HOW DO PARENTS HELP THEIR KID DURING RECRUITING AND THE PATH TO COLLEGE SPORTS?

There are many misconceptions about what it takes to get to being a college athlete. Often, people feel like their kid is a great athlete who is setting records, mentioned in the weekly newspaper, and yet, they're not being recruited. This, unfortunately, is very common as we hear this from parents and players quite frequently. We have to look at it from the coach's perspective.

LOOKING AT THE RECRUITING PROCESS FROM THE COACH’S PERSPECTIVE

Coaches are looking for someone who's going to be a good fit not only for their team, but for the school.

Coach’s recruiting budgets outside of the Big Ten and SEC are relatively small. Their budgets cover things like traveling to see athletes play, including the cost of gas, the cost of the ticket to get into the venue, an overnight stay in a hotel, sometimes even airfare. Before a coach randomly attends a game in hopes of finding a student athlete that...

“The problem is our kids— like some of us— end up making career choices to impress other people for a fleeting, and false, feeling of validation. In the process, we lose sight of what makes us truly happy and successful.” 

One of the most frustrating questions for high school juniors and seniors is, “what do you want to do when you grow up?” Determining a career path is a difficult process that is often left up to unreliable means such as chance, relying on what one is good at as a teenager, or a direction suggested or imposed on them by someone else. But how many adults have used this method and are still saying at age 35 or 40, “I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do!” 

Is relying on one of four core subjects in school really the best method to determine a career path that will influence the next 40+ years of their life?  

Changes In The Workforce

The workforce has changed substantially, but our...

What ACT Test Should I Take?

December is the most wonderful time of the year for so many reasons: Christmas, winter break, snowball fights, and more.  December also marks the last ACT test of the year, and the best test for high school Juniors to take. 

Why You Need the Test Information Release (TIR)

The Test Information Release (TIR) is a digital copy of the multiple-choice test questions, your answers, a copy of your answer document, the answer key, and the conversion table used in determining your ACT scores. TIRs are only offered during the December, April, and June test dates, and is something that you opt into during the ACT registration process. 

Having the TIR allows a student to see what questions tripped them up and where to focus their efforts when studying. We believe in working smarter, not harder!

Meet Michael

Michael was one of our students who did well on every section— in the mid 30's— except English. He was certain that it...

Let's talk about the FAFSA— or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The most important thing to remember is that the FAFSA for the 2023-2024 school year opens on October 1, 2022, which means that by the time you’re seeing this it should be up and running (and keep that date in mind— it opens on October 1st every year). 

You will be using your 2021 tax return to complete the 2023-2024 FAFSA— and make sure that you have your spouse’s returns handy too, as well as your child’s if they had a job in the last year. 

What does the FAFSA do?

The FAFSA will determine your need for financial aid based on your previous years’ tax returns. 

The need based barrier is much higher than families expect. Last year, a family of four with a total family income of around $60,000 only received $448 for need based money. In addition to that, their child did qualify for the $5,500 in student loans, and $3,500 of it was subsidized, meaning...

College application season is upon us! The fact is that the more selective the school, the more likely you are to meet all of the requirements and STILL be denied. So you may be wondering: how can I set myself apart from everyone else? 

I have interviewed dozens of college admissions reps from schools all over, and their recommendations allow us to better help YOUR child gain admission to their first choice school.

Essays make a difference!

To provide the best opportunities, we encourage students to send their essay to ALL schools— even those that do not require an essay. 

Providing an essay shows that you are willing to do extra work and adds insight to who you are as a person. 

However, there are definitely some things that you should NOT write about— including your sports career, or your involvement in a volunteer activity that is already listed in the activities section of the CommonApp.

 Why no sports essay?

The goal of an essay is...

Many parents forget that once their child hits 18, they no longer have legal rights to make decisions for their young adult children. This can become a major issue when it comes to medical emergencies or financial decisions. Our partner, Mama Bear Legal Forms, can shed some light on why getting your legal documents in order before the worst happens is so important!

Summer is an exciting time. For families, it’s time to take that trip they’ve been planning. For new college students, it’s a time of transition and preparation.

For parents, the summer months mean helping their students get ready for the next stage of their lives. For many, that includes living away from the home and city they were raised in for the first time.

As you take care of all the things, big and small, getting your child ready for school, don’t overlook a set of important legal documents that every parent should have in place for their young adult student – a young adult...

How to Register for the ACT 

With the increase in security measures placed on the registration process, it is important to remember that these steps are being taken to make the test more secure and equitable for the students taking the test. However, this added security comes with a few more steps, and a few more challenges.

The attached sheet has the 2022-2023 test schedule and can also be found here. It correlates with the school year. 

REGISTER 

• Go to ACT.org
• Select Register for the ACT 
• Then Create Account if it is your first time testing

To begin the process, you must set up an account for your child. Be sure to use a PERSONAL EMAIL. Your child’s high school assigned email address will deactivate after graduation. If you need to send scores after that for any reason, you may not be able to retrieve a verification code or other important information sent to the email on file. 

Use your child’s given name and that accurately matches...

I remember Mary walking into my office. She appeared calm and relaxed, while her son, Michael, was visibly stressed. Mary shared her goals for her son with many specific details: top three colleges to which he should apply, the major he should study, the type of career he should plan for, and the list of pressing items to be handled so everything else could fall into place. I understood her desire to ensure her son had all of the opportunities he deserved or wanted. I appreciated that she had researched schools and the college application process. But, I also felt concerned for Michael’s immediate future.

Throughout the conversation with his mother, I noticed him slump further and further in the chair, the web of his hand cradling his forehead as he gazed into his lap. I see this often, as parents wanting the best and imagining their children living a better life than they did, become the directors while children are merely actors. 

We often wish our kids showed more...

Covid has had a really big impact on our children, especially when it comes to volunteer opportunities and applying to college. 

In the past, students were able to sign up for volunteer opportunities and resume builders with very few barriers. We now see many students who don’t know what to put on their resume for volunteer work or extracurricular activities. They never had a chance with social distancing and everything being closed over the last few years due to Covid. 

Across the board, we have heard that colleges are looking for students who will participate and add to their community. Volunteer work is crucial when applying to colleges because it shows them that you have already taken the initiative to get involved. 

So what can your child do now to fill that volunteer gap on their resume?

Here are some of the strategies we use with our students that have a big impact, in less time. 

Senior Centers / Nursing Homes/ Assisted Living...