b'NAVIGATING THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS?CRAM CREW CAN BE YOUR GPSBy Alicia WanekIM PROUD TO SAY THAT MY TWIN DAUGHTERS HAVE MADE THEIR COLLEGE DECISIONS, WERE ACCEPTED INTO THE UNIVERSITIES THEY WANTED TO ATTEND, HAVE EACH GOTTEN SOME SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS, AND WILL BE STARTING THEIR FRESHMAN YEAR IN THE FALL.THE ROAD TO GET TO THIS POINT, HOWEVER, HAS NOT BEEN WITHOUT ITS BUMPS, CURVES, AND ROAD BLOCKS.NAVIGATING COLLEGE ADMISSIONS HAS BEEN A BIT OVERWHELMING, ESPECIALLY TIMES TWO.I DIDNT EXPECT IT TO BE SUCH A PROCESS.I MEAN, I HAVE A MASTERS DEGREE, AND IVE WRITTEN ABOUT THIS EXACT TOPIC FOR THIS MAGAZINE FOR YEARS.LOOKING BACK, I WISH I KNEW THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO COULD HAVE BEEN ON THIS ROAD WITH US ALL ALONG.Cram Crew founder and president, Deepak Thadhani has beenparts.And, of course, there are all the termsNaviance, Com-in the business of helping kids get to college for two decades.mon App, etc. It may seem like a lot of unknowns, but weve been Though arduous at times, there is a process to success in findingdoing this long enough, so we can help them through, Deepak the right college fit for your child, and as with anything, seek- explains. Being Texas-grown, locally owned, and not franchised, ing advice from a knowledgable and reliable source to guide youthey can really focus on each individual family.through the process is a life-saver. Deepak recognizes that using the services at Cram Crew is an Deepak recognizes that all of us want whats best for our chil- investment, but he says, The return on the investment in phe-dren, and often times, that includes finding the best resources tonomenalEngaging in a process like ours provides comfort and support them. Cram Crew focuses on the students and what theyconfidence.want, not the parents.Like a GPS, Cram Crew helps them trackThat kind of assurance would have been priceless over the last their way to the destination, but the students remain in the driv- couple of years.At least now I know how to achieve that security ers seat. When we have engaged clients, where they land is duefor my younger two kidsto their own hard work with our guidance, he emphasizes.The goal at Cram Crew is to put the decision-making in theEditors Note: Cram Crew services are available throughout North Texas. To hands of the students. The advisor talks to the students to findlearn more about how they can help your child, visit cramcrew.com or call out what their end goals are and works backward to help them713.464.2726.become a reality. For some its higher test scores to be more com-petitive, for some its scholarship funds, and for others its assis- ADVICE FOR THE CLASS OF 2020 THIS SUMMER AND OVER THE COURSE tance in identifying colleges that are the best fit. We help themOF NEXT YEAR:understand the value of their decisions, but at the end of the day its up to them.The team can help identify what steps to take and Build your resume.when to take them to maximize their chances of getting into the Work on college essays.colleges they want.Try to apply before school starts.Most college applications open July 1-August 1.This is truly a calling for Deepak, and he came into the busi-Take the SAT or ACT one more time.ness through his own experiences.Hed always been very good Engage in communication with colleges you are most interested in attending.at math, and with some pressure from his parents he ended up Follow up on letters of recommendation and make sure they have all the at Georgia Tech studying engineering.He realized that wasnt a fit for him despite his strength in math, so he decided to goinformation from you they need.into medicine and ended up with degrees in Math and Biology. Despite preparations for medical school, he ultimately made theADVICE FOR THE CLASS OF 2021choice to get his MBA from the University of Houston.He knows Build your calendar.Start plotting the dates for when youll be taking the PSAT, the importance of not letting the parents wishes for their kidsACT, and SAT.drive the decision, and thats why the focus at Cram Crew is on Revisit course selections to see if they still make sense.Ensure you are taking giving students a strategic, competitive advantage to help themall the courses you need.For example, Texas only requires two years of a foreign achieve what they want to do.Thecompanyoriginallystartedwithat-hometutoringandlanguage, but many colleges require three.moved on to test preparation.Eight years ago, they added what Do your summer reading now.they call college readiness.College admission is made up of a Plan college visits.You may want to just start by visiting colleges near home, so collection of things, Deepak says.GPA, SAT scores, academicyou can begin to make a list of pros and cons to let you know what you want to look rigor, community serviceits all considered together.He admitsfor as you expand your search.it may seem overwhelming because there are so many moving GoodLifeFamilyMag.comMAY | JUNE 201955'