Tips For Choosing the Best Health Insurance Online Tutoring Program

Tips For Choosing the Best Health Insurance Online Tutoring ProgramIf you have plans to become a tutor online, then it is highly recommended that you select a good health insurance online tutoring program. These are the only things you need to find to enroll in any online program because as you know, there are many of them out there.However, a lot of these programs are not as good as they claim to be and they are just scams. Therefore, you have to be very careful when choosing such a program because there are some important things that you should do if you are looking for the best health insurance online tutoring program.The first thing that you have to keep in mind is that you must gather information from all the providers that you are getting information from. Don't just rely on a single site or company because there might be a better one out there and you may not find them at all. Make sure that you do your research on the internet before making any choice because this is going to determine whether you are getting an honest program or not.As a student, you have to find out what the classes are like and what is the level of teaching being offered to you. It is also important to know whether the program you choose is a full-time or part-time program because a student needs to be taught by a certified and trained tutor who has been able to pass the exam.Another thing that you should keep in mind is the quality of the services offered by the online program. You want to ensure that the program that you are choosing is not a scam. There are some sites out there that charge you all kinds of fees for not just enrolling, but for their service as well.Also, make sure that the fee that you pay does not include the student's tuition fee and that it is not paid upfront. Makesure that all the fees are paid at the beginning so that you can get a copy of the contract.All the best to you, now you can enroll in any of the online tutoring programs in order to earn money online . This is something that you can do without worrying about all the other stuffs because it is all automated and you can easily access it anytime you want.

The Mentor Aspect of Tutoring, Examined

The ‘Mentor’ Aspect of Tutoring, Examined I’m a somewhat nontraditional tutor in that I’m not involved in academia as a student nor in my profession; I’m a filmmaker. I make short documentaries for non-profits and socially conscious organizations. That may seem odd, but, in the world of film the ‘why’ of a project is very important, and I think that emphasis carries into tutoring as well, specifically in the 'mentoring' portion. The who’s, what’s, when’s and how’s of tutoring are mainly logistical, and - though no doubt important - are just the framework and not the heart. Who = a student and an older, more wizened academic guide. What = ensuring the student is keeping organized, is up to date on certain concepts and information, has better study habits, and is completing their homework and studying for their exams, etc. When = whenever is scheduled. How = employing various well-thought-out strategies for guidance on learning strategies, study behaviors, and general academic know-how. But to gel all of those together and have a student embody them is key; and the only way to do that is through close interpersonal connection. This is where the mentor portion of tutoring kicks in. You can espouse all the grade-getting, paper-writing, subject-absorbing rhetoric that you'd like, but if a student doesn’t feel involved, connected and inspired - it’ll be, if anything, a temporary solution. The student will look to the tutor for guidance and help, but just as importantly: for challenge and inspiration - for a broadening of their perspective. The point is to transform their mindset from homework being difficult and tedious, to it being fun and enlightening. Now, often this is a tall order. But done with creativity, enthusiasm, and a certain amount of peer-pressure (the positive, beneficial kind) to encourage further grappling with the information - it can definitely be done. It’s the same psychological principle behind why going to the gym is so hard. If approached day to day as: ‘Do I want to go to the gym now?’ the daily question and decision saps willpower and becomes more ingrained with one's own sense of self-worth; to the degree that if you ‘fail’ to go, it feels bad and encourages giving up. But if your whole mindset shifts to think of yourself simply as: ‘the kind of person that goes to the gym’ there’s more of a focus on changing those deeper circuits in the mind, to not feel shame about missing a day and to start to change behavior because of a narrative re-wiring, and not a day-to-day willpower dilemma. It’s the same with tutoring, if a student’s prevailing mindset is ‘I’m not a reader and I can’t do it well’ then every time they are assigned reading homework or are asked to pick up a book, there’s a sapping of willpower there, a drain on the self. To remedy that requires changing how they think about themselves - a narrative re-wiring. And that’s done through small victories that create confidence, and by a tutor/mentor jumping into the fray with them to show that it can be quite fun. It’s no secret that we as people inherently learn through stories. We perceive our own lives as narratives and they inform who we are and how we see the world. That narrative can sometimes be destructive as it blocks student’s potential, making them think they aren’t good at something or just don’t have it in them. Sometimes it’s difficult for parents and family members to help with this as the closeness of family bonds sometimes makes younger folks immune to their advice or prodding. Sometimes it takes the catalyst of a particularly connective teacher or an engaged parent to spur that curiosity and I think that’s our role as tutor/mentors. Beyond the adverbs, algebra, and accounting, tutoring is fundamentally about relationships. That connection and the emotions therein are where the learning and magic happens and are why it’s vital to be a mentor as well as a tutor.

5 tips for getting a TEFL certification online while you travel

5 tips for getting a TEFL certification online while you travel Need a TEFL certification but you’re itching to take off to a faraway place ASAP? You can travel the world and get certified at the same time with an online TEFL certification course. As Teach Away's TEFL Program Lead, I get a lot of questions from prospective students who want to get certified but don’t want to hold off on their travel plans. Well, great news: you don’t need to delay either! The beauty of online TEFL courses is that they are self-paced, super flexible and can be completed from anywhere in the world. So you can study wherever your heart desires. In fact, there are many advantages that come with studying on the road. For one thing, if you’re not sure where you want to teach English abroad, traveling can help you make that decision. Visiting different countries can give you an idea of what places are really like before you commit to living and working in one location. Or, if you decide that you don’t want to settle down in one place, you can continue your nomad lifestyle by teaching English online. That’s right: once you’re TEFL certified, you’ll have a great way to make money while you travel. Pretty awesome, right? But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s circle back to doing a TEFL course first. How can you complete a TEFL certification course while traveling? Enroll in an online TEFL course that’s flexible and self-paced. Make sure you have all the tech gear you’ll need to take with you. Choose travel destinations with reliable WiFi access. Budget for a longer trip with a flexible itinerary. Start your journey and study wherever (and whenever) you want! 1. Choose a flexible online TEFL certification that you can do from anywhere. Everyone’s English teaching journey should start with a TEFL course because one thing is for sure: you'll need a TEFL certificate to teach English abroad. If you’re ready to start your globetrotting adventure now, there are two great options for getting TEFL certified while studying abroad. The first one is doing an online TEFL certification course. This is undoubtedly the more flexible and affordable option. You’ll learn all the same content as in a face-to-face TEFL course, plus have the freedom to study from wherever you want, whenever you want. So then you can bounce from country to country or settle in any overseas destination you choose. Worried about balancing your free time with studying? Don’t! Since online TEFL courses are self-paced, you won’t be tied down to a specific schedule or time zone. The second option is doing an in-person TEFL course abroad. But this option can be very pricey, once you’ve factored in course fees, airfare, student visa costs and accommodations. Plus, you’ll be tied to one location for weeks, whether you like it or not. So if you’re looking for a TEFL certification course that can move with your travels, you’ll find that getting certified online is much more flexible than doing a course in person. Of course, choosing the right TEFL course for you will depend on your budget and travel goals. So you should do some research before enrolling in a course. 2. Gear up with everything you’ll need to study online while you travel. If you’re planning to study online while traveling, here are some things you’ll need to take with you: A laptop with WiFi connectivity Sure, mobile devices like tablets and smartphones have come a long way. But you still can’t beat the capabilities of a laptop when it comes to completing an online course. If you don’t have a laptop already, don’t worry about spending too much. Nowadays, there are laptops out there for every budget. Just look for one that’s light and small enough to fit in your carry-on. Laptop charger This may seem obvious, but I’ll remind you just in case: You won’t get very far if you can’t plug your laptop in, so don’t forget to bring your charger! Power adaptors You also won’t get far with a charger that won’t fit in a power outlet, so you’ll need to bring the right travel adaptors with you. Before you leave on your trip, double-check the outlets and voltages in the countries you’ll be traveling to and get the right adaptors for each place. A protective laptop case Since you’re going to be moving from place to place, it’s also a good idea to bring a protective case for your laptop to make sure it survives the journey â€" especially if you’ll be living out of a backpack! Headphones Online TEFL courses often include instructional videos, so you’ll want to pack some headphones for your listening comfort. If you can fit them into your budget, noise-canceling headphones are ideal for minimizing distractions when you’re studying in public places. Luggage locks Traveling with valuables can be stressful. So for your own peace of mind, it’s always good to secure your bags with a luggage lock. And if you’ll be staying in hostel dorms, always ask if there are lockers in shared rooms where you can safely store your tech gear. So, to review, here’s the short list of the things you’ll need to add to your packing list: What do you need to pack to study while you travel? Laptop Laptop charger Travel adaptors Protective laptop case Headphones Luggage locks 3. Plan a travel itinerary with optimal WiFi access. For any online student, a reliable WiFi connection is essential! So keep in mind that even though WiFi is now a given in many countries, it’s still not accessible everywhere. That’s why making sure that you’ll have reliable internet access on your trip will take a bit of planning. A good place to start is making sure any accommodations you book have good WiFi connections. Most hotels nowadays have free WiFi available in your room, where you can study with no distractions. Hostels normally have WiFi in rooms and/or common areas. Cafés and restaurants are another good source of WiFi, but will take a little more research on your part. There’s nothing more annoying than finding a cute cafe to work in, ordering a coffee, and then finding out it doesn’t have WiFi. Getting out and going somewhere local to study also means you don’t have to cut yourself off from traveling while you study. You can get your work done while enjoying the local scenery and delicacies at the same time. Also, keep in mind that you should plan your itinerary carefully if you want to visit remote places without internet access, like national parks, campsites or undeveloped areas. You should plan to visit these places when you know you won’t need to complete online coursework. 4. Extend your travels (and study time) by budgeting for a longer trip. It’s the eternal travel dilemma: do you take advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime trip by packing in as many activities as you can, or do you take a proper break and really, truly, relax? It’s all about finding the right balance between travel and coursework. Studying is going to be an extra pull on your time while you travel. You don’t want to miss out on any experiences because you’ve got to hit the books (or, in this case, the online modules). There are a few simple ways to make sure you are staying on top of your studies and still having fun in your free time! Firstly, budgeting for a longer trip will put you under less time pressure and, hopefully, mean you can fully dedicate yourself to whatever you’re doing: whether that’s mastering a new teaching approach, or simply laying on the beach. You can also save money on longer trips by seeking out budget-friendly destinations, accommodations and transportation. 5. Enjoy traveling the world while getting TEFL certified. Once you’ve planned your trip, enrolled in your online TEFL course and packed everything you’ll need, it’s time to hit the road! But remember to be realistic. Don’t try to fit studying into a packed itinerary, or else you won’t have time to enjoy your travels. Finding the perfect balance between studying online and traveling will take some time. You won’t want to miss any opportunities in the destinations you visit, but learning something new can take time too. Two of the best tips for success for online TEFL courses are, firstly, don’t rush your studies. And, secondly, spread the work out rather than trying to cram everything in at the last minute. Most 120-hour TEFL courses take 4 weeks of full-time study to complete, but the University of Toronto OISE TEFL and International House UC Berkeley TEFL both give students 12 months to complete their online TEFL courses. To get the most out of your schedule, you can dedicate an hour or two a day to coursework and still be able to finish in as little as 6 to 12 weeks. Your travels will not only be filled with new cultures, countries and friends but thanks to your TEFL course, brand new skills too. And who knows, you might like some of the places you visit so much that you end up living (and teaching!) there in the future. Time to take the leap! Whatever stage of trip planning you’re at, you can start your TEFL journey today by enrolling in a TEFL course and working on it at your own pace. If you’d like to learn more, feel free to set up a call with me. I’m always happy to chat about all things TEFL!

Three Ways Color Can Help You Succeed In College

Three Ways Color Can Help You Succeed In College 1. Daily Planner- Keeping a planner in college is the best and most sufficient way of keeping track of assignments, exams, homework, and the normal everyday plans you have. Anyone who has tried a planner before knows, it can get messy and confusing. There comes a point where you don’t know what you wrote, the pencil smeared, so you don’t know which class has a quiz on Thursday. COLOR CAN SOLVE THIS ISSUE! Find colored, thin tip markers, and make a key at the front of the calendar; give each class a color: blue for Math, pink for Science, orange for History, etc. If you have a job, give that a color. Anything you have every week should get a color. Everything you write in the calendar has to be in the colored marker that the note corresponds to. Say, you have a test in History on Friday: the word “Test” in the Friday box in orange, so then it takes up way less space, and won’t smear! Have a color for “personal” items, like a doctor’s appointments, grocery store, or soc ial events. I like to make this my favorite color because I find this stuff the most fun! This way, when you open your calendar you can quickly find what you need, and you know exactly where it goes.2. Notes- I cannot stress enough how important color is in your notes!! When you go to class, come with just a normal black or blue pen, and take your notes using that. In addition, use highlighters! Highlight key terms in yellow, examples in green, things you have questions about or don’t understand in green. DO THIS DURING CLASS!! After class when you are at home, go back through your notes and use those colors! Define your key terms, redo the examples, and try to find answers to the parts of the lecture you maybe didn’t understand. Read the textbook with your notes open right next to it and use the colored pens from your planner to add in extra info that may be on the test. You won’t believe how much this helps in the daily life of understanding your class material and reinforci ng ideas. It makes studying for things much more entertaining because the notes look beautiful3. To Do Lists- Last, a great place to use color is in a To Do List. This goes hand in hand with the daily planner mentioned earlier. Each week, take all the items you see in your planner and organize them on a separate sheet of paper. Then, for each item, write tasks you can do or steps you can take to complete the item and check it off the list. For example, if you have an Exam in your Math Class on Friday, some steps you can take to help study would be to redo the homework assignments, go over the lecture notes from class, and plan a study group with a friend. Now that all these tasksare writtenout, still in their colors, you can prioritize by what needs tobe done. That way, you aren’t cramming at the last minute trying to study or finish a book report because you forgot about it. The colors help keep track of what class you’re doing things for, or what subject you really need to foc us on. You may have one assignment in math, and one in history, but if there are more steps to take for the math assignment, which is a test, you know you need to spend a lot more time on math than on history.

8 Tips to Make Your Job Search Easier

8 Tips to Make Your Job Search Easier Image via Isorepublic.com Take advantage of the Internet In the digital age, job searching is significantly different than it was thirty years ago. Job recruiters place much more emphasis on the Internet nowadays, so you should, too! You can take advantage of the wonderful resources the Internet has to offer for job searchers in many ways. For example: Create a LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is a powerful tool for recruiters and for job searchers. If you don’t already have a profile, set one up. It will only take a few minutes, but it will make you visible to recruiters who are searching for applicants on there. If you already have a profile, update it with any recent information and with a recent, professional looking picture. Try to use it often, too, so people know that you are active. “Like” pages every once in a while and give your colleagues good endorsements (they might return the favor and give you a good endorsement, too.) Being active on LinkedIn with a good profile will make you more visible to recruiters and will make jobs more visible to you, making it overall easier to find a job that suits you. Use job search engines Another online tool you can use to find a job is a job search engine. It’s as simple as signing up, entering the criteria for a job you want, and the search engine will return a list of jobs that match your criteria. You can use more popular job search engines like Monster, or lesser known ones. Even if you don’t find anything for your specific position, it’s still good to know what’s available. Sign up for email job alerts Continuing from the previous point, these job search engines (and LinkedIn, too) often have the option to sign up for email alerts. I would highly recommend this, as it is very convenient to be alerted via email when there is an opening for a position you are interested in. Be organized Just like college applications, it’s important to be organized in your job applications. Make an Excel spreadsheet with the company and position you applied to, and the date you applied. Also, write down the dates of any interaction you have with the company (for example, if you call them to ask about the status of your application, write that information down in your spreadsheet!). This spreadsheet will help you keep track of all the places you applied to and when, as it is very easy to forget these details. Use your professional development resources If you are still a student, you likely have many professional development resources at your disposal. Your school will likely have a career or professional development center that you can visit. Make an appointment with them, and they will help you write your resume and cover letter. They can also help you prepare for interviews, once you do hear back from the company you applied to. Your school’s career center might also host professional development seminars. These are definitely worth attending, too. Use the professional development resources that are available to you as a student. Tailor your application to make yourself an obvious good fit Job postings are helpful when filling out your application because it will spell out exactly what the company is looking for in their new hire. The job posting should outline skills and experience that the company wants their new team member to have. When writing your application, keep the job posting next to you and tailor your application to fit what the company is looking for. You can even use the same keywords the job posting uses! For example, if they are looking for someone who has a great administrative ability, use your application to highlight your administrative ability. Or better yet, tell a story in which you demonstrate your amazing ability. When you tailor your application to make yourself a good fit for the company, the company is more likely to be interested in hiring you. Gain skills that are important for your industry What’s the hottest new skill needed in your field? Is it programming? Or knowing a foreign language? Figure out what this hot new skill is, and learn it. It will make you a much more attractive candidate. For example, in my field (the biological sciences), more and more people are learning various programming languages, as programs are becoming more important for data analysis. It would be a good idea for an aspiring researcher like me to learn how to code. An applicant who has this important new skill for their field is more likely to be hired. Yes, searching for a job is difficult. However, using resources like the Internet and your school will make it much easier.

AHS General Chemistry Practice Exam

AHS General Chemistry Practice ExamThere are many areas of the AHS general chemistry practice exam that you will likely find unique. This is why it's very important to study for these specific areas because the AHS chemistry is a bit more flexible than the majority of chemistry practices available.If you've ever taken a chemistry practice exam you probably know that the different areas are very similar, but vary in the different areas of the AHS general chemistry exam. Most of the general chemistry practice exam areas focus on common topics that can apply to your classroom coursework and laboratory experience. It's important to remember that the more general a topic is, the more difficult it is for you to fully grasp it and to answer it correctly.Many chemistry practice exam areas are very similar, including one of the more common ones - tetrachloroethylene. The tetrachloroethylene area concentrates on how to answer questions about this chemical in the class setting. If you do not un derstand the substance or the experiment required to understand the substance, you may have trouble answering a question related to this chemical in a classroom setting.The next area of the AHS general chemistry practice exam focused more on lab work and equations. In this area you will be asked to fill out lab sheets from the laboratory. You will need to understand how to complete each test correctly so that you don't get penalized in the future.Another common area of the AHS general chemistry practice exam is one that we'll cover below, but which has gotten much less press in recent years - synthesis. Synthesis consists of completing a lab question about the synthesis of a chemical compound using the AHS formula. This is important to know because if you fail to meet the required level of knowledge, you will not receive an acceptable grade on the exam.Finally, let's talk about the synthesis areas of the AHS general chemistry practice exam. A synthesis area focuses on the synthesis of a chemical compound using the AHS formula. This is much like a laboratory examination because this area involves the completion of a lab sheet.Remember that the AHS general chemistry practice exam is meant to be a reflection of your real-life knowledge, skills, and abilities. As you study for the general chemistry practice exam, you need to remember that it focuses on topics that are similar to what you will learn in your classroom classes and laboratory experience. You must also remember that this practice exam is designed to test your knowledge so don't take the test for the reason of 'clearing your test.'

Organic Chemistry Tutor

Organic Chemistry TutorNow that you've chosen a tutor for organic chemistry, the next step is to choose a mentor or logging teacher. Logs provide a way to maintain a record of progress and keep track of any problems or concerns.If you choose to log the information, then you can easily keep a record of who you have tutored, when they scheduled your sessions, the details of the topics covered, how long it took, the lesson notes and the rubrics that were used. In fact, you can even tag your log with topics that may have to be reviewed during a review period, as well as the rubrics you used.It is important to keep a log of your experience, so you can continue to learn and get better at this course. Not only will this help you keep track of what is happening in your organic chemistry classes, but it can also help you keep track of anything you need to find out. You may be surprised to find out that there are some things that you can learn through a log.For example, the tutor or the mentor may tell you about a particular procedure or theory that you have not heard before. If you had not heard of it, you may want to check back and see if you can recall the subject again from your log.Logs can also provide an avenue for communication between tutor and student. In fact, it is important to let the tutor know your views and suggestions about the subject, so that he can keep improving his curriculum and keeping up with the changes that are happening in the field.In fact, in some cases, the tutor may find that you have a better understanding of the subject after reviewing your log. With this option, you can give him more in-depth explanations, which will make it easier for him to provide you with the topic material.Tutors are there to support you as well as to take the pressure off. In addition, you will get to know more about your professor's views on the subject, and this can also help you to learn about the field and improve your knowledge. What are you waiting for?

A Day in the Life at the University of Rochester

A Day in the Life at the University of Rochester Hayden is a current senior at the University of Rochester. He is majoring in economics and film and media production. He specializes in computer science tutoring, SAT tutoring,and a number of other subjects. Below, he shares his experience at the University of Rochester: Describe the campus setting and transportation options. Hayden: The University of Rochester is located in a mostly residential area of the city of Rochester, NY. Its only a 10 minute drive to downtown, where there are plenty of restaurants, music venues, and shops. Campus itself is very safe, due to the excellent public safety team the university employs. Neighborhoods around the school, where many students live, range from fairly safe to high-density crime areas, but university public safety also has a good presence in some of the more dangerous places. Most students live on campus or within walking or biking distance. Therefore, a car isnt really necessary, but can be nice if you want to explore all that Rochester has to offer. In addition, free buses provided by the school can be useful to get to popular destinations around the city. How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Hayden: Professors and TAs are almost always willing to meet to discuss course material outside of the classroom. Professors are required to hold office hours every week, where students can ask questions regarding concepts, upcoming assignments, and tests or quizzes. Pre-major advisers are assigned by the school during orientation week for freshmen. Once a student declares a major, they are allowed to choose their adviser. How would you describe the dorm liferooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Hayden: The freshman dorm experience is very important at the University of Rochester. Students in their halls often grow very close and spend a lot of time together. Personally, I am still very close with many of my freshman-year friends. Dining halls are easily accessible from anywhere on campus and generally serve nutritious and good-tasting food. Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Hayden: One of my favorite parts of the University of Rochester is the large variety of fields it offers students. Engineering fields, especially biomedical and chemical, are very highly represented at the University of Rochester, as is computer science. I am a double major in economics and film and media production with a minor in computer science. How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Hayden: I had no problem making friends right away. A large part of that is the extensive orientation week, allowing freshmen to meet and become friends before the pressure of classes begins. Although orientation, at times, feels like summer camp, it is a very integral part of the college experience. Greek life is significant, and it is common for freshmen to pledge these organizations during their second semester. How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services? Hayden: The Gwen M. Greene Career Center is one of the most underrated facilities on campus, in my opinion. I found their advisers to be increasingly helpful in my career and internship searches as I developed my ideas of what I wanted to do upon graduation. There is a strong alumni network that connects past and present students. In addition, the career center hosts biannual career fairs on campus that many large companies attend. The university also takes part in nationwide fairs held in Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C., where the scope of companies is much larger than the Rochester fairs. How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Hayden: There are many popular study locations on campus which are often overcrowded, especially during midterm and finals weeks. It is common for students to find their own obscure studying spots in order to prevent the massive crowds which flood the library. Dorms and personal rooms are always an option for more relaxed study environments. Describe the surrounding town. Hayden: Rochester is a vibrant small city, though many students do not explore it. The concept known as the Rochester Bubble describes how Rochester students have a tendency to remain on campus, only venturing into the city during university-sponsored concert nights. For adventurous students, there are many opportunities to be found. The Eastman School of Music provides many free concerts each week, and the East and Alexander neighborhood is filled with restaurants and shops. Concert venues such as Main Street Armory and Water Street Music Hall often bring in big-name artists for relatively inexpensive prices. Recently, the university has created the College Town neighborhood, which is a strip of shopping and restaurants easily accessible from campus. How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Hayden: There are about 4,500 undergraduates at the University of Rochester, and that number is growing. Class sizes can range from three students to as large as 200, but professors do a good job of teaching to the size of their class. I never felt that I was in a class which was too large to learn the material effectively. Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Hayden: My sophomore year I took a behavioral economics class and challenged my professor to a ping-pong match during finals week. I beat him, and he told me (jokingly) that I had just earned an A in his class. Check out Haydens tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Ask an Admissions Expert Stephanie Klein Wassink

Ask an Admissions Expert Stephanie Klein Wassink Varsity Tutors brings you insider tips and advice straight from nationally recognized admissions experts. Stephanie Klein Wassink is a graduate of Brown Universityand the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School. She also holds years of experience on the Kellogg School of Management admissions board and runs her own consulting business, Winning Applications. Stephanies expertise lies in many areas of admissions, but shared her insights on the undergraduate application process with us below. VT: How far ahead of time should a student begin working on his or her college application? Stephanie: Regardless of where I speak or with whom I speak, parents always ask one question: When should we start the college application process? Start it too soon and you unnecessarily step into a pressure cooker. Wait and risk being at a disadvantage when your childs application is read last and he has to make himself stand out against the last 5,000 applications an admissions counselor just read. Unfortunately, when to start is one of the most difficult questions to answer. Arguably, a family could start the process before their first child is born. After all, paying for college can certainly take 18 years of saving. The reality is that the application process starts with a few small, seemingly inconsequential steps. Here are a few places to start: Talking: Parents are verbally preparing their children for college and even graduate school constantly. They sing old college songs and make statements like, When you go to college Visiting: While noting what you like in your high school (size, location, teacher student ratio, etc.) can be important, visiting colleges enables a young person to envision him/herself on a college campus. Visits enable them to determine if they prefer rural/urban, large/small, warm/cold. Opportunities to visit college campuses include: -Your alma maters alumni weekend or homecoming can be a great way to give a young person a glimpse of college life. -Trips to local college campuses in your town or distant campuses while on vacation are instructive. -Overnights with an older cousin or family friend who is currently in college provide another good opportunity. Save: While some of the writing assignments high school teachers assign might seem annoying, save them. Why reinvent the wheel? If youve written something that might, with a few edits, satisfy an applications essay question, use it. SAT/ACT: One of the most onerous parts of the application process is the standardized testing. Many schools require the SAT/ACT with writing and at least two SAT/ACT subject tests. While most students wait until their junior year to take the tests, some students opt to start a little earlier. Sophomores should go to www.collegeboard.com and try working on the practice tests. If the tests prove easy, then keep studying and plan to take the exam(s) early. VT: What are the best ways to go about selecting a terrific essay topic? Stephanie: Ask others! One of the best ways to differentiate yourself (the bottom line) is to ask your friends how they would describe you and tell them to give specific examples. It might surprise you to learn that they think you are so organized, that you have the oddest sense of humor, or that they admire the way you stand up for what you believe in, the combination of which could generate quite a few essays. VT: Are there any essay topics you get tired of seeing or would warn students to stay away from? Stephanie: While I hear my mission trip and my sports injury essays are overdone, the best way to get a GREAT answer to that question is to ask it at college fairs and on college visits. It is particularly smart to ask it at your top choice schools. I would discourage gimmicks. Your essays are meant to demonstrate your sense of sound judgment. I have spoken to admissions directors who have seen students write their essays in blood, on an old pair of jeans, in a made up Elfin language, and backwards, so the admissions officer would need a mirror to read it. VT: What is the biggest mistake a student can make on a college application? Stephanie: Making mistakes before the applications process begins! Last fall, I had the opportunity to hear Dean James Miller, the head of Brown University Admissions, speak. One of the most surprising things he said was that every year a number of acceptances are rescinded due to an applicants poor judgment on a social media web site. It got me thinking about whether or not social media sites are a good thing or a bad thing with respect to the college admissions process. Then, of course, what about the internet as a whole? Not only will this impact kids as they try to jump the first of many hurdles in order to get into college, but more importantly, indiscretions on the web can follow a student or prospective employee for a long, long time. After all, when does correct, incorrect, and/or incomplete information on the internet expire?With respect to the admissions process, there are certainly shades of gray: The good: -Certain admissions officers allow prospective students to friend them on Facebook. That connection can provide prospective students with salient information about the admissions process. -Colleges have started Facebook groups for admitted students. -Many high school students use Facebook for appropriate fun, and have enabled their privacy settings and can control the content that is uploaded to their accounts. -The Common Application certainly better than ordering applications from 12 schools via mail. -Tufts YouTube optional essay is one in which a student can demonstrate his/her superior equestrian skill. The bad: -Frienemies used to make an anonymous call or send a letter to alert an admissions office rep that little Billy did not deserve to be admitted because of inappropriate behavior; now they use Facebook to prove it. -Most schools do not have enough time to check their applicants Facebook accounts, but they do have a responsibility to check when they receive a tip. -Internet marketers have started bogus sites, marketing to, for example, college alums. -Email and texting may be an issue too. The BBC recently reported that Dr. Ari Juels, the Chief Scientist of the RSA, an Encryption and Network Security firm, has made clear that the internet is hardly anonymous (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/maggieshiels/2010/03/the_end_of_anonymity.html). -Tufts optional video/YouTube style essay in which one student chose to rap about Tufts in her living room in front of her Christmas treeI am not sure if it could hurt her chances, but I am pretty sure it did not help. One thing is clear: the internet makes most of the college application process easier. However, many students may not have the foresight to know that their past, as far as the internet is concerned, does not disappear. Parents who are not on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc., really should be. VT: What is the typical process an admissions officer goes through to evaluate applications? Stephanie: Given the fact that there are over 4,000 colleges in the United States, it is safe to say that the evaluation process differs not only from school to school but also between admissions committee members. Because many applications are read at the admissions officer's home, what is important to note is the number of distractions that surround the reading process. Those distractions oblige the student to make the essays interesting and engage the reader from the first sentence. VT: What do you think is the single most important thing a student should make sure they present in the best possible way on their application? Stephanie: We have all come across the oft cited study indicating that students learn more outside of the classroom than inside. If that is true, then think about the admissions committees mandate. The single most important thing a student should make sure to present in the best possible way on his application is that he can educate the student body and actually will teach other students when he matriculates. VT: How should students go about determining the culture of a university, and whether they would be a good fit? Stephanie: The answer is easy. The execution is not. No one knows a college like the student body and its RECENT alumnae. Getting to know those students and alumnae, given the nature of high school students, is not always easy. Visiting campus, arranging to stay overnight, talking to students (who are not affiliated with the admissions office) are the best ways to get in touch with a colleges culture. I also suggest students and parents grab the college newspaper (if it is available); it gives a broad sense of whats being discussed on campus. VT: Early-action, early-decision, binding/non-binding, regular decision...With so many choices when applying, what do you recommend to students? Stephanie: When students have a clear first choice and their scores are where they need to be, I recommend applying early decision or early action. A recent study quoted in the 2012 National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) State of College Admissions noted that applying early has the same impact as adding 100 points to the students SAT score! VT: How important are grades and standardized test scores when admissions decisions are being made? Stephanie: IMPORTANT! According to the 2012 NACAC survey, 84% of colleges feel that grades are the first and most important determinant of a students. success. While grades are #1, grades in college prep courses are #2, standardized tests rank #3. VT: What tips do you have for students asking their teachers for letters of recommendation? Stephanie: I would implore families to recognize how busy teachers and guidance counselors actually are. Not only do guidance counselors only spend approximately 25% of their time on college admissions, the ratio of students to guidance counselors in the US is 1:473. One way to make sure that all or many of your facets are represented in your recommendation is to sit down with your recommenders and talk about what you do. Given the aforementioned ratio, if they do not have time for that, send them an email with a detailed resume. Make it easy for them to use quotes/descriptions from you in their recommendation write-up. Visit Winning Applications for more information.The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.