Originally published on 3 September 2015 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

The road to college

September marks the beginning of the fall season and, for most students, the beginning of a brand-new school year. Hopefully, for your children, it is a time of great anticipation and excitement. In our household, the days before the new school year were spent getting all the books, school supplies, and backpacks ready. My daughter always looked forward to receiving the school packet from the director which contained her class schedule, roster, and teachers. This was when her mind finally got set for the upcoming year.

FRESHMAN

If your children didn’t develop good study habits in lower and middle school, they need to hunker down and be serious about academics. Encourage them to immerse themselves in the culture of their high school and get involved in various extra-curricular activities that support their interests, and which they can carry on into the next three years.

Your children should find the time to meet with their school’s counselor to map out a four-year curriculum that meets all the requirements for graduating and going into college. They should take the most challenging courses they could handle. Some high schools offer Advanced Placement subjects in 9^th grade and they have to be ready to take the exams after they complete the AP course.

SOPHOMORE

By this time, your children should be fully transitioned into high school. They should be picking up where they left off – taking advanced placement courses, working on extra-curricular activities they had identified in their freshman year, playing sports for their school, etc.

Practice exams for standardized tests are given in your children’s sophomore year so make sure they are registered for the PSAT. Taking these tests will help them identify their weaknesses and study for them. Several companies and organizations offer test preparation courses; your children should register to one if they need help getting ready for these exams (ACT: www.act.org; PSAT: www.collegeboard.com; Educational Testing Service: www.ets.org; Kaplan: www.com; National Association for College Admission Counseling: www.nacacnet.org; The Princeton Review: www.princetonreview.com)

It may seem too early to do this, but your children can start looking at colleges that offer courses in their fields of interest; or are considering all possible options, if they haven’t determined what they are thinking of taking in college.

JUNIOR

This is a very hectic, even stressful, time in your children’s high school life. It is also the last complete year that college admissions officers will see your students’ grades and accomplishments. It is a decidedly important year for them; they need to put the effort to show admission officers that they are capable of doing the work and are qualified for admission to the university to which they will be applying. If your children are thinking of applying to universities through early action/decision, their junior year grades and work will become all the more significant.

Aside from the rigors of school, sports, extra-curricular activities, there are standardized tests to take. Your children should be taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) early next month. I would like to remind parents not to put extra pressure on their children as they get ready for the standardize exams – they are stressed enough as it is and a higher than average SAT score does not guarantee admission to their dream university.        

You and your children should be going to College Fairs being held at their high school. They should be gathering information about colleges and universities – courses and diplomas offered; standardized test requirements for admission; deadlines for early action/admissions, if being offered, and for regular admission. 

SENIOR

It is going to be a marathon  for your children! From the moment they get in the doors of the school, they are going to be putting much of their focus on college applications. If your children are applying for early action/decision, they should have taken all the standardized exams required by the university during their summer after junior year. 

By this time, they should be ready to write their personal statement. They should have given stamped envelopes to the teachers giving them recommendations and have their final list of the colleges and universities to which they will be applying. 

You and your children should also be researching scholarships that are available. There are  many private companies offering financial aid that might fit your children’s particular interest and talent. One particular organization you might look into is called Affordable Colleges Online.  The founders of this entity have developed a guidebook, with the professional assistance of Sean Martin, who is the Director of Financial Services at Connecticut College (http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/graduating-debt-free). This online site gives you and your children alternative ways to pay for college, such as military benefits, employer benefits, and work study programs. It also cites ways to save on textbooks; and gives advice for military service members and veterans.

It goes without saying that your children should make sure they are doing their best in their academics. All admissions officers require the first quarter grades if your children are applying for early action/decision.

Originally published on 6 August 2015 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

The road to college

It’s August – for some kids summer vacation is winding down, while for others, it has ended. If your children are heading back to school this week, I hope they had the chance to breathe, decompress, and savor the lull because they are now once more face-to-face with the realities of high school life.

High schoolers in the San Gabriel Valley confront exceedingly fierce competition. This is where students: get perfect SAT scores; have 4.0 GPAs; play varsity sports; are extraordinary cellists/pianists/violinists; are founders of school clubs; are presidents of the school body; serve as officers on several associations. Everyone is so accomplished that it’s impossible for someone to stand out. Much has been written in the newspapers about how stressed out these children are. Most of them get through the four years relatively unscathed while a few students suffer from sleep deprivation, even depression,   

Recognizing the almost-impossible feat of getting accepted to highly-selective schools, the Harvard Graduate School of Education released a study early this year called “Turning the Tide: Inspiring Concern for Others Through College Admissions”. Among other things, it advocates for reducing stress and level the playing field for students. About 80 colleges and universities across the United States have endorsed the findings of the report.

An important factor in the admissions process is the students’ (and parents’) preconceived ideas about where t they should apply and what their dream school is. Oftentimes, kids apply to the same dozen or so most-recognizable institution names. This creates an unhealthy and, sometimes, unreasonable expectation. There are innumerable colleges and universities that offer excellent teaching; there is a school out there that is the right fit for your child. You and your children should determine their interests, career goals, and abilities. These should be the guidelines for choosing what college or university should go on their list of schools for consideration.

FRESHMAN

High school is very different from middle school. Teachers have higher expectations from the work students turn in. Your children need to develop their analytical skills as their teachers will require deeper thinking and subject exploration from their papers. They should also have better time managements skills to handle the more rigorous course load and extra-curricular activities.

There is also a big change in campus life – they no longer have a “home room” and they have different sets classmates for each course. One glaring difference is that they now have to make their own choices of courses and activities. Your children need to confer with the school counselor to map out a four-year curriculum that meets the requirements of colleges.

Usually there is a “Back to School Night” when parents get to meet all the teachers. This is a chance for you to see what your children will be learning during the school year. While you will no longer be as involved with your children’s activities as in previous years, find the time to be aware of what’s happening. Some schools welcome, even solicit, parents’ help for certain campus events.

In the first few days of ninth grade, your children will have several things they will be making decisions on, and tackling. I have listed them here with a brief description or explanation:

AP COURSES: Make sure your children choose the AP courses they will need in the course they will be taking in college. They shouldn’t pile up on APs to pad their resume because they would need to take the AP exams for these courses.  Some universities only accept 4 or 5 on an AP exam for it to have any merit at all. While college Admissions Officers favor students who took on challenging AP subjects, they don’t look kindly at low AP grades either. Encourage your children to take courses they are truly interested in; students who study something they really like generally do well at it.     

CLUBS: Your children should join the clubs they will be involved in and encourage them to participate actively. Ideally, your children could start a club based on their interest or something they feel strongly about. It can be a fun club for students to take their minds away from their heavy academic load, or it can be something socially impactful.

ATHLETICS: If your children are into sports and would like to play it in college, they need to start looking into the NCAA requirements now. Several universities offer scholarships to outstanding athletes and being a standout in a particular sport gives an applicant an edge.

ARTS CLASS: If your children’s school offers art electives, encourage them to take a course. Sometimes, they don’t realize they like something until they try it. They should take advantage of all the art and music programs available to them.       

LANGUAGE: Besides the core subjects – English, History, Math, Science – a foreign language is a requirement for admission into college. Encourage your children to choose a language they could later have a use for. In some schools, elementary school children get Mandarin and Spanish immersion classes. If your children were lucky to have had this, they have a head start in this area.  

COMMUNITY SERVICE: Your children should do something they feel strongly about and work it every summer; it shows commitment to the activity they took on. This is going to be an essential component in your children’s transcript. And if the college or university your children want to attend was one of the institutions that endorsed the Harvard study I mentioned above, its admission officers will look very closely into this.       

SUMMER CAMP/ENRICHMENT COURSE: If your children have a passion for a particular activity, they should pursue a summer program related to it. Guidance counselors in some schools compile a list of the most engaging courses locally, out-of-state, or internationally.   

It goes without saying that all the above activities are merely supplements to good grades in the core subjects. Loading up on extra-curriculars at the expense of grades is definitely ill-advised. While Admissions officers at all the universities talk about their holistic approach in their selection process. And until such time that all admissions officers actually practice what Harvard’s study advocates, a student’s GPA remains a very important, if not the single most important, component of your children’s college application.  

SOPHOMORE

They’re fully transitioned into high school, the demands of which were drilled into their unconsciousness the past school year. They have to put  ninth grade behind them and face tenth grade with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

JUNIOR

Hopefully, your kids got a lot of rest, because in a few weeks they will be embarking on one of the most hectic years of high school life. Make sure your children confer with their school’s college counselor to ascertain they have all the courses required for graduating and for college. They need to know what standardized exams they’ll need to take for college application. They should research which colleges and universities offer the course they would like to pursue.

SENIOR

By this time, your children should know where they would be applying and have visited the schools. They should have taken all standard exams required for college applications, firmed up their school list, researched all kinds of scholarships, lined up teachers to write their recommendations, perfected their personal statement, and learned how to complete the common app. They practically have to have their running shoes on by the time they get in the door of their high school!

COLLEGE FRESHMAN

Are your kids ready to leave their childhood behind?  In a  few weeks, they will be on a road not traveled. College life exposes them to the real world and I hope you let them practice how to live independently of you during their summer break. Things they took for granted before – eating hot meals without having to turn on the stove, getting clothes laundered weekly for them, rooms being meticulously cleaned – will suddenly be their responsibilities. If their dorm offers catered meals, that’s one less chore to worry about; but there’ll still be laundry to do.   

Congratulations, parents! You have successfully launched your child to college and adulthood. Hello, empty nest syndrome!                     

Originally published on 2 July 2015 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

The road to college

Aaah, the long, hot days of summer. They couldn’t come soon enough for your children, even as you have been dreading their arrival!  While you would like them to take it easy and recharge, you wouldn’t want them to play Wii all summer long either (unless they’re like my daughter, who actually did play Wii for three months!).  

Fortunately, there are so many activities available for children of all ages. Schools and organizations in our communities offer day camps and classes catering to their interests and needs. The Summer Camps Industry in the United States is seeing some growth after the last recession. According to IBISWorld, there are 2,736 companies offering camps with themes like academics, acting, and outdoor adventure retreats. These businesses saw a 2.4% annual growth from 2009 to 2014, employing 21,935 people and bringing in $3 billion in revenues. 

The American Camp Association cites several advantages for children to attend summer camps.  The experience helps children develop their social skills as they participate in activities, communicate with other kids, and lead groups. Children build character and gain self-respect when they take on responsibility, rely on their resourcefulness to solve problems, and become resilient when faced with failures. Summer camps advance children’s community living and service skills like caring, fairness, citizenship and trustworthiness.

And then there are the test-prep courses children can take during summer to get them ready for all the standardized exams required for their college application.  In a Washington Post story published in March last year, the College Board announced a revamp of the SAT college admission test and would offer the test prep free. But that announcement was not expected to affect the $840 million test-preparation industry because today’s high school kids want to be as good as, if not better than, their classmates. Nowhere is this cutthroat competition more apparent than in the western San Gabriel Valley where a record number of students are getting perfect scores on the APs, ACTs, and SATs.   

There is an abundance of things to do during the summer months. There is absolutely no excuse for boredom and inertia.

RISING FRESHMAN

Middle school is behind them.  If your children had not shown much interest in reading, you need to encourage them to spend this month reading for pleasure. If, on the other hand, they enjoyed the Harry Potter books growing up, then they have been exposed to the joys of reading.  Persuade them to look for different authors and genres; reading various styles and themes would help them find their own voice. Reading would expand their vocabulary as they gain maturity in their writing and that would help prepare them for writing their college application essay.

RISING SOPHOMORE

As mentioned above, summer is an opportune time for reading. Encourage your children to spend part of their day to this pleasurable and educational pursuit.

Your children should find a community service activity they actually enjoy as they would want to continue doing this, or a variation of it, during the next three summers. They should also attend an enrichment program or find an internship opportunity related to something they are passionate about. 

If your children are so inclined, they can start researching colleges. Nowadays, they can go online and get virtual campus tours of most colleges or universities.

RISING JUNIOR

Your children should be preparing themselves for one of the busiest years of their high school career. They should be immersed in community service work, internships and enrichment programs. Some children enroll in test-prep courses during the summer months to get them ready for PSAT and SAT. They can attend one of the many schools offering these courses with some of their friends to make it less of a chore.

They can likewise start researching colleges and going online to get virtual college campus tours.  This would also give your children some idea about the college application process.

This is the time to read extensively to expand their vocabulary and prepare them for writing their essay for the college application.

Photo by Sofa Tutor for Unsplash

COLLEGE-BOUND SENIORS

Wow! Your children must be so excited to have completed high school and are anxiously looking forward to the next phase of their education. By this time, they should have put in the deposit on the college they plan to attend. Some colleges would be sending out the procedures for class registrations, information on housing, meal specifics, and such other details to the incoming class.

Let your children take the lead on the college moving arrangements and only offer guidance when they ask for it.  In all likelihood, your children would be moving away from home, maybe going to the other side of the country. They would need to practice being independent and the preparations for moving would be a good place to start.

In some cases, your children could be going across the Atlantic, as my daughter did.  In which case, there would be a whole set of preparations that need to be seen to. There is the visa application, which has to be a priority as it could take a month to secure. You and your college-bound student need to communicate closely with the school as their requirements may differ greatly from those of American universities.

Email or call the university to know when to send the tuition and other college fees. Make sure your student has the information on how to register for classes, how to apply for housing, what essentials to bring to school, where to find items that your student would need.

Going to school in another country would take more preparation so make sure you have enough time to spend helping your student settle into his or her new environment. 

At this juncture, let me address another situation.  If your children weren’t accepted to any school they applied to, then they would need to decide if they want to attend a community college. Most of these institutions will accept new students close to enrolment time.  Some of them have arrangements with the UC system so graduates can attend a UC school for their junior and senior year. This has the double advantage of ensuring your children get a college diploma from a four-year university and saving on the cost of their education.

Your children could also opt to take a gap year.  Some college applicants who are on waitlist on their dream university, ask to be admitted one year later (this would only work if your children met all the academic qualifications for admission to the school with only the problem of the university not having the space for your student this year). 

There could also be some instances when your children could gain admission during the spring term to their first choice school (this scenario happens if the school wants to keep their school ranking and your children did not receive a perfect SAT score but they met all the other requirements for admission. If your children have highly desirable qualities that will enhance their student body, they will wait until after they have been ranked so your kids’ SAT scores will no longer affect their place). Confer with your children’s college counselor about how to accomplish this.

Of course, there is the option to take a gap year after high school. This is a growing trend among American high school graduates. One of my daughter’s classmates took a gap year and spent it performing charity work in Africa. Several universities see this as a major boost in an applicant’s resume. They tend to see the applicant in better light – this person has some tangible experience to bring in and, therefore, adds to the school make-up. So whether your high school graduate is going directly to college, going by the community college route, or taking a gap year, recognize their decision as a first step to their independence.              

Originally published on 4 June 2015 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

The road to college

As the school year comes to a close, we will look at what your children have accomplished, and what benchmarks they need to achieve to propel them to the next school year. In the distant past, kids spent their summer just having fun, maybe working summer jobs, and not thinking about school for a while. But in today’s world, that is not what’s happening. First of all, the summer jobs are now being taken by older professionals, who could not have otherwise found gainful employment. Second of all, the race to be the better candidate for a highly selective school does not stop at the end of the school year.   

Today’s kids are constantly trying to fill summer hours with enrichment activities and going to third-world countries to dig up latrines. While I am not advocating that your children just lie inert for three months as a reward for having successfully finished one school year, I would suggest a less frantic pace.  Sometimes, letting their mind and body recharge would do more good than drilling for the PSATs, SATs, SAT IIs, ACTs, APs, and whatever other standardized test acronyms and initials are out there.

Having said that though, there is the reality that the gap between school years is so big that kids forget everything they learned then go back to school totally unprepared for the work. Parents should let their children have a variety of fun, educational, productive activities so they don’t become stale and uninspired. 

FRESHMAN

Ninth grade is behind them! Your children’s grades should indicate that they took high school seriously and that they put all their efforts at getting good marks. They should have already made plans for summer programs, internships and community service work.  They should engage in activities that truly reflect their passion. Instead of joining a group of kids building houses in Guatemala, they might consider an activity that would really mean something to them. Besides, College Admissions Officers see this on all the resumes they receive that your children would not be doing anything memorable. Encourage them to think outside the box, avoid the herd mentality. If your kids enjoy music and performance, for instance, they might consider organizing an original musical to be presented to seniors at your city’s retirement center. 

SOPHOMORE

Your children’s end-of-year marks in 10^th grade should have improved over last year’s if they didn’t do well in their freshman year. College Admissions Officers want to see students who continue to better themselves. 

They need to take whatever standardized tests are required – ACT or June SAT subject tests are the norm. They also need to continue the community service activity they started last summer.  While it is advisable to show consistency for Admissions Officers to know that your kids have a passion for such work, they could do a variation of it; they don’t want to be monotonous.

They can start researching about colleges, specifically looking for the colleges offering the courses they want to major in.

JUNIOR

The school year that just ended was a pivotal one for your children as it would be the last full year that College Admissions Officers will see on your kids’ application. It should reflect your children’s efforts at getting the best marks they could muster, and an improvement over the first two years of high school. 

Make sure your children have their community service work, internship, and enrichment program ready for summer. These activities should be a continuation of the previous years’.   

This is going to be their busiest summer with standardized tests like the ACT, SAT, SAT IIs, and APs.  If they have not seen the colleges they are considering applying to, this would be their last chance to visit college campuses. You might consider making it a fun summer trip for the family (my daughter and I spent two weeks visiting universities as part of our summer vacation).

Your children should start thinking about their essay topic; meeting with their school counselor to make sure they have taken all the required courses for graduation and college (the UCs have their A – G requirements that need to be completed); and lining up teachers they would like to ask for recommendations.   

SENIOR

Well, your children have accomplished a major milestone – successfully completing high school and getting accepted into a college or university! This period in their life will never again be repeated, so let them revel in what they have achieved. Give yourself a pat on the back while you’re at it, you have been a major influence in whatever path they choose to take from here.

Originally published on 7 May 2015 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

The road to college

This is it – your children have reached the homestretch!  Freshmen are looking forward to their last month, relieved that they are almost done with 9^th grade. Meanwhile, it is a bittersweet time for seniors as they anticipate the end of their high school career and spend the last remaining weeks with lifelong friends.

FRESHMAN

This is the last call for your 9^th graders who need to improve their grades! Make them focus on staying on top of school and homework.  Get them up to speed on their studies and ready for  final exams. Their final grades will be on their transcript, one of the most important components of your children’s college application.

If their marks are not adequate for college acceptance requirements, they need to meet with their college counselors to arrange for remedial summer classes.

Remind them to get their summer projects lined up. If they need to get approval for a particular service activity they want to pursue, they need to speak to their grade level dean right away. Get them to spend their summer months in programs to supplement an art interest by applying for internships or jobs. Some Arts companies have internships that students have to pay for while there are a few that actually pay their interns to work during the summer. Get your children to research the various organizations in town or in nearby cities.

Educators from 80 selective universities around the country endorsed a seminal study released in January by the Harvard Graduate School of Education which recommended changes in the way students are assessed for college-readiness. Titled “Turning the Tide: Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good Through College Admissions”, it advocates for sustained community service in a few well-chosen areas. It isn’t the quantity of activities but the quality that’s important – admissions officers should be looking for depth of students’ intellectual and ethical engagement potential. The summer after their freshman year is the time for your children to find activities that truly speak to their interest and passion.        

The long summer months are also a great time for your children to read. Encourage them to read various genres and different authors. At the very least, reading will help them expand their vocabulary and expose them to different writing styles. This will come in handy when they write their personal statement and essays for their college application.

SOPHOMORE

Sophomore year is when your children have fully transitioned into high school. They are comfortable about how this phase fits into the whole secondary school experience. They have taken the practice PSAT, as a preparation for junior year when the results of the PSAT determine their eligibility for the National Merit Scholarship. They have also taken some AP tests, if they took an AP course.

Hopefully, your children have also done well in their studies, have maintained good grades this entire year, and have prepared for final exams. College counselors expect grades that are consistent, and if their freshman marks weren’t that great, their sophomore grades should at least show improvement over last year’s.    

Make sure your children have lined up their summer activities. These should be an extension or an expansion of what they did in the summer of freshman year. College counselors want to see commitment to a particular interest.

JUNIOR

Make sure your children have registered to take all the required standardized tests for college admissions. The UC system starts taking applications in October of their 12th grade, and if your children are applying through early action or early decision to other colleges, they need to have taken the SAT or ACT this summer. 

Your children’s final grades are extremely important! Eleventh grade is the last complete year that college admissions officers will see on the application and they expect grades that are either consistent with, or better than the first two years’. They need to prepare well for final exams.

SENIOR

If your children are still sweating it on the waitlist of their first-choice college, they need to  ensure their final grades are terrific! They should keep up with all other school and extra-curricular classes and send the college admissions officers any updates on awards and honors they receive. They should ask their college counselor if an additional letter of recommendation might be helpful. Keeping in touch with the admissions office reinforces their interest in attending the school if accepted.

They should have put a deposit on their second-choice school to guarantee them a place for the incoming class in the fall. Although, if they come off the waitlist on their first choice, they will lose this deposit.

Be there for your children to support them whatever the outcome of their college application. It has been a significant phase of reaching adulthood and was a very important learning experience. In the end, what matters is not where they had been accepted; the college they attend will not guarantee success in the real world. It’s how they use their education that determines how well they do in life.

Originally published on 7 April 2015 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly and Sierra Madre Weekly

The road to college

FRESHMAN

There are only two more months left in the schoolyear. Your 9^th graders should be on track on all their academic grades and extra-curricular activities. They need to put extra effort into getting the best grades they could muster. They also should have already lined up summer activities – enrichment programs, summer camps, volunteer work or part-time jobs. 

A recent study released by Harvard’s Graduate School of Education calls for schools to emphasize both ethical and intellectual engagement, with 80 of the nation’s institutions of higher learning endorsing it. This means that if they were to implement the recommendations put forth, colleges to which your children will later apply would like to see kids who truly showed commitment to the activities they began. They will want to see one or two important community service work students engaged in for a sustained period of time.

All these – grades, arts, athletics, community work, employment – from 9^th through 12^th grade, will be recorded on the transcript that your children’s high schools will send to the colleges to which they apply.   

SOPHOMORE

Make sure your children have registered for all the standardized tests they need to take in May or June (Possible SAT II tests for 10^th graders are Math, Chemistry, History and Foreign Language. These are the subject tests that selective universities require.) Deadlines are April and May for tests in May and June.  Students are responsible for registering through the College Board website: www.collegeboard.com.

They should line up their summer activities. If they are taking an Art elective, or are interested  in a particular art field, they should consider a summer program in that course to put on their resume.

JUNIOR

This is the last complete academic year admissions officers will see when your children apply to colleges. They want to see grades that are improving from year to year, so the 11^th grade final marks should be the highest on the report cards. If your children had gone on college campus tours during spring break, they should also know the academic requirements of the colleges to which they are thinking of applying. They need to look at where they are grades-wise to figure out if the school on their list is a realistic goal.

Make sure your children have registered for the SAT, ACT (www.act.org), SAT II, AP especially if they are thinking of applying through early action or early decision.

They need to line up all their summer activities – enrichment programs, summer camps, volunteer work or part-time jobs. 

SENIOR

Some California universities sent out their decision letters mid-March, while for some students this is month they’ve been waiting for. If your children are lucky enough to be accepted to all the schools to which they applied, they deserve a big congratulations!  You can all exhale now! 

Now comes the part where your children get to choose the school they really want to attend.  During the application process, your children were hoping the colleges to which they applied accept them. Now the colleges that accepted your children would like your kids to choose them!  In this rank-obsessed world of American universities, the schools encourage all students to apply to them (they actively recruit students they would never even admit because the more applications they receive and the more rejections they send out, the higher they’re ranked.) Now, the tables are turned because once your children get the schools’ acceptance letter, these schools would want to ensure your kids actually attend their college. This is the yield: the higher their yield, the higher their ranking.  

If your children are applying for financial aid or scholarships, now is the time to compare schools’ financial aid or scholarship offers. If a particular school really wants your children, you might have the opportunity to ask for a better package than what it originally extended.

If your children have been waitlisted to a school they are determined to get into, they need to respond quickly to let the admissions officers know that they are very interested. Your children should send a follow-up letter to express that the school is their top choice and that they will definitely enroll if accepted.

Demonstrated interest is all the more critical at this juncture as your children want to ascertain the admissions officers keep them in mind. Encourage your children to work with their high school’s counselor to make sure they send the transcript for the first semester, and any updates on awards and honors received after they sent their application. Your children need to keep in constant touch with the admissions officers.

The admissions office requires a decision from accepted students on May 1^st. Make sure your children accept the offer of their second choice school where they have been admitted, and pay the required deposit. If your children are later accepted to the school to which they were waitlisted and accept that offer, they will lose the deposit on the other school. But it’s their guarantee that they will be attending a college in the fall.      

Originally published on 3 March 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

The road to college

For some high schoolers, spring break comes this month. It may well be a welcome respite for your children, a time to recharge as they head towards the end of the schoolyear. While it is an opportunity for them to relax, it is also a chance to evaluate where they are on their schoolwork.

FRESHMAN

Your children should have all their grades on track. They need to concentrate on maintaining good study habits now to be better equipped to handle the rigors of the workload in the coming years. If they haven’t been reading much, they should seriously consider taking up reading as a hobby during spring break. This will help them increase their vocabulary which they will need to take the SAT and as preparation for writing their essay. 

They need to line up their summer activities. Their grade dean would have some ideas as to how they can explore their passions and research summer opportunities.

SOPHOMORE

Tenth graders who are taking AP courses need to register for the AP exams administered in May. While there is a slew of small independent tutoring schools offering courses to prepare for the AP tests, some children do not need to take on this additional burden on their already busy schedules. Your children have enough on their plate with the intensive homework associated with an advanced placement course. That said, your kids still have to show competence on the AP exams as all scores are submitted to the College Board; all the colleges to which your children apply will see the AP scores.

Your children should also take the SAT subject test. Your children’s teachers could provide guidance on what they need to prepare for. They might want to ask the teachers in that particular course for study suggestions, review packets, and sample tests. There are also test prep books available in bookstores and online. In my daughter’s school, teachers tell their students that the best way to prepare is by doing their best throughout the academic year, being familiar with the information the test covers, and effectively reviewing the concepts learned in class. Furthermore, they encourage their students to take some practice tests to understand the structure of the exam, and to know what to expect on the day of the test. Needless to say, students should read the directions carefully, understand how it is scored, and be aware of the time limit, on testing day.

Your children may want to consult their class dean regarding summer activities – academic enrichment programs, volunteer work, or part-time employment. College admissions officers are looking for students who explored their passions while getting good grades.

JUNIOR

Besides registering and preparing for the SAT or ACT, your children should use the spring break to visit college campuses. Have them put together a college visit checklist with a page or several pages allotted for each school. For each of the schools, they will need to write their overall impressions – what they liked most or least. 

They should write their observations by categories: the intellectual atmosphere (Do students enjoy their courses or are they stressed-out? What is the advising system for freshmen? Are there opportunities for independent study/study abroad?). They should note the social climate (Do students stay on campus or do they leave on weekends? What are the facilities for socializing?  Is there an active Greek life?) They should observe the campus life (What are the living arrangements? Is there guaranteed housing for four years? What are the dining options?). 

One major concern for parents and children should be security on campus (Can outsiders gain access to the library, the fitness center or student union? Are there video cameras around the school periphery?).  Of course, the most serious threat to students’ well-being may actually be within the confines of the institution. When my daughter and I visited colleges, the issue of campus rape didn’t come up during the information sessions. But it has since become part of the national conversation and some universities are addressing the topic up front. I, personally, would want to know if officials have safeguards in place to prevent such crime from occurring. Do administrators disclose information about it or do they hide and blur the facts? What consequences does the school impose on perpetrators?

Some children know right away when they visit a campus that they don’t seem themselves in it.  It could be that it isn’t the right intellectual or academic fit for them; or the environment doesn’t suit their lifestyle. But it’s a good thing to know before they decide to apply.  

SENIOR

After the marathon they finished, your children could be quite restless and anxious to hear from the colleges. Remind them to keep their focus on academics and their grades. They should still engage in other worthwhile activities like sports or arts. At my daughter’s school, rehearsals for the spring musical, which she was heavily involved in, was at full speed so students’ minds were occupied with something besides worrying about college acceptances.

Originally published on 8 January 2015 in the Pasadena Indpendent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly

The road to college

It’s a rite of passage for every high school senior in this country. It’s called college applications. The phrase alone inspires fear and trepidation in students and their parents. Stressed-out teens saddled with schoolwork, extra-curricular activities, and standardized testing navigate this complex process with their equally anxiety-riddled parents who watch helplessly, much as they want to extend a helping hand. As we all know, everyone survives it, most of us with our sanity largely intact.

For some parents who had gone through it in their youth, they would soon learn that the process has changed because today’s competition has become extremely intense. More teens are opting to go to college now than ever before. There is a growing surge of foreign students applying to American universities. Less selective universities are seeing an increase in student applications while their available spots have stayed the same, resulting in fewer acceptances. Universities implement more rigorous standards in their selection process as they put together a well-rounded class made up of outstanding individuals.

While both my husband and I were college-educated, our experiences had not been the same as our daughter’s. We did not spend our summer months building houses in a third world country, or handing out groceries at a food bank, to put on our resumes. We did not enroll in a summer program at science camps or art schools to further enhance our academic record. We did not have an array of activities to show college admissions directors that we spent a meaningful summer. 

My husband and I are immigrants: he is from Taiwan and I am from the Philippines. There were no convoluted college searches where we came from. To make up for what I did not know, I started reading up on the admissions process. But no amount of book-reading and research could have prepared me for the onslaught of emotions and self-doubt that seized me once the process was at hand. I constantly questioned myself if I had provided my child with all the tools necessary for her to successfully make it to the finish line in this marathon.    

My daughter went to a private school, which a reporter for a local newspaper referred to in a 2007 feature story commemorating the school’s centennial, as “Pasadena’s most elite school.” This school, which I shall henceforth refer to as REPS (Really Elite Private School), has a team of college counselors who starts a discussion with students and their parents about college applications in the fall of junior year.

However, I feel that REPS college counselors should have given students and their parents an overview of what the process entails back in 9^th grade. I think that neither students nor their parents are made fully aware of how grades and extra-curricular activities during their high school career affect the final outcome of their college search. Waiting until the second half of junior year to talk about what colleges are looking for when they assemble their incoming class is far too late. Indeed, when I started doing my research into the admissions process, one of the reference books I used broke down students’ preparation starting in 9^th grade. After having read a few parents’ books on this subject, I came to the conclusion that this daunting, nail-biting process brings out the neurotic in us (I could argue, therefore, that kids started this application process the minute they toddled into their first class; that they were auditioning for college back in nursery school).

This monstrously arduous experience had been such an eye-opener for me, that I thought it might be helpful to some parents if I wrote about it. Some parents might find it elucidating; at the very least, I hope it provides some form of respite from the stress they are going through. If I could help even one parent or student find his/her way in this maze it would have been well worth my effort.

The road to college will follow a high schooler’s journey from freshman year through move-in day at university in September. As I will be speaking about our family’s journey, it will not totally reflect what other students experienced. The result of my daughter’s college search would not be the same as someone else’s. I will include anecdotes about my daughter’s high school days and her subsequent college application, with the hope that some readers can apply some of her experiences to their own situation. Some of the stories might elicit a small chuckle while others would sound too absurd to be believed but all the anecdotes are true and actually happened. Lastly, I would be addressing parents and students alternately.

FRESHMAN

Typically, the beginning of the year marks the halfway point in the schoolyear. First semester grades would soon be released, if they had not been sent out yet. If your 9^th grader’s marks are not great, he/she would need to use the second semester to better them as it’s the end-of-year grades that show on the transcript. A student’s grades are a very important, if not the single most important, component of the college application. 

Continue your extra-curricular activities in arts or sports, with concentration on one or two where you excel. Do not attempt to dazzle college admissions directors with the range of your interest, unless you are a budding Leonardo da Vinci and have mastered every single craft. Find something you are truly passionate about and do it throughout your four years to show your commitment. My daughter realized she loved acting but she only found out in her junior year so she did not have much time to fully engage in it.

SOPHOMORE 

This is your student’s second year and by this time he/she should have fully transitioned into high school. He/she needs to put extra effort into weak subjects and solidify grades for the second semester. Your student should continue his/her focus on academic performance skills, sports participation and arts involvement. He/she should also start studying for the PSAT (www.collegeboard.com). Taking a practice PSAT in 10^th grade gives your student the chance to identify weaknesses then work on them before taking the NMSQT (www.nationalmerit.org) in 11^th grade. At REPS, students meet with their grade level dean in the winter of 10^th grade to discuss year-end testing options and junior-year course options. Sophomores enrolled in Advanced Algebra and Pre-Calculus register to take the SAT II Math Level 2 exam in June of their sophomore year. Sophomores enrolled in Functions, Trigonometry, and Advanced Algebra (FTAA) take this same exam in June of their junior year, after completing the Advanced Topics and An Introduction to Calculus-Honors (ATIC-Honors) course. Sophomores who are thinking of going into science, medicine, architecture and engineering are encouraged to take the SAT II exam in Chemistry in May or June of their sophomore year. Your student should also start lining up summer activities.

JUNIOR

The second semester of junior year is significant as it is the beginning of the college application process. From their college research, students are now ready to start planning a visit to colleges.  They can even do their initial campus virtual tours online www.campustours.com, www.CollegeProwler.com, www.SmartCollegeVisit.com, www.YOUniversity.com. College

counselors usually recommend that students use their spring break to go to several different types of schools. A good list should include a small liberal arts college, a medium-sized research university and a large state university to let them have a feel for what “small” or “large” school means. They should be able to experience firsthand if a large city like New York makes them feel alive and vibrant or if it totally overwhelms and scares them. They need to experience if a school with 20,000 students is the right setting for them. They don’t necessarily have to visit the schools they are actually considering applying to, this trip should give them ideas about what they are looking for in a university. Once they’ve established  the elements they are looking for, they can start making a list of schools they would put on their list of colleges to apply to. 

SENIOR 

All college applications should have already been sent out for the January 1^st regular decision/admission deadline.  Some universities, like Georgetown, have a later deadline.

Parents should already have filed their income tax returns; get ready to submit FAFSA (www.fafsa.ed.gov). Apply for scholarships. There are several websites to help you with your search like www.scholarships.com, http://www.collegexpress.com, or www.scholarships360.org.

Ask your school to send your mid-year grades to colleges and verify that all your application materials have been sent. Breathe a sigh of relief; the hard part is done. The rest is out of your hands. 

(Ms. Ruiz is NOT a licensed counselor nor does she dispense professional advice for college applicants.  Her knowledge on the subject is limited to her personal involvement in her daughter’s college search.  She had been actively involved in her daughter’s elementary and middle school years as a parent volunteer in several school activities.)