College Fairs: A Parent’s Perspective
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of accompanying my daughter, a freshman in high school, to her first college fair. This was not a first for me though. I have two sons, now 22 and 24, who have been down this road before. But I learned that the college fair scene has changed a bit in the last five years.
The last time I attended a college fair, my son and I spent most of our time filling out comment cards and forms at each college booth that interested him. Now, you complete a student registration online (or at the event) and receive a barcode that is scanned by interested institutions. Read the rest of this entry »
Should Parents Pay for College?
Parents are often faced with the decision of whether or not to help pay for their child’s college education. If you ask high school students whether mom and dad should pay for college, you’ll hear most of them shout “Yes!” But should parents be expected to foot the bill?
If you have a comfortable salary with reasonable household expenses and are financially able to cover tuition and other college expenses, there’s probably no reason not to help. Unfortunately, in today’s economy, many parents are not in a position to do this without dipping into their savings or retirement funds.
Before you decide to take out a second mortgage or ravage your savings accounts to pay for your child’s college education, consider some of the following benefits to asking your child to pay for some or all of his/her educational expenses. Read the rest of this entry »
Summer Checklist for Parents of Graduating Seniors
What can you do to ensure your child’s success after high school?
Congratulations! Now that May 1st has passed, and your student has decided where to go to college, you should be proud that your child is on the brink of a new life stage! Soon it will be time for your graduating high school senior to step across that magical threshold into the new and wonderful world of college. Take a few moments to read and think about the things listed below that you can do this summer to make the next three months a time of successful transition for the entire family.
[ ] Verbally recognize your child’s accomplishments to‐date…not every student completes high school and not every student decides to pursue higher education. You have a lot to be proud of, so communicate that to your child. Read the rest of this entry »
Just for Parents: College Tuition Insurance
Like pet health insurance, travel insurance, or renters insurance, tuition insurance is just another insurance policy that you don’t think about until you need it. Tuition refund insurance, commonly referred to as tuition insurance, comes in mighty handy if your child needs to withdraw from college suddenly.
One of the most common reasons students withdraw from college is due to medical issues. If your son or daughter has a serious or chronic illness, tuition insurance might be worth looking into. Be forewarned though, that some pre-existing conditions require a 6-12 month “waiting period” before coverage kicks in, possibly negating the point of having a policy. Read the rest of this entry »
Just for Parents: Meltdown in Higher Education?
Seth Godin is considered by many people to be a marketing genius. He is a best-selling author, an entertaining and in-demand speaker, and a self-described “agent of change.” Seth is also a prolific blogger; his posts are thought-provoking, insightful, funny, and always worth reading.
Last week, one of his posts was titled “The coming meltdown in higher education (as seen by a marketer).” He argued that most colleges, even the top ones, are homogeneous and therefore interchangeable; that they all game the system to appear more selective rather than just focusing on improving their schools’ curriculum; that it doesn’t matter where, or if, you go to college, and that the college experience is more important than the actual college education. Read the rest of this entry »
What if My Child Receives a College Rejection Letter?
I distinctly remember the entire month of April 2005. That was the month when I received all of my college acceptance and rejection letters. Afternoons were spent watching the mailbox, hoping and praying for thick packets, and dreading slim envelopes (Side note: these slim envelopes may be deceiving. Sometimes colleges send out brief congratulatory notes, so don’t be alarmed if your child receives a thin envelope). I was the first of three children in my family to attend college, meaning that my parents were relatively unprepared for the emotional roller coaster ride that their 18-year-old daughter was about to drag them on. Faced with mixed emotions and a general terror about the next four years of my life, I turned to my parents, who unfortunately had no idea how to respond to my constantly changing emotions.
No parent wants to see his or her child in pain, or feeling upset and rejected. Unfortunately, during college admission season, this may very well happen. While it may seem like the end of the world for your child, there are some things that you can do to help ease their pain. Read the rest of this entry »
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