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Are you helping your son or daughter with the college admissions process? We are really excited about today’s podcast as we reached out to Dad’s to get their take on the college search process with their kids – what was helpful, what was not, what they wished they had to make the journey easier from the college search and visit perspective. When I was growing up my parents provided moral support and financial support but other than that, they were not overly involved in the process. In fact, I went to visit some colleges on my own! Days have changed. We wanted to hear from Dad’s who have been there and done that to get their perspective on what worked, what did not, what they wish they could do over again, what resources were especially helpful and what was not. What tips do they have for someone going through the process for the 1st time? We will have a Mom’s series as well.
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Key Takeaways:
- Talk to your kids early and ask them what is important to them. What are they looking for in college? What do they want their home to look like? Based on your students personality, what colleges are the right fit? From a geography perspective, what works best for your family?
- Plan your trips ahead of time. There is a lot of work that going into the planning and that is where parents can come into play.
- Use the resources available to you (Naviance, US World & News Report, YouTube videos )
- If your student is taking the SAT or ACT, study hard so you can take it as few times as possible
- Take time out to explore the surrounding area if you can and get tickets to an event on campus to get a better sense of the student body and community.
- If you can afford it and you think it will help you and your son or daughter during the college application process, hire an expert. Kids are sometimes more responsive to someone other than Mom and Dad.
Important Resources and Links:
Meet John Gregg and Phil Semprevivo:
John Gregg is a father of two sons, one who is a junior at NYU and a son who is a freshman at Boston College. When John and his family relocated back to the states when his oldest was a junior in high school, John quickly immersed himself in the college admissions process to help guide his sons through the process. A graduate of Penn State and the University of Wisconsin, John is a VP in Strategic Sales at NCR Corporation.
Phil Semprevivo is a lawyer, husband, and dad of 6, 3 of whom have gone through the college application process and is going through it once again. Their oldest graduated from Wisconsin 2019, next up – their daughter Graduated from Michigan 2020 and is at grad school at Mich now., their next daughter is a Junior at Wisconsin, their 4th child a daughter is a Senior in HS in the search mode, and their youngest kids are Sophomores in HS. Phil enjoys spending time with his kids on the road exploring college campuses and the surrounding towns.
Thank you to John and Phil for joining us today. We really enjoyed listening to your stories and helpful tips. Naviance is a good resource to use along with the college websites. Reach out to students and make sure to take in an activity on campus when you visit with your son or daughter. Plan ahead as it can be exhausting and time-consuming for parents. Definitely try to attend a sporting event or another activity to get a better feel or vibe of the student body and community.
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