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The school year has begun, and most students are in a period of adjustment. For many, they feel overwhelmed by the pressure to resume their academic lives, especially if they are juniors in high school and are college bound. For everyone who is feeling like they are stitching different aspects of their lives (remembering the fun of the summer, returning to school, building a school community, participating in a sport or a theater production, etc.) together, this is a wonderful time to take a deep breath and give yourself a moment to readjust to the demands of going to school because a junior needs to focus on the college application process this year. Be gentle with yourself and remind yourself that you are just ending a two-month vacation and it takes time to build up the academic strength that you might have had at the end of your sophomore year. But here at EA, we know you can excel because we witness students do it each year.
If you are planning on going to college, have some family discussions about how to proceed in the college process. Ask yourself questions and write down the answers. One question you should definitely ask yourself if you have a very specific career plan like you want to become a chemical engineer or a virtual reality designer, is: “Which schools have that program?” Simply use Google to search for those schools and then ask more general questions, like those below, once you have found them. The EA Team wants to offer you some questions you could ask yourself to begin this process. You might have an immediate answer or some of them might require some serious thought or check with a college counselor. Here are some useful ones to ask. Do I want to go to a college in a city or do I prefer a suburban or rural environment? Do I prefer a huge school like Michigan or a small one like Wheaton? How much money can my family afford to spend on college? Have I matched my grades and SAT/ACT scores to those required by the college of my dreams? How hard am I willing to work to get into the colleges of my choice? Remind yourself that there are ways to assist yourself to achieve what you want, and at EA, we are happy to help. We want everyone to know that EA offers academic coaching, and assistance with completing all parts of the Common Application, as well as SAT and ACT preparation courses. Our next six-week SAT session begins in two weeks, and we have a few spaces left, so please join us. Give us a call (educationallyaware@gmail.com ) or send us an email(educationallyaware@gmail.com ) or just visit our website. Let us know if we can help a little or a lot. And remember, there is always an answer to any concern. Well, once again, I lament the end of summer. It always approaches so quickly, and it feels as though it has just begun. As I sit in the sun, I spend some time reviewing all that I wanted to accomplish in the summer. Once again, not all the plans were achieved. At this point, I ponder why certain ones happened and others didn’t. If I want them to happen in the future, I rethink them and some I decide they aren't worth my effort.
If you are applying to college, certain things must be accomplished. Labor Day Weekend is the ideal time to plan how you will “labor” or work on the application. But first, you need to determine if you actually want to go to college and is it worth your effort to apply to a highly competitive school, a moderately competitive school, or choose a community college that has open enrollment. It should be noted that many local community colleges offer a fantastic education at a reasonable price. I would also like to point out that no one asks you where you spent your first two years of college. The question always is, “Where did you graduate from?. Also, respect for community colleges is on the rise since it is currently recognized by many that these colleges offer truly quality education. However, whatever you decide, now is a good time to create your to-do list. If you are struggling to get yourself going first honestly answer the question: Do you want to go to college now? This answer needs to be based on the type of career you want to have? Clearly, you need to do “something” when you finish high school. The question is, “What is that thing?”. If you are happy to be a waitress or working at a local hardware store, no education is required. If you want to be a teacher or an electrical engineer, then you need to go to college. If the answer is I don’t know or no, then you need not read any further. Remember you can decide to attend college next year or several years later. If the answer is yes, then you have some work cut out for you. The amount of work is often determined by if the college requires a certain SAT or ACT score and how many supplemental essays that college requires. Start the research this weekend. Remember you are determining your future, so remember to get the input of your parents and other people who love you as well as the actual facts about each college. Happy Labor Day to all from the EA Team. |
AuthorLearn about the process of getting into college and then what to do you have completed your four years. Archives
November 2022
CategoriesAuthorBoth Judy Marano and Ava Drutman, life coaches and college educators, contribute to this blog with their years of experience working with young adults. |
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