FREE INFORMATION SERIES FOR PARENTS, STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, COMMUNITY

BRING YOUR STUDENT(S) AND ANYONE WHO YOU THINK WOULD BENEFIT

NAVIGATING THE ROAD TO COLLEGE
“the College Knowledge series”

Sylvan Learning in collaboration with Project—Life are proud sponsors of the Navigating the Road to College educational series. This series covers the factors that drive proper educational planning for college acceptance by ensuring academic success.  The information is fact based and not biased or influenced by any school or organization. Sylvan Learning and Project-Life are committed to increasing the awareness of parents and students by providing educational forums focused on the importance of mastering the fundamentals in education as a critical part of the college planning process.  The purpose of the educational forums is to work in collaboration with local communities as a partner; preparing students for greater opportunities while helping them realize their academic potential.  Discussions emphasize those factors most likely to determine a student’s fate with a college admission committee including the most critical, high school transcript.

Goal: To provide greater support and awareness related to education and the college application and selection process especially the importance of educational planning and assessment

For Parents: Answer the question:  What can we do to best prepare our student for academic success? Equip parents in being proactive advocates, encouraging them to become involved in shaping their child’s academic future  

Financial Aid and Funding: The Map to “Buying” a College Education

Sunday, October 18, 2009, 2:00-4:00 pm, Wakefield, RI

(This seminar will be of particular interest to Juniors and Seniors)

 

THE COLLEGE PROCESS STARTS AS EARLY AS THE 8TH GRADE. IF YOU HAVE AN 8TH GRADER OR ABOVE, YOU AND YOUR STUDENT NEED TO ATTEND THIS EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE- FREE COLLEGE PLANNING SEMINAR. PLANNING IS THE KEY TO GETTING INTO THE COLLEGE OF CHOICE AND/OR THE RIGHT COLLEGE.

           

          This presentation frames up the current state of financial aid and helps attendees better understand the college financial aid process. It poses interesting questions and places the issue of financial aid and paying for college as one of the first steps in the selection process. Do you know what type of assistance you qualify for and how much you and your child will be required to pay for college tuition? This seminar includes a comprehensive review of financial aid trends, terminology, deadlines, and application requirements by school. Also included is a discussion on merit awards, need based aid, and

recruiting scholarships for sports, dance, art, and music. Students and parents learn the new thresholds for academic scholarships and are provided guidelines in targeting schools that offer merit awards. Finally, common mistakes are revealed as students and families are guided to take the lead on understanding and managing financial aid and are offered strategies for reconsidering new ways in which they are selecting schools.

 

THIS IS A VERY POPULAR SEMINAR - SEATS FILL QUICKLY
         

Understanding and Planning for Standardized Tests

Sunday, November 22, 2009, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, Wakefield, RI

(This seminar will be of particular interest to grades 10 – 12)

This forum starts with a series of “Did you Know?” facts and questions. It addresses the realities of where standardized tests fit on the road to college acceptance. This seminar is not a SAT review class; rather it outlines key terms and timelines. Attendees walk away knowing the difference between PSATs, SATs, SAT Subject Tests, and the ACTs and are offered guidelines addressing which test may be best for a student and recommendations of when tests need to be taken. Discover the answers to: How often should I take them? What’s a good score? What are some of the current changes in admissions and how do college personnel consider standardized test scores as part of the acceptance decision? How important are AP Exams in the selection process and how do College Placement Tests affect the courses you take in college? This seminar addresses all of these questions and more including, how standardized test scores directly impact students’ potential for scholarship and financial aid.                         

 

30 Questions you should ask when looking for a College with Learning Difference Support 

Saturday, December 5, 2009, 2:00-4:00 pm, Wakefield, RI
Friday, February 5, 2010, 6:00 – 8:00 pm, Groton, CT

Not all Learning Difference Support programs are created equal at Colleges and Universities. How does a student and parent know which program will offer the correct level of assistance? This seminar is designed to help navigate the waters of the college selection process.  Though a series of questions, tips and hints, families and students will have additional tools to help make one of the most important decisions in life – where to attend college.

 

Kimberly Hodges is the Director of Admissions at Mitchell College in New London, CT., with 15 years of higher education experience. 

 

 Financial Aid and Funding: The Map to “Buying” a College Education

Sunday, January 24, 2010, 2:00-4:00 pm, Wakefield, RI

(This seminar will be of particular interest to Juniors and Seniors)

 

THE COLLEGE PROCESS STARTS AS EARLY AS THE 8TH GRADE. IF YOU HAVE AN 8TH GRADER OR ABOVE, YOU AND YOUR STUDENT NEED TO ATTEND THIS EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE- FREE COLLEGE PLANNING SEMINAR. PLANNING IS THE KEY TO GETTING INTO THE COLLEGE OF CHOICE AND/OR THE RIGHT COLLEGE.

           

          This presentation frames up the current state of financial aid and helps attendees better understand the college financial aid process. It poses interesting questions and places the issue of financial aid and paying for college as one of the first steps in the selection process. Do you know what type of assistance you qualify for and how much you and your child will be required to pay for college tuition? This seminar includes a comprehensive review of financial aid trends, terminology, deadlines, and application requirements by school. Also included is a discussion on merit awards, need based aid, and

recruiting scholarships for sports, dance, art, and music. Students and parents learn the new thresholds for academic scholarships and are provided guidelines in targeting schools that offer merit awards. Finally, common mistakes are revealed as students and families are guided to take the lead on understanding and managing financial aid and are offered strategies for reconsidering new ways in which they are selecting schools.

 

THIS IS A VERY POPULAR SEMINAR - SEATS FILL QUICKLY 

           

 

 How to Select the Right College

Sunday, March 14, 2010, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, Wakefield, RI

(This seminar will be of particular interest to Juniors and Seniors)

 

This lecture focuses on the roles and responsibilities high school students must assume during the college search and selection process. Discussion includes an overview of who are today’s college student, their characteristics, and aspirations. Also discussed: a realistic perspective of how well prepared students are to achieve these goals. National statistics are provided offering context around graduation rates. This course is based upon information provided in prior seminars. Now that attendees have all the foundational information, they are given instruction on how to put their own plan in place. How do parents and students choose the right school? What steps do they need to take? How can they make their dreams a reality? Attendees will hear from current college students as they share their own experiences and lessons learned especially related to the ways in which they approached selecting a college and how they are making the most of their choices. This program allows students to hear directly from their peers while they create a strategy of their own as they select a college right for them.

 

The Middle School Years “A Good Education is by Design
not by Default”

Friday,  April 23, 2010, 6:00 – 8:00 pm, Groton, CT
Sunday, April 25, 2010, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, Wakefield, RI

(This seminar will be of particular interest to grades 6 – 8)

This presentation focuses on statistics related to college eligibility and college readiness with an emphasis on course selection and tracks in high school. Included are discussions on the disconnects between student and parent aspirations and their preparedness. The main objective is to demonstrate the importance of educational planning and assessment. 

 Know Your Goals
This portion of the presentation includes an interactive discussion whereby attendees are asked to fill out a course selection sheet for their child’s four years of high school. The main objective is to equip parents in being proactive advocates, encouraging them to become involved in shaping their child’s academic future.

Next Steps: What Can We Do to Best Prepare our Children for Academic Success?
Brief discussion highlighting key things parents can do to help ensure their child’s academic success outside of the classroom setting. Handouts and relevant articles are provided for reference.

 

“Shaping your Record”

Friday,  May 14, 2010, 6:00 – 8:00 pm, Groton, CT
Sunday, May 16, 2010, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, Wakefield, RI

(This seminar will be of particular interest to grades 8 – 11)

Unlike essays and SATs, the transcript is a four-year chronicle of a student’s ability, work ethic, and involvement. “No amount of cramming, coaching, or fast talking can make it better. That’s why admissions officers will consider it the key ingredient in evaluating your potential for success as a college student. After all, “…the best predictor of how a person will perform in the future is how he or she performed in similar situations in the past.” (Fiske, 129)

This brief introduction serves to ground attendees in the realities of the college selection and the admissions process by focusing on statistics related to college eligibility and college readiness, with an emphasis on course selection and tracks in high school. The main objective is to demonstrate the importance of educational planning and assessment.   

The High School Transcript and a Tale of Two Students
This portion of the presentation focuses on actually reviewing two high school students’ transcripts as seen from the college admissions officers’ perspective. Attendees carefully evaluate each student’s potential for acceptance with an emphasis placed upon grades, classes, chosen and overall academic performance. Discussion includes those factors that colleges use to either qualify or disqualify students.

Know Your Goals
The fact is that it is never too early to start preparing for higher education. However, more and more
parents and students are faced with discouraging news or limited choices because they had not proactively planned. Do you know your child's baseline test scores and goals or the curriculum they are enrolled? Enrichment, remediation, help with coursework, building confidence — do whatever it takes to help your child fulfill his or her potential. Knowing what will be required for college is important; by taking the right courses and examinations from the beginning of high school, your child may avoid admission problems later on. In addition, students who do not prepare well enough academically in high school, if admitted to college, may be required to take remedial courses. Most colleges do not offer credit for these courses, and students may have to pay for these extra courses and spend extra time in college to earn their degrees. Studies have also shown that students who take more rigorous courses in high school are more likely to complete college.

 

 

 

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