I remember my first Collegewise student who had an incurable case of namebranditis. Stanford was the only school he could envision himself attending. In his mind, if it wasn’t going to be Stanford, it had to be a school that was just as prestigious. And I knew after just one meeting that this was going to […]
Read More >Before you call or email a college…
Imagine you submitted a completed college application that you carefully prepared to make sure it included everything the college had asked for. And then several times a week for the next few months, someone from the college called or emailed you asking questions that you’d already listed on the application, like: “What is your mailing […]
Read More >Paying for college: a primer
The idea of trying to pay for college can be intimidating. The potentially big bills and the seemingly complex system of applying for financial aid and scholarships can be enough to stop some families from taking the productive steps they need to take to help finance their children’s educations. So here’s my primer on the topic. Each […]
Read More >How to talk to kids about school
Parents, if you were asked every day, “How was work?” would you give thoughtful, detailed answers every time? Chances are that as the question becomes more routine, so do your answers. Without something noteworthy to report, we’re likely to come back with a short, unrevealing response. But what if someone routinely asked you questions that built on […]
Read More >Great together
At a wedding I attended last weekend, the groom’s father gave a heartfelt toast about raising a sensitive, happy boy who truly blossomed when he went to college. Dad spoke about watching his son throw himself into Model United Nations, spend a summer interning on the South Side of Chicago doing outreach for those who […]
Read More >Save for retirement, or college?
Saving for college, and saving for retirement. Parents know both are important, and many of us worry that we’re not saving as much as we should for one or both. But if you’ve ever considered doubling down on the retirement stash and then just relying on loans to pay for college, consider this tip for parents […]
Read More >More reasons to file your FAFSA
Courtesy of Money Magazine’s 4 Things to Know About the New FAFSA, here’s a well-argued response to any family who resists filing the FAFSA: “Just submitting a FAFSA will automatically qualify you for a low-cost federal student loan of up to $5,500 for freshman year. The interest rate on undergraduate student loans is currently 3.8% plus […]
Read More >How to fall in like with less selective schools
If you want to have a successful college application process in just about every way imaginable, it’s hard to think of a better strategy than to start with a balanced college list, one with a healthy mix of schools (slightly) out of reach, some where you’ll likely get in, and a few where you’ll definitely […]
Read More >The just right approach
One extreme approach to college applications is to procrastinate until the impending deadlines leave you no choice but to get things done. But that’s stressful, risky, and almost never leads to applications and essays that are as good as they would have been had you started earlier and spent more time getting them right. The […]
Read More >Five ways to show potential
Part of a college admissions officer’s job is to be a fortune teller. Who you were yesterday in high school is a lot less interesting to colleges than who you’ll be tomorrow in college. They choose a freshman class based on the predicted future success of the applicants. And while a track record of success in […]
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