Posts Tagged ‘expert college counselor’

FAFSA To Be Required for Florida Bright Futures effective July 1

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

While we can’t confirm the details, but here is what we know so far:
 
All students applying for and/or receiving a Bright Futures scholarship will be required to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
 
This new law, which goes into effect July 1, applies to incoming freshman, graduating from high school in 2012 as well as students renewing their Bright Futures scholarships.
 
No FAFSA = No Bright Futures $$$$ even though Bright Futures is still a merit-based scholarship and NOT need-based.
 
Students who do NOT submit a FAFSA application will not receive their Bright Futures Scholarship money this fall.
 
The FAFSA is also required for students getting Florida Resident Access Grants and Access to Better Learning and Education Grants.
  
A FAFSA is a detailed financial form used by the government to determine a student’s eligibility for need-based federal student financial aid. Until now a FAFSA was never required for Bright Futures. Lawmakers claim their only aim with a required FAFSA is to get more demographic information about students who are attending college on taxpayer money.  Common wisdom says that lawmakers are making it more difficult for students to get the scholarship money.  Students will need their parents help to fill out the forms, which are very detailed.
 
Parents and students with questions about the FAFSA requirement should contact their college, a university financial aid counselor, or a college admissions expert at International College Counselors.

International College Counselors
954-414-9986

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE COUNSELORS
International College Counselors provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications. Mandee Heller Adler, college admissions consultant and Founder of International College Counselors tailors her college counseling and college coaching services to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each student. Our college advising company works with domestic and international students. Let us help you make the best decisions in choosing, getting into, and paying for college.
 

                  
 

How to Help your High School Junior

Sunday, October 3rd, 2010

Junior year is the homestretch. The critical decisions that are made this year could have a major impact on the next five years of your life –and long beyond. This is the year students start narrowing lists of colleges and career paths. This is the last full year of grades that college admissions officers will review.

Parents need to continue making this college admissions journey fun and positive. For many students, the college admissions process can feel so overwhelming, they become frozen, missing deadlines and forgetting important details. With the right strategy stress can be minimized – it isn’t realistic to believe it will be eliminated. Approach this as a bonding discovery process for all involved. Parents: Let your child know that you’re proud of your child and you’re there to give your support.

Here are some other International College Counselors tips for parents:

Time Management

• Review your student’s schedule with him or her at the beginning of the school year. The goal is to have your child enroll in challenging classes that will help them prepare for college. If your student is aiming for the more competitive schools he or she must take college-prep classes, including advanced-placement. Care must be taken not to overload on classes or extracurricular activities as junior year courses and grades are critical. A college bound student should be aiming slightly above his or her comfort level. A student needs to show the college admissions team that he or she pushes him or herself.

• Make sure your student meets with a college counselor to discuss college plans and review his or her transcript and experience.

• Help your student keep a calendar. Work with him or her to update it regularly with any important dates and deadlines.

Standardized Tests

• Make sure your student stakes the PSAT/NMSQT again, which is given in October. If your student does well on the exam, he or she can qualify for a National Merit Scholarship

• As quickly as possible, plan the junior year testing schedule. A student can take either the SAT or up to three SAT Subject Tests on one test day, or the ACT. Your student should take the SAT and the ACT tests before the end of their junior year. We always recommend that the student try BOTH the SAT and the ACT. The colleges accept them equally, and students often have a natural inclination towards one test.

• Invest in SAT and/or ACT test review material. Juniors should begin preparing for these tests as soon as possible so that the process isn’t rushed. SAT/ACT test prep can include an online course or traditional class, and practice tests. Make sure your student spends time studying the material for the test. Neither of these tests can be crammed for in one night.

Extracurricular activities

• Encourage your child to remain involved with extracurricular activities. This year is very important. Colleges want to see that a student sticks with something. Encourage your child to assume a leadership role in an extracurricular activity. If your child’s forte is sports or music, consider getting involved in regional, state or national competitions. Colleges aren’t looking for quantity in activities, but quality. And advancement.

College selection/ Application preparation

• Encourage your student to get to know the junior year teachers – and leave a positive impression on them. This is preparation for the all important college recommendations.

• Start narrowing down colleges and universities. Information can be gathered in books and on websites. Try to talk to alumni or current students. In the spring, your student should meet with his or her college counselor to draft a college list. Before the start of your student’s senior year, the goal is to develop a list of 15-20 colleges of interest.

• Talk about career choice(s). These may have a big impact on the list of potential colleges to be considered. The idea here is not to have a student commit to a career path, but to try and narrow down the career possibilities.

• Go on college campus tours with your student. Make sure you take a look at the whole range: public, private, large and small. Consider taking a college road tour over Spring Break. Schedule interviews with admissions counselors at the colleges your student is most interested in.

• Attend any college fairs that come to your area, as well as presentations by traveling college admissions officers.

Money

• Keep talking about financing college if you haven’t already. Talking about money helps students understand how much college really costs, and how they can help defray the costs through applying to private scholarships and getting good grades. Talking about money will also start introducing them to the adult concepts like financial aid and loans. Generally, if you treat your child like an adult now, chances are they will behave more like an adult later.

• Hop on the internet and research scholarships. Then help your student apply to them. Meeting deadlines is a must. Make sure everything is proofread.

Summer

• Help your student find a summer opportunity. This could include an internship, job or college program. Whatever it is, start early. You want to beat the competition. Many other students are going to be looking for opportunities, too. Do some networking on your student’s behalf. If your student is interested in medicine, see who is in your network that you might be able to call. The same goes for if your student wants to be a graphic designer or a lawyer.

• Help your student search online for summer school programs for high school students at colleges, if this is the route they choose.

All year round

• Encourage your child to read. It’s the best way to prepare for the SAT and all standardized exams. If they don’t have a favorite author? Take them to the local library to explore popular options within their age group.

Most importantly: Be there for your child. Be present in his or her life. Listen to his or her hopes, fears and goals. Working together can make these dreams more real and much more possible.

How to Help your High School Freshman. Tips from International College Counselors.

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

Many parents ask our expert college counselors at International College Counselors how early their students need to start preparing for the college admissions process. The answer from our expert college counselors: as soon as possible, especially if your student is looking at competitive schools.

The secret is to make the process fun. And not stress your student out too early or too much. College admissions stress is inevitable but it can be minimized even if your child is aiming for the Ivy League. Plus, expert college counselors know, the journey towards a college degree can be a bonding discovery process for all involved.

Here are some International College Counselors tips for parents:

• Review your student’s schedule with him or her at the beginning of the school year. The goal is to have your child enroll in challenging classes that will help them prepare for college. Help your child be less afraid to reach slightly higher than their comfort level. Build your child’s confidence and offer your support. But, expert college counselors understand, be mindful of the realities and don’t push your student too far above his or her level.

• Make sure your student meets with his or her counselor to discuss college plans. Students tend to procrastinate. (You don’t need to be an expert, or a college counselor, or work at International College Counselors to know this.)

• Help your student start a calendar. Work with him or her to update it regularly with any important dates and deadlines.

• Encourage your child to get involved with extracurricular activities. Who knows your child best, but you? Take what you’ve observed over the past 13 years and encourage your student to explore their interests. Water polo, bowling, harp playing, choir, drama, debate, or starting a business. Explore interests outside the school as well. Is your child interested in science? Have them check out volunteer opportunities at a local science museum or center. If your student likes to write, maybe there’s a place for him or her to cover high school activities for the local paper. If a child has an interest in an activity, there’s a greater chance they’ll stick with it and accomplish something. Colleges like to see that a student stays with something and moves up in it. If you’re in Broward, Palm Beach, or Miami, college counselor at International College Counselors know you have many, many options.

• Start talking about financing college. Talking about money helps students understand how much college really costs, and how they can help defray the costs through applying to private scholarships and getting good grades. Talking about money will also start introducing them to the adult concepts like financial aid and loans. Generally, if you treat your child like an adult now, chances are they will behave more like an adult later. Even in 9th grade there are scholarship monies available to use towards college. Topics expert college counselors at International College Counselors suggest include how much money they’ll need for college, how much they should try to save, and ways to reach their goal, whether it’s part-time work or more AP classes.

• Familiarize yourself with the SAT Subject Tests and help build your child’s confidence in his or her strong subjects. Encourage him or her to take the tests as soon as they finish the course so the material is still fresh to them. Subject Tests include World History, Literature, Biology E/M, and Chemistry.

• Help your student find a summer opportunity. Do some networking on their behalf. If your student is interested in medicine, see who is in your network that you might be able to call. The same goes for if your student wants to be a graphic designer or a vet. Many businesses wouldn’t mind a free volunteer. Suggest opportunities around the community your student might not have considered. Students tend to be so caught up in their own world, they may not even realize there may be a cool museum nearby to volunteer at and gain the kind of experience college admissions officers smile upon.

• Help your student search online for summer school programs for high school students at colleges, if this is the route they choose.

• Encourage your child to read. It’s the best way to prepare for the SAT and all standardized exams. If they don’t have a favorite author? Take them to the local library to explore popular options within their age group.

• Go on college campus visits with your student. At this point in the game, it’s low pressure. Make it fun. When you go on any family vacations, make it a point to visit college campuses around your destination. Even if the schools are not on your child’s radar, these visits will give everyone a chance to get a feel for the options.

Most importantly: Be there for your child. Be present in his or her life. Listen to his or her hopes, fears and goals. Working together can make these dreams more real and much more possible.

International College Counselors provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications. Mandee Heller Adler, lead college admissions consultant and Founder of International College Counselors tailors her wide range of college counseling and college coaching services to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each individual student, whether Florida college or Ivy League university. Our college advising company, based in Miami-Dade, Florida, works with domestic and international students. We also work with high schools in Miami, Boca, Broward and Palm Beach. Let us help you make the best decisions choosing, getting into, and paying for college.

Homework for Mom and Dad

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

You’re not free and clear yet, mom and dad! College crunch time also includes you. Don’t forget to fill out any appropriate financial aid forms before the financial aid deadlines.

Don’t miss out on valuable financial aid money, and please don’t rely on your children to fill in the forms. Very few will understand all the financial jargon and will need your guidance.

Making mistakes on your financial aid forms like FAFSA could delay your application and quite possibly make you lose out on some financial aid. And, you know, If you receive federal financial aid because your FAFSA contained incorrect information, you have to repay it.

The best way to complete financial aid forms is early. Do them online if possible, many websites (like FAFSA) are designed to catch errors.

Our expert college counselors say, you can’t go wrong if you:

1. Very carefully read the directions and the questions.
2. Clearly, accurately, and completely fill in every field.
3. Meet the deadlines.

Here is a link to some information on common mistakes parents make when filling out financial aid forms from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
http://www.nasfaa.org/publications/2009/rntips021209.html

The biggest mistake, however, is not applying!

Although our expert college counselors at International College Counselors do not provide financial aid support, we can help you find some help from a reputable financial planner.
Remember, the longer you wait, the harder it will be.

International College Counselors

Mandee Heller Adler
mandee@internationalcollegecounselors.com

Barry Liebowitz
barry@internationalcollegecounselors.com

If you have any other college admissions questions for a college counselor, we’d be happy to answer them.

International College Counselors provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications. Mandee Heller Adler, college admissions consultant and Founder of International College Counselors tailors her college counseling and college coaching services to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each student. Our college advising company works with domestic and international students. Let us help you make the best decisions in choosing, getting into, and paying for college.

Starting the School Year Right

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

Advice from an expert college advisor

For anxious new freshman or confident seniors, heading back to school signals a time of transition: new classes, new teachers, new opportunities. For all grades too, this is a time to prepare for college by making the most of this year.

To help start the school year right, our college counselors at International College Counselors made a general September checklist.

• Consider your courses and teachers and decide if you’re happy with your choices. Ask yourself if you’re sufficiently challenged or overwhelmed, and if you should switch some classes. It’s important to take challenging courses, but it’s equally important that you do well in them.

• Build your vocabulary. READ. READ. READ. The PSAT and SAT both count on your having a good vocabulary. It is much easier to build this slowly and naturally than to try and cram it in before a test. If you see or hear words you don’t know or can’t grasp the meaning from the context, jot them down and then, use a dictionary or www.dictionary.com to learn the word’s definition.

• Take a good look at what your high school offers like clubs, activities, sports, and classes. The beginning of the school year is the best time to make some decisions about what interests you. Did you like what you were doing last year or do you want to make a change? For freshmen, this is a chance to try something completely new. Once you decide what you want to try, find out how you can get involved in those specific organizations. And remember, to try something new. You may never know if you’ll like something until you try it and you can always change.

• Start looking into scholarships and consider which ones you will apply for. There are many freshmen are eligible for as well as sophomores, juniors and seniors. Write down the deadlines and stay on top of them.
Stay tuned, in our next blog we’re going to reveal the International College Counselors scholarship. We’re awarding 4 scholarships worth $250 each.

The college advisors at International College Counselors are available to help you. Please contact us with any questions you may have.

International College Counselors
Main office: 954.253.5719

Mandee Heller Adler
mandee@internationalcollegecounselors.com

Barry Liebowitz
barry@internationalcollegecounselors.com

International College Counselors
3107 Stirling Road, Suite 208
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312 USA
(954) 414-9986

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