College EducationGUIDE

MESSENGER POST MEDIA2015

THIS SPECIAL SECTION IS SPONSORED BY NEXTSTEPU CHARIOT LEARNING and QUANTUM PREP

Preparation is the key to getting into college

Families face new challenges preparing for college in todays ever-changing educational landscape.

Getting your son or daughter ready for college can be stressful. The process is more complicated than it was when you may have been preparing yourself for college. Here are just a few of the key items you should be concentrating on right now as your family prepares to apply to colleges later this year.

Assess Strengths Early OnCareer and major exploration may be the most important part of the college planning process. If your family hasnt set the goal for the end result of a college experience, then how can you be sure that you are taking the right first steps?

With that in mind, your son or daughter should consider taking a career or majors assessment test. For many students, a quick assessment test can help with decisions that affect major choices. For example, you know your son wants to pursue a STEM career but hes considering everything from engineering to a career as a math teacher. An assessment test can narrow his options down considerably by focusing on what career allows for the best chance at success for your son.

TIP: Applying to the correct department within the best fit college from the beginning saves money on costly transfers not only from one college to another, but also between departments in the same college. Your family will also save money when your son or daughter graduates on time!

Do Your Homework Your daughter loves the brochure with the lush lawns and smiling students. That college happens to also have the major she is considering shes in love. You want to give your little girl her every wish and immediately start the process for the application.

Slow down! Campus visits, conversations with admissions reps, meeting a professor in department, even taking advantage of an overnight experience with current students these are all available to prospective students families for good reason.

Your family really does need to find a weekend or two to participate in these activities for most of the schools on your list.

There is no substitute for an in-person experience with a college campus. Virtual tours, campus

videos, rankings and articles these are all great for narrowing down your list of schools to apply to, but they should never be the reason why you commit to attend any college.

TIP: You will know if this college is right for your son or daughter by watching their reaction to the campus and faculty in person. Encourage visits to every college you think you would say yes to.

Find an Advocate Your daughter may be looking at career you have little to no knowledge about.

Instead of nodding blankly every time she talks about her future career, help her find a mentor. An internship or shadowing experience will do wonders to help her make decisions about what she wants to do after high school. Youll be setting her up for success in a field she is already passionate about.

As the parent, you also need a mentor. You do not need to prepare for college alone.

There are opportunities available at almost every stage of the experience. Speak with experts or other families who have been there. Become a sponge! Attend workshops and community events where you can meet college planning and financial aid experts and ask questions.

TIP: Find mentors for yourself and your child as you plan for college. While Google is a great tool, getting expert help from people who want to advocate for you is the best option.

NextStepU College Planning Center is a full-service college planning facility in Victor that works nationwide to help families make educated decisions about finding and affording the best college. Visit NextStepUCenters.com for a current listing of free workshops or to work one-on-one with a NextStepU College Coach.

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO MESSENGER POST MEDIA FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 26, 2015

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The rumors are true: the SAT is undergoing a significant change in both style and content. In fact, the high school graduating class of 2017 will be the first to contend with the new-format PSAT in October 2015 and SAT in March 2016. If your teen is a sophomore this year, do you want him or her to be among the first to sit for the new test?

Probably not.The College Board describes the new SAT as a better assessment of college and career readiness as well as an alignment with both the Common Core and what the best educators are doing in classrooms. But the timing of this major overhaul comes as no surprise; last year marked the first time more college-bound seniors took the ACT than the SAT. Considering how many ACT features appear on this new SAT, the revision seems motivated by more than academic concerns.

Early indications suggest that the new SAT will be more challenging in many ways than the current SAT or ACT, which may be sufficient reason to avoid it. Of even greater concern are the entirely new question types and content. The great strength of the College Board

Planning for the new SAT

has historically been the design and delivery of statistically valid college admissions assessments. Until this exam has been sufficiently normed and tested, colleges will be hesitant to use its scores for admissions purposes.

And isnt college admissions what these tests are all about? The reason any student sits for the SAT or ACT is to earn a score that facilitates entry to that dream school, hopefully with a big scholarship. Based on past history, most colleges are likely to wait for the College Board to work out the bugs in the new test before depending on its data. Many schools may want new SAT scores for evaluative purposes, but admissions decisions are likely to be based on scores from the ACT or current SAT.

Ive long been a proponent of early preparation. One of the best times for students, especially those targeting competitive colleges, to prepare for the SAT and ACT is during the summer before 11th grade. Every year, we see students earn their target scores by December of junior yearsometimes even before their PSATswhich frees them to focus more effectively on high stakes spring tests like finals, APs, and Regents.

A proactive approach to planning and preparing for the SAT and ACT has never been more important than now. Some students may naturally find this new Common Core SAT a better fit for their particular strengths, but most will benefit from focusing on the tests we all currently know and, if not love, at least respect. Put your teen in position to take the SAT and ACT early in junior year. The best plan for the new SAT may simply be to avoid it.

Mike Bergin is the president and founder of Chariot Learning, Rochesters leader in individualized SAT & ACT instruction, academic coaching, and subject tutoring. Since 2009, weve been helping high school students succeed in school, tests, and life. Find us at http://chariotlearning.com or call 585-466-4022.Mike Bergin

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Math is pervasive we can use it for mundane (but very important) tasks such as budgeting and saving, cooking for recipe proportions, managing our time, our investments and the list goes on and on. Math is in us and around us. For example, geometry is about learning all the shapes around us. Math is the foundation to many other subjects including science and statistics. Studies show students excel in other subjects when they are strong math students.

A parent once shared that her first experience with math started when she had to make an abacus in school. She used glue and colored beads to make something that was a very fun art project but she also learned that it was the basis of something that we use every single day the current-day calculator. Given that she had Indian parents, using a calculator was not acceptable at home. As a result, she always did mental math, such as multiplication tables on the way to school, addition when she played chutes and ladders, and subtraction while counting cards.

This parents four-year-old child began to learn math while learning to play the piano by counting in threes and fours to get the beat right. Research has shown many correlations between math and music. Those who take piano lessons show better reasoning and problem solving skills. Research has also shown that many musicians love mathematics and mathematicians love music. There is a strong link between the creative and the critical thinking parts of the brain.

For those interested in math outside of their personal lives, there are many rewarding career opportunities available. Studies show

that the highest-earning college degrees have one element in common: math. Many college majors and professions, such as business, marketing, sales, engineering, medicine, physics, nursing, computer science, and actuarial science require courses in math.

Jobs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) are expected to nearly double by 2018 compared to other fields. They are also one of the highest paid. According to U.S. News and World Report, an estimated 1.2 million STEM jobs will go unfilled because the workforce will not have the skills to fill them. The solution is that we must engage more students in math and science early on using exciting and practical applications of these subjects and prepare them for the global economy.

With the above in mind, getting students excited about math through a variety of instructional techniques should be a priority for everyone moving forward.

Quantum Prep helps students develop the fundamental skills necessary to be great atmath. We use a unique combination of mental, visual, tactile, text, and written instructional techniques to engage students and help them build a strong foundation. Quantums Academic and Learning Style Evaluations determine each students strengths, needs and learning styles. Based on those evaluations, instructors work with each student individually and at their own pace to master each skill level.

Curriculum is available in the following subjects: Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus and Calculus. To enroll or learn more, visit quantum-prep.com or call 585-233-9166.

MATh: here, there, everywhere!

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