Blog | My College Planning Team

Getting College Credit for Prior Learning

November 10, 2017
MCPTtinak
College Costs

Having college credits before you even finish your first semester on campus is a great way to save money. Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is helping students do just that with its Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) program. Since the program’s launch in January 2016, about 100 students have earned a combined total of more than 350 credits through CPL. Administrators expect the program to expand in the coming semesters. We asked Alverno’s Rosland Briggs-Gammon, assessment coordinator and coach, Assessment…

Freshman Year of College for Free?

College for Free? As any family can attest, it takes a lot of time, effort, and attention to detail in order to successfully navigate the college admissions and student loan applications processes. So it’s easy to overlook valuable programs and resources that can really help families meet their overall college costs by actually making freshman year of college free! Learn and Earn While most families know about Advanced Placement or AP courses and exams, there’s another often forgotten avenue to…

A Gap Year Can Save You A Boatload

As the number of kids who graduate high school and go on to college increases, the number of kids who choose to complete a gap year increases, too. Gap years have been common overseas for years. Their popularity, which has been relatively low here in the U.S. is changing, and quickly. The most recent high-profile student taking a gap year was President Barack Obama’s daughter Malia. She’s beginning her freshman year at Harvard University after spending a year interning. What…

Don’t Count on Public Universities to Fill Need-Based Aid!

Once upon a time, a student in need of financial aid who applied to colleges and universities could be reasonably confident that a need-based aid package would be offered. He or she would receive an amount that would bridge the gap between tuition fees and family finances. Not any longer, unfortunately. These days, students can no longer count on having their documented financial needs met by public colleges and universities. It’s Not Just One State Before anyone thinks that this…

Greek Life: Is It For You?

You might know already know if Greek life is - or is not - the right choice for you. But, if you are like many college students you just aren't sure. Joining a sorority or a fraternity has pros and cons. On the plus side, there are parties, immediate friend connections, possibly a place to live as an upperclassman, and a lifetime of memories to be made. But joining a Greek organization also means additional fees, extra commitments and…

10 Ways to Research a College When You Can’t Visit in Person

The best way to get the real scoop on a college is to visit. However, that can be expensive and time consuming. Here are our suggestions for other ways to research a college if you can't visit in person. 1. Use the college website. Specifically, a student should look at the admissions section, academic sections, student organizations, and most importantly the student newspaper. The student newspaper is the one "unfiltered" piece on most websites. Some campuses might also have student blogs…

How Uncle Sam Handles Defaulted Student Loans

Student loans are big business. Collecting defaulted student loan money is becoming an even bigger business. An Overview The federal government works with student loan servicing companies to collect on outstanding student loans. It’s these companies that deal with students once the student loan papers are signed and payments finally come due. When borrowers default, the U.S. Department of Education’s debt collectors come knocking. The federal government has given these debt collectors immense power, unlike anything an ordinary debt collector can…

Are Student Loans Funding College or Social Life?

Students loans are a saving grace for many families that otherwise wouldn’t be able to send their children to college. But that dream come true has turned into a nightmare for many parents as they learn those loans might be covering more than just tuition and a dorm room. In a recent study from LendEDU, more than 30% of survey respondents admitted they’d be using some of their loan money to get some spring break r&r. If you’ve ever wondered how non-working college…

Anatomy of a College Essay

Rising Seniors--it’s time to start working on your college essay. If that strikes fear in your heart, then I have some advice that may help. I find the use of an analogy—comparisons that are easy to visualize and understand—and then breaking it down into smaller pieces simplifies this looming task. Let’s compare your college essay to basic human anatomy. We can easily break the it down into 5 segments or parts of the body that represent essential elements of the…

Getting Started With the College Search Process

A common question posed by parents of college bound students is “when should we start the college search process?” The answer: “sometime before your child goes to college!” The point being is that there is no hard and fast one size fits all answer to that question- it is all about each family’s situation and capacity to take on the college project. Findings from the College Parent Readiness Questionnaire (CPRQ) that I developed provide some insight about when the…

GET IN TOUCH

CONNECT

OFFICES

Getting College Credit for Prior Learning

Freshman Year of College for Free?

A Gap Year Can Save You A Boatload

Don’t Count on Public Universities to Fill Need-Based Aid!

Greek Life: Is It For You?

10 Ways to Research a College When You Can’t Visit in Person

How Uncle Sam Handles Defaulted Student Loans

Are Student Loans Funding College or Social Life?

Anatomy of a College Essay

Getting Started With the College Search Process