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College EducationGUIDE
MESSENGER POST MEDIA2015
THIS SPECIAL SECTION IS SPONSORED BY NEXTSTEPU CHARIOT LEARNING
and QUANTUM PREP
Preparation is the key to getting into college
Families face new challenges preparing for college in todays
ever-changing educational landscape.
Getting your son or daughter ready for college can be stressful.
The process is more complicated than it was when you may have been
preparing yourself for college. Here are just a few of the key
items you should be concentrating on right now as your family
prepares to apply to colleges later this year.
Assess Strengths Early OnCareer and major exploration may be the
most important part of the college planning process. If your family
hasnt set the goal for the end result of a college experience, then
how can you be sure that you are taking the right first steps?
With that in mind, your son or daughter should consider taking a
career or majors assessment test. For many students, a quick
assessment test can help with decisions that affect major choices.
For example, you know your son wants to pursue a STEM career but
hes considering everything from engineering to a career as a math
teacher. An assessment test can narrow his options down
considerably by focusing on what career allows for the best chance
at success for your son.
TIP: Applying to the correct department within the best fit
college from the beginning saves money on costly transfers not only
from one college to another, but also between departments in the
same college. Your family will also save money when your son or
daughter graduates on time!
Do Your Homework Your daughter loves the brochure with the lush
lawns and smiling students. That college happens to also have the
major she is considering shes in love. You want to give your little
girl her every wish and immediately start the process for the
application.
Slow down! Campus visits, conversations with admissions reps,
meeting a professor in department, even taking advantage of an
overnight experience with current students these are all available
to prospective students families for good reason.
Your family really does need to find a weekend or two to
participate in these activities for most of the schools on your
list.
There is no substitute for an in-person experience with a
college campus. Virtual tours, campus
videos, rankings and articles these are all great for narrowing
down your list of schools to apply to, but they should never be the
reason why you commit to attend any college.
TIP: You will know if this college is right for your son or
daughter by watching their reaction to the campus and faculty in
person. Encourage visits to every college you think you would say
yes to.
Find an Advocate Your daughter may be looking at career you have
little to no knowledge about.
Instead of nodding blankly every time she talks about her future
career, help her find a mentor. An internship or shadowing
experience will do wonders to help her make decisions about what
she wants to do after high school. Youll be setting her up for
success in a field she is already passionate about.
As the parent, you also need a mentor. You do not need to
prepare for college alone.
There are opportunities available at almost every stage of the
experience. Speak with experts or other families who have been
there. Become a sponge! Attend workshops and community events where
you can meet college planning and financial aid experts and ask
questions.
TIP: Find mentors for yourself and your child as you plan for
college. While Google is a great tool, getting expert help from
people who want to advocate for you is the best option.
NextStepU College Planning Center is a full-service college
planning facility in Victor that works nationwide to help families
make educated decisions about finding and affording the best
college. Visit NextStepUCenters.com for a current listing of free
workshops or to work one-on-one with a NextStepU College Coach.
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO MESSENGER POST MEDIA FOR THE WEEK OF
APRIL 26, 2015
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ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO MESSENGER POST MEDIA FOR THE WEEK OF
APRIL 26, 2015 PAGE 2
The rumors are true: the SAT is undergoing a significant change
in both style and content. In fact, the high school graduating
class of 2017 will be the first to contend with the new-format PSAT
in October 2015 and SAT in March 2016. If your teen is a sophomore
this year, do you want him or her to be among the first to sit for
the new test?
Probably not.The College Board describes the new SAT as a better
assessment of college and career readiness as well as an alignment
with both the Common Core and what the best educators are doing in
classrooms. But the timing of this major overhaul comes as no
surprise; last year marked the first time more college-bound
seniors took the ACT than the SAT. Considering how many ACT
features appear on this new SAT, the revision seems motivated by
more than academic concerns.
Early indications suggest that the new SAT will be more
challenging in many ways than the current SAT or ACT, which may be
sufficient reason to avoid it. Of even greater concern are the
entirely new question types and content. The great strength of the
College Board
Planning for the new SAT
has historically been the design and delivery of statistically
valid college admissions assessments. Until this exam has been
sufficiently normed and tested, colleges will be hesitant to use
its scores for admissions purposes.
And isnt college admissions what these tests are all about? The
reason any student sits for the SAT or ACT is to earn a score that
facilitates entry to that dream school, hopefully with a big
scholarship. Based on past history, most colleges are likely to
wait for the College Board to work out the bugs in the new test
before depending on its data. Many schools may want new SAT scores
for evaluative purposes, but admissions decisions are likely to be
based on scores from the ACT or current SAT.
Ive long been a proponent of early preparation. One of the best
times for students, especially those targeting competitive
colleges, to prepare for the SAT and ACT is during the summer
before 11th grade. Every year, we see students earn their target
scores by December of junior yearsometimes even before their
PSATswhich frees them to focus more effectively on high stakes
spring tests like finals, APs, and Regents.
A proactive approach to planning and preparing for the SAT and
ACT has never been more important than now. Some students may
naturally find this new Common Core SAT a better fit for their
particular strengths, but most will benefit from focusing on the
tests we all currently know and, if not love, at least respect. Put
your teen in position to take the SAT and ACT early in junior year.
The best plan for the new SAT may simply be to avoid it.
Mike Bergin is the president and founder of Chariot Learning,
Rochesters leader in individualized SAT & ACT instruction,
academic coaching, and subject tutoring. Since 2009, weve been
helping high school students succeed in school, tests, and life.
Find us at http://chariotlearning.com or call 585-466-4022.Mike
Bergin
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ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO MESSENGER POST MEDIA FOR THE WEEK OF
APRIL 26, 2015 PAGE 3
Math is pervasive we can use it for mundane (but very important)
tasks such as budgeting and saving, cooking for recipe proportions,
managing our time, our investments and the list goes on and on.
Math is in us and around us. For example, geometry is about
learning all the shapes around us. Math is the foundation to many
other subjects including science and statistics. Studies show
students excel in other subjects when they are strong math
students.
A parent once shared that her first experience with math started
when she had to make an abacus in school. She used glue and colored
beads to make something that was a very fun art project but she
also learned that it was the basis of something that we use every
single day the current-day calculator. Given that she had Indian
parents, using a calculator was not acceptable at home. As a
result, she always did mental math, such as multiplication tables
on the way to school, addition when she played chutes and ladders,
and subtraction while counting cards.
This parents four-year-old child began to learn math while
learning to play the piano by counting in threes and fours to get
the beat right. Research has shown many correlations between math
and music. Those who take piano lessons show better reasoning and
problem solving skills. Research has also shown that many musicians
love mathematics and mathematicians love music. There is a strong
link between the creative and the critical thinking parts of the
brain.
For those interested in math outside of their personal lives,
there are many rewarding career opportunities available. Studies
show
that the highest-earning college degrees have one element in
common: math. Many college majors and professions, such as
business, marketing, sales, engineering, medicine, physics,
nursing, computer science, and actuarial science require courses in
math.
Jobs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) are
expected to nearly double by 2018 compared to other fields. They
are also one of the highest paid. According to U.S. News and World
Report, an estimated 1.2 million STEM jobs will go unfilled because
the workforce will not have the skills to fill them. The solution
is that we must engage more students in math and science early on
using exciting and practical applications of these subjects and
prepare them for the global economy.
With the above in mind, getting students excited about math
through a variety of instructional techniques should be a priority
for everyone moving forward.
Quantum Prep helps students develop the fundamental skills
necessary to be great atmath. We use a unique combination of
mental, visual, tactile, text, and written instructional techniques
to engage students and help them build a strong foundation.
Quantums Academic and Learning Style Evaluations determine each
students strengths, needs and learning styles. Based on those
evaluations, instructors work with each student individually and at
their own pace to master each skill level.
Curriculum is available in the following subjects: Pre-Algebra,
Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus and Calculus. To
enroll or learn more, visit quantum-prep.com or call
585-233-9166.
MATh: here, there, everywhere!
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