Helping families find the right college fit – academics, social, and budget
This is a quick article from CNBC with Mark Cuban (that guy from Shark Tank). He talks about how teaching kids to be entrepreneurs is a great stepping stone to everything else in life. If you follow my Savvy High Schooler’s Path to College, you know we talk about the same thing Mr. Cuban is – find your passion. What do you enjoy doing? Why do you enjoy it? It’s always nice to be validated by a successful celebrity!
That’s right some colleges are creating video game teams to compete! And you thought your kid was just wasting time! This Dayton, Ohio’s WHIO Channel 7 news story explains there is scholarship money for competitive video gaming. There is a National ESports is the association that colleges are part of to compete.
Check out the story here: https://www.whio.com/news/local/video-gaming-could-lead-college-scholarships/oEKKsk0ftQaDpVr5tBlVHM/
Who doesn’t like free? This is a great article from Elearing Inside about some options for free SAT and ACT! Khan Academy is well known of the three discusses and generally focuses on the SAT rather than the ACT. I’m a big fan of Khan Academy but that doesn’t mean the other two sites aren’t worth a look.
Union Test Prep (which I wasn’t familiar with) had a great user interface and very clear help for the ACT.
The 3rd mentioned in Prepfactory is also offers both ACT and SAT help.
Check them out and see which works best for you! Check out the article for more information!
3 Free SAT and ACT Test Prep Resources, and Why You Should Use Them
It’s that time of year – yeah sorry not the turkey, tree-trimming time of year, but rather the “we’re freaking out because the last tests of the ACT and SAT of the year are almost over.”
I just read the Education Week’s article: Importance of SAT, ACT Scores Dwindling in College Admissions and I fully agree that the importance of the SAT and ACT have lessened over the years at schools. And yet, there are three clear areas SAT and ACT scores matter – highly selective schools, homeschool students, and academic scholarships.
Highly Selective Schools-
Highly selective schools (which include NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill, not just Duke) rely on tests scores to deal with their overwhelming amount of applications. It is used as a weeding out process – you don’t have a certain score and you are put in the “no thanks” pile.
Homeschool Students –
Colleges really love homeschool students. They find they are usually more prepared for college than their traditional school peers because they are usually strong writers and independent learners. The only hiccup for colleges is making sure the homeschool student really has the college chops as GPAs are usually not as valued. This is where the tests come in. It is a clear sign to colleges that the homeschooler is just as qualified as a traditional student.
Academic Scholarships –
Academic awards for financial aid are highly coveted. One way they are allocated is based on your GPA and test scores. If you are looking for academic awards at a school where it is a reach for your student, they are less likely to get much in merit aid. However, if you are looking at merit aid at a school where you are an academic star, you are more likely to get more merit aid.
Check out this article from Education Week and their thoughts on the weight of SAT and ACT test scores.
Education Week’s Importance of SAT, ACT Scores Dwindling in College Admissions
Are you feeling stressed about the SAT and the ACT? Fear not – Money magazine has pulled together a list of 10 colleges that don’t measure you based on some test. Homeschool students should note this may not apply to you as the SAT and ACT are frequently heavily used by colleges to determine if you are college ready.
Spoiler Alert – Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC and James Madison University of Harrisonburg, VA made the list!
Money Magazine’s 10 Top Colleges That Don’t Care About Your SAT Scores