The College Explorer

Happy New Year! 

• Seniors: Almost there!
  • You should be checking your e-mail DAILY.
  • Keep your inbox clean so you can see important new messages (here’s a video to help you do this!)
• Juniors:
  • Grades, Grades, GRADES!  Keep your grades up.
  • Get or stay involved and take on some responsibility in an activity, club or cause.  You don’t need a title, but show some leadership in some way!
  • Think about the best time for you to take the SAT or ACT
  • Start planning some spring break college visits
  • Start planning an interesting summer activity
• Sophomores:  Focus on two things this year:  GRADES and INVOLVEMENT.  Do both!  You don’t need to be involved in 10 things – pick 2 or 3 and really dedicate yourself to those activities/causes.

Articles We’ve Been Reading Lately 

• Making the Grade Still Matters – At Least in College Admissions (Washington Post)
• 5 Steps to Not Raising An Entitled Child (Psychotherapist Judi Lirman)
• The Troubling Student-to-Counselor Ratio That Doesn’t Add Up (Education Week)

Questions People Ask Us Regularly 

• What’s my GPA for College Admissions?  Weighted or Unweighted?
• College Visits:  What Do We Need to Know?
• Why Do Colleges Care About Extra Curricular Activities?
• How Many Colleges Should I Apply To?
• Lots more on our blog – check it out!

Parent Corner

• Is Financial Aid a top concern for you?  Learn more about the two types of college financial aid in our financial aid webinar – it’s free, already recorded and posted here.
  
• Join our free text messaging service, with messages specifically tailored to your student’s year of high school graduation.  Parents of current juniors, text 2020parent to 555888 to join our list for parents of your child’s class.  We also have 2021parent and 2022parent lists!
• Some people think only top students work with private college counselors.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  Here’s a post to help you understand how we can make the process less stressful for your entire family!
• Our team is currently booking clients in the Class of 2020 (only a handful of spaces left) and we are now signing contracts with the Class of 2021 (current sophomores).  Please get in touch if you are interested in learning more about our services.