Back to School and the College Admission Process

Dear Parents:

It is hard to believe summer is over! I hope it was a restful and fun couple of months. Many schools in Texas have already started back this school year. High School seniors are hopefully starting their college applications and the application essays. If not, please encourage your senior to start now. Many seniors and juniors are practicing for the standardized testing that occurs at the end of August through December.

The two articles I have selected this month are from Forbes magazine. Sometimes Forbes has  excellent articles on the subject of college. The first is a great reminder of how to approach applying to college. It stresses the need for students to be purposeful in their approach to selecting schools to apply for admission. Both the Common Application and the Coalition College Application give students the opportunity to apply to an excessive number of schools. Excessive, in my opinion, is greater than 10-12 schools. If students are really researching schools, they will find 10 -12 that absolutely will meet their needs and their interests. Applying to more than 10-12, in my opinion, adds significant stress and pressure on seniors. Each school may have more than one essay. If each school has two, the number of essays required can really add up. Students taking AP and IB courses are already dealing with significant homework. If they are also taking standardized tests in August and September, that too can add additional stress. 

The second article is on a topic that is being discussed more and more these days due to the cost of attending college. It is a discussion of the pros and cons of trade schools. Not every senior is ready for college right after high school. Some high school students are not interested in attending college, rather they enjoy working with their hands, possibly being outdoors or running their own entrepreneurial operation. We are going to be facing a shortage in skilled labor in the coming years. There is good money to be made as a plumber, HVAC expert, jet engine mechanic and automobile mechanic. 

I hope you find these interesting and informative. I wish each and everyone of you a successful and enjoyable fall with your high school students. Please let me know if you have any comments or questions about these articles or the college admission process in general. 

Sincerely,
Catherine
Catherine L. Marrs, CEP

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