As the job market for recent college graduates continues to stagnate, the age-old argument concerning the real value of a Liberal Arts degree continues to intensify. Advocates of a Liberal Arts education talk in terms of a well-rounded approach to an individual’s learning experience, and the value of a classical education leading to a person [...]
If you are going on any college visits this spring, you might want to schedule interviews with admissions counselors. One of the most common questions we receive from high school seniors is how to prepare for a college admissions interview. In counseling hundreds of young people, we have found that you should prepare to talk [...]
It has become very popular lately to author online strategies or books, on how scholarships can finance an entire college education. The cruel facts are that the average college scholarship is worth $271, OR 3% of the total cost of college!! My experience is that most parents AND guidance counselors vastly over-estimate monies available through [...]
Recently I asked a friend what criteria his daughter used to decide on which college to attend. He replied that “she received a great financial aid package.” What are some of the critical factors in determining a great college offer?
In my experience, students and their parents are extremely un-sophisticated when it comes to borrowing for college, and there are several fallacious reasons for this.
With more than seven years experience in advising hundreds of clients on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), I want to address five issues that constantly cause a lack of understanding among parents.
We saved a family over $11,000 PER year by our recommendation of which custodial parent should be listed on the FAFSA. This is a very common FAFSA mistake, let us assist you with this potentially cost-savings decision.
In almost seven years of assisting families at College Assistance Plus, I am always amazed about how little the average college family (parent(s) and student) understand about the mechanics of the student loan system. Did you know that all federal student loans are non-collateralized and non-dischargable through bankruptcy? What about the fact that there are [...]
I am often asked about the logic and practicality of a student applying to “reach” colleges. A reach college is one that you might consider a “stretch.” If you aren’t sure if you qualify for admissions but would LOVE to go to a particular school, that might be called a reach. At CAPlus, we approach [...]
On the surface, a visit to a college appears to be fairly non-threatening and innocent. Find out some of the mistakes parents and students make when visiting colleges.
