Interview with Kim Lifton, President of WOW Writing Workshop

In this 45 minute video, Kim Lifton talks about how to approach the college personal essay, what to include in the essay, how parents can help (and not hinder) the process, her thoughts on multiple editors, and supplemental essay strategies. It’s a long interview, and I am going to write a blog summarizing the contents for those who don’t want to watch the whole thing. I absolutely agree with her strategies and points. She includes insight from a few college admission offices as well. I find it invaluable for students to get a look at what the audience - college admissions officers - wants out of the personal essay.

Coolidge Scholarship

The Coolidge Scholarship is an annually awarded, full-ride, presidential scholarship that covers a student’s tuition, room, board, and expenses for four years of undergraduate study. The Coolidge may be used by recipients at any accredited American college or university. Anyone of any background, pursuing any academic discipline of study, may apply to this non-partisan, need-blind, program.

Students in their junior year of high school, or the equivalent if home schooled, are eligible to apply. (Students who are currently high school juniors but take some courses at a local college are indeed eligible to apply for the Coolidge Scholarship.)

FAFSA

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the application for FEDERAL AID. Schools may use this for their own institutional aid as well. Take note of the deadlines!! Just as with the CSS, have all tax and financial information ready to enter. It makes it much easier. The website has so much great information about financial aid in general.

Footlocker Scholar Athletes

Requirements:Enter 4 year college as a freshman in fall
Currently involved in high school, intramural, or community sports
Greater than 3.0 GPA
US Citizen or Permanent Legal Resident
Not related to an employee, officer, or board member of Food Locker

Judging Qualifications:
Embody good sportsmanship and strong moral character
Display academic excellence
Passionate and committed to empowering the community
Confident and enthusiastic about being a leader
Come from diverse backgrounds


Applications open in October of senior year and close January senior year

Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation

The Coca-cola foundation provides over 1400 scholarships each year totaling more than $3 million.

Applicants must be:

• Current high school (or home-schooled) student attending a school in the U.S. (or select DoD schools) who will graduate during the 2018-2019 academic school year

• U.S. Citizens, U.S. Nationals, U.S. Permanent Residents, Refugees, Asylees, Cuban-Haitian Entrants, or Humanitarian Parolees - based on the guidelines utilized by U.S. Department of Education for Federal Financial Aid eligibility

• Will receive high school diploma during current academic year

• Planning to pursue a degree at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution

Applicants may not be:

• Children or grandchildren of employees, officers, or owners of Coca-Cola bottling companies, The Coca-Cola Company, Company divisions or subsidiaries.

• International students (with the exception of students at DoD schools)

• High school graduates

• Temporary residents

Estimate Financial Aid Potential

FAFSA4Caster

This is a great tool to get a head start on your potential need based financial aid. This won’t determine any merit based aid. There are other places to help predict if a student is eligible for merit based aid such as specific college websites.

Nerd Wallet article:
How to Pay for College: 8 Expert-approved tricks

Nerd Wallet is a terrific resource for money matters. They have many articles on paying for college, handling money in college, student loans, etc.

Launching a Resilient College Student

Tim Davis, Ph.D., Executive Director of Resilience & Leadership Development at the University of Virginia, gives an invaluable talk with respect to sending resilient students off to college. I highly encourage EVERY parent of a college bound high schooler to watch this 40-minute video. It was filmed at the 2018 summer orientation parent sessions.

College Students and Mental Health

Timely article from United Healthcare addressing the need for guidance in the transition to college.

Helpful list of life skills for high school students

US News and World Report article that gives some really useful information.

College Students and Mental Health

Click here for the written article from NPR:

“A Very Dangerous Place for a Child is College”

Essay by: Louis M. Profeta, MD

Dr. Louis Profeta is an Emergency Department physician who has written essays and given talks that are honest and to the point. Through his campus talks, he has learned a lot from college students. They confide in him, trust him, and tell him things that they don’t tell parents. College is such a volatile time for students - especially freshmen! I have heard the sentiment he quotes from an upperclassman before…“It’s the incoming freshmen that cause most of the problems,” the upperclassman told me as he walked me to my car. “They come in, away from mom and dad, and they are out of fucking control. Trying to fit in, I guess, things like that. Most of the upperclassmen, well, I mean are kind of over that. More future-oriented, I imagine,” he said, kind of exasperated. Parents - please read this and know that it your/our responsibility to create college students who will make mostly smart decisions during their freshman year.

How the Coronavirus Has Upended College Admissions

NPR explores the changes ahead for the college admissions process. Hear from admissions personnel about what they plan to do and how students might approach their applications for the foreseeable future. 8/12/20