Tag Archives: choosing a college

admissions, college guidance, college planning, mom approved tips

Mom-Approved Tips: Six Steps to a Great College Search

 

This article was originally published on University Parent.

college search strategy
–photo courtesy of University Parent–

As my children entered high school and began on the college path, I knew I was going to be handicapped. I had not attended college myself and my husband attended a local school with a 100 percent acceptance rate. Neither of us had any idea how to approach the college search process!

But I love to think of myself as a “do-it-yourselfer” and I delved into college prep as a novice, starting with the searches. After my daughter was accepted to every school she applied to, family and friends began asking me for advice, and later encouraged me to broaden the circle and share what I learned on what became my Parents Countdown to College Coach blog and website.

When my daughter began her college search, she had one objective: to attend school in Boston. (Sound familiar??) In many cases, focusing on a particular city narrows the search drastically, but there are over 100 schools in the Boston area! Thankfully, not all are four-year colleges — some are technical or art schools. That helped a bit, but there were still too many to choose from. To find the best-fit college for my daughter, we needed a search strategy.

When creating a college search strategy, I recommend students and parents start with basic information and build on it. If you do this, when your student is ready to finalize his college list and submit his applications, you will be confident that you did your research, weighed all the options, and made informed choices.

Read more for six steps to a great college search strategy.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet

 

a rose by any other nameThose famous words from Shakespeare in his play Romeo and Juliet (a rose by any other name would smell as sweet) aren’t just about romance. They can be applied to college—yes college. Go to any parents meeting (especially with senior parents) and the name dropping is everywhere. “My son got accepted to Stanford. My daughter is applying to Harvard. My son has been offered a scholarship to Princeton. It’s impossible to avoid it and it’s impossible to not let a little jealously and insecurity cross your mind as you hear about other children’s accomplishments.

But wait. Does it really matter WHERE your son goes to college? Some would argue with me. Is a big name college like Harvard or Yale able to offer a better education than say Mary Hardin Baylor (a small liberal arts college in Texas)? Is an Ivy League college going to ensure your son or daughter a starting salary above those who graduate from the University of Texas or Colorado State? Some would say yes.

Personally, as I’ve said multiple times: where your son or daughter goes to college is not as important as how they choose to take advantage of the education. When my daughter was in Boston, she knew many Harvard students that simply skated by in their classes and told her “the hardest thing about Harvard is getting in.” She took classes offering her hands-on experience in the business community and a senior level course that gave them actual real-life marketing experience helping startup companies. And this was from a small liberal arts college.

Bottom line: it’s not about the name, it’s about the amount of effort your son or daughter puts into the education. Your son can go to a big name college and if he doesn’t apply himself, the education is a waste of your money. With college, as in life, you get out of it what you put into it.

Read Wendy’s post: Savvy Shoppers Have an Advantage in the College Process

_______________________________

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!

The bonus is on the fourth Wednesday of each month when Wendy and I will host Twitter chat #CampusChat at 9pm ET/6pm PT. We will feature an expert on a topic of interest for parents of the college-bound.

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 parentingforcollege to pocsmom.com and vice versa.

college guidance, college planning, Guest Posts, mom approved tips

Mom-Approved Tips: Planning for an Informed College Choice

1 Comment

 

college choiceBuilding off of the fabulous and informative articles about the economics of choosing a college featured earlier this month (Payscale’s 2015 College Salary Report and Mom Approved Tips: How to Choose a College), I want to share with you a simple system to help you make this huge decision and an informed college choice.

1. Schedule Time in Your Calendar to Implement the System

The first step in any system is scheduling time to implement it. Set aside an hour this week to start working through the following steps. This can be done as a family or by the student. The key to not getting overwhelmed by the process is taking it one little step at a time. Break down each task into small, easy to accomplish tasks, and you’ll be done before you know it.

2. Start with a Large List and Narrow it Down

You are much better off with a long list than a short list of colleges. Remember when you are deciding which college to attend it will have been three-six months since you were applying. A lot can change in that amount of time, so you want to make sure you have enough options to make the best decision. I recommend students have a final list of 8-10 schools. If applying to that many schools is a financial burden for you and your family, remember you can always request application fee waivers. You can do this my writing the college directly or check out the College Board or NACAC for more information on the standard application fee waiver requests.

To get down to those 8-10 schools, start with a much larger list. Put any school on the list that even piques your interest. Spend time browsing the net and talking to friends, family, teachers, and counselors. Don’t limit yourself. Just write everything down right now. You want to make a large list and then focus on narrowing it down by asking yourself the following questions.

3. What do you want to do after you graduate?

Do you have a particular career or major in mind? Spend your time researching the best undergrad programs. See which schools your dream companies recruit from. Are there intern or co-op programs? You can use the Payscale Best Schools by Majors list shared last week to help you. You can also look at rankings for different majors.

Maybe you are unsure about what you want to do after you graduate. That’s OK! You just might want to steer clear of very specific programs. For example, if you’re on the fence about engineering, you don’t want to have a list of exclusively engineering schools.

Look at your list and cross off any schools that don’t offer the major(s) you’re interested in. Put the schools with the best programs at the top of the list. Be sure to take a look at the companies that recruit from and attend the career fairs of the colleges on your list. Not many students or their parents do this, but it is probably one of the biggest factors for how easy or difficult your future job search will be.

4. What are the economics of your choice?

I specifically don’t want you to think about what your “budget” is or how much the college costs. You need to look at the whole picture. What sort of financial aid and scholarship packages do the schools offer? What are your parents able and willing to contribute? Use Katie’s advice to broach the subject. What is your potential starting salary? What are your potential lifetime earnings? WRITE IT ALL DOWN. Use this wizard to figure out how much student loan debt is reasonable for you. Use the Payscale information to get median salaries for different careers.

For example, if your dream job is teaching middle school, your salary will likely be in the $30,000-$60,000 range during your lifetime. So you need to consider if spending $200,000 on your education will be too big of burden. If so, cross those hefty price tag schools off your list.

On the other hand, if your dream job is a petroleum engineer for a big oil company, I would consider spending more money on a school with a strong program that has relationships with all the big companies over a school that’s cheaper but doesn’t have any oil companies going to their career fairs. Put the schools with the applicable company connections at the top of your list.

5. Where do you want to live and study?

Location, location, location. It can be a big factor in your enjoyment of college, the expense, and the ease of your future job search. It’s definitely easier to get a job in the city or area where you go to school. If you know you want to work in a particular city or region, check out the schools there. You’ll be able to build your network while in school, making the job search process a breeze.

Maybe you know you want to go to school in the South, Midwest, or Coasts. Keep in mind there are additional expenses if you go to school far from home (flights home, storage between semesters, etc.). Cross off any schools on your list in regions or cities you know you don’t want to spend four years of your life. Move schools in your ideal regions/cities to the top of your list.

6. Will I like spending the next four years there?

Are you big city or small town? Do you need to be close to family or want to break out on your own? Is Greek life important? How did you feel when you visited the school?

Do you have any friends or family who went to a school and loved it? If they have similar likes and dislikes to you, their opinion is very valuable. Ask them why exactly they like the school. Are their reasons important to you?

I had a mother ask me this very question. Her daughter visited a school and wasn’t crazy about it. This year her friend is going there and loves it, which is making her reconsider the school. Typically we’re friends with people who are similar to us and have similar likes and dislikes. I think your friend’s experience is actually more pertinent than a visit, especially if it was a visit you took during the summer. It’s hard to get a feel for a school by going on a campus tour when most of the students are gone. Ask your friend why she loves it. Even better, visit your friend at school if you can. You might even be able to catch a class or two with her. Use this information to cross off the schools where you know you won’t enjoy your time. Make sure the top 10 schools on your list are places you’d like spending the next four years.

Action Steps:

  1. Start your list today!
  2. Research schools based on majors/careers.
  3. Use this wizard  to figure out how much student loan debt is reasonable for you. Use Payscale  to get median salaries for different careers.
  4. Talk to people! Your friends, family, and mentors can all help you to decide on your final list. Just remember to ask questions to find out why they like the schools they like.
  5. Narrow down your list to the top 8-10 schools.
  6. Comment or email me with any questions. If you are looking for resources to help you craft the best application to get you into those 8-10 schools, get my four-step Base Brainstorming Workbook and 7-page GPA Boot Camp for FREE!

______________________________

Jessica YeagerToday’s guest post is from Jessica Yeager, a grad of Harvard and MIT, and a tutor and college coach for high-achieving students and their parents at Impress the Ivies. You can get her Base Brainstorming Workbook & GPA Boot Camp for free.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, Guest Posts

Mom-Approved Tips: How to Choose a College

1 Comment

 

Today I’ve opted to post an article written by a young woman who has worked as a financial aid officer and wants to spread the word about financial literacy and money management skills for college-bound teens. She has witnessed parents and students make some unwise decisions about college. She offers some excellent advice on how to choose a college.

__________________

Choosing which college to attend is a family decision.  Rather, it should be a family decision.  Especially if the family (i.e. parents!) will commit to covering the college expenses.

What the Experts Say

There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a college.  Some experts suggest  considering the national college rankings.   Others recommend choosing a college by the potential debt it might incur.  The College Board’s Big Future suggests a number of factors to consider when choosing a college, including size and location.  Some experts recommend visiting the college, speaking to students, alumni and faculty. Others recommend getting to know the resources available at the college and speaking to the admissions officers.  There are TONS of things to consider when choosing a college!

Almost all of the advice out there suggest that the decision should be based on information gathered by researching – and there’s not much of an emphasis on getting input from the family.

choose a collegeTaking a Different Approach

During my time as a financial aid counselor I helped many families learn about the college costs – AFTER the student had already enrolled in the college.  At that point, the student is already invested in the school and so is the family.

Also at this point many of the families (both parents and students) had regrets about their decisions and felt that it was too late to change course – it was the middle of the semester after all.  They had regrets about not evaluating their ability and willingness to pay for the college costs BEFORE having made the decision to attend.  Ability to pay is important – but even if a family has the ability to pay, doesn’t necessarily mean they have the willingness to pay.  Are they willing to pay $65,000/year for a private college?  Are they willing to take on the debt?

In many cases, by the time families came to me to explore their options about how to finance the college costs, they learned that they had very few options to make it work:

  • Borrowing Federal Parent PLUS Loans
  • Taking out home equity loans
  • Using credit cards
  • Dipping into their retirement accounts

The families were able to move forward with these decisions, but they had many hesitations about doing so.  Taking out a home equity loan, for example, was a common option that families chose.  But they were very uncomfortable with the decision.  The result?  Families ended up compromising their financial goals.

I recall some families would come up with other creative options like selling their cars or getting a second job.  I especially remember speaking to a father who admitted that he “sold the family gold” (I had no idea this was common practice!) to pay for his son’s education!

These families didn’t realize what they were getting into. Parents wanted to accommodate their student’s decisions, but I could tell that they were uncomfortable with the limited options.

This is why I strongly believe that choosing a college is a family decision. Because, like it or not, this decision affects the entire family – especially if there’s an expensive private college on your student’s radar.  It’s best to stay involved in this part of the process; and to make this decision together and compromise if necessary.

Does this make you feel uncomfortable?

It’s weird, right?  You’re probably thinking that choosing a college should be the student’s choice, not yours.  You don’t want them to feel guilty about wanting to choose an expensive college over a more affordable one that would make your life easier.  And you definitely don’t want to stand in the way of your child’s dream college.  It might even feel like you’re overstepping your boundaries by wanting to be involved in the final decision-making process.

This is normal.  In fact, it’s so normal that we forget that this is even a thing!  It’s called individualism and it places more value on the individual rather than the collective.  Merriam-Webster defines it as, “the belief that the needs of each person are more important than the needs of the whole society or group.”  Individualism is so deeply ingrained in our culture, that we don’t even question it.  Today, I want you to be critical of this deeply ingrained mindset.

Think about the differences between Eastern and Western philosophies.  In Western cultures, we place more value on the self, on our individual talents and accomplishments.  Eastern cultures place more value on collectivism which emphasizes the importance of groups, like the family, community, state, or country.

I believe that there is value in both Eastern and Western perspectives – and it’s important to balance between individualism and collectivism.

Individualism is a philosophy that we live by everyday and we don’t even notice it.  I want you to notice it today.  And when the time comes, I want you to notice it as it relates to choosing which college to attend.

How to Have the Conversation

I’d like to offer just ONE tip for you to work towards making this family decision: Next time you’re discussing college plans, you can say something like, “You can go to any college you want, but there may need to be some compromises.  We’re a team and we’re going to have to work together to make this decision work.”  Bottom line: the best thing to do is be direct, honest, and offer your support.

_____________

Katie's HeadshotAs a financial aid counselor, Katie has witnessed the lack of financial literacy among college students. That’s why she’s a big believer in learning money management skills early in life. Sign up for her newsletter where she shares tips about how to prepare your teen to make smart financial decisions: http://planningwithpoise.com/

college planning, college prep, websites

Custom College Rankings

 

For seniors, the college search is almost over. On May 1st, they will make their final college choice and look toward graduation and the fall when they become a college student.

For sophomores and juniors, the search has just begun. We’ve been learning about choosing a college over the last several weeks, with posts like: How to Choose a College, 7 College Search Apps for Parents and Students, and The Student Role in the College Visit. Students and parents are looking for tools that will help them as they begin that college list.

custom college rankingsWhat is Custom College Rankings?

Custom College Rankings is an amazing site created to help you view all the college statistics on a spreadsheet and change the criteria of the spreadsheet as you view it. There are over 2900 colleges and universities with statistics for each gathered from the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education.

How does it work?

According to the site, you can use the spreadsheet in three ways:

  1. To find colleges by using as many filters as you like on the spreadsheet.
  2. To compare colleges by checking the boxes on the spreadsheet of the colleges you want to compare.
  3. To look up the statistics for a specific college.

Why create another college search site?

It’s creator, Susie Sadowsky holds a B.A. in accounting from Michigan State University and an M.S. in computer science from San Diego State University. After helping her two teenagers through the college admissions process, she created CUSTOM COLLEGE RANKINGS to give others what she wishes had been available to her.

Her motivation is to help parents with the college search process and save them some of the frustration that I encountered when helping my children through this process. After reading how US News ranks colleges she realized that she didn’t care about several of the criteria they were using. Thus she wanted to create her own rankings. She wanted to combine the search for colleges and data gathering into one central area. The best way to do this she determined was on a spreadsheet

Ms. Sadowsky explains what’s different about her rankings:

  1. My spreadsheet combines searching for colleges with comparing data of colleges all in one spreadsheet. Many websites are good at helping you narrow down your college list but the data for your list of colleges can only be found on separate pages for each college.
  2. Fine tuning of filters when searching for a college. One thing that frustrated me when I was using other college search websites is when it came to specifying your desired size the choices were limited.
  3. Other websites do not include the crime statistics.
  4. My website ranks all colleges together. Other websites like US News rank Small Liberal Arts Colleges, Large National Universities and Regional Universities separately.

Take it for a test drive and let me know what you think. Custom College Rankings is just another tool parents can add to their arsenal of college prep.

 

 

admissions, college guidance, college planning, Sponsored posts

How Do You Choose a College?

2 Comments

 

choose a collegeTeenagers. They have such a simplistic view of life. When you ask many of them about college, they reply, “All I need is a degree”. They don’t know where they want to attend or how to choose a college. Many haven’t even thought about it until senior year.

How DO you choose a college? Do you choose it with your heart and not your head? Partially. Is it all in a name? Not necessarily. Is about going to a college close to home? Possibly. Is it about finding a college with Greek life? Could be. All these factors could play into your student’s college choice, but before you randomly choose a college that is famous; or that your student’s friend is attending; or is affordable, you need to do your research.

Here are some key factors you should consider before you make that college list.

The cost

The cost of the college is certainly a consideration. However, it should not be the only one. Most college sticker prices are not the cost you will pay. Expensive colleges aren’t necessarily the best fit for your student. Before you make that college list, however, discuss with your student what you will be willing to pay and add colleges that fall close to or below that figure. Applying to a college that is beyond your family’s reach financially will only cause heartache if your student is accepted and you can’t afford to pay.

Financial aid

If financial aid is a concern, you should search for colleges that offer high percentages of financial aid, such as Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina, offering financial aid to 84% of undergraduates, with the average financial aid package around $20,090.1 Facts and figures like this can narrow down the choices. Colleges that offer very little financial aid might not be a good fit for your student who needs help with college costs.

College majors offered

Your student may be interested in studying Asian History (like my son did); but is that a major that will be employable after graduation? For my son, it was not. Some may say that a degree is a degree, and on some levels many companies are simply looking for that diploma. But why spend four years studying something you won’t be able to use when you pursue a career?

In the current issue of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges 2014, you will find “11 Hot Majors That Can Lead to a Great Job.”2 If your student leans in any of these directions look for a college that has degrees in these fields:

  1. Biomedical Engineering
  2. Biometrics
  3. Forensic Science
  4. Computer Game Design
  5. Cybersecurity
  6. Data Science
  7. Business Analytics
  8. Petroleum Engineering
  9. Public Health
  10. Robotics
  11. Sustainability

Exploring the ROI (Return on Investment) of various careers is an important part of choosing a college.

Professor to student ratio

If your student has trouble focusing in class, is intimidated by large crowds, and needs more personal instruction to be academically successful, a large state university might need to be ruled out. There are plenty of small liberal arts colleges with great academic records and majors that would be a better fit for your student. When my daughter was choosing a college, our decision was highly dependent on this factor alone. Once we had found colleges that had low professor to student ratios, we were able to look at other key factors in making the decision.

Selectivity

Let’s face it. Everyone wants to go to Harvard. It’s the oldest and most prestigious university in the country and it is #2 in U.S. News rankings. Its name is instantly recognizable and equated with excellence. Unfortunately, Harvard is highly selective. The college offered admission to 5.9% of applicants this year. If your student doesn’t have all A’s and perfect SAT scores, Harvard is not for him.

However, there are many fine colleges that give credence to hard work and commitment. W. Kent Barnds, vice president of enrollment at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, where the average GPA was 3.17, makes the point:3

I think really, to be quite honest, most colleges and universities are delighted to work with the student who has a good work ethic and has taken difficult classes and has earned that B average.

College truly is for everyone. If your student is an average student, don’t despair. Look for the colleges that will recognize his potential and see him as a viable applicant. Better yet, look for the colleges that he would be a top applicant in the applicant pool. This translates into more merit aid in the financial aid package.

What else should you consider?

In addition to these key factors, you might also want to consider location, student services, graduation rates, alumni network, study abroad programs, and available internships.

There is the emotional factor as well that responds to the college surroundings. Rebecca Ridings, class of 2013 says, “I followed my sister to John Brown University and was struck by the beauty of the campus’s blooming dogwoods and its peacefulness”. Yet another current college student, Isha Pandya, class of 2016, notes when speaking of Bryn Mawr College, “The school’s beautiful 19th-century stone buildings, green lawns and cherry blossom trees help to create a welcoming environment.”4

Even with all the right information in place and gathering facts and figures, choosing a college is more than just a college on paper. Most students will tell you that they just “knew” when they set foot on a college campus that it was right for them.

For my readers—if you’re interested in purchasing a copy of U.S. News and World Reports Best Colleges 2014, use the coupon code: SCHOOL25.

______________

Best Colleges 20141. Excerpted from “Directory of Colleges and Universities”: in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2014. Available at usnews.com/college14. Copyright © 2013 U.S. News & World Report, L.P.; 2 Excerpted from “11 Hot Majors That Can Lead to a Great Job” (which provides additional information, including leading colleges that offer majors in these fields); 3. Excerpted from “What If You Don’t Have All A’s?”; 4. Excerpted from “Why I Picked . . .” All quotes Used by permission of U.S. News & World Report, L.P. All rights reserved. U.S. News allows republication of this excerpt without specific written permission or payment of royalties, provided that the excerpt is republished in its entirety without any modifications and includes this notice. Please contact permissions@usnews.com with any questions.

This is a paid sponsored post.

 
admissions, college planning, websites

A new tool for college admissions

2 Comments

 

statfuse college admissionsWhen I come across a product or service that can benefit parents and students during the college admissions process, I like to pass it along. StatFuse.com is a FREE service to help in choosing a college.

Getting into college these days is not as easy as it once was. The process for college admissions has changed over the years and become increasingly difficult. Even though the bar has been raised, admissions to college still are at the forefront of every prospective students mind.
Creating a list of schools to attend and crossing off the list as you get to know these institutions better. StatFuse.com takes all of your information and compares it to the standards your choice colleges have set. Our services can tell if you have what it takes, what you should do next, and maybe find a school that you didn’t even think about.

StatFuse allows students to create a free account where they can calculate their chances to colleges (through the “Chanculator”), find recommendations to colleges, track their progress to specific colleges, and much more. Parents can now plan their students’ future properly with the help of these tools while saving money on applications and other unnecessary fees.

This company was launched by two Southern California students, Jeet Banerjee & Supan Shah (ages 19 & 17) who wanted to help their fellow students solve some of the problems they faced as high schoolers. These young entrepreneurs developed the algorithm and innovative tools offered on the website and are focused on keeping this website free so that it is accessible to all students.

When asking the co-founders what their plans in the future for this company were, they simply said: “Our goal is to let every high school student and parent know about our product and how they can benefit from it.”

While StatFuse is beneficial in the college process, it’s important for parents and students to remember that statistics may predict your chances, but the human factor is also important. Choose your college wisely: using statistics, preferences, academics and future goals.

 

admissions, college guidance, college planning

5 tips for finding the “right fit” college

images-6

 

If you are reading this article, then you can probably relate to the saying “time flies”. One day, you were taking your child to their first day of school and now it’s time to help them start filling out applications for college. In what probably feels like a matter of just a few moments, your son or daughter has reached a huge milestone that requires a great amount of preparation.

We’re hoping that we can help the process by providing you with a list of some things that you can do to support your teen in finding the “right fit” college. Check out these five tips below:

1. Steer them away from peer pressure. According to US News & World Report, there was a report that was conducted a few years ago citing that a whopping 79 percent of high school students selected the college they would attend based on where their friends were going. It is important to discuss with your teen that college is a time of fun and learning a new level of independence, but it’s also a season of preparing for their career as an adult. Therefore, going somewhere to follow their best friend should not be considered a good enough reason.

2. Know what you’re working with. Say that your child has a particular school in mind but either they don’t have the right grades or it’s something that’s close to impossible to afford (even with a particular scholarship or financial aid). Before they put a lot of time and energy into applying, it’s a good idea to first sit down and discuss what schools will accept them based on their grades, ACT/SAT test scores and yes, what is financially feasible.

3. Discuss living arrangements. Once you know the realm of what you have to work with, it’s then time to discuss things like living arrangements. Do they want to stay at home? Do they want to live on campus? And if they do want to live in the dorm, how far away from home are they interested in attending? Also, is studying aboard an option? The reason why this is so important is because your child needs to feel comfortable and safe wherever they are; feeling secure will only help them to progress academically.

4. Make sure it complements their core values. If the best resume writer could provide your teen with some good advice on filling out their college applications, one of the things they would probably tell them is that it’s just as important to select a college that complements their values as it is to write a stellar college application essay. That is why some people go to a college that is based on a certain religion or is all-male or all-female. Definitely knowing what’s important to you, both in and outside of the classroom, is important when picking the right college.

5. Tour a few college campuses. Thanks to the power of technology, there are many college websites that offer interactive tours, but that doesn’t come close to personally going on some college campuses and seeing what they have to offer. So, if your teen does want to live on campus and/or doesn’t mind living in another state, take out a few weekends during their senior year to visit some schools. Talk to the administration, visit some of the dorms, discuss with your child is they feel better on a large or small campus. All of these things will help them in deciding which school will prove to be the most beneficial to them over the next several years of their academic life.

college costs, college guidance, college planning, financial aid

Website Heads Up: Frugal Dad

frugal dad

When I come upon a website that I think is a valuable resource for parents I like to spread the word. I came across this site: FrugalDad and found it loaded with parent resources. According to the “About” page:

What we at FrugalDad have noticed is that our readers were largely worried about two things in the aftermath of the financial meltdown: their retirements and their kids’ educations. A lot of very smart people are out there offering retirement, investment and personal financial advice. We didn’t want to become just another voice in the crowd, so FrugalDad.com has decided to focus its subject matter more narrowly on issues of higher education and how to pay for it. Although there are other sites that offer advice on the same types of topics, FrugalDad.com brings its own unique voice to the conversation – a voice that has been featured and profiled in the national media ever since it appeared on the scene.

FrugalDad is a blog, news, and research site that aims to inform the public on financing for higher education. The site offers a prolifera of news that can and will affect how families will save and pay for college as well as tips on how to finance an education in a way that makes sense for most people. This site is special because it was created by a father who had trouble financing a university education for his children. Along with life lessons and insights, this blog brings you news and tips that will be beneficial to parents and families with children who are planning to go to college.

Spend a few minutes browsing the site, checking out the blog posts and using their “find a cheap college” search tool.

college guidance, college planning, parenting

Parents–Advise, but don’t invade!

Most parents would like to be involved in their child’s college selection process.  Sometimes it’s hard to know how much is enough, though.  From my perspective as a student, it’s best to monitor and advise, but not to invade.

I am the youngest of three children, so my parents were pros when it came to college admissions.  If you are experiencing your first child going off to college, that’s a whole other ball game which may require more planning and research.  No matter what, keep in mind that this decision affects your child more than it affects you, so let them make the final decision.

My parents had a tactful strategy. They had several early conversations with me about what I found important in a potential school.  These aspects generally included a strong marketing program (my major), plentiful extracurricular opportunities, and a comfortable campus with an active & social student body.  My parents would share their concerns, which included campus safety, finances, distance from home, etc.

Once they knew that I had listened to their point of view, I was free to research any schools I wanted. I came up with a list of around fifteen schools and eventually narrowed that down to the six that I would apply to.  As soon as I had my finalists, my parents went into hyperdrive.  They made lists, spreadsheets and poster board-sized charts about the benefits and drawbacks of attending these schools.  They helped me rank my schools into ‘reach schools,’ ‘safety schools’ and the ones that fell somewhere in the middle.  Finally, my dad accompanied me on a trip to the east coast to visit a couple of them.

Ultimately, I decided to attend Syracuse University, a choice that my parents and I were equally comfortable with.  My mom swears that after all the time she spent looking into other schools, she “always knew I would go to Syracuse.”

***********

Adam Britten is a senior at Syracuse University majoring in Marketing Management.  Follow him on Twitter @AdamBritten.  Read his previous post on this blog, “The most important questions to ask a campus tour guide.”