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Posts Tagged guidance counselor

Waiting for the “Fat Envelope”

Waiting for the “Fat Envelope”

“The waiting is the hardest part.” – Tom Petty. Unless your high school student was accepted to his or her first choice college through Early Decision or Early Action, your family is probably still in waiting mode. Your student may receive some Regular Decision notifications by mid-March. But the final

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Why Does a High School Student Need a Resume?

Why Does a High School Student Need a Resume?

“Am I My Resume?” -Edward Kleban, A Chorus Line. Why does an 11th or 12th Grader need to create a RESUME? After all, the high school guidance department already asks for a “brag sheet,” that usually includes a template for recording one’s activities and accomplishments. The Common

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College Applications: Guidance Department Input Sheets

“You don’t have to be famous. You just have to make your mother and father proud of you.” – Meryl Streep. Many high school guidance departments in my local area of Northern New Jersey distribute input sheets to their students spring of junior year, requesting participation by

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Parents of 11th Graders: Get Set for “Junior College Night”

Parents of 11th Graders: Get Set for “Junior College Night”

“I go to seek a Great Perhaps.” -François Rabelais. You just got a notice from your 11th Grader’s guidance counselor that parents are strongly encouraged to attend upcoming “Junior College Night.” They want you to know it’s time to get serious about your student’s college future. What to

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The College Waiting Game

The College Waiting Game

“The stretching of your faith is immediate pain that results in ultimate gain. It is in the waiting that we become who we are meant to be.” -Mandy Hale. November and December of senior year, probably the most nerve-wracking time in the whole college application process. Your

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December 15 College News: Deferral or Denial

December 15 College News: Deferral or Denial

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill. This post offers suggestions for next steps after receiving a deferral or denial from an Early Action or Early Decision college, with advice from Admissions Matters: What Students and Parents Need to

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College Acceptances and Denials: The Best and Worst Things That Could Happen

College Acceptances and Denials: The Best and Worst Things That Could Happen

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect to your future.” -Steve Jobs. There seems to be so much at stake when college admissions decisions come out, whether it is

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Teachers’ Recommendations: Mentorship 101

Teachers’ Recommendations: Mentorship 101

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” –  John Crosby. It is spring of your high school student’s junior year. He or she is busy preparing for standardized tests and trying to maximize cumulative GPA, while participating

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What Is Important to Colleges? Top Ten Factors

What Is Important to Colleges? Top Ten Factors

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” -William James. SATs as an extracurricular activity? Traveling soccer clubs beginning in kindergarten? Making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the homeless? President of the tiddly-wink club? Curing cancer with My First Chemistry Kit? What should

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How to Plan a College Visit

How to Plan a College Visit

“The value of experience is not in seeing much, but in seeing wisely.” – William Osler. It’s that time of year again. School holidays are coming up: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Spring Break, Easter Break. Time for high school juniors to explore college campuses. You

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