10 KEYS TO PREPARING

YOUR TEEN FOR COLLEGE,

CAREER, AND LIFE

Dr. Nicoline Ambe Speaker. Educator. #1 Bestselling Author

www.nicolineambe.com

Underground American Dream

My American Dream

www.nicolineambe.com/books

1. Take AP and Honors classes

which offer bonus GPA points.

AP - College Credit

- College Board

Score 4 or 5 on the AP Exam

2. Take at least 2 community college

classes. Get A’s in both of them.

Benefits of Community Colleges Classes

• Improves your GPA – For example, from 3.8 to 4.3

• Ivy League Colleges

• Full Ride Scholarships

• These classes are FREE for high school students

• Earn an Associates Degree in High School and only do 2 years of

college!!!!!!!

• 60 credits to earn an Associates Degree at LAHC!!

• Save more than $35,000 in college tuition!!!! (Tuition for college and text

books go up each year)

• Cut short college life and start working earlier than most.

• Make sure the class credit is transferable to the college of choice

3. Improve SAT & ACT scores by taking them in the 11th

grade, so you have a second chance to take them in the 12th

grade if necessary. Score at least 2200. Take Test Prep class

or study guide

•Take SAT subject tests. This depends

on the school. Take 3 subjects

4. Participate deeply in academic

enrichment and extracurricular activities

and community service

• Look for extra-curricular and summer programs that are relevant to

the field of study your child is interested in.

• Make sure that she is not juggling so much at once that she falls

behind in her classes. Build solid GPA foundation in freshman and

sophomore year.

5. Put together an application

that reflects your talents. Your

application is your chance to

tell the college who you are

and what’s important to you,

so make sure to complete the

personal statement, personal

history and achievements

sections with as much detail

as possible.

5 Questions asked by a Harvard Interviewer

1. What are you interested in potentially studying in

college?

2. What’s the most negative experience you have

ever had in school

3. What do you do when you’re not in school?

4. What have you read recently?

5. What’s the last cultural event you went to?

6. Apply to several

schools. Apply on

time and meet the

application

deadlines. Ask for

fee waivers!

www.commonapp.o

rg lets you fill out

one application for

more than 600

schools

Parents

Savings

•$100/month

•$1,200 Per year

•$21,600 in 18 years!

•$57,070 W 10% interest

7. Money

Student Loans

- Average is 26K

- 1.3 trillion, bigger than CC

- Can’t file bankruptcy

- Home Ownership

- Co-sign vs. retirement

Merit Scholarships!

Institutional Scholarships Private Scholarships

- Mid-tier colleges Not tied to a college

- GPA/SAT Scores Not Academic-based

- Based on Major – STEM Varied requirements

- Personal Essay Year-round deadlines

- Community Service $4 billion+

www.nicolineambe.com/scholarships

•File the free application for federal student Aid (FAFSA)

Or California Dream Act application.

•Do this by March of the year you plan to attend.

•Free application for federal Student Aid (FAFSA) –

Federal student aid to attend college

•Available January 1 each year, due February 1st for

private colleges and March 2 for public colleges

www.fafsa.ed.gov

•College Board’s college scholarship service (CSS)

financial Aid Profile

•Usually applies when you apply to a private college or

university www.profileonline.collegeboard.com

•Due February 1st

8. College Major

Current Practice

•Send kids off to college

•Take whatever major they want

•Rack up student loan debt

•Take jobs in fields that do not meet career/financial

goals, or are unemployed

•Get bad credit ratings

•Can’t purchase a home

•Go back to school, and the cycle continues

In 2012, 44% of college graduates were

working in jobs that did not require

college degree.

Only 36% of that group were in “good non-

college jobs” – Those paying $45,000 a

year

Wall Street Cheat Sheet

Shocking Retirement Statistics

1– 1 of 3 Americans have no retirement

savings

2-- Too many Americans rely only on Social

Security. $16,000 & $12,000

3-- 1of 5 people tap into their 401(k)

4-- Young people don’t save.

HOW Will You Pay Your Bills?

• Cable Television

• Gas

• Electric

• Water

• Home Repairs

• Mortgage/Rent

• Internet Service

• Food and Grocery

• Apparel and Services

• College Education

• Miscellaneous Expenses

• Phones – Cell & Residential Insurance – Home, Car, health & Life

• DEBT

•As parents, we have a

responsibility to guide our

children to make the best

decision possible about

careers, rather than simply

allowing them to do whatever

makes them happy.

• EXPERIENCE VS. FEELINGS

DECIDE ON A MAJOR

•NCES – 80% of college

students change their major

•Longer time in school

•More student loans

•Delay

•So WORK… for a limited time

When you sit with

indecision, you invite your

enemies – fear, unbelief,

excuses, doubt, confusion,

and procrastination

- Elementary school math

- 3.6 GPA

- Bachelors Degree

- Pharmacy School

- Age 24 Dr. of Pharmacy

- 110k per year

- New car/condo/vacation

- McDonalds Job = $17,000/year

CLARITY IS POWER

Not A Bed Of Roses

• Years of Study

• Quick money

• Hard work

(Skills & Mindset)

• Career Cons

- Lawyers

- Doctors

- Entrepreneurs

- Police Officers

- Pharmacists

Communications Engineering

Careers in Engineering

Electronics Engineering

Architectural Engineering

Biomedical Engineering

Manufacturing Engineering

Civil Engineering

Nuclear

Engineering

Petroleum Engineering

Software Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Computer Engineering

Structural Engineering

Aerospace Engineering

Industrial Engineering

Metallurgical Engineering

Mining/Mineral Engineering

Geological Engineering

Geophysical Engineering

9. Have a Vision

Pursue a passion that pay$

Recycling the American Dream

10. AVOID Time-Wasters. Work hard!

Lack of Content Mastery

Poor Performance

- Low Test Scores

- Low grades (47% C or worse)

- High drop out rates

- Dropped College courses

- Non-challenging programs

-Path of least resistance

NCES

TV habits explain 90% of difference in

8th grade math scores. Limit TV to 1

hour or less

What’s YOUR American Dream?

If you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t

matter who you are or where you come

from or what you look like or where you

live. It doesn’t matter whether you’re

black or white or Hispanic or Asian or

Native American or young or old or rich

or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight,

you can make it here in America if you’re

willing to try.

President Obama!

Invite me to speak!

Call: (310) 874-5208

www.nicolineambe.com

Get Your Copy!

GRACIAS!

THANK YOU