Starting a Business Tutoring Students in Math

Starting a Business Tutoring Students in MathIn an exciting development, two longtime best friends, Kim and Cindy, are starting a business tutoring students in math. The two have taught several years of math for each other and are eager to share their knowledge with the world.Kim and Cindy want to help others with their problems because they too face them. They understand that it is not easy being stuck in a rut in their own lives. They would like to offer assistance in the form of the one thing they know how to do; teach math. Their motivation is to offer assistance to others that may be experiencing difficulties in math and use their experience to be more effective in this field.'Kim and I grew up together and are very close friends. We don't get enough time to be together as we have two very busy careers. She has been a math tutor for several years now and I have been tutoring many students for the past year. Our one major difference in our lives is that she was never good at math so it's only been recently that she has started studying it. She always excelled at art, but we always had a difficult time getting her to study something besides music.''We were looking for a way to make some extra money and figured we could start a tutoring business. We went online and found a bunch of websites where tutors could post their services. We started out offering online tutoring in math because it seemed like a good match with our life.'The first two months were really rough because we both had very few hours to work. We spent every waking hour trying to figure out a way to make enough money to keep us from getting homesick. After about a monthwe came up with a business plan and have been working day and night to try to make it work.'We met with a tutor in the first week and we both felt that our school was better than hers so we continued the tutoring business for a month. It all just came together when we realized that we were both really good at math and we would ea ch benefit from making it a part of our lives.'Kim and I have been working together for the past year and now the business is done. We are working on updating our website and will be marketing ourselves to bring in some extra income. It's a lot of hard work but it's all worth it because we've learned so much from our experience.'

Professional At Work

How To Feel More Confident/Professional At Work Photo Via:  Pexels.com So without further ado, here are 10 ways in which you can feel more confident and/or professional at work. 1. Look the Part The way you dress says a lot about you, especially in a work environment. Weekends are one thing, but dressing for work is something else entirely. And there is no easy answer as to how you should dress for work, as each workplace is different. For instance, some workplaces have casual dress codes in which you don’t need to dress up every day. In fact, these workplaces often are more lax and allow you to wear jeans every day. That being said, there’s a proper way to dress casually for work. Even if your workplace allows ripped jeans, stay away from them when it comes to the workplace. In addition, graphic tees and other such items are unprofessional in most settings. Again, each workplace is different (and some will have business professional dress codes), but as a general rule of thumb, it’s much better to be overdressed than underdressed when it comes to professionalism. So always dress up and never dress down! 2. Stay Organized Organization is key; that’s a phrase that comes up far too often in professional environments, but for good reason. When it comes to maintaining professionalism, organization is one of the key factors that will get you there. This extends from your email inbox all the way to how messy your desk is. The most professional individuals are organized at all times, in every sense of the word. You’ll find that most employers seek out individuals with top-notch organization skills, as these are the most universally sought after skills due to their necessity in a professional environment. So if you’re the type of person that’s a bit disorganized in your personal life, make sure you put in extra effort to avoid being disorganized in your professional life. 3. Speak Up More often than not, new employees don’t feel comfortable speaking their mind in the workplace. However, this is one of the biggest mistakes that you can make in a professional work environment. In meetings in which your employer is looking for feedback, thoughts and reactions, staying silent is detrimental to your professionalism. In fact, it typically gives off the sense that you don’t have an opinion on the matter or don’t care about the matter altogether, which isn’t an impression that you want to give when it comes to your job. When it comes to these types of meetings, make sure that you speak up and provide your opinion when you have one. While you’ll obviously want to maintain a professional demeanor, your opinion, when asked for, is wanted, so staying silent is not going to benefit you in the least. 4. Know When to Listen That all being said, sometimes, speaking up is not in your best interest. In fact, there are many individuals who speak up too often in professional environments. On the one hand, you have those that are so opinionated they don’t let anyone else contribute to the conversation, and on the other hand, you have individuals that don’t know when their opinion isn’t wanted and/or needed. There will be plenty of times in which you may have to listen to an individual you may not agree with, but find yourself in a situation in which you are unable to disagree and have to bite your tongue. In other situations, you’ll find that your opinion is best kept to yourself. Finding the balance between speaking up and listening isn’t an easy task, but it’s one that’s necessary to maintain your professionalism. Sometimes will be harder than others to stay quiet or speak up, but it’s up to you to find that balance. Photo Via: Pexels.com 5. Leave Emotions at Home Sometimes, when it comes to your emotions, it’s best to check them at the door of the office. In other words, don’t bring your personal life to work when you can avoid it, as it’s truly only going to cause problems. While sometimes personal life problems and/or concerns will spill into your professional life, generally speaking, the more you’re able to separate the two, the better off you will be. You’ll find that you may work with people who share a lot of details of their personal life, and others who hardly share anything. In addition, there are going to be circumstances in which you’ll feel some people overshare. As far as you are concerned, this balance is again, up to you. Nobody is going to tell you when you can and can’t share things (for the most part), so sharing is up to your discretion. That being said, it’s always better to keep more to yourself than you share, as you never know how individuals will react to the information you are sharing. In the interest of not offending anyone and not giving too much information to your co-workers, make sure you get to know everyone before you go spilling all the information about your life. 6. Censor Yourself This goes hand in hand with the concept of oversharing: sometimes, there are things that aren’t work appropriate and that are better kept to yourself. For instance, swearing in an office environment, no matter the policy/who else does it, is always a bad idea. While you may work in an office that’s lax in that regard, you never know who you could offend and it’s better to give off a more professional vibe when in an office setting. In addition, you’ll find that it’s best to censor yourself when it comes to your tone and demeanor in a work environment. You may not agree with someone or find that you’re angry/upset with a co-worker on occasion, but overreacting is only going to make matters worse. So if you find yourself in one of these types of situations, take a step back, think about what you’re going to say, then act. Always think twice before making any accusations/emotionally charged comments, as these circumstances are the most likely to cause problems for you down the road. Infographic by Victoria Robertson 7. Have Confidence When it comes to looking and feeling professional, confidence is key. You have to be confident in yourself in order to give off a professional vibe. The less sure you are of yourself, the more timid you will come across in a professional environment, which can read as either uncaring or confused, neither of which are qualities that you want to be showcasing in a work environment. Now, this isn’t to say that being humble and/or aware of your shortcomings is a bad thing. However, you do want to be confident when it comes to the things that you are strong in, and you should always have a demeanor that lets people know you’re willing to put in the effort to get better, no matter what. Again, there’s a balance to strike here between confidence and cockiness. You don’t want to come across as overbearing or conceited, so make sure that you are checking your confidence to ensure it’s not encroaching on territory that’s going to leave a bad taste in others’ mouths. 8. Be Social Sometimes, it’s best to be a social butterfly. In a work setting, it’s important that you socialize with your co-workers and don’t end up the recluse that doesn’t talk to anyone. That being said, you don’t want to be the person that’s too social, so again, there’s a certain balance needed on this end as well. When it comes to socializing at work, keep it light, polite and conversational. You can talk about work-related items or personal life, but make sure you’re not oversharing and that you’re having a conversation with somebody and not at somebody. In addition, don’t be the type of person that’s too talkative and distracting others from their work. Work time conversations are meant to be a nice break from work, but shouldn’t take up so much of someone else’s time that they aren’t able to complete the tasks assigned to them. Make sure you’re accomplishing your tasks and that you’re allowing others enough time to accomplish theirs. Side conversations will always be a welcome distraction, but only if they don’t take up a majority of your time or someone else’s. Be sure to find that balance and appreciate the fact that you are still at work and still have things that you need to accomplish. 9. Be Willing to Learn A willingness to learn is so essential to professionalism that most employers won’t even hire an individual if they don’t see this drive in an interview. When you begin a new position, whether a veteran or new to the position itself, you need to have a willingness and eagerness to learn every day. You should be coming into work ready to learn whatever it takes to accomplish your job well. Never close yourself off to new information because you think you already know something. The truth is, there’s always something new for you to learn, and just because you’re good at what you do doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for improvement. One of the biggest mistakes in professionalism that an employee can make is assuming they already know everything. They don’t. No matter your title or status in an organization, there is always room to learn something else. Basically, you will never know everything, so you should be assuming that you don’t when working in a professional environment. Listen to others, stay open to learning new things or new ways of doing things and don’t be afraid to help others when you think you have a better method of doing something or you’re more confident in how to do something. Again, there’s always room for improvement, but that starts with a willingness to learn on your part. 10. Stay Focused Last, but definitely not least, it’s very important that a professional is focused at all times when at work. That isn’t to say that you can’t take breaks or enjoy some downtime, or that you won’t have bad days, but for the most part, your main task while at work should be to accomplish your work, no matter what. Focus is so important in a professional environment, as it’s your opportunity to showcase your dedication to a position. Maintaining your focus will also tell your employer how much you value your job as well as how task-oriented you can be. Employers are looking for employees that want to work, are willing to work and that can stay focused no matter what. Showcasing these skills while at work will truly showcase your professionalism. In addition, staying focused will set you apart from the rest of your co-workers, as it will set the bar as far as work standards go. Again, you don’t need to overdo this, but accomplishing your tasks on time and working hard every day is only going to work in your favor. Again, professionalism and confidence go hand in hand, but only if you’re willing to put in the effort to make that happen. These ten ways to feel more confident and/or professional at work are a good starting point, but the true professionalism depends entirely on your situation, work environment and colleagues. Basically, do what you can to maintain a professional demeanor on your end and adjust accordingly based on your work environment. You’ll be feeling much more professional in no time!

Six Productive Ways to Spend Free Time in High School

Six Productive Ways to Spend Free Time in High School Free time may seem hard to come by, but you may occasionally find yourself with extra time on your hands. You could just grab the remote and see what's new on TV. Instead, consider these six strategic ways to spend free time. 1. Get Lost in a Book Step away from your smart phone, and pick up a book instead. If you're not sure what to read, refer to a go-to list of books. Include everything from friends' and professors' recommendations to best sellers in your favourite genre. Is there an academic topic you've been meaning to learn more about? This is the perfect opportunity to enrich your knowledge. 2. Learn a Language In our increasingly global environment, admissions officers and employers alike are on the lookout for candidates with language abilities. These skills will also come in handy if you choose to travel internationally. Swedish scientists have determined that learning a language can keep your brain in shape. It's even been linked with later onset of Alzheimer's disease! Learning a language takes time, but a number of resources are available to help you learn on your own time. 3. Clean Your Room You've probably been hearing this one since you were five, but the incentives remain the same. A clean, clutter-free space promotes organisation and has even been linked with lower stress level. By removing external stimuli from your environment, you also improve your ability to focus. 4. Meditate This ancient practice has many proven modern applications. Whether you're hoping to increase your energy level, enhance your ability to concentrate, or simply relax, meditation takes only minutes a day but has manifold payoffs. 5. Make a Bucket List Research from Dominican University indicates that people who write down and share their goals are 33 percent more likely to accomplish them. Whether personal or professional, take a minute to identify your goals and commit them to paper. 6. Focus on Family Time While your friends may be the center of your universe right now, college will be here before you know it. When was the last time you hung out with your little brother or went grocery shopping with your mom? Spend time with your family while you're still under the same roof. Being smart about how you spend your free time can have unexpected results. Not only can these six tips help you learn and grow as a person, but they can also help you reach your goals and improve your quality of life.

?? How to Find and Encourage Your Childs Natural Talents

?? How to Find and Encourage Your Childs Natural Talents How to Find and Encourage Your Childs Natural Talents As parents, we all want our children to be successful in life. We want them to find what they are good at and pursue that, perhaps even picking up a few accolades along the way. But most of all, we want our children to find something they love doing. But how can we help our children discover their natural gifts? Additionally, how can we nurture our child’s unique abilities so they can shine? Early Signs of Talent Your little one might love dressing up in her fancy clothes and singing along with her favourite pop artist. However, she might not recognise her penchant for performing. You might even notice your preschooler building elaborate structures with blocks. Your preschooler likely doesn’t recognise that she has abilities related to math and engineering. Maybe they insist on helping with making dinner every night. It is unlikely, however, that they see themselves as a budding chef. You might observe your children engaging in these activities and not think of them as talent eit her. After all, that little singer might be off-key, or the block structure might have collapsed with just a tiny bump from an elbow, or your newly mopped kitchen floor is now covered with spilt flour and milk. However, your child’s abilities and talents need time and opportunities to develop. Even the most accomplished athletes, musicians and artists didn’t come into the world with fully-developed talents. They needed practice. They needed opportunities to experiment. And yes, they even needed opportunities to experience failure and then to grow from those experiences. Talent is Not Hereditary While you might have been the star football player on your school team or earned that prestigious first chair position in the community orchestra, your child may struggle as an athlete or have little ability to match a pitch. As much as we’d love to see our children follow in our footsteps, it’s more important to help them forge their own path. Provide Opportunities for Exploration a nd Allow for Failure Everyone needs opportunities to practice a skill for that skill to become a refined talent. Olympic gymnasts who make their complex acrobatics look easy likely spent 10 years or longer practising several hours a day to perfect those skills. They became bruised, experienced injury, fell, and perhaps even got frustrated enough to want to leave the sport, but ultimately, they persisted in practising and refining. Perhaps more important is to give your child room to learn from their failures. Maybe their cake didn’t rise. Help your child work through the process, recalling each step to try to determine what caused the fallen cake. Perhaps she didn’t get a spot on the football team. Ask her what she thinks she needs to work on to land a spot next year and have her develop an action plan to work towards her goal. It can be tempting to take our children’s “failures” personally. After all, we may have spent a small fortune in lessons and given up several hours to watch our child’s meet only to see him or her place dead last. Rather than chastising your child on that last place, focus on the positive. “Wow, you really nailed that roundoff back handspring on the balance beam! I know you’ve been working hard on it all season” can be more encouraging to your child than “what on earth happened today?!” Rather than lavishing praise on your child for earning a gold medal or a blue ribbon and expressing disappointment when awards aren’t earned, let your child know that you love to watch her play or perform. That takes the focus away from participating in an activity simply to collect trophies and accolades and instead shifts it to participating for enjoyment, learning and growth. Encourage a Growth Mindset Encouraging your child to set goals, learn from setbacks, and using those setbacks to develop new goals is important in nurturing your child’s unique abilities. It teaches your child that setbacks are part of the process and a re opportunities for growth. Children with a growth mindset are more likely to believe they can improve and succeed even if their previous attempts didn’t end as such. In contrast, children with a fixed mindset tend to believe that their skills will never improve regardless of their effort. The Process is Important Dr Anders Ericsson, a cognitive psychologist and faculty member at Florida State University, has spent years studying the role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expertise. Dr Ericsson’s research is in contrast to the idea that the most successful people are simply “blessed” with extraordinary ability. However, as Dr Ericsson’s research illustrates, nobody is born with expert ability and skills. Every expert and every person with the exceptional talent required intense and deliberate practice. This is not to say that you need to force your child to sit through three hours of piano practice a day or all will be lost. It’s actually quite the opposite. Rather than the quantity of practice, have your child focus on the quality of practice.How can we encourage our child to engage in deliberate practice? Establish goals that are reasonable and measurable. Rather than allowing your child’s goal to be “I want to be a better gymnast”, encourage specific goals like “I want to be able to perform a standing back tuck on the floor in one year” or “I want to earn at least a 9.0 on all events by the end of this season”.Focus on improvement during practice and not simply practising because you have to. Sometimes this means practising the same skill 100 times. Sometimes it means playing a single measure of a piano piece over and over, increasing speed each time.Ask for immediate feedback on performances. Have your child ask a coach, teacher, or mentor about how the performance went and how close your child is to achieving his goal.Move out of your comfort zone. This is incredibly important for skill and talent development. Someti mes, growth is uncomfortable. Sometimes, the risk of failure is high. But moving beyond what is easy and comfortable is the best chance to grow and learn. Mental Health is Essential! As your child begins really refining his or her talents, it can be easy for them to get caught up in the stress or pressure of performing or winning. The hours of practice, day after day, for years has the potential to lead to burn-out or high levels of stress. It is essential to help your child learn to protect his or her mental health. Pursuing other hobbies and activities is healthy. It is even ok to miss a practice and take the day to relax, recharge, and catch up with friends. Read our expert’s guide to children’s anxiety here. Striking a balance between nurturing talent and participating in other activities is important. The pressure to win and succeed can be detrimental to a child’s mental health. While it is important to encourage learning, growth, and deliberate practice, it is just as im portant to encourage balance and self-care. Above all, the most important part of helping your child discover and nurture his or her special abilities is to enjoy the journey. The road to success can be filled with potholes, certainly, but your child’s journey is unique. Along the way, he or she will likely meet tutors, mentors, and coaches that will change your child’s life. Perhaps you will find one here. Above all, your child will develop their passion and drive. And as a parent, these are some of the most important dreams we can have for our children.Author Bio: Patrick Bailey is a professional writer mainly in the fields of mental health, addiction, andliving in recovery. He attempts to stay on top of the latest news in the addiction and the mental healthworld and enjoy writing about these topics to break the stigma associated with them.

Worried about your childs writing skills - ALOHA Mind Math

Worried about your childs writing skills When a child begins to string letters together and starts writing words, slowly moving to sentences, every parent starts making a lot of future plans in their head. From how to improve handwriting to how to enhance children’s creative writing skills, we as parents would love to see everything work out in a smooth manner for our child. We can start facilitating this journey by implementing simple steps at home in order to enhance and complement what the child is doing in school: Handwriting practice: Other than what the child is doing at school, about once a week, have your child do an additional page or so of handwriting at home to get a clear idea of the progress at school and you’ll know exactly how your child is forming the letters and words, and help out if necessary. Grammar practice: Once you feel your child is beginning to understand words and sentence structure, do make it a point to explain the grammatical aspects of speech and sentence making. It helps to correct some of the commonly used parts of speech when your child makes a mistake with tense or usage, which is very common with young children. This will make a good foundation for the point when he or she begins writing. Diary writing: Once he has started writing in sentences, encouraging him to keep a diary or journal is a great way to get him used to writing in a descriptive manner. Journal writing forms a very good first step towards creative writing which is an invaluable skill as he grows older. Story hints: Once the child is a little older, a good way to nurture creative writing is by giving them hints in pictures or in phrases, and asking them to create a story out of it. You will be surprised to see the development in the style of writing by employing such a simple method â€" children progress from short staccato style sentences to longer very descriptive ones. Aloha USA offers an English program for students of grade 1 to 5, with classes offering work in areas like language arts, reading, writing, and journals. The classes are divided into units, with an assessment at the end of each unit. To know more about ALOHA ENGLISH program , go to our website http://www.aloha-usa.com

Ways to Find a Chinese Tutor Laocai

Ways to Find a Chinese Tutor LaocaiFinding a Chinese tutor Laocai has made very easy, can be done by doing the homework to find out who is out there. There are actually quite a few places to find someone who will be willing to spend some time and effort into finding a solution for your Chinese problem.Many people think that hiring a tutor or professional would be the real trouble but the truth is they are quite easy to find. One of the best places to search for a tutor is through internet.One of the best ways to find a tutor Laocai is simply to look online. In fact, you can do quite a bit of homework to find out which sites offer authentic means of finding a tutor.One of the first places to go in the beginning is the student life community and you can find out some names of schools from there. These sites usually offer some excellent way to ask for suggestions on how to find a tutor from your classmates and this really is one of the ways to begin.After you have established that you h ave narrowed down the list a little bit, then it is time to take a look at more sites in the student life community. This is important because you need to find a tutor who is a member and have been one for a long time before you can start communicating with them.Now it is time to look at other places as well in the student life community. You can find forums, post on other forums, use the social networking sites like Facebook, Friend Finder, or LinkedIn.The internet is an incredible resource to get everything that you need in the order of the best. It really is all about finding the best Chinese tutor Laocai to use and before you knowit you will have found your new friend.

Interactive Math Tutor Online

Interactive Math Tutor OnlineMany students have no interest in learning math by rote, because this involves a lot of repetition. You learn the subject matter at your school and you can be well off to do the work at home, but you are not doing it the way you are suppose to. There are websites that offer an interactive math tutor.If you are taking a course at school and you would like to be more interactive, you can ask a teacher or a librarian to refer you to an interactive math tutor online. You can get a tutor on line who will help you learn, help you to teach yourself and to provide you with the basic information that you need. There are interactive math tutor online who offer personalized help, sometimes using their own software.Tutors at these sites do not usually charge an arm and a leg. They offer a free lesson plan which you can use for the first lesson and then you will need to pay for the online tutor later. You might be aware that online tutors are experts when it comes to helping you, but there are online tutors who are not experts and you may also face a problem if you should teach yourself to learn.The other benefit of having a tutor at home is that you do not have to stay there while the tutor meets with the client. You have a tutor that will get to know you very well and you will be amazed to find out how much you know about the subject matter before you meet him.A great advantage of being enrolled in an interactive math tutor is that you can determine what area of math you would like to learn. One of the ways to select is to enroll in a math tutoring course where you may be enrolled for a short period of time. You may have to meet some of the requirement or you may be required to do all of them.You have to pay for the time spent with the tutor at the center and you have to pay for the course itself at the same time. You must understand that this is not inexpensive, but with the benefits that come with the program, you will be much better off pay ing the extra amount and getting the help that you need.In addition to these, you will have to make sure that the tutor that you choose is professional. It is good to look at the credentials of the person who is making you learn the subject matter, otherwise you will not be able to get the best experience. Make sure that you select a tutor who has taken advanced courses.

What is an Average MCAT Score

What is an Average MCAT Score The concept of an average MCAT score has been somewhat nebulous since the AAMCs reformatting of the MCAT in 2015. Previously, the average MCAT score across medical school applicants was 25, and the average MCAT score of admitted applicants to medical school was around 31. Since the test was redone and a new scoring scale was constructed, the average MCAT score across medical school applicants is approximately 500. However, it is important to distinguish between the AAMCs average MCAT score and the average MCAT scores of students who matriculate at individual schools. Here are some things to know when thinking about average MCAT scores: What is the average MCAT score for admitted applicants to MD (allopathic) programs? According to the AAMC, the average overall MCAT score for matriculants into U.S. MD programs is 508.7over eight points higher than what the AAMC deems acceptable for admission. A 508 puts the test-taker in the 79th percentile of all fellow test-takers, meaning that admission into medical school may be contingent upon outperforming the majority of pre-med students taking the test alongside you. [RELATED: What is it Like to Attend Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine?] What are the average MCAT section breakdown scores of admitted applicants to MD programs? Each of the four sections has an average score of around 127 for admitted applicants. The lowest-scoring section tends to be Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (126.7 average), and the highest is a tie at 127.4 between: Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems Although the AAMC delineates a score of 125 in each section to demonstrate sufficient readiness for medical school, it is clear that medical schools use higher section scores for their admissions standards. What is the average MCAT score of DO (osteopathic) program applicants? According to AACOMAS, the average DO applicant in 2016 had an MCAT score of 499.3 (median 500). However, the average DO program matriculant had an MCAT score of 502.1 (around the 60% percentile of test-takers). Similar to their MD program counterparts, DO programs tend to accept applicants with higher MCAT scores than the benchmark of 500 set forth by the AAMC. What are the average MCAT section breakdown scores of admitted DO applicants? Admitted DO applicants have an average score of around 125-125 on all four subsections of the MCAT. The Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems and the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundation of Behavior sections tend to have higher scores, with averages around 125.7. The Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems has an average score of 125.5, and the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section has an average score of 125.1. So, what average MCAT score should you aim for? Admission into medical school is based upon much more than your MCAT score, but meeting the average benchmarks of programs in which you are interested may cause admissions committees to view your application more favorably. If you are applying to MD programs, striving for an MCAT score of 508 with a minimum score of 127 in each subsection is a reasonable goal. If you are considering DO programs, aiming for a 502 with a minimum score of 125 in each subsection is also reasonable. However, more selective programs may require higher-than-average scores of their admitted applicants, and it is important to consult sources like MSAR in order to gauge where your own testing goals should be. If your scores dont stack up against those of a schools recently admitted class, your chances of admission to that school may be reduced. Start incorporating MCAT prep into your daily routine and make it your goal to apply to medical school with a score that gets you noticed. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

How to Prepare for the College Search

How to Prepare for the College Search High school students have a lot going on already, but when you add on the big college search, its hard for a student not to find life extremely overwhelming. This is one giant process that requires a lot of guidance, so it is critical that a student really understands what theyre getting into before taking on this life-changing project. It cannot be treated as something they will coast their way through or just occasionally check on. The college search should be an extremely organized endeavor that you are keeping up with every day and giving very careful attention to. Of course, this takes us back to the overwhelming aspect. How can a high school student get through this successfully without getting completely freaked out? Well, that is why beginning this process way ahead of time is so important. Far too many students leave this search until early senior year, which frankly, is nowhere near enough time to make informed decisions on which schools youd like to attend. Yes, this is a good time to literally get your applications in, but you should have your choices picked out and researched well before then. Waiting too long will not only drastically limit your time to complete your applications successfully, it will put unnecessary extra pressure on you to make a decision quickly too quickly. Having to choose a school in a rushed manner is one of the worst positions a student can be in. So why wouldnt you start looking into this far ahead of time? This is one of the biggest decisions of a young students life, and one of the most exciting; there should be no reason you wouldnt want to begin looking into this very early on. One of the most important ways to guarantee an easier time deciding between your future acceptance letters is to make sure you are only applying to schools you know you would love to attend. There are plenty of things that need to be looked into. On one hand, you must evaluate all the aspects of the school that appeal to you personally the town, the programs, the dorm life, the clubs/sports, etc. On the other hand, it is equally necessary to look into the requirements this school demands of their applicants GPAs, ACT/SAT scores, leadership, etc. Another key reason to look into this search with plenty of time to spare is that you may need some time to improve your credentials. Perhaps there is a school that you love everything about, but that also requires an ACT score above what you have. Giving yourself a chance to shoot up that score will benefit you greatly youll be very let-down if you find you have no chance of getting into that school just because you didnt think about requi red test scores earlier on in high school. If you dont research various colleges requirements early on, you wont know what youre reaching for as you go through your high school career. Once youve given yourself enough time to know what kinds of scores, grades, and clubs you must incorporate into your life, you must also use this time to determine which schools actually offer the things you want personally. Visit the campuses, read review books, research the websites, set up meetings with admissions counselors treat every approach to a school as if you are going to be enrolling in them tomorrow. Get a hold of every aspect of this schools culture that matters to you so you dont waste your time applying to a place that wouldnt really make you happy. In the end, you need to apply to schools that you know would be a fit for you and that you would have a solid chance of getting into. The worst thing you can do is waste your time with places that you are absolutely sure wont work out in either of those areas. This isnt to say that you should unnecessarily limit yourself; dont be afraid to apply to a university you love that may require a slightly higher GPA than you have. Remember, most college admissions officers look at applications holistically, so never write off your chances completely if there is just one tiny factor that doesnt perfectly match up with your qualifications. And finally, never apply to a school just because you feel like you should or because your best friend is. You will be very unhappy later if you end up at a school that you were told you would like, but dont actually like once you get there. In the end, this school is for you and you only. This is why you must look into everything yourself with a very meticulous approach and then decide on your own if you like it. You really cant avoid the exhausted feelings that will come out of this search. Any typical high school student will be inclined to skip over some of these steps and assume theyll be fine. But with enough time set aside and enough belief that this will pay off wonderfully later, this search can be completed with all the attention it deserves and leave you ultimately satisfied.