College Admissions Help Blog

There are a lot of ways to save for college, and some can be better than others. In this blog I’ll describe some of the best college savings options and what the advantages and disadvantages are.

College Savings Plans (529 Plans)

529 Plans are education savings plans based on state. Each state has different requirements and fees so it’s important to check your states restrictions before opening a 529. There are 2 types of 529 savings plans- Prepaid tuition and College Savings plans.
(more…)

Below are a list of options for network in the College Counseling, Admissions and Financial Aid Field.


http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=1771062  - "College Counselors : Admissions and Financial Aid"

https://groups.google.com/group/admissions-professionals?hl=en

http://groupspaces.com/NACAC/

Feel free to list others in the comments section below.

Below are a list of options for network in the College Counseling, Admissions and Financial Aid Field.


http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=1771062  - "College Counselors : Admissions and Financial Aid"

https://groups.google.com/group/admissions-professionals?hl=en

http://groupspaces.com/NACAC/

Feel free to list others in the comments section below.

For most students, summer is a time to relax and take a break from the monotony of schoolwork. However, just because it’s summer vacation, that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of it. There are a number of opportunities for students to stay active (and boost your resume)!

So, what can you do this summer? Here are some ideas…

Volunteer

Volunteering is a great way to spend some free-time this summer. There are a lot of different ways to volunteer, such as tutoring or working in a soup kitchen or food pantry. There are also hundreds of not-for-profits nationwide who are in need of volunteers for all sorts of activities. If you’re interested in a specific field, look up local non-profits to see if there are any available volunteer opportunities in your area. Not only does volunteering make you feel good, but often academic clubs or societies require a minimum number of volunteer hours, so plan ahead and log some volunteer hours this summer!

(more…)

Ask Admissions Girl: When should I start writing my high school resume? How do I write a high school resume?

Writing your first resume can be a daunting task, but a high school resume is a great way for you to show your academic and extracurricular experiences to prospective employers and colleges. Generally, we recommend keeping a running list of activities you are involved in starting in 8th or 9th grade, and writing your first resume in 10th or 11th grade when you plan on applying for your first job, or as you start your college search.

Why? There number of cases where having a high school resume will be beneficial (more…)

Q: I’ve gone to a couple of college fairs, but I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do or what questions to ask. Do you have any advice?

A: If you’re like most high school students, navigating a college fair can be awkward, confusing, and frustrating. You’re bombarded with information but might not know where to turn exactly. This is why I am going to help you navigate the seemingly endless rows of college booths, in the hopes that you start your college search on the right foot.

Register

So let’s start at the beginning. In order to attend most college fairs, you will first need to register (unless it’s as a class field trip for example). The National Association for College Admission Counseling hosts national college fairs every spring and fall, and for many cities, you can register online. These fairs are free and open to the public, plus, you can get a list of colleges that will be exhibiting online before you go.
(more…)

F stands for FUN!!!!?
By Marcia Y. Cantarella, Author, I CAN Finish College: The Overcome Any Obstacle and Get Your Degree Guide.

Fun

Especially if you go away to college it is like all the blocks to fun are removed. No more parents watching and nagging about when you get home, no one checking how many beers you had or if you used a condom. Whoo whoo—college is a party! That is why there are those lists of the best party schools. And if your school is not on the list then you will fix that!

Truth is fun is fun. It is a good thing. We all need some of it in our lives. A good belly laugh or pick-up basketball game can even extend your life and keep you healthy. Relationships are supposed to be fun (not that they always are) and it is healthy to have strong social ties and networks for both professional and personal gratification. So hanging out is fun and good for you. I am all for fun. Do it myself a lot. But there is this other word—BALANCE. That is key when you think of fun. You cannot succeed in college and have all fun all the time. You need to work some, sleep some, eat some, and play—some. Balance it all out.

The worst case scenarios for college students are the ones that began as fun and ended badly. The drunken car accident that takes a life is not fun anymore. The fight that escalates to someone getting really hurt and hospitalized is not fun. Date rape is not fun. Throwing up is not fun. Being expelled is not fun. Falling off the campus monument and breaking a leg is not fun. Failing your courses because you were too hung over to get to class or do the work is not fun. Failing classes because you were in your room gaming is not fun. Explaining to your family that scraped and saved to send you to college why you are coming home because you were too busy having fun is not fun. Losing your financial aid because you failed classes having fun is not fun.

There is something in the hormonal make-up of those under 30 that, it is suggested, lead to feelings of invulnerability. The bad stuff happens to other people, but won’t happen to you. There is a reason young folks go to war. That invulnerability allows them to take risks that those of us older and wiser would call nuts. But bad stuff does happen. There are whole websites devoted to that bad stuff like hazing deaths and drunk driving outcomes and ugliness resulting from substance abuse. Things that start as fun when taken to extremes are not fun in the end.

So there is another word you need to learn in college and it is NO. That is no, thanks, no more beer. Or no thanks I can’t go out tonight. Or no that is nuts and I am not doing it. Or no that is wrong and I am not doing it. Or no this is not fun anymore. This is not to suggest that you have No fun. But that you have sane fun, balanced fun. Fun that won’t make you fail.

( For more on this topic in detail see I CAN Finish College chapters 6, 8 and 9. www.icanfinishcollege.com)

F stands for FUN!!!!?
By Marcia Y. Cantarella, Author, I CAN Finish College: The Overcome Any Obstacle and Get Your Degree Guide.

Fun

Especially if you go away to college it is like all the blocks to fun are removed. No more parents watching and nagging about when you get home, no one checking how many beers you had or if you used a condom. Whoo whoo—college is a party! That is why there are those lists of the best party schools. And if your school is not on the list then you will fix that!

Truth is fun is fun. It is a good thing. We all need some of it in our lives. A good belly laugh or pick-up basketball game can even extend your life and keep you healthy. Relationships are supposed to be fun (not that they always are) and it is healthy to have strong social ties and networks for both professional and personal gratification. So hanging out is fun and good for you. I am all for fun. Do it myself a lot. But there is this other word—BALANCE. That is key when you think of fun. You cannot succeed in college and have all fun all the time. You need to work some, sleep some, eat some, and play—some. Balance it all out.

The worst case scenarios for college students are the ones that began as fun and ended badly. The drunken car accident that takes a life is not fun anymore. The fight that escalates to someone getting really hurt and hospitalized is not fun. Date rape is not fun. Throwing up is not fun. Being expelled is not fun. Falling off the campus monument and breaking a leg is not fun. Failing your courses because you were too hung over to get to class or do the work is not fun. Failing classes because you were in your room gaming is not fun. Explaining to your family that scraped and saved to send you to college why you are coming home because you were too busy having fun is not fun. Losing your financial aid because you failed classes having fun is not fun.

There is something in the hormonal make-up of those under 30 that, it is suggested, lead to feelings of invulnerability. The bad stuff happens to other people, but won’t happen to you. There is a reason young folks go to war. That invulnerability allows them to take risks that those of us older and wiser would call nuts. But bad stuff does happen. There are whole websites devoted to that bad stuff like hazing deaths and drunk driving outcomes and ugliness resulting from substance abuse. Things that start as fun when taken to extremes are not fun in the end.

So there is another word you need to learn in college and it is NO. That is no, thanks, no more beer. Or no thanks I can’t go out tonight. Or no that is nuts and I am not doing it. Or no that is wrong and I am not doing it. Or no this is not fun anymore. This is not to suggest that you have No fun. But that you have sane fun, balanced fun. Fun that won’t make you fail.

( For more on this topic in detail see I CAN Finish College chapters 6, 8 and 9. www.icanfinishcollege.com)