If you’re a parent of a college-bound teen, you most likely feel overwhelmed. Where do you go for advice? How do you find the information you need to help? Where do you find support during the college prep process?
These 10 college influencers on Twitter (and a few others) can help you solve the problem. Follow them, ask questions and find all the information you need to go confidently through the college prep process. And it goes without saying, don’t forget to follow me! (@SuzanneShaffer):
Jodi is not only a bestselling author, speaker, entrepreneur and creator of #CollegeCash, she is a parent’s friend. She doles out free financial aid advice n Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and on the blogs she contributes to. Ask a question of Jodi, and you’ll get an answer.
Kelly, the founder of Smart College Visit, has a parent heart. She wants parents to have the best tools available when visiting colleges and most recently, applying to college with her company Smart College Consulting. Kelly has partnered with other college prep experts to give parents all the information they need to help their children along the way.
Seth doesn’t mince words. He is an independent college counselor and using his platform, The College Whisperer, he tells it like it is. He informs parents about how colleges take advantage of you, how they should view rankings, and how to find the best fit college for their student. Follow him and you will get the unabashed truth about college prep.
If your teen needs help with standardized test prep, Lauren is the place to go. She provides parents and students test prep information on her #CollegeChecklist podcast, on Twitter and on Facebook Live. Ask a question about the SAT or ACT? Lauren has the answer. Need some free practice tests? She’s got you covered. She is a rock star in this field.
Ethan studied screenwriting in college. He knows how to tell a story. He uses this technique to help students with their college essays. If your student is looking for essay examples, he provides them (along with critique) on his website. He has a “pay as you can” option for his essay online course. Follow him on Twitter and get tips on essay prompts and essay topics. If you’re tired of nagging, prodding, pushing and poking your student to work on the essay, hook him or her up with Ethan.
Monica rocks when it comes to scholarship advice. She helped her son win scholarships to pay for his entire education. She even wrote an ebook to help parents do the same. She says scholarship advice on Smart College Visit as “The Scholarship Mom” and is constantly updating parents and students via Pinterest and Facebook about current available scholarships. If you need someone that “gets” the fact that you need money to pay for college, follow Monica.
Sarah had a vision for University Parent while she was in college. She felt parents needed guidebooks to help them navigate the college their student chose. She moved into the internet realm by providing parents with practical college prep advice and advice for parents of college students. Parents feel free to comment and ask questions in the Facebook group, serving as a place for parents to commensurate and seek advice from other parents. Sarah is a college parent’s best friend.
Chad is the high school athlete’s best friend. If your student is an athlete hoping to be recruited or play college sports, Chad has you covered. He knows all the ins and outs of college athletic recruiting and can help your student throughout the process. He can help with college prep guidance and personalize it for your athlete. Chad’s the man!
Jessica helps parents and students through the college admissions process. She is an independent college counselor with extensive experience in college admissions offices. One of my favorite aspects of her blog, JLVConsulting, is her extensive lists of scholarships each month along with their deadlines. It’s a great free resource for students who are searching for scholarships.
Harlan was the first to speak directly to parents of college-bound and current college students through his best selling book, “The Naked Roommate”. He asks the tough questions, provides parents with answers, and gives online counseling to parents and students about adjusting and transitioning to college. Sign up for his FREE Live webinar for Parents (17 Things You Need to do Before College) on August 4.
Additional college influencers:
In addition to these personal accounts on Twitter, you should also follow these other accounts as well:
- Mybigfuture-The College Board’s Twitter account.
- Commonapp-The Common App’s Twitter account
- Fafsa-The FAFSA Twitter account
- Giftofcollege-Gift of College’s Twitter account (A company that helps parents save for college)
- SallieMae-Sallie Mae’s Twitter Account (student loans and college financing)
- Cappex– Cappex’s Twiter account (scholarship searches and college info)
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