21st Century College Planning
— by Philip Kanter —

Here we are at the beginning of a new season and the start of a new school year. For many parents and students, this is a time when we have new expectations and goals. High school students and their parents are faced with many current realities about life and the world in which we live.
    Immediacy and planning are two words that have become increasingly important in today’s world of college planning. Times have changed since we, today’s parents, started thinking about careers and colleges. Today, college acceptance is more competitive than it’s ever been. Schools that were once considered relatively easy to get into are suddenly difficult and have limited space. Students must now compete based on additional criteria; good grades and strong scores no longer guarantee acceptance. Add to this the fact that we can purchase a townhouse for what some schools cost, the competition from foreign students applying to colleges, and the increased criteria for many of the career majors… all of this adds up to a stressful mix.
    No matter what grade level a high school student is starting this fall, college planning is very important. Before you know it, senior year is here. If parents are not planning early, the results will probably be disappointing. Juniors must be especially organized and know exactly what their academic and co-curricular profiles look like. They should begin junior year with some intense investigation of colleges and universities under their belts. Meeting with an assigned school counselor is an important step in establishing a progressive college plan. Sophomores and freshmen should also develop a set of realistic goals and a comprehensive self-evaluation in order to establish a correct academic course of study.
    The college journey is a very exciting one. It is filled with hopes, goals, dreams and aspirations. The more knowledge parents have about the process and their children, the greater the chances are for receiving college acceptances. Good Luck!
Philip Kanter

Philip Kanter is a College Advisor for JEI. He privately counsels students and their families in the college and career search process. Mr. Kanter is a retired Director of Guidance and counseling for a prestigious school district in Northern New Jersey; is a member of the National Association of College Admissions; and has privately counseled over 1000 students and their families in his career.