The Column
James Freedman writes a monthly column for Los Angeles Family Magazine about the college application process. While geared towards parents, the articles should still be applicable to a high school student.
Below, find links to all of the articles.
Applying to College: Tips from a Veteran (August 2005)
Whether your child is a senior preparing for her last year of high school, or a toddler beginning her first year of pre-school, it’s never too early or too late for you to start thinking about her journey to college. [more…]
College Chat - Early Effort, Early Decisions (September 2005)
If you can only get your college-bound senior to listen to three words of advice during the month of September, they should be “don’t slack off!”
With school just getting underway, now is the time for your teen to get a running start. Colleges are impressed by a student with a 4.0, but even a student with less-than-stellar marks during past years can take advantage of this first semester to significantly improve her GPA and show colleges admissions officers something they love to see – an upward trend. [more…]
College Chat: Demystifying The College Essay (October 2005)
College admissions officers sift through countless applications daily. Each application is composed of several pages. Each page consists largely of boring facts and statistics. What is your name? Where are you from? Do any community service? Get any A’s? And so on.
While these questions are important – and largely determine whether or not an applicant gains admittance to the school of her choosing – the answers are usually cut-and-dry, without much room for variation or creativity, and not offering much of an opportunity to stand out from the rest of the pack.
Fortunately for your child, almost every college also asks students to submit at least one essay with the application, allowing him to stand out, and possibly gain a much needed edge – if he follows a few simple tips and tricks. [more…]
College Chat: Acing The Interview (November 2005)
Starting this month, your child should focus on getting organized – creating checklists of application deadlines and test dates so she doesn’t fall behind. Thanksgiving weekend is also a good time to visit schools, if she hasn’t yet done so, although some students prefer waiting until they’re accepted to visit.
There’s also one other ominous aspect of the application process fast approaching – the interview. [more…]
College Chat: Advice From An Expert (December 2005)
“There’s getting into college and then there’s finishing—and that’s something that people don’t think about enough,” said Stefanie DeLuca, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University Department of Sociology. [more…]
College Chat: Figuring Out Financial Aid (January 2006)
With the cost of attending steadily increasing, and most application deadlines fast approaching, parents are justifiably concerned about funding their child’s college education. While there is no substitute for saving up years ahead of time, there are other options still available to parents who cannot otherwise afford to send their kids to college. [more…]
College Chat: Dealing with Rejection (February 2006)
Your child has spent countless hours attaining excellent marks, crafting the perfect essay, participating in a multitude of extracurricular activities, and nervously mailing out college applications. After the applications have all been sent out, it becomes a “waiting game,” where he hopefully awaits thick letters of acceptance—and anxiously dreads one-page rejections.
In case of the latter, it’s best to be prepared ahead of time. Make sure you’re not adding to your child’s anxiety by piling on the pressure and stressing the importance of admittance to a particular school or group of schools. Also speak with her early about the possibility of not getting accepted by that top choice.
Getting rejected from a first choice can be hard. Because of this, “it makes sense to do a realistic appraisal of your chances [ahead of time],” said Mory Framer, a Los Angeles-based psychologist and trauma specialist. [more…]
College Chat: College Visits (March 2006)
In the near future, most letters of acceptance will be sent out. Once your child knows what colleges want her, it’s time to decide where to go. The next couple of months are a great time to visit your options and come up with that top choice.
While many students have already visited several schools and decided upon their favorites, others haven’t. Even for those who have visited, a second visit—to confirm their feelings about a particular school, or help them narrow down their choices—certainly can’t hurt.
Some students have determined their first choices merely by comparing ranks or prestige of various institutions. However, nothing can beat seeing the campus for yourself, meeting other prospective and current students, and getting a “feel” for the campus. [more…]
College Chat: Decisions, Decisions (May 2006)
Now that your child has hopefully been accepted by a number of colleges and universities, it’s time for her to decide where she wants to go. [more…]
College Chat: Dorm Life Pros & Cons (July 2006)
Most college grads will tell you that living in the dorms was a great, if somewhat trying, experience. The camaraderie of being constantly surrounded with your fellow students offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bond outside of the classroom, but can also be a bit overwhelming. A great deal of your child’s happiness depends upon where they choose to live during their first year in college. [more…]