How to Think About the College Investment

For middle class families, one can expect to pay $50-200 thousand dollars for 4 plus years of college education. For many families, this investment will be second only to the cost of their home. Beyond monetary investment, your child's future is on the line. Making incorrect choices can amount to years of wasted time for a student, a misuse of family money, the loss of self-esteem and damage to career prospects. With such high high stakes, prudent deliberation is a must. College has always been a special time in the lives of young adults. In the early years of post secondary institutions of learning, college was a time for separation, intensive study, and great camaraderie. In the years since the baby... Read More »

How to Use High School Wisely

March 9, 2010 by  
Filed under Admission Tips, Featured Articles

For most teenagers, high school is a time for survival. Very few teens and families take the time to properly plan and evaluate this important time. Academically, high school should be a time of exploration. At best, students find areas of interest that will be pursued in college and beyond. More often, though, high school students are not presented stimulating material. With this circumstance, a high school academic career is mostly a trudge to completion of endless assignments and evaluations. In pursuits outside the classroom, families and students often fail to approach possibilities with the important question: “What do I enjoy?” Frequently, students listen to the rumor mill and choose the pursuits that everyone else pursues. Not only is this a... Read More »

What Do I Need to Get Out of A College Education?

March 9, 2010 by  
Filed under Featured Articles

To be competitive in the 21st century job and graduate school markets, 8 essential skill sets are needed. Employers and graduate admissions committees are overwhelmed by applicants, many of whom may have graduated from top 150 colleges but lack the necessary skills to be productive and efficient. In a marketplace where networking and insider connections have much less weight than in years past, a college bound student must be aware of the areas to master in the undergraduate years.

Research- the ability to gather, observe, analyze, synthesize, and apply information to solve concrete problems.

Communication- to share ideas succinctly and clearly in oral and written form. Active listening is likely the most important component... Read More »

Secrets of Choosing the Right College(s)

March 9, 2010 by  
Filed under Featured Articles

Few families are exposed to anything but surface-level information about prospective colleges. Become an informed consumer! Be very cautious about investing 50-200 thousand dollars in a college education. Be certain that you receive value for your money. Don't follow the masses and then assume things will work out as hoped for. Each family must have convincing evidence about basic but crucial issues. Is the school strong in the student's area of interest? Most 18 year- olds do not know their future major. Few high school students and families explore the details of possible majors and how these might lead to a career path. Choosing a school without informed, developed plans for study is risky. What academic domains are... Read More »