ST. MARY’S
— by Janeen Lewis
Elementary School
We Make a Difference
EDUCATION
OPEN HOUSE
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
6pm – 7:30pm • Tours Available
Full day Pre-K 3 & 4 - Grades K - 8
2 St. Mary’s Hill • Lancaster NY 14086
716-683-2112
www.smeschool.com
ST. ANDREW’S
Country Day School
Where faith, academics & service ignite
our future & build tomorrow’s leaders.
OPEN HOUSE
January 27th • Noon - 2pm
• PK 3 & 4 Yr. Old PT/FT Programs
• Grades K-8
• 8th Grade Math & Science Regents Program
• School Wide Service Program
• Personal & Effective Class Sizes
• BISON Available
• Before & After School Care Available
• STREAM School
(STEM with integrated Religion & Art)
• PK-8 Sports & Clubs
• All Are Welcome
1545 Sheridan Dr., Kenmore,
corner of Sheridan and Elmwood
Call for a personal tour
(716) 877-0422
www.standrewscds.net
42 WNY Family December 2018
Countdown to College:
Tips to Help Students
Find Their Fit
T
he high school road to col-
lege may seem like four of
the most challenging years
families face. There are deadlines, tough
financial choices, and parents and chil-
dren don’t always agree on colleges. If
that isn’t stressful enough, every year
there are tasks that high school students
should be checking off their to-do list.
How do parents help their high
school students navigate all the details
and decisions they must make during
their countdown to college? Here is
some advice from the pros — a parent
who’s been through the process and a
college admissions counselor.
Starting the
Conversation
It all starts with a conversation be-
tween parent and child. But often the
question that starts the conversation is
the wrong one, according to Rick Clark,
an undergraduate admissions counselor.
“Parents ask ‘Where do you want to
go to college?’ “Clark says. The biggest
question that parents don’t ask or lose sight
of is ‘Why do you want to go to college?’”
That “why” is important, and should
be followed up with questions like
“What do you hope to get out of this?
What do you want to study? What do
you want to do long-term?” says Clark.
Freshman Year:
The Importance of
Academics
Rachael Fain, a mom of three,
stresses the importance of the GPA dur-
ing freshman year. Fain’s daughter, Han-
nah, graduated from college in 2017.
Fain also has a son, Matthew, who is a
sophomore in college.
“My children started taking high
school classes in eighth grade,” Fain
says. “A GPA is harder to bring up in
junior and senior year, so our goal their
eighth and ninth grade years was to keep
their GPA high.”
The freshman year is also important
for getting on a challenging track of classes.
“Course choice is important,” Clark
says. “Math in particular is something
students need to pay attention to.”
Taking challenging classes in high
school helped Fain’s son Matthew make
his college decision. He decided to pur-
sue his degree at the university where he
took dual credit courses when he was in
high school.