Below are resources and tips to help you through the college planning process. More information about college planning is available in our May newsletter.
The college search: http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/index.jspThis site is particularly helpful for students just beginning their college search. Students can search for colleges by location, major, size, cost, selectivity of admissions, and more. I've seen many students become more interested in the college search process once they've discovered this site.
Viewing college campuses: www.youniversitytv.com This new website offers video tours of over 400 college campuses, with more to be added in the future. (Of course, students should make a real -- not just a virtual -- visit to the colleges they're serious about attending.)
SAT prep tip: Here's an excellent suggestion from an interesting little book on SAT preparation, Zen in the Art of the SAT, by Matt Bardin and Susan Fine. Have your children read editorials and op-eds to raise their reading level and understanding of non-fiction articles. (The majority of the reading passages on the SAT are non-fiction.) Reading the editorial page will also help prepare them for college interviews.
SAT study tip: Have your child sign up for the College Board SAT question of the day at http://apps.collegeboard.com/qotd/question.do This is a painless way of getting in some SAT practice every day. To make it interesting for the whole family, mom and dad can sign up for the questions, too!
College application tip: Starting in 9th grade, students should keep a record of their extracurricular activities, including the average weekly time devoted to these activities and any positions held. They should also keep a list of any special recognition and/or honors they have received. This will make it much easier to reconstruct their high school record when filling out college applications as a senior.
Need College Planning Advice?
We help students build their college resumes from 8th-12th grade.
We help students find colleges that are right for them
We help students with all aspects of their college application, including the essay, recommendations, and the activities/honors resume.
We help students prepare for college and scholarship interviews.
We help students research and apply for scholarships.
Consulting available by phone or in person. Call Susan Goodkin at 805-642-6686 to arrange for consulting, or to find out more about our college consulting services. $150/hr.
Susan Goodkin is a graduate of Harvard University, Harvard Law School, and Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar. Susan is a national writer on education issues, including the college application process. She has been published in newspapers including the Washington Post, Sacramento Bee, Miami Herald, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Houston Chronicle. |
