Before the Application?: How to Become the Ideal College Candidate? (A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Each Year of High School Count)

by Geary Woolfolk, Dedra R Woolfolk (Contribution by)

Overview

Why do so many capable high schoolers fail to earn coveted college acceptances and scholarships? Why are a lot of competent teenagers not prepared for the transition to college level work? The answer is simple: most students (and their families!) do not realize that they must carefully plan from the beginning of ninth grade in order to attain an impressive profile for their college applications, and have no idea what colleges are searching for in a candidate until it is too late. This detailed, practical, and uniquely structured book provides an effective & proven roadmap for fostering college readiness with a comprehensive, step-by-step timeline to follow throughout each year of high school.

Geary Woolfolk has navigated his family through the college admissions & scholarship process several times with overwhelming success, and shares the "secrets" to his sons' academic achievements through knowledgeable insight and with an amiable and collegial style. Based on in-depth research and his own experience with guiding his children and teenagers in his community, Geary reveals his approach to creating a highly competitive college profile from the perspective of a family who has been there before. In these pages, you will discover:

• How to plan and track your progress from the beginning of high school through becoming a freshman in college

• How to develop essential skill sets that enable you to thrive in high school and truly become "college-ready"

• How to identify your best-fit colleges and enter into a strong position to earn admission to dream schools

• How to greatly improve your chances of earning top scholarships

• How to plan and organize during the college application season.

• How to transition into "college mode" and be ready for success immediately upon graduating from high school

This well organized and thorough guide will provide students and parents with concrete strategies for identifying what colleges are looking for in an applicant, developing a resumé to meet these expectations, and vigilantly planning each year of high school to achieve key acceptances, earn valuable scholarships, and ensure college readiness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781736125519
Publisher:	Geary Woolfolk
Publication date:	11/22/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	248
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Geary Woolfolk is a devoted husband to his wife of twenty-nine years Dr. Dedra Woolfolk (Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Point University) and a dedicated father to his three sons: Christopher, Brian, and Aaron. From the time that his children were young, Geary purposely set out to create a plan to help guide them to academic success and prepare them for the rigors of college. After applying his in-depth research and utilizing his plan, his children achieved incredible success throughout high school and have thrived during their post-secondary undertakings, including earning and maintaining full ride scholarships to college. Geary decided to share the secrets to this success with his beloved Southwest Atlanta community, and is now focused on arming students and parents everywhere with knowledge about prospering in high school and creating effective college admissions profiles. He also provides consultation to teenagers on how to develop a plan for navigating their studies, and provides strategies for maneuvering through the college application process. You can learn more at www..woolfolkworks.com
I have spent the last 16 years as a professor at Point University (formerly known as Atlanta Christian College), where I served as the chairperson of the Math and Science Department for 9 years before being named the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Throughout my career in academia, I have served as a mentor and advisor to several college students. I have first-hand knowledge of the struggles and stress that new college students face when they have not properly prepared for the rigors of undergraduate work. My experiences have made me passionate about high school students having access to college readiness guidance and strategies. One way that I helped my own sons begin the process of college readiness was instilling a love for reading in them at a very young age. I currently teach numerous undergraduate courses, including Biology, Microbiology, Genetics, and Pharmacology. I have been a mentor to college students and younger coworkers for years, and I love to help the up-and-coming generation reach their full potential.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

Before We Get Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Planning for Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

The Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

The Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

The Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

The Execution (Keys to Success) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Ninth Grade-Buying In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

The Fundamentals-Laying the Groundwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Freshman Essentials-Taking Flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Freshman Timeline-Starting with Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Tenth Grade-Planning for the "Next". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

The Fundamentals-Building on the Foundation . . . . . . . . . . .79

Sophomore Essentials-Taking Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

College Prep Courses-Choosing Wisely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89

Sophomore Timeline-Generating Momentum . . . . . . . . . . .101

Eleventh Grade-Putting a Stamp on Your Brand . . . . . . . . . . . .123

The Fundamentals-Solidifying the Core . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125

Junior Essentials-Taking Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

Junior Timeline-Remain Steadfast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140

College Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Twelfth Grade-Finishing Strong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181

The Fundamentals-Final Touches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184

Senior Essentials-Taking Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .185

Senior Timeline-Focus on the Details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187

Post-Graduation-Starting College Strong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

Post-Graduation Essentials-Taking it Forward . . . . . . . . . . .214

Post-Graduation Timeline-Next Level Planning . . . . . . . . . .217

My Farewell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .225

Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231