College Admission

We talk to our sons and daughters about testing and essays and big schools vs. small but we often forget to talk to them about staying healthy through the process and beyond into college -- from taking care of themselves by getting enough sleep to always carrying their insurance card. Pediatrician Perri Klass has an excellent piece in today's New York Times, College Prep, This Time for Health, about the important conversations parents and students need to have about making wise health choices and getting help when it's needed. And high school is not too early to start having these conversations. We talk to our children about doing their best in the classroom and on a playing field. Don't forget to teach them to tune into their health and do their best there, as well.

The New York Times has a sneak preview of the changes afoot for the SAT and digital ACT. It's interesting in that it shows what they're thinking. But don't stress! These changes likely won't occur until 2015 or later! Check it out here.

Read, read, read… There are many theories about education, but there is one fact. The key to doing well in school and getting into college is reading.  It improves grades, test results, and is the best predictor of whether students will succeed in college. So, start working on your summer reading list now because the best feeder school to the college of your choice is Amazon.com -- or your local library.

If your school doesn't provide a summer reading list, create your own. Need ideas? Check out “101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers”. Or Google “summer reading lists for high school students." Ask at your local library.  And bookstores often have the summer reading lists for all local high schools. Then, read, read, read…

The transition from high school to college, particularly for students who leave home and live in campus residence halls, is a challenge for nearly all students. However, some students find it more daunting than others.  Experienced counselors, both in high schools and on college campuses, have learned to recognize the stages that most students go through, beginning at the end of senior year, through the summer after graduation, and continuing through freshman year of college.  But most students have only a vague idea of what this transition will be like and are therefore stunned by the challenges they encounter.  First generation students, in particular, are likely to encounter surprises because their parents, having not attended college, haven’t had discussions with them about what to expect.

Today, educational psychologist Jane McClure continues her series that walks students and parents through what the future may hold with Stages 3 and 4 -- The First Term and The Honeymoon.  Her previous post on the first two stages in "The Transition from High School to College" -- The Summer of Transition and Separation Anxiety -- can be seen here. 

Stage 3:  The First Term