Latest Questions & Answers

It depends. Did you quit band because you didn't actually like it, or did you quit so that you could fit other activities into your schedule that you think would "look better" on your college application? If you actually like band (and hence that's why you "feel terrible" about it), then I don't see why you shouldn't go ahead and rejoin the band. On the other hand, if you are secretly completely relieved to have quit band, then go ahead and pursue something else that sparks your interest even more. It really depends on what extracurricular activities are the most meaningful to you, not the ones that will necessarily "look the best" to colleges (whatever that means!). Seriously, what colleges really want to see is a student who is engaged in a few activities that he or she truly loves, not a student they can tell is just trying to cater to the college application. Your choices should actually help potential colleges get to know you for who you are--that's one of your main goals, after all! I hope this makes sense. Take a little bit of time to reflect on what few activities mean the most to you as you enjoy your high school career. After all, this time of your life only happens once. And it will help you discover what you'll be most passionate about in the future as well. Have fun.

Thanks for this great question. Most schools in the country actually offer either IB or AP (Advanced Placement) classes. Make sure that you inquire with your new school about taking any AP classes offered, since that's typically the equivalent of taking IB classes. Chances are that the new school will offer advanced courses. Also, check with your new school (or have your parent or guardian check for you) as to whether you need to convert your IB grades for your transcript at your new school. A lot of times, advanced courses can also contribute to a weighted GPA, so check on that as well.

A note about "pre-IB"...you might want to note on your transcripts that "pre-IB" courses are also advanced courses (and note that in your college applications as well, if you'd like). Or you may want to obtain a statement from your current school explaining the advanced nature of those courses.

In the end, I really wouldn't worry too much about having a mixed transcript or transcripts from two schools. It is a fairly common experience. But again, check with the new school to see if your old transcript needs to be converted, or if you can keep your transcript "mixed" and just send both transcripts to colleges when the time comes.

The truth about AIDS care and HIV prevention is that it is needed in almost every community you run across. One potential path you might take is to study social work as an undergraduate and then work to specialize in HIV or AIDS prevention in your community whenever possible. Volunteer or take an internship at an AIDS care facility, at a hospital, or with an AIDS education community program. There are lots of hospice care opportunities if you do a little poking around. (An important tip is to try to get volunteer experience in the very places you want to be working in the future!) Then, when you begin a master's program, you will most likely want to do your emphasis in HIV/AIDS prevention and counseling. Plan to do your master's thesis and proposal on the topic. Work in your community to start an awareness project or help to improve programs that may already exist but need some help. It may or may not be the specific school you attend as much as what YOU choose to do with your education and what initiatives you plan to take.

If you still need a starting base, though, I have included a link to the top social work schools in the country, ranked by the Princeton Review and publicized by the Social Psychology Network and the Gourman Report:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/gsocwork.htm

You might want to click through these programs, check out the school-specific websites, and see if any of them do offer a specialization in this particular area. Or, if any of them seem to catch your eye in general, e-mail some professors and inquire with them about options for HIV/AIDS counseling. Or e-mail some professors at the schools in your state and inquire about the same, if you want to stay close to home. Above all, be creative with your planning and your pursuit of your desires. I wish you the best as you work to help improve society in this very beneficial way. Good luck.

Thanks for your honest question. Your decision probably depends on whether your scholarship is contingent on a fully packed volleyball schedule while you're in college. What I mean is, will you have time to do other things you love too? If you are able to get an athletic scholarship, you're right that it is one of the best ways to fund your college education. If you can look at it as a means to an end (the end being an affordable college education), then go ahead and pursue that. However, if you know that the expectations put upon you would be to go Olympic or pro or to compete at some level of expectation that you know is not your heart, then do explain that to your parents and ask them to help you figure out if there are alternative ways of funding your education. Your parents are probably feeling the financial stress of a child entering college in a down economy and are looking at the situation practically, which is their role and responsibility to do as your parents. If you try to view the situation through their eyes, it might help you both understand each other's points of view better. And the volleyball option does make a lot of practical sense (as I feel you recognize, based on the reasonable tone of your question). But if it means that volleyball might suck your life away and you want to take your life back some other way, then that is what you need to determine with each school that may offer you a scholarship. Be proactive. Ask coaches what expectations you will face if you accept an athletic scholarship. Based on that info, determine whether you would be able to both play volleyball and also pursue a major that suits you better. (Be assured that many college athletes study something different than a sports-related program.) Or, if you don't want to play volleyball at all anymore, you need to approach your parents respectfully and speak to them honestly about that. Seek out advice and wisdom from those who know you the best before you make your final decision. All the best to you.

It does seem a bit extreme, doesn't it? I wouldn't necessarily say that your son is automatically disqualified from all top-tier schools because of this one grade. It sounds like he has great standing overall in the various areas of his high-school career. But it is true that some schools go through so many applications that they have to use at least something as an automatic cutoff, and in a few cases perhaps it could be a grade. But I really wouldn't worry about it since his GPA is otherwise excellent.

If you want a more personal and complex perspective on the college application glut, I suggest you read this very interesting article by a recently retired high school admissions counselor and contributor to the New York Times.

And of course, if the grade is still a concern, then your son should feel free to appeal to his teacher for extra work or an alternative way of raising his grade for this particular course. He may also want to consider attempting to raise his score on the SAT if he feels it is a concern. I urge you both to also remember that attending one of the top of the top colleges is not a necessity to succeeding in life. There are plenty of wonderful schools in the country, and some you might not have thought of could be an ideal fit for your son (especially considering his baseball talent). My best to your son and to your family.

Yes, you would get in trouble. Don't think about doing it. The new college might be able to track your past attendance down in a second since you received a grant anyway. Besides, most colleges ask every student to list any other past institutions they have attended. You do not want to start off your new college career by lying! Your best bet is to explain any extenuating circumstances to the admissions office or in your application and present reasons for your fresh determination to succeed. (Since you have to fill out a FAFSA every year, you may still receive financial aid for this next year.) Again, honesty equals integrity. If you want to have the hope of being a person of good character, I urge you to remember this! By the way, if you are attending a community college, you may have chances to highly improve your grades and replace your old grades for core courses with new ones. So make sure to check into that option as well. Colleges aren't against you, so you don't have to lie to them and treat them as the enemy. Your college wants to help you succeed and will provide you with the help you need if you do your part to seek that help out.

You can certainly volunteer as a senior. If you have the option to try a couple of new things, go for it. Remember that extracurricular activities are not only about looking good to colleges--they are mainly intended to help you discover what you love and what you are good at! I would also encourage you to count babysitting your younger siblings as a volunteer and community activity. No, really! Write about it in your essays if you'd like. Highlight your brilliant courage, daring, and cleverness in dealing with your crazy terror of a younger brother or the gothic-tinged rebellion of your emo sister. Seriously, though, any experience you've had in high school helps shape you. Don't be afraid to mention your babysitting to colleges. It's a mark of character that you've certainly earned!

I know what you mean; there's definitely a huge need for online grammatical correctness, isn't there? The truth is, online proofreading is still a new kind of work--usually related to print editing, or graphic design, or web development...or web editing...or just being the random intern at a company who is pegged to find all the errors on the company website! Typically, there's not an official program of study that can lead you right to online proofreading. And the Internet is full of scams for would-be proofreaders, so proceed with caution. One likely option that I will provide for you is that you could certainly go ahead and study English, which is usually thought to be most closely linked with proofreading and editing. (You could also study linguistics, which is packed with grammatical training.) But really, what you need to do most is to gather work experience. Offer to proofread the online portfolios of your art student friends. If you get an internship somewhere, volunteer to proofread the website. Proofread print work for people, too. If your school has a writing center, volunteer or get a job there--workers at the writing center do proofreading all the time. Some professors even love help with keeping their websites up-to-date and correct, so that may be an option. Get copies of the AP Stylebook, the Chicago Manual of Style, and maybe one or two other style manuals. Read up on your grammar! If you end up working at a non-editing-related job for a while, do the same thing: offer your stellar proofreading services as a way of adding value to the organization. Every company and organization needs to present themselves in a grammatically correct, precise way. So the work experience you could potentially collect is encouraging. I again urge you to be careful when trolling the Internet for online proofreading sources and online proofreading work. There are some valid freelance options out there, but there are a lot of scams. Some sites may suggest you need an online certification, but that's not always the case. You can certainly research that option. And I wouldn't say that you necessarily need a master's degree in English in order to be a proofreader, although you may choose to gain one. For the moment, the best route would be to collect a bunch of work experience that can get you to where you want to be, as I explained above. Maybe some of the kinks in this new field will iron themselves out in the meantime as you keep researching and looking forward. Be careful, be savvy, take the initiative...and that way, you will be able to make your college experience work for you, not the other way around. Enjoy the ride!

I'm going to say "Give it a shot." You may end up loving your roommate, and even if you don't, the dorm life is such that you'll meet a lot of diverse people that will help you connect into your college life. The truth is that most students are nervous about sharing a room with a random person. It's not just you. I was exactly the same way myself. But most of the richness of the personal relationships I developed (which happened to include my roommate) during my own time at college were initiated through living in the dorms. Now, of course, don't be stupid about living in the dorms. There are a lot of young people in the dorms that are succumbing to peer pressure and just plain unwise choices. Find a group of people that will stick with you in having fun in creative and healthful ways. And one more tip: You may eventually find that it's most efficient of all to study in the library!

Yes, my only piece of advice is this: Take a day off! Seriously, give yourself a little bit of time to still be a kid. You don't want to burn out before you turn 18!