College Admissions: College-Related New Year Resolutions
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
For Parents of Seniors
- I will seek out frequent opportunities to do something fun with my senior.
- I will not ask my senior a college-related question more than once per week.
- I will be equally enthusiastic about every college acceptance.
- I will not gloat to other parents about my child’s college acceptances or complain about denials.
- I will not ask any other parents about their child’s college acceptances or rejections.
- I will not speculate about why admissions teams made the decisions they did.
- I will allow my senior to make important choices and trust his or her judgment.
- I will allow my senior to fail and learn from her or his mistakes.
- I will make clear agreements with my senior before he or she ventures off to college.
For Seniors
- I will stay focused on my academics for both semesters of senior year.
- Once I hit the final “submit” button on my applications, I will celebrate.
- I will not spend January through March obsessing over admissions outcomes I cannot control.
- I will trust the process and believe that I will end up at the perfect college for me.
- I will be truly happy for my friends’ college acceptances.
- I will enjoy senior year and focus on friends and family.
- I will appreciate my parents even if they are imperfect.
- I will make the most of my college experience wherever I end up.
For Juniors
- I will put forth my best academic efforts this year.
- I will build relationships with at least two junior-year teachers so they know me when I request recommendation letters.
- I will take time to interact with my high school’s college counselor.
- I will complete at least three job shadows to explore potential careers and college majors.
- I will tour at least three colleges by May 2015.
- I will prepare for and complete all my standardized testing (SAT or ACT) by June 2015.
- I will increase my leadership in at least one extracurricular activity.
- I will plan early to use my summer well.
- I will work on my college application essays over the summer.
For Freshmen and Sophomores
- I will learn how I learn best and do more of what works.
- I will take the hardest classes I can handle without sacrificing sleep or sanity (from my favorite blogger Kevin McMullen at Collegewise).
- I will ask for academic help whenever I need it.
- I will not use social media while doing homework or studying.
- I will explore my interests in and out of school.
- I will stick with my favorite extracurricular activity all four years of high school.
- I will use my summer to try something new and increase my skill in something I already love doing.
- I will not make decisions based on what I think will impress some college
Best wishes for a fabulous 2015 to all my readers!
Jodi Walder is the founder of Portland, Oregon-based College Admission Coach LLC, which helps students identify and gain admission to right-fit schools where they will thrive academically and personally. Contact her at [email protected].
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