College Guide May 2015

THIS SPECIAL SECTION IS SPONSORED BY NEXTSTEPU CHARIOT LEARNING and QUANTUM PREP
2015
MESSENGER POST MEDIA
College Education
GUIDE
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO MESSENGER POST MEDIA FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 26, 2015
Preparation is the key

to getting into college
Families face new challenges preparing for college
in todays ever-changing educational landscape.
SUBMITTED BY
STAFF
Getting your son or daughter ready for college can be stressful. The process is more
complicated than it was when you may have been preparing yourself for college. Here are
just a few of the key items you should be concentrating on right now as your family prepares
to apply to colleges later this year.
Assess Strengths Early On

Career and major exploration may be the most important part of the college planning process.
If your family hasnt set the goal for the end result of a college experience, then how can you
be sure that you are taking the right first steps?
With that in mind, your son or daughter should consider taking a career or majors assessment
test. For many students, a quick assessment test can help with decisions that affect major
choices. For example, you know your son wants to pursue a STEM career but hes considering
everything from engineering to a career as a math teacher. An assessment test can narrow his
options down considerably by focusing on what career allows for the best chance at success
for your son.
TIP: Applying to the correct department within the best fit college from the beginning
saves money on costly transfers not only from one college to another, but also between
departments in the same college. Your family will also save money when your son or daughter
graduates on time!
Do Your Homework
Your daughter loves the brochure with the lush lawns and smiling students. That college
happens to also have the major she is considering shes in love. You want to give your little
girl her every wish and immediately start the process for the application.
Slow down! Campus visits, conversations with admissions reps, meeting a professor in
department, even taking advantage of an overnight experience with current students
these are all available to prospective students families for good reason.
Your family really does need to find a weekend or two to participate in these activities for
most of the schools on your list.
There is no substitute for an in-person experience with a college campus. Virtual tours, campus
videos, rankings and articles these are all great for narrowing down your list of schools
to apply to, but they should never be the reason why you commit to attend any college.
TIP: You will know if this college is right for your son or daughter by watching their
reaction to the campus and faculty in person. Encourage visits to every college you think
you would say yes to.
Find an Advocate
Your daughter may be looking at career you have little to no knowledge about.
Instead of nodding blankly every time she talks about her future career, help her find
a mentor. An internship or shadowing experience will do wonders to help her make
decisions about what she wants to do after high school. Youll be setting her up for
success in a field she is already passionate about.
As the parent, you also need a mentor. You do not need to prepare for college alone.
There are opportunities available at almost every stage of the experience. Speak with
experts or other families who have been there. Become a sponge! Attend workshops and
community events where you can meet college planning and financial aid experts and
ask questions.
TIP: Find mentors for yourself and your child as you plan for college. While Google is a
great tool, getting expert help from people who want to advocate for you is the best
option.
NextStepU College Planning Center is a full-service college planning facility in Victor that
works nationwide to help families make educated decisions about finding and affording the
best college. Visit NextStepUCenters.com for a current listing of free workshops or to work
one-on-one with a NextStepU College Coach.
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO MESSENGER POST MEDIA FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 26, 2015 PAGE 2
Planning for the

new SAT
SUBMITTED BY
The rumors are true: the SAT is undergoing a significant change in both style and content.
In fact, the high school graduating class of 2017 will be the first to contend with the newformat PSAT in October 2015 and SAT in March 2016. If your teen is a sophomore this year,
do you want him or her to be among the first to sit for the new test?
Probably not.
The College Board describes the new SAT as a better assessment of college and career
readiness as well as an alignment with both the Common Core and what the best educators
are doing in classrooms. But the timing of this major overhaul comes as no surprise; last year
marked the first time more college-bound seniors took the ACT than the SAT. Considering
how many ACT features appear on this new SAT, the revision seems motivated by more than
academic concerns.
Early indications suggest that the new SAT will be more challenging in many ways than
the current SAT or ACT, which may be sufficient reason to avoid it. Of even greater concern
are the entirely new question types and content. The great strength of the College Board
has historically been the design and delivery of statistically valid college admissions
assessments. Until this exam has been sufficiently normed and tested, colleges will be
hesitant to use its scores for admissions purposes.
And isnt college admissions what these tests are all about? The reason any student sits for
the SAT or ACT is to earn a score that facilitates entry to that dream school, hopefully with
a big scholarship. Based on past history, most colleges are likely to wait for the College
Board to work out the bugs in the new test before depending on its data. Many schools
may want new SAT scores for evaluative purposes, but admissions decisions are likely to
be based on scores from the ACT or current SAT.
Ive long been a proponent of early preparation. One of the best times for students,
especially those targeting competitive colleges, to prepare for the SAT and ACT is during
the summer before 11th grade. Every year, we see students earn their target scores by
December of junior yearsometimes even before their PSATswhich frees them to focus
more effectively on high stakes spring tests like finals, APs, and Regents.
A proactive approach to planning and preparing for the SAT and ACT has never been
more important than now. Some students may naturally find this
new Common Core SAT a better fit for their particular strengths,
but most will benefit from focusing on the tests we all currently
know and, if not love, at least respect. Put your teen in position to
take the SAT and ACT early in junior year. The best plan for the new
SAT may simply be to avoid it.
Mike Bergin
Mike Bergin is the president and founder of Chariot Learning,

Rochesters leader in individualized SAT & ACT instruction, academic
coaching, and subject tutoring. Since 2009, weve been helping high
school students succeed in school, tests, and life. Find us at http://
chariotlearning.com or call 585-466-4022.
ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO MESSENGER POST MEDIA FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 26, 2015 PAGE 3
Math:
here, there,
everywhere!
SUBMITTED BY
Math is pervasive we can use it for

mundane (but very important) tasks such
as budgeting and saving, cooking for
recipe proportions, managing our time,
our investments and the list goes on
and on. Math is in us and around us. For
example, geometry is about learning all the
shapes around us. Math is the foundation
to many other subjects including science
and statistics. Studies show students excel
in other subjects when they are strong
math students.
A parent once shared that her first

experience with math started when she
had to make an abacus in school. She used
glue and colored beads to make something
that was a very fun art project but she also
learned that it was the basis of something
that we use every single day the
current-day calculator. Given that she had
Indian parents, using a calculator was not
acceptable at home. As a result, she always
did mental math, such as multiplication
tables on the way to school, addition
when she played chutes and ladders, and
subtraction while counting cards.
This parents four-year-old child began

to learn math while learning to play the
piano by counting in threes and fours to
get the beat right. Research has shown
many correlations between math and
music. Those who take piano lessons
show better reasoning and problem
solving skills. Research has also shown
that many musicians love mathematics
and mathematicians love music. There is a
strong link between the creative and the
critical thinking parts of the brain.
For those interested in math outside of their

personal lives, there are many rewarding
career opportunities available. Studies show
that the highest-earning college degrees

have one element in common: math. Many
college majors and professions, such as
business, marketing, sales, engineering,
medicine, physics, nursing, computer
science, and actuarial science require
courses in math.
Jobs in STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math) are expected to
nearly double by 2018 compared to other
fields. They are also one of the highest paid.
According to U.S. News and World Report,
an estimated 1.2 million STEM jobs will go
unfilled because the workforce will not
have the skills to fill them. The solution is
that we must engage more students in
math and science early on using exciting
and practical applications of these subjects
and prepare them for the global economy.
With the above in mind, getting students
excited about math through a variety
of instructional techniques should be a
priority for everyone moving forward.
Quantum Prep helps students develop the
fundamental skills necessary to be great
atmath. We use a unique combination
of mental, visual, tactile, text, and
written instructional techniques to engage
students and help them build a strong
foundation. Quantums Academic and
Learning Style Evaluations determine each
students strengths, needs and learning styles.
Based on those evaluations, instructors work
with each student individually and at their
own paceto master each skill level.
Curriculum is available in the following
subjects: Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Geometry,
Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus and Calculus. To
enroll or learn more, visit quantum-prep.com
or call585-233-9166.

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THIS SPECIAL SECTION IS SPONSORED BY NEXTSTEPU CHARIOT LEARNING and QUANTUM PREP

MESSENGER POST MEDIA

Preparation is the key

Assess Strengths Early On

Planning for the

Mike Bergin is the president and founder of Chariot Learning,

Math is pervasive we can use it for

A parent once shared that her first

This parents four-year-old child began

For those interested in math outside of their

that the highest-earning college degrees

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