By CINDY LAUBENSTEIN
College/Career Counselor

The college application process has become increasingly complex and more daunting than many parents may remember from their own college days. Long gone are the days of simply completing the paperwork senior year with a high probability of acceptance to the college of one’s choice.

While many colleges accept the “Common Application,” many are increasing selectivity and raising requirements to better understand the unique qualities of each student and the likelihood of them performing well, both academically and personally, within their particular campus environment.

One way to alleviate much of the stress of the college planning process is to begin early. How early? While some students and parents begin the planning process as early as middle school, serious thought and planning needs to begin by freshman year of high school. Each high school year presents opportunity to lay the groundwork for success in college and beyond.

Freshman Year

A promising freshman year begins with appropriate course selection, which generally takes place in the spring of eighth grade. The course load should consist of classes that reflect rigor for your child and provide the opportunity to explore potential fields of interest.

This is also a good time to ensure that your freshman understands GPA (grade point average) and how it is calculated. While the difference between an 89 and a 90 is only one percentage point, it can make a huge difference in the application process.

In addition to extracurricular activities such as sports, band, music and theater, students should begin to think about community service and how they can “make a difference” in the coming years. This can be accomplished through churches, civic organizations, high school clubs or camp leadership opportunities. Service opportunities are vast and varied, and there is something out there for every child. Keep in mind that quality of service is more important than quantity.

Lastly, it’s not too soon to consider some college visits. Visit colleges of different types and sizes, rural and urban, to give your child a flavor of the variety of and differences among campuses. If they have a specific college in mind, consider a camp or program they can attend at that college over summer break. Familiarity with the campus can increase their comfort level should they get accepted.

Sophomore Year

Course selection in the sophomore year should be based on performance in the freshman year. Consider increasing the level of difficulty through honors/AP courses if your child’s academic performance merits this, or through teacher recommendations. Strong performance in more difficult courses is favorably viewed by colleges, and will be a strong indicator of college readiness.

If your child has a desire to attend a particular college, now is a good time to review the entrance requirements for that school. Georgia graduation requirements don’t always match up to course requirements in highly selective colleges.

Students should seek opportunities to take on leadership roles in their clubs and activities, as colleges often look for proven leadership traits. Students may want to consider a career assessment this year to help guide them to possible areas of study or potential careers of interest. College visits should be included again.

Parents, let the student lead this process with minimal input from you. It is important they make the selection based on their own assessment. The college that you attended may not be the best fit for them.

Junior Year

The best advice this year is focus on academics. Academic performance this year will speak volumes to college admissions counselors. Even if grades have suffered in the previous two years, there is still time to improve academic standing. Consistent grade improvements throughout the first three years in high school will still lend credence to their ability to perform well at the college level.

Register for the SAT and ACT. Some students perform better on one versus the other, and most colleges will take scores from either test. Practice tests are a good idea, especially if your child suffers from test anxiety. Consider a prep course or tutor, as both have been proven to improve test scores. Students can take the SAT and ACT multiple times. Many colleges will “superscore” these tests—taking the highest score from each section on different tests for their final total score.

As college visits continue, make sure students are on track to meet the particular entry requirements for schools of interest. In addition to visiting campuses, students can learn much by perusing websites and meeting with college representatives during high school visits.

Parents, now is the time to think about paying for college. Explore and consider all options. If you plan to apply for financial aid, do not take out loans or cash in stocks this year.  Any financial move that increases your “income” is not a good decision at this point.

Senior Year

Now is the time to narrow the list of college choices and begin the application process. Students often include five to 10 schools in their application bank. This list should include safety, target and reach schools that are a good fit for that individual student. Even if there is little doubt your child will get into their school of choice, they should still apply to a few other schools.

Have them give serious thought to the essay topic to ensure it reflects their individuality and lets the reader understand their unique qualities. The essay represents one area where they have complete control, and is the best opportunity for the school to learn what has made them who they are today. Have them identify and speak with teachers who can write a quality letter of recommendation that highlights their strengths. Their high school counselor should be included in this process.

Once acceptance letters are received and a commitment has been made to a particular college, go online immediately and sign up for housing and so on. Often, the early bird gets the worm. Keep in mind that acceptance letters are usually contingent on good performance throughout the remainder of the senior year, so don’t lose focus!

While it can be a complex process, starting early can help alleviate stress later. Proper planning and focus can lead to the happy day when they receive that acceptance letter to the school of their choice. Celebrate – their journey has just begun.

For more information or to inquire about other services offered, send an email to Cindy Laubenstein at collegeandcareerconsulting@yahoo.com. A full range of services is provided including college search, career assessment, test prep and resume development.

Party Chic in Roswell, Ga., is rolling out the red carpet 6 p.m. Feb. 26 to welcome you to an exclusive Oscar-night party co-sponsored by Northside Woman. Enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres and cupcakes and watch the award ceremony on a large screen. Proceeds from the evening benefit The Drake House, which provides emergency housing to women and children in the North Fulton area. $40 tickets in advance, $45 at the door. Call to reserve your spot, 770-643-0020. Party Chic by KellyKakes is located at 953 Canton St.

Dr. Michael Waller, 44, a cardiologist for nearly 20 years, opened his private practice, Cardiology of South Forsyth, last year, specializing in non-evasive heart procedures. A native of New Orleans, Waller is a graduate of Louisiana State University and Columbia College (New York), and worked at Montefiore Medical Center and Bellevue Hospital, both in New York City. He and his wife, Daniela, moved from Connecticut to Forsyth County in 2005, lured by the warm weather and Southern charm, and have two children, Kate, 9, and Alex, 7.

As a cardiologist, Valentine’s Day always has special meaning. Dr. Waller remembers the best Valentine gift he ever received from his wife several years ago. It was a pocket picture of their baby daughter with her recorded giggle. “I kept it in my briefcase, and it often auto-activated — always the nicest interruption to my day!”

Barnsley Gardens Resort

Adairsville, Ga.
Two-night package includes chocolate-covered strawberries at turndown, live music at dinner and a romantic horse and carriage ride under the stars.  Various accommodations and prices.

barnsleyresort.com

Ritz Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation

Lake Oconee, Greensboro, Ga.
In addition to rose petals sprinkled across the bed at turndown, couples may arrange for a personal bath butler, champagne for two and a dozen long-stemmed roses. Various accommodations and prices.

ritzcarltonlodge.com

Chateau Elan Winery & Resort

Braselton, Ga.
One night at the Chateau Elan Inn, a red rose placed on the pillow at turndown, four-course Valentine dinner and breakfast for two starting at $319

chateauelan.com/exclusives/valentines/

Jekyll Island Club Hotel

Jekyll Island, Ga.
Head to Georgia’s Golden Isles for a walk on the beach, one night’s accommodation, dinner and breakfast for two starting at $265.

jekyllclub.com/packages/valentines/

Doodle is a beautiful, spayed tabby cat who has been a resident of the Atlanta Humane Society since Thanksgiving and would love to find her forever home soon. She is 9 months old, with soft fur and bright eyes, and loves spending her time on someone’s lap or playing with her toys. Doodle is fine around other cats and would make a perfect Valentine’s Day addition to your family. For information on adopting Doodle, or any other furry resident at the shelter, visit the Atlanta Humane Society at 1565 Mansell Road in Alpharetta, or the website at www.atlantahumane.org.

The Product

Winetime Bar – A gourmet bar with the benefits of Resveratrol, the ingredient in grapes acclaimed for their ability to fight back against the effects of time, as well as protecting your heart. Each 1.76-ounce bar has 7-8 grams of fiber, and comes in two flavors – chocolate, dates and almonds; and chocolate-raspberry. Visit www.winetimebar.com to order, or for retail locations. $29.90 for 10 bars online.

The Promise

Touted as the “first gourmet nutrition bar with Resveratrol,” this bar purports to contain more of the heart-healthy components of grapes than 50 glasses of wine (without the sloppy hangover. Okay, that was an editorial addition.) Each bar contains seven extra “super fruits,” including cranberry, noni, pomegranate, goji berry, acai, mangosteen and blueberry, and a total of 180-190 calories. What the bars do not contain are any artificial flavors or additives, trans fats, sweeteners, cholesterol, dairy or gluten.

The Results

I’m not a big wine drinker, much to the chagrin of my husband who has been telling me for years that one glass of wine a day has health benefits. Honestly, I think it’s more that he would love to see me peel myself off the ceiling at night after a day of work and kids and unwind with a chardonnay. So, when the opportunity arose to pair the healthy side of alcohol with my favorite food group, chocolate, I was all in. I loved that the first ingredient of the Winetime bars was dates, and not sugar like so many other food bars. Of the two flavors, I prefer the chocolate/dates/almond bar over the chocolate/raspberry since I liked the crunch. It was wonderful with a cup of coffee in the morning – which I hope at least equaled out the non-health benefits of java and caffeine! The bars are very dense, so it didn’t leave me wanting something else to eat like a lot of other food bars.

The cost is a bit high per bar, but I’m hoping these may make it into more retail outlets soon (Whole Foods carries the bar, but it looks like only their West Coast stores at this point). I think a Winetime bar would be a great option for women looking for a low-calorie, healthy addition to her diet.

The Rating

Four out of four stars

—By Candy Waylock

Heart disease takes the lives of more women each year than all cancers – combined – making it the leading cause of death for women in the United States. While the month of February is celebrated for love and other matters of the heart, have you considered the actual health of your heart?

The American Heart Association (AHA) defines ideal cardiovascular health based on seven health factors: smoking status, weight, physical activity, healthy diet, cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as the absence of a diagnosed heart disease.

Based on this definition, 94 percent of U.S. adults have at least one “unhealthy” factor, and 38 percent have at least three of the seven factors – for an overall “needs improvement” grade across the board.
The AHA has set a goal for America by 2020 — to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent and reduce deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20 percent.

Lofty goals perhaps, but preventive actions, combined with even small changes in behavior, are the best defense against heart disease.

“For women, check your blood pressure and get screened for diabetes, especially if there is a family history, and high cholesterol,” said Dr. Michael Waller of Cardiology of South Forsyth.  “And if you are a smoker, stop smoking!”

Symptoms of stroke and heart attack often mimic each other, so it is important to know the warning signs, and act quickly.

Heart attack

Heart attacks occur when the blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked, usually by a blood clot. Symptoms of heart attack include:

•    Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest which lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
•    Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
•    Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
•    Cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

The most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. Women, however, are more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

Waller emphasizes if you have any of these signs, don’t wait more than five minutes before calling for help.

Stroke

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel feeding the brain gets clogged or bursts. As with heart attack symptoms, don’t wait before calling for help – medical care within three hours of symptoms can save your life. Symptoms of a stroke include:

•    Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
•    Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
•    Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
•    Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
•    Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

This is the second year in a row that Party Chic by KellyKakes is hosting an event benefitting The Drake House (thedrakehouse.org) during Oscar night. And we at Northside Woman are thrilled to be a sponsor of the event. Please come watch the awards on a big screen TV, enjoy hors d’oeuvres, cupcakes (of course!), wine and champagne and watch the event in peace with your friends. The money goes to The Drake House, a temporary housing alternative in Roswell for single women and their children. Call 770-643-0020 to reserve your spot. Tickets are only $40 in advance and $45 at the door, so they will go fast.  I’ll be shopping at The Drake Closet for my fancy outfit. Hope to see you there!

The longer I do this, the more things seem to come full circle. About 16 years ago I met one of the sisters featured in our “Good Eats” feature. When Maritza and I met, it had nothing to do with chocolate. We lost touch over the years, and now – years later – here she is, featured in our publication. How perfect for Valentine’s Day…and I’m still dreaming of the chocolate I sampled at her shop.

We have such animal lovers on the Northside Woman staff, and lots of pets among us.  So, it didn’t surprise me at all when they jumped at the chance to feature Jennifer Arnold and the wonderful things she is doing at Canine Assistants.  Read about her amazing accomplishments, and the many, many lives she has touched.

One of my goals for 2012 is to read more. Katie has come up with a great list of books for February, all with a “love” theme, and I’m anxious to dig into all of them. Get reading ladies, one of our events this year is going to center around books. Stay posted.

Thank you for helping us celebrate our 4th anniversary of Northside Woman. We continue to be inspired and amazed at the wonderful women who live in our community, and we will continue to bring you their stories.

By DEBBIE KEEL

Last fall, North Fulton Hospital made a special effort to draw attention to the importance of women doing regular breast self-exams as well as getting a screening mammogram. That effort was a tremendous success, helped by events like the Power of Pink Luncheon we sponsored to support the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

In fact, when I went for my annual mammogram screening recently, the mammography technologist at North Fulton Hospital told me she was still busy with women responding to our urgings.

But when we try to bring that same attention to heart health, a lot of women don’t pay attention and wonder why we bother. The belief is that men, not women, only need to worry about heart disease.

But the truth is:

• More women die of cardiovascular disease than from the next four causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer.
• Eighty percent of cardiac events in women could be prevented if women made the right choices involving diet, exercise and abstinence from smoking.
• Women under 65 have two times the mortality rate after a heart attack as men of the same age.
• African-American women are at the highest risk for death from heart disease among all racial, ethnic and gender groups.
• While being male certainly is a risk factor, women have many of their own, like being over 55, being a smoker, and having hypertension, high cholesterol and a family history of premature coronary disease.

February is an appropriate time to learn more about heart health since it’s the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” month. North Fulton Hospital is sponsoring its annual Women of Heart event in its atrium from 5:30-7:15 p.m. Feb. 23, offering blood pressure screenings, a physician’s discussion on women’s heart health, and a heart healthy cooking demonstration by the Publix Apron Cooking School. For more information, contact 770-751-2660.

Debbie Keel is the CEO of North Fulton Hospital.

By DEBBIE JOHNSON
HippieChickChronicles.com

I love to watch cooking shows. I don’t know why, because I can hardly call my handiwork in the kitchen “cooking” any more. I do get a chuckle out of the “chef’s challenges” shows though. You know the ones. They are given a “surprise” secret ingredient and have to prepare a dish out of it. The “judges” then critique it.

I have a new show for the networks to consider. A chef has to come into my house and get up at the same time as I do. The first challenge is to put together lunches for two bottomless-pit teens. The fruit in the lunch can’t get smashed or bruised. The bread can’t be the same as yesterday. One teen likes honey mustard, the other only mayo and yellow mustard. The contestants will need to include something crunchy and something sweet. The teens only use brown paper bags, so no thermoses are allowed. They must also include in the teen girl’s bag a high protein snack to eat after school in the car on the way to swim practice. The same refrigeration rules apply.

While it may seem out of order, they now have to prepare a breakfast that the teens will eat. The teen girl is really picky and will eat something one day, only to say “I hate that!” the very next day. As soon as the kids are out the door, all planning and cooking and cleaning must stop. They must go somewhere else as I leave for work at this point. The chef must return at 5:30 p.m. to plan a meal using only ingredients in my refrigerator, freezer and pantry. The contestants cannot bring anything with them. They must have the meal finished in one hour, which is when the hungry teens begin to complain of hunger pains.

They thought cooking for critics was hard? Please! The chefs use a fully stocked pantry, many times have assistants to chop, clean and plan. They don’t have three people who have a “taste” for three different things, then complain if the menu selections don’t satisfy their hankerings. They also don’t have a dog circling their feet every step of the process.

Yes, I am reading your mind. I should plan and purchase all necessary items to have on hand. This would make all meal preparations easier. Smoother. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don’t. Sometimes, I get a meal all set and one or more of my family complains. Chef’s Challenge? Bring it on! As matter of fact, those contestants must compete against seasoned mom/dad home chefs! Now that is a show I’d watch!

Debbie Johnson is a Milton mom of two and the writer of HippieChickChronicles.com and EyeRollDiaries.com. She has been married for 20 years and manages her husband’s dental office. Johnson also co-founded the Milton Sweet Tea Society.