A Guide for Student Athletes Considering College Sports

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...

Continue Reading...

How Do You Help Your Child Plan For Their Happiness?

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...

Continue Reading...

The Portfolio Model: A Successor to the Current College Application Process

 
 
 
Often parents and students are overwhelmed with the anxiety that surrounds the college admission process. While we work with students to manage this process and make it stress free, my goal is always to help each student grow into who they want to become.
 
I emphasize the right fit over the school's name. I encourage students to discover their passion and not follow the well-meaning but often limited suggestions from teachers and parents, "you are good at math, become an engineer" "you are so smart, you should become a doctor" and similar comments that are solely based on skills but not desire, passion, or interest.  
 
I do not want students to miss out on the opportunity to find a career path that will fulfill them, consistently inspire them to succeed, and that they will enjoy. With recent reports showing that 62% of kids experience depression in college due to feeling unsure of their path, I think the following article is timely in so...
Continue Reading...

How to Handle Your Deferral from a University That is One of Your Top 2 Choices

Being deferred means you have met all of the school’s requirements. They liked your application. They did not have a reason to say no.

Unfortunately, schools only have a limited number of spaces available in their early application pool. Based on conversations with many Admission Directors this fall, I learned that more than 50% of most schools' applicants exceed their student profile. But they still could not accept all of the equally qualified candidates— and some got moved to the deferred pool. These candidates are not denied— they will simply  be reviewed again with the regular decision applicants.

However, as an early applicant you still have an edge: you were proactive.

Keep in mind that while you may meet all of their qualifications, schools are looking for students who look like their student body, who add to the class they are assembling. This is no easy task. They are trying to ensure that when they select an applicant, the student is likely...

Continue Reading...

How To Help Your Child Choose The Right Career Path

One of the goals of high school is to prepare students for the “next level” of education, but the reality is that the "next level" is different for everyone. Not all careers begin with a 4-year degree. Some require a post-graduate degree (which means more than 4 years!), or maybe a 2-year degree, technical or trade school, apprenticeships, or none of the above! The question becomes, how do you decide what kind of school or training you should pursue?

You work backwards!

So many students assume that the next step for them is applying to college at a 4-year school, when they should really be thinking about what they ultimately want to do with their lives. By choosing a career end goal, a student can piece out what steps they need to take in between where they are now and where they want to be.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Your child has been asked this question since they could talk. And while their answers may have changed from the princess, dinosaur,...

Continue Reading...

Questions: Cancellations, College, COVID, & You

Questions: Cancellations, College, COVID, & You 

On New Years' Day, I don't think that any of us expected to be where we are. I don't think that any of us expected to become mask-wearing, social distancing experts. I don't think parents expected to become homeschooling experts. I don't think our students expected to miss out on so many high school memories. But here we are, with more questions than answers and a lot of uncertainty in front of us.

Luckily, you have me. 

In this issue, we are going to discuss what you should focus on as your child approaches their senior year and how you can ensure that your child has every possible opportunity moving forward while keeping in mind the goal of reducing their future cost of college. My goal is to inform parents so that they can feel a sense of control around the critical decisions that will affect both them and their child for the next several years.

First thing's first: We need to have a plan

You and your child...
Continue Reading...

How to Choose the Right College For You

EVERY CHILD IS UNIQUE. IF WE’RE ABLE TO HELP THEM FIND THE RIGHT SCHOOL FOR THEM, THEN WE ARE CONFIDENT THEY WILL SUCCEED. THIS ARTICLE TALKS ABOUT FINDING A COLLEGE THAT IS THE RIGHT FIT.

College Recruiting Specialists has partnered with Virteom to engage future college students, trade students, parents, and anybody looking to learn more about getting into the college or university of their dreams. In this video, Jacqui and Kelly talk about finding the right college that is a good fit. 

We help guide parents and students down the road to college. It’s often a longer road than people think and pre-planning is essential. For us, it all comes down to helping them really find the right college for them. Every child is unique if we’re able to help them find the right school for them, then we are confident they will succeed.

THE COLLEGE BECOMES THE STUDENT’S HOME

A college has to be their home for the next 4 years. Success in...

Continue Reading...
Close

50% Complete

Two Step

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.