Volunteer work. If you’re a high school student, or the parent of a high school student, you already know the importance of consistent, relevant volunteer work when it comes to the college application process. But beyond the “necessity” of volunteering in order to present yourself as a well rounded individual to the colleges to which you are applying, volunteer work is an important enrichment tool for both teenagers and their families. While many students volunteer in areas they are already interested in, students who are unsure about what they might want to study when in college can have interests sparked through their volunteer work. Volunteer work is a good way for families to spend additional time with one another. With […]

With August nearing, it’s important for students who will be in 12th Grade in the fall to at least be thinking about what they are going to write their college essay on. It doesn’t need to be complete (yet), but it’s important to start to flesh out ideas. A lot of students will look at the questions provided on the Common Application as prompts for their essay, but it’s my belief that that type of thinking is backwards. The question that students should really be asking themselves when they are ready to write their college essay is this: who am I? On its face, answering that question might seem simple. But you should be thinking beyond simple characteristics and instead […]

Recently I met with a family regarding financial aid for the coming year for their daughter, who was going into her first year in college in the fall. The financial aid process can be confusing, to say the least. This particular family, on their most recent tax return, had an Adjusted Gross Income of over $200,000. The student hadn’t received very much of a financial aid offer, and the parents were incredulous that the school wanted them to contribute over $25,000 for their student’s first year of school. The parents maintained that they simply did not have the money the school thought they should be able to contribute. With that situation in mind, I thought it would be a smart […]