Worries about “not being accepted” to a college are common, since most parents and students believe they’re at the mercy of an admissions officer’s decision. Often, students think, “How do I make my experience, like GPA, test scores and extracurricular activities, match the “right” selection criteria of (insert name of college)?” Few students turn the question around and consider: “At…
Tag: Stress
Here Comes “The College Blues”
Just because a student starts college doesn’t mean that their mindset has caught up to being a college student. First thing last Monday morning, a first-day-of-college-classes student texted me: since she walked into a classroom, where the class lecture was already underway and was at the wrong classroom to boot. Embarassed, she worried that her classmates would post her mishap…
Guest Post: It’s Okay to Not Know
By Spencer Batute I’m not quite sure how to write one of these personal journey blog posts, as I still don’t feel like I’m at some end goal or vista point that I can look down from and spew some all-seeing knowledge. And I don’t know if I ever will be. But I think that’s the point, and the significance…
Summertime, Summertime…
Summer vacation traditionally meant “lazy days “—time to rest and regroup. Yet, for Gen Z’ers and even the preceeding Millenials, summer has become “organized play” and “scheduled interest investigation”, packed into camps, summer school, club sports, and summer reading assignments. But, today’s kids are no different than us as kids—the people who learned from youthful mistakes—only our adult perception of…
AP Exam = Stress?
Now that AP (Advanced Placement) tests are imminent, the stress level of high school students (and by extension—their parents) is noticeably increasing. Not only are students taking multiple tests in a few short weeks, students are also in the last month of a long school year, and the pressures of thinking that college admissions officers will be scrutinizing their every…
What Happens When Children Mimic Adults Too Soon
Never has a day dulled, remembering the joy of being a child.
Move Along…Nothin’ To See Here
How most seniors & their parents feel when asked about college applications
Tricks of the Academic Trade
Online tools are useful homework management techniques for students. Yet, with the plethora of online tools available, knowing which tools are actually worthy can be tricky. So, here’s a couple tools that are student-tested and recommended: Wolfram|Alpha: a searchable database for all academic subjects, including solutions to exact math problems. For an additional fee, students can purchase greater access to the database…
Our Fervent Wish
…is that every high school senior and transfer college applicant and their parents temporarily develop multiple hands, whose swift fingers dance with the wind across the keyboard to craft brilliant essays well before the deadline. Deadline approaching. pic.twitter.com/CszGLJyrA1 — Academia ɐɹnɔsqO (@AcademiaObscura) September 4, 2018
Can I Change My 650 Word Common Application Essay After Submitting It?
The short answer is yes…with an *. [See Below] But, like any life-impacting decision, the short answer doesn’t account for the complexities of choosing a college. And, those last three words are key to keep in mind: YOU, the applicant, are the one who’s doing the choosing of the college. However, most college applicants skip that fact and believe the college…
The Junior Dilemma
Right about now, junior parents’ anxieties about college applications begin rising. Thus, they begin asking, imploring, nagging, begging, commanding their 16 or 17 year old teenager to discuss the details of their college plans. However, juniors may resist their parents’ attempts to initiate conversation about their futures—mostly demonstrated by not applying for summer programs, not identifying colleges for application, not…
A River Runs Through It
The late winter run-off from 12 years of school melting during the latter half of a high school senior year can create an emotional flood. A confluence of Senioritis and waiting for college admissions responses quickly overruns the levees built during a senior’s youth-limited life experience. Seniors decry, “When will I hear from colleges?” or “Many of my friends received…
What If’s?
The What If’s seem more than the I Know’s when applying to college. While teens are the ones applying to college, parents have their own unique doubts, as they watch from the sidelines while their seniors complete college applications. Work colleagues who often share their opinions about college can further fuel parents’ second-guessing. But, just because at some point in…
A Goodbye Note That Never Ends
About the author: Ashley is a recent graduate from Rocklin High School and leaves home to attend Oregon State University in ten days. Leaving for college is difficult, as any book, article, or adult worth their salt will agree. Despite the fact only four or so months will pass before reuniting, it’s impossible to ignore the fundamental truth that…
Moving Across the Country for College
I am grateful to join DC’s network of go-getters. I am drawn to the vibrancy of the city and the intellect of the citizens (just as I was 4 months ago when I visited). I feel I have a lot to offer and I am confident in my ability to adapt to this new life. I am trying to…