Tag Archives: college planning

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

Southern Truisms for the College Admissions Process

southern truisms

I’ll admit (willingly) that I like to offer my unsolicited advice to my children, often in the form of southern truisms (I grew up in the south and was raised by a family of southerners). Even though they are grown, I feel the need to continue to parent. As they did when they were younger, they smile, listen, and then do things their own way. It’s a type of dance parents and kids do with one another.

The hardest part of the college admissions process for a parent is finding a balance in your parenting. You want to encourage them, guide them and help them make the right choices. But when you push too hard, nag and set guidelines that interfere with their independence and individual choices you create a stressful and frustrating college preparation experience. This is a monumental step in your child’s life and you don’t want to taint it with fighting, frustration and family discourse.

Following are 5 tips for parents of college-bound teens (based around good old southern truisms) to keep peace in the home and reduce the stress related to the college admissions process:

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college guidance, college planning, parenting

Choosing the Right School

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school

Picking a new school or college can be a long and arduous experience. Not only does it seem like there are so many schools to choose from, but it can also be tricky to determine what’s best for your child. Although many schools offer something unique, it can be hard to find one that ticks all the boxes. So, how can you know if a school is right for your child no matter how old they are? Here are four vital factors to consider. 

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college guidance, college planning, surviving college

Making the Most of Your College Experience

college

Going to college is about much more than just learning an academic subject. In today’s society, it’s just about the closest thing we have to a rite of passage. Young people attend universities to become adults and survive in the real world. It’s a sort of half-way house between school and the world of work. 

As such, college isn’t just for learning. And while remote courses might be convenient, they’re not as fulfilling. Students need a university experience to set them on the right track in life and get them to where they want to be. 

Studying hard for college courses during the week is okay. But students should really focus on dedicating time to other things on campus. It can’t all just be about work. 

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admissions, college planning, college prep, parenting

New Survey Shows Parents Want to Be Involved in the College Process

college process

You probably don’t need a survey to tell you what you already know: parents are more involved in the college process than ever before. They want to participate in the decision and communicate with the colleges. They want to help and guide their students in the decision-making process.

Here’s what the survey found:

Insight #1-Parents want direct communication from colleges.

Parents want to be more involved. Parents are increasingly anxious and hands-on. Parents want communication from the college and want to participate in the college decision. They want to be involved at the same time as their students in the college search.

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admissions, college guidance, college planning, college prep, parenting

Should Your Student Apply to 40 Colleges?

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colleges

I read a post from a parent on one of the Facebook groups I follow. Her son was applying to 40 colleges and she asked how he was going to do it using the Common App since there is a maximum of 20 allowed in the application.

Parents chimed in with suggestions on how to supplement the Common App by applying via college websites and choosing alternate college applications. I read all the suggestions, which were logical and helpful. I kept wondering if anyone would respond by encouraging her to help her son narrow down his list.

Finally, someone spoke up with that suggestion. I’m hoping the mother took their advice because it was the most logical of all.

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college guidance, college planning, college safety, life lessons, parenting

5 Things to Make Time for Before College in the Fall

college

The days and weeks before your child heads off to college can be manic. You have so many things to arrange to ensure that they are prepared for flying the nest and starting classes that you rarely get a moment to sit down and think. 

However, there are a few things you should absolutely make time for before they head off to college and out of your home, including the following:

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college costs, college guidance, college majors, college planning

How to Find the Best College Bargains

college bargains

In today’s world, we are all looking for bargains. How much can I save on this purchase? Is there a coupon for that item? The college decision process should be no different. You never want to pay full sticker price on a car, and you shouldn’t pay full sticker price for the college education. Here are just a few money saving tips on how to find the best college bargains.

Use online information to find the most generous colleges.

You can start your search by looking at the colleges who are generous with their financial aid by meeting the highest percentage of financial need. How do you find those colleges? It’s simpler than you might think. You can research them at the College Board’s site: Big Future. You need to follow the box at the bottom of the page that says “Find Colleges” and click the search button.

For a step-by-step guide, you can read The College Solutions Blog with photos of each step and how to use the tool.

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college planning, gap year, parenting

What Parents Need to Know About a Gap Year

gap year

I want to take a gap year before I go to college” are some of the most feared words by parents. What do we fear? We fear they won’t want to go back to school after being off for a year. We fear they will lie around the house, watch TV and play video games. We fear they aren’t thinking clearly and have no idea what they are saying. And for those competitive parents, it’s not what they planned.

Don’t fear the gap year. Not every student is ready for college after high school. Some simply aren’t mature enough, and others simply don’t know where they want to go or what they want to study. And if this is the case, would you want to spend thousands of dollars on college if it meant they dropped out their first semester? Of course you wouldn’t want to do that.

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college costs, college planning, Guest Posts

5 Changes Parents Should Make When Paying for College

paying for college

Your children are going to college. You may think it will be easy because you’ve been saving for it. But seeing the college fee structure, you’ll know it will not be easy. Coming out of the stress-induced fog might help you manage the costs. 

Here are five things you can do to help you on this journey of paying for college:

Understand your financial situation

Now that your child is off to college, as parents, you’re now left with taking care of the expenses like tuition, housing, and school supplies. Sitting down and looking into your finances is step one for parents. The next step is to make a budget, reevaluate your finances, and look into every savings account because the college costs are now added to your other expenses. 

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college costs, college planning, financial aid, financial planning

10 Ways to Pay for College Without Incurring Debt

pay for college

Debt from college tuition has skyrocketed over the last several years. Parents and students are weighing their ROI (return on investment) before making their college choices. As college costs have shot up, so has student debt. How can you pay for college without incurring debt?

According to the latest Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit, outstanding student loan debt stood at $1.58 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2021, an $8 billion decline from the third quarter. About 5 percent of aggregate student debt was 90+ days delinquent or in default in the fourth quarter; the lower level of student debt delinquency reflects a Department of Education decision to report current status on loans eligible for CARES Act forbearances. 

That’s the bad news. But if you’re a savvy consumer and research the costs before signing on the dotted line, you should be able to go to college without incurring debt. Zac Bissonnette, author of DebtFree U, is proof that it can be done. He graduated from college with zero debt.

Believe it or not, you may be able to graduate without debt if you use these 10 ways to pay for college:

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