Choosing a college can be a daunting task for any teenager. With thousands of colleges vying for students, it’s difficult to narrow down the field. As parents, it’s our job to guide our teens in the right direction. In simple terms, choosing the right college is like choosing the right outfit. If it fits, and you look great in it, your confidence gets a boost, and you feel like a million bucks. If it doesn’t fit, you feel unattractive, uncomfortable and can’t wait to take it off. That perfect-fit college will affect your teen’s outlook, success, emotions, and ultimately shape their future.
How do you find that perfect college fit? You have to “try them on for size”. You and your teen need to chat with admissions advisors, students, visit the campuses, and learn from the experts. You have to find the college that recognizes your teen’s potential and values them for what they do well. You need to understand about the importance of the essay, the overall application, the GPA and financing. It’s a tall order and one that can overwhelm even the most organized, got-it-together parent, or the most driven, college-focused teen.
Thankfully, there’s a marvelous resource for both parents and students available online and on-demand. It’s a virtual college fair at College Week Live. This is a FREE resource helping parents and teens by providing information to help with the college decision process. The virtual fair is held “live” twice a year, in the fall and the spring (March 24-25,2010). But, if your schedule doesn’t permit, the presentations and student chats are archived for you to view any time you choose.
What’s the benefit? You hear about colleges and their admissions procedures “straight from the horse’s mouth”—admissions officers. Your teen can watch and listen to college chats from current college students all across the country. You and your teen can browse the college booths and watch campus videos, connect to the official website, and learn about college-specific programs.
Following is a short list of a few of the archived video presentations:
ü How to Choose a College
ü 10 College Admissions Secrets
ü SAT Test Taking Strategies
ü Ask the Admissions Officer
ü The Paying for College Timeline
ü The Hidden Ivies: 50 Top Colleges
And, remember, it’s NEVER TOO EARLY to start gathering information. If your college-bound teen is a freshman, now is the time to start “trying on” colleges. The more colleges your teen tries on for size, the more likely they will find that perfect fit!
UPCOMING COLLEGE LIVE EVENT: College Week Live is hosting another LIVE event on Thursday, January 14th from 3-10PM EST. The event, “Paying for College”, will focus on topics related to scholarships and financial aid. Scholarship and financial aid gurus offer essential information immediately applicable to your financial aid search. You can visit virtual college booths with financial aid representatives and if the parent attends, your college-bound teen will be eligible for a $1000 Scholarship. The event is FREE and easy to register and view online.
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