All posts by Suzanne Shaffer

admissions, how to, Uncategorized

How to Understand EA and ED

 

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ea pr ed

EA (Early Action) and ED (Early Decision) have confused parents for years. Applying to college has become more competitive and more complicated. Years ago (long before my time), all you did was apply and everyone applied at the same time. But times have changed and so have college applications. If you break the terms down it’s easier to understand. I’ve turned to some experts to help you decipher the differences and understand the benefits and/or the downsides of applying EA or ED.

What is EA and ED?

The first comes from Patrick O’Connor, Associate Dean of College Counseling, Cranbrook-Kingswood School, and author of College is Yours 2.0:

Early Action: Also known as EA, colleges that offer this option promise a quick response if you submit a completed application by their early deadline. Students admitted EA don’t have to promise to attend the college; they just want to hear back sooner than usual. Students can apply as EA candidates to several colleges at the same time, as long as they are submitting a quality application that didn’t get thrown together at the last minute.

Restricted Early Action: Sometimes known as Early Action Single Choice, REA works much like Early Action, but the student is limited in the number of other colleges where they can submit early applications — and that number is often zero. Colleges do this for a number of reasons, but they most often want the student to show a special commitment to their college without having to promise to go there. This can reduce the number of students who apply early who aren’t really thinking about why the college is right for them , and still reward the students who feel a special bond to the school.

Early Decision: ED applications require a little more from students than EA applications. The process is the same — students submit a completed application by an early deadline — but if a student is admitted as an ED student, they promise to withdraw all other college applications at attend the college that admitted them ED. If this sounds like serious business, it is. Students should only apply ED to a college they absolutely, positively love, and cannot live without.

Read Patrick’s entire article on Huffington Post about how to determine if either of these is best for your student.

Tips for Potential ED/EA Applicants

Peter Van Buskirk, an acclaimed author and motivational speaker, excels at simplifying and demystifying what is often perceived as a complex and mysterious process—college admission. His creative programming, including his signature presentation of “The Admission Game®,” has informs parents and students about the ins and outs of the college admissions process.

Peter gives several tips for college applicants seeking EA/ED:

  • Read the fine print for each institutional offering and understand your commitments before initiating an early application of any sort.
  • Rather than looking for an “ED school,” focus on finding colleges that fit you well as you arrive at your short list of schools. If one of them becomes your absolute first choice, then ED should be a considered option.
  • Do not apply ED unless you are dead certain of your commitment to enroll if accepted.
  • Do not apply ED if you have not visited the campus first! Ideally, your visit will have included an overnight stay that enabled you to also attend classes and experience the campus culture.
  • Resist the temptation to act on impulse. The feelings you have for a college now might change greatly over time leaving you committed to a place that is no longer where you want to be. Give yourself at least a month to reflect on your intended application before applying ED.
  • Remember the ED Round II option. Many schools will give you the opportunity to “convert” your Regular Decision application during a second round of ED in January. The conditions are the same as with ED Round I, but you might be better prepared to make a commitment later in the year.
  • Resolve all $$ questions and concerns before applying ED. Once you are admitted, there can be no contingencies. Ask the school’s financial aid office to provide an “early estimate” of your expected family contribution (EFC) before you submit your ED application. Apply ED only if you are completely satisfied with the information you receive regarding your EFC.
  • Sprint to the finish! Even though you might hold an EA or ED acceptance letter, it is likely to be conditional on your completion of the senior at the same level of achievement that earned you the offer of admission. More than a few colleges are known to rescind offers of admission when final transcripts show performances that drop measurably after offers of admission are secured.

Read Peter’s entire article, Making Sense of ED/EA Options. for a look at the numbers, options and who benefits.

What is “rolling admissions”?

Schools with rolling admissions offer important options and opportunities that static deadlines don’t. Rolling admissions schools will accept and examine applications as they are sent in, instead of waiting to judge all applications concurrently. Schools with rolling admissions can be great for late admissions, or for finding out early on whether or not you are accepted, so you can change your plan accordingly.

Peterson’s provides an article about the Advantages and Disadvantages of Rolling Admissions.

What is regular admissions?

A discussion of EA and ED needs to include a discussion on regular admissions as well. Regular admissions require that the student submit their application before the application deadline (which is later than EA and ED). The advantage of this being that students have more time to prepare and have no restrictions on the number of schools they can apply to.

This pool of applicants is much larger and the competition for these slots will be more competitive. Colleges typically have lower admission rates for regular admission applicants.

College 101 provides a comparison table, which includes EA, ED, Rolling Admissions, and Regular Decision, to help decide which application deadline is right for you.

 

 

parenting, Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: Parent-Teacher Communication

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Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Wendy and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!

Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from pocsmom.com to parentingforcollege and vice versa.

_____________________________

parent teacher communicationParent-teacher communication tends to wane after the student enters high school. Parents become less involved and teachers become apathetic because of the lack of parent involvement.

When my daughter was in high school she was struggling with her Physics class. She was an A student, aspiring to college, and panicked about her recent test grades in that course. I called the teacher to set up a conference. She sounded shocked on the phone and I wondered why. When I met with her she said I was the first parent that had ever called her to discuss a student’s progress. She also told me that parents rarely show up for parent/teacher nights in high school.

I explained to her my concern and my daughter’s concern about her low grades because she was working toward a high GPA for college applications. Again, I saw shock in her face. “Few students in this school worry about their GPA or going to college”, she said. I, in turn, was shocked. To make a long story short, she scheduled private tutoring sessions for my daughter and explained the material to her at a level she could understand. The result–an A in Physics.

What can parents learn from this experience?

It’s obvious–communicate with your student’s teachers on a regular basis.

Following are excerpts from articles about the parent-teacher relationship. Read the suggestions carefully and apply the techniques provided on each site the next time you meet with your student’s teacher.

Noodle Education posted an article on the top 5 questions to ask at a parent-teacher conference:

1. How will you assess what my child knows? How does the school use the information garnered from standardized testing? Does it inform their teaching? Assist them in identifying students who may need help?

2. What’s the best way to communicate with teachers and administrators?

3. How can I stay on top of my child’s homework?

4. What’s support is available if my child is struggling academically?

5. When and how does my child get supervision?

More4Kids gives 5 tips for having effective parent and teacher communication:

1. First, it is important to understand that parent and teacher communication is intended to benefit the child’s overall success academically.

2. While the numeric scores will outline a child’s level of achievement on tests and other assignments, it is important to realize that a numeric score is also beneficial in identifying a child’s weaknesses.

3. Many parents make the mistake of sitting back and allowing a teacher to come to them with issues.

4. It is important to sign up as a volunteer in your child’s classroom and ensure that you visit their class often.

5. It is important to understand that parent/teacher conferences may not always be appropriate as far as time is concerned.

PBS Parents talks about the importance of the parent-teacher partnership:

1. Approach this relationship with respect.

2. Let your child develop his own relationship with the teacher.

3. Try not to brag.

4. Remember how you liked (or disliked) your teachers.

Parent-teacher breakdowns

If you neglect the relationship, you are hindering your student academically. An uninvolved parent is the worst type of parent to be. Even more so than the helicopter parent. And uninvolved teacher communicates lack of concern and an inability to connect with parents and students to promote learning.

Step up

If you haven’t talked with your student’s teacher and/or teachers set the date. If you don’t attend parent’s night, change that behavior. If you are the type of parent that won’t accept honest evaluations from the teacher, listen the next time you meet with him/her and ask for suggestions to help.

Parents who value parent-teacher communication are parents of students who have a successful high school experience. Think of it as teaming up with the teacher to help your student excel academically. It’s never too late to get involved.

 Check out Wendy’s blog on the parent-teacher relationship

organization

Organization starts with a clean room

 

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images

Studies show that a clean room can help improve grades. The psychology theories behind this fall under the basic idea that a clutter free environment leads to a clear mind. A clearer mind will aide in retention and concentration while reducing distractions. Organization skills can help ensure that it is easier for kids to keep their room clean. One of the most important elements is to not let the clutter and mess to get out of control. Once things get out of control, it makes cleaning it up a bigger and more daunting task.  Getting an organized routine will help kids while in school, but also give them a great foundation for the rest of their lives, especially when they begin the college prep process.

A+ for Organization

For many kids, making a schedule for a cleaning routine can really help keep their room neat and organized. Breaking tasks down into small, easy projects makes cleaning easier for students with short attentions spans and busy schedules. We have 5 easy ways (other than nagging) to help your kids use organization and cleaning and get better studying habits.

5 Tips for Organizing and Keeping Rooms Clean for Studying Success

  1. Make a list or schedule of what to clean when. Keep tasks short so kids do not get overwhelmed with cleaning chores. Keep a calendar of daily and weekly chores that only take a few minutes and will not be a big burden. Something as simple as emptying the garbage can each night can help reduce clutter and keep chores quick and easy.
  2. Reduce room clutter as much as possible. Only keep what you need in your room. Put seasonal items and anything not being used regularly in storage. Clutter causes confusion and stress!
  3. Utilize space saving furniture and tricks wherever possible. Loft beds and under bed storage create a big space savings, as do ottomans with storage and vacuum bags.
  4. Recycle papers you no longer need on a regular basis. Do not keep papers around that you do not need. Scan them if they need to be archived and save them on your computer. This reduces the need to file.
  5. Do not let your room get messy. Fighting a mess is never a winning battle. The first and last step in keeping things organized is making sure that it never gets out of control.

Keeping clutter free and organized will help the school year fly by. The reduced stress that is a result of an organized room will help students get through their school year with success and great grades.  It will also help students as they proceed on to college. Get that Diploma Display ready!

 

mom approved tips, Uncategorized

Mom-Approved Tips: Unsolicited Advice

 

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unsolicited adviceEllen Snortland, author and Huff Post blogger states it simply in an article about unsolicited advice:

What makes these mediocre meddlers, these know-nothing-nattering-nabobs of the obvious, these kings and queens of blah, blah, blah, think that anyone really wants or needs their cheap irksome advice? Do I have “Please give me your most recent lamebrained theory on what I should do” tattooed on my forehead?

You know who they are: parents who want to give you all kinds advice about which college your student should attend and what they need to do to go to Harvard. There’s nothing wrong with asking other parents who have been through the college process for help. If you’re a parent of a college-bound teen you’ve most likely encountered people like this. Everyone has a story and a complaint. Some are useful and valid; most are not. The key is asking–and trusting the advice you get.

Here’s a sample conversation between parents:

Parent 1: If you want your kid to be successful after graduation, they have to go to an Ivy League college.

Parent 2: I’ve heard the Ivies aren’t all that great.

Parent 3: Someone told me that it’s impossible to get into the Ivies if your student doesn’t have a perfect SAT score.

Parent 4: If you have a B student, their options are limited to state universities or community college.

If you analyze each of these parents’ advice, there is some truth in each of them. But without reputable advice they might lead their students in the wrong direction.

Should you listen to unsolicited advice?

I heard a college counselor talk about a popular college forum recently reminding parents that you can’t trust these anonymous comments. Parents have no way of checking the accuracy of the posts or the validity of the information on these sites. That’s not to say all of this advice is bad; but you should always verify the information with the experts. What’s good for one student, is not necessary the best path for yours. Be selective and investigative about all the advice you will most assuredly receive.

Is all college advice accurate?

No. Just like not everything you read on the internet is true. I love that insurance commercial that is driving the point that not everything you read online is true. Even if it’s posted in a college parent forum it might not be accurate. Sift through the useful information and throw out the babble. Before you take it as gospel, verify it with other sources.

Where can I get the best advice?

Common sense says you should look for advice from the experts. Who are these experts? These are college professionals and parent advocates whose advice and instruction have been endorsed by others in the field of college prep. Any advice devoid of these endorsements is advice you should take with the grain of salt.

It’s your responsibility as a parent college coach to sift through all of this unsolicited advice and verify the accuracy of all of it. Trust the experts who have been endorsed by other experts; if you do this the college admissions process will be more effective and less stressful.

 

Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Scholarships Friday: Ask an Expert

 

My commitment has always been to provide parents with the best information available to help with the college process. I recently listened toscholarship gold consulting two podcasts on How to Pay for College HQ about scholarships. The guest was Elizabeth Hartley, owner of Scholarship Gold Consulting. I thought the information was so valuable, I wanted to share some of the excerpts with you. Make a point to listen to both complete interviews (you won’t regret it and you will save money paying for college) via the podcasts.

Q. Is the PSAT important?

The goal is not really pursuing the National Merit Scholarship itself. If your child finds out in December after taking the test that he scored above the National Merit Cutoff for your state, then there is much rejoicing. It won’t be until September of the Senior year (almost a year since he took the two hour test his Junior year) that your student will then get notified by National Merit Scholarship Corporation that he/she has been named a Semi-Finalist. The goal is to shoot for your state’s merit index cutoff–the student doesn’t have to be perfect.

Once your student meets that goal, they will become a semi-finalist for the National Merit Scholarship. 96% of students move on to the finalist category if they complete the paperwork.

The $2,500 comes out of the pocket of the National Merit Corporation. THE BIG MONEY COMES FROM JUST MAKING FINALIST.

There is a benign little question where the student is asked to please indicate their school of choice when completing the Semi-Finalist paperwork. There are a lot of schools that care that you put their name down. Schools care so much about you putting their name down that instantly the student will get full tuition, room and board, books and fees, free lap top, study abroad, spending money, automatic entrance into the honors college, best housing and the ability to register first for all of your classes until you graduate. All they had to do was perform well on a two hour test and mark that school down on the application paperwork.

Q. What are your favorite online resources for parents and students to find scholarships?

They each track about $19 billion of independent scholarship money. Parents and students start as early as 7th grade looking for scholarships. It’s like eHarmony for scholarships where they set up a profile and then it helps connect to the scholarships best suited that can be pursued independently. They are one time awards that can vary from $500 to $2500.

Q. How do the universities distribute money?

The Admissions office has control over Merit money, which is their way of saying your student is awesome and they really want your student to attend. The University likes something about your student and by them attending it will make the University look better, which helps their national ranking. They like your child, but they really like their numbers. Even athletic scholarships are a form of Merit money. Money not based on need, but something that the college wants to help benefit them.

Financial Aid department has the need based bucket, which is based on the families assets and income.

Q. Where can you get the most money–state schools or private universities?

The most expensive schools are often the cheapest schools even for the middle income family because they have the deepest pockets.

State Schools operate under a state budget and operate under tax dollars. State schools are not being mean by not offering as much Merit Aid, they just don’t have the deep pocket endowments like most private colleges. For a strong student a state school can end up being more expensive that a private college. For an above average student the private schools will come in on par with state schools if not less.

Q. What makes a top student?

It is all relative to the school they are pursuing.  Check each school of choice for their average SATs scores and GPA requirements and it will help to rank your student as an average student or above average student for that particular school.

Don’t spend your high school trying to check off every box so that is looks good on your resume. Go find your passions and be good at those.  Find what you are great and follow those to great success! Challenge students to find out if the are a fish or a squirrel and then go be great at that special gift.

how to pay for college hq

 To get all the detailed information and understand the entire financial aid process, be sure to listen to the podcasts.

You can listen on the website, via iTunes, or with Stitcher.

 

Uncategorized

How to Compare Colleges

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Every Thursday I will be sharing my best “How To” tips for the college-bound. Don’t miss a single post by subscribing to my blog, or liking me on Facebook (https://facebook.com/parentcollegecoach).

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compare colleges
Scattergraph of  American Colleges and Universities

Today’s topic is timely because parents and students are in the process of narrowing down their college lists for this year’s application season. Just exactly how do you compare colleges and determine which colleges should make it on the final list?

College Visits

Hopefully you’ve made some college visits either in the spring of last year or over the summer. Fall is the best time to visit those colleges that are on the short lists–the ones your student sees himself attending. College visits are a key element in comparing colleges. Your student can use those visits to compare students, campus facilities and even professors and courses if they sit in on some classes while visiting. All those factors play an integral part in the college selection.

Statistical college comparisons

Of course, as with any large purchase, you should also do price comparisons. You should compare value, financial aid awards, size, location, rankings and majors. The best way to do this is with side-by-side comparisons. I recommend using these three programs:

College Navigator

The National Center for Education Statistics has a comprehensive site with all the data collected to quickly and easily compare colleges statistically. Unfortunately, due to the government shut down, the site is currently down. But bookmark the site and hopefully it will be back up soon with all the current data.

FindTheBest

FindTheBest gathers information and build the tools that people need to make sense of it all, from visual icons to smart filters to scatterplots. It’s the ultimate research hub for making informed decisions.The program provides you with their smart rank, acceptance rates, total undergraduate students, average SAT scores, and tuition. You can adjust the data by adding various parameters as well.

Zinch

Like other college comparison tools, Zinch provides you with the parameters for each college and allows you to pick and choose the ones that fit your student. But Zinch takes it a step further and matches students with the colleges and colleges recruit them if they are interested.

College Factual

Unlike other college ranking systems, College Factual serves as a decision-making hub throughout the entire college search process, sharing outcomes-based data such as average student loan debt per student and default rates; how well colleges retain and graduate students; graduates’ starting salaries and earning potential; and return on investment based on cost of a degree.

Input from current students and faculty

Some of the best comparison information you can gather comes from current students and faculty. Fortunately the internet has made it easy to connect with these people and get a first-hand impression from the ones who know–current students and staff. Here are just a few ways your student can connect:

  • CollegeWeekLive.com-This is a virtual college fair where students can speak via video conference to current students, admissions officers, and financial aid officers. These fairs occur throughout the year and if you sign up on their site you will get notifications.
  • Facebook and Twitter-Social media is one of the best places to find other students and connect with the colleges and interact.
  • YoUniversitytv.com-This site posts videos of colleges, and they are not your typical campus tours.
  • Unigo.com-On this site parents and students can connect with other students and read student reviews, ask questions of college advisors, and watch videos of the colleges.
  • YouTube-YouTube is a good place to see videos posted by students and the colleges themselves.
Using these tools to compare colleges will help you and your student gather the information to make those final colleges lists.
test prep, Uncategorized, Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: Surviving Standardized Tests

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Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Wendy and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!

Wednesday’s Parent will give twice the info and double the blog posts on critical parenting issues by clicking on the link at the end of the article from pocsmom.com to parentingforcollege and vice versa.

___________________

sat stressStandardized tests. Those two words or their acronyms are yelled, and screeched and treated with disdain in every college-bound household. Those two words cause fights, stressful days and nights, frustration over the teen’s lack of commitment, and absolute terror in the hearts of most college-bound teens. Nobody, and I mean nobody, likes taking tests.

Unfortunately for all of us, colleges use those tests to not only measure a student’s academic achievements, but to determine whether or not the student will be able to handle the rigorous academics of college. Whether your teen is taking the SAT, ACT, AP tests, or SAT subject tests it’s a given that fights will erupt. To quote a line from one of my favorite movies (The Devil Wears Prada), GIRD YOUR LOINS!

Parent Expectations

Parents expect their student to study hard, take practice tests, bone up on their vocabulary and prepare for the tests. They pay for tutors, use flash cards to drill them, and do just about anything to motivate them to do their best. Why? Because we know that the standardized tests will affect their college offers of admission.

But does any of this work? Not if your student isn’t invested in the game. I’ve talked to SAT tutors who tell stories of students barely paying attention, not trying and having a lackadaisical attitude about the test prep. All the test prep in the world won’t help if your student doesn’t see the value of preparation. You know  your student and you know what motivates them. Test preparation is just like any other activity–if they see the value of excelling, they will do their best.

Nancy Berk, author of College Bound and Gagged, sums up parent anxiety over standardized tests:

 

Student Expectations

If you don’t think your student is stressed about these tests, think again. Even the best students worry and fret about their scores. They have heard all throughout high school that the standardized test scores will make a difference on their college applications. Good scores = safety schools. Great scores = dream colleges. They know without you telling them the value of these tests.

Odds are, your student puts more pressure on themselves than you do. They may not show it and you may not see it but it’s there. Because they are stressed already, your stress level can make it even worse. They don’t want to disappoint you; they want you to be proud. If they sense you are anxious and interpret that as lack of faith in their ability, it makes it difficult for them to focus on the test.

What can you do to help? Remain calm and encourage them when you see them trying. Let them know that you expect them to do well but there’s no pressure on your part; test day will be much easier for them (and you).

College Expectations

Colleges, even if they say they don’t, use the standardized tests as a factor when considering students for admission. However, it’s not the only factor they use. Students with less than stellar test scores but stellar applications, often gain admission to their first choice college. Standardized tests are important, but they are not the most important component of the application. Colleges are looking for well-rounded students, not just brainiacs.

Putting too much pressure on the student to score high on these tests clouds the application process. In order to focus on the entire process, it’s best if parents and students look at the big picture. That means the essay, their academic record and their accomplishments play an integral roll in the application, just as the standardized test scores.

Stressing over tests just adds more stress in an already stressful process.

For more advice on surviving standardized tests, check out Wendy’s blog.

financial aid, Uncategorized

Making College Affordable

 

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It’s a confusing process–figuring out how to pay for college. Not only is it stressful, but it’s overwhelming trying to understand all the ins and outs of everything to do with financing a college education. Two women, Jodi Okun and Celest Horton, are doing something about it. In two separate projects, each of them is doing their part in making college affordable while graduating without debt or minimal debt.

A Parent’s Guide to Making College More Affordable

making college affordable

Jodi Okun has partnered with Zinch to create A Parent’s Guide to Making College More Affordable for the busy parent who wants straightforward and simple, yet thorough answers on how to navigate the confusing process of paying for college. Jodi has been working in the college financial aid industry for over six years. She began working at Occidental and Pitzer College in their financial aid offices helping thousands of families as a financial aid consultant. Jodi is also the founder of College Financial Aid Advisors, where she works closely with families to successfully navigate the financial aid process.

A Parent’s Guide to Making College More Affordable consists of the following content:

– Over 30 video lessons covering:

          • The cost of college including creating financial aid timelines & using the net-price calculator
          • All about applications – FAFSA, CSS PROFILE, IDOC, NCP
          • What to do after you’ve applied including comparing packages and how to follow up
          • How to cover the gap through grants, loans, etc.

– 14 hours of live “office hours” with Jodi Okun where you can connect with her directly and privately to ask questions related to your unique family situation.

– Detailed, step-by-step walk-throughs on how to complete important applications: the CSS Profile (released in October) and the FAFSA (released in January) at no additional cost.

– college timeline, budget worksheets and a downloadable dictionary of key terms.

– Q&A postings after each lecture to ask Jodi specific questions.

– Lifetime access to all course content and a 30-day money back guarantee.

Every parent of a college-bound teen should review the specifics of this comprehensive course, especially if you are confused or need help with the financial aid process. Click the link below for a 30% discount (the entire course for $34!)

A Parent’s Guide to Making College More Affordable

How to Pay for College HQ

how to pay for college

Celest Horton is a mother of four kids: three of the four are teenagers now. She is a Chemical Engineer by trade and has spent most of her professional career in technical sales in the Oil Industry.  Yet, she wanted to help serve others too by solving a current fear that she has…paying for college for four kids. Having three of the four in college at the same time is her greatest financial concern.

She wants to help others understand how simple it can be with a little planning and preparation. To do this, Celest is producing and making available How to Pay for College HQ Podcasts.  It’s a weekly podcast that is comprised of interviews with industry experts to educate high school parents and students to help them plan and prepare early with the goal to earn a degree debt free.

The Podcast is available on iTunes and Stitcher Radio, and the best part…it’s FREE. You can subscribe and listen to the most recent podcasts as they become available. Here are the two links:
financial aid, mom approved tips, parenting, Uncategorized

Mom-Approved Tips: Talking to your teens about financing college

 

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financing collegeIf you have a college-bound teen you’re well aware of the cost of college–it’s high. In a recent story in Business Week, one graduate confessed she had given up on her student loan debt of $186,000. She is not alone. With the nation struggling under a $1 trillion student debt crisis, stories like hers are nothing uncommon. For the first time ever, the national student loan default rate exceeds the credit card delinquency rate, and so long as student loans remain one of the few types of debt that can’t be discharged in bankruptcy, chances are the situation won’t improve any time soon. 

As their parent, it’s up to you to make sure they don’t fall prey to debt that they cannot repay after grduation. Before they ever accept an offer of admission, you need to talk to them about financing college. In my Parents Countdown to College Crash Course I call it “the money talk”.

Following are a few tips to help broach that uncomfortable topic with your college-bound teen:

The cold, hard facts

The first thing you need to discuss is finances: what you are willing to pay and what you expect them to contribute toward college expenses even if it’s just acquiring scholarships. Discuss the ramifications of student debt and talk openly about which colleges would fit into the family’s financial picture. Paint the picture clearly and explain to them this is a large investment and needs to be treated as such: you expect them to do their part and you expect them to study and to graduate.

The difference between wants and needs

This discussion is just as important as discussing the cost of the college education. When a student understands the difference between the two they can make financial decisions based of this criteria. Is it something they need or simply something they want? Don’t assume they know the difference. Most teens believe everything they want is a need. If they learn this lesson before going to college and living on their own, it will save them overdraft fees, past due notices and much heartache when they are controlled by their debt.

The college choice

Be realistic. If their dream college is out of reach financially think long and hard before you apply. This may be their first time to make a choice between what they want and what is best financially. It is a tough pill to swallow now, but they will thank you when they graduate with minimal or zero debt. The college they choose not only needs to be a perfect fit for them socially and academically; it also needs to be a perfect fit financially.

The budget

This is the perfect time to talk to your college-bound teen about creating and sticking to a budget. You may have tuition, room and board covered but there are always added expenses. Budgeting for those added expenses means there won’t be any surprises when the bills come due. Need a list of what those extras might be? Check out this article I wrote for Smart College Visit about the extras beyond tuition.

If you can’t sit them down for a time (we know how hard it is to even share a meal together), do it in segments. Just make sure you do it before they start applying to college. If you don’t, it’s going to be an uncomfortable discussion when they get accepted to their dream college and it’s not affordable for you and your student.

 

admissions, Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Scholarship Friday: A look at Zinch

 

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zinch

An interviewer asked me the other day which scholarship search engine would I recommend. Hands down–it’s Zinch. I chose them for these 5 reasons:

1. Their scholarship search engine is second to none

You can search for over $1 billion dollars in scholarship awards, set deadline reminders, and get scholarship advice from past winners. Their scholarship home page features a current scholarship and posts scholarships with approaching deadlines.

2. They connect students to colleges–2 for 1 (scholarship and college match)

Zinch is a free service that allows high school students to present themselves to college admission officers – as real people and more than just as SAT/ACT test score.

Importantly, college admission officers want this information. More than 750 colleges and universities work with Zinch to identify students who might be right for their schools.

3. The Double Your Money Program & $1000 Weekly Scholarship

They will match scholarship winners (up to $1000) if they apply to an eligible scholarship on their website and win. Who doesn’t need more money for college? They also offer a weekly $1000 scholarship based on the answer to a simple question (in 3 sentences or less).

4. They connect with students

Zinch simply summarizes this by saying: “The admissions process is very stressful. We know. So we let students connect with other students who are going through the same frustration, struggles and pains as they are. Hopefully that way the process can be a little bit easier.”

They engage and connect with students on their Facebook page as well. Every parent knows that nagging their students to apply for scholarships can be taxing. Zinch knows that and does a great job motivating them. They also connect with their high school blog for students: More Than a Test Score.

5. They connect with parents

Zinch offers parents the information they need to help students in their college process. On their parent page, they give parents free resources to download, a forum to discuss concerns with other parents, and some candid conversations with admissions officers and financial aid experts. Parents can also sign up for their email newsletter and read relevant articles on their high school blog, especially for parents.

Zinch is so much more than a scholarship search site. You can search for and apply to scholarships, connect with colleges, connect with other parents, and connect with other students.