Great Information for Parents of College-Bound Students
Dear Parents:
Only six weeks left in the school year for our Texas students. Spring fever is underway as is senioritis! Our seniors are in the final stages of making decisions where they plan to attend college. Fortunately, all have good choices.
The first article is not a surprise to those of us who work with high schools students day in and day out, but for parents, it can be an unpleasant surprise. We all want our students to do well in school, but grade inflation is not good
because students can be ill-prepared for the rigor of college if they have been given high marks throughout high school with very little effort, or have always been praised for mediocre work by their teachers. Grade inflation is becoming more common every year throughout the country.
The second article is one close to my heart. Safety schools are often great schools that roll out the red carpet for students who applied because these students have qualifications in the top 1-2% of their applicants. These are the students who, throughout high school have taken the most rigorous curriculum, have been a leader in most all of their activities and become very involved in their community. Not only are they admitted, but often are rewarded financially. Merit scholarships are a way to differentiate these students, thus makes them special. Often, the President and/are the Deans of the college know who these students are. When my students are selecting their colleges as juniors, I try to make sure they have at least one to three safety schools that they love as much as the other schools on their college list.
Enjoy these last weeks of the school year. Thanks for taking the time to read our newsletter!
Sincerely,
Catherine Marrs, CEP
Educational Consultant
The 'Other' College Scandal: Grade Inflation Has Turned Transcripts into Monopoly Money
The blockbuster college admissions scandal continues to make headlines: The rich and powerful are being charged with engaging in fraudulent practices (bribery and fixing test scores) to get their academically unqualified kids into a number of elite colleges.
Source: Tom Lindsay - Forbes
Let’s hear it for the ‘safety school’
Though college admissions scandals starring the rich and famous have dominated recent headlines, most college-bound high school seniors still apply with a hope and a prayer rather than a bribe. Students (and their parents) are elated when a “reach” school extends admission.
Source: Caitlin Cross-Barnet - The Baltimore Sun