A simple look at the filled activity calendar will tell most folks that Fall is now in full swing. The high schoolstudents are probably pretty well immersed in their school schedules and activities. As the weather startsto get a bit crisper in some parts of the country, we all may find ourselves indoors a little bit more each day. This is a good time to reassess our priorities on activities that we need to catch up on or to organize upcoming tasks that may be on the docket. If you have put college planning on the back burner up unti now, that is understandable, but please let us remind you that there is no better time than the present to get fired up again and move forward on all the strategies that can be a part of your child attending fantastic college.
In addition to your children’s activities, you have your own schedule to balance and keep track of, and we know that managing the myriad of checklists related to college planning can be daunting. We are here to help with that. We have included tips in this newsletter that can help your child at his/her current stage of academic development. In fact, these tips will be able to apply to almost any family with a college-bound high school student. You may be a family that is seriously affected by the economic downturn the country is presently under, or you may be one of the fortunate ones who have been able to weather the storm and stay on top. Whichever situation you may find yourself in, it has been our experience that most folks are interested in hanging onto their hard-earned money, while maximizing their child’s college opportunities. These tips can help you do that and can still help you get your child into a great school in the process.
This process is complicated for every family – we sense these difficulties ourselves, and we are among the most seasoned college funding counselors! – simply because federal laws and institutional policies tend to change each and every year. However, we can help you stay the course financially, and thereby assist you in staying focused on the most important aspect of the college admissions process – your child. You certainly cannot control the capricious changes in legislation (and frankly, neither can we, as much as it would make our jobs easier), but you certainly can play a role in whether or not your child has success in his or her academic and extra-curricular activities, or whether s/he has a quiet place to study at home. These are the things that remain firmly within your realm of influence, and that is where we will focus.
There are many things that your child can do in order to be prepared for higher education, to make a reasonable and successful effort to maximize funding, and to become an appealing applicant to some exciting colleges and universities. We will focus on a few of these in this newsletter that should help you get jump started towards a successful academic future.
Consider Career Assessment Tests – BUT As A Tool… Not A Crystal Ball!
Sure, you may have one of those remarkable children who have been saying since they were three years old, “I want to be a lawyer when I grow up!” (Some of them actually do!) On the other hand, you could also have a child who belongs to the vast majority of people who are not exactly sure what they want to become when they grow up. Let us reassure you, there is absolutely nothing wrong with either scenario! Some children are incredibly focused on a particular area very early in life, while most other children take a number of years – and a variety of experiences – in order to fully develop their interests in a particular field or career. Fortunately, there are a number of tools that can help your child assess where his or her interests lie along the way so you can start to make decisions about activities and a direction to take. When it comes to college preparation, after all, it is certainly in your best financial and professional interests as a family to have some idea what to pursue when the college years actually arrive!
If you ask your child, “What is it that really interests you?” and the response is “Umm… I don’t know” then there could be some potential benefit from asking your child to complete a career assessment test. There are many resources available to you, whether through your child’s high school counselor or even by searching online. These are career assessment and vocational interest tests that are designed specifically to determine where your child’s particular interests and strengths lie. However, these tests are tools, not fortune tellers. Some parents may get extremely worked up over these tests (a trait which does not usually endear them to their high school aged children), when they are simply indicators of the aforementioned interests and strengths! The tests offer some information about areas that can be taken advantage of in the preparation for college, as well, and they should always be viewed as such.
Of course, simply taking a career test does not set anything in stone. Just because your child may have skills or inclinations towards a certain field does not mean that s/he is bound and determined only to pursue that option. This type of test is really just a tool that can, perhaps, uncover some inclinations and interests in certain areas that can be further developed both in high school and in college. Sometimes the best options remain unrecognized until they are simply suggested, and that is what a career test can do for your child… expand the options. It could help to fine tune some elective classes, for some students. It might trigger an interest in a club or group at school. It could even cause your child to want to tag along with a family friend or acquaintance “on the job.” At any rate, it is definitely worthwhile to see whether his or her class schedule (and extracurricular activities) reflect any opportunities that might help to develop the personal interests discovered in the career test.
Correctly Manage Jobs Or Internships – During School OR Summer
With a reasonable determination of which area is of interest to your child – whether it comes from your child directly or from some career testing activities – here is another tip that can pay major dividends in the long term and help your child on the road to getting into a top college. Many parents have seen excellent results through helping their child find a part-time job – or even an internship – in a field that s/he may consider for a career. Others find that their child operates best in a simple part-time job. For example, if your child has already expressed some interest in a business career, it should not be terribly difficult to find a position that will teach valuable skills related to business, whether it is working as a cashier or learning leadership traits by observing people while working in business management environment. Whatever the job, time management and responsibility are also skills that can be gleaned from just about any type of job, whether it is during the school year or during vacations.
Parents and friends can often assist students in finding the right approach colleagues, friends, or local business owners about allowing your child to do an internship in a profession or business that is of interest to your child. Your child may even be paid for the internship experience in some cases. The difference between a job and an internship is sometimes subtle, but internships do look very impressive on college applications! Regardless, the experience gained through a job or an internship can be very influential in helping students to learn what activities intrigue and inspire them, and what things might have looked pretty cool from the outside, but (at least to your child) weren’t exactly all that they were cracked up to be.
However, it should come as no surprise that there are some words of caution that must be spoken when a student is intent on pursuing this route! It is absolutely imperative that your child is able to balance the demands of school, plus any other activities, and internship/work. Naturally, when it comes to prioritizing, school should always come first. If it becomes apparent that your child is falling behind in school then it is time to reassess whether any outside activity is feasible at this point. Also, remember that an internship arranged with a colleague or family friend can often be made extremely part time… it doesn’t need to occupy ten hours per week in order to be worthwhile, or to appear on college applications! It simply needs to provide a quality learning experience, and that is the bottom line whether s/he is being paid for the time involved, or not.
Another very important consideration comes into play if your child is being paid for his or her position. You see, there is a limit to how much money a student is allowed to make before it begins to affect his or her eligibility for federal aid in college. Please make sure that your student does not adversely affect future money by “over-earning” while in high school, even during the summers! If you need more details, please don’t hesitate to call us for more information on how to choose a great internship, and especially the current income limits for high school students.
Volunteer/Service Organizations – Giving Something Back And Receiving In Return
It is difficult to overstate how valuable volunteer and service experience is for the aspiring college applicant. We think it is a great idea anyway, but we see the fruits of this type of work as we help college applicants and their families through their application experience. Students who become involved in service and volunteer organizations often find a three-fold bonus as they approach their college years. First, the college applicants themselves often have an added air of maturity – especially when compared with other graduating high school students. We believe that this comes from their experiences in looking outside of themselves and endeavoring to make a positive difference in their community. These experiences are often even more valuable because they can, in many cases, help the students to discover the things that they are most passionate about. The beauty of this is that there is almost no limit to the valuable service experiences available, from volunteering at a hospital to building homes for the homeless, and beyond. All of these experiences are valuable!
Secondly, we have noted that desirable colleges often view these students as well-rounded applicants,and if they me the admissions standards of the school they tend to want them as part of their incoming class. This goes hand in hand with the maturity level, to be sure, but colleges like to be able to brag about their incoming class of freshman students, almost as much as parents do! Finally, there can even be a financial incentive – albeit usually a small one – for volunteer activities and joining service organizations. These types of groups often offer scholarships to their members, and their experiences also will look great on institutional aid applications. While it is almost unheard of that these scholarships cover a significant amount of the costs of college these days, they look excellent on applications (as noted above) and can tip the scales in a student’s favor. We can help with the management of scholarship funds, to maximize your family’s personal eligibility for college financial aid! Just give us a call at 724-745-0305 and we will be pleased to help.
These are just a few of the things to bear in mind as you traverse the path between where you are now, and the bittersweet day when your child heads off to pursue his/her higher education. Each of them can become an important part of the puzzle that can add up to acceptance at a great college – not to mention a much more manageable college bill for you and your family. We are eager to help you with this process, if you think that our expertise could be of benefit to you. In addition, you may be interested in reserving a free seat at our upcoming College Funding seminar in your area. If you would like to attend, please give us a call at 724-745-0305 and we will be happy to reserve a spot for you. We want to help you and your child prepare for an excellent college experience, and minimize the financial and organizational headachesalong the way!
Michael Giffin, CLU, ChFC
President
Ensphere College Planning Services
PO Box 1347
McMurray, PA 15317
(724) 745-0305
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