1. ParentsCountdowntoCollegeCoach.com–You will find the MOST information here on our blog: college guidance, college planning, college coaching, and college news. Come here first to find the latest and best tools to help you navigate the college maze.
2. UniversityParent.com–A site where parents can ask questions, gather information, and download and view college guides and campus newsletters.
3. Fastweb.com–An extensive scholarship search website with a massive database of scholarships, along with articles and helps designed specifically for parents.
4. Zinch.com–A free service for students and parents where students can showcase themselves, connect with colleges, and search for scholarships.
5. Cappex.com–A site created for students to help them simplify their college search, create a profile and search for scholarships.
6. MeritAid.com–The place to go to find merit scholarships and academic scholarships from colleges across the country.
7. SmartCollegeVisit.com–Created to provide information about college visits, help parents and students plan, and view personal accounts from both parents and students.
8. MyCollegeCalendar.org–Interactive college admissions counseling program designed for both high school students and their parents.
9. Scholarships.com–An extensive scholarship search engine that helps you search and schedule alerts for deadlines.
10. MyUSearch.com–An excellent blog with tips for parents and students about college; also provides college matching and scholarship searches.
11. FindTuition.com–Help finding money to pay for college, along with articles related to college financing.
12. EntrepreneurEdu.org–This is an excellent resource for students who are interested in colleges who offer entrepreneurial programs.
13. ElizabethOnline.com–An SAT expert and coach offering tips to help your college-bound teen improve their SAT/ACT scores.
14. Bookrenter.com–Rent college textbooks and save up to 75% over purchasing them new.
15. TheCollegeSolutionBlog.com–An excellent resource for college-bound teens and their parents: admissions, testing, and financial aid.
16. ReduceMyCollegeCosts.com–Everything you need to know about financing a college education and saving money.
17. UniversityLanguage.com/blog–Great blog articles about everything related to college admissions geared toward students.
18. CollegeWeekLive.com–A virtual college fair that sponsors free LIVE events with archived presentations, student chats, and college booths.
19. BetterGrads.org–A network of college student peer advisers and a resource filled website presenting honest accounts of the college experience geared toward high school students.
20. Youniversitytv.com–Learn about colleges by watching video tours, chat with students on campus forums, post questions and get answers.
21. Unigo.com/wsj–A partnership with Unigo and The Wall Street Journal providing articles and videos to help with college admissions, decisions and choices.
22. NYTimes-TheChoiceBlog–Demystifying college admissions and financial aid by providing articles and Q&A by experts in the field.
23. GreatCollegeAdvice.com/blog–An excellent resource about the college admissions process providing expert advice helping students map their college journey.
24. CollegeGrazing.com–A resource for parents and students providing 13 interactive college surveys to help students find their perfect fit college.
25. USNews.com/Education–The education channel of U.S. News and World Reports providing the latest news and information related to college.
26. Fafsa.ed.gov–The official government website for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
27. CommonApp.org–The common application site used by 400 colleges and universities across the country.
28. PrincetonReview.com–The best value colleges list for public and private institutions across the country.
29. NCSASports.org–The college recruiting site for athletes.
30. FairTest.org–The site for the National Center for fair and open testing providing information about colleges who do not use the SAT/ACT for admissions decisions.
31. SallieMae.com/plan–A FREE education investment planner that will help determine college costs, compare college costs, and provides information about student loan repayments.
32. UPromise.com–UPromise partners return a portion of eligible purchase money back to you. Those earnings accumulate in your Upromise account until you decide to use it to invest in a 529 plan, help pay down eligible student loans or assist with college expenses—all tax-free!
33. SavingForCollege.com–Everything you need to know about financing a college education.
34. CollegeBoard.com–It’s here you’ll find the CSS Profile application (required by many private colleges), register for the SAT, and read articles about planning for college.
35. CollegeBasics.com–An excellent resource for information about college essays, college applications and high school resumes.
36. InsideHigherEd.com/blogs–Several different blogs related to higher education.
37. InsideCollege.com–A search site that groups colleges in categories and provides college “hot” lists (i.e. top college for late bloomers, colleges for students needing a second chance)
38. ECampus.com–Find textbooks, sell textbooks, search for college supplies and college apparel all on this one site.
39. TheRealCollegeGuide.com–Four blogs about college life: the dorm, lifestyle, academics and heath and fitness.
40. GlobalQuad.com–Find a college, a professor, other college students, and even admissions advisers who are on Twitter.
41. DesignYourDorm.com–A free online, interactive resource for designing and organizing your college-bound teen’s dorm room.
42. CollegeAdmissionsPartners.com/blog–An expert blog dedicated to helping students find the right college.
43. GradeFund.com–Students invite their friends and family to sponsor their drive for good grades. Sponsors choose grade levels and sponsorship amounts for each grade (as low as $5) to help students raise money for their college education.
44. CollegeParentCentral.com–A blog created to give parents useful information about college and the college admissions process.
45. Number2.com–Free online test prep (SAT/ACT) with vocabulary exercises and help.
46. VolunteerMatch.org–Find local volunteer opportunities for your college-bound teen and teach them about the importance of giving back to their community with the added bonus of adding that service to their high school resume.
47. KnowHow2Go.com–A college planning site for college-bound students providing helps and aids from middle school to senior year: interactive and fun!
48. BeRecruited.com–If you have a teen that’s a student athlete, they can create an online profile here and help colleges and coaches find them and be recruited.
49. FinAid.org–An excellent resource for the answers to all your questions regarding college financial aid.
50. TheCampusBuzz.com–An online clearinghouse for national college news; find all the college news in one place!
A few weeks ago I attended a virtual college event at CollegeWeekLive. I was impressed with the simplicity of the information and wanted to pass it along to all my readers who might not have had the opportunity to attend. This particular session was conducted by Kim Clark, staff writer for U.S. News and World Reports. She outlined some simple steps to raise $15,000 for college:
The bottom line: $15,000 or MORE! Here’s how it all adds up:
By piecing together all these separate components, there is no limit on how much you can raise for college costs. At the very least you can raise $15,000, at the very most, the sky is the limit!
You can check out U.S. News and World Reports education section: Paying For College for more information and tips.
While attending one of my son’s hockey games last weekend, I was approached by a fellow hockey parent who knew of my career counseling work with college bound teens. She gave me that “you will not believe this one” look and told me about her teenage daughter’s most recent career interest, cryptozoology. As I learned, cryptozoology deals with the study of creatures whose existence has not been substantiated (think Big Foot and Loch Ness Monster). It also focuses on known animals that exist in places where they were not expected to occur as well as the persistence of animals presumed to be extinct. This parent envisioned, with great angst, paying large sums of money for her daughter to go to college and pursue a career field that offered no job security and little if any income.
Now with 25 years of work in career counseling (including 18 years as a college career center director), you can bet that I’ve listened to students speak about all kinds of career dreams and aspirations. Some might immediately dismiss more ‘non-traditional’ or less popular career interests referring to them as unrealistic and impractical. I never dismiss a client’s career interests. From my perspective, enthusiasm for a career interest is a great thing since it serves as a motivator to get a student into the career exploration process (which is most challenging if not impossible when motivation is lacking!). So I can work with a client around an interest and help them gain increased career exploration skills in the process. In addition, I like to play detective around the interests expressed by my teen (and adult) clients…you can learn quite a bit through this type of probing. For example, is this student attracted to cryptozoology due to an interest in science and biology or is antropology an underlying passion. Then again, maybe it’s the adventure and mystery that gets her pumped up without any interest whatsoever in the science element. I’d also want to know more about this student’s other career interests. In my work with teen clients, I give them multiple assessments to help them build a broad list of interests that they then prioritize. There are usually themes or patterns that keep popping up over and over again when we look at their most favorite top 10 or 20 career interests. These themes can offer a sense of career direction that goes beyond one interest (after all, career exploration is a process of experimentation and reality testing so it’s likely that this student will realize that this career area is not what she had envisioned it to be).
So…if your student expresses an interest in a career area, try saying, ‘Tell me more about this interest of yours and let’s see if we can work together to help you understand what it involves”. My hockey friend’s daughter may end up ruling out cryptozoology as a career interest once she learns about the realities associated with this work or she might decide to go off on a related and yet different tangent…like marine biology. Then again she might realize she’s still pumped up about this interest but that it won’t support her preferred lifestyle…so it will just serve as a fun hobby.
Want to learn more about cryptozoology from someone who works full-time as a cryptozoologist (Yes, he’s a full-time cryptozoologist…I wonder what his parents thought of his interest before this career took off!)? I did some research and found a website that was quite fascinating…but then I love learning about careers!
If you would like to contact Susan or find out more information about the services she provides, you can contact her at:
Her websites: www.careeroptions4me.com and www.collegesandmajors.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/susanposluszny
Email: susan@careeroptions4me.com
Visiting a college campus allows you and your prospective student to get an insider’s perspective of what it’s like to attend that particular school. What are the students like? Do they like the dorms? Where’s the best coffee shop in town?
If the colleges your child is considering are far away, a college visit is even more important. You’ll likely only visit a college once before making the decision about whether to apply.
It’s important to plan for a college visit long before you first step foot on campus. That way you’ll both be able to make an informed decision about where to apply. University Language Services has compiled a list of three most important things to do:
1. Do Your Research
Before getting in that airplane or car, do plenty of research about the college you’re going to visit. You want to be as prepared as possible when arriving on campus so that you and your child can get the most of your experience there.
What academic departments is he or she interested in? Where are they located on campus? What are some places in the neighborhood that you want to check out? Are there walking tours on campus? If so, find out when they are and how to join.
Make a list of things you’d like to accomplish with your child. For example:
* Sit down to talk with an admissions officer.
* Get financial aid forms.
* Encourage your child to sit in on a class.
* Pick up a copy of the student newspaper.
* Eat in the cafeteria.
* Ask students what they love and hate about the college.
* Walk or drive around the area surrounding the college.
2. Plan in Advance
If there are several colleges you and your child would like to visit, it’s important to schedule your visits in advance. Set a date (or even a weekend!) in advance and rest assured knowing you’ve got plenty of time to decide.
If the college is in a major city, don’t limit yourself to the campus. Spend some time exploring! Are there Broadway shows you can go to? Landmarks you’d like to see? In addition to getting to know your child’s (possible!) future school, you’ll get to spend some quality time together.
3. Pack Smart
When visiting a college, make sure you come prepared!
Get a map of the campus and the surrounding area, pack a camera and bring a notebook. Although the experience might seem unforgettable right now, the details might get a little foggy after seeing a few more schools.
A college visit is essential for your child to decide whether or not he or she will be happy attending a particular school. And since you’re probably just as concerned about where your child will be sleeping, eating and studying for the next four years, you’ll want to be a part of that experience.
You can contact us any number of ways:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/campuscommons
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/universitylanguage
Our blog: http://www.universitylanguage/com/blog/
Today is CollegeWeekLive’s FREE online event that will answer many of your questions about paying for college. They have taken the time to gather all the experts and bring the information to you in the comfort of your own home. Sit down with a cup of coffee and watch, listen and chat while they give your their tips on financial aid, scholarships and financing.
Straight from College Week Live’s email:
Would you like to talk live with representatives of the US Dept of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid office about the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and federal financial aid options? Want to speak with an expert from US News & World Report about tracking down cash for college? Would you like to find scholarships or get advice from college financial aid officers?
Get all this and more at CollegeWeekLive PAYING FOR COLLEGE on January 14th from 3:00 – 10:00 PM Eastern. Register for free and login this Thursday to speak live with this all-star cast of financial aid and scholarship experts!
Visit the Scholarships.com booth on the Financial Aid floor for more scholarship information and live chat!
Don’t forget about the CollegeWeekLive scholarships: Click here for more information!
You don’t want to miss this FREE resource. Set your alarms, your watches, your smartphones and your Outlook calendars. See you in cyberspace!
Today’s guest post is by Elizabeth King, author of “Outsmarting the SAT”. She has successfully led students to score gains of well over 100 points on every section of the SAT. She takes the test every year herself and knocks it out of the ballpark.
The test prep companies would like you to believe that you can’t prepare for their tests, or that you’re already prepared just by having gone to high school. This sounds great: test prep companies don’t have to endorse folks who can help you prepare and it seems like you, the student, is off the hook.
However, I come bearing great news: yes, it’s entirely possible to drastically change your score on both the SAT and ACT. I know, the companies that produce them tell you that they each test “what you’ve already learned in high school” in varying ways. In a perfect world, that would be true, but it’s far more likely that you either never learned some of the material or you don’t remember it when you see it. Both the SAT and ACT test skills you started learning around the age of ten. You’ll want to brush up.
I’m also going to let you in on a little secret: your friends (the people against whom you’ll be competing for college admission) may be preparing and just not admitting it. Yes, seriously. Let’s face it: acting like you care about standardized tests is not traditionally considered cool. However, I can’t tell you how many students I have that are friends that say “don’t tell so-and-so we’re coming to you” or the number of kids that are tucked away by themselves at the bookstore cafe on Saturday morning perusing a prep book. Not only that, I would say that it’s extremely common for someone to tell me his SAT score (happens all the time) and quickly tack on a lame excuse, like, but I was out partying the night before or but it’s not like I studied for it.
But let’s face it. College admissions officers don’t care how cool you are and are given no indication of how much you may or may not have studied for exams. They simply see a number and assess you accordingly. Moreover, while you may think you’ll get away with an hour or two of looking over a sample test the night before, in some areas or schools it’s completely normal to spend six months to a year preparing for the test. Right now, somewhere in the world, a student against whom you’ll be competing for college entry is preparing for the SAT or ACT.
Now, look: just because I’m asking you to prepare doesn’t mean I’m condemning you to taking one of those 8 week 4 hours every Saturday morning courses with a huge prep company. In fact, the National Association of College Admissions Counselors released a study in 2009 that said your score will likely only go up around 30 points if you do so. I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to invest 32 hours of my life preparing for something, I want to make some serious progress.
Here are some first steps to get you on the road to a score that represents you well:
–Pick your battle. Take a practice ACT and SAT test (available on the web). Think about which test is more comfortable for you. The math on the ACT covers more topics, but it generally feels more straightforward. The reading comprehension on the SAT is more conceptual; you’ll also want to consider the breadth of your vocabulary and how quickly you can learn new words. Vocab is pivotal on the SAT. The pace of the ACT is a little faster; the SAT is slower but longer.
–Prepare. Get a copy of The Official SAT Study Guide or The Real ACT Prep Guide and thoughtfully go through the material. For every mistake you make you’ll want write a note, and every mistake will fall under one of two categories: a rule/fact/equation you didn’t know (e.g. a particular geometry rule) or a question style (e.g. you know a particular geometry rule but you didn’t realize you needed to use it because of a confusing element in the question). Write all this down and review it!
–Ask for help. Rather than looking for guessing strategies on those questions with which you struggle, take the time to actually learn the material. Find a tutor or get a prep book that thoroughly teaches concepts rather than guessing rules. Remember that it’s possible to learn everything tested on the SAT and ACT, and I guarantee you’ll walk into the test more confident and away from the test center with a higher score and a better shot at entering the college of your dreams if you’ve taken the time to learn the material.
–Plan ahead. Know test dates ahead of time and don’t wait till the last minute. Remember, the competition is out there. Arm yourself and earn a score you can be proud of.
Contact Elizabeth at: Elizabeth King Coaching, Inc. http://elizabethonline.com On Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/elizabethonline
Intuit is giving away several grants each month to local businesses. The businesses they find most deserving and “loved” will be chosen to receive $5000 and up to $35,000 for the grand prize winner.
So…in the true spirit of entrepreneurship and “self-promotion” I’m asking my loyal readers to vote for me. It’s simple and won’t take five minutes of your time, but it will help me expand my business if I win and help more parents and college-bound teens in the process.
Below is a screenshot of what the nomination site looks like. Just click here and type in my business name and zip code. Once my business pops up, just type in why you love my business and your email address. It’s that simple. Thank you in advance!
One of my Twitter friends sent me a direct message the other day asking me how to deal with an underachiever high school student. Honestly, it’s a question I asked myself years ago when my son was an average student and not making any attempt to focus on college goals. Part of his lack of interest, was my lack of participation as a parent. He was making average grades and never had to crack open a book. I was somewhat content to let him be and concentrate on other things. Once he made the decision to join the Marine Corps I realized he felt he had no options left but to enter the military. It taught me a valuable lesson: parents play a pivotal role in motivating our teens toward college. I did not make the same mistake with my daughter.
Here’s what I did differently the second time around:
Here are some other helpful tips that I have learned as a Parent College Coach:
My daughter always wanted to go to college. But as I think back, so did my son. As a child he dreamed of attending Harvard. He definitely had the brains and the ability to be accepted at that college, but I never encouraged him to follow that dream. I honestly didn’t think as a middle class family, we could afford to pay for it. I have since learned otherwise and that’s why I want to pass this information on to other parents who are struggling with motivating their sons and daughters to succeed in high school so they can succeed in college. The best teacher is ALWAYS experience!
Last night I sat down for an hour and watched a web presentation at College Week Live about the the Common Application. It was basically a question/answer session where the Director of Outreach for the Common Application gave a brief synopsis of what the Common Application was and then fielded questions that were posted online.
Here are the basic highlights:
Some Questions and Answers:
Q. Do colleges prefer their own application over the common application?
No. The common application and the college application are treated as equals. If a college is part of the Common Application membership, they receive it just as they receive their own college application.
Q. When can you start completing the application?
Each year the applications are purged (in the summer) to make room for new applications in the fall. You can get in and play with the applications, practice, familiarize yourself with it, whenever you choose. If you want to look at it as a freshman in high school, it’s perfectly acceptable because it will get purged in the summer. Once you are ready to apply to the colleges, you will want to do begin the process in the fall of the year you apply to prepare for submission.
Q. Why do some colleges add supplements and other do not?
The supplements give colleges the ability to gather information that they might consider unique to their institution. Some colleges need additional information, others find the application itself sufficient.
Q. Do you have to complete the common application AND the college’s application?
A. No. Once you complete the common application and submit it to the colleges you choose, you are finished.
Q. Do colleges prefer the online application or the paper one?
Colleges PREFER online applications over paper because it saves them time inputting data and enables them to share the information easily with others and read online. NOTE: DO NOT complete the online application and send a paper version. Do one or the other. It will complicate the situation and cause all sorts of problems with your application.
If you would like to view the hour long session, you can go to College Week Live, sign in and look for it in archived presentations.
Today’s guest blog post is from Westwood College, a college that designs its programs around the needs of its unique student population (both online and on campus). If your teen is considering any of the career paths that Westwood offers, you might want to add them to the mix of college possibilities.
When making a final decision on your education, it is important to research your options carefully. Whether you are looking to obtain an online degree or are looking to attend campus classes, every school has something different to offer. Westwood College is one of those schools that truly design their programs for the students rather than making the students bend their educational needs into a one size fits all education models.
Campuses include:
With 17 campuses in six states and top notch online degree and online MBA programs, Westwood College offers the flexibility that students need to succeed. Program availability varies from campus to campus with an on-site or online Bachelor Degree within three years, an on-site or online Associate Degree in just two years or an MBA in one year.
Programs offered are in-depth, engaging, and offer professional instruction and continued support before, during and after graduation. From the “Quick Start” program which helps new students transition to a college schedule to the “Westwood Success Team” which matches advisers to students to assist with financial options and answer any questions regarding your enrollment.
Westwood also offers a program that is rare in the college scene today. If eligible, students can return after they have graduated to retrain in their field in order to keep current with the latest training. That in itself is an important resource that few colleges can or will compete with. Offering these types of extended support to students is just one reason Westwood stands above the rest and possesses such a great rate of graduates finding work after their program completion.
Since 1952 Westwood has continued raising the bar for education standards. Several financing options are available for those who qualify and prospective students are encouraged to contact your closest campus to book a tour, meet with faculty, or even sit in on a class to get an idea of the caliber of education offered by Westwood College.
After deciding which educational institution is right for you, your next step is to figure out which program is going to get you to where you want to be in your future career. Follow the link below for a comprehensive list of programs available either online, on-site, or both.
Westwood Degree Programs
Due to the number of campuses and the online school availability, students have a plethora of professional options to earn their degree. Online colleges are an excellent option for those unable to attend regular classes. Students wishing to attend the Los Angeles College, the Denver College, the college in Dallas, or Virginia colleges have multiple choices for both location and training. Earn your Interior Design degree, a Construction Management Degree, your Computer Network Degree or IT training because your options are near limitless. It’s imperative for today’s youth to carefully consider their educational options as your on-campus or online degree is the best way that you can ensure a lucrative and productive future in a profession that you love.
What are you waiting for?
