High School » Carol J. Carter

Success Wanted: Interpersonal Skills Required

What makes a person successful? Some attribute their success to hard work, while others attribute it to luck, mentors, brains, or social skills.

In a recent three-part series on NPR, people from all rungs of the economic ladder are interviewed on why they either are or are not financially “successful.” In the first installment, Bob Hatley, president and CEO of Paragon Commercial Bank, tells his tale of going from a childhood with limited means to a millionaire. Hatley says:Â “People who use their family as an excuse not to achieve, I have no patience with.”

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Application Essay: How to Present Your Best Self

There are many things you can do to help ensure that your college application gives you the best chance at admission to your dream college. Making sure it’s on time, making sure you don’t have any embarrassing photos posted on your Facebook (about a quarter of all college admissions officers check your Facebook profile while considering your application), and watching out for spelling errors and other mistakes are all essential (see Emily Driscoll’s “Get Your College Apps in Order Now” for more tips and general advice). Your biggest opportunity to stand out, however, where you can really show who you are and why you’re applying, is through your application essay.

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Preparation Before Remediation

Studentsâ€™ lack of preparation takes on many forms beyond academic deficits. It shows up with them not knowing what to expect from college, not knowing how to anticipate challenges and obstacles, and not having the grit and determination to succeed. It shows up with their lack of follow through skills, and their not knowing how to take advantage of resources to craft a college experience that will deliver the abilities and connections to launch a successful career. It shows up with students lacking the emotional and social awareness to make sound choices and navigate college systems. And it surfaces with students embracing unrealistic expectations of what simultaneously can be managed, including: full and part-time work, families, social lives, and other demands.

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SAT Reading Scores Are Dropping: What Can We Do?

As several news outlets have reported, this year’s SAT reading scores are the lowest they’ve been in four decades (see Washington Post and NPR). There are several reasons that could factor into this decrease. One thing experts point to is the increased number of low-income students taking the test. This kind of trend, however, can’t fully explain why 56% of our high school graduates are not ready for college-level work. Nor should it matter, in an ideal world, whether your parents are low-income or not when it comes to your success as a student. The fact remains that there must be more we can do, as parents, teachers, and school officials, to improve reading levels and overall achievement levels for rich and poor alike, across genders and races.

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Michael Vladeck: The Art of Imposing Rules on Teens

By Michael Vladeck

We all want freedom, and children do need rules (some more than others). Â When applied well, they act as guidelines that help them develop in healthy waysâ€¦ lest they recreate aÂ Lord Of The FliesÂ reality that you have to parent to.Â They have a place,Â yet eventually some of these rules you impose will add great stress to the relationship – so learning how to be wise with rules is critical and essential to maintain the health of your relationship.
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College and Career Readiness Programs Raise Student Success Rates

How do you get more students to graduate from high school, earn a college degree, and find fulfilling careers? For many schools the answer is adding a college and career readiness program that gives students more opportunities and perspective for their future.

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Participating, Collaborating and Making a Difference

With differences in politics, religion and socioeconomic statuses, America is divided.Â To help overcome these differences and to create more collaboration, cooperation and understanding, NPR is collecting stories of citizens who are uniting their communities in a series called Participation Nation.Â In one story, Darryl Burnette, a chef, created a community garden in Harlem, NY.Â Through this he hopes to teach students about healthy eating habits and urban gardening. Â This is a wonderful idea and has the chance to transform our inner city neighborhood, our housing projects and our urban schools.

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Study: How American Families Pay for College

How did you find the college that was the right fit for you? Maybe you knew you wanted to live in a big city, that the school had the best program in your field, or because your high school friends were going there. Today, most students are swayed by a different measurement of fit. A recent study by Sallie Mae found 69 percent of students chose colleges based on affordability. To make schools more affordable, 51 percent lived at home, 55 percent chose to live with a roommate, 50 percent increased their number of work hours, and 66 percent reduced spending.
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Game Plan for Alleviating Financial Stress in College

There are many reasons college can be stressful for students. Entering freshmen might suffer a culture shock or fear their heightened level of independence. College sophomores have the stress of picking their academic path that should set the pace for the rest of college and their career after school. With their general classes behind them, college juniors go on to higher-level classes and get heftier workloads. Seniors start getting a taste of the real world as interns and student aids, while having the most difficult classes yet. And this is for the traditional student who has remained on-track to graduation. Due to any number of circumstances, many students’ college career will continue over five or six years.
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Do Remedial College Classes Cost More Than They’re Worth?

Only 32 percent of students who graduate from high school are academically prepared for college, according to research from the Manhattan Institute Center for Civic Information¹. Remedial classes in English, writing, and math are offered at many of today’s community and four-year colleges to address the overwhelming amount of students leaving high school without basic mastery of their core subjects.

Remedial classes are controversial because their worth is questioned in the grand scheme of things. Yes, remedial classes can open opportunities for more students to enter college who otherwise wouldn’t have the academic credentials to pursue an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. However, remedial classes can also offer a false hope to many students.

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