So the snow is not really here yet, but let’s start thinking about summer jobs and internships anyway…

The key to networking is to know as many people as possible and to have them know what you’re looking for. Now, these contacts are not actively looking for a job for you but rather they are aware of you and will think of you first when they hear of opportunities. What to know when you begin to network.

Know the market you want to penetrate so you can have a specific group of companies or individuals to go after. This will help you create a target list regardless of if you know contacts there or not. Create this list by using the phone book, industry directories chambers of commerce, reaching out to family and friends, etc.

Learn as much as you can about a person and their company as you can. This will give you things to talk about so you’re not just contacting people “to see if there is a job/internship.” This is a step worth cultivating as you will always benefit from learning to engage people in conversation, and the ability to steer it in the direction of your choice, immeasurable.

Do not limit your number of contacts. Volume is key here. You often have to make your own contacts. Expand your contact base past college and high school – use college alumni in the area, parents and relatives’ co-workers, church and clubs too. You don’t need to ask for a job, be honest, say you’re researching potential internships and/or summer jobs and would like feedback from someone in the industry.

Seize the opportunity. Ask for more contacts! If certain contacts have been helpful ask if there’s anyone else they suggest you talk with or if the person was recently hired, if there was someone who was particularly helpful to them.

Do not give up if people aren’t responding to your emails or calls. If this happens, it’s time to reevaluate what you’re asking. Potential networking contacts may be reading you as simply asking if there are any openings. You need to make sure you are asking for specific information (not simply for “advice”) and for something people can easily give. It is important to stay in touch and follow-up with contacts that have taken the time to talk to you.
Networking can be difficult and frustrating at times but it’s the number one way to land a job!

Good luck and keep at it!

All colleges have application deadlines, but they are not the same. It is very important that you check out your college choices directly for their exact deadline. Early decision, early action and application deadlines vary greatly. Read the link below for some very useful information on deadline dates and remember – BETTER LATE THAN NEVER DOES NOT APPLY TO APPLICATIONS!

Application Deadlines

It’s a good idea for every high school student to create a résumé. It should be included with college applications and given to those who are writing your recommendation letters. The purpose of creating a résumé is to give a future employer, college, or reference more information about you. It should contain information about you to give the reader a complete picture of who you are as a student and person. Submitting a résumé to the admissions office with your application will help them have a more complete picture of you. Providing it for those who are writing recommendation letters, will help produce a more accurate letter about you.

No matter where you’re applying or what you will study in college, your volunteer experience should be included. List your participation in programs such as Habitat for Humanity or the local soup kitchen, include any honors that you have achieved, such as the National Honor Society, and clubs and sports you have participated in. If you have particular skills with computer software (Word, Excel, Photoshop, etc.) or experience in a foreign language, include them. Knowing another language well will give you an edge over other potential applicants.

Use matching verb tenses throughout the résumé, keep all your descriptions short, and be consistent with your punctuation. Describe your roles and accomplishments with strong action words, especially those that signify leadership and team roles you’ve had. These include words such as: teamwork, team player, organized, performed, maintained, supervised, managed, directed, developed, implemented.

Your high school résumé can be a bit more narrative than the résumé that you will create when you graduate from college. The goal is to get the college admissions office (or teacher) to know you; be brief when describing experiences, but make sure you adequately describe yourself and the things you have done.

CAPlus’s Resume Top Tips

*Create your resume early.
Even sophomore’s can have a great starter resume.

*Keep it up to date.
Keep your resume updated as you add achievements.

*List positions held in organizations you are involved in.
Team Captain, Vice-President, etc.

*Include the timeframe/duration for activities.
Colleges want to know if you’ve really been involved or are just padding your history.

*Make it easy for the reader to find the good stuff.
Focus on the most important, most relevant, and most recent.

*It isn’t just academics, showcase your unique involvement.
This can start interesting conversations in interviews and set you apart.

*Give them to everyone! Include recommendation letter writers, college fairs, when meeting professors on college visits…
Keep it to a page or two (max).

*If you need more pages, you probably are not focusing on the most important information.
Include special courses planned for Junior/Senior year such as Honors, AP, or Technical/Vocational.

*Use an appropriate email address.
This is a good time to get a ‘traditional’ email such as my.name@gmail.com.

Columbus weekend is the first big push to tour colleges you think you might want to attend. Have you given it much thought, other than what to wear? Below are a few thought provoking questions and ideas. CAPlus has an entire college guide written on how to prepare for a college visit and interview, contact us for the full report.
Do you have an organized tour planned? How about a time for an interview with an admissions staff member?
Remember to take notes all through the tour, it’s amazing what you will remember but more amazing what you will forget on the way home. Don’t forget the camera!
Have questions ready for the students at the college along with questions for the staff, professors and financial aid office.
Additional Tips:
-Do your homework about the school. College websites have a lot of information, so find answers to many of your initial questions before you go.

-Don’t ask questions of administrators or students that you could find on the website. Ask questions that interest you, but again, do your basic research before you get there.

-Sit in on a class or two, if possible.

-Take comprehensive notes on the school. It’s easy to forget specific things, so write down all of your thoughts while you are still thinking about the school.

1. Are you willing to work hard for the knowledge you’ll gain in this major?
2. How much will you enjoy the daily activities of students in this major?
Do classes emphasize discussion? Lecture? Problem solving?
3. Do the typical course titles sound interesting?
4. How much do you enjoy the high school courses recommended for students
who want to choose this major?
5. How important to the major are skills in math? In reading? In writing? In research?
6. How specialized is the major? Will you learn a lot about a little or a little about a lot?
7. Is the major interdisciplinary? Will you use a wide range of academic disciplines
to study a particular topic?
8. Is this a career-oriented major? Will it prepare you for one or more specific careers
or will it give you a chance to build general skills that you can use in any number
of careers?
9. Can you see yourself in one or more of the listed related careers?
10. What is the average salary range for someone with a degree in this major?

Obtaining a superior SAT/ACT score can be the “greatest part-time job any High School student can have”. In our experience, at College Assistance Plus, we have seen increases in SAT scores translate directly into thousands of dollars of additional grants and scholarships. When multiplied by four + years of college attendance, the four hour test can yield a terrific dollar per hour return on investment. Even an increase in two-three points can put your score into the category for more money. Don’t underestimate what four hours and a few points can do.

Every student MUST realize that the SAT test is NOT an intelligence test; it is a test on how well you TAKE the test. Many strategies to score well are counterintuitive. For example, we are all taught to answer every question and guess if you are uncertain. That strategy will negatively impact an SAT score. The ACT does not score this way. Read our blog on the ACT vs. SAT differences for additional information.

It is very important that you take the time to study, research and/or take a study class for these very important tests. And don’t forget to check the dates and register on time. You’ll be paying extra if you miss the registration deadline, and isn’t the whole point to save money on this educational journey?

If you are a student athlete, you may have some unique opportunities for scholarships and
financial aid. You must decide to what extent you would like to devote yourself to athletics
during college. Many college sports are year-round commitments, and much of your time may not be your own if you choose to pursue athletics. You may want to talk to other student
athletes at the colleges you are interested in to see what kind of experience they have had.
The next step in pursuing college athletics is to realistically assess your talent. Talk to your
coaches and find out if they think you would be of interest to college coaches, and at what
level or schools.

The NCAA has regulations about whether a student is eligible to play college athletics, so
students who are interested in playing at Division I or Division II schools should register with the NCAA Clearinghouse in the spring of their senior years of high school. Registering tends to be a frustrating process, so you should start early. The student must be registered and qualified before being allowed to play in college. Your guidance office will have the forms necessary to register with the NCAA; they will also provide you with the rules and regulations regarding recruiting.

Remember that the admissions office, not the athletic coach, offers admission! You may sign a letter of intent with a college when you and the athletic coach reach an agreement, but the
admissions office has the final say on whether you will be accepted or not. And don’t be lured in by the prospect of money. Until it is in writing, college monies for athletics might not materialize as promised, proceed with caution. Do your research and talk to as many employees, coaches and student athletes as possible.

Your high school transcript is the most important part of the application to any college. The following information is on your transcript:

High School: Your grades are what stand out to the college. Unless you attend a very small high school or are homeschooled, the college admissions offices that will be reviewing your application will be familiar with your high school. They review your performance relative to your classmates and look at your course load in relation to the courses available. If you are attending a good high school, feel confident that colleges are aware that your high school is competitive and know that your good grades have prepared you for college life.

Courses: The curriculum at your high school is fairly standard during your first three years. Everyone takes similar course loads through their junior year. Exceptions might be students who are taking honors classes, those who are taking mathematics or language courses that are more advanced, or students in vocational tech programs. Colleges do take note of accelerated schedules and of any courses that are taken during the summer (either for high school or college credit). The courses you take in your senior year are particularly important, so keep that in mind.

Grades: The grades you receive in high school do matter. Your transcript will show your grades from each semester of high school and your yearly average since your freshman year. Colleges do look back to your freshman and sophomore years, but it is your junior and senior year grades that are the most important. In many cases the grades you earned and the courses you took will determine at which colleges you have a reasonable chance of admission.

Today there are roughly 1.6 million students taking the ACT and 2 million students taking the SAT. It is wise to ask your guidance counselor which test he or she recommends you take. The answer will usually depend on your location, the colleges you might like to attend, and the subjects you excel in at school.

The ACT is a national college admission exam that includes testing in English, math, reading, and science. It includes 215 multiple choice questions that test a student’s knowledge in those subject areas. Unlike the SAT, the ACT is not an aptitude test. The questions are based directly on what the student has learned in high school courses, making it more of an achievement test than an aptitude test.

The SAT test is a measure of the critical thinking skills students need for academic success in college. The SAT assesses how well you analyze and solve problems—skills you learned in high school that you’ll need in college. The SAT is typically taken by high school juniors and seniors.

Differences:
The ACT includes trigonometry, while the SAT does not. The SAT questions within a particular set appear in order of difficulty, unlike the ACT. The SAT tests on the student’s vocabulary knowledge much more than the ACT does. The SAT is not all multiple choice. The SAT has a penalty for incorrect answers, while the ACT does not.

One of the best ways to improve your chances of getting accepted at the college of your choice and getting a good financial aid packages from that college is to do well on these standardized tests. Taking the SAT and/or ACT exams multiple times almost always improves your score, and we recommend using study software to study for at least an hour a week during the first two years of high school.

Visit www.collegeboard.com and www.actstudent.org/regist/dates or more information on how to register for the SAT and ACT tests, find locations, and fees.