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College Bound
A Timeline for Success By Gwen Morrison
Choosing the right college can be a challenging experience for some students. If Mom and Dad get involved in the process early, it can make a big difference in the results. With the help of high school counselors and the right resources the experience can be less intimidating for everyone involved.
Tim Stewart, a guidance counselor at Collins Hill High School in Lawrenceville, Ga., offers a timeline as an aid for making those important decisions.
- Keep the focus on getting good grades. (All of these remain on your teen's final transcript.)
- Make sure your teen is taking the courses required for college.
- Help your teen concentrate on improving good study habits.
- Talk with counselors when you are in doubt. (That's why they are there.)
- Encourage your teen to start taking notes on career areas of interest.
- Highlight your teen's strengths and be supportive in areas that need improvement.
- Promote your teen's participation in extracurricular activities preferably ones with long-term commitments.
Colleges look very closely at the course selections made over the next four years of high school. When in doubt of the direction your teen should take, always ask a guidance counselor. Some colleges may only require two credits in foreign language, where others may want three or four. This is one example of why it is very important to keep informed.
You may also find yourself playing the part of motivator, especially if you have a son. Dane Batchelor, a high school freshman in Lawrenceville, Ga., has not yet started the college thought process. His mother, Kristie, feels that his decision on which college to attend will focus more around his social circle and the area than on academics.
