Imagine your student waking up in her dorm next August and setting out for her first day of class. As she’s walking, she realizes she really doesn’t have a clue as to why she’s in college and even more puzzling, why she’s at that particular university. Unfortunately, this is a scenario that plays out all over the United States. Is the student seeing the bigger picture or is she there by default and is not really engaged in the experience college can offer? This situation can be avoided with a little forethought and strategic professional planning.

Nearly 50% of college freshman will not graduate. Yes, I said almost 50%, and let me say that the other 50% take, on average, 5.5 years to complete their undergraduate degree. If you accept the fact that a typical private college today (cost of attendance) is approximately $30,000 per year, this endeavor is fraught with peril. A student attending two years and leaving without the degree leaves you around $60,000 lighter in the bank! However, this $60,000 pales in comparison to the potential loss in future income your son or daughter miss out on because the degree was not earned. According to some studies, a person with a bachelor’s degree will earn, on average, $1,000,000 more than a high school graduate over their working career.

Is degree attainment only an economic consideration? Certainly not. A college degree can also lead to greater personal growth, cultural awareness, and increased social awareness. It is critically important for your student to go to college knowing why he/she is there. Unless the proper steps are taken to ascertain what the goals are (career planning), which institutions are best suited to attain those goals (college search), and which school is the best fit (selection) your student may not graduate.

As parents, we’d like to believe that the present system would not let this happen to our children. However, the reality is that the system is broken. How else to explain the data? College today is BIG business, expensive, and essential. Relying solely on the present system is a recipe for failure.

So what is a parent to do? Many quality companies have stepped forward to take on this challenge and provide needed expertise in the areas of career planning, college search, college selection, and college funding. They exist, not to replace what the high schools and colleges may provide, but to complement their efforts. Most of these companies will begin to work with your student, if you choose, as early as freshman year in high school.

Studies indicate 50% of people are not happy in their career choice. Perhaps many of them showed up on campus like lost sheep or perhaps they left college before completing the task. At this critical stage of their life, taking advantage of professional help can give our children a better future – both financially and mentally

It’s not unusual for parents to ask me something like, “What can my student do over the summer to give them an edge in the college admission process?”   So without further ado, here’s my Top 10 list for College-Bound Students: 

#10 – Prepare for the dreaded SAT / ACT tests

This could be a book, online course or a visit to the tutoring centers in your area.   It will keep your mind focused and give your extra confidence when you sit down to take the SAT in October.  

#9 – Don’t forget the Essays

I find many students procrastinate on this subject, mainly because they don’t realize the difficulty of writing a solid essay (in 25 minutes on the SAT!)   Your best bet is to start on several drafts for the admissions essay and then have a close friend or relative read it and give you their opinion.   Essays can carry a lot of weight with admission officers.   So it’s to your advantage to have a well thought-out essay prepared for the fall of your senior year.  

#8 – Get a Job- or better yet, an internship!

Don’t be the student who plays video games all summer long or becomes a familiar face at the local amusement park by utilizing that season pass like a champ.   Take this time to get involved with a company; it will teach you commitment and responsibility.   Starting your own business can earn major brownie points with an admission officer.   The same goes for an internship in a field you are interested in.  It shows the school that you are committed to your field of study.  

#7 – Summer School, here I come!

It doesn’t sound too exciting, but just like an internship, taking a summer class earns those needed brownie points with admission counselors.    This can give you that needed edge over other students who spent their time at the beach.   Plus your academic focus remains constant over the summer months.   

#6 – College Visit schedule / College Picks (For upcoming seniors)

This is the time for upcoming seniors to put their energy into their college picks.   Your goal should be to have 6-10 schools decided on by Halloween.   In order to accomplish this, you need to do a detailed search, and schedule your visits.   Your college visit is extremely important.   Do NOT put this off until your senior year, or you will be sorry!

#5  – Have fun!!

I bet the students reading this are finally relieved to see this!   Yes, you should have fun this summer.   That’s what summer is for, so get out there and enjoy it.   Whatever your passion is, my advice would be to use the extra time you have during the summer months to pursue your passions.  

# 4 – Volunteer your time to the less fortunate

Colleges are looking at this more and more each year.   Some require a minimum of 100 hours of community service.   Find the time to research different organizations within your area that you feel fit your personality and get involved.   Serving meals at the homeless shelter is great, but if you were able to show your dedication through organizing an event on your own that benefited the less fortunate, now you’re standing out.  

# 3 – Continue to revisit your College Search / Picks

I listed this twice due to its importance with upcoming seniors.   The message here is GET ORGANIZED!  Keep separate folders for each school.   Make sure you print out the loads of information that is available on the internet for each school.   If you have questions, call the admission office, they’ll be glad to answer your question.   Remember, they want your application, so they will do anything to please you.   Sign up for the common application at www.commonapp.org.   You will be happy you’ve done this once you start hearing the horror stories from your other classmates who put all this off during the summer.

# 2 – Be sure to spend time with your loved ones

Summer is supposed to be fun, and it can be.   The items above are not necessarily hard to accomplish; they’re just tedious.   If you devote the time throughout the summer days, it will be time well spent and your stress level will be reduced during your senior year.   

# 1 – READ, READ, READ

Get a great book that interests you and dive into to it.   Set a goal to read 2, 3, or 5 books before the summer ends.   Take it with you to the beach or just sit in the air conditioning at home and get lost in one.   Not only can reading be enjoyable, but it’s a way to study for the standardized test and can be much more fun than the standard way to study for these test.   Plus, don’t be surprised if you’re not asked in a college interview what was the last book you read.   (Try Mary Shelly’s version of Frankenstein.  It’s rumored to have “all the SAT vocabulary words included in it.”  Of course thus isn’t true, but there sure are a lot of those vocabulary words in there!)

Following these tips will help ensure a less stressful college admission experience.   Enjoy your summer!