Are you one of the many parents navigating the tricky waters of the Common App? Fear not! Your guide on this journey, Sonia Cacique, is here to demystify this essential tool for your child's college application process. Packed with insights and specific tips for every grade level, this episode is designed to make the application process smoother and more successful. We'll journey through every section of the application, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and early preparation.
From personal information to academic history, extracurricular activities to essay prompts - we've got all bases covered. This isn't just about getting your application right; it's about fostering a journey of self-discovery and self-actualization for your child. Sonia Cacique will share strategies for allowing your child's unique personality and achievements to shine through their application, making it compelling for college admissions. Regardless of where your child is in the process, Sonia is here to help. Tune in, grab your coffee or tea, and get ready to navigate this exciting journey together.
🚀 I'll help you rediscover who you truly are, provide clarity towards your future and be your personalized coach with Multiple Service Package options. Your Coach Sonia is ready to help you!
"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"
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Welcome to the College and Career Ready podcast. You go to resource for all things related to preparing our students for success in their college and career journey. My name is Sonia Casique and I will be your host and guide on this exciting journey towards a bright future. Our mission is simple to empower our parents and students by elevating their confidence and resourcefulness. We believe that you deserve all the tools and support necessary to open the doors to endless possibilities of success and, with our community, you don't have to do this alone, so come with me and let's get started. Welcome to the College and Career Ready podcast. I'm your host, sonia Casique.
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Today we're diving into a topic that's essential for your child's college application process, also known as the Common App. The Common App is like a golden ticket to the college application world, allowing your child to apply to multiple colleges with just one application. But don't fear, we are here to help you unlock its secrets and make the process smoother than ever. If you've never heard of the Common App, then welcome, and you are in for some great insight and information. Whether you have a ninth grader, a tenth grader, a eleventh grader or a senior, I will have specific tips for each grade level, so make sure you stay tuned for the full episode. But, my friend, before we get started, I wanted to say thank you to all of our listeners for tuning in today, whether you're driving your kids to and from school, while driving to work, taking a break to sip your coffee or hot tea, or maybe while exercising. Kudos to you, by the way, for including us in your workout session. And, speaking of exercise, a special shout out to one of our top listener fans, cynthia, who I know likes to listen to us while she works out. Thank you so much for allowing me to be part of your day To all of our new listeners.
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I'm super excited that you have joined our community. I love welcoming new parents, aunties, grandparents and students who are working together and making sure your child is college and career ready, and I always like to remind all of our listeners, old and new, that you are part of this community and this podcast, and I always welcome your feedback, questions or ideas about the show, because this is your podcast as much as it is mine. It's super simple to connect with me. You can email me at info at collegecareerreadyorg. That's info at collegecareerreadyorg. I also want to give a shout out to everyone who took advantage of our free 15-minute parent-student-freedom calls with me. I really enjoyed spending one-on-one time with each and every one of you and brainstorming together. I have great things coming this school year for you and your child to make your life easier and to help you build a better relationship with your child during this wonderful and exciting journey of self-discovery and self-actualization. So let's stay connected. Make sure you follow and subscribe to the College and Career Ready podcast. Just click on the follow and subscribe on the podcast platform. You're listening to us from right now so you don't miss a beat and so you can continue to receive more valuable insights and tips on helping your high schooler succeed.
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So let's get started with today's episode. Let's talk about the Common App. Have you heard of the Common App before? If you haven't, don't worry. This episode will be perfect for you, as well as for those who know about it and want to get some additional insight.
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It's a user-friendly platform where your child can create one application and submit it to multiple colleges, and more than one million students apply each year to more than 1,000 Common App member universities worldwide. It is an online college application platform where it consists of various sections, from personal information and academic history, to extracurricular activities and essay prompts. Each section plays a crucial role in showcasing your child's unique personality and achievement. So the Common App is a chance for students to tell their story behind test scores and grades. You heard that right. It allows them to share their story beyond the test scores, beyond the grades, and really getting to put light on your child. You know this is my favorite part of the application process because it is a place for students to put the light on themselves. I highly encourage students to be authentic and let their passions shine Now.
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The Essay section is where your child's voice truly comes alive. It's their opportunity to stand out and leave a lasting impression on admission officers. Every year, students pour their heart into their Common App Essay, and it's quite understandable, as it's not just about impressing colleges but about expressing who they are. I really feel I could do a full episode just about the Essay section of the Common App. So let me know if you're interested in that and maybe I can do an episode just about the Essay section of the Common App. And, by the way, let me know what your specific questions are so I make sure I address them if we get to create an episode on that specific section of the Common App. So the best overall tip is to start early, my friend. Please start early. Brainstorm unique experiences with your child and tell them to don't be afraid to revise the Essay.
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Is a journey of self-discovery. In addition, there is also a section for supplemental questions. Colleges often have supplemental questions that go beyond the Common App. These questions allow your child to demonstrate their interests in the school and its values. I really recommend you and your child research the school thoroughly and tailor each response. Show them you're excited about joining their community. Highlight how your child's goals align with the college's programs because, honestly, my friend, it's all about the perfect fit. There is also an additional information section, so this section is perfect to share any extenuating or additional information that you both feel is pertinent to share. It's, honestly, a hidden gem where your child can explain any circumstances or share achievements that weren't covered elsewhere. So this is a perfect opportunity for you to think what else was not maybe asked in the other sections of the Common App that you really want to bring attention to. Use the additional information section wisely. It's not mandatory, but it can provide context and depth to your child's application. So that was an overview of the Common App. Now let's dive into specific tips to help you and your high schooler make the most of the Common App journey.
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Parents of 9th and 10th graders, even though it's not time to apply for the Common App just yet, it is a perfect opportunity for you to focus on building a strong foundation, encourage your child to explore interests, maintain good grades and cultivate meaningful extracurricular activities. These very early experiences will shape their college application story for whenever they're ready to apply. If you are a parent of an 11th grader, this is a pivotal year. Your child's academic performance, standardized tests I know standardized tests and extracurricular involvement become crucial. Begin researching colleges, visiting campuses and preparing for standardized tests. And speaking of standardized tests, we will have a guest speaker in the next coming months that we'll be talking specifically about SAT and ACT. So make sure that you are subscribed and following our podcast, along with receiving our newsletters, so you are informed as soon as that episode is released. And to our parents of 12th graders, if you're listening to us in real time, that would be class of 2024. It's crunch time. Help your child manage deadlines, finalize the college list and refine their application materials. Remind them to submit early for priority consideration.
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The Coven app is a powerful tool that, when used wisely, can open doors to your child's dream colleges. And if you really wanna motivate your child this school year, then make sure you listened to our episode number 38, setting up your best school year yet cultivating personal growth, embracing new beginnings and successful goal setting. This is a great episode to listen in the car while you're driving with your child, or you can listen to it and get some insightful tips to get the conversation going with your child. I'll make sure to include the link in our show notes for our Back to School Special Edition, episode number 38. Regardless to where your child is in the process, if you have any questions along the way, I'm always just click away. You can reach me by email at info, at collegecareerreadyorg or any of my social media platforms. Make sure you are receiving our newsletter and join our community. The link to join our College and Careerity Podcast community is on our show notes and, as always, if you enjoyed this episode, make sure you send it to a friend or post it on social media and tag me so I can personally thank you. I love how our community is growing so organically and for that I owe it all to you, my friend. Thank you for joining us on another enlightening episode of the College and Careerity Podcast.
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Don't forget to follow and subscribe to our podcast for more valuable insights and tips on helping your high schoolers succeed. Remember, this journey is about growth, self-discovery and finding the right fit. Don't stress, take a deep breath and lead your child by example by enjoying the process and taking it one step at a time. I promise our children see us and we can sit and preach and talk to them and have sit-down conversations, but the best way they can learn is by seeing us. So if we're calm in the process, they will be calm in the process. If we're motivated in the process, they will be motivated as well. So, friend, that is it for today. Stay tuned for more valuable insights and tips on helping your high schoolers succeed. Remember, stay well, be present and enjoy the journey Until next week. My friend, keep supporting those aspiring minds. I'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 1:
Hey, friend, thank you for tuning in. If you enjoyed this episode in our podcast, I would love to hear from you. Feel free to send me a direct message and let me know what you enjoyed most about this episode If you want to help us grow our community. Share our podcast with a friend by texting it to them right now, so they can join us as well. Let's embark on this journey together. I'm truly grateful for each and every one of you. Let's stay in touch and I'll talk to you soon. Adios.