If you do have choices in your school (which most people do, it just takes a bit of work to find out what they are), do your research and compare what opportunities are available to your child to ensure their success.
Make Summers Count! Volunteering in SW Florida
Video Games are fun, but do not build a college resume!
Summer is right around the corner, and a a lot of students and parents are wondering what to do to make it count! While sleeping in and playing video games sounds like an ideal summer vacation (I have even heard parents say "They've worked hard during the school year, they should relax!"), there are other ways to build up your college resume to gain admissions and scholarships!
Summer is an excellent opportunity for students to use their time wisely to become a “T” student (see what a "T" student is here), whether that is volunteering, utilizing summer university program, or taking online courses. Often times, I find parents don't know where to start with the process so I have searched for some opportunities I know of throughout the state of Florida and in our own backyard of SW Florida. This by no means is an exhaustive list, but will definitely get parents thinking about areas a student can utilize during the summer. There are many more out there, and I highly suggest you do some Google searches to find them! Sometimes all it takes is a good search and a few phone calls to find an amazing experience. I am continually impressed with what our students find in the local community, and I strongly encourage these opportunities for personal and academic growth.
You do not have to pay high prices for these summer programs- as stated in the previous article, volunteering locally and taking free online courses definitely helps boost their admission and scholarship potential. Many universities within Florida and out-of-state offer great on-campus opportunities for students as well with unique major and career specific programs.
Online Programs (called Massive Open Online Courses or MOOCs)
MOOCs allows students to take courses from all over the world. Most are free, but some are for a small fee. They range from coursework from experts from universities like MIT, Berkeley, and Harvard from a range of topics like coding, medical neuroscience, business, and psychology.
Coursera
Carnegie Mellon
Curriki
EdX
Lynda
Alison
Udemy
Udacity
SyMynd
Open Yale Courses
Volunteer Opportunities
Lee Health
http://www.leememorial.org/volunteer/vol-application_student.asp (Links to an external site.)
Lee County Parks & Recreation
http://www.leegov.com/parks/volunteers
United Way of Lee County-
https://www.unitedwaylee.org/volunteer/current-needs/
Naples Volunteering (Zoo, Botanical Gardens, etc).
http://www.thenewnaples.com/guide/volunteer/
Lee County Visitor Board- Tourism Ambassador
https://www.leevcb.com/the-vcb/visitor-services/tourism-ambassador-program
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conversation Commission
http://myfwc.com/get-involved/volunteer/
Shy Wolf Sanctuary-
If your organization would like to be on this list, please email me asterk@unmaze.me! I would love to compile a first list of volunteer/ internship opportunities!
Florida Universities and Programs
Florida provides a wealth of opportunities for our high school students, whether it be at Disney World, Sea World, or one of our great universities!
Disney Educational Programs (physics, technology, photo storytelling, personal branding, and more).
http://www.disneyyouth.com/our-programs/education/
Eckerd College (Marine science, leadership, sustainability, writers workshop)
https://www.eckerd.edu/precollege/
Embry-Riddle (aviation, mechanical engineering, NASA)
http://summercamps.erau.edu/index.html
Florida Atlantic University (architecture)
http://www.idac.fau.edu/design/HSSI.html
Lutgert College of Business at Florida Gulf Coast University- CEO Academy
http://jaswfl.org/ceo-academy/
Florida Institute of Technology (flight, engineering, advanced aviation, marine science & engineering, Girls in STEM)
http://camps.fit.edu/academic-camps.php#.WOUXX4jys2y
Florida State University (FSU College of Medicine- closed for this summer)
http://med.fsu.edu/index.cfm?page=advisingOutreach.si
NASA Internships (closed for this summer)
Ringling Art & Design (animation, sculpting, cartoons, graphic novels, etc)
http://www.ringling.edu/ContinuingStudies
University of Central Florida (programming, biology, engineering)
University of Miami- Summer Scholars Program- multiple tracks
http://www.miami.edu/dcie/index.php/ssp/
University of South Florida (STEM, writers workshop, biomedical engineering, advertising)
http://www.usf.edu/innovative-education/programs/pre-college/programs/2015.aspx
Stetson University (variety of classes, designed for gifted students of all ages)
http://www.stetson.edu/other/hats/
University of Florida (multiple programs)
http://www.mysummeradvisor.com/MSA/app/school/summer-programs-and-camps/university-of-florida/573
Out-of-State Universities (there are so many! More than I can put on here- often these are a bit pricey, but give you some great time on unique campuses through the US and world!)
Actuarial Science Camp-
http://www.lvc.edu/academics/summer-community-programming/actuarial-science-camp/
Cornell University Summer College (veterinary science, Shakespeare, art, biological research)
https://www.sce.cornell.edu/sc/
Duke Summer Academy: Global Leader, Global Entrepreneur, Global Incubator, Global Giver, Global Researcher
http://summersession.duke.edu/high-school-students/duke-summer-academy/daytime-courses
Stanford Summer Session (artificial intelligence, humanities, sports business, and more)
https://summercollege.stanford.edu/
Stevens Pre-College Program (cybersecurity, Engineering, Pre-med, game design, entrepreneurship, STEM Law & Policy, and more)
https://www.stevens.edu/admissions/pre-college-programs
University of North Georgia- National Cyber Warrior Academy (computer science & Operating in cyberspace- scholarships available!)
https://ung.edu/cyber-operations-education/national-cyber-warrior-academy.php
Helping Teens Advocate For Themselves
Online Scholarships- A resource Guide
- Here at UnMaze.Me, I have been focusing on various types of scholarships and financial aid information that would be most beneficial to families who are seeking money to pay for college. Here are some of my articles and posts in one easy list, as well as some top scholarship sites
UnMaze.Me Resources
College Terminology: Scholarships & Financial Aid
Finding Money in Micro-Scholarships: Raise.Me
The Value of a College Planning Professional
An Overlooked College Funding Source
Financial Aid & Loans: Considerations for Parents & Students, Part 1
Financial Aid & Loans: Considerations for Parents & Students, Part 2
Additional Resources
afsa.ed.gov – main site for applying for federal financial aid
pin.ed.gov - for requesting a PIN for FAFSA online.
FAFSA Forecaster - provide estimates for your 'expected family contribution' or EFC
College Board.com: profile online for EFC estimates.
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
nelliemae.com - online calculator to interpret financial aid packages
collegenet.com/mach25 - search for scholarships
fastaid.com - free scholarship search.
studentaid.ed.gov – federal financial aid planning website
profileonline.collegeboard.com – CSS Profile
floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/bf (Bright Futures)
fastweb.com – searchable scholarship database
Bright Futures- Florida Residents
SW Florida Community Foundation
For more help in the scholarship search, review my course Scholarships Step-by-Step, which will guide you through the entire process of searching and applying for all types of scholarships.
You to Career to College in 5 Minutes
Do you have 5 minutes to find your perfect career and college to get you there? A new, free app called C’reer was recently released in order for students across the country to begin to answer the age old question, “What do I want to be when I grow up?”. While your five year old self wanted to be a princess or superhero, the older, more mature teenager in you realizes that is not very realistic.
How does one decide who they want to be? For every adult you ask, you will receive a different answer. We all have ended up where we are today because of a variety of experiences throughout our lives that have shaped our perspectives and attitudes towards our careers. However, if you get to the root of why people are in a specific career and enjoy it, you will find that each career matches what their personalities are. For example, there are people who enjoy speaking to crowds, working outdoors, teaching children, helping others, building things, managing and leading projects, being creative, solving complex problems, and so forth. These likes and dislikes come from your personality, the thing that makes you uniquely you.
The C’reer app is a free downloadable app that walks you through an easy 5 minute short questionnaire to find your key personality attributes. Based on an immense amount of data and research, the app then matches you with potential careers your personality would be good at. Then, the app seamlessly connects you with universities and colleges that can help you achieve your dream career. Not only that, but one click of the chat button starts a conversation with that school’s admissions team. It’s that easy!
So the next time someone asks you, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, proudly smile and let them know you thoroughly researched it and have it all figured out using the C'reer app.
*No surprise- my results were Social, Enterprising & Investigative. My career choices were education, school counselor, director, and tour guide!
The website is www.creer.us, that contains a blog and additional app information.
Get Smart About SATs
By Cammie McKenzie, M.Ed., MBA
Community Contributor
“Students attain their best standardized test results when they’re well prepared.”
Image credit by: nrjfalcon1
Students who are naturally good test takers may find self-prep for standardized tests effective, while those who may need re-teaching of certain skills may benefit from review classes.”
It is common knowledge that students who wish to go on college must take the ACT or SAT entrance exam. Parents and students alike are usually aware of this step in the college application process and make plans accordingly. Many assume this step is an easy one. For some students, it is. For most students, it is not.
The fact is that many students who expect to do well on these exams, are shocked to discover how unprepared they really are for the SAT and ACT. Students with high GPAs are perplexed to receive scores that are, at best, mediocre. Students who consider themselves to be strong in reading and writing cannot understand why their essay does not score a 12 or why the English section on the ACT seems so difficult. Others cannot begin to accept that they would run out of time during the exam. Parents are equally as shocked when the scores do not seem to reflect the “caliber” of student their child has proven to be in school.
Technically, these students have learned usage and mechanics in grammar, and ,generally, most do know what a rhetorical question is. But few understand how these are presented on the English section of the ACT exam. Similarly, most students know how to read material are able to answer critical reading questions, but few understand that both the SAT and the ACT have unique “style” and “expectation.” In other words, when preparing for the SAT, students must think the SAT way. And the same can be said when preparing for the ACT.
The dilemma might be best summed up this way. Imagine being fully capable of finding your way around town, completing tasks and accomplishing goals. In other words, you are as your child has good ownership of his or her school material. Then, without warning, you are lifted into air and dropped in a foreign land where, despite your many skills, you are at a loss. As to how to proceed given the expectations, rules, and language of this new world. Your failure to do well has little to do with your skill level but much to do with your understanding of “how things get down” in this new place.
IMAGE CREDIT BY: komsomolec
Preparation tips for students and parents
Plan to begin reviews-whether at home or with a class- at least four to six weeks prior to the scheduled test.
Consider time management as a critical component of the review process, especially when preparing for the ACT.
Be sure to understand the difference between the critical reading and English components.
Critical reading is designed to test a student’s ability to read and understand information. The English component focuses on a student’s mastery of usage and mechanics. In other words, the English section presents what students know as grammar. Most students will benefit from in depth review of the basic rules of grammar.
ACT/SAT self-prep can be effective for the student who is disciplined and already has a good command of the math verbal skills required on these standardized exams. Students who are also, by nature, good test takers can generally find working through practice tests on their own very productive.
Classes or tutorial sessions will benefit those students who are not good test takers and those who may need reteaching of basic reading comprehension, grammar or math skills.
The ACT contains a science component which tends to intimidate many students. Contrary to what most think, this section requires more skill int eh area of reading comprehension than it does in the area of science.
Some students may choose to take their first SAT/ACT exam without preparation to establish a benchmark of sorts. Others choose to attend Learning in Motion for reviews prior to the first exam with the intention of using their initial scores as a guide for additional tutoring to increase scores where needed.
Learning in Motion suggests students complete at least three verbal and two math sessions in preparation for their exam.
Cammie McKenzie is an education specialist and the owner of Learning in Motion Tutoring, which offers private, one-on- one SAT/ ACT review session throughout the year. She can be reached at 239- 415-0029 or at learninginmotiontutoring.com.
College Terminology 1: High School Related
As I start writing more blogs for your information, I realize that some of the terminology might be a bit foreign to you. If you have ever done a college visit, your head begins to spin with what they are saying. I have compiled a great list of college terminology that will help you through the entire process, whether you are thinking of the a 2- or 4-year school.