Facing Plan B: Community College Transfer

My days are now filled with high school seniors who are facing a tough reality.  These smart, diligent, ambitious teens who started high school with a plan to go to a four-year college have now realized that despite their hard work, Advanced Placement classes, and summer enrichment programs they are headed for community colleges.  The reason is financial.  Qualified and deserving students are being priced out of colleges due to rising costs and shrinking financial aid.

The truth is, if parents want their kids to go to college they'd better start a serious savings plan.  The days of working to pay one's way through college are long gone because it is simply too expensive.  When I went to college in the 1970s I was able to pay my own way by being a part-time waitress.  Today, the wages of a part-time waitress would not cover the costs of one semester's worth of books!

Low income students will be able to pick up enough financial aid to pay for college but it is the middle class families that suffer.  Middle class students this year are faced with a choice: a mountain of education loan debt or switch over to the community college track.  When you've worked so hard for that college admission letter it is really hard not to feel demoralized.

Parents Can Help Teens Prepare for College

Parents of kids starting high school have a very important role to play in the college readiness process.  Whether or not the parent went to college does not matter.  There are some simple things all parents can do to encourage college preparation.

1. Let your teen know that you want him/her to go to college.  Don't let fear of the cost of college interfer with your message:  getting a college education is a must in today's world.
2. Support good study habits and closely monitor school acheivement.  High school grades will either open opportunity doors or close opportunity doors!
3. If you teen gets less than a C in any academic class, contact the school counselor immediately to see what can be done to repair the damage.
4. Help your teen start exploring colleges by researching on the web, attending college fairs, or visiting colleges.
5. Acknowledge academic efforts and set high standards for school acheivement.

Getting a Jump on the College Application Process

Juniors who plan on starting the college application process next fall have a lot to do right  now.  Here's a list of the steps to take to prepare for the upcomming application whirlwind.

• Develop a senior year class schedule with the most rigorous academic classes possible.  No fluff!
• Develop a list of colleges you want to attend.  Research each college by visiting the college website and by visiting the actual college (if possible).
• Make a calendar of application deadlines for each college on your list.
• Conduct a family conversation about college costs and paying for college.
• Complete a draft of your college essay/personal statement.
• Make sure you have completed your SAT testing.
• Engage in a meaningful enrichment activity during the summer.

Which College is the Best

Which college has the best nursing program?  Engineering? English Literature?  Political Science?  Everyone keeps asking for help directing entering college freshmen to the best college for one planned major or another.  That is the wrong question.

The overwhelming majority of entering college freshmen don't know what they want to do when they grow up.  Most college students change majors several times while attending college. (And I'm not talking about mechanical engineering switching to electrical engineering! Often college students switch complete fields such as from engineering to political science.)  Therefore, it is not really wise to put too much emphasis on picking a college based on preliminary major choices.

The best way to pick a college for undergraduate work is to develop generalized criteria (location, size, religious affiliation, entrance difficulty, prestige, etc.) and then match colleges to the criteria.  Make sure the college has a wide range of majors including the types of majors the entering freshmen is considering.  After identifying colleges that match your criteria, take a road trip and visit each college.  The feel of the campus is extremely important as you will be spending four plus years there.  The college that best matches the criteria and has the environment desired is the best college to attend.