Bonnie R. Rabin, Ph.D.
Personalized Educational & College Admissions Services
South Florida 561.509.0021
Boulder/Denver 720.737.9944
Nationwide Online 833.MY.ESSAY
www.collegecareerconsulting.com
Experience the Difference!
Expert Knowledge & Caring Support
ACADEMIC & COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ADVISING WHEREVER YOU ARE
STEM, Business, Humanities, Creative Arts
IS YOUR STUDENT ON TARGET?
Joyful? Motivated?
Build your personalized Educational & College Admissions Plan!
Bonnie R. Rabin, Ph.D.
guides her clients to define and realize educational and career goals.
With over thirty years of experience as a university professor & admissions committee member you're invited to leverage her extensive knowledge of university curricula and career opportunities to BUILD YOUR COLLEGE PLAN!
Pre-College Advising!
Be inspired!
Juniors (2022)
WRITERS' BLOCK COLLEGE ESSAY WORKSHOP -
June 21-25, 2021
Space is limited - registration now open!
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Congrats!!! A SAMPLE of our recent College Acceptances Include:
UPenn, Carnegie Mellon, Brown, Princeton, Cornell, Georgia Tech, NYU, U of Chicago, Northwestern, Bowdoin, WUSTL, UF, Reed, Michigan (Engineering & Other majors), U.Illinois (Engineering & Others), Boston U., UNC, Notre Dame, Miami, Dartmouth, UF, UC Boulder, Duke, SCAD, Tulane, Smith, Haverford, Tufts, Brandeis, Drexel Honors, Parsons, Berklee College of Music, UC Boulder, U.Arizona, Penn State, UT Austin, Pittsburgh, SUNY Stonybrook, RIT, plus many more
COVID POLICY UPDATE
Your College Admissions Goals Haven't Changed - But Your College Plan May Need Adjustments.
All our appointments are held remotely. Access personalized online college counseling with Bonnie Rabin, PhD.
We're not new to remote college counseling. In fact, we've been serving our clients throughout the US through virtual platforms for years. We're ready to answer all your questions about College Admissions, College Applications and College Essays in these uncertain times.
College Admissions Planning: Which Campus? Which Major? What's right for your student and Click to View Video: Read details that follow.
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Researching Colleges
Congrats!!! A SAMPLE of our 2021 Early Decision and Early Action Acceptances Include:
(Many with Scholarships)
University of Penn, Penn State, Cornell, Stanford R-EA, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western, Pittsburgh, U of Chicago, Rose Hullman, UCF, NYU, Ohio, Indiana,Syracuse -Newhouse, Fordham, Boston, Miami, Ithaca College, Pratt, Northeastern, UCF, FAU Honors, U Arizona, and many more....
WRITE YOUR STORY!
*** Decisions -- Where will you place your deposit May 2021 - Need some help deciding and evaluating your options or negotiating your financial aid offers ? My next newsletter discusses how to decide.
Did you miss these recent newsletters?
Click to view
Whether you've just started following my newsletters and blogs or a long time reader-- I welcome you to reach out with your Educational and College Planning questions. With so many changes taking place- from the uncertainty and "difficulties" of the online/hybrid classroom, the changed AP exam schedule (and how last year's revised 2020 format might impact subsequent college credits) , paused extracurricular activities and ACT/SAT testing requirement changes (Revised SAT, eliminated subject tests and continuation of Test Optional, Score Choice and SuperScore options-)- from Rising Seniors '22 to students just entering high school should be thinking about how the COVID-19 continues to have on college admissions -- and adapt your YOUR COLLEGE PLAN.
You'll find several of my videos on topics including high school course planning,STEM admissions, & financial aid at my website and even more videos at YouTube: College Career Consulting. PLEASE ENJOY!
Would your school team, club or community group be interested in hosting an interactive and informative virtual college admissions session?
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Mid-Year Assessments: Educational & College Admissions Planing !
9th-11th - It's time for Course Planning Discussions for 2021-22 and Summer '22 Program Applications
Juniors (2022) - Attend our June WRITERS BLOCK WORKSHOP - Complete your college core essay before summer
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College Admissions Planning: Insider Tips: Researching Colleges and College Majors!
Greetings High School & Middle School Students & Families
I’m often asked when to start planning for College Applications. My answer may surprise some people-but there’s no better time than ASAP. But let me modify that question– instead of asking about College Admissions success, as an Educator with over 30 years of university teaching, research and academic advising experience, let me stress that the question you should be asking is: “When and How does my Middle/High School student prepare for academic success?!”
Your focus shouldn’t be driven by college admissions acceptances- but rather, your planning should always be about being prepared for academic and personal success. Building a foundation begins early- creating joyful and motivated students - embracing and leveraging their academic and personal strengths. With 3900+ colleges and universities- chances are your student will find that perfect “fit” which I’ve spoken about in all my blogs. The pillars of college fit – Academic, Social and Financial.
Academic success means learning — and that means every student needs to seek opportunities to hone their skills and approach throughout high school to be prepared to engage within the college campus independently and with confidence. To ensure a seamless transition, the work to be done takes place in high school. Selecting the right classes – a balance of an appropriate challenge and manageability. It’s learning how to manage tasks, due dates and assignments and be intrinsically motivated to learn – not just complete assigned tasks. We could spend hours discussing student performance and attention- but that’s not my focus in this newsletter.
College Admissions Officers want to know two things about every applicant —
1 Who are You ? What are you passionate about? What experiences shaped your character and define the person who will arrive on campus? So live and enjoy yourself at school, at home and within your community.
2 What “Problem” do you want to solve- what do you want to learn with others on our college campus?
My clients will tell you about how important a point this is to your applications and subsequent academic success and joy. We work to discover opportunities and academic paths that leverage your interests and embrace the joy of learning.
I previously spoke about all the moving parts of your College Application including:
- Transcript/ GPA
- Extracurricular Activities
- Standardized Test Scores
- Teacher Recommendations
- College Admissions Essays
In my recent newsletter, I discussed Course Planning 2020-21 and the roles of AP, IB, AICE, School Academies and Dual-Enrollment??!!
Whether your dream college is a highly selective university, the Ivy League, a liberal arts college, your state's flagship - or any one of several outstanding academic institutions throughout the country ("FIT"??l) - - please consider the following points as you prepare to select your coursework for next year:
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One of the most important aspects of your high school academic experience is taking coursework that prepares you to succeed in subsequent and increasingly complex courses. This is your EDUCATION!! Please follow your heart- not the crowd. Please don't ask me "what looks good on my application?" - the question you need to be asking is "what courses do I need to be successful in the anticipated educational path? What concepts do I need to learn?" Students should take the most challenging and relevant coursework that they can comfortably manage. (Sometimes that means requesting to override teachers' placement recommendations.)
- In addition, your courses should allow you to explore and discover beyond your comfort zone. Why should any 14 to 17 year old young adult be 100% certain of a path - take interesting electives!!
Don't waste your available spaces on courses that teach little and electives that will likely be removed from your calculated GPA by college admissions officer (yes, that's right- those none core courses are removed in most situations!!)
- Finally- your coursework should always be challenging but not more than you can comfortably manage. I lost track of the number of parents and families that thanked me for talking them out of enrolling in seven AP classes! (Read my Google Reviews)
This is often a busy time of year for my practice serving families of students in all academic levels and majors. I've been hearing from 8th grade families beginning to explore their high school options. I also know that rising seniors are beginning to feel concerned about college applications (we begin the process now - looking at majors and colleges), summer plans, next year's courses.
If I can convince you embrace the reality that there's truly no life-changing choices that can be made in high school - and that every student will enroll in a quality post-secondary educational setting -- you will begin to feel a ton lighter. That said,
Today I will focus on how to build a college plan. We will take a look at "college fit", majors and campuses-- and talk about the steps to be taken to set and realize educational goals that involve learning about different academic paths and how to compare and evaluate potential college campuses that may be a perfect "fit" for you!
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Follow your path -- it's yours to define.
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In my last newsletter, I noted that it was important to
keep some perspective-- students in the 3.2 to 3.6 GPA range have many more college acceptances than students with 4.0 GPAs. Guess what-- all levels of students study side-by-side in universities across the nation. Both the B and A student will receive a fine undergraduate education, be accepted to graduate school and find a meaningful career path.
What's different is that nearly every qualified applicant to the most selective colleges has a very high GPA and has taken the most challenging courses. That's insufficient to earn a spot. I meet many students as late as the senior year with a 4.0 but many who didn't take all the other necessary steps to prepare for college academic success, personal joy and college admissions. I hope you read my previous newsletters on the importance of extracurricular activities and competitions in shaping the academic interests - essential in college admissions -- and also- realizing a joyful and impactful educational path.
Having an academic niche or a personal passion outside the classroom builds motivation, focus and academic success.
What inspires your student?
The single most important goal of high school is for each student to develop a love of learning both within and outside the classroom - often accomplished by creating meaningful connections with others -- collaborating on projects at school, in community organizations, and in extracurricular pursuits.
Learning about the types of problems and innovations taking place in a variety of potential fields can be inspirational. Inspiration if you're lucky happens at school- but more often than not it's beyond a textbook or classroom.
Having an opportunity to intern, solve problems, take an EdX course or explore in a collegiate summer program can help to develop a very specific interest area - your niche!
Discovery is sparked within the classroom - but it's nurtured in hands-on activities- sometimes this takes planning to find that opportunity.
I have so many ideas- let's talk!
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COLLEGE FIT
I often meet young adults who seem to think they have already decided their field of study as undergraduates and even as graduate students! Their enthusiasm is wonderful, but at times these early academic/career choices rest upon preconceived notions about their interests and misinformation about a given field of study. What students don't know are the vast number of ways to leverage interests and strengths in educational plans that are multi-disciplinary and outside-the-box. Most universities have HUNDREDS of majors- many you may never have considered.
I continue to remind all students and families, that college admissions officers want to know more about you - who are you as a person and WHAT PROBLEM DO YOU WANT TO SOLVE? While of course no young adult is expected to plan out their life at 14 or 18--it's invaluable to engage in ways that allow you to explore and deepen interests.
For example, if you think you are interested in business, science, the arts- I'd argue that unless you have explored any or all of these beyond your high school textbooks/courses- you haven't really considered what's out there for you to find your PASSION. It's important to roll up your sleeves and experience more than classroom learning. Talk with people who work in the fields that potentially may be on your radar.
You don't need to spend money, "know someone" or be a wizard to find the resources you need to engage. One of the things I enjoy most about my role is learning about each student and making suggestions for how to deepen existing interests and leverage developing strengths.
Students arrive at our first meeting not always ready to think outside their comfort zone. As young adults, high school is the time to learn more about EVERYTHING and rule out nothing. The essential process of discovery includes exploring a variety of academic disciplines many of which may yield a rewarding and joyful educational and career path. Given my curriculum expertise at the undergraduate and graduate levels, I continue to encourage students to explore to find a unique path.
At many of my initial meetings, families arrive with an (unsolicited) list of universities. Selecting a college prior to first knowing more about what potential majors are truly a good "fit" for a student's interests and strengths will create a situation for a missed opportunity.
With a few hundred academic majors and nearly 4000 undergraduate colleges, it's very unlikely that the high school curriculum and extracurricular experiences enjoyed thus far have put all of the available and amazing options on your student's radar.
THAT IS STEP 1 your College exploration process!! Let me help your student explore undergraduate curriculum maps and faculty research institutes to discover the "problem" they want to solve? Where will your student make an impact and be joyful in that process?!
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Your College "fit" rests on three pillars:
a) The best academic setting for the intended area of study. The best music, art, STEM, Humanities or Business major may be found in a university that isn't in the top 10 or even 50- remain open-minded!
b) A campus community that aligns with core values and will nurture each young adult to continue to grow socially and emotionally. Your personal choice may be based on location, size, religion, diversity or a criteria you didn't yet know would be important to you.
c) Financial fit-
(Please refer to my recent detailed blog on Financial Aid and Scholarships to best understand the differences between financial aid and Merit/Scholarships)
Yes-- there are colleges that will offer Scholarships regardless of your family financial situation. Just because your state's flagship seems to have a lower price tag- I can pretty much guarantee you I'll find a private college that will offer you an opportunity that may be similarly priced.
Finding Your Passion:
There's a major field of study to match the unique strengths and interests of every young adult!
With nearly 4,000 colleges offering an impressive number of traditional and cutting edge majors and minors, it can indeed be overwhelming to navigate the maze of available degree options.
As a former university professor, I've designed and approved accredited curriculum programs for several universities. Having spent thirty years advising thousands of students, I invite your family to leverage my knowledge of curriculum requirements and discover an academic area your student will be truly passionate about.
The more you know about your interests and your strengths, the more likely you'll embark upon a path that is joyful and rewarding.
The subject areas introduced in high school are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Consider:
STEM: computational biology, robotics, nanotechnology, neuroscience, animal science, food science, viticulture and enology (the art of grape growing and winemaking)
BUSINESS: business analytics, information systems, fashion marketing or financial engineering
HUMANITIES/SOCIAL SCIENCE blends including bio-molecular archaeology, cognitive science, technical writing
FINE ARTS: scientific photography, costume technology, industrial design or even bakery science
These are just a few examples of fields where great innovation is occurring in a multi-disciplinary way - Be Inspired!
How do parents and students select their "best-fit" colleges and decide where to apply and if accepted, where to enroll?
Great choices begin with student inspired research!
***TIP: By the Junior year- students should have enrolled in at least one or two AP classes related to the intended college major area of interest. This is not only to be a stronger applicant- but it is evidence of academic rigor and preparation that will ease the transition to the undergraduate experience.
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Click to View: Researching Majors
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TIP: Rising seniors should only consider courses that truly interest you and the opportunity to swap something out of your high school curriculum. Above all, aim for something you cannot take at your high school. This isn't a substitution process- but an enrichment opportunity.
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COLLEGE MAJORS -
A Different Question from COLLEGE CHOICE
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STEPS TO INCREASING YOUR CHANCES OF ADMISSION and
FINDING YOUR PERFECT FIT!
Establish Educational Goals:
A student's initial exploration of the 4000 potential colleges shouldn't be driven by name recognition but through a guided and purposeful exploration of college majors, followed by a review of the "social" fit.
Whether you love or hate science, want to change the world, enjoy drawing, solving problems, singing or surfing the web, a student's passions and interests should ALWAYS direct the college research process.
ASK THESE QUESTIONS OF YOURSELF.
- What subjects do you really enjoy and do the concepts come naturally to you?
- What are your personal strengths?
- Are you a natural problem solver?
- Are you creative?
- Do you enjoy interactions with and helping others?
- Is having a broad based education important to you or would you rather prepare yourself for a very specific occupation (or be honest- income level)?
- What types of news stories on your twitter and Facebook feeds do you actually gravitate towards? Use that to deepen your direction towards finding a major area of study.
Answering these questions helps you to navigate through the curriculum requirements for majors currently on your radar and those you haven't yet considered.
COLLEGE CURRICULUM RESEARCH: WHERE TO BEGIN?
Fortunately, this is not as difficult as it sounds. Think of any large university, i.e., University of Florida, Boston , Brown, University of Michigan, University of Colorado, Tulane or Drexel. Click on the college's website and begin your exploration within the course catalog.
The course catalog provides very important pieces of information:
- An overall description of each major and the required curriculum (listing required courses to earn your degree)
- Actual course descriptions within each major (and minor) perhaps including a link to the actual syllabi for some of the courses.
What are your first impressions? Take notes- what is attractive to you and can you imagine yourself enrolling in and enjoying these courses?
As you review the curriculum you'll notice that some majors have very rigid four-year requirements (i.e. Art, Music, Engineering). A major having several open slots of "electives" allows you to add a minor area of study and explore. Likewise, if you move into a major with more "requirements" and sequencing== it's likely you will add a semester or two to your undergraduate experience. That's Ok -but it could be helpful to try some of these courses in AP high school classes or summer collegiate programs to see how they feel in a test-drive.
If you have many interests, avoid labeling yourself "undecided" when in fact you're really a "flexible" and "multi-disciplinary" student ready to embrace a yet to be discovered opportunity. There are colleges which encourage students to design their own major. Both breadth and depth of study offer opportunities for your education and career. These college essays are wonderful to read because a broad- based motivated learner is the perfect and desired student.
Have you narrowed your choices to study not only in a "traditional" major but also a lessor know / previously unknown major area of study?!
GREAT! You've just increased your chances of admissions!
Let's move on....
College Specific Research II:
Once you have established educational goals, begin some preliminary research on which universities offer the strongest programs in your intended major(s). There are a variety of resources to find a college that may fit a student's academic needs. Again, consider that "name recognition" is the reason behind why some top-tier colleges receive 40,000+ applications enabling them to boast of their single-digit admission rates and high "rankings".
Your goal is to conduct research to help you make an informed college choice. Some of these resources include the following:
University Websites: ACADEMICS:
As noted, a college's website provides invaluable information about potential majors and minors including the actual degree requirements and courses you will be able to complete.
Equally important, and this is particularly the case for aspiring physicians or graduate students, are opportunities to conduct research while enrolled as an undergraduate.
RECAP: Learn about majors that interest you followed by exploring specific college campuses.
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Within any given academic department, click on the links to learn about the faculty and their current research. INCREASE YOUR CHANCES of Admission by focusing your replies to college specific supplemental essay prompts on a specific interest area. For example, discuss Professor Smith's recent work on genetics and relate her research to laboratory work you've enjoyed in your AP Biology class or a summer experience shadowing a physician or taking classes at the university level. In fact, are there faculty research groups engaged in the interesting questions you read about and explored in your own extracurricular HS experiences?
Are there formal research programs available for undergraduates? Explore clubs related to your major area of study (i.e. Engineers might consider Robocup!),
The AVAILABILITY of a BROAD RANGE OF SUPPORT SERVICES:
What is the extent of available academic support services for tutoring,
career placement statistics,
study abroad opportunities, or
graduate application assistance (Is there a dedicated faculty managing your undergraduate path to medical school?).
Can you identify resources where you would turn for academic assistance or enrichment if needed?
As a freshman, what might life entail outside the classroom?
CAMPUS SOCIAL LIFE:
College should be one of your best experiences, an opportunity to make lifelong friends and immerse yourself with like-minded peers. Does the "fit" feel right? It's possible to research academic opportunities online although your research on "fit" isn't complete without a campus visit. But that's tricky- we're in a pandemic with few colleges opening their doors to outside visitors. I truly imagine that overnight dorm campus visits will resume fall 2021. But for the moment- your assessment of 'vibe' is truncated. I previously wrote about taking advantage of virtual sessions where current students are available to answer your questions and talk about their campus experiences. I also can connect you with students currently enrolled in or recently graduated from hundreds of campuses.
Begin your research by reviewing the college newspaper and links to "campus life". What are the available social activities both formal and informal? It's important not only to have the academic resources for your intended area of study, but also to know that that there is more taking place than frat parties, football games or spending your evening playing video games.
Locate the list of student clubs on the college's website (main navigation bar often creates a "campus life" link). If the list isn't reflective of some of your current interests, that's a potential red flag about how you'll be spending your time outside of the classroom.
Imagine yourself a currently enrolled student and take note of the available activities taking place on any given weekend. Do they appeal to you?
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Many schools utilize social media to provide you with a snapshot of the campus. While your most accurate way to assess campus culture is through a campus visit, social media can provide an initial impression of student life and the campus pulse.
However, avoid becoming a Facebook follower without ensuring your Facebook page provides a flattering image of yourself. See my recent blog posting: "Social Media- College Applications- Career Connections- Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter?" Once "following" a college on Facebook, admissions is now your "friend", given access to your Facebook page as well.
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YOUR CAREER-POST GRADUATION-GRAD SCHOOL - EMPLOYMENT!
LinkedIn's University and Field of Study Explorer:
This amazing resource is invaluable in locating schools that consistently produce well trained graduates. The tools provided are helpful for students and parents by focusing the research about colleges specifically to intended majors.
There is also an option to narrow your search to colleges that best prepare you for employment at specific companies.
IF YOU INSIST:
It's not really about rankings- but if I haven't yet convinced you, lists of College Rankings provide a starting point for gathering information about a college's academics, professors and post-graduates success. But buyer beware - overall rankings often differ drastically from rankings by major departments. Harvard would not be my top choice for an aspiring engineer. Likewise, if your intention is poetry-- MIT isn't the best fit (although they have a great dance and theater).
Some of the more popular rankings include US News and World Report's Best Colleges, Forbes American's Top Colleges, Business Insider Best Colleges in America, Money Magazine Best Colleges, New York Times Most Economically Diverse Top Colleges, Washington Monthly College Rankings and PayScale College Salary and ROI Reports.
University ranking lists can vary considerably because of the different methodologies. For example, Forbes America's Top Colleges may return different results than US News and World Report because of Forbes' emphasis on post-graduate success and student loan debt.
INCREASE YOUR CHANCES of ADMISSION: INFORMED INTEREST
The more you learn about potential areas of study, career paths and specific colleges, the easier it becomes to make informed decisions about where to apply and enroll. By selecting universities that meet both your academic and social needs you're more likely to be happy and successful in pursing educational goals.
Do your research!
Speak with your guidance counselor, admissions officers, alumni, current and former students.
I invite you to leverage my extensive knowledge of university curricula and my experience advising thousands of high school, undergraduate and graduate students navigating curriculum choices to set and realize educational and career goals. Based on your academic strengths and personal interests, I welcome the opportunity to work together to create your personalized strategic educational plan.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
YOUR COURSES for 2021-22!!
As noted many times in my blogs and newsletters, your student's GPA and transcript are the most significant determinant of admissions and academic success. High school is a time for academic and personal discovery. Developing and sustaining a passion for learning cannot be overstated. Sometimes that discovery is sparked by coursework and other times it is through an extracurricular experience.
As a former university faculty admissions representive, I've reviewed many undergraduate and graduate admissions files. As a Cornell Alumni Rep, I've interviewed and met students who at times were amazing and other times - terribly misguided and woefully unprepared (disinterested?) That made my job more challenging. The decision to be made reviewing a student's admissions file isn't easy- there's tens of thousands of applicants who have basically completed the same high school curriculum, attained the same GPA and achieved the same standardized test scores.
As a former college admissions officer I can tell you without qualification that spending your time throughout high school engaged in activities that hone and deepen academic and personal interests will bring more joy to your days and increase your chances of college acceptances -- very simply -- because you will have spent your time in meaningful and impactful ways that demonstrate a young adult eager to learn and become a part of something -- a community of shared purpose.
Every year, I meet no fewer than a dozen seniors who delayed their college planning until the fall of their senior year-- sometimes they are very strong students arriving at their initial appointment with me with their short lists of highly selective colleges in hand. It's not easy to share my assessment of "chances" - I need to be brutally honest. Chances that would have been higher if we had talked about college plans much sooner than their senior year. A 4.0 GPA, and a pile of 5s on AP exams is insufficient to gain a spot at an Ivy League or other highly selective university. The single most glaring example is a lack of hands-on experience in the intended major field of study.
Discovery and joyful experiences occur within classrooms and in extracurricular experiences. Extracurricular opportunities take place
1) within high school clubs,
2) community organizations ,
3) summer collegiate programs and
4) self- directed participation in competitions and contests -- available in every discipline
I can guarantee you that there's no magic formula for being accepted into a selective university, and any college advisor two tells you otherwise is being less than authentic with you. I can guarantee you that building an Educational & College Admissions Plan as early as eighth grade will greatly increase the likelihood of a student who is intrinsically motivated and prepared for academic success. Students with goals and dreams are better students and live their high school years with greater ease than those who haven't set some objectives.
What's Next?
Freshman-Juniors:
- Review your current classes and make adjustments to learning strategies and time management? Do you need practical solutions to handle difficult classes - schedule a strategic academic consultation!
- Now is the perfect time to determine and refine the most effective academic plan to include the appropriately challenging and relevant courses given potential academic interests. It's important to avoid becoming unnecessarily overwhelmed. Maintenance of a GPA which allows for a healthy balance of academic, extracurricular and personal pursuits will increase the likelihood of a successful transition to college and admissions success. You do not need to enroll in 6-7 AP Classes. If you're looking at a highly selective university- I also discourage Dual Enrollment classes.
- Refine extracurricular activities to include a relevant summer plan! Update your activities resume. Think about ways to deepen an interest and let-go of those activities that do not bring you joy.
- Select appropriate courses for the balance of your high school year that prepare you for success, offer enjoyment and prepare you for relevant standardized testing required for colleges on your radar.
- Determine your standardized testing schedule, including your self-directed regular test preparation for AP exams, and SAT/ACT exams. AP exams are going to take on a greater role (sadly) in college admissions as the SATII subject tests were recently eliminated. Did you miss my recent newsletter- -- contact me to request another copy.
There's no place like home. Where is your academic home?! That is your path to success!
What are your student's
academic and social goals this year?
What motivates your student? Successful students are intrinsically motivated!
What positive and welcomed
steps can parents take to help students remain motivated towards goals?
Success begins with a student-led Strategic Educational & College Admissions Plan with actionable items!
SCHEDULE YOUR EDUCATIONAL and COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ASSESSMENT
SENIORS class of 2021
If financial or family situations changed since you submitted your FAFSA - please reach out and I can assist with ammending/explaining your FAFSA / CSS Profile and working with your admissions reps. I handle successful appeals of financial aid award letters - that process occurs in April. Please reach out AFTER your acceptances and award letters arrive to engage in "negotiation".
Over the next six weeks , this is a great time to reassess your college fit and major choices. Colleges are doing a great job not only with virtual admissions presenations as I've noted - but this is a time to make virtual connections with current students and alumni. Let me help you assess your fit.
JUNIORS '22 and Sophomores '23
It's time to plan for summer 2021. I hope you found my previous newsletter helpful in understanding why attendance at a summer program is a great college planning strategy. I have a comprehensive list of summer programs for all fields of study.
Many colleges are offering several new research programs this year and classes can be completed remotely- a huge savings in room and board.
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If you're a Junior '22 now is the time to be actively engaged in research on the variety of college majors. Working with your college advisor, please aim to have your balanced short-list of colleges in place by the time we reach June - and hopefully you'll be joining me at my June Writers Block Workshop.
In June 2020 we successfully pivoted and delivered our workshop, including one-on-one personalized writing conferences entirely on Zoom. We're ready to resume virtually if necessary or return to our online format. Perhaps this year we will be a hybrid model. Adaptability is always essential when faced with an unforeseen challenge.
Spaces are limited. We hope you'll join us! But prior to workshop- we have much to accomplish- learning about what major may be a good fit for you and becoming involved in that area of interest so you know more about yourself and can demonstrate on your applications the essential "informed interest".
Your "Mid-Year Assessment" provides a valuable initial step to creating your strategic educational plan and more clearly understanding the
College Admission and Financial Aid Processes.
- Understand the College Admissions Process- Key Dates, forms and factors for success in admissions and in maximizing financial aid.
- Create your curriculum map of high school and online programs to reach academic potential and prepare for success as a student and in the college admissions process. The foundation of coursework in high school impacts your success as an undergraduate
- Extracurricular Activities: Identify opportunities for enhancing and refining your activities addressing educational and admissions red-flags. Embrace your strengths, take risks and discover uncharted paths!
- Recommendations for relevant summer programs to increase your admissions chances and confirm / discover an academic area of interest
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Personalized learning strategies to confidence, increase grades and address concerns in one or more classes. Customized solutions for better time management
- Recommendations for Colleges and Majors(conventional and "unusual")
- Clarity on standardized testing (and customized solutions for preparation) and discussion of colleges de-emphasizing their value in admissions decision making
- Activities Resume - Receive proprietary tools to build an eye-catching "activities statement" supporting your summer program applications, Common Application and Scholarship applications.
- Understanding the Real Cost of Education. Specific Strategies for your family and an explanation of Financial Aid and Scholarship Eligibility.
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Warm regards,
Bonnie
Post-Pandemic In-Person
South Florida 561.509.0021
Boulder/Denver and Metro NYC 720.737.9944
VIRTUALLY wherever you are: 833.MY.ESSAY
STEM, Business, Humanities, Creative Arts -
Find Your Passion and Be Unique!
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JUNIORS-- CLASS of 2022 -
Registration is now open for our June Writers Block Workshop
We delivered our content and individual writing conferences virtually with much success-- and if necessary- we wil be online and ready for you!
Followed by our Popular Sunday Fall Series resuming August 2021
JUNIORS Class of 2022--
JUNE 21 TO 25 --
ENROLLMENT IS LIMITED!
Followed by our popular and well attended Sunday Fall Series - Resuming On-Demand Bi-weekly in fall
WORKSHOP GOAL
Build a College Admissions Strategy,
Complete your Common Application Core Essay
Before the Workshop
INCREASE YOUR CHANCES of ADMISSION- PRE-COLLEGE ACADEMIC ADVISING and ADMISSIONS STRATEGY:
Attend your scheduled Educational & Admissions Assessment to understand the college admissions and financial aid processes. Participate in discussions during your extensive educational analysis aimed at matching you to majors and colleges, increasing your chances of admission, easing your transition to college, and ensuring your long-term academic success.
CUSTOMIZED RECOMMENDATIONS
identifying majors & colleges, personalized application strategies, a detailed assessment of your admissions portfolio and much more.
During the Workshop
PERSONAL WRITING CONFERENCES:
throughout the week provide you with candid and specific feedback focused on completing your required Common Application Core essay to showcase your strengths and set you apart from other applicants. Students who come prepared to engage, and complete their overnight assignments will leave the workshop with a polished final draft of their core essay and begin work on a secondary essay to adapt for your college-specific supplemental essays.
In June 2020 we adapted and delivered our workshop entirely on Zoom - including daily presentatoins and one-on-one individual writing conferences. We don't yet know if we'll be in-person or online- but are ready to achieve our workshop goals in either format.
CREATE YOUR ACTIVITIES RESUME and
Common Application Activities Statement to highlight your accomplishments for admissions, references, scholarships and admission interviews. Receive proprietary activities resume template.
After the Workshop
Ongoing support and guidance with college-specific supplemental essays.
Arrive prepared with your laptop ready to work during daytime sessions and complete any overnight assignments.
Students of all academic levels are welcome to attend our small group sessions in a supportive and welcoming setting. We meet daily.
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Bonnie R. Rabin, Ph.D.
561.509.0021
607.280.4905
Request your complimentary consultation.
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