The official e-newsletter of The Equestrian College Advisor.

From the blog:

I’ve written in previous blogs about the variety of project horses I’m riding this winter while my own horses take time off in the field (one recently retired and the other growing into his four-year-old year – and please know that I emphasize the word growing where my youngster is concerned).

Two of the horses I’m currently riding are similar in many ways – both are warmbloods and relatively young (eight and eleven) and both are learning dressage as part of a career change. Both also share the same favorite method of evading the aids (yanking the rider over the outside shoulder), though to be fair, the gelding prefers his right shoulder and the mare prefers her left.

To each their own and all that. Read More

A higher education can cost a small fortune, even in-state at a publicly funded school.  If you're worried about helping your kids get through college or are trying to plan your own education affordably, you're not alone. Just know that there are smart ways to think about college funding and some not-so-smart ways.

These six signs indicate you're thinking about funding an education the wrong way.

"We talk incessantly about how to make children more “resilient”, but whatever we’re doing, it’s not working. Rates of anxiety disorders and depression are 

rising

 rapidly among teenagers, and in the US 

universities can’t hire therapists fast enough

 to keep up with the demand. What are we doing wrong?" 

Read More

Senioritis is ContagiousIt’s that time of year when the famed disease senioritis takes hold of twelfth gradersnationwide and begins to spread like wildfire. Symptoms include laziness, absencefrom school, and repetition of the question, “Why is this important?”The generally accepted cure for this debilitating illness is graduation, but with the event still months in the distance, a dose of perspective and a solid plan for students can typically stave off its worst effects. These treatments include:

• Mind the money. Many students receive offers of academic scholarship with their acceptance packets – but those offers are contingent upon the student maintaining a certain level of academic performance. Any dips in a student’s final GPA can result in thousands of dollars lost so don’t risk it happening to you!

• Make a plan. Just because applications are turned in and early accept packets have arrived doesn’t mean that the college search process is over. The majority of colleges and universities host admitted student events and opportunities to engage with their alumni so that you can continue to learn more about them while you approach your final decision. There are also additional scholarship competitions to attend and a variety of senior-focused events right at the student’s home high school. Keeping the calendar full (but not too full) can prevent the boredom that leads to slacking off.

• Talk it out. Sometimes the best cure for senioritis is for the seniors themselves to talk about it. Everyone is bound to be nervous about heading into the unknown in the fall and nostalgic as they head out to the “last football game,” the “last Homecoming dance,” and the “last day of AP English.” By getting all of the fears, sadness, excitement, and uncertainty into the open, seniors can take control of their feelings – and by extension, their actions.

The most important thing for seniors to do is to make sure that they don’t treat everysingle event and decision associated with senior year as if it’s a matter of life and death.Instead, they should celebrate how far they’ve come and enjoy the moments that willonly come around once.

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