Blog | My College Planning Team

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…

Is This the Beginning of the End for Scholarship Displacement?

In an unprecedented move, Maryland has just ended a policy which has rattled scholarship recipients for years. It became the first state to banish scholarship displacement practices, and other states may soon follow. After a two-year battle against the practice, executives Jan Wagner and Michelle Waxman Johnson of the non-profit Central Scholarship welcomed the new law that took effect on July 1 and prevents public universities from lowering a student’s need-based financial aid package based on awarded scholarships. And while scholarship foundations…

PSLF: Tips for Students with Large Government Loans

There has been a lot of uncertainty regarding the Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program recently. That being said, we think it is likely to remain in place, although perhaps in a modified form. Accordingly, it is important for borrowers entering public service employment to be prepared. Knowing what to do is especially important when student borrowers run into problems with their loan servicing company. As with any problem, the more you know, the sooner you can take action…

Make Social Media Work for You!

There are many tips and articles on what you should not post on social media and the Internet, but let’s consider some ways that social media can be used in a positive way. LinkedIn LinkedIn is not only for your parents. This social media tool is an excellent way for you to promote yourself. More and more students are using this site to share their work experience, their successes and resources as well as finding a job. Start connecting…

5 Reasons Why Juniors Should Begin Their College Search NOW

Somebody recently told me that they thought talking to high school juniors this early about their college search was just a scare tactic. The “scare” will be if you put off beginning your college search much past the Fall of Junior year. Why the rush? Here are just 5 good reasons: It Takes Time to Figure Out Your Career Direction Sure, going into college as a “Still Deciding” major is just fine! And, the more you know about…

Parent Adjustment to College

Seeing your first child off to college is one of the more significant transitions parents face. Advice abounds for parent adjustment to college, but as a parent who has been through this stage, I have some advice of my own to share. These tips will be most effective if you discuss them together as a family and agree on the decision. 1. Accept that You’ll Miss Them If your child is going away to college and living away from home, this…

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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

Is This the Beginning of the End for Scholarship Displacement?

PSLF: Tips for Students with Large Government Loans

5 Reasons Why Juniors Should Begin Their College Search NOW

Parent Adjustment to College