AP Update

In our public schools, more than 15% of the class of 2007 passed at least one Advanced Placement (AP) test with a score of 3 or better, according to the fourth annual "Advanced Placement Report to the Nation" released by the College Board. This is up from 14.7 per cent in 2006 and 11.7 percent in 2002.

Earning a 3 or higher on an AP Exam is one of "the very best predictors of college performance," according to reports from researchers at the University of California at Berkeley, the National Center for Educational Accountability and the University of Texas at Austin. The researchers found that AP students earn higher college grades and graduate from college at higher rates than students who do not take AP classes in high school.

If your student has college aspirations, they should talk to their school counselor about what AP courses are offered by their high school and consider taking some AP courses. If they score a 3 or higher, they could "test-out" of having to repeat these courses in college.

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Don't Jump to Conclusions

When college freshmen are assigned their first roommate, there's always going to be a little apprehension. Your student is going to have to live with this stranger for the next nine months. Will the assigned roommate be a good match or turn out to be a nightmare?

These are all legitimate concerns. Adding to the “unknown roommate syndrome” that almost all college freshmen and their parents go through, is the development of online social networks where visitors create profiles introducing themselves to other network visitors.

What happens when parents don't like what they see? At dozens of colleges across the country, it means they call the school and ask for a roommate reassignment. Some schools will work with students to try to make room changes, if they can be accommodated, while others put a freeze on changes until later in the school year.

School officials ask parents to not “jump to conclusions” from an online profile they may see. Many of these profiles are not characteristic of the students submitting them; some are developed as jokes or to try to attract attention from other online visitors.

In other words, just because you see your student's future roommate featured on a social networking site with a cup in their hand, don't jump to the conclusion that there's alcohol involved.

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The Common Cents Tour

High school is the final transition from adolescence to adulthood for many students. It's a time of evaluation of individual strengths, interests and future goals. During high school students begin to separate from their parents and explore new-found independence.

Exploring independence and taking on more responsibility, while exciting, can lead to frustration. For many students, issues like financial aid, budgeting money and planning for the future can be complex and confusing. Students need guidance when tackling these responsibilities.

Parents and school counselors play a key role in helping students plan for their future. In keeping with our commitment to work with parents and education professionals, AES has developed “The Common Cents Tour,” an interactive program designed to educate high school seniors and first-year college students on a variety of smart money topics. The “Common Cents Tour” features:

• Advice and tips on effective budgeting, saving money, understanding credit and student loans, time management, and career planning.
• Interactive personal finance calculators and worksheets.

You and your college-bound student can download “The Common Cents Tour”, at no charge, on YouCanDialWithIt.com, our financial literacy awareness site. Kick off “The Common Cents Tour” today.

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Check out our college and career planning website:
http://www.EducationPlanner.org/

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