College Prep Coach

13/05/2024

Students,

Please pay attention to this. From the article..., "71% [of leaders] say they’d rather hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than a more experienced candidate without them."

That's pretty clear to me...

In this era of artificial intelligence, it has become increasingly important to learn how to use AI tools. Here is one tool you can start learning today.

22/04/2024

Please remember, college is not the only option, and if attending a college based solely on popular belief and incurring debt while doing so in an effort to get a decent paying job, there are many other paths.

Demand for skilled tradespeople is expected to increase over the next decade and remain high in the U.S., McKinsey & Co. reports.

22/03/2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq1QZB5baNw

If you have yet to see this, please enjoy. It is wild! I could write pages on this, integrating numerous different fields of study which combined to make what you will see here, but this is the wrong forum for that. In lieu of my analysis, I will say to all my students, you MUST get the grades. This world needs, and will find, the best and the brightest..., and you must position yourself in that group.

07/03/2024

This is long overdue! An ACT and/or SAT score helps both the school AND the student find the best fit. Remember, choosing a college is a two-way street. Test optional was a mistake and hurt both sides..., this is a solid move.

The school joins Yale, Dartmouth and M.I.T. in backtracking on “test optional” policies adopted during the pandemic.

04/03/2024

As College Prep Coach nears the launch of its new website, its updated approach to the application/decision process which will include conversations on the topic which we believe do not get discussed nearly enough, namely the "what and why" of college, please let the following article serve as a hint of the types of conversations we will be bringing to you.

To keep its competitive edge the Ivy League will have to change

30/10/2023

Students who are interested in engineering and are looking for long term job growth and security, look no further than the money which will be thrown at our outdated power grid over the coming decades. If you are wondering how to get going on this path, not to worry..., look at Gonzaga University's Transmission and Distribution program and you'll be set for a terrific future.

The power lines will aim to supply 3.5 additional gigawatts of energy to the U.S. grid, which equates to powering 3 million homes.

23/10/2023

The pendulum started swinging back in this direction a while ago and is apparently picking up more and more steam..., finally! While these three skills can be acquired out of college, they are also at the core of a solid Liberal Arts education, especially the critical thinking. Either way, pick your path and get going.

Companies are prioritizing skills over education in their hiring process.

31/08/2023

As we start another school year, especially all high school juniors and seniors, and including all college freshman and sophomores, here’s some solid information to ponder.

17/05/2023

To all students, take a few minutes and read this article. Yes, yes..., I know the title refers to a Harvard expert, but the truth is that this is what our parents and grandparents have been telling us all along - 'Earned Success' and 'Service to Others.'

Seniors..., well done, and good luck.

Juniors..., it's your turn, enjoy summer, but get ready!

Harvard professor Arthur Brooks thinks to be happy, graduates don't need to find jobs that are always fun and that singlehandedly save the world.

01/05/2023

Happy National Decision Day seniors! Families, though simplistic, the four parts to this article will get you headed in the right direction. Word to the wise, focus on #1, jump to #3, then to #4, then if need be return to #1 and process the decision tree over and over until it feels right. This is not where you want a knee-jerk reaction followed by the statement, "we'll figure out the finances later." The author is correct, if the first year is a struggle, years 2-4 can be tough.

Congratulations on your successes and good luck!

On College Decision Day, one key consideration should be picking a school that doesn't require acquiring too much student debt, experts say.

22/02/2023

The model has been broken for so very long, it just took the final push from Covid to break it. The bottom line, in my opinion, is simple to understand, and let's just view this domestically, not worldwide - 1) US colleges, on average, are far too expensive for the majority of the country to afford, 2) Debt is simply a means to limit one's future options, so at the ever increasing cost of a four-year education, this is not a smart choice for most, and 3) more than half of the students applying every year to the "named" schools have no idea why, other than the fact they have been told it's a good school. Being told by someone who doesn't know you, doesn't know your interests, and doesn't know your goals that XYZ is a good school, you should attend, is not a smart way to play your hand.

Get a list of the Fortune 100 CEOs and then search for a list of which colleges they attended..., it's eye opening and a very good way to show your children that there are many paths to success. The one path which is common amongst all these folks, however, is hard work. There is no easy path, and yes, hard work still trumps genius any day..., prove me wrong.

For the school year '23-'24, I am taking a whole new approach to reaching students. CPC will be working with independent college admissions counselors from across the nation to ensure your access to both free and paid guidance for your children/students..., stay tuned.

Even as college applications surge, a number of institutions are in financial jeopardy.

13/05/2022

It's about time...!!!! From the article...

"The truth is that a majority of jobs do not really require a college degree, but they do require skills — both technical knowledge and so-called “soft skills” needed to relate to customers and co-workers.

There are plenty of ways to provide people with the skills needed to succeed in the workplace other than four — or even two — years of college and the debt that comes with it."

As employers recognize that the lack of a four-year college degree doesn't mean a potential worker doesn't have value, the return on investment for university graduates is dropping.