March, 2013

Spring College Visits; Summer Plans

For Seniors – Admission Decisions are Coming Soon!
Seniors should be hearing back from all of the colleges to which they applied by the end of this month.  The national deadline for students to make a decision and place a deposit is May 1.  You may only deposit at one school.

For Juniors – March is the time for you to GET MOVING!
—> If you didn’t take the January or March SAT, sign up for the May or June tests (click here to register).  If you believe you will do better on the ACT, it is offered in April and June (click here to register).  If you are interested in test prep courses or in-home tutoring, please call me (877-5-MAGGIE (877-562-4443)) for a referral.

—> Keep those grades up!  This is a very important year – and this semester’s grades will be the last grades colleges see on your application.  There is almost nothing more important for you right now.

—> Plan some college visits during Spring Break.  You will get the best feel for a campus when you visit in person.  Even if you can’t fly out of town, visit some local colleges, like Chapman University (City of Orange), or the Claremont Colleges (5 colleges in one square mile – you can visit 2 in one day), or any of the local UC or Cal State schools.  Take the official tour, and talk to students on campus.  You can read my impressions of the colleges I have toured (in California and outside of California).  More to come after my April trip!

—> If you haven’t started to create a resume for yourself, do that now.  Make note of all of the extra-curricular activities you have taken part in since the summer after 8th grade.  Keep track of how many hours per week, and weeks per year you spent on each activity.  Jobs count, volunteering counts, and so do activities through school, through your church or synagogue or any outside group.  Don’t forget music and/or art lessons and sports, club or team.

—> Start thinking about what you will do with your summer.  Spend a week volunteering intensively.  Take a summer course.  Start a summer business cutting neighbors’ lawns or bushes.  Do something other than *just* hang out at the beach and tweet your friends!  Check out this post for more information and a downloadable list of summer program options.

Save the Date for NACAC’s National College Fair, April 25th
Your school’s college fair has an impressive group of colleges that attend.  Over 10,000 students and parents are expected to attend NACAC’s annual national college fair in Pasadena, and more than 200 colleges will send representatives.  WOW!  It’s 9 am to noon, and then again 6 pm to 9 pm at the Pasadena Convention Center.  If you register in advance, you will be given a name tag with a bar code so that college reps can scan you and send you information!  Call me for some pre-college fair tips and consultation to make this huge event go smoothly and stress-free.

Quick Note to Clients:  Magellan’s April College Trip
I’ll be travelling between Sunday, April 7th and Thursday, April 18th.  I’ll be visiting 17 colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, Missouri, Indiana and Ohio.  I’ll have regular access to both voice mail and e-mail, but I will probably only return calls and e-mail once a day, in the evening.  Please be patient with me during that time frame.

Host a “College Admissions Process” Seminar for Friends!
Are your kids in 9th, 10th or 11th grades? I am available to give a free“College Admissions 101“ seminar for you and your friends who are going through the same college admissions anxiety!  You provide the location and a dozen (or more) parents.  If your friends are already knowledgeable about college admissions, broaden your horizons with my “Hidden Gem Colleges” presentation.  You know about Harvard, Stanford and Yale, but let me share some little-known colleges that could be a great fit for your student.  Call or e-mail for more information.