Spring into Action: Timeline for College Admissions
The secret to success is staring early. Spring is the time to spring into action.
Enrolling Students Now for the 2019-2020 Academic Year
So, you are a parent of a sophomore or junior, or even a freshman who will soon be rounding the corner to the next grade.
Somewhere in the back of your mind, you know you need to get on the right path to college — you know there are things you need to do — but you\’re just not sure what that path is or where to begin.
The Time to Begin the College Process is Now
Often parents come to me confused. They have a sense extracurricular activities are important, but how do you gauge which ones will count? And what about summer activities? Is it too late to apply for summer programs? What should you do about that?
When I meet with a family for the first time, I lay out all the important steps along the way. I take a good look at where the student is at the moment — grades, course selection, extracurricular activities, test scores — and figure out where to go from here.
Without a Timeline and a Road Map, You Will Be Lost
Here is a guide of What to Do When in the College Process:
At New Vision Learning, we help students every step of the way. And we keep the timeline in the front of our minds so that students and parents know exactly what to do when. Here is a list of the services we provide:
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Course selection
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Transcript review
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Homework & Time Management
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Review of extracurricular activities
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Summer and Enrichment opportunities, Internships
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Athletic Recruitment Preparation Packages (where applicable)
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Preliminary College List in View of Academic Goals and Interests
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Timeline and Registration for Tests
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SAT/ACT Diagnostic Assessment including, where necessary
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Accommodations
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SAT/ACT and SAT Subject Test Preparation
Seniors and Rising Seniors
This is where the pedal meets the metal, as they say! Good preparation involves starting early, but there is still much to do in senior year. And the summer before senior year is key. Come fall, the deadlines for college applications are looming. Here is a list of the services we provide our seniors and rising seniors.
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Timetable
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Finalizing the college list
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Review of Admission Requirements and Deadlines for UC’s and all other college and universities
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Review of Transcripts
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Continued Preparation for SAT/ACT
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Recommendations, Who and How to Ask for Them
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Early Decision? Early Action? How do you Decide?
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College Essay Consolidation
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Topic Brainstorming
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Helping Students Write Winning Essays
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Preparing for Interviews
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Difficult Choices? We can help you make the right one for you.
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Waitlisted? Now what? Follow up.
Let\’s face it, the college application process has gotten very complicated.
Even a simple decision such as whether to take the SAT\’s or ACT\’s is very important. Stay tuned for an information-filled post on this very subject.
But how do you know which test to take?
The SAT\’s at least have a precursor — the PSATs! These \”practice\” SAT\’s will give you an idea of how you might score on the real test.
But what about the ACT\’s? Most schools don\’t give practice ACT\’s and yet for about 40% of my students, the ACT is the test of choice.
What\’s a parent to do?
Right now at New Vision Learning, we are completing mock interviews, and believe it or not, starting work on the College Essays! For a sample of some of the best college essays out there, you can click here.
February is the time to get revved up for spring break interviews (if you\’re lucky enough to be able to schedule them when you visit schools during spring break).
March is the time to begin college essays.
Most of my students apply to many schools with Early Action Deadlines. These deadlines can be as early as October 15. October 15 may seem like a long way away, but remember, there are finals up ahead and essays cannot be written in one day.
In fact, the best essays — like a good wine — take a lot of marinating to come to full fruition.
So don\’t fall behind. I would be happy to help you figure out where you are now and what you need to do to get on the right path.
Spring ahead and start now on the path to your dreams!
