Ada Skillern
Bowling Green High School
Advanced Placement Teacher
When I was a young teen my parents gave me some very generous advice about higher education. “Ada, your job is to do as well as you can in school. We’ll worry about the rest.” I didn’t realize until I was in my mid-twenties and earning my master’s degree while teaching full-time, what an exceptional gift my parents had given me, the ability to immerse myself in college without financial worry. My parents understood long before I could appreciate it, what a fiscal advantage it would be to graduate with no college debt. Not many parents can afford to foot the bill for their children’s college education now days. The average price of college
There is a lot that goes into planning for a child’s future. College costs are substantial; scholarships are few and given to those who can prove that they are assets that universities want as students. And, students must be well prepared for the tasks that higher education demands.
There are steps that can be taken to help students prepare to be successful in high school, standardized testing, scholarship applications and post high school study.
I recommend that you communicate regularly with your children’s middle and high school teachers and be proactive in their scheduling. Students should take full schedules of high quality classes because the quality of the teachers and classes before your children each day is one of the most important aspects in determining the value of their educational experience.
If your children are planning to pursue a college education, they should take Pre-AP and Advanced Placement courses in high school. The College Board actively promotes an open enrollment policy and data overwhelmingly supports that students who take AP courses and the exams for college credit are much more likely to thrive in and graduate from college.
Study for the PSAT (October of the junior year of high school is the one shot students have of qualifying for National Merit recognition) and the ACT. At Bowling Green High School, we offer free student reviews and practice tests throughout the year.
Explore and take advantage of summer enrichment programs that are offered. We are fortunate to live in Bowling Green, where The Center for Gifted Studies offers Super Saturdays, SCATS, and VAMPY. Governors School for the Arts, the Governors Scholars Program, and the Commonwealth Honors Academy are a few of the statewide summer opportunities available to children who have just completed their sophomore and/or junior years of high school. Nearly every program has financial aid available, is free or is based on merit.
The Common Application: For parents who haven’t yet acquainted themselves with college application, it is extremely helpful to see the many aspects involved in the application process. We like to show students the ways their teachers are asked to comment on their character and their performance, well beyond the numerical average earned for our classes. The Common Application will give both parents and students insight into what it takes to get into college.
Financing college is tricky. Every college has a different price tag. For information about the kinds of financial assistance available to Kentucky students, check out the KHEAA (Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority).
College visits. Begin exploring after the freshman year. When possible, schedule them so that you are able to attend classes, stay overnight, and gain a comprehensive vision of what social and academic life would be like there.
Ask the important questions. My students usually think I’m being terribly unsympathetic when I tell them that I think all college students should have to survive the rites of passage of decrepit dorm rooms and communal bathrooms. But when they come back aglow with reports of dorm laundry service, luxury suites, and plasma screen televisions in the commons areas, I ask them if these things are going to contribute to the quality of their college educations. So what are the important questions?
1. What is the student:faculty ratio for general education classes?
2. How many classes are taught by faculty, and how many by graduate assistants?
3. What internship opportunities are available for undergraduate students?
4. What percentage of the student body studies abroad at least one semester?
5. How much more expensive is it to study abroad?
6. What is the graduate school acceptance rate in the fields in which you are interested?
7. How much merit-based and need-based financial aid can you expect to receive?
8. What is the student retention and graduation rates?
9. What is the socioeconomic and ethnic demographics?
10. How do they foster close student-faculty learning/mentoring? (WKU’s Honors College is one of the most exciting recent developments).
Americans today agree that college is an important part of the equation to getting ahead in today’s complicated world. It isn’t a simple process. It is costly, and if a student isn’t well prepared to complete their education, it is wasted money. It is a team effort, requiring a commitment from the parents as the children grow and later, from the students who must carry-out what was started.