Going to college is an exciting time for many students. They are about to pursue their dreams of leaving home, meeting new friends, and gaining new experiences. When a student graduates from high school, the hope is that he or she is prepared for the transition to college. But, what happens if a student hasn’t completed a major task that would have made a difference in him actually enrolling in his desired college? There is usually strict competition to get into many schools, so one missed assignment by one student could open the door for another student to gain access to his spot. The I Am College Bound college prep planner will help prevent those missed assignments because the student can track and monitor what has already been done and what still needs to be completed. The planner also takes away the mystery of determining the right career and college choices based on a student’s likes and dislikes. Students will also use this planner to research the cost of attending their top three schools, and determine how they can afford to attend their desired schools with scholarships and other financial aid.
Name of Book ~ I Am College Bound: A College Prep Planner for High School Students
Genre ~ Nonfiction):
Book Link: https://bit.ly/college-prep-planner
Pages: 100
Tell us about your book, I am College Bound: My College Prep Planner.
This planner was created to help high school students track their college prep activities. There is a checklist for activities students should complete from freshman through senior years. I included a four-year high school tracker for students to monitor whether they continue to meet the requirements to graduate. There is a section on speaking with a guidance counselor and a list of questions students can ask when they schedule a meeting with the guidance counselor. Students are guided through the processes of researching and choosing a potential career, college major, and college. Students also learn about financial aid, how to apply for and track approved scholarships, and track their college admissions approvals. At the end of the planner, students can find additional college success tips & tricks, college resources they need to look out for, and a brief discussion about money and budgeting.
Why did you decide to write it?
After working with high school students and their parents for over eight years, I realized that the average students are not actively completing and tracking their college prep activities. Most of my students didn’t pay attention to scholarships until after they graduate from high school and realize that they couldn’t afford the schools they wanted to enroll in. My state provides scholarships for student residents based on GPA, test scores, and community service hours. Most students do not qualify for this scholarship because they do not achieve the required test scores and community service hours. Often, students wait until their senior year to take the SAT/ACT exams. The expectation is that they will achieve the appropriate score the first time, which usually isn’t realistic. My hope in writing this planner was that students will review the required activities each year, and begin checking off each activity as they are completed.
Do you have anything else you would like to add?
For some students, the cost of attending college is high because of the decisions that are made before going to college. A student who randomly chooses a career and college major often spends more money because they usually change their majors at least once, and often those majors are on opposite ends of the spectrum. For example, I had a student who wanted to study psychology but thought that she should also study to be an aesthetician. She didn’t understand that a career in psychology required a minimum of a master’s degree. She was determined to go out of state, which would mean more student loans, but she never researched exactly how much it would cost her. In the end, she was faced with the reality that she couldn’t afford the school she was planning to attend because she did not apply for any scholarships.
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