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Larry Olmsted , Contributor

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5 Expert Tips: A Winning College Admissions Plan For Your Child

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Last month was the first of many nail-biters for prospective college bound students: anxious high school seniors across the nation watched their mailboxes or more likely checked their computers for decisions on Early Admission applications for the college class of It's that time of year: students nationwide are waiting to hear 2016. But that was just whether elite colleges and universities will let them attend. the tip of a stressful iceberg the majority of those hoping to start college this fall will be hearing the results of their applications from now through April, depending on the college, a waiting game fraught with anxiety for students and parents alike. If you have a child who is a freshman, sophomore, or junior in high school, or even one starting next fall, this scenario is in your not too distant future and you need to start preparing for it. The more advanced groundwork your child does, the better his or her odds of success and the less worry you will both have when college admission time comes around. Alex Weiner is one of the nations top experts in the field of college admission guidance. He is a graduate of Brown with an MBA from Columbia Business School and a Master of Arts in Teaching from SUNY Stony Brook. A New York State certified teacher in multiple subjects for grades 7-12, Weiner has been in the field for more than 20 years, first as a longtime teacher for the highly regarded Princeton Review test preparation company, then as a private consultant to business executives in Seoul and entertainment industry execs in Hollywood. He has tutored the children of George Soros and numerous high profile hedge fund managers. He is currently an owner of Collegewise, an independent college counseling and test preparation firm with offices in White Plains, NY, Irvine, CA and elsewhere around the country. Every January around this time, Weiner sees his office besieged by parents clamoring for advice for their children but many start the process too late. Weiner says most parents want to know what their average but still entirely
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18-03-2013 19:05

5 Expert Tips: A Winning College Admissions Plan For Your Child - F...

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/01/16/5-expert-tips-a-...

Start planning now, and a few years down the road your child may be reaping the rewards of academic success.

or university. Too many parents and their children believe that if you dont have perfect grades, perfect test scores, and a certificate proclaiming you invented plutonium, youre not going to get into college today. Thats simply not true. If youre a B or even C student, you can still go to a good college if you really want to.

Larry Olmsted
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I have been traveling the world as a journalist and passionate lover of all things fun for nearly 20 years. I have had weekly columns in USA Today and Investors Business Daily, published thousands of articles in leading magazines from Playboy to Popular Science, and am the author of Getting Into Guinness. I am the Contributing Travel Editor for Cigar Aficionado Magazine, have
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Here are five expert tips from Weiner to keep in mind NOW to give your kid even more college options for when they apply, whether its next year or several years down the road: 1. Its never too late to improve. If you believe your current GPA is not a good representation of how well you can really do, start improving now. Its almost certainly not too late. Colleges will look closely at your junior year performance, and many will even take the first semester of your senior year into account. Theyll particularly pay attention to a trend of improvement. Dont give up. Show them that you are a late bloomer and getting better with age. Even if youve only got one semester left to show colleges what youre capable of doing, show them! Start now. 2. Maximize your academic strengths. Yes, its important to try hard in all your classes. But many students spend so much time trying to fix academic weaknesses that they forget to make the most of their innate strengths. If youve always liked history, take more demanding history courses. Take a Civil War or other history class over the summer at a local community college. Colleges arent just looking at your overall GPA theyre always looking for signs of an academic spark in particular areas. 3. Work, Intern or Volunteer. Summer jobs or internships are great opportunities to learn new skills, network and beef up your college resume. February and March are not too soon to start trying to find work for this coming summer. If you can afford to intern unpaid, you might be able to get more cerebral and impressive experience, so call local law firms, publishers, radio stations and offer to work for free. If you need the cash, there is nothing wrong with babysitting, cleaning or painting neighbors houses, or flipping burgers. You can demonstrate responsibility, a strong work ethic and the ability to juggle and fulfill commitments and make some money for college. One of the best things you can do this summer is help your community. Most charities need help and are more than willing to work around your schedule. Call the Sierra Club, Ronald McDonald House, whatever meets your interest. Volunteer work is challenging and rewarding and, yes, it looks great on college applications. By the way, working and volunteering are not mutually exclusive, and doing both is impressive to anyone taking a look at your qualifications. 4. Take responsibility for your academic performance. I see a lot of students who try to blame other people for their own academic shortcomings, saying things like, I got a D because my teacher didnt like me. Colleges dont want students who make excuses. If you havent done as well as youd like to in high school, admit it and be honest about why that happened. Show colleges youve learned from your mistakes by admitting fault and turning your performance around immediately. Colleges will be impressed by the maturity you show when you take responsibility for your actions and do what it takes to change.
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18-03-2013 19:05

5 Expert Tips: A Winning College Admissions Plan For Your Child - F...

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/01/16/5-expert-tips-a-...

5. Dont be afraid to ask for help. Many of the students who earn the best grades are the same ones who arent afraid to admit when they just dont get it. Theres no shame in asking for help. So if you didnt understand a single syllable in your trigonometry class today, ask the teacher after class. If you studied really hard and still did poorly on your chemistry test, meet with your teacher and try to find out where you went wrong and how to do better. If youre having trouble in a number of your classes and think you might need to make some changes or get tutoring, talk with your counselor and get his or her advice. Students who are willing to ask for extra help when they need it are the ones who are eager to learn and who impress teachers, counselors and colleges.

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saladman8283 1 year ago

Collegewise helped a friends two kids tremendously. One is now at Yale and other at Bates, and their parents are ecstatic while Collegewise isnt cheap, they said it was money well spent in this competitive environment. My friend told me that other college counselors he met with tried to minimize expectations at the outset, but Mr. Weiner laid down the law and with tough love helped both kids see exactly what they needed to do to achieve their college goals. My friend told me that without Mr. Weiner, his older daughter probably would have ended up like her friends: accepted into maybe one or 2 schools and wondering what happened. Instead, she was accepted at all 12 of the schools she applied to. Sounds like a phenomenal job by Alex and his staff!
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cwn4 1 year ago

All excellent advice. I was surprised (but not really) to see Alex Weiners name come up as a top (international) authority in this (any) field. I remember him from college. Whip smart, clever, personable and a damn hard worker. Putting his number in my phone right now for my kid.
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collegedirection 1 year ago

As a private college counselor, I think you have provided some great information for families and their students as they begin the college planning process. If students only had this information early in the game, it could make quite a difference in the college admissions process.
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Teresa Genaro, Contributor 1 year ago

As a high school English teacher, Im not a big fan of the for-profit model of college admissions help; Ive no knowledge of Mr. Weiner or his company, but the amount of money parents can pay to help get their kids into college is frightening, and there can often seem something rapacious about it. That said: when I see any articles about college admissions, I hesitate to click, fearing that Ill read yet another article that shows a complete understanding of the adolescent, tips that will just induce further anxiety and deepen students sense of inadequacy. This was a relief: realistic advice that most students can manage, without any of the hysteria or out-of-control ambition that can characterize articles on this topic.
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naj6363 1 year ago

No surprise that Alex was tapped by Forbes for his expert advice. I have two very different children, one a serious, studious, artsy type , the other an athletic, non-studious, procrastinator. Alex worked his charm on both of them, keeping them focused on the goal, but not making them crazy in the process. He uses his wit and folksy way so that tempermental teenagers enjoy their sessions with him. But it is not just the kids who want to go to top tier schools that will benefit from Alexs help. In one particular case that I know of, Alex practically worked a miracle with a seriously underperfoming student, who had given up and was ready to skip college altogether. Alex stepped in and in a very short time helped prepare him for his 3rd attempt at the SATs with remarkable results. The sense of pride and self-confidence attained by that student, who could now hold his head up among his peers, was so heart warming. I think that kid should qualify as Alexs greatest successs story. I know the lessons learned, and confidence gained, from working with Alex will be a turning point in his young life. Thank you Alex!
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robynelagrotta 1 year ago

Both of my sons went to Collegewise. The first worked with Alex Weiner both for SAT tutoring and college consulting. He was accepted into his first choice school, Carnegie Mellon University. My son Dan graduated in 4 and a half years with a BS in computer science, a BS in Information Systems and a MS in Informations Systems and Management. Dan had 11 job offers inluding Microsoft and EA and chose a start up
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5 Expert Tips: A Winning College Admissions Plan For Your Child - F...

http://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/01/16/5-expert-tips-a-...

My younger son Alex went to Collegewise in New Jersey where they also did a great job. He got into his first choice school, University of Delaware and is currently a sophomore in Mechanical Engineering. I would absolutely recommend Collegewise to everyone.
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jbcuz 1 year ago

I have had occasion to speak with these Collegewise people in NY and. Ca. Both groups display tremendous expertise in laying down the tracks for high schoolers that need some help and direction navigating the stressful, intimidating jumble of the college application process. Whether you have questions regarding grades, test scores, essays, big school/small school issues, etc. these folks have heard it b4, and can offer sound advice. Contact themyou ll be happy you did.
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scagliostro 1 year ago

Alex worked with my children including tutoring for the SAT and throughout the college application process starting with helping to identify reasonable matches for each of them. He kept them organized and on task. The results were consistent with our expectations and in line with Alexs assessment. All three of my children were very successful and happy at the colleges they attended and have moved on to medical school, dental school and other graduate degrees. I recommend Alex and Collegewise without reservation(to anyone who can afford their charges, which I honestly believe to be fair based on the services provided and the investment that college is).
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qisscom 1 year ago

Im a physician and venture capitalist. Collegewise is a prime example of the great results that can occur when private industry makes inroads in what heretofore has been the domain of the public sector. Weiner & his counselors have recognized that its an art & a science to help your child gain acceptance to the right college for that particular child. Public high school guidance counselors have far too many students to advise effectively theyre well-meaning but simply outgunned. Along comes Mr. Weiner and we see private industry do a superlative job helping the family meet its goals for the education of their most precious asset the kids. This is precisely what hes done with both our nuclear and extended family. If you wait for your guidance counselor to take the bull by the horns its fair to say you might be waiting a long, long time while theyre juggling more students than ever before. His team was available literally 24-7 for us. Alex is regarded as kind of the Wyatt Earp of the private counselors and tutors in our area. he got the job done for us quietly and quickly, then rode off on his horse to the next village.
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richardscott000 1 year ago

Alex has been very instrumental in throughout the entire testing and application process. He met with Jake and they immediately hit it off. Once the relationship developed between student and teacher, Jake had the tools to improve his SAT and ACT scores. We knew that our son was a smart young man but with the help of Collegewise, especially Alex Weiner, Jake has been accepted to every college that replied back to us so far. I know Jake will be 8 for 8, thanks to his hard work and the fine guidance of Alex Weiner. The greatest compliment is a referral and we have referred Alex to all of our friends looking for the same professional guidance for our son. Thanks again Alex! Richard Mason Salon Owner Richard Scott Salon and Day Spa www.Richardscottsalon.com
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