Spring Forward Into College Planning

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MONTHLY ROUNDUP

NEWS, TIPS, & RESOURCES FROM

BRIGHT FUTURES COLLEGE CONSULTING

Our Seniors Are Springing Forward

Spring is in the air. Our high school seniors’ lives are opening to the future, and juniors are starting to consider their post-secondary options.

By this point, admission decisions and financial aid letters have made their way to some applicants, but many selective colleges will announce decisions in early April. Hang in there!

While this application cycle has been unlike anything we’ve ever experienced, it’s critical to continue to navigate it carefully. Students are learning to hold integrity close to their hearts while putting their best foot forward and remaining both vulnerable and ethical.

Although the ins and outs may seem draining, this period of applying to colleges leaves a lasting imprint on the students themselves. This integral learning moment teaches high schoolers to celebrate the successes, take rejection in stride, and to have faith in themselves first and foremost.

Keep moving forward, one step at a time!

The Bright Futures Team

Parents, do you love your career?

To help our students explore professions, would you be willing to share insight into your career path? Would you have virtual coffee with a student? Interested in hiring an intern or hosting a spring break job shadow?

Students crave and need professional experiences. If you are interested in partnering with us to help students explore their possibilities, please complete this interest form.

We Presented To Lamar High School PTO “Developing A Your Customized College List”

Looking for a guest speaker? We got you!

We love sharing what we know with the community so much that we do it free of charge. No matter what your audience is experiencing, we want to help every student navigate the college admissions process. Finding their path and reaching their full potential can start now. Let us help by scheduling a free seminar.

Discover More At A Virtual College Fair

To help students and their parents prepare for college and the application process, the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) will be hosting Virtual College Fairs throughout the spring.

3/7 STEM Fair

3/16 Performing & Visual Arts Fair

3/21 College Fair

4/10 Western U.S. Fair

4/20 Southeastern U.S. Fair

5/2 College Fair

Click here to learn more and register for the Virtual College Fairs!

Save The Date For Our Upcoming Workshops!

Each year, we host workshops to help your student prepare for their bright future.

Resume Workshop

April 18 at 3-3:50pm CST

Choosing a Major Workshop

April 18 at 4-5pm CST

(Registration links to follow. Workshops are for currently enrolled 9th-11th grade clients.)

CLASS

OF 2021

SENIORS

Stay engaged with your colleges.

Engage with your colleges especially if you haven’t received an admission decision yet, were deferred, or waitlisted. If you are admitted, notice the things college is communicating. Do these things resonate with you and make you feel like you belong there? This will help with your decision making.

Feeling all the feels? You’re not alone!

In a letter to her peers, one of our seniors shares encouragement and insight into her experience applying to and waiting for decisions from selective colleges with so many unknown factors. Read more about Meah’s journey and how to battle off the unsolicited advice from aunts and uncles here.

What’s up with “Honors Colleges?”

Whether you’ve been invited to apply, selected to attend, or are researching academic programs to apply, an Honors College certainly has its benefits and drawbacks. Read more about the pros and cons of Honors College.

CLASS

OF 2022

JUNIORS

College Tours… Virtual or In-Person?

Keep in mind, most colleges still aren’t hosting tours due to COVID-19. So before you book a flight or jump in the car to visit a campus in person, get to know the college virtually. Here are 12 tips to make your virtual college visit successful and impactful.

There have been some major testing changes brewing!

The ACT and SAT will no longer include subject tests. Writing tests will also say goodbye in some states; although other states will still require this portion. We answer the question: will this make admissions less competitive or make competitive schools more accessible? Learn more about what these changes mean for you and your student here.

SAT/ACT Update

Over the roller coaster of a year we’ve had, we’ve certainly learned to prepare for the unexpected. Outgoing seniors weren’t required to submit tests as usual, and the same will likely be true for the class of 2022.

Juniors should still prepare for and register for test dates this spring and summer to maximize their opportunities! We outline some of the recent changes and how they might impact you here.

Get out your calendar and register ASAP! Otherwise, you’ll get hit with a “late registration fee”.

CLASS

2023 & 2024

SOPHOMORES & FRESHMEN

You’ve taken your Birkman, now what?

Hopefully, you’ve taken your Birkman Assessment by now. If you haven’t done so yet, check it out here. One of the most frequently asked questions we get about the Birkman is when do I revisit it? While it may be useful to review it every 6 months to a year to reconnect with who you are, we address when and how to revisit the Birkman here.

Start on your resume now!

Save the date for our upcoming Resume Workshop on April 18 at 3pm CST (registration link to follow). Students find this to be extremely valuable – especially when they start applying to colleges. Start building your resume today!

What Others Are Saying

How do you raise your student to be an ethical member of society?

Whether you realize it or not, the teenage years are crucial in your role as a parent. You have the responsibility and ability to direct your student to become a contributing member of society. In a recent article by Harvard, they share 7 tips to ethically parent your teenager during those last few years under your roof.

Is this the first of many to follow?

USC recently announced their plan to return to in-person for the upcoming fall semester. While this is one of the first campuses to publish their goal, we do not foresee them being the last. What will this mean for our students? We’ll keep you updated as we approach the fall semester.

Counselor Spotlight

Dr. Beth Dennard

Known as Yoda Beth to her students, Dr. Beth Dennard is known for her wisdom nuggets to help students along their college application process. As a one-time lost teenager looking for her higher purpose, Dr. Dennard has cultivated a career in helping those who find themselves in that same situation. Read more about Dr. Dennard's journey and how she found her path by helping others find theirs.