homework and your extra curricular activities.

9.  Reread it.  Cut out cliché’s, redundancies, ramblings.  Be sure your sentences are varied in length and complexity.  Check your word choice and be sure your nouns and verbs are specific.  Your writing should create a movie in your head and arouse strong feelings.  If it doesn’t, revise, revise, revise.

10.  Have a trusted person read it.  This can be someone who knows your very well (family, best friend, teacher) or someone who is a good writer.  Preferably both.  Ask them for their honest opinions on whether or not it seems focused, interesting, insightful and authentic.  Listen to their advice.  Make changes if you agree with them.  Then share it again with one or two more people.

11.  Finish your final revisions.  Check your grammar.  Run it through spell check and grammar check and read it again, word by word, looking for homonyms, possessives and errors in tense.

12.  Type a clean copy, 12-point font, double-spaced.  Save it.  Copy and paste it into your application.  Reread one more time to be sure nothing was lost or changed in the process.  Press Submit.  Breathe.