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.

Scholarship Friday, scholarships

7 Scholarships You Might Not Know About

February 13, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer 1 Comment

It’s Scholarship Friday and almost Valentine’s Day. What better way to celebrate than to show a little love and share seven scholarships you might not know about. This translates into fewer applicants and a greater chance of winning the award.

Reed Tech Scholarship

Innovations drive progress, economic growth and are the engine that moves patent-driven companies forward. Students who have studied STEM majors have gone on to develop innovations that have materially changed both our work and leisure lives. For this essay, please write about a significant innovation, what benefits it has provided and how you would improve upon it.

Award: $1000

Deadline: May 30, 2015

Southland Electrical Supply Scholarship

Are you interested in furthering your career and life by going to college? Is your dream to become the next Alfred Nobel? Are you looking for ways to cut tuition costs? Students who studying or planning to study in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) major or a related field or trade are invited to take part in our essay competition.

Please write an essay about “How innovation affects the science, technology and trade industry” Take this concept and apply it to a field or trade of your choice, explaining how innovation has changed and will continue to change your chosen discipline.

Award: $1000

Deadline: May 30, 2015

Active Calendar Scholarship

At Active Data, we are big believers in higher education, so we started a little college scholarship program to help one student make their college experience more affordable. If you are a college student or are soon to become one, entering is easy.

Just write an essay between 500-1,000 words telling us why knowing what’s happening on campus is vital to your success as a student. The winner will be chosen and announced on Thursday, April 30, 2015.

Award: $1000

Deadline: April 30, 2015

Distinctive Window Treatment Plus (Design Your Future)

Are you a creative, motivated individual interested in studying design at one of the New York area’s many design schools? No matter what design discipline you follow, we invite you to present your vision and showcase your knowledge.

Students interested in this scholarship are invited to participate in our essay competition. The topic to be explored for this year’s scholarship essay contest is “Today’s Design Trends Across Different Markets.”

Award: $1000

Deadline: May 25, 2015

AmeriQuest Transportation Services Scholarship

Students who are studying or are planning to study a technology or business derived major, or a related field or trade, are invited to take part in our $1,000 scholarship essay competition. Whether you know it or not, the transportation industry is suffering from a serious shortage of drivers. This problem has forced the industry to begin reevaluating its practices, hoping to attract a new pool of young, qualified drivers. The topic for this year’s scholarship essay competition is, “What can the transportation industry do to attract a new generation of drivers?”

For your essay, take this concept and present your ideas as to how the industry can best market these jobs to young adults and millennials.

Award: $1000

Deadline: May 30, 2015

Accounting Software Scholarship by Concentric

One of the prevailing issues facing so many young adults in the U.S. is the large student debt they carry upon graduating from college. Saving early through 529 plans and Roth IRA’s are just some of the ways to offset a portion of that debt. Consider what you or your parents did or are doing to prepare for your college education. If you were able to advise young students on this issue, what would you advise them to do?

This scholarship is open to currently enrolled full-time college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, as well as to high school seniors in the United States who will attend college.

Award: $1000

Deadline: May 30, 2015

Nissenbaum Internet Law Scholarships

The Nissenbaum Law Group, a multi-state law firm with a focus in Internet law, has established the Nissenbaum Internet Law Scholarship. It is geared to undergraduate and post-graduate students of an American scholastic institution. The two winners will each receive a $500 scholarship. The firm may also award non-monetary honorable mention(s).

The topic for the scholarship essay is: How can the American legal system improve its approach to policing and regulating digital technology without unduly stifling innovation and civil liberties?

Award: Two for $500 each

Deadline: May 30, 2015

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.

Scholarship Friday, scholarships, websites

Scholarship Friday: Raise.me–Automatic Scholarships for Students

February 6, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer

What 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!

Wednesdays parent

Wednesday’s Parent: Is Grad School in Your Teen’s Future?

February 4, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer

With all the talk about college, your teen probably hasn’t even thought about grad school. And you may ask why should they? Because grad school is the next step in the education chain for many career paths and it makes sense for your student to plan ahead if they want to pursue those paths in the future.

How do you plan for grad school while planning for college?

Research majors and careers

If your student is interested in the medical or law field it stands to reason they will be attending graduate school and possibly beyond. Some other career paths also require graduate degrees as you move up the ladder. For example, many students who want to teach at a college level will need a masters degree or even a Ph.D. for this career path. Students who are entering the business field might consider and MBA in their future. Research the majors and careers while researching the colleges.

Discuss finances

Graduate degrees are an added expense for students and many families do not prepare for this additional expense. If your student knows he will be going to grad school, make a financial plan and add those expenses to the overall costs. Evaluate graduate degree programs just as you would undergraduate degrees based on the return on investment.

Be prepared for concentrated study

If your student plans to pursue a graduate degree, there is no time to slack off and skate through college. Graduate programs are often difficult to get into and your student should consider the undergraduate program as a stepping stone. Just as high school academics prepare them for college, college prepares them for graduate school. Focused study and academic excellence are a key factor when applying for a graduate degree program.

Whether your student knows he will go on to graduate school, or is simply considering it, the best plan is to make a plan. It’s easy to do the graduate research along with the undergraduate research. Why not combine two tasks in preparation for the future?

Read Wendy’s post: 6 Reasons to Think Grad School in College Search

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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.

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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study abroad

Work for College Students While Studying Abroad in Australia

January 27, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer

Work for students studying abroad in Australia can be easy or hard to find. Most international students get jobs after spending some time learning English a bit better. Students, who already know how to speak English well, obviously have more opportunities. There are cases where in three weeks the person is already employed, but other cases can reach 8 months of waiting, and there are even those who have never gotten any work.

The three most frequently asked questions about work for students in Australia are:

Will I get a job easily?
How much will I be paid?
Can I keep this work while studying abroad?

There is no simple answer. Everything depends on many factors. One thing is certain; it is very hard for someone to get a part time job as a student and save a lot of money to take back to their country. Only immigrants get full time jobs. The math is simple: the hours students are allowed to work are 20 hours a week, and the average fee is 15 AUSD, this can make a total of 350 AUSD. However, if you account for all the expenses it means it is impossible. As you can see, the permission of the Government of Australia to allow students to work 20 hours a week is for financed studies, as it does not provide enough to survive financially depending on other resources.

Many people coming to study in Australia have the illusion that they will earn more money than this. This can happen, but usually only for a few people. The numbers are real and students must be prepared for this reality.

The most common jobs for international students are in the tourism and hospitality industry such as restaurants and hotels. Working hours for qualified students are the same as hours of study, or work hours are the same as those of courses. This is the reason why many engineers, systems analysts etc., work as cleaners or waiters. The most common jobs offered in the hospitality sector are: dishwasher, kitchen help, waiters and general cleaning. There are some opportunities in shops such as a seller and Pizza delivery but you may need your own vehicle. Of course you can get other work, but these are the easiest to find. For those students eager to work on farms during school holidays, there are magazines with lists of places in every state of Australia.

The procedure for obtaining the Working Visa is, after starting the course in Australia; go to DIMIA (Department of Immigration) in your city, have with you a school letter attesting to your enrolment and attendance over the passport and you get the seal that allows you to work 20 hours a week.

admissions, essays

7 Positive Things That Can Look Bad on a College Application

January 27, 2015 Suzanne Shaffer 5 Comments

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

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In my experience helping students with literally thousands of college application essays, it has become second nature for me to immediately recognize what works and what falls flat. However, I can see why it’s not easy for the layperson to understand what might be inappropriate for an entrance essay. That road paved with good intentions can easily lead a young college applicant right off a cliff.

Here are seven potential essay topics that may seem great on the surface but are actually big mistakes.

Bragging about good grades.

Many well-meaning essayists list their favorite classes and then the perfect scores they received. It’s a complete waste of words. The adjudicator has a school transcript in hand. The essay is a chance to give the committee a glimpse into something they can’t already see.

Taking an overly creative approach.

While it is a wonderful idea to create a unique narrative, the story needs to have some connection to qualifications, a school, and why a student wants to go there. This is not a place to write a Ray Carver-like short story, no matter how impressive it may be.

Talking about the volunteer trip that changed your life.

The story of volunteering to teach English to people in a small village in Ecuador seems like a no-brainer.

“I went to Quito and from there braved the jungle and you know what…? I thought I was going to teach others English, but instead found that it was I who had the learning experience.”

It’s a beautiful story of commitment, and it’s also the number one story not to tell. The reason? Admissions counselors get this one ALL the time. ALL the time. If you must share this volunteer experience, the story should be truly unique and specific. What exactly was learned in the wilds of Ecuador? How does this tie into a desire for higher education?

Celebrating a privileged background.

Some essayists feel it’s a great plan to write about how they feel so lucky to have come from such wonderful circumstances (from such loving parents, of course). The last thing an adjudicator would like to read about is how a student feels he or she has led a charmed life. It says nothing about what they can actually bring to the school.

Battling adversity.

Overcoming obstacles is a good thing, but stories about death, dying, or trauma can easily come off as way too heavy in this format. These are not only distressing, but they are probably not as compelling or persuasive as one might think. Ultimately, they may end up distracting the reader.

Obsessing over the sporting life.

I threw the winning pass to lead the team to the state champi… zzzzz… Just stay far away from stories of athletic triumph. There are way too many of these.

I was bad… but now I’m all good!

I don’t know why students think it’s a great idea to talk about how they started out in high school as a slacker, but they’re much better now and deserve praise for getting their life together. The big takeaway I get as a reader is “possible recidivist slacker.”

They say you have to know the rules to break the rules, and with all this in mind, it is absolutely possible to write about every one of these topics IF a story is personal, specific, and truly portrays why a student and their ideal school are a perfect match. That being said, try to convince your young college applicant to avoid any topics that will make them blend in with the crowd rather than stand out.

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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.

Parenting for College

Before the Offers of Admission and Financial Aid Awards Arrive