Category Archives: college planning

admissions, college guidance, college planning, Guest Posts, parenting

Mom-Approved Tips: How to Help Your Child Get Into College (Without Being a Helicopter Parent)

March 23, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer 3 Comments

Today’s guest post is from Ryan Hickey, Managing Editor of Petersons & EssayEdge.

Your child is filling out forms, applying to schools, and getting ready to take the leap into the world of college life. As a parent, you may feel like your baby is slipping away, and as they begin acting more like an adult, your role becomes increasingly blurry. It’s not uncommon for parents to feel as confused, anxious, and overwhelmed as their college-bound kids.

The truth is, the college search process requires a delicate balancing act between parents and their children. As parents prepare to let go of their kids, they must offer their support and guidance while encouraging independence. In other words, show them that you trust them enough to make their own decisions, but be prepared to speak up when they make questionable choices.

Ultimately, establishing a parent-child relationship built on mutual respect and trust is one of the most rewarding things you can ever do for your offspring. By following these tips, you can help your child get into college, adjust to the coming changes and keep your sanity, making you proud of what you’ve both accomplished.

Set aside plenty of time and energy to focus on the college search.

Taking the time to really decide on a college is not a simple or straightforward process — for you or your child. In fact, it can be unpredictable and haphazard. Don’t put things off until the last minute, when you might be distracted by work or they’re just trying to get through exams. Instead, get started early; ideally, you should begin looking for schools at least in your child’s junior year. If you organize right and work together, you can get it all done during their senior year, especially if you start early in the semester.

Use the resources available to you.

Colleges and universities know that this can be a trying time for both you and your child, and they have numerous resources available. Even before your child gets accepted into a school, ask as many questions as necessary to your contacts in the school. Knowing the answers to your questions gives you a leg up on the future, as well as helping alleviate some of your fears. Find out what kinds of resources are available before your child starts class, and use them early and often. It’s important to keep your child up-to-date on any communications you may have with contacts at schools — they should feel just as involved in the process as you do. When they have questions of their own, guide them to the resources they need to find answers.

Let your child make the final decision.

You may have your own ideas about where you want your child to go, but remember that choosing is an important part of growing into an adult. Make them part of the process, helping them to identify what draws them to one school versus another. This can help you bridge the gap between what you both want. Showing support for such an important decision can also help you, as the parent, show that you trust your child, something that can pay dividends down the road.

These tips can help you get started, but it’s up to you and your child to keep the momentum going. By making the process a unified approach between yourself and your child, you stand a better chance of making everything come together when your loved one steps out of your home and into their first college classroom.

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About the Author

Ryan Hickey is the Managing Editor of Peterson’s & EssayEdge and is an expert in many aspects of college, graduate, and professional admissions. A graduate of Yale University, Ryan has worked in various admissions capacities for nearly a decade, including writing test-prep material for the SAT, AP exams, and TOEFL, editing essays and personal statements, and consulting directly with applicants.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, mom approved tips

Mom-Approved Tips: Skip the Wait List

March 16, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer

It’s college decision time and there will be disappointed teens receiving those words from the college, “You have been placed on the wait list.” You might think it somewhat softens the blow of the rejection, but does it? What are the odds that your student will be taken off the wait list and offered admission?

My advice: skip the wait list. Why? Getting off the wait list is like playing the lottery. Here’s are three examples of wait list statistics taken from the College Board’s website:

University of Texas

Stanford University

University of Michigan

(Note: To see any college wait list statistics, click here, type the college name, and select “applying” for the specific college)

As you can see, the odds are NOT in your student’s favor. And for highly selective colleges like Notre Dame and Dartmouth, the number is zero. Students who place all their cards on the table for their wait list schools are often disappointed. They reject offers of admission from perfectly good colleges hoping against hope that they will be taken off the wait list.

Instead of playing the wait list odds, take a second look at your second choice colleges. Read my list of 5 Good Reasons to take a look at your 2nd Choice College.

Colleges who offer admission want your student. They see potential and have offered them a spot in their freshman class. And if a college backs that up with an excellent financial aid package, all the more reason to reconsider your options.

Why do colleges use the wait list?

Lynn O’Shaughnessy on The College Solution blog, explains the college’s rationale when using wait lists:

Schools use their wait lists as a way to manage their admission yield. They’d rather put more students on a wait list and pluck teens off as needed than accept more students and then see too many of these teenagers spurn their admission invitation.

Schools want to be in control of saying, “No.” And when they say no to more students, they look more selective which appeals to families looking for elite schools. And U.S. News & World Report’s also rewards schools that reject more applicants.

One major reason why highly ranked schools are placing more students on wait lists because admission administrators are stressing out that ambitious applicants are applying to a very large number of elite schools and they can’t get a handle on which teens would accept an invitation to their school.

With help from the Common Application that makes it easy to apply to many schools, some high-achieving, affluent students are treating college admission to elite schools like a high-stakes lottery. The application mania also explains why prestigious private schools are accepting more early-decision candidates whom they can lock up early.

Using a wait list is also a way to reject students without completely demoralizing them. It can be a helpful tool, for instance, to turn away students of alumni, who are not desirable candidates. Some students see an invitation to a wait list as something to even brag about. I’m not joking.

The wait list also allows some schools to generate more revenue by not offering financial aid to anyone rescued from their lists.

Don’t fall prey to these tactics. Encourage your student to consider the colleges who have offered admission. In the long run, it will probably be the best decision you ever make.

college planning, internships

5 Summer Jobs for Students

March 5, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer

Summer is the perfect time for students to save up for the next semester and get some practical experience to complement their degree programs. Websites like Randstad Education can help students prepare for job interviews, find work and read articles about teaching.

According to Forbes, some of the best summer jobs for students help to pad a resume, while providing valuable work experience. With the fierce competition of today’s job market, students have to work harder than ever to stand out in a pool of highly qualified applicants.

Freelance Writing

Students that don’t need a job immediately can get started on the road to freelance writing. Getting clients and working to build a portfolio of writing over the summer is the perfect time to get involved in an industry that shows great promise and growth. Additionally, students that succeed can build a source of income that can be accessed for the rest of their lives.

Internships

An internship requires some preparation, and typically an internship is not paid. The benefits of an internship might include some light compensation and the ability to bolster a resume with relevant work experience. If a student decides to do an internship, it’s important to pick one that is relevant to the chosen career field. Often, internships turn into real, paying jobs once the student graduates from college.

Restaurant Jobs

Working in a restaurant is a good way to earn some extra money and develop valuable customer service skills. Students who work as servers, attendants, hosts and hostesses can earn some pay while getting real-world practice dealing with difficult situations. The food industry is notoriously difficult, and working as a waiter or waitress increase a student’s ability to hold information in their mind and increase memory.

Start a Business

Students don’t have to settle for working for someone else while in college. Taking the initiative to start a business can show great work ethic and prove the student is a self-starter. There are plenty of options for starting a business and students can offer tutoring, complete chores for neighbours or create a craft that can be sold on one of the many online websites, like Etsy.

Construction Work

For students who want high-paying, temporary work and don’t care about how it looks on a resume, construction work can be very lucrative. It’s definitely hard work, but construction work helps keep you in shape, teaches the value of hard work and pays extremely well compared to many other industries.

Your student can surely benefit from any of these summer jobs. Not only can it help them earn during summer time, but the value of hard work and experience will certainly help shape them into a more responsible and mature individuals.

college planning, Uncategorized

Truth or Fiction: Are Boarding Schools Exclusive?

February 20, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer

Hollywood has warped the concept of a boarding school. Many people think of these schools as private country clubs that are expensive and exclusive. The truth is that these schools are very diverse, with children from all over the world attending classes and participating in their extracurricular activities. A local neighborhood school relies on the community for students, but boarding students come from everywhere. Because you live with your classmates, you actually have more opportunities to get to know them and learn about their culture.

Around one-third of the students receive some type of financial assistance to help with their tuition. An education at a boarding school is much more accessible than ever. Many schools offer grants, scholarships, and loan programs for families who want their children to receive a rigorous education. Read further for more information about the diversity and availability of a private education that emphasizes personal growth and academics.

Click graphic below to see entire infographic.

Infographic from Athol Murray College of Notre Dame

college planning, college prep

Avoid These Three College Stressors

February 18, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer

If your child is the first in the family to go to college, that carries a whole lot of stress. Being a first generation student can put added pressure on the student and the family. As stressful as that seems, here are three college stressors even bigger, and some tips on how to alleviate them:

It’s so much more expensive than you thought

When it comes to college, expect two, high-voltage doses of sticker shock. The first comes when you start looking at the tuition price. If information is free, why is the diploma so expensive? Once you fully accept that college is something you should have been saving for all your life, there is the second financial reality to deal with.

The price of college is more than the cost of credits. Your child is leaving home for the first time and could possibly need to take out a student loan. Don’t worry. You’re not alone. About 60% of college students take out a student loan to help pay the tab, according to the information on this site. It walks you through all the key information you need for understanding, and selecting a good student loan. Once your child graduates, and paychecks start arriving from his gainful employment, he will begin repaying the loan. In the meantime, you are still on the hook for those expensive Nike shoes.

You worry about his commitment to academics in college.

Every parent believes their child is going to be the next Einstein. Even if your child was a good student in high-school, it does not follow that she will be brilliant in college. There is too much riding on good grades to leave it to chance. What you need is some type of college prep assessment to be certain little Johnny has what it takes to make it in the big league.

Accuplacer and Work Keys are good places to start. These assessment systems give your child the opportunity to figure out his academic strengths and weaknesses. They are only two of several options that serve the same purpose. For a reasonably good student, ACT and SAT test prep courses may be sufficient. Either way, you, as a parent, don’t have to go into it blind. That should be a huge stress relief.

Letting go is easier said than done.

You think you’re ready to kick them out of the nest, and start your new life as a professional vacationer. But when you make that long drive home after dropping them off at college, you are flooded with all the doubts and misgivings associated with separation anxiety.

Fortunately, most of that worry is necessary. You did a good job preparing them for life. They have the same chance of surviving and doing well as you had, maybe better. Still, not everyone matures at the same rate. For some, eighteen years may not be quite enough. If you are genuinely worried about their ability to be independentl, keep them home for another two years while they work out their issues in community college. Academically, they will lose nothing, while gaining a little more time to mature at home. You will also save money.

Money, aptitude, and letting go make up three of the biggest stresses you will face when sending your child off to college. With student loans, prep tests, and community college, these stresses can be nearly eliminated.

admissions, college guidance, college planning, financial aid

Before the Offers of Admission and Financial Aid Awards Arrive

February 17, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer

College acceptances for regular admission will be posted and arriving soon. Just a little later, will come the financial aid award packages. Before you and your student have to make the final college choice and before the financial aid awards arrive, consider these four activities in preparation:

1. Revisit colleges that have offered admission

Early spring is the perfect time to revisit the colleges that have offered admission. If possible, attend an admitted student session, stay on campus overnight, or just revisit to help your student refresh his memory of the setting and the students. While most would advise that you not accept an offer without a visit, some might disagree. Personally, I believe that visiting campus will help cement the decision in your student’s mind.

2. Discuss money

If you haven’t already done so, discuss what you will contribute and what your student will contribute toward the cost of college. This is an important discussion because once the offers of admission arrive and the financial aid package, it’s conceivable that your student’s decision will be based purely on emotions and not take into consideration the financial aspect of the decision.

University Parent has two great articles that address this topic: The Money Talk Part 1: Setting expectations with your student and The Money Talk Part 2: Put college funding into high gear!

3. Take a look at your 2nd, 3rd and 4th choice colleges

Before the offers (and rejections) arrive, take a look at your student’s 2nd, 3rd and 4th choice colleges. If necessary, revisit them. Re-examine why these colleges made the list and take a closer look at their offerings. This second look might move one of the colleges to the top of the list.

4. Understand the components of the award letter

Before you start receiving those financial aid offers, you should understand what’s in a typical award letter. Thankfully, there are tools available and information to help you look at these letters for what they are: the college’s pitch for your student to accept their offer of admission. You are in control of this process and you hold the cards. It’s your decision to accept or reject their offer based on the amount of aid they are willing to give your student. Money, in this situation, is everything.

college planning, college prep, Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: Time Management and Your Teen

February 11, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer

With all the tasks involved in college prep it makes sense to concentrate on good time management. But encouraging a teenager to use these skills is often like a standing in front of a speeding train. They have tunnel vision and one track minds. Their priorities are often out of whack and misguided. Time management is not on the list of their priorities.

When my son and daughter were in high school they had two very different academic patterns. My son did his homework during his breaks and immediately after school. My daughter had so many activities and a highly active social life. She always waited until the last minute to do her homework and often stayed up later at night to complete it. To this day, she tends to over commit and wait until the last minute. My son, on the other hand, still does his work promptly and manages his time effectively.

When it comes to college prep, your teen needs to be able to learn time management in these three areas:

Study time

Time management is a key factor when pursuing academic excellence. In this post, 5 Tips to Manage Your Studies. Learning this skill before college will prepare your student for the rigorous studies he will encounter in college.

College prep activities

College prep activities require time management. There are college applications, financial aid applications, scholarship applications and test registrations that will all have deadlines.

Scholarship searches

If your student is on the lookout for scholarships, time management is essential. He will have to allocate time for the searches and the applications, and stay on top of all submission deadlines.

With so many activities for the college-bound teen during high school, time management can help reduce stress. Time management skills will also benefit him in college as well.

Read Wendy’s post: Best Ways to Manage College Prep Time

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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 planning, college prep

Crafting the Ultimate College List

February 10, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer

This article was written by Robin Noble and previously published on University Parent.

college list — –photo courtesy of University Parent–

My high school junior’s college search is going in a maze of directions as she works to create a list of schools for serious consideration. The list is important and timely. She will use it to decide which schools to visit this spring with limited time and travel dollars.

Lately I sense she is a touch overwhelmed. I wonder: how can I help my daughter figure out which schools will be a good fit for her?

Like you, I’m up on the feel-good wisdom here: be positive, let your student be her own guide, encourage her to let the process flow from within. All good thoughts, but parents certainly have some important roles to play.

You are the voice of financial reality.

Before your student gets her heart set, get clear on what your family can afford. Take half an hour to work through the “net price calculator” available on most school websites, or use theFAFSA4caster to estimate federal student aid. These tools calculate your family’s financial need — essentially the difference between the college sticker price and what the formula says you are able to contribute.

Net price calculators don’t assess potential merit aid — institutional money set aside for students based on varying factors like GPA, standardized test scores, advanced courses, etc. Some institutions include merit calculators on their websites; many do not. To learn how specific schools determine merit aid, don’t hesitate to call the admissions office and ask.

With net price and merit aid estimates in hand, your student’s list can be more economically viable. If you and she have assumed that private scholarships and loans will fill gaps, the amounts you are supposing are now clearer, and that’s a good thing.

Read the entire article: Reality, fit and substance–the ultimate college list

And don’t forget to sign up for the high school parents newsletter while you are there!

admissions, college guidance, college planning, mom approved tips

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

February 9, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer

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, career colleges, college planning, community college, Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: Is Community College Right for Your Student?

January 28, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer 1 Comment

Higher education is a complicated issue for many students and parents today. College education is a necessity for finding success and prosperity in many career paths, but rising concerns about student loan debt and graduate unemployment are making the process of pursuing education more stressful and uncertain than ever before. Community colleges are becoming increasingly popular options for students everywhere, as a means of securing foundation credits before transferring to a university. Is community college a path that your teen should consider?

Community college gets a bad rap

Community colleges are often viewed as being stigmatized in many academic circles. Students and parents alike disdain the idea of a community college education because they believe that more prestigious institutions will look down upon them. Worries about how an employer will view community college education on a resume are disconcerting as well. However, you shouldn’t be concerned about such fallacies. Your teen can study at a community college before transferring to another school, and still have access to all the same opportunities as every other student.

Consider the costs

With college costs soaring, community college remains one of the most affordable options—in fact, it can save you a bundle.

•Community college tuition is significantly lower than that of traditional colleges and universities as well as public institutions.

•While attending a local community college, students can often remain living at home saving on room and board which on average is close to $10,000 a year.

•If your child is employed while in high school, they can keep their job by staying local throughout their college years. This income can often go a long way towards helping pay for transportation and college costs.

•If low grades are preventing your child from getting a scholarship at a college or university, attending a community college to earn an associate’s degree can be an affordable stepping-stone.

While you can likely finance an expensive private college or university with federal student loans or private loans—consider too that your child will be one-step ahead financially if they can enter the workforce debt-free.

Getting an education with potential

Gone are the days when masses of young people went to college for a general liberal arts degree with no specific career focus in mind. With the sagging job market, students have their eye on promising careers with upward mobility and lucrative salaries. For students looking to enter rapidly growing job markets, community college can be a viable option.

Many in-demand, well-paying, jobs require only an associate’s degree. More and more educational programs are offering these career-focused degrees. Careers such as electricians, plumbers, and mechanics are financially lucrative and graduates who can work in these fields are in high demand.

Many graduating seniors have decided to take the community college path before heading off to a 4-year university. They will tell you that they’ve made that choice for several reasons: cost, academic preparation, and the freedom to stay at home for the first few years. Community colleges aren’t just training grounds for technical careers, they are also the first stop for about 4 in 10 of college-bound high school graduates.

Community college might not be for everyone. But, it might be a perfect fit for your teen. And, if your teen is planning on making it the start of a 4-year degree plan, do some research and verify that the classes will transfer to the university they plan to attend.

Read Wendy’s blog: 3 Surprising Reasons to Consider Community College

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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.

Parenting for College

Category Archives: college planning

Mom-Approved Tips: How to Help Your Child Get Into College (Without Being a Helicopter Parent)