Those who carry vision today will lead tomorrow. Consider the Kennedy’s, a family name that is iconic in American politics. Our late President’s father, Joseph Kennedy built a family on the foundation of working towards tomorrow. An entrepreneur and financial all star, Mr Kennedy trained his sons and daughters to think of a big picture, and equally important, how to execute on the vision.
On a smaller scale, if today’s student is going to be positioned to make an impact in their life, their post-secondary pursuit is vital. While college is the new black, it is leaving its trail of students deep in the red. So many students are intelligent, capable students who if given the vision and the resources, could easily get into a fine school and leave debt free.
The ACT Boot Camp exists for two purposes:
Transfer the vision of post-secondary education
Train students to use the ACT Test as a lever in their pursuit.
Working for tomorrow demands practical efforts today. Build a students education around the test that will inevitably direct their future and they will be positioned. It’s the least thing we can do.
Boone County is a booming part of Kentucky, with more subdivisions sprouting than weeds in a vacant lot. When an area grows at such a rapid pace, it is wise to pay attention. By asking questions like, what does that area have that other’s lack, an observer can develop a great deal of wisdom.
I’ve noticed, for example, that though Boone County is maturing, it still has a great deal of undeveloped land, allowing inhabitants to rest comfortably between their newly built homes, and themes straight from a horse shower curtain (follow the link to see a visual).
Another consideration is the price. There are new homes built for roughly 200K in Boone County that would easily sell for 1.2 million elsewhere in our nation. So people are getting new land and new houses at a rate that outstanding.
Residents are located close to the international airport, as well as one of the nation’s main interstates. Convenience clearly plays a role. Another notation about Boone County is their school systems. While vast in number compared to other northern ketnucky schools, Boone County High School, Conner High School, Cooper High School, & Ryle High School are all top notch institutions. From academics to athletics, agriculture to artists, they grow great students.
This week, Tim Hanner was recognized as Kentucky’s 2010 superintendent of the year. Rightly so. When I was a senior @ Scott High School, in a brief period of time, Mr Hanner mentored me towards a path built on values.
It is refreshing to see credit where credit is do. Kenton County Schools are on the rise. In our current ACT Boot Camp, we are training a student from SK, and she is outstanding. Her work ethic is strong, she is bright, and she knows what she has to do to succeed in her educationd- a product of vision that has worked its way down from the topic of this post.
Congrats Mr Hanner, keep it up Kenton County.
An epic question at best.
The backbone of the SAT is reasoning. The ability to effectively use deductive reasoning and conceptual thinking is a must to succeed on the sat test.
The ACT is founded upon knowledge. One can perform superbly on the SAT and never have gone to school, but the same student would suffer on the ACT. The ACT is based off of a curriculum that the creators of the test expect highschool juniors to have experienced.
What does that mean for you?
A couple of things:
1. For low gpa students: Maybe you spent your sopehomore year playing Halo with friends…not neccesariily the end of the world, assuming you have a high level of intelligence. Your abilitiy to reason should carry you to suceed on the SAT, but expect to struggle on the ACT.
2. For better students: You probably will do well on the ACT. Basically, if you paid attention during algebra II, and you studied your grammar, you’ll do ok. Because of how it is structured, you an crack the ACT Test.
Regardless, what is most important is preparation and practice! Begin your plan to success before you hit college. Direct your highschool studies towards one of both of the inventories, because there is simply nothing more important in your steps towards higher education.
Hulu has become an extremely poplular site on the internet. The premise of the site is to afford its viewers access to a wide variety of very popular shows & movies while generating funds through short advertisements. In other words, Hulu is tv online. While it isn’t exactly free, it is prety close, as you don’t have to pay for the service, just sit through boring adds; or browese other sites & mute the commercials.
Kentucky schools, like kenton county schools and boone county schools, have a model like hulu. They are free, but not exactly. They offer you much of what you want, and usually enough to get you moderately close to where you want to go; however, these schools, like hulu, can’t always provide you with exactly what you want or need. If you are looking for act test prep, the public school system cannot give you supreme prep, but they can give you a moderate job. Hulu can give you entertainment, but blockbuster can still give you exactly what you are looking for.
My friend and former guidance counselor, Delia Williams, has invited me to attend the Northern Kentucky Counseling Association’s December luncheon & workshop. I am very excited about the event as I’ll be surrounded with the people who work day in and day out to help students take steps towards Kentucky higher education, and believe me, these men and women work!
In fact, the role of the modern school counselor has evolved into a multifaceted position. Most people think that counselors play the role of helping students overcome life issues through means of listening, coaching, and guiding. While this is absolutely true, and probably close to most counselors’ hearts, their role has increased dramatically. The modern counselor is the key figure in the day to day operations of schools, coordinating hundreds if not thousands of students’ claass schedules, as well as lunch schedules, special events, emergency drills, and more. All the while, teachers have less control over their students and therefore the counselor is required to interject and mediate conflict.
On top of all this, the counselor is a key figure to college prep for students, and I cannot stress enough how influential they can be for better positioning.
Here are 4 tips for working w/ your guidance counselors:
- Be Unique: In an ocean of students, make yourself stand out through building a relationship
- Be Assertive: Do not hesitate to ask your counselor for help, but don’t expect a hand out! They guide, not enable.
- Start Early: Freshman and sophomores who receive consultation from their counselor will be very well positioned.
- Be Flexible: To maximize the help you can receive from your counselor, you must be flexible; working with their schedule will allow more focus and strategy for your future.
