Mid-Year Assessments: Educational & College Admissions Planing !

Juniors – Attend our June WRITERS BLOCK WORKSHOP – Complete your college core essay before summer

College Admissions Planning: Insider Tips

Greetings Students & Families

This is a great time to assess where you are in realizing your educational goals and also begin thinking about summer plans.

his is the time of year when students and families should be engaged in guided ongoing conversations with teachers, guidance counselors and their college advisor to leverage personal interests and talents — become informed. It’s important to recognize that you are a consumer – searching for an outstanding educational experience on a campus you might decide to call home. Be selective! You do get to make the decision! Whether your journey is sparked through clubs at school, activities within your community, attending a summer program, or participating in a national writing contest, students should enrich their classroom experiences in ways that encourage curiosity.

What are some of the potential educational and career paths you may have overlooked?
How might you discover more about a college that is the perfect ‘fit’ for you?
Why is community service important in the longer term?
Is your teen joyful or overwhelmed? Please Adjust!

As a university educator and college counselor with over 30+ years of experience guiding young adults, my message is straightforward- it’s about the importance of young adults finding the joy in all that they do both within and outside the classroom.

DEFINE GOALS–

SET Your UNIQUE PLAN

and

then evaluate

IS YOUR STUDENT ON TARGET? Joyful?

Why or Why Not?

It is never too early to begin taking steps to ensure your student has a long-term strategic educational and college admissions plan fostering a love of learning, building solid time management skills and establishing a directed path towards the undergraduate experience.

What’s Next?

Freshman-Juniors:

Review your current classes and make adjustments to learning strategies and time management? Do you need practical solutions to handle difficult classes – schedule a strategic academic consultation!
Now is the perfect time to determine and refine the most effective academic plan to include the appropriately challenging and relevant courses given potential academic interests. It’s important to avoid becoming unnecessarily overwhelmed. Maintenance of a GPA which allows for a healthy balance of academic, extracurricular and personal pursuits will increase the likelihood of a successful transition to college and admissions success.

Refine extracurricular activities to include a relevant summer plan! Update your activities resume. Think about ways to deepen an interest and let-go of those activities that do not bring you joy.

Select appropriate courses for the balance of your high school year that prepare you for success, offer enjoyment and prepare you for relevant standardized testing required for colleges on your radar.
Determine your standardized testing schedule, including your self-directed regular test preparation for AP/IB/AICE exams and SAT/ACT exams.

SCHEDULE YOUR EDUCATIONAL and COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ASSESSMENT

LEARN MORE

A few last minute tips for our Seniors

You’ll very soon be exploring your options more closely as college acceptances fill your inbox. Colleges are offering virtual sessions to meet with academic representatives and currently enrolled students- take advantage of these presentations. Also, explore social media to interact with other accepted students. While virtual meetings aren’t a replacement for assessing a campus vibe- they are the next best thing when campus- visits are precluded (whether due to the pandemic, timing or family finances). I can also put you in touch with currently enrolled students who are eager to share their experiences with prospective students.

Please send your required mid-year grade reports to all colleges requiring these . At this time of year, an incomplete admissions file can result in a rejection. It’s up to you to review your file regularly at the login portals you’ve established after your college application was received. Things shift– please make it a practice to check all portals at least once a week for completeness.

Did something change since you filed your application? Colleges would like to know. Ask me about writing mid-year update letters and what if anything is relevant vs. a nuance letter.

If financial or family situations changed – please reach out and I can assist with help your FAFSA / CSS Profile questions. I also handle successful appeals of financial aid award letters – that process occurs in April. Please reach out AFTER your acceptances and award letters arrive to engage in “negotiation”.

Over the next two to three months, this is a great time to reassess your college fit and major choices. Colleges are doing a great job not only with virtual admissions presentations as I’ve noted – but this is a time to make virtual connections with current students and alumni. Let me help you assess your fit.

JUNIORS and Sophomores

It’s time to plan for summer. I hope you found this newsletter helpful in understanding why attendance at a summer program is a great college planning strategy. I have a comprehensive list of summer programs for all fields of study.

Many colleges are offering several new research programs this year and classes can be completed remotely- a huge savings in room and board.

Competitions and Contests– I also have a comprehensive list of recommended programs for STEM, Business, Humanities and the Visual /Performing Arts. I’ll be discussing their value in college planning in my next newsletter.

Let’s Find the Perfect opportunity !

It’s also course planning time – and the decision on whether to consider dual enrollment may be one you’re exploring. I’ll have more to say about AP vs IB vs AICE and the role of academies during my March Newsletter. Being prepared for the rigors of the undergraduate experience begins in high school. Don’t waste your elective spaces.

Finally- senior/junior “Priv” is a huge disservice to your education- unless you have an internship or meaningful use of that time- you will be disadvantaged in college admissions by taking fewer than seven courses – PERIOD!

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College Admissions Officers want to know two things about every applicant —

1 Who are You ?

2 What “Problem” do you want to solve- what do you want to learn with others on our college campus?

Take the time throughout high school to engage in the activities that bring you joy and allow you to share something about your unique self!

I’m positive I can help you think of many ways to engage beyond the clubs at your high school – LET’S CHAT!

Young adults who spend their time engaging in the activities that they love are not only successful during the college admissions and college application process, but are more purposeful students and community members once arriving on their high school and college campuses. Happiness can never be overrated!

Your “Mid-Year Assessment” provides a valuable initial step to creating your strategic educational plan and more clearly understanding the

College Admission and Financial Aid Processes.

Understand the College Admissions Process- Key Dates, forms and factors for success in admissions and in maximizing financial aid.
Create your curriculum map of high school and online programs to reach academic potential and prepare for success as a student and in the college admissions process. The foundation of coursework in high school impacts your success as an undergraduate
Extracurricular Activities: Identify opportunities for enhancing and refining your activities addressing educational and admissions red-flags. Embrace your strengths, take risks and discover uncharted paths!
Recommendations for relevant summer programs to increase your admissions chances and confirm / discover an academic area of interest
Personalized learning strategies to confidence, increase grades and address concerns in one or more classes. Customized solutions for better time management
Recommendations for Colleges and Majors(conventional and “unusual”)
Clarity on standardized testing (and customized solutions for preparation) and discussion of colleges de-emphasizing their value in admissions decision making
Activities Resume – Receive proprietary tools to build an eye-catching “activities statement” supporting your summer program applications, Common Application and Scholarship applications.
Understanding the Real Cost of Education. Specific Strategies for your family and an explanation of Financial Aid and Scholarship Eligibility.

I invite you to schedule your mid-year strategic educational check-up to assist with summer plans and confirming course planning for the next academic year.

CLICK to SCHEDULE YOUR EDUCATIONAL and COLLEGE PLANNING ASSESSMENT TODAY

Please DON’T APPLY TO COLLEGES YOU DON’T WANT TO ATTEND.

College Admissions Officers want to know about the student- -WHO ARE YOU? That individuality guides where you apply and attend.

If you’re a Junior ’23 now is the time to be actively engaged in research on the variety of college majors. Working with your college advisor, please aim to have your balanced short-list of colleges in place by the time we reach June – and hopefully you’ll be joining me at my June Writers Block Workshop.

Spaces are limited. We hope you’ll join us! But prior to workshop- we have much to accomplish- learning about what major may be a good fit for you and becoming involved in that area of interest so you know more about yourself and can demonstrate on your applications the essential “informed interest”.

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JUNIORS Class of 2023–

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ENROLLMENT IS LIMITED!

Followed by our popular and well attended Sunday Fall Series – Resuming August

WORKSHOP GOAL

Build a College Admissions Strategy,

Complete your Common Application Core Essay

Before the Workshop

INCREASE YOUR CHANCES of ADMISSION- PRE-COLLEGE ACADEMIC ADVISING and ADMISSIONS STRATEGY:

Attend your scheduled Educational & Admissions Assessment to understand the college admissions and financial aid processes. Participate in discussions during your extensive educational analysis aimed at matching you to majors and colleges, increasing your chances of admission, easing your transition to college, and ensuring your long-term academic success.

CUSTOMIZED RECOMMENDATIONS

identifying majors & colleges, personalized application strategies, a detailed assessment of your admissions portfolio and much more.

During the Workshop

PERSONAL WRITING CONFERENCES:

throughout the week provide you with candid and specific feedback focused on completing your required Common Application Core essay to showcase your strengths and set you apart from other applicants. Students who come prepared to engage, and complete their overnight assignments will leave the workshop with a polished final draft of their core essay and begin work on a secondary essay to adapt for your college-specific supplemental essays.

In June 2020 and 21 we adapted and delivered our workshop entirely on Zoom – including daily presentations and one-on-one individual writing conferences. We really enjoyed the format and will resume this option for June 2022.

CREATE YOUR ACTIVITIES RESUME and

Common Application Activities Statement to highlight your accomplishments for admissions, references, scholarships and admission interviews. Receive proprietary activities resume template.

After the Workshop

Ongoing support and guidance with college-specific supplemental essays.

Arrive prepared with your laptop ready to work during daytime sessions and complete any overnight assignments.

Students of all academic levels are welcome to attend our small group sessions in a supportive and welcoming setting. We meet daily.

Bonnie R. Rabin, Ph.D.

Personalized Educational & College Admissions Services

South Florida 561.509.0021

Boulder/Denver 720.737.9944

Nationwide 833.MY.ESSAY

www.collegecareerconsulting.com

Experience the Difference!

Expert Knowledge & Caring Support

ACADEMIC & COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ADVISING WHEREVER YOU ARE

STEM, Business, Humanities, Arts

IS YOUR STUDENT ON TARGET?

Joyful? Motivated?

Build your personalized Educational & College Admissions Plan!

Bonnie R. Rabin, Ph.D.

guides her clients to define and realize educational and career goals.

With over thirty years of experience as a university professor & admissions committee member you’re invited to leverage her extensive knowledge of university curricula and career opportunities to BUILD YOUR COLLEGE PLAN!.

Pre-College Advising!

Be inspired!

College Planning– What’s Important for Success as a Student & In College Admissions?