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Wellness 101: Cultivating Gratitude in Your Children’s Daily Lives

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.” —Melody Beattie For many of us, this time of year offers an opportunity to give thanks and express gratitude for the people and things we appreciate and value in our lives. Taking stock and being grateful during the holidays is a good place to start, but studies have shown … Read more

Wellness 101: Encouraging Your Children to Engage in Community Service

Some high schools now require a certain number of service hours for graduation, but many students don’t know how to get started with their service work or how best to find an activity that will be fulfilling for all parties involved. The benefits of giving back to the immediate community are many, but studies have … Read more

Wellness 101: Healthy Ways of Helping Your Teen Deal with Stress

Each year, the topic of teenage stress garners increasing amounts of attention. In fact, a simple Google search for “teens and stress” yields an abundance of articles with key phrases along the lines of “severe anxiety” and “growing epidemic.” The attention is not unwarranted; in 2014, the American Psychological Association conducted a survey that revealed … Read more

Advising 101: Tips from the UC Counselor Conference

As many of us know, admissions to the University of California system has become increasingly selective over the years, particularly in the past decade. For instance, freshman applications at UC Berkeley have doubled in that time, and all UC campuses have now crossed the threshold of 100,000 for freshman and transfer applications each cycle. Given this … Read more

The Summer Before Senior Year: A Fantastic Time to Work on College Applications

When putting together our college counseling services at Green Ivy, we made sure to build in four-day intensive college application “bootcamps” for all of our students to complete the summer before senior year. This workshop allows them to jump start the application process in a structured and supportive environment, while giving them a foundation of … Read more

Advising 101: How Best to Spend the Summer Before College—Great Ideas for High School Graduates

The summer before college can be a pivotal time for students, in part because finishing high school means they are one step closer to adulthood. While we at Green Ivy believe graduates should take time in these months to relax, see friends, and pursue the activities they enjoy, this can also be an optimal time … Read more