How to Use Pinterest for College Prep

February 18, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer 8 Comments

Since May 2011, visitors to Pinterest have increased by 2, 702.2% and with over a million visitors every single day, it’s an excellent source for information. If you’re not using Pinterest during the college prep process, you’re neglecting a valuable tool.

Pinterest’s search tool allows you to organize articles and all kinds of information by creating boards for each topic. It’s one way to keep all your resources in one place and revisit when you need to reread the information or delve deeper.

Here are just a few ways you can use Pinterest for college prep:

Use it to keep information organized

As a parent, you’re invested in helping your student along this journey. Along the way you will be searching for all types of information about college visits, financial aid, choosing the right college, standardized testing and college applications. You can use Pinterest to organize all the information into topic specific boards as you search and learn. When you read an article that is helpful or a blog post, pin it to an appropriate board. How much simpler could that be?

Research colleges

Many colleges are creating accounts of their own (including Yale University, Drake University, University of Michigan and Texas A&M University). Some schools have multiple accounts for different departments and programs. Browsing through a college’s boards is a great way to get a candid look at the campus culture, school traditions, and student involvement. Many colleges are also adding parent-focused boards as well.

Start with some searches

If you haven’t already begun, you’ll need some place to begin; and what better place to start than with a few simple searches. Just as you do with any search engine use it to find boards that interest you and provide you with relevant material.

Here are just a few searches and look at all the information they provide:

http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=scholarships (scholarships)

http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=college%20prep (college prep)

http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=colleges (colleges)

http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=college%20search (college search)

http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=college%20visits (college visits)

Follow some boards (and or people)

Once you’ve set up your categories and begun to get organized, follow some boards. These boards will appear on your home feed as items are pinned and you can choose items to repin onto your boards. Need some help to start? Here are just a few to follow:

Suzanne Shaffer http://www.pinterest.com/suzannemshaffer/

Monica Matthews http://www.pinterest.com/aidscholarship/

Jodi Okun http://www.pinterest.com/jodiokun/

The amount of information you must assimilate during the college prep process can be overwhelming. Pinterest is another social media tool you can use to gather information. But what makes it unique is that you can organize the information and easily find it when you need it.

mom approved tips

Mom-Approved Tips: Q&A on College Topics

February 17, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer

I’ve always been opinionated. Sometimes it’s gotten me into trouble, but it’s never stopped me from voicing my opinions on college topics. I’ve written posts voicing my opinions about Greek life and about forcing your child to go to college if he/she isn’t interested. It seems in the college business, everyone has an opinion. And here are just a few of the debates that have parents spinning:

Should you pay for test prep?

There’s nothing wrong with paid test prep. But if your child isn’t interested and doesn’t pay attention, it’s a waste of money. Before you invest some of your hard earned money, do some research. Would individual tutoring be a better fit for your student? Is a big class environment the best buy, especially since all teachers are not created equal? Look at the online tutoring programs and read recommendations on each. Don’t believe the claims that they can give your student a perfect score on the SAT/ACT or that they will raise their scores 500-700 points.

Are Ivy League colleges a good investment?

I don’t have anything against Ivy League colleges. But don’t fool yourself into thinking that just because a college has a famous name or high tuition that your student will get a better education there. Your student can get a good education at any number of colleges that might be a better fit for them. Since these colleges are very selective and the competition is fierce, unless your student is a top candidate, don’t waste your time.

Should you allow your student to take on student loan debt?

Nobody wants their student to incur student loan debt. But for some families, it’s a reality they can’t avoid. Before you sign on the dotted line, however, investigate repayment options and the pay for the degree your student is pursuing. It just doesn’t make sense to borrow $100,000 for college and not be able to repay it. A little bit of student loan debt isn’t bad–it gives them an investment in their education and they will take it seriously. Aside from that, there are all kinds of creative ways to avoid taking on too much student loan debt.

Should you do scholarship searches?

I’m a big proponent of scholarship searching. You don’t have to spend hours at a time, but allocate some time each day to do the searches. And when I talk about searching, I’m not just advocating online search engines like Zinch. Don’t forget to search locally for scholarships with the least amount of applicants which increases your chances to win.

What about for profit colleges?

Two words: buyer beware. For profit colleges lure students in by promising financing. This is always in the form of student loans. Look for accreditation and read the student recommendations before signing up for classes.

Is college a business or an institution of learning?

College is first and foremost a business–more than an institution of higher learning. If that’s the case, you need to be a wise consumer. Colleges are marketing their business to parents and students. It’s your right, as a consumer, to ask questions and search for bargains. Don’t be intimidated by colleges. It’s a huge consumer purchase that you should take as seriously as you did buying your home.

Should you let your student take a gap year?

I’m not against gap years for students. But set some guidelines before you agree. Put together a plan to use the year wisely, whether by traveling and working, internships, apprenticeships, and working to save money. Don’t let your student become a couch potato and accomplish little or nothing during the year.

Should you hire a college counselor?

College counselors can be a useful investment for parents. However, do some comparison shopping and ask for a list of past clients or testimonials. Not every parent can afford a counselor, however. Fortunately there are alternatives to personalized counseling online by reading blogs, books, and attending Twitter chats.

If you have any other questions, please comment here and I’ll be happy to answer them for you.

Scholarship Friday, scholarships

Scholarship Friday: 5 Video Scholarships for the Budding Filmmaker

February 14, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer

Believe it or not, your student’s GPA isn’t the only qualification to apply for scholarships. Not all scholarships are looking for stellar students. Many of them are geared toward a student’s talents and interests. There are scholarships for artists, writers and even filmmakers.

Many colleges are now accepting video essays, so it stands to reason that there would be opportunities for students to show their skills in video creation and win scholarships. Today’s scholarships offer money to students who have a talent for making videos.

You don’t have to have professional equipment or have specific training to create a video. In today’s world of handheld technology, you can use just about any device that captures and creates videos. Once that’s done, the student can edit it and submit it to the scholarship committees. But don’t forget to follow the rules and guidelines when submitting the video.

For a complete list of all 5 video scholarships, check out USA Today’s article with all the links to the scholarship application information.

5 Things Military Parents Should Know Before Sending Kids to College

February 14, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer

Being a service member or spouse of a service member with growing children is extremely difficult, particularly when it comes to preparing your kids for college. Military parents face the challenge of nurturing their children’s intellectual growth and preparing them for higher education while coping with deployments and frequent relocation. Fortunately, there are ways military parents can successfully prepare their children for college. Here are five things military parents should know as they assist their kids in making this transition.

Military Dependents Are Eligible for College Funding

With all of the challenges that come with being in a military family, eliminating tuition costs from your list of concerns will be tremendously helpful. There are many options available for military dependents seeking college funding. For example, military dependents may receive college tuition assistance through the Survivors & Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) program. This benefit goes beyond providing tuition assistance by offering financial support for on-the-job training, certification programs and apprenticeships. This benefit is available for military dependents of veterans who have died or have been rated as permanently and totally disabled as a result of a service-connected disability.

Those who are not eligible for DEA may still get help for their college tuition costs through the Post 9/11 GI Bill transfer program. Veterans who are eligible for benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill may choose to transfer part or all of their educational benefits to their children.

How to Spot a Military-Friendly College

While there are many benefits available to assist your child with tuition costs, not all colleges participate in these programs. Look for institutions that support programs such as the Post 9/11 GI Bill and understand the unique needs of military dependents on campus. A military-friendly institution is also one that will offer flexibility with regard to college classes by providing opportunities for evening and online courses. For many military dependents, frequent relocation does not end after high school graduation. Many children of service members wish to remain in close proximity to their parents while they transition into college life. Finding a school with a solid online program is a great way to support this decision. Many colleges also offer tuition discounts for military dependents, simply for having a parent who is a veteran or service member. These are the kinds of colleges that will not only support your child financially, but will also have a basic understanding of the unique transitional needs that exist for military dependents.

The Value of School Guidance Counselors

Being in a military family often means that life gets hectic, and getting the help of a school guidance counselor for your child’s academic needs can be extremely helpful. When kids in military families transfer to various schools, it can be difficult to keep track of all of the courses that are still needed in order to graduate. Guidance counselors have the inside scoop on important factors such as credit transfers, and can help identify college prep courses that will give your child a jump start. Counselors can also help identify any mental health concerns your child might have. Research indicates that military dependents may be at an increased risk for certain mental disorders, and intervening early is the best way to meet your child’s mental and cognitive needs.

The Impact of Military Life on Academics

New and valuable research continues to explore the influence military life has on children of service members. The results of these studies show that some children actually gain useful qualities such as resilience and open-mindedness as a result of living in a military family. Skills such as these are undoubtedly useful in the college setting and will be beneficial to your child through school and beyond.

Other research, however, indicates that the stresses of deployment and relocation can inhibit your child’s cognitive and academic abilities. For example, a study by the Rand Corporation reveals that frequent moves can sometimes lead to social and academic disengagement. By being aware of the risks your children face in these areas, you can better prepare them for academic success in college.

Saving for College Early

Even with the college benefits available to military dependents, you may find that your child has additional tuition costs. The best way to prepare for these expenses is to start saving early. Consider setting up a monthly automatic transfer into a college fund. Another great way to save is to put any unexpected sources of income into a college account. Transferring money from tax refunds or bonuses is a helpful way to save without experiencing a financial burden. Encourage your child to participate in this process by contributing money from an allowance or part-time job.

Sending a child to college is difficult for all parents, but military families can face additional obstacles. Consider these five tips as you work to make your child’s transition from home to college a smooth and successful endeavor.

websites

Getting the Best Bang for Your College Buck

February 13, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer

With the cost of college rising and parents looking for a college that doesn’t cause their students to fall into debt after graduation, where do you go to find the data you need? Where do you find a college with the best bang for your college buck?

CollegeMeasures.org

This site describes itself as “committed to informing and improving the decision-making process for students, parents, and policy makers. By making available key data through websites like our 2-year and 4-year college data tools, we enable users to make smarter decisions, and in doing so help create a more efficient, productive and effective higher education system.” And it certainly delivers.

Upon further investigation, parents can gather data for both 2-year and 4-year colleges. Once you access the data tabs, you can view performance by college, by state, by rank and nationally. The comparison tools are excellent and easy to use. When you choose to examine by college, you can view the college’s performance scorecard listing several different criteria: strategic measures, graduation rate, retention rate, cost per student, cost per degree, cost of attrition, student loan default rates, and my favorite debt to earnings ratio.

With the debt to earnings ratio you can determine if the cost of degree is worth the investment based on earnings after graduation.

COLLEGEdata.com

COLLEGEdata.com tags itself as the online college advisor; and the site certainly lives up to its name. The site offers the following college helps categories:

Scholarship Finder
Admissions Tracker
Net Price Calculator
EFC Calculator
College Match
College Chances

Not only is the site a clearinghouse for college data, using it helps parents find the most generous colleges by using the college match tool. This tool allows you to choose colleges under the “Financial Friendliness” category and see statistics for the financial need met (0-100%); and merit aid scholarship percentages, giving you the option to include only students with financial need. This information will help you make information financial choices about the money you spend on the education.

As with all college search tools, you can filter the information by state, gender, major, graduation rates, freshman satisfaction, entrance difficulty, and on this one, sports offered. If you need to find a college in your state or region, that meets a substantial amount of need, this is the tool to use.

These two tools can help you weigh the financial investment you will make towards your college-bound teen’s education. With college costs skyrocketing, it’s becoming more and more critical to help their student graduate debt free.

Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: Lessons on Decision Making from Olympic Athletes

February 12, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer 1 Comment

Decision making is definitely a learned behavior. As parents, it’s our responsibility to teach our kids not only how to make decisions, but how to deal with the consequences of those decisions. Decision making is never easy but if you teach your kids to stay the course they will win the gold, much like the U.S. Olympic athletes.

Here are some lessons we can learn from Olympic athletes that can help with decision making.

Start young

Olympians start young in their sport of choice. They start young because they know that with practice they will eventually improve. As with any lesson or task, starting young is the key. It’s easy to give them simple choices when they are young that teaches them to make decisions. These simple choices will be the beginnings of a decision master.

Add technique as you get more experience

A figure skater starts simply with learning how to skate, and then they move on to learning spins, jumps and other tricks. The more your children make decisions, the more decisions you should allow them to make. As they master small ones, move on to larger decision choices, such as purchases.

Stay focused

Olympic athletes stay focused on the end goal: to compete in the Olympics. With any decision, it’s important to keep your eye on the goal and focus on the decision that needs to be made. Teach your teens to break their decisions down, weighing the pros and cons of each.

Learn from defeat

Olympic athletes fall and fail many times. They learn from their defeats and improve to produce different results the next time. Not every decision you make will produce the desired outcome. There are consequences, both good and bad, to all your decisions. However, if you learn from those defeats and capitalize on the victories, you will be successful in reaching your goals.

Olympic athletes train for years to often compete just one time. Everything they have is put into planning for the competition. As you grow, decisions become an integral part of your life: choosing a college, choosing a career path, choosing a mate, purchasing a house, and deciding whether to have children. If your children start young making small decisions, the big ones will be much easier.

For more decision making tips, read Wendy’s blog:

7 Shakespearean Steps to Good Decision Making

Guest Posts, test prep

Top 5 Testing Tips

February 11, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer

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testing — Photo Courtesy of Student Loan Network

Exam time is a stressful and tiring time. Nights leading up to the exam are usually filled with studying and pulling all-nighters at the library and, sometimes, you may just be unsure about how to approach studying for a particular class. Whether you like to plan your studying ahead of time or you don’t think about the exam until the last minute, here are 5 testing tips to help you ace those tests.

Prioritize. In college, there might be times when you have to study for several different classes. It can get overwhelming and stressful. In these cases, prioritizing your workload can be helpful. Dedicate more time studying for an exam that can make or break your grade rather than an exam that won’t affect your grade very much. Once you have strategized your studying, be sure you are reviewing only content that will be on the test and you are not wasting any time by studying irrelevant content.
Review with others. Reviewing with others can be a great way to study for the exam, and oftentimes there will be review sessions provided by the professor. Many will focus on topics that will be covered heavily on the test, which can be helpful in deciding what to study later. Reviewing material with other students can also be helpful. You can teach material you’re confident in, which will make you understand the topics instead of just memorizing them. In turn, your classmates may help you pick up on material you are unsure of. If you are studying with friends, try to stay on topic and don’t study with friends who are not studying for the same exam as it can only lead to distractions.
Study smart. Do not try to reread the whole textbook before the exam. Even if you can get through the book, it can be information overload and it will be hard to remember all of it. Hopefully, you have kept up with the reading throughout the semester so you can go back over your notes instead of attempting to read the book. Skimming through notes can also help you find topics you’re not confident with.
Take breaks. Taking breaks during your study sessions is a must. A good study session should consist of 45 minutes of studying followed by a 15-minute break. This method gives you a mental break and it can help you stay focused since you just need to study for 45 minutes. Eat a healthy snack, take a walk, or talk to friends and you will come back to studying refreshed. Eating and drinking water regularly helps fuel your brain and exercising can help clear your mind.
Be prepared. Before you go into your exam, pack everything you might need. Bring a water bottle to stay hydrated as well. Dress in confortable layers so you are prepared for varying temperatures in your testing room. Head into the exam early so you are not in a rush and stressed out before you even start the testing process.

Exams can be exhausting and full of anxiety but they can be manageable by studying smart and being prepared. These tips can help you go into the next exam with confidence.

___________________

About today’s guest blogger: Priya Sudendra is a recent graduate of University of Colorado and a staff writer for CollegeFocus, a website dedicated to helping students deal with the challenges of college, including housing, finance, style, health, relationships, and transferring from a community collegeto a four-year university.

You can follow CollegeFocus on Twitter and Facebook.

mom approved tips, parenting, Uncategorized

Mom-Approved Tips: Teach Your Kids the Value of Money

February 10, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer 2 Comments

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money

Before you send your kids off to college, they need to learn about the value of money. Ideally, it starts at an early age; but if you haven’t started, there’s no time like the present!

When your kids are away at college they are going to be responsible for their own spending (and saving). There will be offers galore from credit card companies because college students are their biggest target market. If they hook them while in college it usually means they have them for the rest of their lives.

My parents never taught me these lessons and I wish they had. I never did chores, had to save for anything I wanted, or learned how to use credit wisely. I have to admit I didn’t do the best in this area of parenting either. But I have learned over the years that if you neglect these lessons, your kids will suffer.

Following are just a few tips to help you teach your kids the value of money:

Establish chores

You can get them accustomed to chores at an early age, providing an allowance based on their age and the amount of chores they do. They should know how to do their own laundry, clean bathrooms, and cook meals. Not only will you be teaching them that hard work produces reward, but these skills will serve them well when they are living on their own.

Teach them to earn what they want

If a child works to earn something, they value it more. If you want to buy them a car, purchase a used one that needs repair and teach them to work on the repairs themselves. If they want a large ticket item, encourage them to get a part-time job and earn the money to pay for it. Save the gifts for Christmas and birthdays. Once they learn this simple truth, it will be much easier to explain to them that you expect them to contribute financially to their college education.

Explain the difference between wants and needs

This is a valuable lesson they will carry with them into adulthood. Today’s kids are accustomed to instant gratification; but saving for something teaches them that just because they want something, it doesn’t mean they need it. If they are committed to save for it, they will re-examine whether or not they truly need it. When they are away at college, this will be the first question they ask themselves before pulling out an easily obtained credit card.

Encourage giving

Giving to others will show kids how to bless others when they are blessed. Finding people in need will give than an appreciation for their own blessings and cause them to re-evaluate those “things” that they find so important in lieu of saving to help others.

Teach them to save

Putting money away in a piggy bank or savings account teaches them to save for future purchases. When they learn this, you are teaching them to plan for the future and this should follow them into adulthood.

Always remember that kids mirror their parents’ behaviors. If they see you frivolously spending and raking up credit card debt, they will follow your example when they go off to college.

college majors, college planning, spotlight on

Educate To Career: Helping Students Chart a Course for Success

February 8, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer

Today’s guest post is from Mike Havis from Educatetocareer.org, a non-profit organization with the goal of providing free, online college and career planning tools for high school students and their parents.

____________________

There is a huge problem affecting our young people today – those very people who wish to go out and start making a life for themselves – and do great things for our society.

The problem is evidenced by the massive amount of college graduate unemployment and underemployment – coupled with the absolute crisis of $1.1 trillion in non-performing college student loan debt. It is hard to find a family in the U.S. that has not been touched by these problems. I learned all about this myself when my son Ben graduated from Rancho Buena Vista HS (in Vista, CA) in 2008.

My wife and I, along with our son, asked ourselves questions such as:

Should Ben go for a college degree in the subjects that he likes and is good in?
Do all college degrees lead to an actual job in that field?
How much does a college education cost?
In actuality, which degrees lead to obtaining a real job?

The answers to these questions were not readily at hand, or even easy to find. The crisis that I referred to stems from poor choices made due to lack of good information + an abundance of misinformation.

This inspired me to create Educate To Career (ETC). We feel that students should make well informed and pragmatic decisions about college and career – based on the reality of what the job market is looking for and the ROI of a college education. ETC’s tools and programs are very easy to use, and address these issues with real facts and figures.

The innovative CareerBuddy program allows students and parents to apply the student’s personal academic strengths and weaknesses to research college majors for over 6,000 two and four year colleges. The CareerBuddy program assists users in selecting majors which lead to real careers with good employment opportunities and earnings. The program is free, easy to navigate and requires no registration by the user.

The information provided includes:

Recommended colleges
Recommended careers
Starting salaries

CareerBuddy, used in conjunction with ETC’s other programs – CollegeBuddy and SalaryBean, enables a student to find all of the pertinent information they require to sensibly plan his or her post high school career and college path – all in one place.

Students have been unable to find the proper tools to assist them in making informed decisions about their future – as evidenced by the over $1 trillion in nonperforming college student-loan debt, coupled with the very high unemployment and underemployment of college graduates.

_______________________

Educate To Career was founded to provide high school students with free, online navigator and calculator programs to ultimately guide them to a real career – defined as one in which their education leads to a real job with a good salary.

Educate To Career is the leader in providing information, data, tools and programs in the area of college and career outcomes.

Educate To Career : The Leader in Educational Attainment to Career Outcome Information.

Scholarship Friday, scholarships, Uncategorized

Scholarship Friday: Scholarships You Will Love

February 7, 2014 Suzanne Shaffer 1 Comment

scholarships you love — photo courtesy of Zinch

Roses are red,

Violets are blue

Check out these scholarships

And snag some college funds too!

Zinch gathered together a short list of scholarships with deadlines in February and March. Sign up for an account and you can access all the pertinent scholarship information and apply through their site. And here’s a plus–if you win the scholarship Zinch will match your award up to $1000. I can’t think of a better reason to use their scholarship match and application service.

Check out Zinch’s list of Scholarships You’re Sure to Love

Parenting for College