I just finished the first draft of our next book. It's tentatively titled "The Collegewise Way" and will share the most important things we've learned about college planning over the last 12 years. We're aiming for a release in late January. If you'd like us to let you know when it's ready, you can sign up to be notified here.
Here's a sneak peek of the current version of the table of contents.
Introduction
- What Is the Collegewise way?
- About Collegewise
Basic Re-Training
- The Great News
- Don’t Get Star Struck
- Kids Should Take Charge
- Effort Is the Great Equalizer
- There is No Magic Formula
- It’s Not Just about Getting In
- Have High Expectations
- Work Hard to Play Hard
- Isn’t that Enough?
Choosing Classes
- Challenge Yourself
- Balance Rigor with Reality
- Test Drive a Course
- Follow your Favorites
Getting Better Grades
- Make Class Time Study Time
- Start Now
- No Interruptions
- Don’t Study Like a Gym Lounger
- Think like a Test Writer
- Old Tests are Roadmaps
- Teach it Back
Impressing Teachers and Counselors
- Don’t Leave Anyone Else In Charge
- Build a Relationship with your Counselor
- Don’t Be a Grade Grubber
- Find Your Love of Learning
- Worry Less about Weaknesses
- Great Classes are Big Opportunities
- No Complaining
Activities
- There Is No Magic List
- Don’t Be a Joiner
- Actions, Not Words
- Don’t Follow the Crowd
- Make an Impact
- Enthusiasm is Contagious
- Become Indispensible
- Share your talents
- Be a good quitter
- Should you Stick with It?
- Hobbies are Activities, Too
- Have Good Summers
Standardized Tests
- Testing ABC’s
- Keep Standardized Tests in Perspective
- Don’t Take Tests Personally
- Plan Your Testing Timeline
- No PSAT Panic
- Pick a Test and Go with It
- Don’t Bow to Test-Prep Peer Pressure
- Prep Smarter
- Cheap Prep Can Be Great Prep
- Don’t Go Overboard
- Where Test Scores Never Get You In
- Learn from the Best
- To Re-test or Not to Re-Test
- Look Forward to Expiration Dates
Finding the Right Colleges
- College Soul Searching
- Appreciate the Unexpected
- Evaluate Yourself
- Who Knows Best?
- Ask the Real Experts
- When Colleges Market to You
- What’s your Major?
- Going Undecided
- What about Money?
- Treating Name Branditis
- Caveats and other Preemptive Strives
- Look to Your Life Examples
- Do a Success Search
- Look to the Math
- Name Branditis Kills Swagger
College Visits
- No Need to Renew Your Vows
- This is The Fun Part
- Now vs. Later
- No Marathon Tours
- What about Summer Visits?
Finalizing Your List of Schools
- Seek the Right Approval
- Keep Your Balance
- No Winners in this Lottery
- Dating, Not Marriage
- Do You Like Your List?
Applications
- Follow Former Seniors’ Advice
- Take Charge
- Colleges’ Deadlines Aren’t the Real Deadlines
- Do What Colleges Tell You
- Lead with What’s Important
- Give the Background
- Share your Impact
- Be Authentic
- Faults Aren’t Deal-Breakers
- Make it all about you
- Fear is a Hijacker
- Manage Your Parents
- Bang your Own Gong
- Follow Up
- Give Thanks
- No Worries
Essays
- Getting to Know You
- Engaging Beats Impressive
- Own Your Stories
- Focus on the New
- Find the Right Tone
- Don’t Drift
- Even Flaws Have Strengths
- Get Good Feedback
- Recycle within Reason
- Equal Opportunities
Interviews
- Not a Job Interview
- When Interviewers Come Calling
- Know What’s Coming
- Don’t just sit there
- Find your Stories
- Just answer the Question
- What Do you Want to Know?
- Dress for Thanksgiving
- Leave your Parents at Home
- Enjoy yourself
- Make a Good Last Impression
Financial Aid and Scholarships
- Early Planning
- No Assumptions
- Know what College Really Costs
- Estimates Help You Plan
- Sticker Prices Shouldn’t Disqualify
- Different but the Same
- College Costs are a Family Affair
- A Balanced List Is a Smart List
- Find a Good Back-Up
- When Things Change
- Which Offer is Best?
- Can you Negotiate a Better Offer?
- Should You Apply for Scholarships?
Life Skills for Likeable Teens
- First Impressions
- Good Name Dropping
- Have Good Failures
- No Excuses
- Make Apologies
- Have a Laugh
- Positivity
- Nice is Underrated
- Interested Is Interesting
- Rise above the Drama
- Pitch in
- Good Emailers Go Far
- Don’t Forget Your Role at Home
Advice for Parents
- See the Bigger Picture
- That’s Not Your Job
- Parenting During College Planning
- Maintain Parent Mental Health
- Find the Fun
Decisions: Handling Theirs and Making Yours
- When the Answer Is “Yes”
- When the Answer is “No”
- When the Answer is “Maybe”
- Making Your Final Choice
- Follow the Rules
Conclusion
- You Take It from Here
- Collegewise Resources
- About the Author