The Academic Record

Juniors: How do you learn? It's important when considering colleges!

Posted on Thu, 10/24/2013 - 10:45

In the last couple of weeks, we've asked you to "research yourself" as you start to create a preliminary list of colleges. 

There's no question the students who do best in the college application process have figured out who they are and what they want. We've asked you to think about your personal preferences and interests like favorite books and television shows and to take advantage of the personality inventories on Naviance and similar platforms. We've even asked you to consider which Star Trek character you may resemble. Hey, we think you can learn something about yourself there!

This week, we're going to ask you to think about yourself in the classroom. Because college is a learning environment, you need to honestly evaluate yourself as a student in order to figure out what schools are best for you.

First, consider your academic record. Keep in mind that there are no "right" answers. You're just mining for information. Here are some questions to help you begin:

What is your GPA? What is the highest GPA reported by your school?

Are you challenging yourself in the classroom with advanced classes, such as AP’s?

What is the most intellectually engaging class you have taken in high school? Why? How did it influence you?

What do you choose to learn when you learn on your own? Consider what topics you choose for research papers, lab reports, or independent reading.

What subjects have you excelled in?

Guess what, students? You're in Control!

Posted on Mon, 10/14/2013 - 16:49

John Carpenter is back this month with some thoughts about who is really in the driver's seat during the college application process. While it might feel like the college admission offices are steering, if you pay attention you'll see that students have the wheel much of the time. Read on and reevaluate what you've been feeling if things are feeling out of control.

One thing I hear constantly from high school kids over and over is that applying to college is stressful.  And psychologists tell us that stress comes from a feeling that we are not in control -- especially the big stuff.  Getting into college falls into the “big stuff” category. But students have more control in this whole process than they may realize. So, let’s analyze that.

Juniors: Giving Your Best Effort in The Classroom

Posted on Thu, 09/13/2012 - 11:20

 

Juniors, you should be giving your best effort in all your classes. Take a strong academic courseload and challenge yourself academically. If you are doing less than three hours of homework each day, talk with your counselor about enrolling in more advanced classes. First and foremost, what colleges will want to know about you is what you are like as a learner – your grades and courses,  as well as teacher recommendations, of course,  show them that.

 

Check out Chapter 5 in College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step for more information about what defines a challenging curriculum and achieving balance between grades, challenging courses, and personal time.