Mind the Gap: Is Your Teen Considering Taking a Gap Year?

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Is your teen considering taking a Gap Year? What are the Pros and Cons?
A gap year can be very good for your teen IF they have a good reason such as…

-exploring opportunities that will help them decide on a college major or career path
-working to save money for college cost
-traveling worldwide to expand their knowledge of self and experiences
-working with a mission team abroad
-etc

However, if they are going to spend their time playing video games then no. This is not a good idea.
 
Colleges like it when a teen has a plan and fulfills it.
 
Assuming college is the next step after a gap year there are 2 ways to approach it. If the teen does not have the stats for scholarships then this part is not a big deal. However, if your teen is expecting scholarships, then the teen should talk with the admissions (and the financial aid/scholarships) office of the schools he plans/hopes to attend and ask how they prefer he approach it?
 
Some colleges...
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Why is College So Expensive?!

Why is college so expensive? 

I recently answered this question for a national media outlet. 

So, why IS college so expensive? And what can teens and parents do to minimize the cost?
 
We could ask the same question of buying a car. Most people wouldn't pay the "sticker price” when buying a new car. There is plenty of negotiating room.
The same is true when it comes to paying for college.
 
Higher education is a business. And businesses can charge what they want, reasonable or not, for their product. It’s your choice to buy a $200 cotton t-shirt from a fancy department store brand, or buy a cotton t-shirt from a discount store.
 
Parents and high school counselors are in shock over the “sticker price” of college costs. But the truth is, 76% of American students pay on average 56% of the sticker price. International students tend to pay the full cost. As an American, you have to actually WANT to pay full freight. Those...
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Ivy Day: Why You Shouldn't Care

This year, Ivy League schools chose April 6th 2021 as the date they announce their regular decision acceptances, otherwise known as Ivy Day. (Turn on the waterworks 'cuz here comes a flood of tears.) An average of 90%  to 97% of applicants will be rejected. Even fewer this year than last due to many students taking a gap year in 2020 due to covid restrictions. But here's the truth.:

It doesn't matter, not one iota, where the degree comes from.

We've been fed a lie and a lot of marketing hype. And I can prove it.

It may seem strange for someone in my position to dismiss Ivy schools, after all didn't we have a huge scandal with parents, teachers, and counselors cheating to get their kids into these "top-twenty" schools? So it must be important, right?

First, let me assure you, I've done the research. Those who know me, know that I will research to the death, to be absolutely certain, before I state anything. The research, and not just mine (Google Dale &...

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Expert Tips for Internship and Post College Graduation Employment

College seniors have their hands full before graduation, and they may miss some important career-prep activities. Here is a last-minute checklist of things to do before graduation and begin their job search. All of these are also for college summer internship employment as well.

It's never too late to begin looking for internship or post graduate employment. However, many employers begin posting applications for both as early as the August of college senior year. So don't wait. Start now!

___ Line up references (professors, internship managers,
supervisors, etc.) 

visiting career services,

___Clean up all social media pages

___ Register with the college or university career center. Employers who often recruit from your college or university may post applications through the career center. In most cases you will not be notified when a matching opportunity comes along so be sure to check the site weekly.
 
___ Register on several employment websites such as ...
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Community college as a financial strategy?

A parent asked a lot of questions surrounding the concept of attending community college.:

-Pros/Cons of attending community college or a smaller, local university for first two years of studies with goal of obtaining Bachelor’s from a larger University.

-Is the savings and small step into college life beneficial?

-Is it harder to get accepted to a 4-year college with a two year transfer plan?

-Does the student apply for their dream college now and let admissions know they plan on the first two years elsewhere or does student apply after first two years are underway?

-Is this generally frowned upon or welcomed by admissions?

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As you can see there are a lot of very good questions here. Here's my take on it.

Community college is a good idea to gain credits WHILE still a high school student as dual enrollment. But that's a topic for another day.
Is it also a good idea as the first 2 years after high school IF AND ONLY IF the student does...
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Are Your Teens Falling Behind Due to COVID online learning?

Most kids regardless of age have been educating ‘online’ since March of last year. Are they falling behind? A recent study showed that your kids may have already lost 30%-50% of what they learned last year due to struggling with online learning and disruptions. This includes college students as well especially freshmen who even without all this COVID and online learning were already having to adjust to college life, rigorous schoolwork, and living away from home, then lets add the pandemic isolation, stress, and overwhelm. Parents should be concerned whether your kids are in middle school or college.

 

Prep Expert is offering academic success coaching from middle school through college students.

 

Go to this link and click the ‘MENTORING’ tab at the top of the page, then select the age group of your child for details specific to your family.

https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1534521&u=2570158&m=97094&urllink=&afftrack=

 

They are...

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Exploring colleges without visiting them

So we are still kind of stuck with social distancing and such. But that doesn't mean you have to miss out on exploring potential colleges. (NOTE: There are some colleges that are open to in person visitation.)
 
Let's start with 'who' and 'when' you should begin looking at colleges and narrowing the college list. It's perfectly fine for high school freshmen, sophomores and even earlier to begin getting a feel for the type of college they may want to attend. Parents should also be involved in the process since there will be money involved at some point. Plus, as a parent your teen is trusting you to advise, even if they seem to not want it. For in person fairs and tours parents should attend with their teen, but once your teen is a high school junior it is best to 'take a back seat' and do more listening that talking.
 
There are several virtual college fairs taking place this spring. Most will have several hundred colleges participating. (Keeping in mind there are...
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The scary decision of college major

Does your teen have no freaking idea of what they want to do after high school?

I had this question recently. It reminded me of the look of shear terror in my son's eyes when it was time to decide on a college major. You see, most teens think they are making a lifetime decision at the ripe old age of 17 or 18. Not so. And if we explain it to them it will take a lot of the stress off of making the decision.

When I saw the expression on my son's face, I immediately said to him, "Get in the car, we're going out for coffee." On the drive to IHOPS, it was late at night, I asked my son if he knew all the jobs and employers his dad had worked for since the age of 20. Of course he didn't. (Most kids and teens pay no attention to that. They have a roof over their head and food to eat. They're good to go.) I told my son all the lateral moves within companies and the different companies his dad had worked for. "You won't be sitting in a cubicle for 40 years. Most employers will see the good...

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College ROI What You Need To Know

This is a good article by Forbes (Linked Here) on the necessity of career services in determining college outcomes. Parents are beginning to question the return on investment with that college degree. With so many students exiting college with degrees that are not marketable, the article assumes that colleges should make their career services department stand out more. Unfortunately, I think they are missing many of the most important aspects of career counseling.

Colleges should do a better job of explaining what the job possibilities are for their chosen major AND what THAT college sees as the average entry-level income for those majors. (Can you get a job with a degree in underwater basket weaving? How much does it pay? If it’s not a living wage, why are they offering that degree program?) That was an important part of questioning for us. My son's program said the entry level income for those attending his school in his major is $65,000. Not only is this good to know (does...

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Know your core values before applying for college and scholarships

Does your family have a set of core values? Does your teen?
Values guide our every decision, including the decision of which COLLEGE to attend and which EMPLOYER to work for.
 
This is an important bit of information most families have not and are not considering. Living by your values, or not, influences your happiness and contentment with life. It's important to know your values and know if the decisions you are making are in alignment with those values.
 
For example, 3 of my core values are INTEGRITY, SERVICE, and FAMILY.
 
Integrity includes values such as honesty and truth.
About a year ago I got so frustrated seeing my friends consistently repost things that they didn't bother to research, that I imposed a '3-strikes, you're out' policy. I shouldn't have to do the research for you to find that what was posted is false. Needless to say, my Facebook feed is much more pleasant to read.
 
Service is a value that was passed down by my...
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