Like it or not, most kids aren't the top of their class. In most high schools, the academic pecking order allows for approximately 25 students to lead the class, with the remainder of students falling in the middle-and an even smaller portion being at the very bottom.
College is fast approaching, and students sometimes have the misconception that they must have a 33 ACT with a perfect GPA to get funded for school.
Not true.
There are an abundance of scholarships that require VOLUNTEER WORK or COMMUNITY SERVICE as the focus for funding. A great way to begin serving is to contact your local Volunteer Center or City Hall and ask about volunteer opportunities. I will post great websites to research scholarships specifically geared towards volunteering. Just a few hours a week can turn into thousands of dollars in scholarship money!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
The Timeline for High School Students Preparing for College
Planning for college takes time and effort. I believe that no one should have to pay for college with loans and with proper planning, any student should be able to succeed in getting into college.
This is a timeline I've created that will give you an idea of what you should be doing as a high school student to prepare for college:
-1st yr: Take the hardest classes that you can handle.
-1st yr: Get that GPA as close to a 4.0 or better as possible. Open a savings acct.
-2nd yr: Begin major involvement in school activities, community service, etc.
-3rd yr: Begin visiting schools that peak your interest. Begin writing personal
essays and taking the ACT as often as you can.
-3rd yr: Start selecting mentors to write you letters of Recommendation.
-3rd yr: Start researching requirements for various scholarships and colleges.
-4th yr: Begin utilizing resources, securing financial support, and applying for
local scholarships.
-3rd & 4th yrs: enroll in a college prep program. Find a mentor ALREADY in college
of choice.
-4th yr: Sit down with your parents and discuss your financial and academic future.
-4th yr: Make sure you have your 4 English, 3 Math, etc requirements. Find out college requirements and enroll in junior college summer school if necessary.
By following these basic guidlines, the transition into college will be much easier and less stressful!
This is a timeline I've created that will give you an idea of what you should be doing as a high school student to prepare for college:
-1st yr: Take the hardest classes that you can handle.
-1st yr: Get that GPA as close to a 4.0 or better as possible. Open a savings acct.
-2nd yr: Begin major involvement in school activities, community service, etc.
-3rd yr: Begin visiting schools that peak your interest. Begin writing personal
essays and taking the ACT as often as you can.
-3rd yr: Start selecting mentors to write you letters of Recommendation.
-3rd yr: Start researching requirements for various scholarships and colleges.
-4th yr: Begin utilizing resources, securing financial support, and applying for
local scholarships.
-3rd & 4th yrs: enroll in a college prep program. Find a mentor ALREADY in college
of choice.
-4th yr: Sit down with your parents and discuss your financial and academic future.
-4th yr: Make sure you have your 4 English, 3 Math, etc requirements. Find out college requirements and enroll in junior college summer school if necessary.
By following these basic guidlines, the transition into college will be much easier and less stressful!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Getting What you Want from Authority: 5 Tips to Make your Life a Whole lot Easier!
Have you ever wondered how certain people seem to have personal skills that allow them to maneuver through just about anything without breaking a sweat? Or better yet, known a classmate or coworker that could seemingly blow up the office/classroom, commit a double murder and slap an old lady-yet still receive a promotion on the job or an A+ in the class?
These people hold a certain charisma and state of mind that gets them through doors and I’m going to show you how to do the same thing!
1. Cultivate Relationships with Authority.
When I was in high school, I was a really good student. I was involved in a ton of activities from athletics, to mentorship, to marching band. I would get to school at 7am and not get home until 7 pm. I hated my high school so why did I stay there for at least 12 hours a day? I was Cultivating Relationships. I realized a long time ago that when people in authority could “put a name to a face”, they were more likely to show you favor in the long run. I’ll give you an example; I had a physics class in high school that I would get kicked out of for poor behavior at least twice a week for an entire school year. The instructor clearly had a bad taste in his mouth when it came to me as he would kick me out every time I asked him to “be my friend”. I guess he had enough friends.
He kicked me out one particular day and instructed my dean to suspend me from school for a week. I went to the deans office, and he disagreed with the suspension, and simply gave me a pass to roam the halls (library pass). This was the toughest dean in the district, but he showed me mercy because he knew what kind of kid I was. He knew how involved I was in school. He knew ME. Making that connection with authoritative figures has the potential to make your life a whole lot easier in the classroom and in the workplace.
2. “The Squeaky Wheel Gets The Oil”
My dad used to always drill this phrase in my head! It basically means that if you want or need something, open your mouth and tell someone about it. You’d be surprised who will help you if you’re in need. All throughout college, I experienced major family deaths and illnesses. Instead of just sitting at home and hurting emotionally, I opened my mouth and begin talking about my experiences. I told anyone who would listen what I was going through, what my family was experiencing, and how times were really tough.
After about a week of my professors and deans hearing about my struggles, DePaul University gave me over $3000.00 dollars in “Feel better” money. Thanks guys! Open your mouth when you’re going through hardships as you never know who is there to be your guardian angel.
3. Be Friends with the Lames, Nerds, and Geeks.
I love this tip! Bill Gates once told an audience of students to “be friends with geeks”, and I’m going to tell you a story that shines a bright light on this idea. When I was in high school, there was a girl who transferred in. She was very sweet, but as quiet as she wanted to be. Seriously, if you would have blinked, you might have missed her. Well, one day, I approached her and became her friend. Now we were not best buds, but she was a cool kid and I enjoyed her friendship.
Fast forward four years: I graduated from DPU with a degree in Sociology-which will basically allow me the privilege to live in a cardboard box as it isn’t a big-ticket, money-making foundation. So I start putting out applications (at least 250) all over the state of Illinois. I’m living off of graduation cash so to my sheer disappointment, no one is interested in hiring me. After about 2 months of searching for a gig, I get a phone call from a friend of mine just checking on me/ seeing how life after graduation was coming. I explained to this buddy that things were alright, I was just having a tough time finding a job. Mind you, this was a Monday afternoon. On Thursday of that same week, I had a corner office with my name on the door. Can you guess what happened?
Turns out, that quiet little girl I became friends with in high school was an HR Manager at a non-for-profit organization. Always attempt to create and sustain friendships as you’ll never know who you’re gonna need down the line.
4. Be Humble
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but nobody likes a no-it-all. So you graduated from high school in three years and won a full ride scholarship to the college of your choice? No one cares in the real world except your parents and they only show concern because they don’t have to pay for you to get an education. Authoritative figures LOVE humble kids. They already think we students are good for nothing bratty kids! Professors and employers notice humbleness and tend to show favor when they see it. Your attitude determines your altitude so adjust it to make your life better.
5. Say “Thank You”
This may be the most important tip we’ve gone over. The simple gesture of thank you in the form of a card, note, or verbal response has the ability to change a person’s perception of you for the better. Don’t you love it when someone says “thank you”? It almost causes a euphoric response when you hear it. Showing your appreciation to authoritative figures can give you the favor you need when the time comes and you need them the most. This doesn’t mean suck up to your superiors as they can always tell when they are people are being disingenuous to them. Just make sure you show your appreciation to people when they do something nice for you as that gesture goes a long way in the long run. So go out there and GET WHAT YOU WANT FROM AUTHORITY!
These people hold a certain charisma and state of mind that gets them through doors and I’m going to show you how to do the same thing!
1. Cultivate Relationships with Authority.
When I was in high school, I was a really good student. I was involved in a ton of activities from athletics, to mentorship, to marching band. I would get to school at 7am and not get home until 7 pm. I hated my high school so why did I stay there for at least 12 hours a day? I was Cultivating Relationships. I realized a long time ago that when people in authority could “put a name to a face”, they were more likely to show you favor in the long run. I’ll give you an example; I had a physics class in high school that I would get kicked out of for poor behavior at least twice a week for an entire school year. The instructor clearly had a bad taste in his mouth when it came to me as he would kick me out every time I asked him to “be my friend”. I guess he had enough friends.
He kicked me out one particular day and instructed my dean to suspend me from school for a week. I went to the deans office, and he disagreed with the suspension, and simply gave me a pass to roam the halls (library pass). This was the toughest dean in the district, but he showed me mercy because he knew what kind of kid I was. He knew how involved I was in school. He knew ME. Making that connection with authoritative figures has the potential to make your life a whole lot easier in the classroom and in the workplace.
2. “The Squeaky Wheel Gets The Oil”
My dad used to always drill this phrase in my head! It basically means that if you want or need something, open your mouth and tell someone about it. You’d be surprised who will help you if you’re in need. All throughout college, I experienced major family deaths and illnesses. Instead of just sitting at home and hurting emotionally, I opened my mouth and begin talking about my experiences. I told anyone who would listen what I was going through, what my family was experiencing, and how times were really tough.
After about a week of my professors and deans hearing about my struggles, DePaul University gave me over $3000.00 dollars in “Feel better” money. Thanks guys! Open your mouth when you’re going through hardships as you never know who is there to be your guardian angel.
3. Be Friends with the Lames, Nerds, and Geeks.
I love this tip! Bill Gates once told an audience of students to “be friends with geeks”, and I’m going to tell you a story that shines a bright light on this idea. When I was in high school, there was a girl who transferred in. She was very sweet, but as quiet as she wanted to be. Seriously, if you would have blinked, you might have missed her. Well, one day, I approached her and became her friend. Now we were not best buds, but she was a cool kid and I enjoyed her friendship.
Fast forward four years: I graduated from DPU with a degree in Sociology-which will basically allow me the privilege to live in a cardboard box as it isn’t a big-ticket, money-making foundation. So I start putting out applications (at least 250) all over the state of Illinois. I’m living off of graduation cash so to my sheer disappointment, no one is interested in hiring me. After about 2 months of searching for a gig, I get a phone call from a friend of mine just checking on me/ seeing how life after graduation was coming. I explained to this buddy that things were alright, I was just having a tough time finding a job. Mind you, this was a Monday afternoon. On Thursday of that same week, I had a corner office with my name on the door. Can you guess what happened?
Turns out, that quiet little girl I became friends with in high school was an HR Manager at a non-for-profit organization. Always attempt to create and sustain friendships as you’ll never know who you’re gonna need down the line.
4. Be Humble
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but nobody likes a no-it-all. So you graduated from high school in three years and won a full ride scholarship to the college of your choice? No one cares in the real world except your parents and they only show concern because they don’t have to pay for you to get an education. Authoritative figures LOVE humble kids. They already think we students are good for nothing bratty kids! Professors and employers notice humbleness and tend to show favor when they see it. Your attitude determines your altitude so adjust it to make your life better.
5. Say “Thank You”
This may be the most important tip we’ve gone over. The simple gesture of thank you in the form of a card, note, or verbal response has the ability to change a person’s perception of you for the better. Don’t you love it when someone says “thank you”? It almost causes a euphoric response when you hear it. Showing your appreciation to authoritative figures can give you the favor you need when the time comes and you need them the most. This doesn’t mean suck up to your superiors as they can always tell when they are people are being disingenuous to them. Just make sure you show your appreciation to people when they do something nice for you as that gesture goes a long way in the long run. So go out there and GET WHAT YOU WANT FROM AUTHORITY!
The Procrastinator's Motivation: A list of what you COULD become
Have you ever wondered why you ALWAYS seem to wait until the last minute to get something deathly important done? Or maybe why you seem to always end up writing that paper/project at 4:45am the night before you have to present it? If either one of these situations tends to be you, this entry has your name on it: You, the Procrastinator.
How do you beat the addiction to procrastination? I'm going to tell you how you lazy, last-minute, son-of-a-gun.
Visualize Failure
Great people tend to be EXTREMELY confident. Honestly, they can sometimes border know-it-all status. The best way to get yourself OFF your butt and do whatever it is you need to do is to visualize what will happen if you fail. If its a major project, you'll get an F on it and probably fail the class. If its something work related, you'll get written up or fired. Sometimes you have to threaten yourself by using failure as collateral into making you handle your business.
Do it Early
This idea may not work for less disciplined folks, but give it a try anyway. In college, I would always get my syllabus at the beginning of the quarter/trimester and go hard at getting my major assignments done at the beginning of the class. I would basically do all my work in the first 2 weeks of the semester and chill the last 8 or 9 weeks. When you work ahead, you leave cushion for extra credit, meeting with professors/teachers, sleep, travel (I went to Hawaii twice during Finals week when I was in college), and any other ideas you can come up with to fill the time. By the end of the semester, EVERYONE is sweating bullets trying to finish up their stuff, and your brilliant self is watching The Godfather Trilogy because you can do that.
Positive Peer Pressure
My dad attended a University that was very picky in who they allowed in their fraternities. He tended to be a clown, so they never chose him to join up. He came up with this simple solution; "If you can't join um, make one up and take their pool of applicants" . My old man created a fraternity on his campus in which the initiation was a shot of Jack Daniel's. His "frat" brothers had buttons/jackets and everything! This guys a legend because he created a positive support system that helped him make it through college. This story is important because it exemplifies the teamwork aspect of school.
Creating a support group in every class you have will insure that you receive phone calls, texts, and every other type of correspondence reminding you to get something done. You'll only procrastinate when you're allowed to, and a positive support group will be on you like a shadow.
A List of What You COULD Become
Sometimes, we just have to imagine things to get up and moving in the right direction. Here's a list of how your life can turn out if you keep screwing around:
-You could live in a cardboard box (no offense to people who live in cardboard boxes)
-You could be 30 and still live with your mom
-You could end up working for a company that doesn't recognize your degree
-You could become that creepy guy who visits his high school every year just to remember life
before it sucked
-You could be the punchline of a joke that's funny to everybody who didn't procrastinate
-You could end up being over 25 years old and still sagging your pants because you think its cool
-You could become that old man at the club
-You could become the cat lady on the block who disobeys the 3 cat to a house ordinance
-You could procrastinate yourself to death and have to be buried in your cardboard box because
you failed to get yourself a casket
The bottom line: stop procrastinating as you're making good students look lazy. Get it together, become something, lead, and make your parents proud that they fed and clothed you for 18 years. It's the least you could do.
How do you beat the addiction to procrastination? I'm going to tell you how you lazy, last-minute, son-of-a-gun.
Visualize Failure
Great people tend to be EXTREMELY confident. Honestly, they can sometimes border know-it-all status. The best way to get yourself OFF your butt and do whatever it is you need to do is to visualize what will happen if you fail. If its a major project, you'll get an F on it and probably fail the class. If its something work related, you'll get written up or fired. Sometimes you have to threaten yourself by using failure as collateral into making you handle your business.
Do it Early
This idea may not work for less disciplined folks, but give it a try anyway. In college, I would always get my syllabus at the beginning of the quarter/trimester and go hard at getting my major assignments done at the beginning of the class. I would basically do all my work in the first 2 weeks of the semester and chill the last 8 or 9 weeks. When you work ahead, you leave cushion for extra credit, meeting with professors/teachers, sleep, travel (I went to Hawaii twice during Finals week when I was in college), and any other ideas you can come up with to fill the time. By the end of the semester, EVERYONE is sweating bullets trying to finish up their stuff, and your brilliant self is watching The Godfather Trilogy because you can do that.
Positive Peer Pressure
My dad attended a University that was very picky in who they allowed in their fraternities. He tended to be a clown, so they never chose him to join up. He came up with this simple solution; "If you can't join um, make one up and take their pool of applicants" . My old man created a fraternity on his campus in which the initiation was a shot of Jack Daniel's. His "frat" brothers had buttons/jackets and everything! This guys a legend because he created a positive support system that helped him make it through college. This story is important because it exemplifies the teamwork aspect of school.
Creating a support group in every class you have will insure that you receive phone calls, texts, and every other type of correspondence reminding you to get something done. You'll only procrastinate when you're allowed to, and a positive support group will be on you like a shadow.
A List of What You COULD Become
Sometimes, we just have to imagine things to get up and moving in the right direction. Here's a list of how your life can turn out if you keep screwing around:
-You could live in a cardboard box (no offense to people who live in cardboard boxes)
-You could be 30 and still live with your mom
-You could end up working for a company that doesn't recognize your degree
-You could become that creepy guy who visits his high school every year just to remember life
before it sucked
-You could be the punchline of a joke that's funny to everybody who didn't procrastinate
-You could end up being over 25 years old and still sagging your pants because you think its cool
-You could become that old man at the club
-You could become the cat lady on the block who disobeys the 3 cat to a house ordinance
-You could procrastinate yourself to death and have to be buried in your cardboard box because
you failed to get yourself a casket
The bottom line: stop procrastinating as you're making good students look lazy. Get it together, become something, lead, and make your parents proud that they fed and clothed you for 18 years. It's the least you could do.
Getting into College
It's your senior year; the parties, proms, and status makes this part of your life absolutely amazing! You have that inner excitement that only a senior in high school preparing to hopefully get into college has. Questions you might have may vary from, "Am I going to get into my dream school?", to "How am I going to pay for this?"-No worries, I'll help you get through this excitingly frightening period of your life.
How can I do it? Well, for starters I did it less than 4 years ago, and my situation was much tougher. I was a junior in high school and accumulated more credits than the average student. Because of this, I was pushed into my senior year after my first 3 months of my junior year. Basically, my junior and senior year was combined. I had NOT:
Taken the ACT
Taken the SAT
Applied for College
Even THOUGHT about College
Saved any money
Earned any scholarships
Done anything to prepare for this time in my life
Pretty tough eh? Either way, stepping to the learning curve pretty quickly made me an expert on preparing for college and getting through it. I am a college planner/coach and teach students and their parents how to get into and through college, pay for it without filing for bankruptcy, and become successfully happy human beings .
This is traditionally called "college coaching" or "college advising". It is a service somewhat comparable to hiring a therapist to help you through a tough time or paying for a house keeper to clean your home. Sites like getintocollege.com and theivycoach.com provide assistance in preparing a high school student to get into tough schools with essay writing support, confidence building, etc.
These companies charge upwards of $30,000 for their services. I'll teach you what their doing for FREE. I bet you're probably thinking that this "Must be a gimmick", right? No gimmicks, no games-just the knowledge you need to get into college, get money for college and get out of college. Its that simple.
Why am I giving away million dollar advice for FREE? Because when you love helping people accomplish their dreams, and you find your true passion in life (mine is helping people attain a college education)-money isn't necessary. It will come in due time.
So here's the deal- I currently conduct a college prep program in the United States. I will update this blog daily with EXACTLY what you need to do as a high school student to get in to college, get out of college, and move on with your life. I'll include ways to cut through the RED TAPE of Admissions, The Financial Aid office, and anything else you can think of. All you have to do is read and learn.
Oh, and by the way: I attained over $130,000 in scholarships and grants to pay for college, and have assisted students in attaining thousands of dollars to pay for college with this very advice your getting. Yeah, its that good.
Yesterday was the first day of school for millions of US seniors depending on their locations across the country. Take the information to come and achieve your dreams.
How can I do it? Well, for starters I did it less than 4 years ago, and my situation was much tougher. I was a junior in high school and accumulated more credits than the average student. Because of this, I was pushed into my senior year after my first 3 months of my junior year. Basically, my junior and senior year was combined. I had NOT:
Taken the ACT
Taken the SAT
Applied for College
Even THOUGHT about College
Saved any money
Earned any scholarships
Done anything to prepare for this time in my life
Pretty tough eh? Either way, stepping to the learning curve pretty quickly made me an expert on preparing for college and getting through it. I am a college planner/coach and teach students and their parents how to get into and through college, pay for it without filing for bankruptcy, and become successfully happy human beings .
This is traditionally called "college coaching" or "college advising". It is a service somewhat comparable to hiring a therapist to help you through a tough time or paying for a house keeper to clean your home. Sites like getintocollege.com and theivycoach.com provide assistance in preparing a high school student to get into tough schools with essay writing support, confidence building, etc.
These companies charge upwards of $30,000 for their services. I'll teach you what their doing for FREE. I bet you're probably thinking that this "Must be a gimmick", right? No gimmicks, no games-just the knowledge you need to get into college, get money for college and get out of college. Its that simple.
Why am I giving away million dollar advice for FREE? Because when you love helping people accomplish their dreams, and you find your true passion in life (mine is helping people attain a college education)-money isn't necessary. It will come in due time.
So here's the deal- I currently conduct a college prep program in the United States. I will update this blog daily with EXACTLY what you need to do as a high school student to get in to college, get out of college, and move on with your life. I'll include ways to cut through the RED TAPE of Admissions, The Financial Aid office, and anything else you can think of. All you have to do is read and learn.
Oh, and by the way: I attained over $130,000 in scholarships and grants to pay for college, and have assisted students in attaining thousands of dollars to pay for college with this very advice your getting. Yeah, its that good.
Yesterday was the first day of school for millions of US seniors depending on their locations across the country. Take the information to come and achieve your dreams.
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