It’s about that time of year again! Summertime is coming to an end and the first day of school is here! We are just as excited as you are for another great year at William & Reed Academy.
One of our goals at William & Reed Academy is to prepare students for the college of their choice, both inside and outside of the classroom! We know we are not the only ones that want the brightest future possible for our students.
There are a few things that you, as a parent, can do to prepare your child for college!
1. Be Supportive
College can be a big stressor in many of our students’ lives. One of the most important things you can do to help out your student is be supportive. Going off to college and, in most cases, leaving home for the first time, can be a difficult transition for students to make. Support your child by having an open dialogue about college from an early age so that this transition is exciting rather than nerve racking! Have regular conversations with your child about college and their future plans so than an open line of communication exists is important.
2. Be Realistic
With college admissions, a ton of different factors go into whether or not a school accepts an application. Test scores, extracurriculars, GPA, community involvement, and leadership skills all play into how a school views your student’s application. When preparing to apply for colleges, sit down and set realistic goals based on the benchmarks the college has set. You should have you student apply three different kinds of schools: a dream school, a target school, and a safety school.
Dream schools are your long shot schools. If your student could go anywhere for college where would they go? This is a school, typically where the student’s academic credentials fall in the lower end, or even slightly below, the school's average range for the group of students accepted the previous year. It may be a long shot but should not out of the realm of possibility!
Target schools are the schools that your student’s academic credentials (SAT scores, ACT scores, and GPA) fall within the average range of those accepted. While nothing is set in stone, it’s reasonable to expect acceptance from most of your target schools.
Safety schools are those that your student’s academic credentials fall above the range of those typically accepted. This is still a college you should be certain of an acceptance letter coming in the mail.
3. Begin Early
The earlier you start preparing your kid for college, the higher the chances of an acceptance into a dream school! Whether it is staying on top of their grades, encouraging them to participate in any and all extracurricular that they show interest in, or even starting SAT/ACT prep early. Schedule a meeting with your student’s guidance counselor or admissions counselor as early as their freshman year of high school to see what additional steps you can take towards their success.
We look forward to another great year at William & Reed! Visit our website to schedule a tour of our academy!
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