Category Archives: websites

admissions, college guidance, college planning, websites

Mother’s New Little (College Application) Helper

 

Today’s guest post is from Lisa Sloan of Portland, Oregon who is currently going through the admissions process with her son.

apply101

I am a master juggler. I don’t flip fire torches or bean bags, but as a parent, I am constantly keeping all of the balls in the air––meals, carpool, school project supplies, orthodontist appointments, etc. If you’re a parent, I’m sure you know I could add a hundred more things to the list.  At the time of maximum juggling, it’s time for my son to apply to college! Yay, more balls…

I was absolutely thrilled to learn about apply101. My son was able to select the schools he is interested in, and his calendar populated with all of the tasks and timelines he needed. I am able to monitor his progress through the app without having to constantly ask him if he’s done something, and having the timeline laid out for him makes it easier for him to stay on track. It’s not unlike keeping on top of homework or other assignments. I also appreciate that I can add as task that he will see without having to remember to talk to him about it. These days, those face-to-face opportunities can be hard to find, and then I have to remember what it was I needed to tell him when I do see him. Not always easy with everything else on my mind; apply101 to the rescue!

apply101

This past weekend is a great example. We had discussed letters of recommendation while we were in the car.  He was looking at university websites on his phone, and of course, each school wants things differently. One school wants the letters mailed to them, which means my son needs to address and stamp envelopes to give to the teachers he asks for recommendations. Another wants them submitted online, so that means emailing the teacher with the link. A third wants it through Naviance. While I drove, my son noted each task (and address) in apply101 so he didn’t have to waste time later figuring it out again. We also brainstormed about who he would ask for the recommendations, and he noted that too. When we got home, I gave him envelopes and stamps and I left the rest up to him.

At first I thought that since his high school uses Naviance that we didn’t need apply101, but then I learned that Naviance is a vehicle to request transcripts and sometimes, letters of recommendation, and although it has great college search tools, it doesn’t provide the calendaring of timelines and deadlines that apply101 does, so it’s not redundant. They work really well together.

I think it is important that the college process be something my son owns, not something that I drive. I honestly believe that his engagement at this point is indicative of his commitment, and it foreshadows how well he will on his own in college when I am not checking in on him all the time. I also know that senior year is crazy-busy for kids, so they need someone to have their back to make sure their balls stay in the air. That’s why I like apply101. It keeps him organized and lets me peek without hovering.

 

Guest Posts, parenting, websites

Help For Your Soon-to-Be College Freshman

 

college freshmanYou’ve done the best that you can. You’ve taught you’re son or daughter to ride a bike, catch a ball, deal with heartache and tried to instill a strong work ethic and an empathetic heart. Despite the ups and downs of adolescence you’re proud of what they’ve grown into. So why are you still so nervous about their upcoming college freshman year? You’re not crazy…you just care and that’s a good thing.

Feeling helpless is common but there are things a parent can do to make the transition from high school to college a smooth one for their child (aside from already forking over tens of thousands of dollars for that aforementioned college education.) There are thousands of helpful sites online that can put your young student in a great situation moving forward into their freshman year, and below are some of the most helpful for prospective collegians.

  1. Roomsurf – The move to a college dorm or apartment is an exciting one, but it’s not without its pitfalls. A frustrating, disrespectful or altogether annoying roommate can sour even the most stimulating college experience. Learning to live with someone who has opposing thoughts, beliefs, likes and dislikes is part of what makes a person become more open and understanding. That being said, improving the prospect of a harmonious roommate relationship is not without its benefits. Roomsurf allows its users to narrow down the roommate selection process and give a leg up on deciding what qualities a potential roommate can or cannot live without. Smoker/non-smoker, neat-freak or dirtball, night owl or morning person – this site can offer users a proactive approach to finding a better roommate match. (https://www.roomsurf.com/)
  2. Roommate Harmony – Even with a great roommate in tow, it doesn’t take much to spark shared living frustration.  From a perpetually full and dirty sink to missing food items, small amounts of disrespect and laziness can easily turn into large arguments and an uneasy living situation. Roommate Harmony hopes to curb these common roommate problems with its line of products and helpful blog. Personalized sticker pages delineate which foods are “Jake’s” and which are shareable. A chore chart reminds roomers what job is theirs for the week with a helpful “area to be cleaned” breakdown and checklist. Paired with a blog that promotes realistic advice like “speaking up” and “not being taken advantage of”, this site helps to avoid the preventable problems between roommates. (http://www.roommateharmony.com/)
  3. Chegg – Chegg is a one stop shop of sorts in the college website realm. Right on the homepage they promote three of their services: Find Cheap Textbooks (Good), Get Homework Help (Better), Find Internships & Jobs (Best!!!). The going rate for a college textbook these days is roughly equivalent to, oh, I don’t know, giving up the kidney of your choice. Saving money on textbooks is no longer wishful thinking but a necessary reality. Getting set up with a tutor might not be a bad idea for that particularly difficult subject that is required for graduation. And any help with internship and job prospects is a huge plus – otherwise what’s even the point of a college education? All this along with an informative and funny blog and you have yourself one heck of a website. (http://www.chegg.com/)
  4. Self-Control – We all wish we had more of it but unfortunately cheesesteak pizzas and peanut butter cup sundaes are not going anywhere in the foreseeable future. Self-Control is a fittingly named application that helps students (and anybody else for that matter) avoid distracting websites. It basically blocks whatever email accounts, websites and social networking addictions the user deems a threat to the completion of their 40-page term paper. Choose the sites to block, set the time to stay blocked and, BAM!, procrastinating influencers gone. And all this for the low, low price of FREE! Aside from the prospect of finishing a project prior to the blocking time limit being complete and being denied your favorite distraction, the only downside is that Self-Control is currently only available for Mac users. (http://selfcontrolapp.com/)
  5. Seven Quotes – A child going away to college can be a stressful and difficult thing for both parents and students (although they might not admit it.) Seven Quotes offers a bit of strength and inspiration to both sides. After signing up for their daily email service, Seven Quotes will email a motivating quote of the day to keep you moving in a positive and joyful direction. With quotes like, “Peace begins with a smile,” and, “We meet no ordinary people in our lives,” coming to your inbox, it’s easy to make the day slightly more amazing! (http://www.sevenquotes.com/)

With the gamut of emotions that come with a change as big as a child moving away, it helps to focus on what one can do to make the transition easier. These sites can help your future or current college student maintain a sense of control and thereby allow you to sleep a bit more soundly.

__________________

Today’s guest post is from Chad Jarrah at Roommate Harmony. Roommate Harmony’s goal is to improve the shared living experience, strengthen human relationships and promote inner peace. Whether you visit our website, read our blogs, or purchase our products, our hope is to spread Roommate Harmony!

 

Scholarship Friday, scholarships, websites

Scholarship Friday: Raise.me–Automatic Scholarships for Students

 

raise.meWhat is Raise.me? It’s a new program that gives students the opportunity to earn micro-scholarships during high school for participating colleges. Awards are given to students automatically for each of their achievements during high school. Currently, over 60 colleges are participating in the program with more being added each month.

The Raise.me Micro-Scholarship program gives student incentives to perform well in school. The money comes from the participating colleges and is awarded upon admission. So far, over $250 million in Micro-Scholarships have been made available by the colleges as part of their commitment to making aid more transparent, predictable, and motivational for students.

Students can participate in the program for free and see which colleges are participating. College like Tulane University, DePaul University and the University of Rochester are just a few of the college participants. It’s a great way for students to see their efforts rewarded and rack up money to pay for college.

Parents can encourage their student to participate and see results:

  • Automatic earnings of grant aid before you even apply to college
  • Bite-sized goals to help your teen achieve at their highest level
  • Privacy controls that give students complete control over their information
  • Timely reminders to keep your teen on track
  • Early connections to colleges to get the inside scoop and receive invitations to events

You can see the award amounts here: https://www.raise.me/parents

Read more about the program on SavingforCollege.com

or visit Raise.me and join for free!

 

college guidance, college planning, college prep, websites

Campus Steps: A Free Resource for Students and Parents

 

campus stepsCampus Steps, the first free platform for students, parents and counselors to connect, communicate and navigate the road to higher education, launched recently. The company is being incubated by Campus Explorer, a leader in college recruitment technology in partnership with developers from Learning Core, which provides integrated school communication and content delivery systems.

Campus Steps addresses the nation’s broken college preparedness system. Nearly 75 percent of high schools lack online counseling technology solutions that can fundamentally improve the success of college and vocational school-bound students. For every 477 students, there is just one counselor and the average student receives less than 30 minutes of college counseling over their entire high school career. According to the American Psychological Association, high school students are now considered the most stressed-out age group with 80 percent of their stress related to workload.

“Students lack the critical support they need to find the right college or vocational school,” said Mark Eastwood, general manager, Campus Steps. “Campus Steps brings transparency and empowerment to the college admissions process. Just as adults use Linkedin to manage their professional profiles, our goal is for students to use Campus Steps to manage and track their academic profiles.”

Campus Steps hosts multiple online and mobile ready apps to easily allow a student to keep tabs of their academics, search colleges, apply for colleges and communicate with their counselor via text or email. The platform matches students to colleges based on a database of more than 8,500 public and private four-year universities, community colleges and trade/vocational schools, regardless of their academic level, socioeconomic background or location.

Key apps for students include:

  • High School Resume – Students track academic info and accomplishments with a mobile friendly, easy to use tool. The Resume Score shows where a student stands compared to the national average.
  • College Matching – Discover new colleges with the personalized matching technology.
  • My College Goals Manager – Students create a college goal list and manage their application process all in one place.
  • Student Resources – Articles, resources and guides answer all college related questions.

Campus Steps also helps counselors better manage their workflow through setting appointments, automated messages and tracking their students’ college search and application plans.

About Campus Steps

Campus Steps is the first free platform with powerful apps for students, parents, and counselors to connect, communicate and navigate the road to higher education. The platform currently has 150,000 users and democratizes access to higher education, regardless of a student’s academic level, socioeconomic background or location. Based in Santa Monica, Calif., the company is being incubated by Campus Explorer, a leader in college recruitment technology in partnership with developers from Learning Core, which provides integrated school communication and content delivery systems. For more information, visit www.CampusSteps.com. Follow us on Facebook @CampusSteps and Twitter @CampusSteps.

college apps, Guest Posts, Uncategorized, websites

A Tool to Master the Dreaded Application Essay

 

college essay toolThe college application season is now in full swing and if you listen closely enough, you might be able to make out the tap-tapping of millions of seniors across the globe writing their application essays.  If you happen to be one of those students or a parent of one, I’d like to introduce you to Edswell, an application essay management tool that makes the whole process a lot easier.

So…what does it do? First, it gives you all of the application essay and deadline requirements for a student’s college list, in one click. Required, optional, supplemental, program-specific…all of them.  Students often spend days or weeks getting all of this information, now they can get it in a few seconds.

Second, it provides a beautiful essay management system that automatically organizes, syncs, and version controls every draft (built on Dropbox).  Instead of creating a folder and filling it with files, users simply click on the school and essay they want to work on – all drafts are viewable in an attractive feed-style format.

Third, it allows students to easily invite anyone to review a draft.  Reviewers do not need an Edswell account.  When the edited version is sent back to Edswell by a reviewer, it is incorporated into the feed for that essay, where differences between drafts are automatically highlighted.

Finally, it allows parents and counselors to track student progress.  Sometimes seniors need a nudge…Edswell gives the nudgers the information they need to make it happen.

You can give the platform a try for free for 30 days, no credit card required to sign up.  Just visit http://edswell.com and click “Free Trial.”  Oh, and for those interested in more information, there’s a short video walkthrough on the website.

I’d like to end with a salute to the seniors who are undertaking the not-insignificant task of memorializing their narratives, stories, and experiences in their application essays.  And Sam, if you’re reading this, I think it’s okay to start your Common App essay with “What’s a BA without a good burrito?”

_____________________

alex thalerAlex Thaler is the CEO of Edswell and the author of “The Art of the Personal Statement.”  He received his BA from UC Berkeley and JD from University of Pennsylvania.  In his non-existent spare time he enjoys woodworking and dreaming about moving to Hawaii.

college costs, websites

Cost of Learning Releases Research Findings on Net Price Calculators

 

net price calculatorsCostofLearning.com, the website providing transparency into the true cost of college via its universal net price calculator, released research findings assessing the accuracy of more than 100 well-known public and private college net price calculators. Published on the Cost of Learning blog, the analysis details which colleges under-estimate and over-estimate their true cost of college.

For this research, Cost of Learning used the net pricing data the universities submit to the Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (“IPEDS”) and compared that to the data found on each college’s net price calculator.

“This is the first time anyone has merged these two data sources and the results are surprising,” said Jimmy Becker, CEO and Founder of Cost of Learning. “Unfortunately, some of these calculators aren’t providing accurate information.”

The findings show state universities seem biased in favor of being conservative and over-estimating the net price of college while private colleges seem biased in favor of under-estimating prices. In some cases, these private colleges are under-estimating their pricing by thousands of dollars compared to the actual reported IPEDS data. (Editorial note: please see the blog for a full list of universities and the data.)

“Families depend on the college net price calculators to make decisions about which schools they can afford. Schools that over-estimate may discourage low-income families from applying to outstanding schools,” added Becker. “For the colleges that under-estimate, the risk is that families may have an unpleasant surprise when they receive the acceptance and award letter.”

To find out which schools over-estimate and which schools under-estimate costs, readers can read the blog or visit CostofLearning.com where they can also compare net pricing for more than 1,500 colleges and universities.

 ____________________

About CostofLearning.com

Based in Boston, MA, Cost of Learning’s mission is to enable families to make well-informed financial decisions about the true cost of college. With CostofLearning.com, the company is bringing actionable, clear, and simple information to what is currently a challenging and stressful process for many families. College is too expensive and the financial aid system is too complex for most of families to easily navigate. CostofLearning.com is making it easy for families to determine their true net cost of college and compare those prices across a range of colleges. With this information, families can make better choices determining which college is best suited and most affordable for them.

 

financial aid, websites

Edvisors: Demystifying Financial Aid

EdvisorsEdvisors

Get any two parents of college-bound teens together and the topic of financial aid is likely to come up. Every parent dreams of their son or daughter getting a free ride to college. It happens, but it takes some real determination and planning.

Mark Kantrowitz, the founder of FinAid, left that nationally recognized website last year to create a new online resource at Edvisors.com for parents and students to help them learn how to pay for college.

Topics covered

Here are some of the topics that you’ll find by spending time on Edvisors:

  • Student Aid Secrets for Increasing Eligibility
  • Eligibility Requirements for Financial Aid
  • Federal College Grants
  • How To Choose a Student Loan
  • Finding and Applying for Scholarships
  • Paying Back Parent and Student Federal Loans
  • Military Student Aid

Free Guide to Filing the FAFSA

On the Edvisors’ website, you can also download a free copy of  Filing the FAFSA:  The Edvisors Guide to Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid 2014-2015 Edition.

To download Filing the FAFSA you will have to provide information that will put you on Edvisors’ newsletter list, but you can always opt out if you prefer. As an alternative, you can also buy the 249-page paperback version on Amazon.

Education Tax Benefits

There is a section of the website that contains an excellent and informative explanation of federal education tax benefits. The section describes each tax benefit, and teaches you which are the optimal education tax benefits for your family:  Picking the Best Mix of Education Tax Credits and Benefits.

Asking for help

The site gives you an opportunity to post your financial aid questions in a section of the website entitled, Ask the Edvisors. You can also view previously asked questions and the answers provided by the site’s founder Mark Kantrowitz.

Spend some time navigating the site and discover valuable information regarding paying for your student’s college education.

parenting, websites

5 Simple Rules for College Parents: A Mini-Course

1 Comment

 

Today’s college parents are NOW first responders BUT most parents don’t know how to respond!  Harlan Cohen, New York Times bestselling author of The Naked Roommate and The Naked Roommate For Parents Only is an expert at coaching students and parents about the unexpected and often uncomfortable aspects of college life.

I first came in contact with Harlan when he asked me to review his books and fell in love with the information they provided. I’ve recommended the books to parents and students alike because I feel they offer some of the best and most practical advice about college life.

In response to an overwhelming demand for extra help from parents, Harlan created a free mini-course to help parents prepare for the first year in college: 5 Simple Rules For College Parents. The course alleviates stress and helps parents guide their children through this wildly emotional time of transition. All 5 simple rules last about 10 minutes each, or you can watch the entire mini-course for a little over 45 minutes. Harlan’s down to earth way of getting down to the basics of emotions and offering easy to apply tactics makes this mini-course an excellent resource for parents with college-bound teens.

Watch this simple video for an explanation of the course, then follow the link below to signup. Once you sign up you get a password to access the videos; and it’s absolutely FREE!

 

Sign up for this free mini-course here: 5 Simple Rules for College Parents

 

college prep, parenting, websites

A Toolkit for Parents of the College-Bound

 

parent toolkitWhen your kids are born, it’s only natural for parents to dream about their future. If you’re honest, college is always part of the dream. But how soon do you start to plan and what do you need to know to be ready for high school graduation and college?

The Toolkit for Parents

As part of the broader Education Nation initiative, NBC News recently unveiled an easily accessible Parent Toolkit to help parents participate in their children’s academic success and personal growth.  The bilingual Parent Toolkit is a one-stop-shop for parents as a website and mobile app, and includes:

  • Grade-by-grade academic benchmarks for Math and English Language Arts with actionable tips to support learning outside the classroom
  • Guides to parent-teacher conferences and school counselor meetings
  • A Health & Wellness section, featuring guidance for nutrition, physical development and sleep
  • Tips for parents to promote healthy eating, exercise, and adequate sleep for their growing children and a check list to prepare for upcoming doctor visits
  • A newsfeed with parents and education focused stories, as well as a blog featuring original posts from Parent Toolkit experts and parents

The goals of this Toolkit are to establish for parents a clear understanding of what is expected of their children at each step in their academic journey and to provide a comprehensive set of tips and tools to help parents engage in and monitor their children’s overall development. NBC News enlisted a number of experts, from academics to classroom teachers to parents from across the country, to help review all the content.

The site, sponsored by Pearson, is available in both English and Spanish.

What I like about the site

The great advantage to this site is that it spans all age and grade levels. For parents who are planning toward the future with their grade school kids there’s a blueprint to follow. It allows you to track academic and personal growth and development by selecting your child’s grade level. This makes it easy to plan and stay on track for college.

Visit the site at www.ParentToolkit.com.

financial aid, websites

How to Determine the True Cost of College

 

Parents and students are always looking for ways to determine the cost of college. It’s even more important as costs keep rising and with increasing student debt loads, families need more help than ever when making a college decision and determining the true cost of college.

Enter CostofLearning.com

determine the true cost of collegeWith CostofLearning.com, a user simply selects one or more colleges and a chart appears showing Expected Family Contribution on one axis and the net cost on the other. The free service requires no inputting of personal financial information or registration.

Jimmy Becker, CostofLearning.com CEO, says “We have developed the first universal net price calculator that allows families to compare college pricing in a way they have never been able to before. With CostofLearning.com, what used to be a slow, financially intrusive, and confusing process, is now fast, clear and simple. Most importantly, families get transparency into net pricing.”

How does it work?

CostofLearning.com aggregates multiple data sources and uses proprietary data analysis and modeling to ensure accurate results. Until now, these data sources have never been combined in such a visual and easy-to-use format.

true cost of college“CostofLearning.com’s universal net price calculator reveals facts about schools that users may find surprising,” Rachel Okin, M. Ed, Founder of Okin College Match, and a college admission consultant. “Depending on a family’s financial status and state of residency, sometimes the college that a student expects to be the least expensive turns out not to be and vice versa.  The CostofLearning.com web app is a great tool to help families realize there are colleges they may not have thought they could afford that they actually can. I recommend it as part of the college search process.”

In addition, users can adjust for out-of-state vs. in-state tuitions as well as find more in-depth information such as endowment size, admissions statistics, test scores, graduation rates and more.