Everybody like freebies. Taking advantage of all the freebies that are given away on campus to college students is a MUST. Teaching your kids to watch for them is all part of being an effective parent college coach.. Why pay for something when it’s available for FREE?
It’s no urban legend: Free stuff is doled out on college campuses all the time. But it’s up to you to scout out where to find these complementary goods. From pizza to plane tickets to straight-up cash, we show you what you can get and how to score it … so keep reading.
Free Entertainment Get tickets to concerts, sporting events, art exhibits, theater openings, forums and lectures.
How to score: Use your student ID card as an all-access pass. Every campus has a student union building, and if you’re unfamiliar with it, we suggest you become acquainted, since it’s plastered with bulletin boards announcing free upcoming events for students.
Free Food Get free pizza, soda, snacks or breakfast, depending on the time of day.
How to score: Attend club meetings. “If you look in your student building and sign up for all the listservs, you will know when clubs and residence halls are giving away free food,” says New York University sophomore Doreen Naor. “With breakfast, you can basically always get muffins and coffee, and for real meals, most clubs give out pizza.” Join three clubs that meet weekly, and you’re looking at three regularly scheduled meals.
We also like CampusFood.com, where you can play online games that earn coupons for your next restaurant visit. A few clicks at a mindless computer game, and you can have yourself a free meal. Not too shabby!
Free Cash Earn hard cash (typically from $5 to $10 for about an hour of your time — could be up to $100). No taxes taken out, no checks.
How to score: Participate in a focus group or study, which typically requires very little effort, such as filling out an easy survey. Head over to the campus psychology building, where you’ll find volunteer recruitment flyers.
Focus group companies pay more for your input. If your school is in a metropolitan area, check out focus group centers in need of college student participants. Go to FindFocusgroups.com to scope out opportunities near you.
Free Swag Pick up product samples, coupons, gift certificates and other giveaway items, including iTunes cards, DVD players and even airline tickets.
How to score: “All you have to do is open your eyes and pay attention,” says NYU junior Annie Baer. “There are always people giving away free things [on campus].” Marketing companies often hire student reps to hold major promotions that often include giveaways and contests on college campuses. Next time you see a student rep giving out samples, ask if the campaign offers any other giveaways.
Note: You can get updates about sponsored events and contests directly from the source. By becoming a Facebook fan of brands or products you like, you can get automatic updates about big promotions and giveaways, and be the first to know about any contests they might be hosting.
Here’s some great tips to help parents help their college-bound teens save some money when they go off to college. Take notes and start implementing these strategies into their lives BEFORE they leave for college.
Living on a shoestring budget? Whether your parents float you funds or you’re pulling a part-time paying gig, here’s how to stre——-tch every precious penny.
Broke — it’s a common catch in student jargon. “OMG, I broke my phone at that rager last night” or “I just broke up with my girlfriend ’cause she was cheating on me with my best bud.” But when used as an adjective, the word describes the financial status of most college kids.
Unless Dad is handing over his preferred platinum card or you strike it rich selling those musty ol’ Pokemon cards, you’ll have to get by on meager means. Here are some painless ways to get major bang for your buck … even if it’s your last buck.
Whether you’re craving a change from the monotonous glop of the dining hall, celebrating a friend’s birthday at a nearby bistro or taking a study break to go for a late-night munch, your wallet will take a hit. Cutting back on these extravagances means getting clever.
Life doesn’t have to be a snore just because your pockets are empty. Money buys neither happiness nor a stellar social life. You can get out and about without tossing around a ton of green.
Enter upscale department stores and exclusive boutiques at your own risk, but you don’t have to totally give up the urge to splurge. Just tone it down a few notches.
Ask not what you can do for your school but what your school can do for you. Universities give back to their student patrons in plenty of ways, so take advantage.
Heads up, traditionalists! A radical new idea promotes kissing the four-year academic program buh-bye and saying hello to a three-year system.
As accustomed as we are to its infrastructure, it would take some serious shaking up to rattle the U.S. education system. Yet Robert Zemsky, chairman of the Learning Alliance for Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Making Reform Work: The Case for Transforming American Higher Education, is advocating for major changes on university campuses — most notably a three-year college program.
Zemsky argues that given today’s economic, political and technological climate, it’s time for Americans to minimize cost, unnecessary resources and wasted time repeating coursework. His proposed plan would cause a drastic uplifting of the current system, impacting high schools as well. But it is Zemsky’s hope that reform ultimately would spawn a more streamlined institution. While the government might not be ready to back such lofty plans, the real question is: Are you?
How will students benefit from such reform? According to Professor Zemsky, shifting to a more sequenced, regimented three-year program will save students time and money — cutting tuition costs by a whopping 25 percent. This is less moolah out of your pocket, not to mention additional interest that builds up as you work to pay off hefty loans. At the very foundation, students would pay for 90 credits over the typical 120.
In a contemporary society where minimizing time and financial expenditures ranks high on to-do lists, it seems almost given that a new system should be put into place. Right? Not necessarily. For one, the program basically assumes all undergrads will go on for a post-grad or masters degree. “If you want college to help vocationally, you have to go beyond the undergrad,” says Zemsky. Under the new system, college would be a breeding ground whereby students learn the basics of a particular trade. It is then in graduate school that learning would become truly vocational.
So how would high schools be affected by this change? High school seniors are infamously plagued by “senioritis” and finding ways to sidestep mundane assignments. Zemsky proposes doing away with wasteful course schedules during senior year and instead modeling it after the current freshman year of college. He suggests pre-college seniors take some of the basic humanities and sciences normally taken by college freshmen.
Zemsky tells us in a phone interview, “High schools would need to make assessments at a ninth-grade level as to whether a student is making progress to be ‘college-ready.’ Remediation would take place at this time rather than at the first year of college. The 10th and 11th grade levels would look the same, and the 12th grade would become equivalent to the first year of college. There would be an alignment so that senior year of high school sets students up for freshman year of college.”
What is the downside of a three-year college program? Some students feel it’s unreasonable to be expected to choose a major and commit at age 18. And indeed, the pressure is really on if the typical college career were condensed. “I don’t know what I plan on majoring in,” says U Penn freshman Brett Levine. “In a three-year program, undecided people have less time to explore new subject areas.
“Even with people who know what they want to study, a three-year program would surely be more demanding if requirements for majors or graduate schools admissions stay the same. A lot of pre-meds and engineering students have difficulty satisfying graduation requirements as is. For undecided students like myself, the variety of course options is incredible. It allows me to explore new subject areas unavailable in high school.”
Says Zemsky: “Students are given endless choices, but it’s expensive. It confuses lots of people, and it takes longer to graduate because they get lost. Redesign the curriculum so it is not a smorgasbord of options.” Say goodbye to elective courses too, because in this system, there’s no room for classes that do not directly relate to your plan of study.
How would such lofty goals be implemented? Zemsky doesn’t kid himself into thinking this would be a minor undertaking: “To really kick off reform, it would take an invitation from the president. I can’t imagine this happening without presidential leadership.” And, yes, he’s referring to the president of the United States.
In a recent Newsweek article, Zemsky argues his position by stating, “Everything around us — technology, medicine, politics — has changed … and [higher education] will too have to rethink what we are about.”
Still, Levine questions the practicality of Zemsky’s proposal. “A three-year program would essentially make college an even more stressful period. It would probably restrict options for traveling abroad, which many students value. It has many potential benefits for some students. People who know they want to major in economics, political science, Spanish or other relatively less intense majors may only need three years. However, others need four to prepare for graduate school or their desired career.”
And furthermore, Levine adds, “Socially, it obviously restricts the amount of time commonly dubbed ‘the best years of your life.’”
What do you think? Do you think our kids are growing up too fast? Do you think a 3-year degree is a wise educational choice?
With technology progressing faster than we can keep up with it, Tufts University is inviting prospective students to post one-minute videos on YouTube telling the university a little something about themselves. According to an article in The New York Times: The Choice, one of the dean of admissions at Tufts came up with the idea:
Lee Coffin, the dean of undergraduate admissions, said the idea came to him last spring, when watching a YouTube video someone had sent him. “I thought, ‘If this kid applied to Tufts, I’d admit him in a minute, without anything else,’” Mr. Coffin said.
Some of the YouTube video submissions have garnered quite a following; opening an interesting debate about privacy online.
One new company, has come up with a solution to having the whole world view your admissions video: MyCollegei. They have partnered with colleges to allow your college-bound teen to post their video FREE of charge and create a video that will give colleges an insight into who they are and find that “perfect-fit” student for their college community, while maintaining the student’s privacy.
Here’s a GREAT video presentation of the service, describing what they offer and how they have created a user-friendly site for students who want to get that extra edge in the admissions process. (Just click the graphic!)
Admissions officers are always looking for that “perfect-fit” student and videos are an excellent way to see beyond the traditional application and essay. And after all, teens today have grown up using technology. As colleges strive to keep up with the times, this is just another way that prospective students can communicate their creativity and passion.
High school guidance counselors are forever urging their students to go out and visit prospective colleges. View books, short online videos, and guide books are all helpful, but actually walking the campus, listening to students while checking out the surrounding neighborhood is the best way to develop a feel for each school.
That’s why we began our video series. We’re college counselors from New Jersey, and we videotaped those student guided campus tours and put them on DVDs available at www.collegiatechoice.com. They average one hour per college.
Cliff Kramon Collegiate Choice collchoice@optonline.net www.collegiatechoice.com
You could waste four years studying a foundering field. Or, find out right here what careers (and majors) are still worth pursuing during times of economic stress.
Like the national census or a good Bruce Willis movie, a recession hits the United States about every 10 years or so. It doesn’t take a math major to see it’s been nearly that long since the burst of the dot-com bubble, and now, the collapse of mortgage-backed security has brought Wall Street — and the rest of the economy — to its knees again. As for college students? Well, we’re just crossing our fingers that four years is enough time for the job market to rebound.
Luckily, the U.S. financial system seems to be on the upswing. “By the end of the year, things should be looking better,” says Laurence Shatkin, author of The 150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs. But Shatkin warns that a recovery would not necessarily signal a return in jobs. “They are the last thing to recover in a recession; businesses are going to wait until the last minute to stop using temporary hires. It will easily be over a year until this country starts seeing an increase in job openings.” Here, we relay the crème de la crème of careers so you can declare a major now that will set you up for success later.
Health care
Even in dire straits, people need certain services. Shatkin cites the health care industry, which pays well and continues a growth pattern as the field most adept at staying afloat during a financial downturn. Careers in the medical realm — physicians, surgeons, pharmacists, health service managers — round out No. 6 through No. 10 on Shatkin’s list of 150 recession-proof jobs. Major in: biomedical sciences, biology, chemistry. Plan on being pre-med.
Information technology
High tech is an industry with heavy growth — recession or no recession. With the Internet getting bigger by the millisecond, the stakes for finding a job in the technological world are up. The market does, however, face competition from outsourcing, since labor abroad is cheaper. Major in: computer science, mathematics, computer engineering, electrical engineering. No lit majors here.
Government
Shatkin is quick to point out that careers in government don’t have to be defined by bureaucratic paper pushing and yards of red tape. “Careers like school administrators and law enforcement officers fall under the government’s sphere,” he says. Government positions have had better protection against layoffs, which means more job security. Major in: public policy, history, politics. Law school is another path to take if you’re looking to snag a spot working for the Feds.
Green jobs
An important, budding movement is the green sector — especially green energy. Organizations are looking for enthusiastic college grads to jump on board. Plus, the current presidential administration wants to transform energy needs into a self-sustaining machine anchored by clean and renewable power. Major in: environmental science, civil engineering, environmental engineering. Although, there are opportunities for activists, advertisers and writers to get involved too, since the field is relatively new and malleable.
Education
The good news is that there’s still a very high demand for teachers. The bad news is that schools get funding from local taxes, so when this revenue dries up, so does money toward teachers’ salaries. Making big bucks is almost out of the question. Major in: various topics in education, from math to P.E.
Journalism
While Shatkin says several journalists still maintain great jobs in various trades, from padding the blogosphere to entertainment reporting, the field faces an uphill battle against two formidable opponents: bankruptcy and the Internet. Shatkin, himself a writer, claims the trick is to find a good niche: “I write about careers now, and I love what I do.”
Entertainment
“The field has always been fiercely competitive,” Shatkin says. He points out that many who can’t make it in other jobs resort to packing up and moving to Hollywood, betting on a slight chance of making it big. Now that the masses have less money to spend on entertainment, the industry has lost some of its sheen.
Finance
Careers in finance have been hit harder than most. “It was oversold for a very long time, and now it’s hurting,” says Shatkin. He describes the nature of finance as extremely cutthroat. Many financial companies value experience, which puts recent college graduates at an immediate disadvantage. And since many former employees in the financial realm were laid off and are now looking for work, the competition is stiff.
In the eight months since Shatkin’s book was published, the situation has gotten worse. “When I wrote the book, there was only the likelihood of a recession,” he says. “You never know you’re in a recession until you’re knee-deep. Nowadays, it’s harder to find a job, investments have lost value and layoffs are increasing. People’s retirements are at stake.”
Shatkin’s advice to freshmen? Get a well-rounded education. “We need people in liberal arts who understand science and math, and engineers and scientists who can write,” he says. By pursuing different subjects, students discover skills or talents they never knew they had. “You become more versatile and learn about yourself. Don’t limit it to schoolwork. Pursue out-of-class activities on campus as well.”
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!
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/
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!
