With any project or goal, you look to the experts to help you reach success and achieve the goal. These five experts know all there is to know about creating the perfect college list.
What’s Critical in a College Admission Checklist
According to Lynn O’Shaughnessy of The College Solution Blog, using a college admission checklist is critical when your child is applying to colleges and universities.
Allowing a teenager to apply to any colleges without a solid game plan can be a financial and academic disaster.
There are five college check-list items that you and your child should accomplish before sending out applications. If you’ve already submitted your applications, you can definitely still do some of these tasks:
Debbie Schwartz of Road2College.com offers parents advice from multiple college experts and points out with thousands of colleges and universities to choose from, finding the “perfect” school is a seemingly impossible task for any high school student and their parents.
Many college hopefuls have their eyes set on a particular dream school, while others may feel overwhelmed by endless options varying in size, location, reputation, and expense.
Applying to and gaining acceptance to colleges is daunting enough, let alone deciding where to attend in the fall.
So how exactly do you make the right decision?
Keep in mind that the true secret to college success is not necessarily attending the most selective or prestigious university.
It’s finding the right school for you where you can be your best self. And much like with dating or job-hunting, there is no one-size-fits-all college, but instead, a number of potential great picks for every individual student.
In this article, you can find the answers to these questions:
Katherine Price of Great College Advice, reminds parents and students that picking the final list can be a daunting task. One way to narrow things down a bit is to really look into the academic departments at the schools you are interested in. Since academics is one of the most important aspects of attending college, it is important that students feel connected to the curriculum and the major that they could potentially be studying.
When looking at college academics, consider these topics:
Jeannie Borin or College Connections, reminds us that in conducting the college search, it is important to make sure a college list is well balanced with “reach,” “50/50” and “likely” colleges that fit the student’s profile academically and socially. Thorough research is necessary to be sure that students are applying to the right colleges for them. The research will also come in handy when completing applications and when answering essay questions that ask why an applicant wants to attend that college.
Here are some helpful tips that should help in your college search:
I always recommend that parents and students take a close look at the college statistics.
You might be surprised to know that in addition to all the factors students use to choose a college, there is one they might overlook: statistics. While location, major, campus appeal, and others are certainly important statistics will help you and your student make a more informed college choice.
Why statistics? Statistics will help you determine some of the key factors involved in choosing a college. With statistics you increase the odds of your student being accepted, receiving more financial aid, and graduating on time. You can also determine the class sizes, the freshman retention rate and the odds of finding a job after graduation.
Numbers aren’t everything, but consider these eight important stats when you and your student are looking at schools:
We all want the best for our children. As soon as we know they’re on their way, we start making purchases to meet all of their needs once they do arrive. We do our utmost to get them into the best schools so that they can have more choice when it comes to what they want to do in terms of career and their future. But there are other things you can do besides securing them a spot in a great school that produces great results. Here are a few things that you can encourage them to do to increase their skills, their abilities and their knowledge. Just make sure not to be pushy. If your child doesn’t enjoy something, don’t force them to do it. Instead, find something else enriching that they’re actually passionate about. This will create the happiest and most rounded child in the long run.
Encourage Them to Learn Another Language
As your student enters school and continues through high school, the best time to learn another language. Generally speaking, children do tend to pick up new languages more easily and quickly. Learning a language encourages an understanding of different ways that grammar can be used. It creates a wider vocabulary. But most importantly, it encourages an appreciation and respect for other cultures, as well as an ability to communicate with others who may not speak the same first language as your child. In the long term, fluency can help them to spread their wings, increasing their job opportunities when they eventually begin to look for work. Many Private Schools will have a wide choice of languages to offer, but smaller schools with more limited funding may have more limited options. Nowadays, learning languages, however, can be easy to do at home online. Language learning apps and software are constantly improving and your kid could genuinely pick up a second language through Rosetta Stone, DuoLingo or Babbel.
Introducing Them to Music
Learning an instrument is a truly impressive skill. It can also provide social opportunities for your child, as they may grow up and have fun joining orchestras, bands or other musical groups. Music comes hand in hand with a host of benefits mentally too! It significantly improves memory, as the mere act of learning how to play an instrument places a high-working memory load on you. They’ll need to remember how different notes sound, where to place their hands on the instrument to create those notes and what order to play the notes in. As well as this, playing an instrument intrinsically encourages improved hand-eye coordination. Your little ones will have to learn how to play without looking at their instrument – instead, reading from music sheets instead.
These are just a couple of different activities you can encourage your students to get involved with to maximize the scope of their education. They’ll greatly benefit from either. If they’re not interested in these options, there are plenty more out there. It might just be a matter of a little trial and error before you find the perfect option for them.
Over the course of the last month, as school districts make the choice on whether to give students grades or transition to a pass/fail grading system, parents are concerned that this will certainly have an impact on their student’s high school transcript and GPA.
Some parents, students and local school board members are
concerned that ”the new grading system takes away students’ opportunity to show
academic progress and will hurt high school juniors’ chances at college
admissions, despite public assurances from major colleges and universities.”
Parents who have seen their students work hard during this
semester even with the confines of having to attend class online, feel it’s
unfair to give those students a pass/fail grade. Some teachers believe it would
be better to institute a case-by-case grading system and reward those students
who have excelled with an actual grade.
Parent Susannah Hill said
she had a “very strong reaction” when she heard the district could institute a
pass/no pass grading system because her son, a junior at M-A, “has worked
extraordinarily hard this whole semester” and would like to see that work
recognized. She said he’s now even putting in about 11-hour workdays with his
distance-learning assignments. She thinks there could be other solutions, such
as giving students a quarter grade for the first half of the semester to
acknowledge their work up until the March shift to distance learning.
Impact on college admissions
Palo
Alto parent Tricia Barr worried that students will be compared to
applicants from districts that kept letter grades and that “it could
absolutely hurt their prospects in the college admissions process,” she
said during the school board’s virtual meeting on April 21.
However, private and public colleges and universities across
the country have said that students applying from these districts will not be
disadvantaged.
“Certainly, we understand students are primarily taking
courses online and often with modified grading scales. Rest assured that we are
sensitive to these challenges and realities,” said Richard Shaw, Stanford
University’s dean of undergraduate admission and financial aid. “We expect
coursework to be completed but will accept whatever grading scale is used by
the school.” (Stanford itself has moved to a credit/no credit system for
the rest of this school year.)
Parents and students are still wary that colleges will still
evaluate a student’s GPA without taking into consideration the current situation.
It remains unclear how any parent or student will know exactly how the colleges
ultimately handle this situation.
A fair solution
A school
board in Spokane, Washington came up with these grading guidelines:
Select to receive a pass/fail grade on their
high school transcript, for those who don’t want to negatively affect their
grade-point average;
Opt to receive a letter grade in hopes of
improving their GPA;
Request a credit waiver from the school
principal (for students with a failing grade and those who do not need certain
credits to graduate or provide competency-based model to receive a pass grade).
In some cases, teachers will use their professional judgment
in assessing competence in a given subject.
So far, these seem to be the best solution. This puts the
decision in the hands of the student and gives them control of their own GPA.
There is much at stake as colleges and universities weigh a prospective student’s academic progress. There is hope that colleges will adjust their current guidelines and take into account how students have been forced to study online during their spring semester.
I am seriously tired or seeing “coronavirus” on every social media platform. I’m tired of seeing people panic and act like it’s the end of the world if they can’t find toilet paper. I’m tired of hearing about another college or event that has been cancelled. I guess I’m just tired.
If you have a college-bound junior or senior, you probably feel the same way I do. But along with the frustration comes some concern and disappointment. Senior events are being cancelled. Colleges aren’t allowing visits. Admitted student events are cancelled. Some schools are having extended spring breaks.
How will all of this affect you and how can you cope?
There is going to be disappointment
Your teen is going to experience some disappointment. They have been looking forward to this time since they started high school. It may not be the end of the world to you, but it is to them. Be patient with them. Support them. Give them tons of hugs. You know this will pass but they don’t.
There are options available to make this tolerable
Thankfully we live in a digital world. In person visits cannot occur but virtual visits are available. Most colleges have them on their websites and you can also view some on YoUniversityTV video tours. After that, chat online with some current students you can find on social media. Most students are happy to brag about their school.
Mom can help by asking friends on Facebook for help connecting with current students. Grown and Flown is a great resource for current college parents.
If you have questions that can’t be answered by either of these options, reach out to the college itself. They will be happy to help you and understand your frustration.
Take care of your family
It goes without saying that the number one priority is the health and safety of your family. That includes protecting their mental health. Fear and anxiety can take over when everything seems out of control. Have open conversations about what everyone is feeling and find ways to help everyone cope.
The admissions outlook will change
Sarah Harberson, a college counselor, points out these things to expect during these next few months:
Expect decisions to be released on time.
Admitted student programs are being canceled amid fears of the fast-spreading virus.
With great uncertainty, the waitlist will be in full effect.
Acceptance rates will rise.
Be ready for colleges to aggressively try to convince students to enroll even after they make a decision.
Campus tours and information sessions are being canceled for prospective students and families of younger grades.
ACT and SAT tests sites are being shut down not only abroad but here in the states as well.
Virtual classes are replacing face-to-face in-person classes for high schools and colleges.
If you need questions answered or just need to vent, hop over to my Facebook page and commensurate with other parents who are going through the same things you are. In the meantime, take a deep breath and hang in there–this too shall pass.
While there are no single shortcuts to academic success, there are fortunately a number of beneficial ways for students to actively increase the chances of it. Here are the best techniques to encourage your college-bound student to stay motivated and achieve.
Start Preparing Early
It’s widely known that successful students are often those who are forward thinkers. Before leaving for college and starting the first semester, encourage your student to research the syllabus of the course and learn what it entails, such as the deadlines and dates of any essays or exams they will have, as well as any academic books that they may require. Building forward thinking structures such as this can prepare them for the organisational skills that they will need at college.
Learn Effective Note-taking
Note taking is a valuable skill for college life and can make the difference between passing and failing an exam. Numerous studies surrounding students and note taking have proven that those who effectively take notes remember the material better than those who don’t. Students that write down everything that their professors say can prove to be inefficient. It’s best to encourage them to take time to actively listen and jot down the most significant points that can aid their study, and to review and organize their notes to ensure that they are coherent for when they need to refer back to them.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Extra Help
Most colleges offer an array of support services to make the student experience as helpful as possible. While it can be rewarding to feel academically challenged, it can sometimes cause unnecessary stress which can affect student’s overall work quality and performance. If applicable, encourage your college-bound student to attend workshops, one-to-one meetings with their professors, academic writing classes, or even online course training and exam preparation websites such as https://www.athomeprep.com.
Embrace New Opportunities
Keeping an eye out for academic opportunities such as societies and work experience through flyers or social media can greatly impact your student’s academic success. Getting involved can enable students to be recognized, network with others, and learn new invaluable skills that can be instrumental to their desired future careers. It can also be a great way to meet like-minded people and quickly make new friends!
Learn the Art of Balance
While putting effort in at college equates to success, it’s important to remind your college-bound student that their well being should remain a priority above all. Students who spend all their time studying may begin to neglect their sleep, nutritional habits, physical and mental health, as well as their social lives. This can result in the feeling of “burn-out” and can even induce feelings of anxiety. College life can easily be balanced through allowing well-deserved breaks from studying, and smart time management. For example, it can be useful to create daily reminders in digital calendars on their phones and laptops to outline their schedule and set goals, as well as know when to organize study days and rest days.
With all the talk of helicopter parenting, over parenting, snowplow
parenting and parents refusing to allow their students become independent
adults, it’s important to understand how to coach your teenager without crossing
the line.
A recent article in Business
Insider quoted a study conducted by Florida State University focusing on
some of the issues with today’s parenting:
Helicopter parents are “overly
involved, protective parents who provide substantial support (e.g., financial,
emotional, physical health advice) to their emerging adult children, often
intervening in their affairs and making decisions for them.”
“Individuals with parents who
engage in highly controlling, overprotective behaviors have been characterized
as being overly needy in terms of seeking attention, approval and direction
from others,” the authors wrote in summarizing past research. “In addition,
they have been found to utilize more ineffective coping skills, express higher
levels of narcissism and demonstrate lower self-efficacy.”
In contrast…
“Developmentally appropriate
parenting can promote healthy decision-making and a child’s development of
autonomy, increasing the likelihood that their children will become
independent, well-adjusted, problem-solving adults. They tend to cope better
with stress, have more self-esteem and experience less depression.”
Knowing this…
What is a parent’s role during the college prep
process?
I will give you 10 coaching steps to take for a positive college prep experience.
Step 1-Offer guidance and advice.
Parents are primarily coaches—coaching and directing their teenager during high school so that they will be prepared to apply to and eventually attend college. It’s natural to take this role in parenting and it works well in the area of college prep.
Your teenager may not always
ask, but they will need advice during this stressful time. Listen to their
concerns and offer guidance and advice. Listening is the key because teenagers
don’t always communicate what they are feeling and don’t always ask for help.
The next thing parents need to
do is…
Step 2-Establish
boundaries.
Early during the college prep process, have a serious
conversation with your student.
Because of the insurmountable number of tasks involved with
college prep, your student will need your help. The key word here is, “help”.
One admissions officer told me, “Let your student drive the car”. It won’t be
easy to let your student take control of the process, but this is part of the
training they will need to be successful in college.
Next, we will discuss exactly how you can help.
Step 3-Be
an encourager and a helper.
Be an encourager by reminding your student of deadlines,
from test registration to FAFSA and application submission. Encourage them to stay
on top of every task and suggest creating a timeline for each task.
Parents can participate in just about every activity during
college prep.
You can help with organization by establishing a college
landing zone. A place where you and your student can keep track of all
college-related information.
You can help with test prep—practicing vocabulary words,
administering practice tests, and hiring a tutor if necessary. You can also
help them create a study schedule to prepare for the tests.
You can help your student create a college list. What is at
the top of their list? What are they interested in studying? What career
interests them? What college activities outside of academics are important?
Does location or size matter? Use these questions to begin crafting the list.
You can participate in college visits by planning the
visits, traveling with them, and discussing the visits afterwards, Under no
circumstances should you take control during any aspect of the campus visit,
from the tour to the interviews.
Scholarship searching can be a daunting task for any busy
student. Parents can help by searching for the scholarships, making sure all
the components of the scholarship application are completed, proofreading any
essays, and making sure they are submitted correctly and on time.
Once the applications have been submitted you can participate in the final decision. Weigh all the financial aid offers against one another and help your student choose the college that is the best fit: academically, socially and financially. This is an important part of coaching.
Step
4-Teach life skills.
Teenagers need time and priority management skills,
conflict management skills, and effective communication skills. They need to
know when and how to ask for help, they need to effectively maneuver the
college bureaucracy, and they need to operate on a budget and manage their
money. They need to self-advocate and have the self-discipline to stay safe.
Step
5-Teach Academic skills.
Students should start college with strong study skills.
They need to be able to write a well-researched and documented, accurate,
organized, and well-written paper. They need to start college prepared to
attend all their classes, read the assigned materials, and know how to take
notes. They need to be prepared to pursue study groups, additional review
periods, or other options such as seeking out their teachers when they have
questions and need help.
Step
6-Model behavior
Parents should be involved in their teenager’s school by
participating in parent-teacher meetings and similar events, judging their
student’s academic strengths and weaknesses, and pushing them to get help when
they need it. Parents should make expectations and rules clear for both
academics and behavior, and follow through on reasonable consequences. Parents
should give their teenagers graduated responsibilities, teach them to budget,
and make them responsible when they make mistakes.
Step 7-Educate yourself about everything to do with college prep
In order to be the “wise
sage”, you need to educate yourself about all aspects of college prep. And in
today’s age of technology and social media, you have all the tools available to
do this. Take advantage of all the college prep advice on social media
(Twitter, Facebook, and even Pinterest) have all sorts of tips for parents to
help with college prep. Subscribe to blogs that provide parents with advice and
connect with other parents on Facebook who are going through the same process.
On my blog, I offer numerous
lists of experts to follow on social media, along with advice from college
counselors, test prep tutors, essay experts and admissions officers. These tips
help parents stay on top of all the college prep tasks and stay educated about
any changes in standardized tests, admissions or financial aid.
Step
8-Have the money talk
Parents
should have a serious conversation with their student about money before even
applying to colleges. Approach it as a collaborative discussion and use
this as a start to helping your teen understand the importance of budgeting and
“needs vs wants”.
Start
off by making sure your teen knows what a “need” is and what a “want”
is in relation to college costs. For some teens, all wants are needs. This
is the time to nail the definition down and clarify it in their minds.
Decide
just who will be paying for each college expense. Every family is
different but it’s important to make this clear from the very beginning so that
there won’t be any surprises.
Use a budget worksheet and understand ALL college expenses. Don’t just assume
that tuition, room and board will cover it. There will be additional costs as
well like travel, entertainment, dorm furnishings, student fees and others. Be
sure to budget for these additional expenses.
When
your teens contribute to the costs of their education, they will be more
invested in their success. They will also learn valuable budgeting lessons that
will stick with them past college and into adulthood. You’re doing your teen a
disservice if you don’t involve them in the college financial discussions. They
need to be active participants in the decisions and also play an active part in
paying for that high-cost college education.
Step
9-Make financial aid a priority.
Even if you can afford to pay for college, why would you
use the money if your student can get some of the free money from scholarships
and grants? It makes sense to apply for scholarships. Scholarships are
available for all ages and students should start applying early, even before
senior year. There are scholarships for students with average grades, and
scholarships that don’t require a GPA or even an essay. Sign up for scholarship
search engines to find scholarship matches. Leave no stone unturned: search
locally, ask friends, talk to your student’s school counselor and listen to the
media. Scholarships are literally everywhere, and many local ones go unclaimed
every year.
When your student is a senior, complete the FAFSA. The
FAFSA is the key to getting not only federal aid, but aid from the colleges
themselves. Much of the college aid is merit based but your student won’t
receive it if they don’t submit the FAFSA.
Next…
Step
10-Participate in the final decision.
Once your student is accepted to colleges, due your due diligence
and compare all the financial aid awards. If one award is higher than another
and your student wants to attend that college, appeal the lower award using the
higher award as leverage. Find the college that is the best fit: academically,
socially and financially. Don’t allow your student to take on high amounts of
debt just because it’s the college he or she wants to attend. Be the voice of
reason and explain the consequences of graduating with too much student loan
debt…
Now, some final words of advice…
Nag
less and listen more
You will be tempted to nag: write this, apply to this, study
for this, and search for this. Nagging will only cause strife and stress for
you and your student. Instead, listen to his concerns, his visions, and his dreams.
Listen carefully to ascertain whether or not college is the best choice. Listen
to him talk about how he feels about the entire college prep process. And once
you’ve listened, guide him — don’t nag.
Do
less and encourage more
Avoid the temptation to take over the process. As one
admissions officer told me, “Let your student drive the car.” You can be a
coach, an advisor, a mentor and an attentive listener. You can also help with
data gathering, scholarship searching, and deadline reminders. But under no
circumstances should this process be yours. Let your student own his own
future.
Compare
less and research more
Don’t listen to other parents who want you to compare your
student to theirs. This is you and your student’s journey. Do your research.
Ask the experts. Don’t rely on hearsay to make your decisions. Your student is unique,
and his journey will be unique. Arm yourself with all the information and tools
to help with the process. Then pass it along to your student.
Panic
less and plan more
If there’s one piece of advice I give parents, it’s this:
stay organized and don’t miss any deadlines. Make a plan throughout high school
and follow the plan. Once your student enters senior year, you should be
organized and ready to begin the application process.
Whether your student is a freshman or entering the last
semester of their junior year, you should be looking ahead towards graduation.
The first, and obvious question, should be—what’s next? What will your student
do after high school? Will they enter the job market, take a gap year off to
decide, enter the military, or will college be their next step?
If college is in their future, the college list should be a
priority. All decisions, goals and pursuits will be geared toward receiving an
offer of admission from those colleges on that list. Those colleges should be
chosen with much thought and planning. Your student’s goal is to first be
offered admission, and secondly be awarded aid that will pay for the education.
In order to craft a great college list, you and your student
must keep an open mind. With over 4000 institutions of higher learning in this
country alone, the obvious choices are not necessarily the best ones. Before you
haphazardly throw some names onto the list, follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Look at the statistics and rise to the top
The best college is the college that fits your student’s
academic and social needs, and at the same time is affordable. The last thing
you want is for your student to graduate with debt; and the best way to
guarantee the most merit aid is to apply to a college where your student is at
the top of the applicant pool. If your student’s grades, scores, and
extracurriculars exceed those of the average applicant, a college will be more
likely to entice him with merit aid (scholarships and grants).
How do you know where your student falls in the applicant
pool? Use sites like College
Navigator and College Data
to compare your student with current students. Look at the figures for admitted
students: what is the average test score, what is the average GPA, how much
weight do they place on extracurriculars? If your student’s statistics are
above these average amounts, the college will consider them a highly desirable applicant.
Step 2: Consider the unknowns
Most students gravitate toward the known colleges—those with
national or state recognition. But there are so many excellent colleges within
each state that go unnoticed. These are often smaller private colleges offering
excellent liberal arts educations. These colleges have alumni that support them
and often provide continued support—translating into scholarships and grants to
new students. The larger state university may appear cheaper based on tuition,
but the smaller private college will often award more merit aid to entice
students.
I recommend parents encourage their students to look into the College That Change Lives . These colleges are built on the premise of “building the knowledge, character and values of young people by introducing them to a personalized and transformative collegiate experience.” Also consider technical colleges like Penn College that combine a liberal arts education with hands-on career training.
You might be surprised to know that in addition to all the
factors students use to choose a college, there is one they might overlook:
statistics. While location, major, campus appeal, and others are certainly
important statistics will help you and your student make a more informed
college choice.
Why statistics? Statistics will help you determine some of
the key factors involved in choosing a college. With statistics you increase
the odds of your student being accepted, receiving more financial aid, and
graduating on time. You can also determine the class sizes, the freshman
retention rate and the odds of finding a job after graduation.
Two good sources for college statistics are College Navigator and College Data. These two resources will
help you make an informed college choice. Numbers aren’t everything, but
consider these eight
important stats when you and your student are looking at schools:
Percentage of student who are employed after
graduation
Step 4: Let the money do the talking
There’s no point in adding a college to the list if it’s
unaffordable. Your student will be disappointed if offered admission and the
cost makes it impossible for them to attend. Before applying, research
the financial
aid footprint of every single college on the list. How much aid do
they typically give? How much debt does the average student graduate with? Use
their net price calculator and determine what it will cost to attend there
before applying. If your student is offered admission, there will be no surprises
and disappointment if you do your due diligence before the application process
begins.
Colleges offering small percentages of financial aid in the
form of scholarships and grants should only be considered if you can pay or
your student makes applying to scholarships a priority. You can’t count on
scholarships or grants, but your student can certainly do everything to position
themselves at the top of the applicant pool to receive them.
Step 5: Do a side-by-side comparison
How do you compare colleges once you have a solid list? Your
student should develop their own rankings based on their personal choices and
priorities. These items might include the obvious items like academics and location,
to such unconventional items like Greek life and campus appearance. List all
the items on a chart, giving each item a plus (+) or a minus (-) and tally up
the scores. The colleges with the highest scores should make the final list.
Colleges with lower scores might not make the list or need further evaluation.
By following these five steps, your student can create a
strong college list of colleges that fit them academically, socially and
financially. You might discover some hidden gems while navigating the search,
just as my daughter did (and fell in love!).
One of the most common worries that a lot of parents tend to experience is that they aren’t going to be able to afford to send their kids to college. After all, college is one of those things that’s pretty much essential to get a competitive edge in their careers but it’s also one of the most expensive things that they will ever do. Of course, it’s not particularly productive to spend your time worrying about it. Especially because there are actually plenty of things that you can do in order to make sure that you’re in a financial position to send your kids to college. Here are just a few things that you may want to consider.
Start saving
The simplest and most obvious thing that you can do in order to make sure that you can afford to send your child to college is to start saving your money as early as possible. Having money stored away in a savings account means that when the time for college rolls around, you’re already prepared for it and you don’t have to worry about the ways in which it will impact your finances overall. Even if you’re just putting away a little bit here and there where you can, if you’re focused and disciplined about it, that kind of money can end up growing far more quickly than you might expect.
Grow your money
One of the best things that you can do in order to bring in the kind of extra money that you might need to send your child to college is to find ways to invest it. There are plenty of investment options out there for those looking to grow their money. Property is one of the safest and most profitable. Working with agents like William Pitt Sotheby’s Realty can help you find the perfect properties that are the perfect place to invest your money. Of course, investing always comes with risks so it’s worth being as cautious as possible so that you don’t wind up making any mistakes with your money.
Borrow
Taking out a loan in order to fund your child’s college experience is one of the most common options and for good reason. The truth is that a lot of people simply don’t have the means to pay it themselves so taking out a loan can be a great option. You just need to be sure that you’re borrowing carefully. Do your research and make sure that any loan you take out is fully accredited and that you’re not falling prey to any predatory practices.
One of the most important things to remember is that financing is something that you should think about from the very start of the college application process. The last thing you want is for your child to be attending their orientation and you’re only just thinking about how you’re actually going to be able to afford to finance their college experience. It’s something that requires planning and preparation. In all likelihood, it’s something you’ll be thinking bout far longer than your child.
Who doesn’t love podcasts? It’s the best way to be entertained
or educated wherever you are: in the car, at work, at home or waiting at the
doctor’s office. There truly is a podcast for every interest. My daughter
listens to the History Chicks and has learned a great deal of history while
listening. I like to listen to inspirational podcasts that motivate and
encourage me.
With all the college information available to parents today, there’s no excuse for being uninformed about the ins and outs of the college process. Podcasts are a great way to stay informed. Here’s a list of my favorites:
Practical, up-to-date interviews with experts in college
admissions, financial aid, personal statements, test prep and more. Ethan
Sawyer (aka College Essay Guy), interviews deans of admission, financial aid
experts, and veterans of the admissions field to extract, then distill their
advice into practical steps for students and those guiding them through the
process. From creating an awesome college list to appealing a financial aid
letter, Ethan skips the general advice and gets right to the action items, all
in an effort to bring more ease, joy and purpose into the college admissions
process.
Here you’ll find tips and tricks for studying specific
subjects and how to prepare for major tests like the SAT and ACT. You’ll also
discover valuable insights from local and world-wide educational experts as
they discuss poignant topics like “How to Help Teens Reduce Stress” and
“Navigating School and Career with Physical and Learning Disabilities”. Practical tips and shortcuts for students are
revealed in episodes like “Vocabulary Memorization Shortcuts for the SAT” and
“Google Docs Organization for School”.
Nationally recognized experts Megan Dorsey and Gretchen
Wegner share tips and tricks about creative study strategies, SAT/ACT prep,
college applications, essay writing, teen-friendly time management tools, and
more. They will also host experts on a number of subjects including
scholarships, parenting, test prep, learning differences, NCAA athletics, and
more! About the hosts: Megan is a college admissions consultant and test prep
guru who helps students and parents plan and prepare for college admission.
Gretchen is an academic life coach who helps stressed out students and their
families feel smart, confident and ready for the rigors of college without
losing their lives to school and studying. Together, they are a one-stop shop
for how to survive…and thrive!…during the final approach into higher
education.
College Prep Genius will teach you all the tips and tricks to
ace the SAT and get FREE money for college (no strings attached)! Jean Burk’s
program will give you all the inside information on how to get money for
college, put together a college transcript, and become a logic-based thinker.
Jean will debunk myths and misconceptions, all while providing you all the
information on how to stop fearing the SAT.
Need help navigating the college admissions process? Every
other Monday they bring you exclusive interviews with Former Admissions
Officers, graduates from top universities, and admissions experts. Each episode
will be filled with application tips and first-hand experiences that will help
you get into your dream school. Brought to you by InGenius Prep, the world’s
largest team of Former Admissions Officers.
Two high school seniors and one Columbia freshman explore
the black box that is the college application process. They cover topics like
handling deferrals, asking for letters of recommendations, the college essay
and more.
Each week on VoiceAmerica College Coach hosts their internet
radio program and podcast, Getting In: A College Coach Conversation. Each week,
former University of Pennsylvania admissions officer Elizabeth Heaton leads the
discussion on a variety of admissions and college finance topics including: approaching
and crafting essays, successfully appealing financial aid decisions, selecting
the right college, determining the most effective savings vehicle to help pay
for it and more!
Julie Kim, a Harvard-graduate college consultant, the
founder of Julie Kim Consulting is the host of Demystifying College Admissions.
This podcast is designed to inspire high school students to identify their
passions, learn all about the most updated college admissions strategies, with
guests and experts from all industries! She also dives into mental health so
that this podcast will be a healthy, safe, and vulnerable space for all teens
and parents.
Applying for college is more complex and often times more
confusing than it used to be. In addition, there are so many resources out
there. How do you know which is the right one? The best one? Shouldn’t everyone
have access to the best information out there, regardless of price? On this
podcast, Mark Hofer and Anna Ren, both independent college consultants, share
real and relevant topics in college admissions to provide you with a fresh
perspective and truly actionable takeaways that you can use as you prepare to
apply for college.
Let a college admission expert (Mark) and a mom who’s been
through the process (Anika) guide you through the college admission process.
Learn key strategies and hear true stories on topics ranging from building the
right college list, getting admitted to the colleges on your list; how to pay
for college, and even choosing the right career. The podcast combines in depth
knowledge and insights about college admissions and college life with a
lighthearted, and at times, entertaining style that makes Mark and Anika easy
to listen to.
Life can throw us curve balls when we least expect it, don’t you think? It doesn’t matter how old we are, what we are doing at that precise moment, rich, poor, in love, on our own. Life can be full of champagne but easily be filled with bitter lemons at a moments notice. Often we don’t really know what path we should be taking, we just go with what feels right, what we think we should be doing, or just basically making the best out of the deck of cards we have been dealt. So what is next when life can be ever-changing? If you find yourself at crossroads don’t despair especially about education. Here are some of the things that you could consider to help you make the right decision on what might be next for you.
Learn something new and go back to school
Maybe learning is going to be the right thing for you, and perhaps you want to study to work towards gaining qualifications and degrees in specific areas or industry. This can be a great way to understand what career you want to take. Whether you decide to study from home or attend a university, the experience not just studying can really help you decide on what you want from life moving forward.
Taking a job that’s linked to your degree
Once you have gained your qualifications and degrees you may be wondering what is next and there are a number of things you can do with it. You could continue your educational journey, be more specific in the areas you work in and learn on the job. You could use your degree to gain a graduate job where you can be given an underlying overview of a company and a different role to play, there is more information here about how this could be a good option for you. Or you may have done all you can with the educational side of things and secure yourself a job that is specific to your degree and qualifications.
Travel
Traveling is often the most popular way to spend a GAP year, and many students backpack across different countries, exploring their hidden gems and enjoying experiences like no other. However, you can also incorporate travel into your studies, and take advantage of trips for University students. They can work well alongside your courses as well as giving you amazing experiences. Traveling to remote parts of the world can also give you a new perspective on life and how you see things. Which can often change you as a person and help you later on in life.
Volunteer and gain work experience
Maybe you want to use the time out for something good, and volunteering can be a great way to do it. Not only sure you doing good for someone or something, but you are also gaining valuable work experience in a different environment, which could help you seek out employment in the future. Volunteering can be something you do sporadically, or you could choose to focus on it full time.
Let’s hope these suggestions help your consider your options regarding further education.
