A Winning College Admissions Plan for Your Child - Forbes

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5 Expert Tips: A Winning CollegeAdmissions Plan For Your Child

It's that time of year: students nationwide are waiting to hear

whether elite colleges and universities will let them attend.

Last month was the first

of many nail-biters for

prospective college

bound students:

anxious high school

seniors across the

nation watched their

mailboxes or more

likely checked their

computers for

decisions on Early

Admission applications

for the college class of

2016. But that was justthe tip of a stressful

iceberg the majority

of those hoping to start college this fall will be hearing the results of their

applications from now through April, depending on the college, a waiting

game fraught with anxiety for students and parents alike.

If you have a child who is a freshman, sophomore, or junior in high school,

or even one starting next fall, this scenario is in your not too distant future

and you need to start preparing for it. The more advanced groundwork your

child does, the better his or her odds of success and the less worry you will

both have when college admission time comes around.

Alex Weiner is one of the nations top experts in the field of collegeadmission guidance. He is a graduate of Brown with an MBA from Columbia

Business School and a Master of Arts in Teaching from SUNY Stony Brook. A

New YorkState certified teacher in multiple subjects for grades 7-12, Weiner

has been in the field for more than 20 years, first as a longtime teacher for

the highly regarded Princeton Review test preparation company, then as a

private consultant to business executives in Seoul and entertainment

industry execs in Hollywood. He has tutored the children ofGeorge Soros

and numerous high profile hedge fund managers. He is currently an owner

ofCollegewise, an independent college counseling and test preparation firm

with offices in White Plains, NY, Irvine, CA and elsewhere around the

country. Every January around this time, Weiner sees his office besieged by

parents clamoring for advice for their children but many start the process

too late.

Weiner says most parents want to know what their average but still entirely

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The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions

expressed are those of the writer.

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Start planning now, and a few years down the

road your child may be reaping the rewards of

academic success.

or university. Too many parents and

their children believe that if you dont

have perfect grades, perfect test scores,

and a certificate proclaiming you

invented plutonium, youre not going to

get into college today. Thats simply

not true. If youre a B or even C

student, you can still go to a good

college if you really want to.

Here are five expert tips from Weiner to

keep in mind NOW to give your kid

even more college options for when they apply, whether its next year or

several years down the road:

1. Its never too late to improve.

If you believe your current GPA is not a good representation of how well you

can really do, start improving now. Its almost certainly not too late. Colleges

will look closely at your junior year performance, and many will even take

the first semester of your senior year into account. Theyll particularly pay

attention to a trend of improvement. Dont give up. Show them that you are

a late bloomer and getting better with age. Even if youve only got onesemester left to show colleges what youre capable of doing, show them!

Start now.

2. Maximize your academic strengths.

Yes, its important to try hard in all your classes. But many students spend

so much time trying to fix academic weaknesses that they forget to make the

most of their innate strengths. If youve always liked history, take more

demanding history courses. Take a Civil War or other history class over the

summer at a local community college. Colleges arent just looking at your

overall GPA theyre always looking for signs of an academic spark in

particular areas.

3. Work, Intern or Volunteer.

Summer jobs or internships are great opportunities to learn new skills,

network and beef up your college resume. February and March are not too

soon to start trying to find work for this coming summer. If you can afford to

intern unpaid, you might be able to get more cerebral and impressive

experience, so call local law firms, publishers, radio stations and offer to

work for free. If you need the cash, there is nothing wrong with babysitting,

cleaning or painting neighbors houses, or flipping burgers. You can

demonstrate responsibility, a strong work ethic and the ability to juggle and

fulfill commitments and make some money for college. One of the best

things you can do this summer is help your community. Most charities need

help and are more than willing to work around your schedule. Call the SierraClub, Ronald McDonald House, whatever meets your interest. Volunteer

work is challenging and rewarding and, yes, it looks great on college

applications. By the way, working and volunteering are not mutually

exclusive, and doing both is impressive to anyone taking a look at your

qualifications.

4. Take responsibility for your academic performance.

I see a lot of students who try to blame other people for their own academic

shortcomings, saying things like, I got a D because my teacher didnt like

me. Colleges dont want students who make excuses. If you havent done as

well as youd like to in high school, admit it and be honest about why that

happened. Show colleges youve learned from your mistakes by admittingfault and turning your performance around immediately. Colleges will be

impressed by the maturity you show when you take responsibility for your

actions and do what it takes to change.

Larry Olmsted

Contributor

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I have been traveling the world as a journalist and

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5. Dont be afraid to ask for help.

Many of the students who earn the best grades are the same ones who arent

afraid to admit when they just dont get it. Theres no shame in asking for

help. So if you didnt understand a single syllable in your trigonometry class

today, ask the teacher after class. If you studied really hard and still did

poorly on your chemistry test, meet with your teacher and try to find out

where you went wrong and how to do better. If youre having trouble in a

number of your classes and think you might need to make some changes or

get tutoring, talk with your counselor and get his or her advice. Studentswho are willing to ask for extra help when they need it are the ones who are

eager to learn and who impress teachers, counselors and colleges.

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Collegewise helped a friends two kids tremendously. One is now at Yale and other at

Bates, and their par ents are ecstatic while Collegewise isnt cheap, they said it was

money well spent in this competitive environment. My friend told me that other college

counselors he met with tried to minimize expectations at the outset, but Mr. Weiner laid

down the law and with tough love helped both kids see exactly what they needed to do to

achieve their college goals. My friend told me that without Mr. Weiner, his older daughter

probably would have ended up like her friends: accepted into maybe one or 2 schools and

wondering what happened. Instead, she was accepted at all 12 of the schools she applied

to. Sounds like a phenomenal job by Alex and his staff!

Reply

All excellent advice. I was surprised (but not really) to see Alex Weiners name come up as

a top (international) authority in this (any) field. I remember him from college. Whip

smart, clever, personable and a damn hard worker.

Putting his number in my phone right now for my kid.

Reply

As a private college counselor, I think you have provided some great information

for families and their students as they begin the college planning process. If

students only had this information early in the game, it could make quite a

difference in the college admissions process.

Reply

As a high school English teacher, Im not a big fan of the for-profit model of college

admissions help; Ive no knowledge of Mr. Weiner or his company, but the amount of

money parents can pay to help get their kids into college is frightening, and there can

often seem something rapacious about it.

That said: when I see any articles about college admissions, I hesitate to click, fearing thatIll read yet another article that shows a complete understanding of the adolescent, tips

that will just induce further anxiety and deepen students sense of inadequacy. This was a

relief: realistic advice that most students can manage, without any of the hysteria or

out-of-control ambition that can characterize articles on this topic.

Reply

No surprise that Alex was tapped by Forbes for his expert advice. I have two very different

children, one a serious, studious, artsy type , the other an athletic, non-studious,

procrastinator. Alex worked his charm on both of them, keeping them focused on the goal,

but not making them crazy in the process. He uses his wit and folksy way so that

tempermental teenagers enjoy their sessions with him.

But it is not just the kids who want to go to top tier schools that will benefit from Alexs

help. In one particular case that I know of, Alex practically worked a miracle with a

seriously underperfoming student, who had given up and was ready to skip college

altogether. Alex stepped in and in a very short time helped prepare him for his 3rd

attempt at the SATs with remarkable results. The sense of pride and self-confidence

attained by that student, who could now hold his head up among his peers, was so heart

warming. I think that kid should qualify as Alexs greatest successs story. I know the

lessons learned, and confidence gained, from working with Alex will be a turning point in

his young life. Thank you Alex!

Reply

Both of my sons went to Collegewise. The first worked with Alex Weiner both for SATtutoring and college consulting. He was accepted into his first choice school, Carnegie

Mellon University. My son Dan graduated in 4 and a half years with a BS in computer

science, a BS in Information Systems and a MS in Informations Systems and

Management. Dan had 11 job offers inluding Microsoft and EA and chose a start up

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My younger son Alex went to Collegewise in New Jersey where they also did a great job. He

got into his first choice school, University of Delaware and is currently a sophomore in

Mechanical Engineering.

I would absolutely recommend Collegewise to everyone.

Reply

I have had occasion to speak with these Collegewise people in NY and. Ca. Both groups

display tremendous expertise in laying down the tracks for high schoolers that needsome help and direction navigating the stressful, intimidating jumble of the college

application process.

Whether you have questions regarding grades, test scores, essays, big school/small school

issues, etc. these folks have heard it b4, and can offer sound advice. Contact themyou ll

be happy you did.

Reply

Alex worked with my children including tutoring for the SAT and throughout the college

application process starting with helping to identify reasonable matches for each of them.

He kept them organized and on task. The results were consistent with our expectations

and in line with Alexs assessment. All three of my children were very successful andhappy at the colleges they attended and have moved on to medical school, dental school

and other graduate degrees. I recommend Alex and Collegewise without reservation(to

anyone who can afford their charges, which I honestly believe to be fair based on the

services provided and the investment that college is).

Reply

Im a physician and venture capitalist. Collegewise is a prime example of the great results

that can occur when private industry makes inroads in what heretofore has been the

domain of the public sector. Weiner & his counselors have recognized that its an art & a

science to help your child gain acceptance to the right college for that particular child.

Public high school guidance counselors have far too many students to advise effectively

theyre well-meaning but simply outgunned. Along comes Mr. Weiner and we see privateindustry do a superlative job helping the family meet its goals for the education of their

most precious asset the kids. This is precisely what hes done with both our nuclear and

extended family. If you wait for your guidance counselor to take the bull by the horns its

fair to say you might be waiting a long, long time while theyre juggling more students

than ever before. His team was available literally 24-7 for us. Alex is regarded as kind of

the Wyatt Earp of the private counselors and tutors in our area. he got the job done for

us quietly and quickly, then rode off on his horse to the next village.

Reply

Alex has been very instrumental in throughout the entire testing and application process.

He met with Jake and they immediately hit it off. Once the relationship developed between

student and teacher, Jake had the tools to improve his SAT and ACT scores. We knew that

our son was a smart young man but with the help of Collegewise, especially Alex Weiner,

Jake has been accepted to every college that replied back to us so far.

I know Jake will be 8 for 8, thanks to his hard work and the fine guidance of Alex Weiner.

The greatest compliment is a referral and we have referred Alex to all of our friends

looking for the same professional guidance for our son.

Thanks again Alex!

Richard Mason

Salon Owner

Richard Scott Salon and Day Spa

www.Richardscottsalon.com

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A Winning College Admissions Plan for Your Child - Forbes