•  Learn at a time you learn best. Everyone has a specific learning style, whether it’s in the morning, afternoon, or evening. Whether it’s sitting, standing, or lying down. Whether it’s with food or on an empty stomach. On-demand college prep lets you set up the conditions for your optimal learning, so that you’re not reliant upon a classroom at 9 am on a Saturday, if that doesn’t work for you. Make college prep match your abilities. (If you don’t know your learning style, learn it on our website and target it to your college prep).


• Scheduled time. You can schedule when you want to learn, not have someone schedule it for you. This means spending as much time as you’d like on your studies and research. Fit on-demand college prep into your schedule, whether that means 15 or 20 minutes a day, a few hours on the weekend, or maybe a M-W-F schedule. How you arrange it is up to you. (If you need help constructing a schedule, use our Time-Management tools to build a schedule that works for you).


• Free time. Maybe you have a few free minutes in your day you didn’t expect. You can always hop online and improve your vocabulary or look up information on a college that interests you. You can’t do that with traditional college prep. With an on-demand program, you can be online and learning within minutes.


• Instantaneous. You can look up information whenever you need it. Trying to remember tuition at your first-choice college or recall your expected family contribution? Look up that information right away on RSC’s site. A mountain of information is available to you in just one place.

What if you’re on a campus tour or about to meet an admissions officer and you forget an important question you wanted to ask? Get a refresher in minutes, before you’re in the counselor’s hot seat.

• SAT or ACT prep. This is often the thing students think of first when they think college prep. RSC’s tools include practice questions, timed practice tests, vocabulary builders, and a curriculum built to your level. Students use these tools to improve their SAT or ACT scores, but it doesn’t tell you at what colleges those scores are a good fit, or where they could get you additional financial aid, help you test out of remedial classes, etc. For that, you need…


• College research. There are more than 4,000 colleges in this country and you need access to all of the ones on your list. Conduct individual studies and side-by-side comparisons using our college research tools, including information on average freshman SAT/ACT scores and grade point average, campus type, tuition, majors, campus size, and much more. Of course, that’s only a start. It doesn’t tell if the campus is right for you. For that, you need…


• Personality tests. These are typically the most fun college prep tools, yet not everyone offers them. Even the vast majority of high schools don’t offer them. They help you determine what careers are best suited for your skills, what careers and majors interest you, what your strengths and weaknesses are, etc. Combined with your college research, you’ll know which campus is right for you. Of course, knowing which college is right for you, doesn’t mean you’ll know if you can afford it. For that, you’ll need…


• College cost estimates. Accurate estimates (not typically found on college websites) can be a godsend when it comes to knowing what you’re going to pay. Make sure your college cost estimates include your expected family contribution and breakdowns of the types of financial aid you’ll receive. Of course, knowing how much a school will cost you won’t help you get in. For that, you need a…


• Four-Year High-School Course Planner. This planner helps you map out all the courses you’ll need in high school, including Advanced Placement or Honors classes, as well as core and elective classes that align with your expected major. Your high-school schedule is the second thing college admissions officers look at. You have to make sure yours meets their standards.

Finish college, avoid remedial classes by getting college prep right.

• Choose a different college.


• Choose a different major.


• Take summer classes to avoid remedial classes.


• Go back in time and do high school all over again.

• Taking Advanced Placement classes


• Getting good SAT or ACT scores


• Applying to schools where you’re a good academic fit

This is the sixth in a series of articles examining the impact the high cost of college and the student loan crisis are having on families.

• 70% of families earning less than $28,000 were not aware of Pell Grants


• 38% of parents with a high-school education or less were not aware of Pell Grants

She had no idea how she was going to pay for it.

• 49% of families earning between $35,000 and $100,000 received Pell Grants.


• In 2011, 26% of families earning $100,000 received Pell Grants.


• 88% of students at private college receive financial aid. 71% of that aid is need-based.

This is the fifth in a series of articles examining the impact the high cost of college and the student loan crisis are having on families.

• The American School Counselors Association believes counselors should see no more than 250 students. The average counselor sees 460.


• The Independent Education Counselors Association and Wake Forest University find that guidance counselors function best when they see no more than 50 students. The average high-school counselor sees 9 times that many.


• Guidance counselors make up only 1.7% of school personnel.

This is the fourth in a series of articles examining the impact the high cost of college and the student loan crisis are having on families.

• Their alumni often contribute to scholarship programs that benefit their majors, i.e., engineering grads give to engineering students


• Colleges often have extra money set aside to fund specialized grant and scholarship programs. An engineering school want the best engineering students on their campus

• 10% of high-school freshman don’t take a single math class. They’ve already eliminated many good colleges from their list and they don’t even know it.


• 18% of 9^th graders don’t take a science class.


• 29% of 9^th graders can’t identify a single occupation. It’s tough to construct a career path if you can’t name careers.

• 65% of college freshmen plan to go to graduate school. Only 24% actually do, and the biggest reason they don’t? Cost. They’re so deep in debt from their bachelor’s degree they don’t think they can afford a master’s.

Matt and his family turned to RSC’s Paperwork Services to ensure they got every penny they deserved. RSC’s staff filled out his FAFSA and other need-based forms, and reviewed every college financial aid offer he received. That, combined with Matt’s four-year college plan, landed him great financial aid.

What is the purpose of college prep? Is it to get students:

Ready for college?

Ready for a career?

Great financial aid?

In a word, “Yes.”

Good college prep should do all those things. Unfortunately, those purposes are generally segmented. Most companies don’t provide the whole package – and buying each service separately can cost hundreds, and more likely, thousands of dollars.

Complete College Prep

A good college prep service combined all the above goals into one program. Ideally. This way, each aspect of college prep relies upon and benefits the other.

      

All these things mean you’re more likely to graduate college and land a great job afterward – which is the real purpose of college prep.

Impact of Comprehensive College Prep

College prep that provides the three core elements – college readiness, career readiness, and financial aid – has many other advantages. Most important, it cuts the college dropout rate. This alone puts you on a better career path and makes it four times more likely you’ll pay off your student loans.

College prep also reduces your risk of transferring colleges or changing majors, two mistakes that can end up costing you tens of thousands of dollars in additional tuition and lost wages. College prep also improves your chances of testing out of remedial classes. Such classes play a big part in raising a student’s total college costs because they mean extra classes for which you get no credit. That adds to your time on campus, and that time means money. According to the College Board, college prep students graduate in 4 ½ years, a year sooner than those who don’t properly prepare. That’s a year’s worth of tuition college prep students get to keep.

Comprehensive college prep systematically eliminates many of things that raise your cost of college by thousands, and more likely, tens of thousands, of dollars.

The primary purpose of college prep may be to get you ready for college, but a big bonus is giving you the ability to pay for it. A program that strongly focuses on the three dominant elements of college prep is extremely rare, and no one does it more affordably than RSC.

That’s because, like you, we’ve done our homework. Our 20+ years in this business means we know what it takes to succeed in college and will get you started down that path without breaking your budget. Our price makes it possible for you to benefit from all three purposes of college prep!



Join the RSC program today by calling 800-898-4636 or signing up here!

• Career Interests. 8^th graders need to determine their career interests. They don’t need to pick the job they’ll be doing for the rest of their lives, but they should understand areas that interest them. Is it medicine, law, engineering, something in the arts, advertising, etc.? The best way to do this is to take personality tests and work-skill assessments that reveal their interests and abilities. Those results might even show them that they’re at careers they never considered!


• High-school classes. Once a student has a list of interesting careers, they can pick high-school classes that meet those goals. They’ll know how much math and science they need, or perhaps a foreign language or business class. Using a 4-year planner now means getting on track to take the right Advanced Placement classes come senior year. An academic plan developed in 8^th grade will impress colleges four years from now.


• Activities. Colleges and employers like to see leadership skills on your resume. By selecting high-school activities in the beginning of freshman year, you’re setting yourself up for leadership positions in 11^th and 12^th grade. Of course, that means thinking about those activities early – like 8^th grade.


•  

Your college prep is at the heart of the RSC program. Our college prep checklists, handbooks, worksheets, videos and online databases make it run smoothly, so that you’re not scrambling to put it all together at the last minute.

1. Lawyer. You’re going to have to look over the small print in the college’s Awards Letter that outlines exactly what your financial aid package looks like. You may also want someone to examine difficult college admissions terms or policies.


2. Accountant. Financial aid terms and policies can be a nightmare, and filling out the FAFSA and a variety of other forms can be time-consuming and, if you’re not careful, expensive. The FAFSA is longer than your 1040 and the CSS Profile digs deep into your finances. Mistakes on either one can cost you thousands of dollars in aid. Businesses pay accountants for a reason – their advice and services can save them money. The same is true of financial aid.


3. Market Research. Every business does some form of market research. They compare products, customers, competitors, consumer need and much more. To get a great deal from a college, you’re going to have to compare them to each other, too. There are more than 25 criteria by which to judge a college; look for the ones that offer what you want. It’s easiest if you compare colleges side-by-side, helping you quickly eliminate colleges that don’t meet your needs. There are more than 4,000 colleges in the United States, so the research can be overwhelming if you don’t have the right tools or software.


4. Advertising. Advertising is the backbone of business. Whether advertising products or services, companies present their best side. In your case, you’re advertising you. You need to truthfully show colleges your best qualities and convince them why they should pick you over other candidates. But just as in the store, colleges have choices. Learn how to put together a stellar resume, application, admissions essay and more so that you’re the first choice.


5. Cost-Benefit Analysis. No business goes forward without a cost-benefit analysis. You need to examine the cost of your selected colleges against the benefits of the degrees they offer. You need to compare financial aid offers, job prospects, job-placement rates, networking opportunities, and much more.

1. Set goals. Every visionary has a goal. Edison wanted to improve the light bulb; Henry Ford wanted to make cars affordable. What’s yours? If you want to be a lawyer, what kind of lawyer? If you want to be an engineer, what kind of engineer? What kind of doctor, teacher, etc.? Will your field have certain demands in 5 or 10 years that it doesn’t have now? Could you focus on e-legal rights, virtual medicine or online teaching? Examine fringe possibilities that could be cornerstones of the business world in just a few years.


2. Become a leader. Leadership skills convince others to support your vision. You won’t hear family, friends and teachers say you can’t do something if you’re already doing it. Become a leader in high-school activities and clubs. It impresses employers, colleagues and colleges.


3. Raise the bar. Don’t set your sights low; if you do, you’ll never reach the education you need for your career. Set the bar as high as you possibly can. Even if you fall short, you’ll have achieved more than those who took the easy way out.


4. Take advantage of opportunities. Great opportunities will come your way. Maybe it’s an internship at your dream company, or an overseas trip; a chance to network at a party or a much-needed reference from a teacher. Or it could just be an affordable educational opportunity that drops in your lap. Know when to take advantage of great opportunities!


5.  

Edison struggled endlessly when developing the light bulb, finally concluding that he knew “1,000 ways not to make a light bulb.” The same is true with you. You will encounter adversity – a difficult class, a change in career interests, or an internship you couldn’t get. Don’t give up. Adjust your plan as you need to – just make sure that you know what you want and how to get it by the time you start college. Not changing majors or colleges can save you a bundle.

1. 1. Affordability. Can you afford the college? Does it offer great financial aid. It may have a lot of things going for it, but if you drop out over cost or take on student loans you’ll be paying back for the next 20 years, it’s not the perfect college for you.


2. 2. Respectability. Is the school respected overall and more importantly, in your major? No sense going to liberal arts school if you’re interested in science and vice versa, but even liberal arts and tech schools have specialties. Find ones that employers respect in your chosen field.


3. 3. Sociability. Do you fit in?Are you looking for students just like you, or do you want diversity on campus?


4. 4. Location. Do you want to stay close to home or move 1,000 miles away? Do you want to go to college in the big city, wide-open country or the suburbs? Finding the place you want to be is extremely important.


5. 5. Size. Do you want a campus with 1,500 students or 15,000? Either can be good, but you need the one that’s good for you.

1. 1. Get accurate college-cost estimates. This is among the first things you should do: find out if you can afford colleges you’re considering. While few college websites give accurate estimates, they are available (for a sample, visit Your Total Cost of College. Get a breakdown of your expected financial aid, out-of-pocket costs, and more).


2. 2. Make campus visits. Visit campuses both formally and informally. When you meet with admissions officers, professors, etc., make a list of questions you need to ask. Also, take notice of important features: conditions of the buildings, neighborhood, student type, etc. Make a list of what you want and look for it.


3. 3. Conduct research. This the broadest category yet. What’s the average freshmen GPA and SAT or ACT score? What’s the school’s job-placement rate? What’s their dropout rate? In what majors are they well-respected? What percentage of students live on campus? This list goes on and on, but you need to know this information to make an informed decision; to find the best college for you. (The easiest way to do this, rather than visit website after website, is to get it all in one place with a searchable database containing information on more than 4,000 colleges nationwide.)

1. 1. SAT/ACT test prep. If you’re taking the SAT or ACT in the fall (and there are plenty of reasons you should consider it), start prepping for the October test six to 12 weeks in advance. Use RSC's proven program to boost your scores. 


2. 2. Narrow (or expand) your list of colleges. Visit college campuses, consider the criteria you need and the extras you want, and get your list to at least 6 colleges.


3. Outline your admissions essay. You may not have the exact essay questions yet, but certain themes come up every year. Outline several essays accordingly. Get extra writing and editing help if you need it.


4. 3. Consider running for office. Colleges like activity leaders. Think about what offices you’d like to run for in the fall so you can add them to your college application.

1. 1. Practice a foreign language. Colleges like students who can speak a foreign language. Brush up on your non-native tongue with books, videos, and more. Don’t let this skill slip away over the summer.


2. 2. Interning. It may be too late to intern somewhere this summer, but what about in the fall, spring or next summer? Look for ways to boost your professional profile early.


3. 3. Volunteer activities. If you don’t have a regular volunteer position, find ways and places you can help over the summer, then add that to your college application, too.


4. 4. Brushing up on your college major. If you already know your college major, read up on it this summer. It could help boost your grades in that subject come senior year, and at the very least will make you even more ready for college come next year.

1. 1. Gather all your tax information from last year.


2. 2. Find out if your state has additional financial aid forms for you to fill out.


3. 3. Talk with your parents about how much they expect you to pay for college. Save every penny you can.


4. 4. Figure out which colleges on your list offer the best financial aid and see if there are others you can apply to.


5. 5. Get accurate college-cost estimates for every school on your list.

1. Difficult system – Students and parents commonly make mistakes on financial aid application forms. They insert the wrong data or don’t understand how to take advantage of certain breaks built into the system. The FAFSA alone is longer than your 1040, and that’s only the first of many forms you have to fill out. Families also miss tight deadlines, which come fast and furious between January and May. These mistakes can lead to decreased and – in some cases – no financial aid.


2. Optimism over Realism. Students are told that with a college degree they’ll land a high-paying job that will make their student loan disappear almost overnight. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen without career goals and a college strategy to back it up. Optimism gives you goals; realism lets you meet them.


3. Terms can be confusing. Not all terms are easy to understand. The financial aid process can be filled with government or college jargon.


4. Don’t understand how scholarships work. Students apply for outside scholarships that rarely improve their financial position when they’d be better off boosting their chances of getting college-provided merit-based aid.


5. Confusing financial aid offers and student loans. Financial aid offers are not clearly explained and new government efforts in this area may not help. Students fail to realize how much of their financial award is gift aid and how much is loans until it’s too late. Colleges routinely suggest student loans, calling them a “good investment” in your future. Students then take on more debt than they can pay back.

1. No college-cost estimate. It might explain your net cost before you accept a college’s financial aid offer, but it doesn’t help you know if you can afford the college before you apply. You could invest tremendous effort into impressing a college only to find you still can’t pay for it. Get accurate college cost estimates before you apply.


2. No financial aid plan. Knowing what you’re likely to pay in student loans every month isn’t the same as reducing or eliminating them. That takes careful planning. You must maximize your need-based and merit-based aid in order to reduce your dependency on student loans.


3. Standardized terms aren’t all you need to know. Even standardized terms on the shopping sheet don’t mean you won’t encounter unfamiliar terms or phrases while talking with admissions or financial aid officers. There are dozens of buzzwords used in this process that won’t appear on the shopping sheet, but you’ll still need to know them.


4. Doesn’t change gapping. The average student owes $12,000 after financial aid is awarded. The shopping sheet may clearly delineate what you owe in addition to your expected family contribution (EFC), but it doesn’t end the common practice of “gapping.” Not by a long shot. To get more aid, you might need to conduct a proper appeal.


5. Doesn’t create an appeals letter. Understanding your offer is not the same as appealing for more financial aid or building a case to defend your position. The shopping sheet merely provides a conclusion without improving your financial position.

1. Taking Advanced Placement classes


2. Getting good grades


3. Taking the SAT or ACT test

1. Borrowers now owe $1 trillion in student loans. That $6 billion they’re worried about is only 0.6% (3/5 of 1%) of $1 trillion.


2. That $6 billion is 0.5% of the total 2012 federal budget deficit.


3. The amount college students borrow every year and have to pay back would cover that $6 billion in 2.5 weeks.


4. The average student will save $1,000 if the interest rate stays at 3.4%. At 7.4 million borrowers, that’s $7.4 billion students and graduates will have to put back into the economy. The return to students will be 20% more than the return to the government.

1. Set goals. Say to yourself, “Here’s what I need to accomplish this summer,” and then set about doing it. It could be something you know is coming up in the fall, or perhaps something you’ve always wanted to do but didn’t have the time.


2. Create a time-management schedule. Managing your time this summer means having plenty of time to do what you need to get done. It cuts down on wasted moments. If you schedule your goals for a certain day, then a certain time of day, you’re more likely to do it.


3. Create a team effort or participate in group activities. It’s easy to stay on task when people are counting on you. Tour a college campus with friends, or volunteer at a local program where your participation is required. The first helps you pick a college; the second impresses them.


4. Have fun. Don’t look at college prep as pure work. Some of it might be, but much of it can be fun and all of it should improve your future. Look at the big picture. It makes it easier to get started, and once you do, it’s much more difficult to stop.

• 77% of colleges offer online courses


• 98% expect to offer online classes by 2020


• 65% of students at colleges with online courses take them


• 39% of college students wish their professors used more technology in the classroom

• Online classes or distance learning. This is the most sweeping change: classes that can be conducted any where in the world and if you have Internet connection. Students and the general public are torn over their effectiveness, but like the cost and flexibility. College presidents and the Department of Education have concluded that online courses are slightly better than traditional classes. Regardless of this disagreement, in a few years these classes will be standard. Students need to know how to learn online.


• Video tutorials. Learning on film used to a substitute teacher’s mainstay, but now educational videos are all over the web. RSC’s students benefit from 150 videos, or Knowledge Nuggets, specifically devoted to your college prep needs.


• Ebooks. Ebooks and e-textbooks have made great strides in the past few years. Students love the fact that they’re readable, interactive and searchable. RSC offers our students 7 handbooks, one for each grade level 8-12 and two on financial aid, complete with worksheets that can be completed right online.


• Searchable databases. Easy access to information is the greatest benefit to new learning tools. Instantly find the help you need with a keyword or two. RSC’s handbooks, worksheets and videos are entirely searchable so that you don’t have to spend a lot of time looking for the one piece of information you need right now.

1. Personality. Do you learn when online, and if so, when? Take a learning style test to identify how you should focus your efforts online or onsite.


2. Drive. Do you have the ability to focus on less personal classes without getting distracted while online? The internet provides plenty of distractions. Take a personality test to determine if you have the drive to take your education seriously enough to compete in the world of online education.


3. Goals. If you want a bachelor’s degree, then you need to consider studying on campus, though online options will be available to you there, too.


4. Career. Some classes, particularly in the humanities, lend themselves perfectly to online learning. Unfortunately, math and science classes dominate online classrooms, and some fields, like medicine and engineering, greatly benefit from hands-on demonstrations and learning. Conduct thorough career research before signing up for all those online classes.


5. Money. Online classes can save you money, but if you get the right financial aid offer from a top college, being on campus can not only prove cheaper, but it can greatly benefit your education.

1. SAT/ACT prep. These online tools can help you develop your math and reading comprehension skills. These are two critical skills for e-learning. Many math classes are available online and reading comprehension is more difficult from a screen than printed text. These are important skill sets to have before taking e-classes.


2. Ebooks. Our handbooks and worksheets are online, further helping you develop reading comprehension skills. We also offer links to plenty of free ebooks, including 30% of our college prep reading list.


3. Online research tools. Online research often stops at Wikipedia. Our tools will bring another dimension to your research, as will our suggestions on using more than one source, digging deep into the research well, etc. Learn to conduct proper online research regardless of the topic.


4. Advice. We present information on avoiding online distractions and disappearing into link after link of pop ups and flashy pages. Multitasking is tempting, but our program will show you why and how you should avoid it. Online learning requires a certain dedication which we can help you achieve.

• Cut costs. You 8^th graders entering high school have one advantage seniors do not: the next step in your education is free. But if you want to cut the cost of college in four years, you have to start college prep now. You can’t wait until junior or senior year to start building an impressive college resume. You need to map your classes and activities over the next four years (our Four-Year Schedule Planner and tips can help you here). Working on your college application no longer starts as an upperclassman; it starts before you even begin high school.


• Pick a career path. 8^th graders face career decisions similar to high-school seniors of yesterday. You don’t have to have your exact career picked out, but you should have some general ideas. Many careers take years of training and without the proper education, starting in high school, you could be left behind. You still have some flexibility, but you need to participate in classes and activities that help you in the future. Our personality tests and career research tools can be a big help in revealing your greatest job strengths and career interests.


• Keep college options open. The better you do in high school, the better your college options will be. This means taking the right classes (particularly Advanced Placement or Honors classes), as well as getting good grades and SAT or ACT scores. Of course, this isn’t a one-year plan; it’s a four-year program. You can’t get serious junior year and hope to land in a great school with great financial aid. 10% of high-school freshmen don’t take a math class. They’ve already limited their options.


• Keep career options open. Early college prep gives you more career choices. A study by the Gates Foundation shows that students who take college prep regardless of their future job do better. They earn more money and become supervisors and managers. Thinking about careers is no longer something you do when graduation stares you in the face. You start early so you can target your education to your goals after high school.

• Good grades. The first thing colleges look at is your grade point average. The higher your GPA, the better your school – and your financial aid – will be.


• Tough courses. It isn’t enough to get good grades, you need to get them in Advanced Placement or Honors courses, as well as select other classes that might impress an admissions officer.


• Great SAT or ACT scores. An above average test score makes admissions deans sit up and take notice. Even schools that don’t use them for admissions purposes may use them to dole out financial aid. Improve your odds by boosting your score (RSC’s SAT prep materials routinely increase scores by 150 points or more).


• Right major. Knowing what schools reward your major could lead to a bit more in the way of financial aid.


• Right activities. Colleges have slots they need to fill, whether that’s on the playing field, the stage, or the science lab. If your activity fills an opening, you could earn some well-deserved merit aid.

• Living at home. 85% of graduates return home to live with their parents, 40% of them because they can’t afford to live on their own.


• Decades of debt. Students can expect to be paying off loans for 20 years. More if they miss payments along the way.


• Spending less. Graduates with high debt spend less money on other expenses, hurting the economy.


• Parents with PLUS loans often delay retirement, creating a bottleneck in the job market. If they don’t retire, younger workers can’t replace them.

• Take advantage of changes in the system. States are shifting money to merit-based aid. This goes to students with the best GPAs and SAT scores. Boost your accomplishments as much as possible to qualify for this aid (use our SAT or ACT test prep materials for extra help).


• Take advantage of college financial aid. Going to a school where you’re in the top 25% academically will likely get you more aid. There are more than 4,000 colleges in the country. You’re probably a good fit at several of them. (Find the average GPA, SAT scores, etc., for all 4,000 of them on our website).


• Take advantage of top financial aid colleges. Some colleges traditionally offer great financial aid. Many are marquee names, but there are plenty of surprising selections beyond the exclusive Ivy League. Find out who in our Top Financial Aid Colleges handbook.

1. Savings. The government expects students to use 20% of their savings to pay for college, but the more you have in the bank, the less you’ll have to take out in student loans.


2. Gift Aid. Gift aid comes from the federal and state governments, as well as colleges and outside organizations. It can be need-based or merit-based. Typically the first three are not deducted from other financial aid the college is planning to give you, but that last one – outside aid – can be. Find colleges that put your gift aid toward your education and not someone else’s. (RSC’s college research tools can help you with this).


3. Work-Study. Sign up, even if it’s only a few hundred dollars a semester. You may have to earn it, but you don’t have to pay it back!

1. Give them direction. Students need to know what they want to do. Then they can build a college prep plan to achieve it. The best way to do this is through personality tests, job skills assessment and career research tools. Unfortunately, only 15% of high schools offer such tests, making them hard to come by. Fortunately, they are a standard part of our program.


2. Motivation. Students need to see the importance of their education. It directly relates to better pay and lower unemployment. Studies by Stanford and Harvard show that setting long-term and short-term goals keeps students motivated (ask about our Rewards Program to learn more on this).


3. SAT scores. The average SAT score of a college graduate is 122 points higher than that of a college dropout. Scoring above that average is a good likelihood that you have what it takes to graduate college. It is not the sole determinant, but can serve as a guide.


4. Right college. College dropouts often run into unforeseen problems. They give dozens of reasons for leaving school: too expensive. Too difficult. Too far from home. These explanations all boil down to attending the wrong college, one that didn’t meet their academic, social or professional expectations. Students need to research colleges thoroughly. Look at dozens of colleges to start, then narrow your list based using important criteria that’s meaningful to you. Our program lists more than 25 criteria that can shape your college choice. Find the “right college for you.”

Career planning begins in high school. Take classes related to your likely career, research what jobs will be hiring when you graduate, know what salary you can expect and what level of education you’re going to need. These steps are the beginning of a long list of what you need to do before you get to college (where that list gets longer. But it works to ensure a smooth transition from higher education to hired hand.

1. Cost of college. The first thing students want to know is how much college is going to cost them, and how much financial aid they can expect. There’s no easy answer, since tuition and financial aid totals vary widely from college to college, but certain tools can make it easier, including our Top Financial Aid Colleges book and college-cost comparison tool. This interactive tool lets you compare college costs side by side for more than 4,000 schools, and gives you a breakdown on the amount and type of aid you’ll likely receive.


2. College majors. Do the colleges you’re considering specialize in your major? There’s no point in going to a strong engineering school if you want to study liberal arts and vice versa. Just because a school offers a major doesn’t mean it’s respected in that field.


3. Average freshman scores. You should also know the average SAT or ACT scores and grade point average of incoming freshmen. This helps you categorize each college on your list into three categories: Reach, Match & Safe. It also helps you assess just how well you’ll do at each school.


4. Graduation rates. Do the colleges you’re considering help students graduate or is it the higher education version of a drop-out factory? Find out what percentage of students graduate and how the college helps them do it.


5. Job-placement rates. A school’s job-placement rate is another often overlooked factor. What percentage of students find jobs after graduation? Does the school offer career assistance, good credentials, internships and networking opportunities? Getting a degree that doesn’t lead to a job can feel like a waste of time.

1. High score wins. Colleges reward good SAT and ACT scores, as well as high marks in Advanced Placement classes. Even colleges that don’t require entrance exams often use them to determine whether you need remedial classes or qualify for additional financial aid.


2. There are shortcuts. There are no cheats, and you must do all the work required of you, but there are college prep lists, worksheets, video tutorials, college cost estimates and other tools that can make certain aspects go more quickly.


3. Develop a strategy. Plan your attack. Set your career objective and then determine which classes, major, and college can help you achieve it.


4. Know your abilities. Every character has certain strengths. So do you. Determine them through personality tests and skills assessments, then use your natural talents to get ahead.


5. Don’t give up. Keep working toward short-term and long-term goals. If you’ve developed a strategy that uses your natural abilities, you’ll be ahead of the game. Which is much better than quitting.

1. Start preparing junior year. This is the hardest one to quash. Despite the fact that colleges look at all four years of your high-school record, families often don’t start seriously thinking about college until junior year. And what’s most shocking is that they’re often told to by school officials. Yes, colleges look at your junior year most heavily, but you’re not going to have bad freshman and sophomore years and then turn it around junior year. Develop your college plan much earlier – in 8^th or 9^th grade.


2. Your guidance counselor can do everything. Your guidance counselor would love to do everything, but there are just too many obstacles. The average counselor sees twice as many students as she should, and college prep is only one part of their job. In fact, the average counselor spends only 13% of her time on college prep, dealing with all sorts of issues not related to your interests. Wake Forest University has gone so far as to say that if your guidance counselor sees more than 50 or 60 students, consider private counseling. We bet your counselor sees more than 60 students.


3. My student will win a scholarship. While this is extremely optimistic, it rarely works out. Only 6% of college students win any kind of scholarship, and most are for only a few hundred dollars. While we like to believe every little bit helps,” scholarships often don’t because many colleges subtract scholarship money from other financial aid it was going to give you. So while winning a scholarship feels great, it’s just not a great way to pay for college.


4. Any college degree is better than no degree at all. This one is partly true. You can expect to earn more, but if you go so deep into debt that you ruin your credit and abandon your plans, it may not be worth it. Remember, an affordable degree is a valuable degree.


5. You can’t prepare for the SAT. This idea is the easiest to refute. The notion that you can’t prepare for the SAT is put forward by the College Board, but you have to ask yourself, if you can’t prepare for it, why do they sell materials that help you do just that?

1. Advanced Placement classes. You miss an AP class because too many students sign up before you do. It’s full. Your guidance counselor says he’ll let you know if there are any openings, but you’re not hopeful. This isn’t bad luck; it’s a result of poor planning; of not knowing you needed that class the year before. If you had developed a class plan earlier, say in 8^th or 9^th grade as you entered high school, you would have been much more likely to get into this class. You would have known to apply early.


2. Leadership in extracurricular activities. Colleges love to see leadership in activities, clubs and organizations among their applicants. It’s a sign of people who can to contribute to campus life. But if you don’t join an organization early, you’re never going to lead it later. Leadership gives your college application a hook, but it also requires planning.


3. Low SAT or ACT scores. Your college exam scores come back lower than expected. Lower than the 1721 the average college grad gets. You’re worried, but since you didn’t put much emphasis on SAT or ACT prep, it was to be expected. You missed a chance to improve your scores through practice questions, timed practice tests, long-term and short-term strategies, critical reading, vocabulary builders and more. Fortunately, this is a missed opportunity that can be easily fixed –sign up for online SAT prep designed to improve your score,

1. Distractions. You can probably name a dozen ways forkids to get out of college prep: video games, TV, Facebook, texting, etc., etc. Counter this by having them set up a time-management schedule and making sure they stick to it. Many of our students find they actually have more time for things they love because they’ve schedule them. They get their school and prep work out of the way without constant “reminders,” cutting out stress and letting them enjoy their free time without interruption.


2. Motivation. Ending distractions isn’t the same as getting your student motivated. Rewards work – if they’re specific and systematic: do this, get that. Fortunately, it doesn’t just have to be money. Students can be motivated by many things.


3. Direction. Even students eager to start college prep often lack direction. If their education has a purpose – like a specific career, college, major, test score, etc – they’ll do better. People who know what they’re working toward keep working.


4. Fear. Students often worry about trying new things. They’re afraid of the unknown; it won’t be cool, no one else will do it, etc. That often changes once they start. The best way to overcome fear is to act. To get involved. They may even find that their friends, who could be falling behind in their college pursuits, will join them. Not acting early lets opportunities slip by, increasing their college fears.


5. Objections. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, students just “don’t want to do it,” usually because it’s “boring,” or “isn’t helping them.” In that case, students should discover the ways they learn. They need to find ways learning can be exciting – modern, relevant, and personalized. When a student is engaged in their education, their objections disappear.

1. Better scores. Taking the SAT a second time can raise your score 50 points, but SAT prep can likely raise your score 150 points or more.


2. Better PSAT scores. SAT prep should help you prepare for the PSAT, too. Since this test comes early in your junior year (and at some schools, even sophomore year), you can’t study for the SAT three months out and be ready for the PSAT. Despite the old joke, the P in PSAT doesn’t stand for practice. There are real advantages to doing well on this test, including…


3. Potential scholarships. Taking the PSAT in the fall of your junior year (but only in your junior year) can put you in the running for the National Merit Scholarship Award. Unlike other scholarships, you don’t have to hunt this one down and apply; all you have to do is get a good score on the PSAT.


4. Better colleges. Starting test prep early leads to better test scores, and better test scores lead to better colleges, which lead to…


5. Better financial aid. Top colleges offer the best financial aid, which is a big bonus when you’re battling sky-high college costs. Of course, you generally need good SAT or ACT scores to land at the best colleges.


6. Not buckling under the pressure of standardized tests. As states shift to standardized tests (Michigan has made the ACT a graduation requirement) to measure everything from student improvement to teacher effectiveness, you’ll know what to do. You won’t panic under the weight of important year-end tests. By preparing for the college entrance exams early, you’ll be ready for your state’s standardized test when you need to be.

1. Colleges look at all four years of high school. Taking the right classes to get into great colleges begins in 9^th grade, which means picking them in 8^th grade. The classes you choose should enhance your college and career options. Create a plan before you start.


2. Become a leader. Colleges like to see community involvement at any age, but they like it best when you become a leader. That means joining an organization or club as early as you can. College prep helps you seamlessly incorporate such activities into your future plans.


3. Career exploration gives you options. Students need relevant information when it comes to choosing careers – what various jobs entail, what classes they needed, job-growth projections, salary, and much more. A good college prep program includes that in its basic services to make your planning easier.


4. Manage your time and get more done. The earlier you learn to manage your time, the better off you’ll be. Learning time-management skills in 8^th or 9^th grade makes them second nature by the time you’re an upperclassmen. And then they really pay off in college when you’re trying to balance difficult classes, immense homework, part-time employment and social responsibilities while living on your own.


5. Improve SAT, ACT and PSAT scores. Taking SAT or ACT prep early naturally boosts your scores on those exams, but it can also improve your PSAT score and lead to better scholarships and financial aid, which can greatly improve your college experience. It’s easier to graduate college when you’re not struggling to pay for it.

1. Examine jobs ahead of time. Long before you declare your college major – that is, while still in 8^th or 9^th grade – examine a career’s job growth, salary expectations and educational requirements. Find a major that will be in demand when you graduate college.


2. Don’t overdo loans. That’sgood advice for any major, but liberal arts grads tend to make less than scientists and engineers. Don’t take out more in loans than you can possibly repay. Get help with grant money and gift aid if you need it.


3. Specialize. Find an area you’re passionate about and then concentrate on it. You’ll have both the broad appeal of a liberal arts degree and an angle with which to market yourself. If you’re a journalism major interested in West African affairs, take history or political science classes in that area, too. Or combine political science and a foreign language, marketing and video communication, English lit and business classes, etc.


4. Consider grad school. A master’s degree generally makes you more marketable, particularly if you’re competing in a field filled with bachelor’s degree recipients. But again, don’t overdo the student loans.


5. Be flexible. You may not get the exact job you want, but your classes should prepare you to handle a variety of opportunities. Consider it an entry-level position as you target your chosen job. Better to be working in a field related to your major than not working at all.

1. Manage your time. The ACT test gives you 30 seconds per question, so you don’t have a lot of time to dawdle. Read directions and questions carefully so that you don’t have to read them a second time. Also outline your essay before you start writing. Those few minutes keep you organized and productive and not stumbling over what to say next. And even though you’re under pressure to answer as many questions as possible in the time allowed, don’t keep looking at the clock every two minutes. That takes away valuable time. Bring a watch. You can glance at it every now and then if you need to.


2. Easy does it. The ACT is arranged so that the easy questions come first.Get through those quickly so that you’ll have more time to spend on the tough questions later.If you run into a tough question, you can always come back to it so that you don’t lose additional time. You may be able to answer two or three easier questions in the time it takes to finish that one. Circle the difficult question and return to it later. Just remember to fill in the oval since the ACT doesn’t punish you for wrong answers, making an educated guess better than no guess at all.


3. Keep your sheet clean. Don’t doodle or draw on your answer sheet. It’s read electronically and an errant mark can ruin your score. The same goes for eraser crumbs or blotches. Erase any answer you change completely. A smudge just might cost you a point.


4. Bring a calculator. ACT says the math problems don’t require a calculator, but the rules allow you to bring one. Even they know the problems are challenging enough that you’ll likely need one. Check the ACT website for approved calculators.


5. Practice, practice, practice. This may be the most important tip of all – stay mentally sharp before the test. Start taking timed-practice tests at least six weeks before your test date, though preferably 2-3 months earlier. Go with a proven program that can boost your score several points. The average college graduate has an ACT score of 25, so that’s your minimum target.

Certain differences between the best-known college admissions tests can work to your advantage. Since most colleges now accept both tests, consider which one works best for you.

1. Key word search.  A study by Princeton University found that students who read online texts or ebooks tended to read them like the Web – by skimming the page and looking for keywords that seem important. Students who read printed text read the entire page and, not surprisingly, did better when tested on the material.


2. Decreased memory. Easy access to information tells your brain it's not as important to memorize it. Students who go through the laborious task of researching information show better retention, if only so they don’t have to go through it again.


3. Too many distractions. High tech learning – even in the case of ebooks – often comes with all sorts of bells and whistles that distract from learning: pop-ups, links, videos, etc. While traditional textbooks might have the occasional sidebar and references for additional research, they don’t serve as immediate distractions that take you away from your studying.

1. Immediate access. Students can get information quickly, even on their phones. This means you can look it up while it’s still fresh in your minds and not forgetting when you get home.


2. Interactive. Information is often presented in a way that’s engaging and fun and encourages further learning.


3. Immense information available. Immense amounts of information can be found in one place rather than spread out over several textbooks (where the cost of bookmaking often limits the data presented).

1. Cost. Cost can range from free to a few thousand dollars. Free usually offers limited service, and even those that cost a $1000 or more typically specialize in one or two areas. A company that understands how to bundle its service while focusing on a wide variety of topics can make them cost-effective for users. By offering more for less, it shows that they’re concerned with your costs and knows how to offer more for less. If their goal is to make college affordable for you, shouldn’t they make college prep affordable, too?


2. Convenience. How much time does college prep require? How easy is it to access products and services? Do you have to go a certain location or classroom, or can you do it from the comfort of your home (coffee shop, library, etc.)? Products should be quick and easy to use, on your time, whenever you want. It’s true – Time is money. Make sure a college prep service lets you use yours wisely.


3. Products. How much do they offer? You saw in point number one that many services specialize. It keeps their price down, but doesn’t offer you much in return. Do they cover all the basics of college prep – SATs/ACTs, financial aid, college selection, applications, essays, career focus, etc.? The more options you have, the more likely you are to stay engaged and participate in college prep. Good products motivate you to use them.


4. Results. The best way to judge the return on your investment is through results. Can they show you how they’ve helped other students, or better yet, how can they help you? Unfortunately, college prep isn’t like a sandwich – you don’t know five minutes later whether you liked it – but there are clues. How extensive is their reach (nationwide, regional, local)? If a college prep service has proven itself to many others, it can prove itself to you, too. And that makes the investment worth it.

1. Change poor grades and test scores. When a poor grade shows up, whether on a test, assignment, or report card, address it without getting angry. Ask your student how they plan to fix it, then give their plan a try. If it doesn’t work, try a different plan, even if that means getting the teacher involved.


2. Talk financial planning. How are you going to pay for college? This topic should worry your student as much as you. Let your student know his or her options, and how much you plan to contribute toward their higher education.


3. Overcome college differences. Find compromises on college choices, career options, college major or any other differences that pop up. Discover why your student feels the way he or she does. If you understand what they’re looking for in college and career, some of your differences might melt away.


4. Talk about life on campus. Let your student know that life on campus isn’t a weeklong party or a reason to stay a complete shut-in – it’s a chance to experience the world in a new way while taking on more responsibility. Tell them what’s expected of them and how they can achieve it.


5. Reward your student’s commitment to education. Studies from Harvard and Stanford indicate that students respond better to rewards than punishment, so find a way to reward your student for their deep interest in higher education. Students always want something. Providing it to them for a job well done might be one way to make sure they reach their goals.

1. 
   
   Reply in writing the same way they contacted you – either letter or email. Let them know that you’re happy to be admitted and will let them know your decision soon.
   
   


2. 
   
   Review every financial aid offer and send deposits to the school of your choice.
   
   


3. 
   
   Withdraw all other applications from colleges you won’t be attending.
   
   


4. 
   
   Respond to all other requests from your chosen college regarding room-and-board contracts, medical forms, fees, course registration, admissions testing, orientation, etc.
   
   

1. Reflect. Experiences with rejection can be painful. It’s okay to be upset, but you need to accept the situation.


2. Don’t blame others.


3. Analyze the situation. What part of your record or application could have been the problem?


4. Take action by making plans to attend another college.


5. Examine your choices. Are you still happy with your less-competitive options?


6. Visit your guidance counselor to see if you still have options at other colleges, particularly if all your original choices rejected you. They typically have lists of colleges with slots available in late spring, or they could steer you to a nearby open admissions college

1. A different major. A college accepts you, but only if you choose a different major. They think your background or abilities don’t support your choice.


2. A different calendar. The college accepts you, but only if you start off-cycle, like January or during the summer.


3. Better grades. A college accepts you, but only if your grades improve. This is particularly true if you have a low grade in a subject related to your likely major.


4. Additional classes. A college accepts you, but only if you take extra classes in your likely major or an area where you need remedial help. This can sometimes be done over the summer at a community college.


5. Wait-listed. This is the best known provisional letter, and the most dreaded You’re not rejected, but you’re not admitted either. While the other suggestions in this section are worth considering, you should know that few students are taken off the wait-list. You’re better off exploring other colleges, even if the wait-list school is your first choice.