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How To: Manage Your Workload at College

4 Reasons to Submit or Skip Submitting Your ACT or SAT Scores

College entry exams (ACT and SAT) can be points of extreme stress during the “college going” process. Many students and their parents stress the importance of getting the best or highest score possible on these exams. Why? Well how else will you get into the best school and receive the strongest merit based financial aid package? Fact is that there are schools who do not require to see your exam scores to admit you. For a variety of reasons, many schools (not all schools) are turning away from these exams. Whether or not the trend is good for students is up for debate (you can read about that here), but when deciding on if you should submit your test scores there are some things to consider.

First, what does “test optional” really mean? According to the ScholarPrep Blog, “test optional” essentially means that “you do not need to submit SAT or ACT scores to be considered for admission to a particular school.” There are one of four levels a particular school can fall under if they decide to go test optional:

Test Optional – It’s your choice as to whether or not you would like to submit your test scores

Test Flexible – Schools will allow you to submit other exam scores (AP, IB, Placement, or SAT Subject) in place of your ACT/SAT scores (which exams are acceptable depends on the school)

Class Rank/GPA Prerequisite – Schools will allow you to skip submitting test scores if you meet a minimum class rank and/or GPA

Test Blind – ACT/SAT scores are not considered in admission decisions, only one school has this practice in place – Hampshire College in Amherst, MA

Exercising your options:

1. SUBMIT scores if you received a high or exceptionally high ACT/SAT (don’t forget to consider your Super Score), conversely if you did not perform well and have strong grades consider not submitting.

2. SUBMIT scores if you are applying to a particular school program (such as business, pre-med/law, etc.) that may emphasize they’re looking for a specific level of competency, research the school’s program for this information.

3. SUBMIT scores if you have a strong ACT/SAT score and do not have a lot of academic evidence (competitive class schedule, other exams such as AP or IB scores, etc.) to support your who you are as a student. On the other hand, if you have taken any of the other exams and performed better on them than on your ACT/SAT then consider skipping the submission of those scores if you can (Text Flexible schools).

4. If you meet the minimum class rank and/or GPA required that will allow you to skip submitting your ACT/SAT scores, then consider not submitting – especially if your exam scores are low.

Check out the National Center for Fair & Open Testing or the Aug. 2017 list of Test Optional schools.

#act #SAT #testing #optional #test optional #college #college admissions

What You Need to Know About Sports Scholarships With the unyielding cost of a college education, the hope to earn scholarship money is as tremendous as the desire to win the lottery.

5 Considerations of Athletic Scholarships

Here are some facts to consider when thinking about that athletic scholarship as your main financial plan to pay for college.*

1. The odds are remote and the money isn't that great

Only about 2 percent of high school athletes win sports scholarships every year and the average scholarship is less than $11,000. Basically, there is just too many student-athletes competing for too little money.

2. Full-ride sports scholarships are scarce

Only between four and six sports offer full rides to all athletes who receive scholarships: football, men's and women's basketball, women's gymnastics, tennis and women's volleyball. (This list may have expanded over the years to other sports, but the odds haven’t changed that much) Also, athletic scholarships must be renewed each year and that's at the coach's discretion. (Click here for a list of sports and the number of scholarships were offered at particular schools)

3. Most scholarships are sliced and diced

The NCAA dictates how many athletic scholarships each sport can offer in Division I and Division II. To squeeze out the maximum benefit, coaches routinely split up these awards.

4. Scholarships Are Not Guaranteed

Coaches scout many players there’s no guarantee that a child who verbally commits to a team will end up on it, a coach can change his or her mind about a prospect. What really matters is the scholarship amount contained in the school's official athletic grant-in-aid form. Promises are meaningless until you apply and receive a "Grant-in-Aid” form.

5. Playing College Sports Will be a Full-Time Job

Division I athletes may as well be called full-time employees of their schools because of the long hours they work. According to a NCAA survey on college athletes released in 2011, playing football required 43.3 hours per week; college baseball 42.1 hours; men's basketball 39.2 hours; and women's basketball, 37.6 hours. It will be extremely difficult to be a student-athlete and study a rigorous major such as engineering or business.

TIPS

Don't wait to be discovered unless you are a superstar, college coaches probably won't know you exists, introduce yourself to coaches through E-mail. Also, use YouTube (or any other video sites) to attract the attention of coaches. Be sure to keep videos short and basic; videos should be about two - three minutes long of your best highlights and send the link in your introduction

Be careful hiring athletic recruiters Some coaches don't want recruiters to get in the middle; they prefer direct dealings with the student athletes. Don’t be afraid to look at Division III schools (usually smaller private colleges). Division III schools are often not big sports schools and do not award athletic scholarships, but they routinely give merit awards for academics and other student accomplishments.

Finally, and most importantly, don’t forget to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse Eligibility Center, you may not be able to receive an athletic scholarship with being declared eligible.

*Information has been compiled from a series of articles written from 2009 to 2012 by Lynn O’Shaughnessy from various college related websites

#college #sports #college sports #scholarships #student athlete #athletic scholarships

collegeessayguy

Don’t Take the Easy Way to College. It Might Not Get You Where You Want to Go.

Good one, Stanford.

But seriously, don’t take pushover classes and think that a high GPA will impress admissions officers. They are smarter than we think.

Thanks to executive action taken by President Obama on September 13, 2015, instead of waiting until you and/or your parents have completed your tax returns for the previous year, you can now complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or the FAFSA, using information from TWO years prior. Watch our quick video to learn more about how you’ll benefit from this new move to using prior-prior year income data.

#FAFSA PPY PriorPriorYear

Staying Motivated in Your Senior Year in High School

Senioritis, it’s the what high school seniors need to work hard at avoiding. Why, well because senioritis is that thing can sneak up on you cause a disruption in your plans to finish high school strong. Here are some tips to help you avoid the dreaded senioritis.

1. Think beyond the goal of graduation

2. You aren’t a fluke

3. Attend senior seminars and mentorship meetings

These three points may sound simple but they can save you a great deal of heartache and disappointment. For a deeper explanation on these pointers visit HBCUlifestyles.com.

#Seniors Senioritis Motivation

5 Questions to Discover Who You Are and What Will Make You Happy

Summer isn't just about relaxing, it’s also about reflecting. Yes, you can look at how and why you performed well, or not so well, this past school year and how you will continue to soar, but also it’s important to ask yourself why you are doing all “this” and why. Happiness is not completely an irrelevant or abstract concept in all of “this.” Happiness could be that meaningful “thing” that pushes you forward during those rough times. However, you have to evaluate what YOUR happiness really means for YOU.

1. What or who would you be if you knew you couldn’t fail? If you were 100% certain that you could be or do anything you wanted and not fail, do you know the answer?

2. What is your Ninety-Second Personal Elevator Speech? How would you describe yourself so that the person asking the question would truly understand who you are and what is important to you?

3. What are your core personal values? … having this information about yourself is the key to making sure your daily life is aligned with those values.

4. What makes you genuinely happy? This one is closely related to your core personal values. Take it a step further and really consider dreams you had when you were younger or currently have about what will make you truly happy.

5. If money were no object, how would you live your life differently? … this question isn’t really about money at all. It’s more about thinking outside the limits we tend to put on our aspirations and actions because things seem out of our reach financially.

#Happy Happiness

15 Words You Should Eliminate From Your Vocabulary

Summer is just about here and its a time when many students feel they need to “chill,” but the smart ones, especially those rising seniors who work on their college essays over the summer, will use this time to improve their vocabulary. Building one’s vocabulary doesn’t just mean adding multisyllabic “SAT” words, but it also means eliminating unnecessary words, especially in your writing. Below are some words you may wish to consider using sparsely when writing. Also, you can click through to the source for further explanation of each word.

1. That - It's superfluous most of the time.

2. Went - Instead of "went," consider drove, skated, walked, ran, flew. Don't be lazy and miss the chance to add to your story.

3. Honestly - The minute you tell your reader this particular statement is honest, you've implied the rest of your words were not.

4. Absolutely - Adding this word to most sentences is redundant.

5. Very - Accurate adjectives don't need qualifiers. It makes your statement less specific. If you're very happy, say “ecstatic” instead. If you're very sad, perhaps you're melancholy or depressed.

6. Really - There's no need to use "really" to modify an adjective, a verb, or an adverb.

7. Amazing - The word means "causing great surprise or sudden wonder." It's everywhere, but if everything is amazing, nothing is.

8. Always - Absolutes lock the writer into a position, sound conceited and close-minded, unless you're giving written commands or instruction, find another word.

9. Never - See: Always.

10. Literally - "Literally" means literal. Actually happening as stated. Often when the term is used, the writer means "figuratively." No one actually "waits on pins and needles."

11. Just - It's a filler word and it makes your sentence weaker, unless you're using it as a synonym for equitable, fair, or impartial.

12. Maybe - This makes you sound uninformed, unsure of the facts you're presenting.

13. Stuff - This word is casual, generic even. It serves as a placeholder for something better.

14. Things - See: Stuff.

15. Irregardless - This doesn't mean what you think it means. It means regardless.

#words

Be open, own your work and ask for what you want, find what works for you, watch the assumptions you make, and get some sleep.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE GRADUATES OF BOTH HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE!!! But know, the hard work that will pay off doesn’t stop with earning that diploma.

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7 Ways to Shine in Your Summer Internship

The semester is nearly over, and its about time to start earning your career by working for free over the summer. Internships are the path to successful careers. By gaining valuable experience students can set themselves up for positive work opportunities in the future... but only if you start off on the right foot. Below are tips from the HBCU Career Center that will help you be your best.

Take your internship seriously and treat it like it’s a real job.

Let your manager see you already as an employee.

Use your initiative to ask for new assignments and to work on project teams.

Do your best work during your internship (work longer hours if necessary and complete you work on time).

Demonstrate your willingness to learn new things and set stretch goals for yourself.

Build your professional network in your preferred industry.

Get social, open a LinkedIn account and connect with the professionals you meet.

#careers #intern #internships #work

This quick clip will give you some insight as to the power of a strong, well organized resume. This info is also good for students seeking internships or scholarships.

7 Things Graduating Seniors Should Know About College

Great tips, but I really encourage you to click on the "source" below and read the entire article for a greater understanding.

1. You Have Control Over Your Courses – You do not have to confine yourself to the standard.

2. Every Class Counts – There is a lot of redundancy built into high school courses, in college, it’s different. If you miss more than two or three lectures, you are likely to miss out on some content that will be difficult to fill in on your own.

3. You Are Expected to Do a Lot of the Work on Your Own – Figure out when things need to be done and do them, week by week.

4. The Testing Is Often Done by ‘Sampling’ – College exams will not cover every topic or problem discussed in class. Instead, professors often select a representative sample of problems or topics and test the students on only those.

5. College Papers Are More Than Just Reports – College papers usually require analysis and/or research.

6. You Don’t Have to Pick a Major in Your First Year – If you do declare a major at the outset, it is very easy to change your major if you find you don’t like the courses or you aren’t doing well in them.

7. The Professor Would Like to Help You Succeed – You should plan to visit each professor at least once during the semester. The office hour can be one of the few times at college for one-to-one engagement with a genuine expert in the field.

#College Tips #College Going #College #College Expectation

Things You Don't Want To Hear When Your Child Calls You From College

Below are actual calls that parents received from their children who were away at college. There are pages of these listed on the College Confidential Parent Forum (http://tiny.cc/DreadedCollegeCalls). As parents who have had their children relatively at an arms distance for their first 18 years of their life, letting go can be nerve racking. Over and over you may find yourself asking questions like, “Are they ready?” Will they be safe?” and “Can they handle life on their own?” – all legitimate questions, and all questions where the answers lie in having faith. No, not necessarily faith from a higher religious order (although for some I’m sure that factors in) but faith in the values and ethics you’ve instilled in your child during those first 18 years. Faith in yourself that you, and those who love this child, all did a great job raising them and making sure they will safely bounce back from any mistakes they make… because we know, just like we did, they will make mistakes.

Many have, or will, receive that dreaded phone call about a mistake or accident, but the key thing to remember is that they had the faith and trust to call you and let you know what was going on. Now it’s up to you to be the great parent and provide them with great advice, as you’ve done so in the past. Also, have faith in yourself that you are ready to deal with this and that you can handle the idea of your child growing up.

The calls:

"Don't panic if you look at my bank account balance..."

"I just got hit (on the bicycle) by a car, what do I do?"

"Mommy, don't panic. Tsunami is going to hit Fiji in 2 hours, and we are fine. Is there anything we should do?"

"How can you tell if your nose is broken?"

“Mom...Dad....You know that I'm a good girl. You know I've been dating Abner (not his real name) for a few months. I'm trying to decide if we should have sex on Saturday night. What do you think?”

"Mom, I just dislocated my shoulder. Ski patrol brought me down the mountain in a basket. I was doing tricks on the half-pipe and fell 20 feet." "Mom, I just dislocated my shoulder again. I was playing IM basketball. Someone called an ambulance...." "The urinal pipes burst in the bathroom over my dorm room. Water was pouring into my room & soaked everything. The college moved us into a hotel so that we could study for mid-terms." (Thank goodness for dorm insurance!) "I just got out of jail, what should I do?" "I got hit in the head while playing soccer. I think I might have a concussion ...." "I was stalked by mountain lions at the end of my hike. I threw stones at him." "I chased a bear away from our campsite. I threw stones at him." "I just bought a plane ticket to Nairobi."

7 Ways Leaders Maintain Composure in Difficult Times

Read an article today on Forbes on the topic of how leaders maintain composure during times of crisis and wanted to relate this to the students I work with and have encountered. There are many teenagers who, in one form or another, seem to be in perpetual “crisis mode,” this is regardless as to whether or not these students are in assigned leadership roles. Typically, we push students towards the leadership direction because as adults we understand the importance and advantage of possessing leadership qualities. These qualities, many of us believe, will give you an advantage in life. However, as we try to “train-up” these leadership qualities in our youth, we must remember to also must give tools that enable you to operate as an effective leaders during difficult times, we cannot sit back and merely hope you survive your trials by fire.

There are times when it’s cool to just “be you,” (around family and friends) and times when composure is required to be the guiding rule of the moment (in school clubs, activities, sport teams, etc.). Some of us may find moments of lost composure comical (like when a teacher “loses it” in class) but in the larger scheme of things, these moments are far from funny. As a young leader you are in the process of developing and maturing, and just as it is important to know when to lead and when to follow, it is equally important to know when to employ composure and maturity. During times of crisis, whether within a group/club/team or in one’s personal life, calmness and control is crucial. These are the qualities that make a true leader standout, and these are the qualities that can carry you off to the successes you will be able to achieve in life.

Rather than continue any disservice, I submit the list from the original article in chunks that hopefully makes sense and can be easily applied.

1. Don’t Allow Your Emotions to Get in the Way – Don’t wear your emotions on your sleeves, don’t yell or get overly animated when times get tough. Being passionate is one thing, but maintaining a degree of control shows that you can handle your leadership responsibility.

2. Don’t Take Things Personally – When things don’t go your way understand that decisions and circumstances don’t always play out logically, and you don’t always have to justify your thinking and actions. Also, when leaders take issues too close to heart, they allow the noise and politics around them to suffocate their thinking and decision-making capabilities.

3. Keep a Positive Mental Attitude – As a leader you will always be looked upon to set the tone for the organization you serve. During the most difficult of times, leaders must maintain a positive mental attitude so they are able to continue to lead and inspire those around them. A positive attitude can neutralize chaos and negativity.

4. Remain Fearless –When leaders project confidence, they instill it in others. During uncertain times, you must remain fearless and project a cool persona, panic can cause you to mentally freeze and lose focus. When you begin to get fearful, ask yourself: What is the worst possible thing that can happen? If you are objective about it and have the will and confidence to face it, you will eventually realize that the situation is manageable and can be resolved.

5. Respond Decisively – Composure allows you to never show any signs of doubt; speaking with conviction, confidence and authority gives those you lead a sense that everything is under control.

6. Take Accountability – This means that you have made the decision to assume responsibility and take the required steps to problem solve before the situation gets out of hand. This allows you to neutralize the problem and place the environment from which it sprung on pause.

7. Act Like You Have Been There Before – Great leaders know that one of the most effective ways to maintain composure during difficult times is to act like you have been there before. Leaders that act to show they have been through the problem solving process before are are patient, they are active listeners, and they will genuinely take a compassionate approach to ease the hardships that anyone else is experiencing.

#leaders #leadership #positive #fearless #decisive #accountability

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