Give Your Child a Head Start with Merit's Summer Enrichment Program!

Summer is the time for fun and relaxation, but it can also be a great opportunity to lay the foundation for future success. Whether your child could use some extra help in a difficult subject, or would just like to be challenged to take his or her academic skills to the next level, every student can benefit from Merit Educational Consultants’ Summer Enrichment Program. Unlike regular summer school classes, which typically don’t teach for understanding, only cover remedial material, and function as little more than daycare services, Merit’s comprehensive K-12 Summer Program is designed to give your child a true head start on the school year. As an added bonus, classes can be held in your home and scheduled around your family’s needs, activities, and vacations.

To provide the maximum level of individual attention and flexibility, all Merit Summer Program classes are taught one-on one. Students who want to make up a class or explore a particular subject can choose from any class in the entire Merit Academy curriculum, all of them WASC and UC A-G accredited. On the other hand, if your student could use a boost to his or her academic skills, we also offer intensive, grade-appropriate workshops on building math skills, reading comprehension, literature appreciation, composing essays, and writing research papers, as well as both the SAT I and II. These workshops let students hone their abilities in a stress-free environment, away from the pressure-filled school year.

Summer is also a great time to start thinking about college applications, and to that end, Merit’s Summer Program includes both our popular College Advisory service, where students meet personally with the director to select the best-fit colleges and design a plan for getting in, and our college application essay workshop, where the director helps students fine-tune their essay topics and writing mechanics so that they can complete polished essays before their senior year. The director can also help students beat the college admissions game by guiding them step-by-step through the process of doing an original Project that will demonstrate the student’s leadership and intellectual curiosity.

As you can see, Merit’s Summer Program offers the breadth and depth to meet even the most individualized needs, and we’d be happy to design a unique and custom-tailored plan for your child’s success. To learn more about the Summer Program, click here to see the brochure!

The Merit Planner Can Change Your Teen’s Life

Teenagers who’ve grown up in the Multi-Tasking Era are expected to be able to do many things at once; but even though they love to watch TV, do homework, and chat on Facebook at the same time, most have yet to learn how to apply that same deftness to managing the myriad of demands upon their schedules. Every parent can recall an instance in which they’ve asked their teen whatever happened to that book report that was due last week, or when their next test is, only to receive a blank look in return. And who can blame them? Even though time management is the key to success in high school, college, and beyond, the average school planner gives teens very little tools or training for properly planning out their schedules. These planners are set up for students to enter tasks on the days they were assigned, not when they’re due, so students learn to treat a planner as a glorified calendar, rather than as a powerful tool for taking control of every aspect of their lives.

The Merit Planner is that tool. It’s designed to let students organize tasks according to their due dates, and to block off the exact amount of time needed for every homework assignment, study session, or extracurricular activity. This gives them complete knowledge of and control over their schedules, as well as the freedom to enjoy their downtime without nagging guilty or uncertainty. With each day of the week divided into 15-minute intervals from 7am to midnight, not only is there plenty of space for precisely recording the time needed for every task and activity, there’s also just as much space for nights and weekends, allowing you to easily see your whole schedule for the week at a glance and avoid those inevitable conflicts between family, friends, and schoolwork. It’s also a good way to get the whole family on the same page; I have clients who start their weeks by sitting down around the breakfast table and discussing everyone’s plans, which is especially handy for efficiently dividing the labor for family chores like spring cleaning that might otherwise consume entire weekends, or coordinating hectic carpool schedules.

The Merit Planner gives parents an easy way to see if their teen is on top of everything, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing that they are. Most importantly, it empowers teens with critical life skills, and endows them with the confidence and self-esteem that can only come from being in control of their busy lives.

The 2011 edition of the Merit Planner is available at the Merit Bookstore

Need a Class for High School Graduation or College Entrance Requirements?

Have you heard horror stories about students who couldn't walk or graduate with their high school class because they were short one class? By simply getting any grade lower than a C- during your senior year can set back your graduation date by one term. By not graduating on time or receiving a D+ or lower in an academic course, colleges can rescind their conditional offers to matriculate in the fall. Sometimes, colleges require additional classes as a prerequisite to enrolling in specific majors, and unfortunately, students often learn about these requirements after their spring semester has already started when it's too late to take the course at their school. After community colleges start spring semester classes, high school students aren't allowed to enroll and they can find themselves in a desperate situation. Stunned with this bad news, students are surprised that they don't have any good options.

Until now, online classes have been the only solution to getting these needed credits. Now, Merit Academy offers an even better solution: one-on-one classes! Most students don't have the personal discipline to stay on track with online classes. If the students had already failed a class when they had a teacher, it's highly unlikely that the students will pass the class using an online program that requires the students to teach themselves. That's why Merit Academy's one-on-one classes are taught face-to-face by real teachers. Each student works closely with his dedicated teacher to ensure that he will pass the class. Because Merit sets up classes around the student's busy schedule, students can complete an entire semester in as little as four weeks.

Merit Academy is a WASC-accredited independent school where students can take as little as one class or enroll in Merit's full-time program. All courses are University of California A-G approved, so students can send off Merit Academy's transcripts along with their high school and/or community college transcripts to their top colleges during the admissions process. Merit Academy has an excellent reputation for its curriculum and rigorous courses.

Students who need an extra course in a pinch, appreciate Merit Academy's excellent classes that are taught by engaged teachers who are passionate about their subject areas. Ninety-minute classes are organized around the student's busy schedules and typically are taught in the comfort of the student's homes.

Education in America is changing to meet the needs of the diverse students who need flexibility. One-on-one classes are a new concept in education, and they will give students the opportunity to learn with more depth and in less time. If you need a class to satisfy graduation or college requirements, Merit Academy offers a quick and easy solution. Check Merit's website at www.meritworld.com. Merit Academy services the Peninsula/South Bay, Cupertino/Saratoga, and Santa Cruz County.

UC will Waitlist Some Freshman Applicants for the First Time

With an overenrollment of more than 15,000 students for the incoming 2010 class, the UC system (all UCs except UCLA and UC Merced) will waitlist incoming freshman for the first time. Students who receive wait-list offers are advised to submit their intent to register at a different college where they have been accepted to. This will guarantee their place in a college for Fall 2010. Then, on June 1^st when the UC’s will notify all wait-listed applicants of their admissions decisions, students who receive admissions offers can elect to cancel their intent to attend their safety college by forfeiting their deposit and accepting the offer from the college of their choice.

Students who would like to stay on the wait list need to opt in. Carefully read the instructions to ensure that you are officially on the wait list. If you have questions about the wait list process or need guidance about how to best position yourself, contact Susan Tatsui-D’Arcy at Merit Educational Consultants.

WHAT STUDENTS NEED TO LEARN IN HIGH SCHOOL TO PREP FOR COLLEGE

1. The First Rule: There are no tricks or favors to get into college; but remember that colleges are looking for interesting and hardworking students.

2. Academics: English/writing, Math, and a strong Science foundation, Solid Alg. and Geometry foundation for humanities; calculus in high school for science and math majors. Take bio, chem., physics starting in middle school and honors or AP or college classes in high school. When you enter college, you’ll have choices about majors and directions. Don’t get locked into specialty fields in high school, you’ll limit yourself when you get to college.

3. Work Ethic:

• Express ideas in a formal essay format using good grammar, mechanics, and word choice.
  
• Do all of the problems, review sections, get old texts and do practice exercises, take multiple chapter reviews and review of other subjects to see what you’ve retained.
• Apply knowledge, don't fill in the blanks.

4. Build a solid foundation: The Project

• A. Colleges are looking for students who are excited about something. Americans have become overweight, lazy, and just plain stupid. Young peoples' interest in politics, environment, international affairs, education, or improving themselves intellectually seems to be waning. Teachers don’t require students to start initiatives because they don’t have the time to monitor the projects. Students and parents are too busy to conceive interesting ideas and don’t take the time to complete them.
• B. Select an idea that you are passionate about. If you don’t have any ideas, pick up the paper and read the headlines, stories too. Watch the news. Ask parents and others about issues or problems that need to be fixed. In your research phase, you’ll come across all kinds of ideas.
• C. Find a mentor to help you think through the project. That can be a school teacher, counselor, college prof, scientist, writer, journalist, retired professional, grandparent, etc. Pick up the yellow pages to call people in the field who may be able to guide you as you plan your project.
• D. Most projects will take 2-3 years to complete. Start early. Spend 2-3 months brainstorming; 1 month narrowing your topic based on interviews and research; 3-12 months working on the project production; 3 months on the followup, evals, write ups; 2 months writing press releases; 3-6 months doing public outreach
• E. Why do this? When you complete this project, not only will you be a leader in the industry, you’ll be the utmost expert. You’ll get notoriety, publicity, and press for your portfolio. And most importantly, you’ll know how to do just about anything upon completion of the project. You won’t be afraid to try something you’ve never done before or to enter new territory. It opens your mind so you can really start looking at career options for you.

5. GPA

• A. Still one of the #1 factors in college admissions
• B. Take the most difficult classes, challenging is a better word.
• C. Take AP, IB, classes if they’re offered at your school
• D. Take community college or university classes

i. Take the entire series if you plan to have courses articulate to the college when you enter, if you want to have the classes replace courses you’ll need to take in college, then make sure your high school doesn’t include the college classes on the transcript or considers them part of high school requirements. Colleges don’t like double dipping.

ii. Make sure that the college classes you take will be accepted by the colleges you’re interested in before taking the classes.

6. SAT AND ACT

A. Standardized tests are not going away anytime soon.

B. That said, these tests will the single most important tests you’ll take for college admissions

C. So, roll up your sleeves and learn how to take the test.

D. Use the SAT or ACT practice tests and take them under similar test environment. Use a timer, work in a quiet space, remove dictionaries and other devices from your desk.

E. Review all missed questions and consider the answers. Learn how to look at the test from the test writers’ perspective, it’ll help you improve your scores.

F. Take the practice tests as many times as you need to get your scores in the general area you need to before you take your tests. You don’t want to take the SAT or ACT 12 times; practice for a year or two, if your plan allows, and then take the test just a few times.

G. Your scores will not improve on their own. To improve verbal skills, you need to improve your vocabulary, reading fluency, reading comprehension- break trouble areas into subsections such as these in order to improve and work on them.

And finally...Let us reiterate rule #1 of this entry: There is simply no trick to replace the benefits reaped from genuine hard work!

Smart parents are setting up free child care in their homes

Imagine what you could do with the money you’d save if you didn’t have to pay for child care? For many, that could be $5,000 or more per year! In this economic climate, innovative parents are setting up programs in their homes and inviting a few other paying students to join their children. With the tuition they receive from the other students, they can pay for the teacher salary, materials, and other expenses.

Besides saving thousands of dollars per year, your children will have the opportunity to learn to read and write, get involved with math and science, and explore virtually all subjects you set up for them. One of the amazing benefits of setting up your children’s program is that you design the curriculum based on what you want your children to do each day. If you’re short on time, you can purchase a preschool curriculum.

In addition to giving your children a head start when they start kindergarten, you’ll also benefit by having in-home help. Your teacher can make meals for you and the children, run the laundry, and do light housekeeping before or after the program each day. Now wouldn’t you love to have these additional benefits? If you’re looking for help in setting up this program, The Working Mother’s Guide to Free Child Care in Your Home! is filled with forms, fliers, and advice to get you started. The author, Susan Tatsui-D’Arcy, is available online to guide you through the entire process of setting up and establishing your very own program.

3 Simple Steps to Selecting Best-Fit Colleges for your College-Bound Kiddo

Choosing the best-fit colleges today is a whole different ball game than back when we went to college. Many schools offer many courses of study- but we can be sure that every school doesn't offer every degree, and it's important to make sure that your child has many good options. So how do you know which colleges offer the majors that your children are interested in?

One of my clients, Debbie Z., a high school graduate, recently approached me regarding her four-year plan for Business Marketing at UC Santa Barbara- just before she was going to enter as a freshman! Because she hadn't done her research beforehand, she was devastated to find out that UCSB doesn't have a business marketing major. To avoid nightmares like this one, your soon-to-be-freshman needs to do his/her research!

1. Select all of the possible majors that your children are interested in. They can take career tests to point them in the right direction. That way if they have a few options, they can change majors without having to transfer to different colleges. After selecting their majors, they can search for colleges that offer the specific degrees that they're interested in.
2. Ask your children to begin their searches by visiting websites like www.collegeboard.com. These sites allow students to search for colleges by desired major. To start with, make a list of about 15 to 20 colleges. They can then begin narrowing the list by choosing colleges based on their locations.
3. Check out the college websites with your children. Read more about the departments and programs. You'll quickly see that not all colleges are equal. One might offer a business administration degree while another offers a school of business with seven majors. Then look at the statistics regarding life at that school (living arrangements, geography, potential for local activities, etc). And finally, visit your child's top five colleges! Nothing is more explanatory than first-hand observations and tours.
   

Choosing the right college takes time and effort, but the payoff is well worth all the effort spent! If you're going to spend tens of thousands of dollars on college expenses, make sure that the fit is right for your kid. High school guidance counselors as well as private college advisers can shed light on your plan today- don't wait until you realize your major isn't offered at the school of your choice- speak with Merit's Online College Advisors today to get a leg up on the decision-making process.