Why should your child attend a school that offers great college preparatory support?
Source: Hargrave Military Academy

Parents are always seeking the best academic platform to get their child into a top performing college/university. To give them the ultimate chance of success, you should opt for a school that provides college preparatory services as an integrated part of the educational package.

These schools possess the knowledge, expertise, experience and services you simply can’t find anywhere else. They’re well-versed in the often-complex college application process, and provide the invaluable opportunities – community outreach, industry engagement and social enterprise – these institutions actively seek.

Ensuring your child has access to these tools gives them the best chance of standing out from the applicant heap.

“Students who work more effectively with good management skills reduce their stress during the college process,” writes Jeannie Borin of Huffington Post.

“Selecting interests and strong extracurricular activities early in high school can help students present impressive résumés during the college application season. Students who…demonstrate depth and continuity and show strong character, as well as, communication and leaderships skills may increase chances for admission.

“Early college preparation is important,” she adds. “Starting early is key. Students will gain more knowledge about colleges, their choices will be more relevant and they can actually enjoy working on their college applications.”

Enter Hargrave Military Academy, an independent school that boasts a college acceptance rate of no less than 100 percent.

Source: Hargrave Military Academy

Hargrave Military Academy is a nationally and internationally-recognized college preparatory boarding school for boys in grade seven through to 1-year postgraduate level. Located in Chatham, Virginia, the academy has educated, supported and empowered young men since 1909.

Dedicated to the four core education principles of academics, character development, athletics and fitness, and spiritual growth, Hargrave nurtures confident graduates who excel both in college and far beyond, assured in their expertise and equipped to make a difference.

This institution strives to develop every aspect of self. Here, cadets are able to flourish. With the promise of small class sizes, each student gains individual attention from a formidable global faculty, formed of instructors and former military personnel who serve as strong male role models in a single-gender learning environment.

“The changes that have been made in Corey are dramatic. He’s a different person, he’s respectful, prompt, cares about what’s going on, cares about his future and I can’t say those were character traits he had before coming to Hargrave,” says David Renaker, Father of Cadet Corey Renaker, Class of ‘16. “Hargrave has made a tremendous difference in his life and ours.”

The How to Study Program is described as the secret to Hargrave’s student success. Unique and exclusive to this military academy, the program is compulsory for all cadets, including the fall and winter semesters, as well as Hargrave’s summer school participants.

Source: Hargrave Military Academy

Frequently revised and enhanced by the school’s experienced faculty, the How to Study Program eliminates frustration and instead makes way for academic triumph. The course entails 10 core topics that Hargrave deems vital to continued success. These topics include:

  1. Getting Organized

Cadets master room and desk arrangements, clearing clutter and eliminating distracting to create a conducive learning environment. This element also promotes good time management and helps keep the urge to procrastinate under control.

  1. The Student Planner

Every student receives a daily planning book; a tool for noting down assignments, exam schedules and other crucial details. Learners are shown how to maximize the tool as an organizational and planning aid.

  1. SQ3R

This innovative study strategy is employed to help students grow their grades. This comprehensive but coherent system teaches cadets to approach the overall learning process using the S-survey, Q-question, 3R-read, recite, review structure.

  1. Memory Skills

Here, techniques for remembering lists, key facts, names, places and any other important information are taught. The utilization of mnemonics, sentencing and other practices can bolster performance in major tests.

  1. Time Management – A Study Budget

The creation of a budget promotes habitual study sessions. It means students become attuned to pursuing a specific subject at a certain time. On top of tightening concentration, this topic leads to personal satisfaction and pride in a job well done.

  1. Note-Taking Skills

It’s unlikely that young students first starting school will be adept in the art of note-taking. In light of this, Hargrave takes on the duty of teaching specific ways to improve note-taking and review, using notes to support classroom quizzes, tests and exams.

  1. Textbook Reading Skills

Through the SQ3R technique, cadets are shown the best method of attack for various reading assignments in each subject. This method has been successfully adopted by Hargrave for more than 20 years.

  1. Test Taking Skills

Through this element, Hargrave cadets learn how best to prepare for varying forms of assessment: matching, true or false, fill-in-the-blanks and essays.

  1. Listening Skills

The ability to listen is a skill that’s often overlooked. This topic teaches learners how to recognize teacher cues, boosting note-taking and preparation capabilities through a heightened sense of awareness.

  1. Students’ Role and Responsibilities

The responsibility of personal achievement lies with the student alone. A positive sentiment is fundamental in the formula for success, and the foundation upon which all other accomplishments can be built. At Hargrave, cadets are urged to set personal goals, raising individual self-esteem while at the same time inspiring confidence.

Source: Hargrave Military Academy

“Thank you, Hargrave, for making his college dreams come true,” says Melissa Graham, a Hargrave parent whose son is due to graduate in the Class of 2018. “He has grown and matured so much since being at Hargrave. The school really is a microcosm of the world with students from all across the USA and the world,” she adds.

“He has learned how to take responsibility, learned the benefits of structure and hard work, and has built relationships that will last a lifetime.”

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