What we covered during the main session last month (July)
Extracurricular activities: - How to stand out in extracurricular activities while participating in activities your kid actually enjoys
- Colleges want to see that your kid is making an impact beyond him or herself (in their school, neighborhood, community, town, city, state, etc.)
- Extending 1-2 interests through different extensions (ex: volunteer, clubs, entrepreneurial, extended education, self learning, etc.) in a deep way, rather than “being well rounded” and participating in every activity under the sun
Volunteer / community service: - Many schools require a specific # of hours, but students stand out when the volunteer work they do is truly meaningful and is a part of their broader story
Building a story to strengthen applications in the future:- Having a “story” is what really makes your student stand out among the sea of competitive applicants! If you missed this session, make sure to watch the replay to learn more about what we mean by “building a story”...
- Joining the JV Concierge program gives you a headstart to help your kid build their story! This is something that can’t always be done once it’s too late (i.e. late Junior year/early Senior year)....give yourself a pat on the back for understanding this now!
What we’ll be covering in the main session this month:
- PSAT testing (what it is, why it can be beneficial, whether your kid should study/prepare ahead of time or not)
- GPA myths & reality (How much does the GPA matter? Does taking the challenging class look better than having a higher GPA?)
- Admissions myths & how it really works (Learn how admissions decisions actually take place so you can help your kid prepare early on)
Action items to be aware of in August:
- For students going into their Junior year, continue to buckle down on either SAT or ACT preparation (1-2 months of serious study)
- Consider registering for an upcoming SAT or ACT test at the beginning of the school year (rising Juniors only)
- Visit college campuses if you have time this summer (especially if you pass by any campuses during family vacations)
- Participate in activities this summer that enhance your kid’s overall “story,” while they have more time in the day to do activities that they love
- Continue to participate in school clubs and extracurricular activities at the beginning of the school year that continue to build your kid’s story; consider leadership positions
Reminder for how to get the most out of the concierge service:
- The 1st Wednesday of every month will be the monthly coaching session. Office hours vary so check the google sheet.
- During office hours, we’ll answer any general questions that we’ve received via emails or posted in the FB groups.
- Use the Facebook group to share information with one another, and ask questions on your mind (we’ll look here before office hours).
- We send reminder emails the day of monthly sessions and office hours. Please add "debbie@road2college.com" to your email address book if you aren't receiving our emails.
- We've created a google sheet with the calendar of all the sessions and topics. In addition, there is a tab in the google sheet labeled "Videos" that has links to all the recorded sessions.
- We really want your feedback and will be sending a survey after each session to hear what you have to say. It's very short (4 questions). We want to make sure you are getting what you need out of the service and your feedback will help us continue to improve things.
The next Office Hours is Wednesday, August 28th at 7pm EST.
Best,
Russ, Marisa & Debbie
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