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Is Your Child College Bound?

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Khooppres Leave a comment

The end of the school year is quickly closing in on us. While most students are preparing to relax and enjoy the summer, if you have a rising senior, the remainder of the school year and the summer break are critical times. If and where your child will go to college is a big decision; one that requires more than one year of preparation. Nevertheless, if you’re just getting started or perhaps you’ve been planning all along, the following steps may be helpful to you:

1. Meet with your child’s guidance counselor to review course curriculum and ensure that your child is enrolled in college preparatory courses. If your child’s grades are mediocre or your child has been enrolled in the vocational diploma program, you may want to consider enrolling your child in enrichment courses at the local community college

2. Review your child’s top five college choices, assess admission requirements, and tuition costs. Developing a matrix will ensure that you are consistent in your assessment of each school. You should also plan a trip to tour each campus

3. Review the results of your child’s college admissions tests (i.e., SAT, ACT, etc.) and confirm that the scores meet the minimum requirements for your child’s top five college choices. If your child’s test scores are low, consider a SAT or ACT prep course

4. Create a budget. The budget should breakdown how much you plan to contribute, what portion will be covered by scholarships and other financial aid sources, and the amount your child will be responsible for paying. I know that every parent wants to do as much as they can to help their child, but please remember that this is your child’s education. That being said, they should have some ‘skin in the game’ too.

5. Evaluate your child’s volunteer and extracurricular activities. If their volunteer hours are low or non-existent, volunteering should be at the top of your child’s priority list for this summer. Although it may not be listed as an admissions requirement, colleges may review this information when awarding scholarships and grants

6. Review your child’s social media sites. According to an article on offtocollege.com, a survey conducted in 2011 revealed that approximately 80% of college admission officers will check the social media profiles of potential students. As a result, students should clean-up their profiles and photos before submitting their college applications. The article mentions that students should leverage their social network platform to highlight volunteer activities and other key interests

College is a time of preparation and transition. While most 18 year olds believe they no longer need their parents’ assistance in making decisions, we all know this is far from true. The intent of this Post is to provide guidance on how to assist your child in the college selection process. It is important that as parents, we don’t step in and take over the process. If you have to hold your child’s hand and make all of the decisions on their behalf, you should be concerned. In essence, your child should want their education more than you do. Overall, this should be an exciting time for you and your family. Your child is about to embark on a journey that will likely become one of the most memorable times in their life. Your love and wisdom can act as a compass for them as they navigate through unchartered waters.

If you don’t have a rising senior but you would like to know how you can begin preparations for your child, please visit www.collegispossible.org.

Reflecting on 2011

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Khooppres Leave a comment

As we prepare to close the ‘book’ on 2011, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on some of the top news stories / events of the year. Whether your year was fantastic or not so great, in a couple of days, 2011 will become a mere memory. While memories are often great to have, we must keep in mind that there is nothing we can do to change them. As a result, I urge you to ‘brush your shoulders off’ and look forward.

Although we should all make a conscious effort to live in the present, reflection is important and there are some valuable lessons that can be learned from past experiences. Included below are some of the year’s top stories that not only affected Americans, but also had a huge impact from a global perspective.

Use of Social Media to Change the World – The first time we all had to take notice that social media was more than a mere way to connect family members and long lost friends was during the 2008 presidential campaign. More recently, protesters in Egypt utilized Facebook and Twitter to spread the word about organized protests. In an article published by fastcompany.com, the author communicated that social media played a role in three main dynamics:

Organizing protests and gathering supporters
Shaping the narrative and ensuring that the government could not shift the global dialogue
Putting pressure on Washington to take a stance. Because of the amount of information that was being released through social media channels, Washington lost its ability to maintain its distance from the controversy

Because social media has become a major and acceptable method of communicating, we must all ensure that we’re aware of the ‘dos and don’ts’. For more information on the effective use of social media, please review my post, Social Media: The Rules of Engagement.

Death of Osama bin Laden – On a Sunday night in early May, President Obama announced to the American people, “Justice has been done.” Almost ten years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the mastermind behind them was killed by US Navy Seals and CIA paramilitary forces. This was indeed a pivotal moment for our Country. Although the death of bin Laden won’t bring back loved ones that lost their lives during the attacks, it does send a clear message that the American people won’t give up the fight for freedom and justice. The war on terror reminds me of the story we all heard as children, The Tortoise and the Hare; slow and steady wins the race. In our own lives, if we commit to a mission or goal and stay laser-focused, we will be victorious.

Death of Steve Jobs – In October, the world lost a brilliant mind. For those that aren’t aware, Steve Jobs was Co-founder and CEO of Apple, Inc. What I found most intriguing about his story was that he wasn’t born with a ‘silver spoon in his mouth,’ and he succeeded in spite of the odds. In my post, Dream It, Achieve It, I highlight his commencement speech at Stanford University, and how we can apply some of his life’s lessons to our own lives.

Decrease in National Unemployment Rate – Earlier this month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the jobless rate fell by .4% between October and November to 8.6%, which is down from 9.8% in November 2010. While the shift in the economy is happening a lot slower than we’d like, I believe that we all experienced a brief sigh of relief when hearing this news. Although things are slowly improving for our Country, African Americans are still unemployed at higher rates than any other ethnicity group. Historically speaking, this is the norm, but given the state of the economy and the housing market, this is a major drain on wealth creation in our community. If you or someone you know is struggling to find work, my Aim to Win in this Economy series has some useful tips that may help you ‘get back in the ring’ and ready to fight again.

Many of the events of 2011 will definitely be written in tomorrow’s history books. As we prepare to shift into a new year, my question to you is how will you leverage the experiences of the past year to live your best life in 2012?

Social Media: Rules of Engagement

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Khooppres Leave a comment

Social media is here to stay. In the 90’s, we had the Internet craze. If you are reading this and you don’t remember life before the Internet, keep on living; there will come a time when you’ll be “wowed” by the pace of life and technology. Smile if you remember…

Eight track tapes, cassette tapes, CD’s
Snail mail (letters sent by U.S. Postal Service), telegrams
Atari, Sega Genesis
Encyclopedias

I can go on and on, but the reality is that times are changing, and social media has become an integral part of the way we interact and communicate with others. While it may have started as a method for people to stay connected with family and friends, or network with people with similar interests, it has organically grown into a venue that companies use to reach their customers and gather information on their wants and needs. It has also been used to engage people in the political process and rally people for a cause.

With all the great things that can be said about social media, there are some drawbacks. Although there’s no user manual available to tell you the rules of engagement for the various social forums available today, there are a plethora of articles on the Internet that provide valuable information on the do’s and don’ts. For instance, we’ve all read a tweet or post that was inappropriate, viewed a picture that shouldn’t have been shared, or heard about the rekindled love affair that tore a family apart. So, how do you engage in the new “norm” without breaking the unspoken rules? Included below are key considerations for getting the most of the social media buzz without falling prey to the common missteps:

Keep it Clean, Use a Filter – I can’t tell you the number of posts I’ve seen that included profanity, improper English, or comments that were simply in poor taste. Before you share, ask yourself the following: Will my grandmother, boss or significant other approve? If the answer is yes, proceed to post, tweet, share, etc.
Monitor your Friends – Who are your friends and who are you following? What’s their conversation? Do you approve? Your social media profile is a part of your personal brand. While you may set privacy settings, assume that your information and that of your friends can be seen by anyone. In essence, it can. Once you tweet or share, you lose control of who has access to the conversation
Don’t tell Your Business – I am amazed by the number of people who share their plans and whereabouts in social media forums. It is naïve to think that everyone with access to your information has good intentions. Your over sharing could lead to someone “robbing you blind”. Use proper judgment
Don’t Look for Trouble – While social media has created a venue for people to reconnect, some relationships are best left in the past. Don’t search for past loves. If you find yourself entering their name in the search field, ask yourself why? What outcome are you looking for? Are you simply curious? If so, why? Would your significant other approve? I can go on and on, but I think you get the point. Sometimes it’s best to leave the past in the past

The social media craze is causing a cultural shift in the country and the world. Although I was a late adopter, I’ve come to enjoy catching up on the lives of old classmates and keeping in touch with family. Our world is changing quickly, and the social media shift is just the beginning. Engaging in the conversation can be very rewarding, but don’t leave common sense and judgment behind when you do.