Can I afford to send him to the school of his dreams?

It’s critical to have an open discussion with your student about the family financial picture that includes a clear explanation of what you are willing and

able to pay toward his education.

Often, our kids seem to believe in the proverbial money tree in the backyard. As adults, we know this is an unrealistic view. It’s also important to explain that parental assets have to go much further than the education of one child.

Take a holistic approach to financial planning. This means that your retirement is just as important as the college educations of your children. No one child, regardless of accomplishments, should take precedence over the future
well-being of either his parents or the other children in the family.

Once your student understands what your limits are, he can then begin to mentally plan for the possibility that he may not be able to attend his dream school, and approach the college planning process more realistically. He can
still apply to the dream college, but it does leave the door open to other, more financially viable options.

Affordable Fit

In my practice, I find that when families follow these suggestions, their students tend to be much more open to colleges that are both affordable and a good fit. It can also encourage students to be more proactive in looking for scholarship

money, or make them work a little bit harder to try to attain the grades that make a more prestigious college possible.

Being realistic can also take some of the pressure off the student to go trophy hunting, rather than finding colleges that provide a good match and fit for him.

What exactly are match and fit?

Match refers to your student’s numbers and how they compare to the middle 50 percent of accepted students at the college you’re considering. If your student’s unweighted GPA and test scores fall in that range, then the college is a potential match for your student.
A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0

Subject                                              9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade
English                                               B = 3.0      A- = 3.7        B+ = 3.3
Math                                                   A = 4.0     C+ = 2.3        B- = 2.7
Science                                               A = 4.0     B+ = 3.3        A- = 3.7
Social Studies                                    B+ = 3.3   A- = 3.7          A = 4.0
Foreign Language                              C+ = 2.3    D = 1.0
TOTAL                                                      16.6         14.0            13.7

Add up the results and divide by the number of courses.

44.3 ÷ 14 = 3.16 GPA (unweighted).

 Most colleges will recalculate the high school GPA to a basic unweighted 4.0 scale based only on the core subjects. To do that, you pull out the grades for English, Math, Science, Social Studies and Foreign Language,

Looking at your student’s grades from the viewpoints of the admission office can guide you in your class choices. And be sure to avoid declining GPA’s – colleges look unfavorably at downward grade trends. It’s important that your student’s grades remain above a B in all subjects if at all possible.

Fit on the other hand, refers to the social and academic aspects of the college.
• Does he feel comfortable on campus?
• Are there students there with whom he can connect?
• Does the school offer the academic environment and extracurricular options that he is looking for?

College Fairs- Helpful Hints to Help Your Child Stand Out

This spring, your college-bound students may be attending a number of College Fairs.  This can be a wonderful opportunity to get acquainted with different colleges, many of whom may not be familiar to your high school child.  Unfortunately, students are often not given the tools to properly navigate these events, and may miss out on a valuable opportunity to make an impression on an admissions representative.

I was recently involved in a College Fair, and was surprised at what I saw and heard.  Help your child prepare, so he or she maximizes the college fair experience.  Below are some valuable tips:

1. Plan Ahead: Your child should go to a college fair with some idea of what kind of college would be a good fit for him/her.  Look carefully at the list of colleges who will be present at the fair.  Narrow down the list and prioritize the college booths that your child will visit and make his/her interest in that college known.

Use this opportunity to have at least a preliminary discussion about size, location, campus environment and other factors which are important in the decision.  Have your child do some Internet research on the colleges present at the fair and use this information to round out the list.  The effort you make researching prior to the college fair will show off when speaking with the admissions representative.  Make the best impression possible!

2. Dress Appropriately: This is your child’s chance to make an impression on the admissions representative taking part in the fair. Think about how you would recommend that your child dress for a college visit to his/her first choice school. That is exactly how he/she should dress for the college fair.  Dress to impress!

3. Speak Intelligently: If your child has done the research on the schools to be visited at the fair, use that information to impress the representative.  Ask intelligent questions about the school, its environment and students.

4. Take Notes: Your child will be speaking to many different college representatives, which can be overwhelming.  All the colleges will blend together by the end of the night.  Encourage your child to take notes after each booth.  Having notes to review later will prove to be very helpful.

5. Don’t Travel in a Pack: Assure your student that this is his/her chance to shine and to gather information. This is done much more effectively if your child is alone with the representative, rather than approaching with an entourage. It is particularly not a good idea for your child to approach a college booth with his/her significant other draped all over him/her.

6. Gum: Get rid of the gum! A person looks more adult and is more easily understood without a mouthful of gum.

7. Go as a family: Most college fairs offer evening hours, which gives you the opportunity to attend the fair with your child. This will impress on your student that, although the choice and process belongs to him/her, you will be there to act as a coach and cheerleader. Encourage your child to ask questions and be sure that you don’t undermine his/her confidence in front of the admissions reps.

College Fairs can be very informative venues. Don’t only focus on the colleges whose names you know. There may be some hidden gems in attendance that would provide your child with just the right fit.

Try to put aside notions such as ‘party school’ and to ignore the person you know who attended a particular college and was not happy. Remember that any school is a party school if that is what your child is looking for.  Your child is unique and what did not suit someone else may be perfect for him/her.