College Prep Checklist: Simple Ways to Stay on Track

It's never too early to begin planning for college. Fortunately, ACT offers loads of resources to guide you and your student along the way. So sit down with your teenager and map out a specific course. Following are a few of the many ways ACT can help.

• Tools of the trade. Procrastination a problem? ACT has solutions. Need some assistance with goal setting? Look no further: Student Readiness Inventory Tool Shop.
• The EXPLORE^® test. This test will help your 8th- or 9th-grade student determine his or her academic strengths and weaknesses. It will also help you both select the best possible courses while planning for college and careers. Learn more about EXPLORE.
• PLAN^® test. The ideal follow-up assessment for high school sophomores, the PLAN exam builds upon the EXPLORE assessment and helps your son or daughter prepare for the ACT, college and careers.
• The ACT^® test. High school students should register to take the exam sometime around the spring of their junior year. Test dates and registration deadlines are listed at the end of this newsletter. Taking rigorous high school classes is the best preparation, but students may also benefit from free and low-cost test prep tools.

Homework Help Is on the Way

According to ACT research, students who spend less than six hours per week at home doing homework are nearly twice as likely to be low achievers as high achievers (33% vs. 18%). As a parent, there are some practical ways you can help your student succeed.

• Set clear goals and expectations. Ask your teenager's counselor or principal what the "typical" amount of homework is each night at the high school. Then sit down together and work to carve out at least this amount of time in the family schedule.
• A place for everything and everything in its place. When people don't have the tools to do a job, they can't do it. To make it easy on your student—and to avoid procrastination and excuses—choose a quiet, private place that's well stocked with school supplies. A flat surface and good light complete the space. The fewer distractions, the better.
• Live by the credo "Work before pleasure." Make it clear to your teen that studying must be completed before watching television, surfing online, or beginning social time. Explain that this doesn't mean rushing through assignments. Rather, it means that homework takes priority over other activities.
• Step in when needed. If your student is struggling—whether it's with comprehension, time management, or study skills—show your support. If you cannot help resolve the problem, ask school administrators and teachers for their assistance.

Career Exploration Made Easy

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Those 10 words are something most tweens and teens hear a lot. Yet some adults admit that they still don't know the answer to that question! So don't be disappointed if your son or daughter doesn't have a ready reply. You can help your student explore options for majors and careers while he or she is still in high school.

With decades of solid research as our foundation, ACT offers many practical, up-to-date, and interactive ways to help your teen match his or her interests with a career.

Career Planning Tips are a great general starting point for discussion if your student hasn't yet taken the ACT. Once your teen has considered some career questions, ACT's World-of-Work Map is a good next step in the exploration. Encourage your teen to experiment by selecting areas of interest on the outer area of the circle (for example, does he or she prefer working with things or people?). From there, your student can drill down to specific occupations, salaries, and educational requirements for the job. Knowing the final destination makes high school and college planning so much simpler.

Apprenticeships are one alternative to college. However, your son or daughter will still need the same rigorous school preparation to succeed.

If your teenager is college-bound, the Map of College Majors is a useful resource. This tool outlines necessary training and qualifications for specific careers. For example, if your teenager is interested in psychology, you'll learn that:

• An associate or bachelor's degree is a good background for many jobs in counseling.
• A graduate degree is required to work as a psychologist.
• A doctoral degree plus at least one year of post-doctoral studies is usually required for psychologists in independent practice.
• Graduates with a degree in psychology may find opportunities in social work, teaching, medicine, and criminology.

As you follow your teenager's educational and vocational journey, try to remember how you felt at his or her age. Were you excited about the future? Nervous about making decisions? Confused about jobs? Whatever you felt, is probably what your teen is feeling now. Tell your student you understand and that you'll always be there to support his or her decisions.

2009–2010 ACT Test Date Schedule

Students may register online or pick up registration packets from their high school counseling offices. The cost for the ACT test without writing is $32. When combined with the optional ACT Writing Test, the total cost is $47. For those who qualify, fee waivers are available from high school counselors.

In next month's edition:

• First-Generation College Students: What They Need to Know
• Organizational Strategies for School
• ACT's New Online Tool for Success

If you think others would benefit from the information in ACT Parent, please encourage them to subscribe at ACT Parent.

See also:

ACT's Information for Parents

The ACT

PLAN

EXPLORE

Financial Aid

College Search

Careers