Monday, April 11, 2005

Today let's explore some possible interview questions. These are a few questions that might come up during a college interview. There are many more, but these are very possible questions to prepare for.

1. What recent experience has changed your life?

2. What is your worst quality?

3. If you could read the evaluations of a teacher, what would it say about you?

4. Are your test scores an accurate reflection of your abilities?

5. Are you satisfied with your academic record?

6. How would you describe your two or three best friends?

7. Do you have any anxieties about going to college?

8. What do you want to learn from your college experience?

9. What have you done recently to help someone else?

10. Do you do any writing outside of school? If so, what?

11. What do you feel you could contribute to this school?

12. If you could spend one year prior to college and money wasn't a problem, where would you go and what would you do?

13. If you could call anyone on the phone, who would you call and why?

14. Do you think you are prepared for a college curriculum?

15. Who are your heroes?

16. If you didn't go to college what would you do?


The list of questions could go on and on. Generally you need to be prepared for just about anything. Don't be afraid to pause and think before you answer. Many of these questions have no right or wrong answer, it is just an opportunity for the admissions officer to get to know you better.
Be sure to go by the website and see what other helpful information is available there. The HomeSchooler's College Guide is a helpful tool in preparation for college admission and especially scholarship application. Come check us out at www.homeschoolscholarships.com

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

As you probably know, the March SAT test was the first test where there was a writing portion. Following are the three writing prompts that were used on the March 12-13 test dates. You may want to use these with your student as a way to practice for the exam.

Prompt 1 from the March 12th test date

We must seriously question the idea of majority rule. The majority grinned and jeered when Columbus said the world was round. The majority threw him into a dungeon for his discoveries. Where is the logic in the notion that the opinion held by a majority of people should have the power to influence our decisions?

Adapted from James A. Reed, "Majority Rule"

Assignment: Is the opinion of the majority--in governemnt or in any other circumstance---a poor guide? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience or observations.

Prompt 2

Given the importance of human creativity, one would think it should have a high priority among our concerns. But if we look at the reality, we see a different picture. Basic scientific research is minimized in favor of immediate practical applications. The arts are increasingly seen as dispensable luxuries. Yet as competition heats up around the globe, exactly the opposite strategy is needed.

Adapted from Mihaly Csikszentmihaly, Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention

Assignment: Is creativity needed more than ever in the world today? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Prompt from the March 13th test date

Even scientists know that absolute objectivity has yet to be attained. It's the same for absolute truth. But, as many news reporters have observed, the idea of objectivity as a guiding principle is too valuable to be abandoned. Without it, the pursuit of knowledge is hopelessly lost.

Adapted from "Focusing Our Values," Nieman Reports

Assignment: Are people better at making observations, discoveries, and decisions if they remain neutral and impartial? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

We are up and running with a new website. Come visit us at www.homeschoolscholarships.com
I think the new site will be helpful. I'd love some feedback on the site---I'd love to hear from you. I will try to answer any questions that are not addressed online. Hope to hear from you soon.
Linda

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

My blog has been silent for a long time now. We've been busy making changes to our website and will soon have it up and running.
For those of you that are heading to college next fall, your busiest scholarship season is just around the corner. Most scholarships are awarded during the spring, so be sure to keep your eyes open for scholarship opportunities. Pick up applications when you find them and be sure to get them turned in on time!
Have a very Merry Christmas!
Linda

Monday, August 30, 2004

Well, school is back in session for most folks or will be within the next week or so. If you have a high school Junior this year, be sure to have him take the PSAT in October. This is a sort of "practice" test for the SAT and is also the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship program. It is a great way to get in a practice test prior to taking the SAT for real. This fall's test will reflect the changes to the SAT that will begin with the first test date of 2005, so it will be a good preview of that new test.
Also, freshmen and sophomores can take the test---no results will be sent anywhere except to your home address if you register as a homeschooled student. I highly encourage any homeschoolers to take this test. It is a great way to get some testing experience when the results really won't matter and it will give you a good idea of what to expect on later tests.

If you are interested in taking the test, be sure to contact a local high school (some larger private schools also offer the exam). Find out how they want you to register, but do this NOW as registration will end in a few weeks. Remember that the schools do not have to allow outsiders to test with them, so if one school refuses, keep checking around til you find one that will work with you.

I have further information on the PSAT and other tests in my HomeSchooler's College Guide. Let me help you prepare your child for college admission and scholarship application! Come by my website at www.homeschool2college.com

Wednesday, June 09, 2004

Well, it's been a while since I added to my blog. Been busy getting ready for a homeschool event where I will be giving a presentation on college prep and financial aid.

For those of you preparing for homeschool classes next fall, if you have junior high or high school students, please consider adding some mythology and Shakespeare to your reading for next year. These are areas that they will need some background in for college level English classes. It will make the transition to college classes much easier for your homeschoolers.

Be sure to stop by our website at www.homeschool2college.com We have changed our prices and will add that info to the website soon. The complete notebook is now $60 plus $5 for shipping.

Have a great summer.
Linda Weaver

Wednesday, April 28, 2004

Found a great link this week!
www.securityoncampus.org
You can type in the name of a college and it will do a search for that school. Then click on the college you want and you can get all kinds of crime statistics for that school---everything from burglary and rape to hate crimes. Also if you check at the bottom of the page for the school you are checking, you can click on the NCES IPEDS COOL button. This is the National Center for Education Statistics in the US Dept of Education and is the College Opportunities On-Line site. This will give you the current information on cost of attending that school. This should make comparing college costs much easier than going through the on line website for each school. If you find schools you are interested in attending, you ought to go to their wegsite to get more info, but this should make comparing colleges a good bit easier. It will also be nice to check on the crime rates for each school.
Be sure to come by our website for more information on getting your homeschooled child into college! www.homeschool2college.com
Have a great day!
Linda

Friday, April 16, 2004

Well, I haven't added anything in a long time. I've been busy getting my website redone and working on a presentation that I will be doing at some homeschool bookfairs this summer.
Seniors should be waiting to hear the results of scholarship applications! Usually late April and early May are pretty exciting times!
If you are a Junior, it would be good to begin looking for scholarships for next year---if you find some applications, check over the form and see what types of information you will need to supply next year.

There are a series of articles in the most recent US News and World Report about the costs of a college education. The price continues to go up every year. In fact, the article indicated that costs have risen 38% in the last 10 years; however, during that same time, median family income has only increased by 10%. It is getting more difficult to afford college every year. Scholarships and financial aid are the only way many people can afford the education. These are the areas that I can help homeschoolers! Come visit my new, improved website at www.homeschool2college.com

Monday, February 23, 2004

Scholarship season is here! If you have a senior homeschooler, NOW is the time to be diligently looking for scholarship opportunities! Many scholarship applications are due during March and April. Begin looking everywhere for these opportunities. Check your local newspaper, your employer, your student's employer, local clubs and civic groups, anywhere you can think of.
I have full info on finding and applying for scholarships in my notebook. We learned so much about the process as our girls went through it. There is lots of scholarship money out there, you just need to find the scholarship opportunities that match your student and get to work making the applications!
Come visit us at www.homeschool2college.com

Have a great day,
Linda

Wednesday, February 18, 2004

Well, it's done---time to celebrate! We got our taxes done the end of last week and submitted the girls' taxes today and filed a FAFSA for each of them. It is a chore that I dread every year, and when it is done I often wonder why I dreaded it so much! Just the thought of getting everything together, I guess.
If you have a homeschooler that is a senior this year or is continuing on in college or even beginning college after sitting out a while, you need to get this form filed ASAP. This is the beginning point for financial aid at almost every college and the earlier you get it submitted, the better your chances of finding funding.
Go to www.fafsa.gov.edu to fill out the form. Be sure you never pay for this application. It is the Free application for Student Aid and costs you nothing.
I have more info on the FAFSA in my notebook in the Money section. We have learned a few things over the last several years. This is the best place to start when seeking financial aid as nearly every school uses it (sometimes along with a form of their own) to determine financial aid for their students.

Have a great rest of the week.
Linda Weaver HomeSchooler's College Guide

Wednesday, February 04, 2004

Let's talk today about helping your child in career choices. Some children seem to quickly figure out what they would like to do with their lives, but for others, the decision is one they struggle with for years. Homeschoolers have an opportunity to explore the fields they love, and this can be very helpful in deciding what to do with their lives. Encourage your child in the subjects/topics they find interesting---feed that interest and look toward careers within that area.
Here are some web sites that might give you some assistance as you explore careers.

www.jobstar.org they have a free online career test
www.uncwil.edu/stuaff/career/Majors What can I do with a major in.... great site!
http://www.careerkey.org/english have a free test for career guidance
www.advisorteam.com/temperament_sorter online temperment test
www.ipl.org/div/pathways Internet Public Library Career Paths--has some free tests to help narrow down
your career choices
www.jobhuntersbible.com Good site. Go to Tests and Advice--have some great career stuff

Hope some of this will help you and your child. Come visit us at www.homeschool2college.com

Linda Weaver

Thursday, January 22, 2004

Well, this month has flown past! I've been busy getting my taxes together and will be ready to send them off to my accountant by the first of Feb. It always seems like I get the last of my info from banks, etc the first day of Feb, so I can't send off my taxes til after that.
Accountants are usually not very busy through Feb, so ours can get our taxes done very quickly and I can then file the FAFSA for each of our girls by mid Feb beating the March 1st deadline by a couple of weeks.
We found that it is best to file the FAFSA after getting taxes done---a correct FAFSA was far better than one done on estimations. The year we estimated, we had to make lots of corrections after taxes were done. This flagged us for an audit on our FAFSA and was a continual headache for months. We were forever having to find some papers to send in for validation. Eventually, we did get it all straightened out and our daughter got the funding she needed, but it is far easier to do it correctly the first time and not have to go through the mess of validation!
I have more tips and hints for filing your FAFSA in the Money section of my notebook. Come visit at www.homeschool2college.com

Linda Weaver

Thursday, January 01, 2004

Happy New Year to all!

Wow, 2003 sure went by in a hurry and now we have a new year to work with!
If you have a Senior that will be graduating this spring and heading to college in the fall, now is the time to begin working on her financial aid for school. Financial aid begins with filing your FAFSA. This must be done as soon as possible after Jan lst. We have found that it is best to file it after we get our taxes done, so during Jan, I work hard at getting all my tax stuff together so that we can get our taxes done during the first week of Feb and file our FAFSA by mid Feb. I have lots of tips and suggestions about filing this form in Money section of my notebook. Please be sure to check it out at
www.homeschool2college.com.
Have a great day,
Linda Weaver

Monday, December 22, 2003

Merry Christmas to each of you! I hope that you were able to finish up your semester so that you have some time to enjoy the holidays!

If you have a high school student, make sure that you have a valid social security number for him. You must have one for all college applications and for registering for the SAT and/or ACT exams. Also, most scholarship forms require the Social Security Number for the student. If you do not have one---get one now.

Come by the website to get full information on the HomeSchooler's College Guide. I have information for homeschooled students on college selection, college admission, testing, record keeping and on financial aid and scholarships. The website can be found at http://homeschool2college.com

Have a blessed holiday season!

Monday, December 15, 2003

For those of you with high school students, be sure to get your transcript in order at the end of the semester. You will need it for college applications and also for many scholarship applications. Each semester, you need to figure GPA for that semester and also cumulative GPA. If you do this at the end of each semester during high school, it will be easy to have it ready to go for the end of your high school career.
Come visit at our website www.homeschool2college.com for more information on what we have to offer

Wednesday, December 10, 2003

For those of you that have high school seniors, be aware that the busiest scholarship season is just around the corner. Many scholarship applications have due dates during March and April. Now is the time to seriously begin looking for scholarships to apply for.
If you haven't registered with some web based scholarship search engines, now is the time to do that.
For full info come visit my website at www.homeschool2college.com

Monday, December 08, 2003

Hope your holiday season is going well! Seems like time just flies by during the holiday season!
If you have a Junior this year, it is time for that student to be taking her first SAT and/or ACT college entrance exam. Deciding which test to take can be a challenge unless you have a pretty good idea which colleges your student is planning on attending. Generally a school will require one of the two tests (some will take the score on either, but most have a preference). If you have no idea where your student may want to go, I'd advise you to have her take both exams so that you will be prepared for any choice. These tests can be repeated as many times as you wish, and scores tend to improve with each testing. You can check prep books out of your public library or buy them at a large book store, and preparing will help improve your scores.
For registration info, check these sites:
www.collegeboard.com for the SAT
www.act.org for the ACT
We have recently updated our website, so be sure to come visit us at www.homeschool2college.com
Have a great week. Linda Weaver

Monday, December 01, 2003

Hope all had a great Thanksgiving! I guess we need to be ready for a very busy Christmas season!
With the holidays approaching, there may be good community service opportunities availabe for your students. Many scholarships are based on some community service, so getting some of that done each year during high school may improve your chances for receiving scholarships. Check with a local food pantry or clothing ministry. See if there is an Angel Tree program that you can help with. It is always good for a teen to see the needs of others and to see how they can help other people.
Be sure that you keep a record of any community service done--you may have a hard time remembering what you did this year when you are making scholarship application 2 years from now! This is what my calendar is for--it not only lists some things to do each month, but gives you a place to record activities. Come visit my website at www.homeschool2college.com Be aware that our special Get Started price is still in effect --we have a new webhost and will be updating our site in the next few days. To get our current prices, click on the Get Started banner on the homepage.

You can email me at lindaweaver612@yahoo.com

Wednesday, November 26, 2003

I want to wish each and every one of you a very happy Thanksgiving! Hope you get to spend the day with family and friends.

For any of you that have children interested in the military, you need to know that there are some great ROTC scholarships available. These scholarships pay tuition, books and up to $200 per month for up to 4 years. A scholarship recipient can even use the scholarship during their freshman year, then decide the military isn't for them and drop out of the program with nothing to repay! It is a special program they have adopted to allow students a chance to try out the military.
I am not sure about all the scholarships; however, the Air Force ROTC scholarship deadline is December 1, so if you have a senior that is interested, you need to get this done now. Go to the website for the full information. www.military.com/Careers/Education and click on ROTC scholarships.
Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 20, 2003

Today I want to again stress the importance of keeping records of your students' activities for scholarship purposes. If you wait until your child is a senior and then begin to pick up scholarship forms, you will quickly find that you don't remember all the neat stuff they did during those early high school years. You might forget some great community service projects or other things. Be sure that each year you keep a record of all extra-curricular activities--that way, when you are applying for scholarships you will have all the information you need.
This is exactly what my Calendar Planner does--it gives you a convenient place to record activities. It also lists a few things that need to be done each month during the high school years so that your student will be ready for college admission and scholarship application. Come see what we have to offer at: www.homeschool2college.com