Category Archives: college planning

admissions, college guidance, college planning, Uncategorized

FREE Webinar: Admissions

1 Comment

How to

STAND OUT

in a College Admissions Office

Author and speaker, Paul Hemphill, will conduct this long-awaited webinar on how a student can get accepted to his or her first-choice college.

Here are topics he will cover:

  • The exact extracurricular activities a student should be engaged in
  • When a student should apply Early Action vs Early Decision
  • Why a student should NOT double-major
  • when visiting a campus, the exact footage you should walk behind your student
  • How many times should your student take the SAT/ACT
  • The only two questions a student needs to ask when visiting a college
  • Why Ivy League colleges can be ignored without guilt
  • What essay topics to avoid and why the college essay will be the easiest to write
  • …and more

Webinar Replay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_98GI9WQJjU

This will be available for 7 Days ONLY!

college guidance, college planning, parenting, Uncategorized

Parenting college-bound teens without pushing

 

It’s hard. I know. I’ve been there. You want your kids to have the BEST education available. You want them to want it as much as you do. You see them making some choices that you know they will regret. As hard as you try, you find yourself pressuring them to make the right choice and the battle lines are drawn. They dig their heels in. You dig your heels in. And the tug of war begins.

What’s a parent to do when they feel their college-bound teens are making the wrong choices related to college? Take a deep breath and read these examples (along with my suggestions)–

Your college-bound teen tells you he doesn’t want to go to the college that is hard to get into and is opting for what you consider to be sub par.

Don’t panic or overreact. It’s possible he is scared. Try and ascertain the reasoning behind the decision. Don’t do this by badgering him or constantly asking him why. The best way to figure out what is wrong is to LISTEN. Listen to him talk about his day, about college, about how he feels. If fear is not the reason, perhaps he feels the other college would be a better fit. If that’s the case, do yourself a favor and back off. The worst thing you can do with a teenager is force him into a decision he feels is wrong. Sometimes the best lessons we learn are the ones that come from making our own decisions (right or wrong).

Your college-bound teen tells you that he simply MUST go to Private College A, even though she knows it comes with a high price tag.

Don’t let her bully you into sending her to a college you can’t afford AND one that will require a tremendous amount of student loan debt. Sit her down and explain to her the dangers of graduating in debt. Use the college repayment calculators if you have to. If she truly wants to go to Private College A, she needs to do the work (good grades, good SAT/ACT scores, great essay) to be awarded scholarship/grant money from that college. If not, there are always other options and choices.

Your college-bound teen is not interested in college, deadlines, studying for the SAT or any other path that leads him toward higher education.

If there is one thing I learned with both of my kids (and clients), if they aren’t invested in the college process they won’t be invested in college. Save yourself some time, money and heartache and wait until they are. If not, they can learn from the college of hard knocks–minimum wage jobs are the BEST motivator!

Your college-bound teen misses deadlines, panics and comes running to you at the last minute to fix it.

The simplest way I know to avoid missing deadlines, is to get yourself a huge wall calendar and a fat red marker. Put it in a place that they have to pass by every single day. In addition, with all the smartphones and calendar apps available today, missing a deadline should be a thing of the past. At some point (hopefully when they go to college), they will have to fix their own problems. Let them do it now, while they live at home, and it will be easier for them once they are gone. Rescuing your kids all time only makes them into dependent adults and colleges aren’t impressed with those type of students or the parents that come with them.

Your college-bound teen suddenly announces she is not ready for college and wants to take a year off.

First of all, wait. Don’t react. Just listen. Odds are the mood will change with the wind and once all her friends are making college plans, that desire that she once had will kick back in. If not, let her know that it won’t be a “free-ride” year. She will be expected to work and save the money she makes for college.

If you have any questions or personal experiences you would like to share, please leave a comment here and share it with other parents. We learn from each other and from our mistakes and successes!

Disclaimer: These are my “suggestions”. I don’t claim to be a parenting expert, just a parent who has faced these same problems and learned from them. Take my wisdom as you will and realize that every family dynamic is different.

college guidance, college planning, parenting, Uncategorized

Tips for Helping Your College-Bound Teen Reduce Stress

1 Comment

Is your college-bound teenager feeling stressed about going to college? Let your teen know he or she is not alone; it happens to a lot of college-bound teenagers. Teens feel stressed when they perceive a situation to be difficult, dangerous, or painful. Those going off to college often worry about finding new friends, fitting in with the college crowd, being away from home, getting good grades, and a number of other issues. What can parents do to help? Here are some tips to help your teenagers get rid of stress:

  • Listen: Ask what’s bothering them. Listen and don’t be judgmental. Allow your teenagers to express their opinions.
  • Provide emotional support: By showing your teenagers you care about their feelings, they will feel more connected to you. Don’t criticize or trivialize their stressful feelings. They may seem to be overstressed about about going to college, but remember that teens don’t have the same perspective as adults. Provide reinforcement by giving compliments.
  • Realistic expectations: If part of the stress is due to expectations of grades, be realistic with them about your own expectations of their grades.
  • Support: Encourage teenagers to spend time with friends and relatives who provide positive reinforcement. Friends can help keep your teenager happy and motivated. College students or recent college graduates can be helpful. They can put things in proper perspective and talk about the good times they had while attending college.
  • Be positive: Remind your teenager that these anxious feelings will go away. Encourage your teen to look at the fun aspects of attending college.
  • Teens expressing themselves: Creative activities such as painting, drawing, dancing, and singing reduce tension.
  • Exercise: Exercise releases hormones in the body which lower stress levels. Yoga and meditation relieve stress. Some experts believe sunlight relieves stress. Sunlight is important for the body’s regulation of chemicals, so exercising outdoors is a good option. Also, stressed teens should avoid caffeine drinks.
  • Sleep: Make sure your teen goes to bed early enough to get a good night sleep.
  • Volunteering: Helping other people can help your teen stop worrying about himself.
  • Relaxation: Breathing and muscle relaxation techniques can help your teenager relax.

Stress is a common problem for college-bound teenagers. By addressing the problem and taking action you can help your teenager get rid of stress.

Online Resources

*********************

Brian Jenkins has been writing about a variety topics helpful to college students for BrainTrack since 2008. For more information about BrainTrack, visit our Facebook page.

college costs, college planning, financial aid

Last Night's FREE Webinar

FOR THOSE WHO ATTENDED (OR MISSED) THE WEBINAR LAST NIGHT

The recording of last night’s webinar is up. This webinar will remain up until February 1st for viewing.

************************************

Tonight is the night that Paul Hemphill, college cost saving guru and parent advocate, teaches you How to Pay Less for College. As a parent advocate myself I appreciate Paul’s keen insight into the parent’s dilemma–Help! How can I send my kid to college and protect my retirement, assets and not go broke in the process?

A sidenote: You know I wouldn’t steer you wrong. The webinar is FREE. You will learn how to look at financial aid differently and learn how to take charge of the process. PLUS, Paul (just for me) is throwing in an amazing FREE bonus at the end of the webinar that you absolutely don’t want to miss out on.

It’s a win-win for you and an hour of your time that will be well-spent.

To go along with tonight’s webinar, I’ve also posted an article (just to wet your appetite): 10 Tips to Cut College Costs

college guidance, college planning, Uncategorized

Finding a New Home

1 Comment

As a student who is rapidly approaching college graduation, the process of getting in feels like a distant memory now.  While I can now look back and laugh, I took the process seriously and put a lot of time, effort and emotion into it.  I think that with college admissions the old saying is true: you get out of it what you put into it. I have loved every element of my college experience, and that is because from the beginning I knew I picked the right school.  The best advice I have is to think about it from all angles.  Remember that you will be living there for four very important years.

I started looking for the right university when I was in middle school.  I know that seems a little early, but I had two older brothers.  When I was young, I was already exploring college campuses and trying to picture myself there.  My oldest brother attended Syracuse University, so the first time I actually visited the school I was 13 years old.  It wasn’t until a few years later that I actually started looking for my own school.

One thing I knew was that I wanted to attend a school with an excellent undergraduate business program. Going to a school that has strong departments in what you want to learn is crucial.  When you visit campuses, the number one question you will hear is “why are you interested in attending this school?” My answer to this question was that I liked the subjects of the specific classes they offered.  Many faculty members and admissions officers I spoke to said that this was a rare answer, which shocked me.  Research the curriculum!  Ask current students, email professors, do what ever you need to do ensure that you will be excited for classes instead of sleeping through them. (That habit can get you into some awkward situations.)

Ultimately, I decided to go to Syracuse because it exceeded all of my requirements.  Set goals for what you want to accomplish in college.  If a certain school doesn’t give you opportunity to achieve those goals, cross that school off your list. Once you finally visit a campus you are meant to attend, you will  feel at home.

**********

Today’s post was written by Adam Britten, a marketing management major at Syracuse University.  Follow him on Twitter @AdamBritten.  Read about his experiences as a volunteer teacher in South Africa for USA Today’s College Blog.

college guidance, college planning

Hottest Careers for College Graduates

The College Board has posted a list of the occupations with the most job openings between 2008-2018. They get these figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: new jobs being created and openings created by retiring workers or those leaving the fields.

I’m skeptical when it comes to any job statistics these days, but it’s worth your time to glance over the list and have your college-bound teen do the same. If they are interested in teaching, it looks like they are headed in the right direction. Also notable are the jobs predicted to be available in computer related fields. At the top of the list, however, are jobs in the field of nursing–now that’s job security!

There is a book coming out this month, Closing America’s Job Gap, that might interest you as well. You can check out an article I wrote related to the findings in this book about the Top 10 Job Sectors for future careers. It’s always helpful to consider the job market when spending thousands of dollars on an education!

college planning, financial aid

The Key to Financial Aid Success: Preparation!

2 Comments

In just under a month, it will be time to file your Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2011-12 school year. The FAFSA is the key to accessing your Federal Student Aid – including grants, work-study and Federal loans – and other valuable financial assistance. Whether or not you think your family will qualify, you should always apply for aid; you might be surprised at the results!

To help you make sure that you do everything necessary to get your college aid, below is a list of tips for preparing the FAFSA for submission. These are just the basics – there’s a much more detailed checklist at the bottom of this post.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reply in the comments and we will do our best to help you out!

Where to File

Starting January 1, 2011, the 2011-2012 FAFSA can filed online or downloaded at http://www.fafsa.gov. Some high schools may also have printed FAFSA forms available.

1. Determine Who Will File: You or Your Student?

The FAFSA is filed in the name of the student – the one who will be receiving the financial aid. You may submit the FAFSA on behalf of your student.

Regardless of who does the actual filing of the FAFSA, the student’s signature is always required, and if the student is considered a dependent, at least one parent must also sign.

2. Determine Dependency Status Ahead of Time

Every student who applies for financial aid with the FAFSA will either be considered a dependent or an independent student. There is a special worksheet created to determine dependency status.

To access the worksheet on the FAFSA website, click here.

NOTE: The current version is for the 2010-11 school year, but there are not likely to be major changes for 2011-12.

3. File Your Tax Returns Early

In order to complete the FAFSA fully, parents of dependent students and students who worked during the past year need to have their 2010 tax return information ready.

4. Gather Documents Before Starting

Filing the FAFSA will be much easier if you have everything together before starting. For the 2011-2012 school year, you’ll need the following documents:

  • Social security and driver’s license numbers
  • Student’s 2010 W-2s and tax returns
  • Parent’s 2010 W-2s and tax returns (if student is Dependent)
  • Bank statements
  • Business financial statements (if student or parents own a business)
  • Citizenship records – alien registration or permanent resident card (if you are not a U.S. Citizen)

5. Use the FAFSA on the Web Worksheet

The FAFSA on the Web Worksheet is a convenient way to organize all of the required information you’ll need to fill out the FAFSA. To access a PDF version of this worksheet, click here. (Note that the 2011-2012 worksheet isn’t available yet)

6. Apply for FAFSA PIN Now

In order to file your FAFSA form electronically online, you will need to sign it. This can be done electronically with a PIN, or you can print, sign, and mail in the signature page which will be provided to you when you complete the FAFSA. Both students and parents need to sign the FAFSA.

See the Department of Education’s FAFSA PIN website for more information.

Questions?

If you start preparing now, filling out your FAFSA on January 1st will be a breeze! If you have any questions or need additional guidance, feel free to reply in the comments below. We look forward to helping you!

******

This guest post is contributed by Jeff Sheely, who blogs about financial aid and education financing at Overture Student Loan Marketplace, where students and parents can get information or compare private student loans to make more informed decisions about how to pay for college.

He’s happy to answer your questions in the comments, or you can connect with him on Twitter or Facebook.

college guidance, college planning, parenting

My Top 10 Posts–Helping Parents Parent

 

After reading Chris’ guest blog post on Character (The #1 Key to Success in College), I felt it might be prudent to bring back my “best of the best” posts specifically directed toward helping parents parent their college-bound teens. Feel free to pass the link along to other parents (pretty please????).

1. Is college just about ROI?
https://www.parentingforcollege.com/2010/11/is-college-just-about-roi/

2. 10 concepts your teen should learn BEFORE college
https://www.parentingforcollege.com/2010/04/10-concepts/

3. Top 10 things every parents should know about “hooking up” in college
https://www.parentingforcollege.com/2010/04/hooking-up-in-college/

4. Motivating an under-achiever toward college
https://www.parentingforcollege.com/2009/12/motivating-an-underachiever-toward-college/

5. Top 10 Do’s and Don’ts of parenting a college-bound teen
https://www.parentingforcollege.com/2010/05/parenting-college-bound-teens/

6. Top 10 Questions parents ask about college
https://www.parentingforcollege.com/2010/06/top-10-questions-parents-ask-about-college/

7. Being realistic about college debt
https://www.parentingforcollege.com/2010/06/being-realistic-about-college-debt/

8. Being a parent college coach: the three C’s
https://www.parentingforcollege.com/2009/05/being-a-parent-college-coach-the-3-cs/

9. Preparing your teen for college
https://www.parentingforcollege.com/2009/05/preparing-your-teen-for-college-its-all-about-guiding-not-doing/

10. Six Campus Safety talking points
https://www.parentingforcollege.com/2010/05/campus-safety/

admissions, college guidance, college planning, financial aid, parenting

College Access and Opportunity Guide—A Review

The Center for Student Opportunity created the College Access and Opportunity Guide to help low-income and first generation college-bound students make their college dreams become a reality. As a parent, I found this guide informative and helpful in providing direct information about the college admissions process.

There are helpful tips on how to stay involved in the college process without overstepping your boundaries. The guide clearly sets out the steps to take from beginning to end, along with insider advice from college students and other experts. There is clear discussion about loans, scholarships and how to find the perfect fit college. Also included is an excellent section specifically directed towards parents helping them to listen, encourage and how to let their college-bound teen handle the process by guiding them through the process.

But the real meat of this guide is the college specific information. The guide features 284 colleges and universities highlighted for their outreach efforts, financial aid opportunities and student support services. Instead of focusing solely on the numbers, this guide helps students locate and find important programs at each school that can help prepare for college (Access Programs), locate schools that provide financial incentives for admitted students (Opportunity Programs), and support services for college students to help them persist to graduation (Success Programs).

Each of these colleges is committed to supporting first-generation, low-income, and minority students on their campus and in their community. Profiled colleges are included in light of the programs and opportunities they present for this group of students.

If your college-bound teen falls into this group who want to make their college dreams a reality, you should pick up a copy of this simple-to-read and understand guide.

For more information about the Center for Student Opportunity you can visit them on their website at www.csocollegecenter.org.

college planning, parenting

The Number One Key To Success In College

What is the primary key for your kids to succeed in college?

grades – avoiding procrastination – passion – friends-scholarships – study time – lots of beer (just kidding…although some kids think that)

Here it is parents!  Get out your journal, grab a pen…you don’t want to miss this one!

CHARACTER

M-W.com definition of character: moral excellence and firmness <a man of sound character>

Chris Spradlin’s definition of character: “Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking.”…Jackson Browne actually said this!

As parents we can teach our kids to make great grades, to be on time, we can instill passion deep into their souls, encourage them to make great friends and study.  But the single greatest asset that we can deposit deep into our kids heart is Character.

As our kids enter college we must encourage them to exhibit character in the following areas…

  • Study Ethics: I remember that my toughest subject my freshman in College was Algebra.  To be honest, I am just not that bright when it comes to math.  How did I make it through?  I cheated my entire way through the class.  I never built a math foundation for my remaining years; therefore I struggled through all four years of College.  Parents, we must teach our kids to walk in character when it comes to study ethics.  We must teach them to work hard, study hard, ask questions, join study groups; but at the end of the day, we must teach our kids that it is much better to take a low grade than to cheat.
  • Honoring The Gift: Many students today expect that they will attend college.  I believe that is a good expectation but that parents should help them understand that attending college is a gift!  In the world we live in today many students can’t afford college, don’t have the grades to get into college or don’t have their families help to make it into college.  I believe that parents should teach their kids to walk through the college doors with thankfulness and humility!  That each time they enter a class or extracurricular activity that they should recognize that attending college is a gift other kids don’t have and to honor it.
  • Contributing Financially: I know that this can be a controversial subject for some, but I strongly believe that by asking a student to contribute financially in some form or fashion…this creates ownership in the college experience.
  • Free Time: One of the biggest lessons that I have learned in my life is when a mentor of mine sat me down, looked me in the eyes and said, “Chris, I want you to know that life is not all about you”!  The reality is that most kids enter college and they are the star of their own show, life is about them…their grades, their friends, their fraternity and their social life.  I believe that parents should teach their kids that, “life is not all about them”.  Parents should teach their kids to use their free time to serve others.  Encourage them to serve in a soup kitchen, serve in a local religious organization, mentor a struggling student or befriend someone who is having a tough time with the college transition.

I believe the number one key to success in college is character. Parents, we must take the time to live this out and deposit character deep into the heart, soul and mind of our kids and then they will be truly successful.

******

This guest post was contribured by Chris Spradlin, the founder of www.epicparent.tv.  According to Chris: “I didn’t launch epicparent to showcase my parenting skills, but rather be honest about my failures, wounds, wins and my journey as a parent.  I absolutely love honest, authentic, on-the-edge, innovative, entrepreneurial, get-your-hands-dirty parenting. I believe that if parents would step into their God-given role, the world would be changed!”