 Attention high school students!
I want you to understand your college application begins in the 9th grade. As you stand on the brink of critical decisions that will shape your future, it is vital to understand the essence of your genuine, authentic self. Since higher education is a trillion-dollar industry and colleges hire professional consultants to recruit you (and try to figure out how to get the most amount of money out of you), I want you to understand this is big business. So to let’s put this in business terms – your genuine, authentic self is your personal brand. This guide will explain the importance of discovering and cultivating your personal brand, rooted in your unique aptitudes and personality. By leveraging this understanding, you can significantly enhance your college applications, making them more compelling and distinctive, thus increasing your chances of winning that coveted acceptance letter. 
In case you didn’t know it – college is expensive. Excruciatingly expensive. The average cost for an in-state public college is nearly $30,000 a year. Since most students no longer graduate in four years, but closer to six years in a public school, your overall price tag could range from $120,000 - $180,000.  Telling someone to pursue their passion most likely will lead to their failure!?!?!
When advising or mentoring high school students, I never lead with "Pursue your passion." Researchers from Stanford University listed a whole bunch of reasons why it's not good advice to tell someone to follow their passion. I'll reference only three of them: 1) Passions can change over time. Something a high school student is passionate about today is not necessarily something they will be passionate about 10, 20, 30 years down the road. 2) Just because you're passionate about it doesn't mean you'll be any good at it, or that anyone will pay you to do it. 3) You, especially students, have more than one passion at the same time. So telling them to pursue their passion literally provides no help in choosing which way to go. Instead, long-term success and satisfaction comes from leaning into your aptitudes.  Navigating high school can be a tumultuous journey for our teenagers. They're constantly bombarded with academic pressures, social expectations, and the daunting task of figuring out who they are and where they fit in the world. It's no wonder that many of them struggle with anxiety and uncertainty about their identity during this pivotal time.
But what if I told you that there's a way to help your child not only survive high school but thrive in it?  Navigating the Financial Burden of Higher Education Financial stress is a pervasive issue that affects people of all ages and backgrounds. However, it can be particularly challenging for young people, especially those pursuing higher education. The rising cost of college tuition, coupled with the increasing burden of student loan debt, can lead to significant financial hardship and emotional distress. According to the Education Data Initiative, the average annual cost of college in the United States is $36,436. This means that over four years, a student can accumulate a college debt north of six figures. In fact, the total student loan debt in the U.S. is now around to $1.77 trillion. 
The Link Between Academic and Social Success Most people agree that academic success should be prioritized over the successes of a happy social life. However, the two are closely intertwined at the collegiate level and in some ways, their advances are dependent upon on the other. “Students learn best when they’re healthy and well, so there’s a tight relationship between trying to achieve that academic mission, fostering a healthy social life, and providing growth outside of the classroom,” says Justin Kollinger, senior risk management consultant of United Educators. 
Letters of recommendation play a crucial role in the holistic review process of your college application. They provide admissions officers with valuable insights into your child's academic abilities, personal qualities, and potential contributions to the campus community. The primary goal of a recommendation letter is to set an applicant apart by showcasing their holistic qualities. Admissions representatives emphasize the need for concise, unique, and well-structured letters that delve into a student's character, intellectual pursuits, and positive traits.  Scholarship displacement is a crucial yet often misunderstood aspect of financial aid. This term refers to the adjustment of a student’s financial aid package when they receive an outside scholarship. Depending on the university's policies, these adjustments can significantly impact a student's overall financial aid and their financial planning for college.
 One of the paths to substantial savings on college tuition lies in your student earning a scholarship from the university, which usually requires high grades and crushing those ACT or SAT tests. Even if the college has a test-optional admissions policy, here's a dirty little secret.
Attention high school students and their parents! College admissions trends have been changing significantly these past few years. Some may say the changes are for the better. However, the reality is college just got a whole lot harder to get accepted into. While the test-optional trend could end in a few years, right now colleges are placing a bigger emphasis on other criteria in the college admission process. If you’re not keeping up with what’s happening in college admissions, you’ll find out the hard way that perfect GPA’s and high test scores are not enough to get admitted nowadays. So here is what you need to know: |
J.P. SchmidtThe only comprehensive college planner you need. |
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