During my son Jack’s junior year of high school, the two of us took a trip to visit colleges. While we were in Boston, we walked the Freedom Trail, which is really great. I highly recommend it. What I don’t recommend is coming to the end of the trail at night, in the dark, miles from your hotel. And then both our phones died. And then it started raining. And then it started pouring. I suggested a cab. Jack insisted we walk, because how far could it be really? We’ll find our way. It must be just around this corner. Nope, we should have turned left back there. Any moment now. Any moment, the rain will ease up. Or something will look familiar. Or we’ll find someone who knows the way. Any moment now.
We were cold. We were drenched. We were hungry. I was crabby. Like red-faced F-bomb crabby. Still, Jack dismissed the idea of taking a cab. (Anyone else have a child who chooses the harder path, always?) We argued. But still we trudged on. What seemed like hours later, things started to look familiar once again, and we eventually arrived safely at our hotel.
Adversity Looks Like Victory, But Only In The Rearview Mirror
Now, when we look back on this memory, Jack doesn’t seem to remember the cold or the rain or the dark or the hunger or my crabbiness or the swearing. He says, “Remember that time when we were lost in Boston and I got us back to the hotel without a map or a cab?” What felt like adversity, defeat and misery at the time now looks like victory. Hindsight works like that.
But to be able to look back, you have to get through it. And the job of getting through it sucks sometimes. It really sucks.
One of my favorite podcasts is “How I Built This”. I’ve suggested to more than one friend that they tune in and have their rocky road child tune in, too. How I Built This features Guy Raz interviewing entrepreneurs who’ve made it. REALLY made it. Like Bobbi Brown of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics or Bob of Bob’s Red Mill or John Mackey of Whole Foods Market or Jake Carpenter of Burton Snowboards or Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran or Chicken Salad Chick’s Stacy Brown. If all you see is their photo in Forbes magazine, you see the easy life. It’s tempting to think they just knew all the right steps to take, or they figured out something I didn’t. Maybe they were smarter, luckier or more privileged. But almost without fail, these folks took a long, winding road. They trudged rocky, painful paths. Dropping out of high school. Dropping out of college. Not going to college in the first place. Being told you’ll never amount to anything. Being told you’re stupid, crazy or complete inept. Being the weird kid. Dealing with dyslexia. Overcoming addiction and depression. Having a marriage or an entire family fall apart. Losing a loved one. Having your factory burn to the ground. Going bankrupt and starting over again. Being asked to leave the company you started.
Real glamourous stuff. But they kept on going. They stuck to their rocky path. They shrugged suggestions that they should choose a more “practical”, “easier” path. They ignored the haters. They tried and failed, tried and failed and tried again.
To Students on a Rocky Road
Is your way forward really unclear, painful, bleak or completely hidden from view? Does it feel like everyone else got a how-to manual for life that you didn’t? Does it seem like every turn takes you further and further from what you think you want? Have hope.
When you look around, if all you see are bright, shiny people who seem to have everything figured out, there is one of three things happening: 1) You’re surrounded by the wrong people, 2) You don’t know those people as well as you think, or 3) You’re not seeing things clearly or completely. A fourth problem is perhaps that you’re spending too much time looking around at others, instead of focusing on what’s right for you and figuring out how to pursue it with all that you are.
In his college planning work with students at OnCampus College Planning, Tom has learned something really important. Everyone is going through something. EVERYONE. You may not always see it. And those bright and shiny kids who seem to have the world by the tail, 1500 Instagram followers and a date to the prom? Yup, they’re going through something, too.
Stay focused on your path, however rocky it may be. Keep moving forward, one baby step at a time. Be yourself. Fully yourself. Because that’s who you are wired to be. I love the line, “Be yourself, ‘cuz everyone else is already taken.”
Surround yourself with one or two truly authentic friends to whom you can speak your truth, and then hear and embrace their truth. If authentic friends are in short supply (‘cuz sometimes they are), talk to an adult who’s grown up enough to admit they don’t have it all figured out. Ask a counselor, family friend, Mom, Dad, youth group leader or coach this key question, “Hey, when you were my age, did you ever feel like things were just never, ever gonna work out?” I PROMISE YOU. They’ll be able to tell you a war story that will give you hope, make you laugh, shock you, or at least make you realize that you’re just like everybody else. You’re not alone. You’re just as confused, messed up and broken, AND you’re just as full of potential, beautiful and awesome as the rest of us. We’re all in the soup together.
To Parents On A Rocky Road
Moms and Dads, some of you (statistically speaking, most of you) have kids who are on a rocky road. I feel your pain. I have been there. We want smooth, pain-free journeys for our kids, with certain outcomes and bright futures. Sometimes we even short-circuit critical life lessons for our kids, in an effort to “put them back on the straight and narrow”, to “save them”. Once in a while that works. Usually it doesn’t. I have no quick tips or “3 easy steps” to deal with rocky road kids. There’s way more gray than black and white in that area.
I can only say there is hope. I’ve seen it. Some of my very favorite grown-ups had winding, rocky roads on their way to adulthood. Some of those paths were so rocky, those folks almost didn’t survive. But they did make it. The real gems in my life are the very people who were charred, broken bits of coal at one time who withstood the pressure, let adversity change them and emerged brilliantly from the wreckage. On their own timeline. In their own way. Once the lessons sunk in and their way forward was clear. And there was nothing anybody could have done to rush them along or change their course. They had to navigate the rocky road on their own, because that was the only path that led where they were ultimately supposed to end up.
The Road’s Still Rocky Sometimes, But I’m Stronger Now
I have wandered a rocky, meandering, sometimes really painful path. Now, looking back, I can see that I wouldn’t be the person I am today, nor would I have the precious, genuine friendships I have today had my path been all rainbows and kittens. Today, I wouldn’t trade my scars and bruises for anything, because I know they were the price I had to pay for the treasure I have now.
Today, I’m grateful. But at that time, I was miserable. I didn’t think I’d make it. And I would have given anything for smoother, more scenic travels.
Now when someone I love is on a rocky path that seems to be headed straight for disaster, or when I fall down and bang my head on another rock, I know that this, too, shall pass. It’s not easy. It hurts like hell. But maybe this path is the one they had to take, or I have to take, in order to get where I’m supposed to be. Maybe the smoother path doesn’t actually lead where I’m supposed to go, as alluring as it may be.
In the tough moments, I phone a friend who knows my mess and loves me anyway. I pray. I have a cup of tea, and I go to bed early. I listen to a podcast or read a story about someone who narrowly avoided disaster and lived to tell about it.
And I remember that rocky roads will get you there, too.
Photo Credits: Thank you to these talented photographers for their awesome images.
Adding a campus visit to your spring break travel plans can be fun and productive, even if you have never visited a college and college application time is a long way off. For those resisting already, let me address your objections, one by one:
There aren’t any colleges we’re interested in where we’re going (Even better! No pressure to make any big decisions then.)
My child is only in 7th (8th, 9th, 10th grade) (Perfect! It’s never too early to start exposing your child to the college environment to get their wheels turning and get them excited about their future.)
I’ll bet there aren’t any colleges where we’re going (“False.” Dwight Schrute)
We won’t have a car (Uber. Ever heard of it?)
My child won’t want to. (Yeah, I didn’t want to go to balmy rural Nebraska for spring break either. But no one asked me. They just said, “Get in the car, or I’ll really give you something to cry about.” Or something like that.)
We’re staying home (Great! Then you can check out colleges near your home. Perfect day trip.)
I don’t know what we’re doing for spring break yet (A college you’ve always been curious about could help you nail down a destination.)
Look, I can’t make you go on a campus visit. But I can tell you you’ll be glad if you do. It doesn’t have to take up your entire vacation. No matter where you’re going, you can add a campus visit that lasts a day, a morning or an hour.
Why You Should Start College Campus Visits Way Before Junior Year
As a college planner, I’m a huge advocate for visiting college campuses early and often, beginning in middle school and certainly well before junior year. Things are less overwhelming, more familiar and more comfortable the more you do them.
Wouldn’t you rather get your first college campus visits under your belt before you’re in the throes of college planning?
My sons have been taking campus visits since they were in elementary school. (Granted, I’m in the biz, and I’ve visited more than 130 campuses around the country.) Once Jack and Joe were juniors in high school and we were in the thick of college planning, the brilliance of early campus visits came to life for me. During campus visits for schools they were seriously considering, they already had a general understanding of what “College” was. They’d been on big campuses and small campuses. They’d seen private colleges and public colleges. They’d seen colleges in cities and colleges in small towns. The job of evaluating a particular school was much easier because they had something to compare it to.
Options for College Campus Visits That Fit Every Age and Interest Level
Schedule an official Campus Visit Tour.
Go to any college website, and you’ll find “Admissions”. There you’ll find info about visiting the campus. Colleges WANT you to visit, because they WANT to attract prospective students. They don’t care if you’re not applying soon. They love the exposure. Therefore, they make campus visit information easy to find. You can call or email the college to find out when they do tours, and then register for one that works for you. Campus tours typically take 2-3 hours and will give you a good idea of the highlights about that particular campus. Note: To get the most out of your visit, make sure they don’t have spring break at that time. The college website or admissions personnel can provide this information.
Take a Self-Guided Campus Visit.
While not as thorough as a guided tour, you can guide your own campus visit with a map of the campus that you grab from the visitor’s center or admissions office. College campuses are wide open, welcoming places, and you can walk freely all over campus on your own self-guided tour. You’ll get a good idea of what the campus feels like, what type of people are strolling around, what the facilities and amenities look like and more. A self-guided campus visit is a solid option for younger students who can’t be cajoled into an official tour. It also lets you control how long you spend visiting, so you can get back to other spring break activities on your own schedule.
Opt for a drive-by campus visit.
This is exactly what it sounds like. While you’re out and about exploring your spring break destination, drive through the college campus nearby. It’s obviously less thorough than a walking tour, but it accomplishes the goal of getting a feel for the campus. It doesn’t take long, and any campus visit is better than no campus visit.
Piggy-back a college campus visit on other site-seeing.
Just as State Street in Madison is right next to the University of Wisconsin, the best parts of many cities are right near college campuses. College campuses typically have fantastic art museums, wonderful theater productions, great athletic events, beautiful gardens and grounds and fun, quirky bookstores and coffee shops. Check them out!
For more on how to make the most of campus visits including what to ask, where to go, what NOT to do and who to talk to, download our free campus visit guide. It makes for great reading on the drive. We also have a Campus Visit Bullet Journal you can download. This handy one-pager is a helpful note-taking tool while you’re on a campus visit.
To get results most people don’t, you need to do what most people won’t.
We’re closing in on a couple of key ACT exam dates in February. There are some really hard-working students out there who are tired. It’s shaky leg time. It’s mile 20 of a 26.2-mile marathon. It’s that moment when you’ve climbed down into the canyon, and now it’s time to climb back up the other side.
It’s time to dig deep. It’s time to do what most people won’t, so that you can earn the results most people don’t. Here are thoughts for finishing strong, when you feel like giving up.
Remember Your Why
In our work with students prepping for the ACT, planning for college and tackling college applications, we’re sticklers for setting goals and reviewing them often. Keep your why in front of you. I don’t mean the numeric goal you’re trying to achieve. I mean remembering WHY you want to hit that goal.
Why did you set out on this journey in the first place? What’s the goal you’re aiming for? Is it admittance to the college of your dreams? Is it earning merit aid to reduce the cost of college? Is it proving to yourself what you’re truly capable of if you give it your all? Is it silencing that small voice inside your head that whispers you can’t do it? When you’re in the valley and have a steep climb ahead, get clear about your why, recommit yourself to it and take the next step forward.
Focus on the Next Step
Planning the work and working the plan is a key part of our work with students prepping for the ACT, and it’s a key part of reaching any goal worth achieving. A rock climber knows that in order to reach the top of the cliff, they need to focus on the next step of the journey. No matter what your goal is, avoid the tendency to focus on the finish line. Instead, keep your eyes on the next step you need to take.
When we’re prepping for the ACT with students, we keep our eyes on the next task. Students will often hear us remind them to, “Don’t focus on the number. Focus on the question right in front of you.” The end goal can be daunting. And when you’re in the valley and feeling tired and discouraged, it can feel unattainable. Put your head down, review your plan, get clear about what your next step is and take that step.
Celebrate Progress Along the Way
No matter how far you walk, the horizon will always lie the same distance ahead of you. It doesn’t mean you haven’t come a long distance already. When we’re focused on a big, hairy, audacious goal, we can experience a similar effect. When you’re weary and have a steep journey ahead of you before you reach your destination, you may forget that you’ve already come so far!
In our work with students prepping for the ACT, we establish baseline scores and progress along the way and encourage students and parents to note progress made along the way. This is critical for maintaining momentum toward the end goal.
Look back. Review your progress to date. A rock climber will soon become discouraged if they only look ahead and never look back to remind themselves how far they’ve already climbed.
Take stock of specific skills you have that you didn’t have a few weeks ago. Review where you were when you first started and celebrate the fact that your hard work is paying off! Be encouraged by the fact that if you’ve made that kind of progress, you have it in you to climb the rest of the way, if you just keep doing what you’ve been doing and trust the process.
Visualize The Glorious View from the Summit
I love the mantra, “Do something today that your future self will thank you for.”
Close your eyes. Imagine being done with the ACT, or reaching the top of whatever mountain you’re climbing. How’s the view from up there? How do you feel, knowing you dug deep, kept going when you felt like quitting and gave it your all in order to reach your goal? Let that image motivate you to keep going.
At the same time, if you really feel like quitting, imagine how you’ll feel the day after the ACT exam if you DID NOT put everything you’ve got into working the plan you outlined, doing the work, applying what you’ve learned. Imagine how you’ll feel if you phoned it in for the last part of the climb and came up short.
Numbers are great. But what really makes me smile is seeing the look on a student’s face when they’ve pushed through challenges and doubled down on the work. That’s the best mountaintop view of them all. More important than hitting a specific number is fulfilling the promise you make to yourself to give it everything you’ve got and prove to yourself what you’re truly capable of.
Ask yourself now, while the journey’s still hard, “is this the best I can do”? Not in terms of results, but in terms of effort. Am I giving this my best effort? If you give it your best effort, if you follow the plan, if you do the work, then the results will come in time.
The Right Sherpa for the Climb
If you plan to take the ACT in the next six months and have questions about how our ACT Test Prep Coaches can be your Sherpa for reaching your goals, give us a call. We’ve helped countless students reach new heights when prepping for the ACT, finding the right colleges and earning acceptance and merit aid to their college of choice. We’d love to help you. Schedule your free consult today to learn more.
Here at OnCampus College Planning, we’ve received a number of questions about the state-mandated ACT Exam for public high school juniors in Wisconsin, which will take place on February 20, 2019. Here’s what you need to know.
How do I register for the state-mandated ACT exam on February 20?
As a parent, you don’t need to do a thing. Unlike all other ACT exam dates, for which you or your student must register online by yourself, the school facilitates registration for the state-mandated ACT exam date. Your student will be involved in the school-led registration process at your high school. Unlike all other ACT Exam dates, Wisconsin public high schools take care of registering public high school juniors for this state-mandated ACT exam, with the help of junior students who complete their registration forms at school. There is no cost to parents or students for this state-mandated ACT exam date registration. The exam costs are covered by your public high school.
Who is the state-mandated ACT Exam on February 20 for?
All public high school junior students. If you attend a private high school, your high school is NOT included in the state-mandated ACT on February 20, 2019.
Where is the February 20 state-mandated ACT exam held?
If you’re a public high school junior, your ACT exam on February 20 will be administered at your high school. Watch for instructions to come from your high school administrators or guidance counselors about this upcoming exam and details specific to your high school, like at-school registration, room location, start time, etc.
Is this February 20 ACT exam a “normal” ACT?
Yes. The ACT administered on February 20 is comprised of the same subject tests as any ACT exam date, and it includes the writing section, which is optional as part of typical ACT exam registrations. The subject tests included are: English, Math, Reading, Science, Writing. The ACT with writing is a paper and pencil test.
Wisconsin high schools will be certified as ACT® state testing sites. Scores from the administration of the ACT with writing (if taken with ACT Standard Time or ACT-approved accommodations) can be used by students for a variety of purposes including college admission, scholarships, course placement and NCAA eligibility.
What if I need special accommodations for taking the ACT?
If you’ve already taken the ACT prior to February 20 and qualified for special testing accommodations, you will also be eligible for special testing accommodations for the February 20 ACT. If this is your first time taking the ACT, you should talk to your school’s ACT test coordinator or guidance counselor to complete the necessary forms to secure eligibility for special testing accommodations.
What if I cannot take the state-mandated ACT exam on February 20?
According to the Wisconsin Department of Public instruction website, emergency test dates are for specific circumstances where schools were not able to test on initial or makeup test dates due to weather emergency or other incident. In the case of a legitimate absence, the following makeup and emergency test dates are available. Check with your high school guidance counselor on your eligibility to take the ACT during one of these makeup or emergency test dates:
March 12-18: Makeup accommodations testing window for ACT with writing – grade 11 (weekdays only)
April 2: Emergency test date for ACT with writing – grade 11
April 2-8: Emergency accommodations testing window for ACT with writing – grade 11 (weekdays only)
If I’ve already taken the ACT, do I still need to take the state-mandated ACT exam on February 20?
Yup. Think of it as an extra chance to earn the score you want. In addition to providing all public high school students with a free opportunity to take the ACT exam, the high schools also benefit from having the score report information for this state-mandated ACT exam.
When and how do I access my scores from the state-mandated ACT exam on February 20?
According to ACT representatives, your February 20 ACT scores will be sent to you by mail 2-8 weeks from the date you take this exam.
Unlike other ACT dates where you register yourself for the ACT exam by setting up an online account at act.org, you will first receive your official score report from the state-mandated ACT in the mail at the address you provide when you register for the exam at school. Your scores will be posted online 2-3 weeks after you receive your official score report in the mail. If you do not have an ACT web account, you will need to create one using the ACT ID printed on your score report when creating your account.
If you’ve taken the ACT before and you already have an ACT online account, your February 20 scores will be associated with your existing account based on completing your February 20 registration with the same name, birthdate, address and other personal information. However, there may be a delay. According to ACT representatives, from the date you receive your February 20 scores in the mail, it could be 2-3 weeks until your online account reflects your February 20 scores.
How do I submit scores from the February ACT to colleges I may be interested in attending?
Your February 20 scores will not automatically be shared with schools. During registration FOR ANY ACT, when you are given an opportunity to select schools you’d like your scores to be sent to, OnCampus College Planning recommends that you NOT select any schools. By doing so, you control which schools receive which scores at the time when you apply for colleges. You may want to retake the ACT to earn a better score, and we believe it’s wise to wait until you’ve earned the ACT score you’re happy with to decide who to share those scores with.
Is there a cost for submitting my scores from the Feb 20 ACT to colleges?
When you’re applying to colleges, you log onto your ACT account and follow the “Send My Scores” instructions. It costs about $14 per school to submit your ACT scores to colleges. However, we believe this is money well spent, since it enables you to control who receives which scores.
Juniors have plenty of time to submit ACT scores during the college applications process your senior year. You don’t need to make those decisions now. We recommend you NOT select schools to receive your ACT scores as part of your registration for the ACT exam.
What is the ACT WorkKeys, and is it required?
Yes, the ACT WorkKeys is required for public high school juniors. If you don’t take it the day the school administers it, they will require you to make it up at a later date. It’s typically administered the day following the state-mandated ACT exam.
According to the Wisconsin DPI website, The ACT WorkKeys:
Contains the following tests: Applied Math, Graphic Literacy (formerly Locating Information), and Workplace Documents (Formerly Reading for Information).
Is a paper and pencil assessment used to help students understand how they can improve their career readiness skills and helps employers determine whether individuals are qualified for positions.
Can enable students to earn National Career Readiness Certificates (NCRC) which are recognized by business and industry nationwide. Through obtaining a National Career Readiness Certificate, students have a clear way to demonstrate their abilities to future employers.
I have other questions about the state-mandated ACT exam. Who should I contact?
Your high school guidance counselor is also a great source of information about the state-mandated ACT exam.
What if I’m not happy with my score on the state-mandated ACT exam?
Great news! The ACT has exam dates throughout the year that you can register for yourself at act.org. These occur in April, June, July, September, October, December and in early February. Deadlines for registration are typically 4-5 weeks prior to the exam date. If you need help with preparing for the ACT and putting your best foot forward to earn a score you’re happy with, we can help. Learn more about our ACT Test Prep services. You can also schedule a free consult at any time to see how we can help with the ACT or the college planning process.
Does hard work always pay off? Unfortunately not. Just ask University of Alabama Football Head Coach Nick Saban after Monday’s National Championship game versus Clemson. Saban’s Bowl Game record is 14-10. His career coaching record is 232–63–1. Talented athletes helped produce these results. But you won’t hear Saban talk much about talent. He talks mostly about process, discipline and character. It’s hard to argue with how his stats demonstrate that a rigorous process pays off over time.
In an academic setting, it’s the difference between being smart and being a good student. My heart is still aching over Alabama’s loss, so I’m dedicating this blog post to Coach Saban. I want to share a few of my favorite Coach Saban-isms and how they relate to being an effective student. For more, I highly recommend you watch the recent ESPN series Training Days: Rolling with the Tide. It’s inspiring. And frankly, it will make you want to work harder at whatever it is that truly matters to you.
Being smart can be a detriment if it leads to complacency. In my 30+-year career as an educator, athletic coach and academic coach assisting students with ACT Test Prep and College Search, I’ve encountered many smart kids who have not cultivated the habits they need to be good students. A smart kid gets by for a while on smarts. But once they start aiming for higher goals or tackling tougher subjects (sometimes not until they enter college), their lack of study skills becomes apparent.
If we’re ambitious, each one of us will eventually encounter a situation in school or life (or both), which outsmarts our smartness. At that point, process and habits can help you be a more effective student, an effective LEARNER. If you can develop those habits, then you can overcome your obstacle and achieve your full potential.
A Good Student Values The Process
Good students focus on doing the work, not just getting the grade. Over and over again, you’ll hear Nick Saban talk about focusing on the daily work it takes to become a champion versus focusing on the outcome. Similarly, I find that good students focus on the day-in, day-out work it takes to learn and improve. They understand that the work leads to the results.
Saban says, “Becoming a champion is not an easy process… It is done by focusing on what it takes to get there, and not on getting there.”
For students, this means developing a process for studying, day-in, day-out, week-in, week-out. It’s your answer to the question, “What are some of the regular practices or disciplines you follow regularly as someone who’s committed to being a good student?” Examples of developing a process might be:
I always take notes by hand in class, and then I review my notes that same evening from that day’s class while they’re fresh in my mind.
I always plan my study schedule for the week on Sunday nights and write it down on paper. Then I stick to it, no matter what.
For long-term projects like papers or presentations, I start the project within a day or two of when the assignment is given instead of procrastinating. And I make my own project schedule with key deadlines I need to hit in order to complete it to the best of my ability and on time.
I set aside an hour/day to review notes for tests that I have coming up in the next few weeks.
I study with a friend from class at the library on Sunday afternoons from 2-4pm.
I schedule time with my teachers on a regular basis to review those things that I’m having trouble with.
These are examples. You’ll learn what works for you and adjust your process to make it better and better over time. But when you have a process and you’re committed to following it, it lends discipline and rigor to your habits as a student.
A Good Student is Tenacious
Nick Saban says, “Don’t practice until you get it right. Practice until you can’t get it wrong.” That’s tenacity. Tenacity means that once you’ve been through your notecards and haven’t missed a single Spanish term, you go through them once more for good measure. Maybe even twice! It means that once you’ve written your paper and run it through spellcheck, you run it by a parent or friend and then a second person to make sure you haven’t missed anything. It means you build time into your schedule for writing that paper that makes it possible to write it, refine it and refine it again.
Being tenacious also means you stick to it when the going gets rough. When the first test didn’t go according to plan, you don’t mentally prepare for a lower-than-planned semester grade. Instead, you double down on study efforts and schedule time with your teacher outside of class for extra help to achieve a better result on the second test. Maybe you ask about extra-credit opportunities or tap into a friend who rocked an A on the first test to see how they can help you study.
A Good Student Is Teachable
Being teachable first requires that you understand that you have something to learn. That requires humility and respect for your teacher or coach. I admire students who are comfortable enough in their own skin that they can admit what they don’t know or don’t do well. Those are the students I want to help and know I can help, because they’ve shown me they’re teachable. We’re all a 10 at something, and we’re all a 1 at something. Knowing yourself well enough to know what you don’t know and be willing to admit it is a strength, not a weakness. It also demonstrates a great deal of maturity.
The second key is to demonstrate that you’re teachable. Coach Saban says, “Be on time, because it shows you care.” Showing you’re teachable in an academic setting also means turning your phone off, making eye contact with the teacher, participating in class, asking questions, showing up for your teacher’s office hours to ask questions, turning your work in on time. The best news is that these things are all within your control.
Saban says, ““Eliminate the clutter and all the things that are going on outside and focus on the things that you can control with how you sort of go about and take care of your business. That’s something that’s ongoing, and it can never change.”
How much better would your performance as a student be if you controlled the things you can control as a solid start to healthy student habits? Here are some examples:
I always turn in my work on time
I always show up for class on time
I always participate in class
I always follow up with the teacher promptly to ask questions if I have them
I always sit in the front row, to avoid distractions and give the teacher my full attention
I can’t promise you that if you practice Having a Process, Being Tenacious and Being Teachable that you’ll skyrocket to the top of the class. But I’m confident that if you’re not already doing these things and you start doing them consistently this year, you’ll be amazed within the next 12 months how much better a student you’ll be.
As I often say to students we work with, “Getting better is better than getting done.” That one’s a Tom Kleese original, folks. But I’m pretty sure Coach Saban would approve.
ACT Scores and Merit Aid Payback. One graphic. Two compelling conclusions.
ACT Scores and Merit Aid Conclusion #1: Sometimes one more point on the ACT CAN make a difference. More points = more better.
ACT Scores and Merit Aid Conclusion #2: If you’re not already considering schools outside the UW System, maybe you should be.
In my view there are a few truly beautiful things in life. Sunsets, rainbows and vast mountain ranges come to mind. Toward the top of my list of beautiful things are graphics like this one about ACT scores and merit aid. It’s stunningly compelling. I’m a college data geek, and I spend countless hours pondering things like this. There are so many insights to be gained from it. The families I’ve shared it with usually respond with wide-eyed amazement and a “wow…”.
Conclusions About ACT Scores and Merit Aid Opportunities
When you’re deciding whether to invest time, energy and money on ACT Test Prep, you want to know if it’s worth it. There are two key reasons to boost your ACT score: One, to “get in”. Two, to get money.
It’s not usually easy to determine what college will cost you. More schools are now making cost a bit more transparent by making merit aid (sometimes called merit-based scholarships) publicly available online. All colleges have a net-price calculator on their website, but most don’t ask for academic information that could impact your score. Some schools post net-price calculators on their sites where you can put in personal information and get an estimate of the price you’d pay.
University of Alabama
We used merit-based scholarship information available on a few school websites to build our infographic. Here are a few key insights:
Holy cow! At the University of Alabama and the University of Mississippi, every single ACT point gained from 27-32 earns you more money!
Wow, at some schools, merit aid scholarships start in the low 20s for ACT scores.
Zowie! With a 28 on my ACT, Minnesota is actually more expensive for me than KU or Ole Miss.
Man, with a 30 on my ACT, I’d pay the same at KU as I would at UW-Madison. And Alabama or Ole Miss is actually less expensive.
Holy Toledo! If I can earn a 32 on my ACT, tuition & fees at Ole Miss are FREE, and Alabama’s next to nothing!
Wow, depending on ACT scores, there are private schools out there where merit aid really helps bring the cost at least somewhat closer to tuition for Minnesota or Wisconsin.
University of Mississippi
Granted these are only a few schools, and perhaps you’re not interested in any of them. But if this is the case for just a sampling, what about colleges you’re interested in?
Conclusions About In-State versus Out-of-State Tuition
Here’s where things get interesting. We’ve all heard someone scoff, “What fool would ever pay out-of-state tuition?” I would, if I could get it for less than I could while attending an in-state school and/or if that school was the best fit for my child. In other words, based on my personal criteria, I’m going to make an informed decision based on what I feel is the best VALUE, the best CHOICE FOR ME. That is what an informed College Search process SHOULD BE about.
Xavier University
Here are a few compelling conclusions from the infographic:
Holy cow! Depending on your ACT and GPA, going out of state may actually be cheaper!
Man, with a 30 on my ACT, admission to UW-Madison may not be a lock, but Alabama or Ole Miss would be less expensive anyway.
Hmmmmm, the SEC delivers as much athletic pageantry as the Big 10. And it may deliver a quality education for a great value, too.
The point is, before you make assumptions, do your homework.
Working With a Professional College Planner Can Pay Off
University of Kansas
I’m passionate about helping students and families explore and effectively weigh their options once they’re armed with correct and complete information. Nothing pleases me more than helping a student find some great options they never knew existed or were previously unlikely to add to their list.
There’s a version of this graphic for each and every student, based on the schools YOU want to put on the list and the academic achievements you’ve earned. This is exactly the type of work we do as part of our College Search program. It’s not always about getting in. Sometimes it’s about saving money. A professional college counselor like OnCampus College Planning has the experience and expertise to help you discover hidden gems and high-value colleges that could reward you financially for your achievements.
Now, when we look back on this memory, Jack doesn’t seem to remember the cold or the rain or the dark or the hunger or my crabbiness or the swearing. He says, “Remember that time when we were lost in Boston and I got us back to the hotel without a map or a cab?” What felt like adversity, defeat and misery at the time now looks like victory. Hindsight works like that.
Is your way forward really unclear, painful, bleak or completely hidden from view? Does it feel like everyone else got a how-to manual for life that you didn’t? Does it seem like every turn takes you further and further from what you think you want? Have hope.
Surround yourself with one or two truly authentic friends to whom you can speak your truth, and then hear and embrace their truth. If authentic friends are in short supply (‘cuz sometimes they are), talk to an adult who’s grown up enough to admit they don’t have it all figured out. Ask a counselor, family friend, Mom, Dad, youth group leader or coach this key question, “Hey, when you were my age, did you ever feel like things were just never, ever gonna work out?” I PROMISE YOU. They’ll be able to tell you a war story that will give you hope, make you laugh, shock you, or at least make you realize that you’re just like everybody else. You’re not alone. You’re just as confused, messed up and broken, AND you’re just as full of potential, beautiful and awesome as the rest of us. We’re all in the soup together.
I can only say there is hope. I’ve seen it. Some of my very favorite grown-ups had winding, rocky roads on their way to adulthood. Some of those paths were so rocky, those folks almost didn’t survive. But they did make it. The real gems in my life are the very people who were charred, broken bits of coal at one time who withstood the pressure, let adversity change them and emerged brilliantly from the wreckage. On their own timeline. In their own way. Once the lessons sunk in and their way forward was clear. And there was nothing anybody could have done to rush them along or change their course. They had to navigate the rocky road on their own, because that was the only path that led where they were ultimately supposed to end up.
Now when someone I love is on a rocky path that seems to be headed straight for disaster, or when I fall down and bang my head on another rock, I know that this, too, shall pass. It’s not easy. It hurts like hell. But maybe this path is the one they had to take, or I have to take, in order to get where I’m supposed to be. Maybe the smoother path doesn’t actually lead where I’m supposed to go, as alluring as it may be.
Look, I can’t make you go on a campus visit. But I can tell you you’ll be glad if you do. It doesn’t have to take up your entire vacation. No matter where you’re going, you can add a campus visit that lasts a day, a morning or an hour.
Schedule an official Campus Visit Tour.
Planning the work and working the plan is a key part of our work with students prepping for the ACT, and it’s a key part of reaching any goal worth achieving. A rock climber knows that in order to reach the top of the cliff, they need to focus on the next step of the journey. No matter what your goal is, avoid the tendency to focus on the finish line. Instead, keep your eyes on the next step you need to take.
In our work with students prepping for the ACT, we establish baseline scores and progress along the way and encourage students and parents to note progress made along the way. This is critical for maintaining momentum toward the end goal.
I love the mantra, “Do something today that your future self will thank you for.”
If you plan to take the ACT in the next six months and have questions about how our 
All public high school junior students. If you attend a private high school, your high school is NOT included in the state-mandated ACT on February 20, 2019.
Yes. The ACT administered on February 20 is comprised of the same subject tests as any ACT exam date, and it includes the writing section, which is optional as part of typical ACT exam registrations. The subject tests included are: English, Math, Reading, Science, Writing. The ACT with writing is a paper and pencil test.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Public instruction website, emergency test dates are for specific circumstances where schools were not able to test on initial or makeup test dates due to weather emergency or other incident. In the case of a legitimate absence, the following makeup and emergency test dates are available. Check with your high school guidance counselor on your eligibility to take the ACT during one of these makeup or emergency test dates:
Good students focus on doing the work, not just getting the grade. Over and over again, you’ll hear Nick Saban talk about focusing on the daily work it takes to become a champion versus focusing on the outcome. Similarly, I find that good students focus on the day-in, day-out work it takes to learn and improve. They understand that the work leads to the results.
Nick Saban says, “Don’t practice until you get it right. Practice until you can’t get it wrong.” That’s tenacity. Tenacity means that once you’ve been through your notecards and haven’t missed a single Spanish term, you go through them once more for good measure. Maybe even twice! It means that once you’ve written your paper and run it through spellcheck, you run it by a parent or friend and then a second person to make sure you haven’t missed anything. It means you build time into your schedule for writing that paper that makes it possible to write it, refine it and refine it again.
Saban says, ““Eliminate the clutter and all the things that are going on outside and focus on the things that you can control with how you sort of go about and take care of your business. That’s something that’s ongoing, and it can never change.”
As I often say to students we work with, “Getting better is better than getting done.” That one’s a Tom Kleese original, folks. But I’m pretty sure Coach Saban would approve.
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