Category Archives: college planning

admissions, college guidance, college planning, financial aid

Preparing your student for college graduation

Last night in the #CampusChat discussion we were talking about moving into college and what to pack. One participant stated she took her whole life with her to college because she never planned to move back home after college graduation; and to her credit she did not.

Most parents believe (or hope) that once their student goes off to college they will only be temporary visitors at home. We often talk about getting into college, but rarely discuss what happens after graduation. Unfortunately, in today’s economy, many students are forced to move back in with their parents after they graduate. For those boomerang students, the top two reasons are no job or job prospects and too many student loans exceeding their expected income.

These reasons alone make it important for parents to be involved in the financial decisions that their students make related to the college they choose and the loans they choose to incur while attending. Of course your student may WANT to go to an expensive private college, but can you, as a family, afford it? Is your student prepared for the ramifications of taking out massive student loans and not being able to repay them?

Three scenarios

After the student returns home three scenarios usually play out.

Scenario One

Your student returns home and still can’t find a job with their college degree. After weeks of depression and frustration, they make the decision to attend graduate school. Since it’s expensive, they opt to take out graduate student loans to supplement the financial aid and provide living expenses. After they complete their graduate degree, they are able to gain employment and begin paying back their loans.

Scenario Two

Your student finds a minimum wage job, defers their student loans and still can’t find a job related to their college degree and major. They end up working in a field that is completely unrelated to their area of interest, in a job they do not like, and are still unable to pay back their student loans. They borrowed too much and will probably never crawl out of the hole they dug for themselves.

Scenario Three

Your student returns home, finds a minimum wage job, defers their student loans and saves every penny they make while living at home. They are able to begin paying back their student loans with their savings and continue the job hunt while working full time. Many times, those temporary jobs end up being avenues to find college degree employment either through networking or company advancement.

With scenario one, if your son or daughter opts to pursue the graduate degree path, it’s critical they do their homework, research interest and payback rates, and degrees that are worth their investment. If they don’t, they could end up as the student in the second scenario with too much debt and no job prospects.

Summing it up (my opinion)

Advise your student wisely about debt, college value, and degree prospects after graduation. It’s not just a decision on which school they “like”. It’s a decision that affects the rest of their life and could have overwhelming negative consequences. Parents are key role players in this decision. It’s our job to point out the possible ramifications of their decisions and allow them to have input. But (and this is is hard) if they won’t listen to reason, you might have to be a parent. I know because I had to take that role with my daughter and her college choice. I had to be the “bad guy” and kept her from attending her first choice college. Today she thanks me. At the time, she wasn’t very happy with me–but she fell in love with her second choice college and graduated with minimal debt.

Being a parent can be extremely hard; we have to balance guidance with “helicoptering” and know when to take a stand for the well-being of our kids. It’s a difficult job on the best of days and downright frustrating on the worst of them. Helping them with the college choice as it relates to financial consequences is one of those “take a stand” moments.

 

admissions, college guidance, college planning, financial aid

Do you need help with the college process?

I’m hearing more and more from parents that they are desperate for help and answers. It seems they are drowning in the sea of college information out there. They don’t know who to listen to, where to go for help, and how to make the best use of the help they find.

There are two tools that will answer every question you ever had about how to handle the multitude of questions related to the college admissions process: my Parents Countdown to College Toolkit AND Paul Hemphill’s Plan for College Videos. Both resources will help you help your student navigate the college maze. If you own both you can finally sleep at night!

For a limited time only (until September 30th), Paul and I are offering parents a 2 for 1 special–buy my Parents Countdown to College Toolkit and you receive a FREE subscription to Paul’s Plan for College Video Series. These tools can save your family hundreds or even thousands in college costs and help you help your student market themselves to the colleges, thus receiving multiple scholarships.

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 The best help available to help parents navigate the college maze.

If you’re a parent of a college-bound teen, you can’t afford to pass up this opportunity. You and your student will have the peace of mind, knowing that all your questions are answered and you have done everything you can to help them get into their first choice college (with scholarships and merit-aid, of course!).

Click this link to learn more about the Toolkit,

purchase and score your 2 for 1 deal!

college guidance, college planning, websites

Your student wants to study medicine

 

Remember when your now teenager came up to you as a toddler and said they wanted to be a doctor when they grew up? We smiled and said, “that’s great sweety” and knew that years down the road their interests would change. But what if it didn’t change? What if your college-bound teen still wants to pursue a career in health care? How do you help them find the career and right education path that best suits their personality and career goals?

Are they interested in medical research? Does medical imaging interest them? Are they interested in nursing and see themselves as care givers to the sick? Would they like to study psychology and work with the mentally ill or those who are emotionally hurting?

As you can see, there are numerous career paths your student could choose if they want to be part of the health care community.  It can be overwhelming, especially if they aren’t sure which direction they want to go and what type of education they will need and the top programs available. The good news, however, is that the American Medical Association has devoted a section of their website to help your student learn about all careers in the medical field.

Here’s the list (which might surprise you):

  • Allied health
  • Complementary and alternative medicine and therapies
  • Communication sciences
  • Counseling
  • Dietetics
  • Dentistry and related fields
  • Expressive/creative arts therapies
  • Health information and communication
  • Laboratory science
  • Medical imaging
  • Nursing
  • Pharmacy
  • Physician
  • Physician assistant
  • Podiatry
  • Psychology
  • Therapy and rehabilitation
  • Veterinary medicine
  • Vision-related professions

The great thing about this list on the site is that it gives you all the information your student will need to make an informed decision about a specific medical field. When you click on a specific field, you can see the careers related to that specialty. For instance, Medical Imaging has Diagnostic medical sonographer, Magnetic resonance technologist, Medical dosimetrist, Nuclear medicine technologist, Radiation therapist, Radiography and Registered radiologist assistant. Each career has a corresponding PDF that provides you with information related to salary, education required, and even contact information to ask additional questions.

It is also possible to get your degree online by enrolling in registered nursing, Bachelor of Science in nursing, Master of Public Health, and Master of Human Services programs. These programs provide you with everything that traditional schooling does, except for you can complete the coursework from the comfort of your own home. Applying for a program in the health field is as simple as filling out an application and submitting it to an online university, allowing you to begin the next stage of your professional life in no time at all.

This type of information can prove invaluable when making a decision on which college to attend, which career path to pursue and what the career outlook is after graduation. If you son or daughter is interested in any area of the medical field, send them to this site. The information the AMA provides might help them make a more informed decision about their future.

 

college guidance, college planning

Useful college information for parents

Since I’ve been gone for six months (on an unexpected hiatus) my blog has lacked new content. It’s always been my goal to provide parents with useful information that will help them guide their students through the college maze of requirements, planning, applications, visits and selection. It is this commitment that has made me come up with a schedule for my blog, in the hopes that parents will know what to expect each week from its content and know where to look for the information they need.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances (like the last six months), my goal is to post daily and I have decided to focus on these topics:

  • Monday-In the News (a post related to the latest and best news in the college admissions community)
  • Tuesday-Website evaluation (websites that will help parents and students find the information they need to make informed college choices)
  • Wednesday-Guest bloggers (anyone with a message for parents and students is welcome to submit an article for publication)
  • Thursday-Editorials (using this platform to voice my own personal feelings about all things college)
  • Friday-Infographics (timely infographics that provide useful college information)
  • Sunday-Scholarships (helping you find scholarships for your student)

It’s my hope that this consistent blogging will provide a platform to help parents find the information they need during the college search and application process. If you have a request for a specific article related to any of these topics or have an idea for a guest post, please feel free to contact me:  

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

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college planning, social networks

Colleges and Pinterest

 

I’ve been out of the loop for more than a few months but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been listening to the buzz about Pinterest. I’ve stuck my feet in the water and have determined that it’s a visual social site. It’s all about the pictures and the action those pictures invoke, resulting in “pins” on boards. It’s an interesting concept that seems to have taken off and is boasting the title of “the fastest growing social media site”.

It’s no surprise that colleges have jumped on the bandwagon, posting pictures of their campuses to attract incoming students. However, collected data from comScore shows that the average 18-to-24 year old college student is not listed at the top of the list of visitors using Pinterest, falling behind the age group of 25-to-34 years. That hasn’t stopped colleges from getting on board and “pinning” everything from student activities to dorm room photos.

Here are just a few examples of some colleges who have taken the plunge:

The University of Washington’s Athletic Department has their own “Huskies” account, pinning everything from “The Best 4 Years of Your Life” to “Party Like a Husky” to “Huskies in Hollywood”.

Rutgers University has an account specifically directed to the interested applicants. Some of their boards include: Rutgers Traditions, Where “R” We?, Study Abroad and Notable Alumni.

 

University of South Carolina appears to be relatively new to Pinterest, but has started with pins related to their campus, sports activities and South Carolina events.

 

My personal favorite, however, was passed along to me by the parents of an incoming freshman to the University of Wisconsin. That college has set up a page for parents, perhaps the smartest use of Pinterest to date by a university, especially since a large number of Pinterest users are the parents (moms) of those college-bound teens.

 

If you’re interested, take a peek at these colleges and do your own search for the colleges that interest your student. Whether you like Pinterest or not, you have to give kudos to the colleges who are embracing this new technology. Only time will tell if it’s an effective tool to attract new students and/or inform parents.

 

college planning, financial aid, in the news

College Debt = Higher Tuition and less Merit Aid

The Wall Street journal posted an article today, “Tough Times for Colleges–and College Towns”, about the tough times that colleges are facing.

The outlook isn’t good. Bain, which markets its consulting services to universities, and Sterling Partners, which invests in education companies, examined the balance sheets from 2006 to 2010 of schools in their report. They found many schools operating on the assumption that the more they build, spend and diversify the more they will prosper. They have become overleveraged, with long-term debt increasing at an average rate of about 12% a year and average annual interest expense growing at almost twice the rate of instruction-related expense.

Schools have been trying to plug the gap by jacking up tuition at rates that aren’t sustainable. The result is a fiscal hurdle that dozens of second- and third-tier public and private schools won’t be able to clear. Hundreds of schools—including some of the most prestigious institutions in the country—have tightened their belts.

It looks like the colleges are struggling, much like the students and families. Unfortunately, you know that the financial problems that colleges are experiencing will be passed along to the students by either tuition hikes or reductions in merit aid. That is not good for students and their families, especially the ones who make too much to quality for need-based aid.

What does that mean for this year’s crop of seniors? You better investigate the financial outlook of your college choices carefully and do some digging on their past merit-aid distributions over the last several years, especially if you are counting on that to pay for college.

Continue reading College Debt = Higher Tuition and less Merit Aid →

admissions, college guidance, college planning

WeGotIn.net–Editorial Opinion

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From a parent’s perspective, when I come across a college application “help” I look at it differently than most. I have several criteria I use to judge it’s effectiveness, but I came across a site the other day that made me question something more–is it ethically appropriate? My mind is always open to new ways to ease the complicated college admissions process, so I spent a few days reading about the site (on the site itself) to form my own opinion. I haven’t viewed any biased coverage from the colleges, or the College Board. I just spent some time thinking about whether or not, I, as a parent, would encourage my student to use the service.

According to the website, WeGotIn.net, their concept is simple:

Welcome to WeGotIn.Net where you will find copies of actual, accepted applications to Harvard, Yale, Penn, Cornell, Columbia and Brown. These applications contain the entire response to each question. They contain the college application essay as well as the answers to the often difficult short questions that are asked. They are NOT edited in any way (other than the removal of names, addresses, birth dates and social security numbers). Each of them was given to us in 2010 or 2011 directly by the student who submitted it, was accepted and is now a student at the college.

At first look it seems like a beneficial service. It provides students with “samples” of other college applications (helping them see what is expected of them when they complete their own applications). It targets highly selective colleges that are often on students “dream” list.

But is this ethical, or even fair? Is this another form of cheating? Do students really have to resort to this to get into these Ivy League colleges?

Here’s another more obvious question–with all the other colleges available to choose from, why would students even need to resort to this tactic? If competition is so fierce that you have to look at other accepted student’s applications to obtain admission why would you want to attend?

There are thousands of colleges in the United States, not to mention Canada and overseas that offer admission to students without having to stack the deck by viewing other accepted applications. And here’s another question: what are you teaching your student if you encourage them to use this service? It is so much more than a tool; it’s like cheating on a test. It’s like paying to see other tests in a class instead of studying for yourself.

What are we teaching our students if they use this service?

    • Take shortcuts and you’ll be successful.
    • If your own work isn’t good enough, use someone else’s work instead.
    • Achieving success sometimes means that you have to use any method possible to get it.
    • It’s not cheating if it gives you added insight into something you can’t do for yourself.

In an effort to defer the criticism they have received, WeGotIn.net is giving all their profits to the scholarship funds of the Ivy League colleges. Good for them. They also say their method is more effective than admissions coaching:

…instead of listening to someone else’s opinion, however well informed they may be, of what they think the committee is looking for. There are a lot of opinions as to what makes a good application – the only thing that really matters is what actually results in an acceptance letter.

I especially love that last line: the only thing that really matters is what actually results in an acceptance letter. I disagree. The only thing that really matters is that your student finds the school that “wants” them and that they completed the admissions process with integrity and honesty. Getting accepted to an Ivy League college isn’t the be all and end all of success.

As always, I welcome any comments, discussion or debate about this topic. I would love to hear from other parents and students.

 

 

admissions, college guidance, college planning, Guest Posts

Inside the mind of an admissions officer

When your student is applying to college, we tend to want to be mind readers and wonder what are those admissions officers using to weigh your student’s college application. Parliament Tutors has been interviewing admissions officers at various colleges across the country and is happy to share one of these interviews with my readers.

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A special thanks to Robert Barkley for participating our Admissions Spotlight Series.  Mr. Barkley is the director of undergraduate admissions at Clemson University.  Joseph Fernandez from ParliamentTutors conducted this interview.

What do you consider the most significant parts of an application, the parts which applicants should prepare the most carefully?

The most important part of a student’s application file is the high school record/transcript.  The preparation there begins at the beginning of the high school career.  As to the application form itself, it is important that all information be as accurate and complete as possible.  Especially in these days of online applications, the student is doing the initial data entry efforts for what could be their collegiate academic record.  Something as simple as one single digit in a zip code can affect the receipt of an admissions decision.

What advice can you offer students in regards to their personal statements?  Perhaps you can offer some shining examples that you have seen in the past. 

I read a lot of appeal statements from students who’ve been denied admission.  Many of them focus on grades and the circumstances that affected the grades.  Rarely do they focus on what they learned (despite the grades), which is what you’re really trying to determine when evaluating an application.

Is there anything you frequently see on an application that you hope to never see again? 

On the section for international students…where we ask for visa information…I hope I never see a student provide us with credit card numbers and other personal information.

What common pitfalls should applicants be careful to avoid? 

Applicants need to remember that the application  is the beginning of a dialogue with the college/university.  The information provided is going to be read by adults.  Students need to be careful not to be over-casual in their approach, presenting information as might be shared with their friends.

Are there any myths about the application process which you would like to dispel? 

College Admissions is NOT “The Great SAT Contest”, nor is it “Rush Week” where we sit around and select our friends and people that we like.

What advice would you give to an applicant with below-average test scores but significant extracurricular experience? 

Let’s hope that the information on the transcript shows exceptional performance in the classroom.  Otherwise, the test scores would appear to verify the grades, and show an over-emphasis on out-of-class activities.

Do you frequently have to turn away applicants whom you wish you could admit? If so, what could those applicants do to be admitted? 

They need to realize that many students graduate annually as transfer students.  If they are set on GRADUATING from a specific college or university, they need to explore transfer options that can put them on track towards a degree.

How much faith do you have in the ability of the SAT to predict success at in college? 

The SAT and ACT are excellent tools for helping to predict college success, but should not be used as the sole indicator.  Other factors (most importantly the high school transcript, grades, GPA, strength of curriculum, etc) must be figured into the decision as well.

What do you look for in a recommendation letter? 

Honesty and a true sense of perspective.

 

Joseph Fernandez is an SATTutor with Parliament Tutors, a NewYorktutoring and test preparation service.


college guidance, college planning, Guest Posts, parenting

How to Help Your Middle-School Student Get Ready for College – 3 R’s and 3 T’s

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Today’s guest post was written by Carol Barash, PhD., Founder and CEO of Story To College (www.storytocollege.com) © 2012 Story To College.  All rights reserved.

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I’m often asked, “What can I do to help my middle-school child get ready for college?” Here are what I call the 3 R’s and 3 T’s of college readiness – 6 skills you can teach your children in middle school and even earlier:


Resilience:  A vital skill – for college and life – is learning to pick yourself up when you fall, learning what every moment has to teach you, and staying in the game when things get tough. Athletes learn this, as do Girl Scouts selling cookies. Children need to fail to learn. If you teach them to avoid failure, or sweep away all the broken pieces too quickly, you prevent their growth and learning.

Reflection: Colleges look for students who view situations from multiple points of view, in class and out. Before your child moves on from a sticky situation, help them mine it for learning. Ask open-ended questions like “What could you have done differently?” “What does this look like from the other person’s perspective?”

Refresh: Help your child develop a “refresh” button – whether they use prayer or yoga, running or just counting to 10 and taking a deep breath when situations get tense, neuroscience studies show that people with the ability to let go of stress through some form of meditative practice live longer, healthier, happier lives.

Take Time:  The earlier your child learns to manage and plan their time the better. Get out a calendar or online planning tool and help them plan their schedule weekly, blocking out time for the most important activities first. Want them to learn more and get better grades? Teach them to block out time to study above and beyond what’s assigned in school. Going on a family vacation? Encourage your children to go on the web and help with planning.

Take Action: Middle school is a great time to take on activities with your child that build a foundation for their independent thinking, learning and service in high school and college. Many of the best family projects are low cost and great for building family connection too – such as working in a local soup kitchen, at a town cleanup day, or visiting a museum.

Take Note: At Story To College we want everyone to write with ease and confidence not only on college admission essays, but also in college and on the job. If you want to become a better writer, the #1 thing is to write more often. Even 15 minutes a day – in a journal or a file on your computer – will help to keep your ideas flowing and make it easier every time you face a new writing assignment.

The most important thing is to help your child identify and pursue their passions and, wherever possible, work and learn side-by-side with them in the middle school years.

 

 

college guidance, college planning, parenting

A little laughter from Dr. Nancy Berk

Sometimes we just need to laugh about the college admissions process and Dr. Nancy Berk always obliges. Take a few minutes today, watch the video, and remember that in the college process, laughter is ALWAYS the BEST medicine!