It is almost time for students to pack their bags and head on with life without their parents. While this is exciting for parents and students, it is also a transition that is more difficult for some than others. Parents, it is important for you to learn your new role. So let’s start with a couple of things you may not know.

Did you know that students turn 18, they are considered adults and as a parent, you no longer have automatic access to their medical records or their educational records? That’s right. HIPPA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) protects the privacy of medical records even if they are still covered by your insurance. That means you will not be able to participate in conversations about health unless you are invited by the student. Medical personnel will not be able to consult with you without the student’s permission. (Certain situations may warrant an exception).  Your doctor’s office or the college may have a form you can fill out or you can find a simple form at https://www.athenaeum.edu/pdf/free-hipaa-release-form.pdf.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the educational records of students once they turn 18. That means that parents will no longer have control of transcripts, class schedule, grades, financial information or disciplinary records. If the parent and student discuss this and agree that parents have access, then there is usually a “Student Information Release Authorization” form on the college website. 

There are plenty of other non-concrete tips for parents as their students head off to college. Here are a few for you to consider:

1. Consider their emotions: This is a time when your child is taking a huge step in his/her life. There will be emotions. One minute they will say, “Mommmmmmm! I got this”, and the next moment the will say, “Where were you….?”  Recognize these ambivalent feelings and be patient.

2.  Be available when they need you, but don’t stalk them. Understand that your student may not be as available to you as in the past. You will not know what they are doing or where they are. Don’t hit the panic button when they do not respond to your text or call for several hours. They might be in a Biology lab. 

3. Stay in touch with “Care Packages”. Send some Tylenol, and cough medicine along with cookies and snacks. A gift card is also appreciated.  Of course with today’s technology, it is easy to share pictures of what you and the family are up to.  

4.  Be prepared for them to spread their wings. This sometimes means they will do things that make you cringe. Don’t lecture about their choices, but proactively remind them of consequences of their choices. Some “bad choices” can have life-changing results  particularly if those bad decisions have to do with drugs or alcohol, and especially when those things are combined with driving. 

5. Tell them to make friends. This is easy for some students, but difficult for others. Many students attended school with the same people from kindergarten through 12th grade. They never had to get out of their comfort zone. Encourage them to seek new friends thorough clubs, and campus activities. For some students, getting comfortable with the new life may take a year or more. Don’t let them come home after one semester. Tell them to “give it a year” and then reevaluate. Remember that it is expensive for them to come home.  

6. Final tip: Talk to your son/daughter before they leave. Set expectations for grades, work, behavior, finances, and communication. Agree and understand what is expected from both sides.  Let them go. Be their Coach, not their Boss. Also let them know that if they come home for summer, you still have rules and if they are living with you, they must respect your rules. Don’t be surprised, or offended,  if they don’t want to come home for the summer. 

When you drop off your precious cargo, have a day planned for yourself. Enjoy the moment and tell yourself, “Job well done.”

The prospect of paying for college can be quite  overwhelming.  Because we love our children and want the best for them, sometimes as parents, we are not rational in how we plan to pay. So let’s take a look at a “payment plan”.

Of course every family is different. There are families who cannot afford to contribute any money to the college experience, and others who can write a check. So let’s start with the family who cannot contribute at all.

There are ways a student who has no financial support can go to college without incurring a massive amount of debt. Let’s take a look at the community college. The first community college was founded in 1901, and  was created to provide associate degrees, certificate programs, developmental programs, vocational programs, and liberal arts classes that could transfer to 4 year universities -all at an affordable price. There are nearly 1100 community colleges in America and they cost about $3500 per year to attend.  A student living at home, and working at minimum wage for 20 hours a week could pay this amount. Can’t work 20 hours a week? Student Federal Loans are $5500 for a freshman. This would leave a balance of about $750 per year and even less the sophomore year. Students must be very focused and pay attention to the classes they take in order to be eligible to transfer in two years! 

So at the end of two years, a student can transfer to Fresno State or Cal State Bakersfield and continue to live at home. The state university system is a system that provides local institutions so that students can still live at home and keep college affordable. Fresno State tuition is about $8000 per year. Student loans the junior and senior year are about $7500 per year.  Once again, we see that college is currently accessible to anyone who wants to go to college even if the family cannot contribute any financial support.

Over a 4 year period, if a student chooses not to work, he/she could borrow about $29,000 to get through college. If he/she lives at home and give up Starbucks (tongue-in-cheek), it is possible to get a 4 year degree with no financial support from the family and minimal loan debt.  While I am not a big fan of loans if they are avoidable, a reasonable amount of debt is acceptable when looking at return on investment. The payment on $29,000 would be about $300 for 10 years, or $600 for 5 years-less than some car payments. 

So why do we have a $1.5 trillion debt in this country? The answer is simple. Loans are easy to get. Parents want “the best” for their children and sometimes take on unreasonable debt to be sure that “the best” happens. They are paying for “the college experience”.  So how does a family avoid this? There are several steps.

1. Make a budget and determine how much you can afford to pay for college.

2. Figure out your Expected Family Contribution (EFC-the minimum amount a college will expect you to pay)

3. Find colleges where your student will get the most financial aid-could be need-based aid or merit-based aid.

4. Be sure student is on a 4 year plan. Sometimes it is difficult to finish the public universities in 4 years.

5. Be sure the amount you can afford to pay matches the amount you will be expected to pay! 

This sounds like a logical plan. The problem is that families let emotion creep into the decision.  There are ways to budget for college so that a family does not take on too much debt.  Even if you are one of the lucky families who can pay-as-you-go, wouldn’t it be better to pay less? 

When Fall rolls around, there will be much joy, but also trepidation and even some gloom. Students are headed to college which will serve as their new home for the next 4 or more years. They are excited! Parents feel a plethora of emotions: excitement, fear, sadness, and loss of control. Students are usually ready for this change, but sometimes parents have a hard time dealing with this “loss”. There are some things students and parents can do to help alleviate some of these emotions. Check out these “must do’s”.

Students should meet their roommate and spend some time getting to know him/her/them. Most schools have a system for selecting and meeting the roommate. Attend orientation. Most schools let parents attend, but some do not. Students should also be sure they know the class registration process. Every school has a different process. Classes fill up quickly, so be sure you have carefully planned out what classes to take and have a backup plan in case your preferred class is full. Nor sure which professor? Check out www.ratemyprofessors.com. Try not to be too picky. Typically the 8:00am class is most available!

On many campuses, students can buy books early. This might save you some money.  The bookstore might have lists of what books are required for what classes. However, you might do better by checking out Amazon, Barnes and Noble, eFollett and even book rentals (www.chegg.com, www.campusbookrentals.com and www.bookrenter.com).

A few other things students should learn before packing their bags: How to do laundry, how to make a budget and how to handle money (balance a checkbook), how to use a calendar system; smart phone, day-timer, and how to take notes! A college schedule is much different than high school. You will have time between classes and maybe some days with no class at all. So learn to manage your time. 

Finally, it is important that you are safe. Have a buddy system and be sure someone (your roommate) knows your schedule. If you are having a “first-time” meeting, do it in public. If you are on campus after dark, know where the “blue light” phones are located. Keep your dorm room locked and have the campus security number programmed into your phone. Don’t share your personal information and don’t keep passwords and social security number on a sticky note over your desk. Exercise caution online and above all, be healthy! Pick the right meal plan, and make healthy choices. Do not drink and drive! Parents will need to get “permission” to communicate with the school once the student turns 18. 

Moving in can be a fun time for the family. Go shopping. (If you would like a suggested list of what to bring, send us an email and we will send you a list: 2soar2college@gmail.com) You will not have much room in the dorm so you must prioritize! It might be good to do some of your shopping after you get there so you  don’t have to haul it from home. Definitely bring a good computer (Windows 7 is out as of Jan 20, 2020)

Enjoy your last summer  before college. Spend time with family and friends. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done!!

The SAT and ACT essay can be a confusing topic for many students, after all, it is optional for most colleges. Right? Should I do it? Are they the same for both tests? How much do they count? Well there are a lot of things that are confusing about these essays, so I am going to try to simplify for you.

First of all, the two essays are quite different, but if you know what they are looking for, it is not too difficult to get a decent score. The SAT asks the student to analyze;  show how an author has assembled his argument, and how he supports his perspective. Many times students ” miss the boat” because they are so accustomed to expressing their opinion or summarizing the authors purpose that they fail to show how the author has supported his argument.  When writing the SAT essay, look for evidence (facts) and pay attention when the author uses the word “because.”  If you can critically analyze someone else’s work, the SAT might be a good choice for you. Your opinion is not welcome here. 

Most students find the ACT essay to be a bit less challenging because it asks for the student’s opinion. You will be given three different perspectives, usually on an issue of today. It is your job to choose a perspective and give strong supporting evidence as to why your perspective is the right perspective. This requires the student to have supporting evidence which may come from a familiar book, a movie or other substantiation.  If you are good at convincing others through logic and debate, and you can provide evidence from your knowledge base, the ACT might be a good choice for you. 

IvyWise provides a succinct summary: ” …the SAT essay tests for whether a student understands how an argument works, whereas the ACT essay prompt asks for the student to make an argument. ” 

There are a few other important questions for us to answer about the essays.  Most colleges do not require the essay, with Stanford, Yale, Brown and University of San Diego being some of the most recent to drop the requirement.  There are currently only about 25 colleges that require the essay. For students who plan to apply to the University of California, the essay still lingers. This means that each time a student takes the SAT or ACT, he/she should be including the essay. 

So how important is the essay? This is a more difficult question to address, since its value may vary between schools and between students. For the most part, the essay will be looked at in combination with other writing submitted, and typically will not be nearly as important as the overall SAT or ACT score. It is a separate score and is not averaged into the total test score.  If you are a strong writer, it could give you a little boost if the college will consider the essay.  However, if you really bomb the essay, it may suggest that you are not ready for college work. Advice? If you get an average score or a little above, don’t worry too much about the essay score.

While the value of standardized tests in relation to success in college is often debated, the fact remains that standardized tests are an important variable in the college admission and funding process.  Students I work with often tell me that they were told that their test scores do not matter that much. Well, if you have heard that  “rumor”, let me share the truth! 

While it is true that there are over 1000 colleges that do not “require” standardized tests for admission,  most of those same colleges DO require standardized tests in order to award certain merit-based financial scholarships and awards.  So if cost is not a factor in your college choice ($65,000 a year is ok with you), and your test scores are low, then by all means, choose your college from the test-optional list of schools! But if cost matters to you, then beware when you are told that test scores do not matter!

There are many colleges that offer automatic merit-based scholarships based solely on your grades and test scores. Take Colorado State for example.  A student with  a 3.8 GPA and an ACT of 28 will automatically qualify for an $8000/year scholarship. That is $32,000 over a 4 year period. But wait! If the student can raise that ACT score by 1 point, to a 29, that they will earn an extra $8000 over that same 4 year period for a total of $40,000; all based on grades and test scores. 

There are other colleges that use grades, test score and class rank as a cut off for consideration for certain scholarships. So although the scholarship may not be automatic, if a student is to be considered for certain scholarships, it is necessary for them to submit test scores. For example, Texas A&M states, “To be considered for the scholarships listed…..” and they proceed to give minimum SAT/ACT scores required. 

So how do you find these automatic scholarships?  Since the majority of scholarships given for test scores and GPA are merit scholarships, start by looking for “Merit-Based” or “Academic-Based” scholarships. Most colleges have a page dedicated to merit scholarships. Try searching “[College/University Name] Scholarships” or “[College/University Name] Financial Aid”. Be sure the scholarships you find are for entering freshmen and check for in-state or out-of-state designations. Check to see if there is a separate application required and also if there are specific deadlines. Sometimes the deadlines are the same as the application deadlines. 

Now the most important question is, “How do I raise my SAT or ACT scores?” At Soar College Planning we have a system that includes the following steps: 

1. Choose the right test; SAT vs ACT?. There are various diagnostics to determine which test is best for each student. The colleges do not care which test a student takes! They accept either.

2. Schedule the right test. Once the right test is decided, look at the students’ busy schedules, math level, and test dates to determine a test schedule that allows them the optimum amount of time to study. Students should begin no later than January of the junior year. 

3. Develop a study plan; this includes determining a target score. We offer many different study options for students. Each is tailored to student needs. This includes online prep, Boot Camps, and private tutoring.  Practice is the key to success, and this is impacted by student motivation. 

4. Evaluate scores and determine next steps; continue to study, or decide if that score is good enough! 

So the next time someone tells you that the test scores “don’t matter”, share this article with him/her!

The answer to this question can be confusing, because there are so many moving parts to the college planning process. So let me just say this: It is terribly stressful to start at the beginning of the senior year. With all of the activities going on, students who have not started preparing will find themselves with too little time to show off “their best self” not to mention the stress level!  It is not too early to start having discussions about college in middle school. So let’s make a little timeline of things to do at different grade levels.

Hopefully, before we get to middle school, you have started some kind of college savings program. But then comes middle school and you are thinking, : “No way! This can’t be happening. College planning already”? Yup! Now, one of the most important things you can do as a parent is to encourage reading, reading and more reading.  Make sure your student is getting a firm foundation in the academics. In high school, the academics and test score will be the primary determining factor about where your student will attend college as well as how much merit money he/she will receive. The colleges also like to see a great resume with a variety of activities and community service. Helping middle school students find a “passion” can help them develop a sustainable activity to pursue throughout high school. Middle school students need to know what lies ahead!

So you are thinking, “Okay. So when do we get serious about the actual college stuff”? I think the best time to start thinking specifically about college is the sophomore year. The financial decisions will be based on the family financials on the tax return two years prior to graduation, so financial decisions should be made during the sophomore year. However, it is never too late to make financial decisions that pertain to cash flow and tax advantage scholarships-even once the student is in college! So if you will not qualify for need-based financial aid, don’t be discouraged! There is plenty that can be done to get more money to pay for college. You just have to know how to do it!! Want to know more? Check out the book, Never Pay Retail for College written by my friend, Beth Walker. 

During the sophomore year, the student should start thinking about what kind of college they might like to attend, and what field of study they might be most interested in studying. They should also be taking a rigorous course of study and getting good grades.  By the junior year, students should have their testing schedule in place and know if they will focus on SAT or ACT (colleges will accept either).  They should begin narrowing down their college list and potential majors. By the summer before the senior year the student should be writing their college application and essays, putting together their activity list, and preparing to fill out applications early in the senior year. By this time, their portfolio/resume should be robust and consistent. 

If you start early enough, then Fall of the senior year should simply require fine tuning!

Most families are terrified about trying to pay for college. And that is understandable since 4 year colleges and universities can cost over $70,000 per year!  With multiple college-bound students in the family,  this amount can be staggering. 

Many families do not believe they will be eligible for financial aid, but the truth is that most families with incomes ranging from $50,000-$150,000 per year who own homes are eligible for some form of financial aid. There is over $150 billion available each year from a variety of sources; you just have to know where to look! You would be surprised how many high-six and seven digit income earners are eligible for some kind of financial aid. Many families become obsessed with searching for scholarships, but the fact is that private scholarships only make up  5%-7% of the money available to help pay for your child’s college education.  So it is best to focus on getting the other 95% that comes from other sources. So how do we do that?

First of all you need to find out if you will qualify for need-based aid. You can use an EFC calculator on the College Board website to calculate your expected family contribution (EFC). Subtract that number from the total cost of attendance at the colleges you are looking at and you will know if you are eligible for any need based financial aid.  For example: If your EFC is $15,000 and the cost of attendance is $55,000, you will be eligible for $40,000 in need based aid.

Next, find out what % of your need each college will meet. Most do not meet 100% of your need. Ask if each college has a ceiling on the maximum amount of financial aid a student can qualify for? Find out if the financial aid package remains the same all 4 years and what are the  specific requirements to maintain that amount.  There are usually GPA requirements. One last thing to find out is how they treat private scholarships. In other words, if you get an outside private scholarship (say from the Rotary Club), will they subtract that amount from your need based aid? It is also important that if the student will be eligible for need based aid, that the family file the FAFSA as early as possible. The early bird gets the worm; that is to say that need based aid is doled out on a first come first served basis! 

So what of you find out that you will not be receiving any need-based aid? Then it is up to the student to be sure grades and test scores are high, and that he/she is academically in the top 25% of applicants at the schools where he/she will apply. Colleges can be very generous with merit-based financial aid. Merit aid is not typically based on family income or assets. If you will not be eligible for need-based aid, then applying for private scholarships can help! It is a lot of work and takes several years of searching since the private scholarships are typically only for one year. 

And finally, much to the dismay of many, California colleges are expensive! So if the student is willing to get out of California, there may be many more affordable options! Sorry Mom!

Paying for college puts the anxiety butterflies into the stomach of many parents. Rightfully so! Paying for college is like buying a house and having to pay it off in 10 years or less! So let’s talk about ways to help make this a little less painful. 

First of all, it is important to understand how the college will calculate the minimum amount they will expect you to pay. This is called your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). You can calculate this by going to the College Board Big Future EFC Calculator web site. You can also to the college website and search for Net Price Calculator. Some of these calculators are good and some are not so good. But all of the colleges are required to have them. This will give you an estimate of the cost of the college.

The cost of the college should play a role in the college selection process. If you are not going to get need-based aid, and your student wants to attend Stanford, then be prepared to pay somewhere in the $70,000 per year range. Don’t want to do that? Then if you will not get need based aid, don’t apply to Stanford since they do not give merit aid.  Another tip: California schools are notoriously more expensive than many out of state schools. Check out the out of state possibilities (sorry, Mom).

In the college search, try to find schools where the student is in the academic top 25% of applicants. Colleges tend to give more scholarships based on GPA and test scores. But be careful! Sometimes need based aid is taken away if the student earns private scholarships. Check with the financial aid office about their policy on private scholarships and how they treat them in the financial aid office. 

Finally, apply for private scholarships. Start in the high school you attend. They usually sponsor many local scholarships students can apply for. Begin in the Fall of the senior year if not sooner.  Students should begin by collecting information about the scholarship including requirements, criteria and deadlines. Websites such as Fastweb.com, Cappex.com, Unigo.com and Scholarships.com are good places to start the search. Students can apply for scholarships while attending college as well. Develop a system for keeping track of information and deadlines. Scholarship applications should become a job. Apply for smaller scholarships that require essays. There will be less competition. Chances are students will not “win” most of the scholarships they apply for. The secret is to keep applying. Set up a schedule. Be tenacious. Don’t give up when you are declined. 

Paying for college is not easy. Be knowledgeable in all the steps to get the most affordable net cost to your family!

Most everyone knows that to get into a great college, good grades are essential. What most people do not know is that all aspects of the application are not treated equally.  In a recent survey conducted by the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), over 2000 independent educational consultants found that many colleges are more interested in rigor of curriculum than they are GPA. So let’s take a look at what else matters most.

According to Compass Education Group, grades, test scores and strength of curriculum have been the most important factors in college admissions for over 20 years. I am often asked if it is better for a student to take an AP course and get a B or a non-AP course and get an A.  Mark Sklarow, CEO of IECA said, “Grades and scores are important, but it is far better to accept a challenge, show some grit, and earn a slightly lower grade if necessary than to breeze through high school with easy courses and straight A’s.” Colleges want to know that students can handle the rigorous college curriculum and not be scared away but the level of challenge. Each student is evaluated on the offerings at their own high school, so a school that offers 20 AP courses is not compared to a school that only offers 4. They will look to see that the student has taken the most challenging schedule available to them at their own high school.

 Students spend 4 years taking rigorous courses, studying late into the night, writing papers, reading literature, and working on projects so that they might get the best possible grades in their coursework. And yet, many students do not prepare to take the ACT or SAT at all, and many others study for a few hours and hope for the best. According to one test prep company, at some colleges, the ACT or SAT may count up to 40% on the admissions scale! For students who have their eye on a competitive college, test prep is essential. How much time should be spent preparing for the test depends on each student and their target colleges. This can be determined by finding the target score and looking at the student’s schedule to determine a realistic study schedule.  Students spend thousands of dollars on test prep. Many states and/or school districts offer test prep in their high schools. Some states even use the SAT or ACT as their state test and teachers are trained to teach the material. 

There is currently a bill (Assembly Bill 1951) that would make the SAT or ACT an alternative to Smarter Balanced starting in 2019-20. There is some opposition to the bill, but whether it passes or not, I hope our local high schools will adopt a test prep program that can diagnose and prepare our students to perform better on these important standardized tests. There are several programs currently available to high schools.  Although there are many test prep programs available, studying  would be much more time-and-cost-efficient if busy students could study during school time; when AP testing is done would be an ideal time. Rigor, grades and test scores: the top 3 for college admissions!

Summer is upon us, and many students are trying to think about what they can do to strengthen their college applications. The fact is, there are lots of things students can do besides the relaxing and having some fun they all look forward to. So let’s talk about how to plan your summer activities so that you can have fun and still enhance your college applications.

First of all, decide what activities you have been involved in so far and see if you can find a way to take them to a deeper level. For example, if you are a high school swimmer, get a job as a lifeguard or teach swim lessons out of your home. If you are a dancer, teach dance lessons or get involved in a community performing project. Tulare County Office of Education, Enchanted Playhouse, or Encore Theater in Tulare have programs for students. Colleges like to see depth of involvement in your activities, rather than how many activities you can list on your application. 

Next, think about opportunities that will allow you to be a leader. If you are involved in your church, organize a fundraiser for a good cause-one that you believe in. Maybe you could sponsor a younger student for church camp. Or perhaps if you are a singer, you could organize a group of friends and put together a little show and go to assisted living homes and entertain the residents. Find a local project you and some friends would enjoy doing together and commit some time to it over the summer. How having a yard sale after you gather items from your neighborhoods. Decide together what you might like to do with the money you earn. 

Try to find something to do that you are passionate (a hobby or favorite activity) about and that can impact others in a positive way. A quick note of caution: Colleges like sustainability; that is, they like to see students who stick to an activity for the entire time they are in high school, so if you are going to start something new, be sure it is relevant to something you are already doing (ie. if you start a photography business, be sure you have been involved in photography before)

There are plenty of other things to do in the summer. Here are some ideas: 

• Take a college class that interests you or will free up your schedule next year.
• Take an online class for fun. Udemy.com has lots of short interesting courses to offer.
• Get a job, or internship, or volunteer or job shadow. Be sure it is in something you are interested in either as a hobby, for fun, or as a future career.
• Travel.
• Start a business 
• Don’t forget to make some college visits.
• Oh, and one of the most important things you can do if you are in high school is to study for the SAT or ACT. This one breaks the rules on fun! 

Have fun over the summer, but also be productive in a positive way!