Posts by Chris Wills
Better Start Saving Now as College Costs Climb
Lee Schafer from the StarTribune in an article entitled, “Better start saving now as college costs climb”: Everyone with kids under the age of 18 should take a spin through the net price calculator that all colleges now have on their websites. Maybe have a glass of wine handy. And keep the bottle nearby. Just…
Read MoreJay on The College Checklist Podcast
In this recent episode of The College Checklist Podcast, our founder, Jay Benanav, shared an overview of how he helps students choose good fit schools and then a “deep dive” in to the cost of college. Jay shared his expertise regarding different ways to pay for college, including the various types of financial aid and loans available to families today. Download the podcast
Read MoreCommunity Service Scholarships
Community service scholarships reward you for helping others. It’s a nice way of doing well by doing good. In addition to the resources listed below, students who are involved in volunteering and community service should ask whether there are any awards available at the location where they perform their community service. It is quite common…
Read MoreJob Shadow Questions
From an article by Jodi Walder-Biesanz, College Admission Coach How long have you been working in this career? Why did you choose it? What kind of education did you need to get started? What types of continuing education have you had as your career progressed? What do you like best about your work? What do…
Read MoreTough College Visit Questions to Ask
Article By Making It Count and FastWeb About Academics What academic elements are considered in the admissions process, for example: courses, grades, test scores, rank, interests, institutional needs, essays, recommendations, and interviews? How important are each of these factors? Is the college/university accredited? How many students return after their freshman year? What percentage of students…
Read MoreStrategies for Maximizing Aid Eligibility
These strategies will have the largest impact on need-based aid eligibility. By implementing these strategies, you will be able to maximize your aid eligibility and therefore have a chance of receiving more financial aid. None of these strategies are guaranteed, but they do offer the best chance. Save money in the parent’s name, not the child’s name.…
Read MoreWelcome Back to School!
October deadline scholarships, Scholarship myth, Write out loud, Graduation rate, Campus safety data Welcome back to school! Below are our exclusive insider tips to give your family an advantage with the college admissions process. 10 scholarships with October deadlines Not all colleges give scholarships if your kid is smart A little-known fact is many colleges…
Read MoreScholarship Search Secrets
The Student Loan Network has delivered their Sixth Edition of Scholarship Search Secrets and it’s definitely worth a download and used as a fundamental resource. Topics include ones such as, “A Brief Overview of Financial Aid”; Basic Scholarship Tips; Avoiding Scholarship Scams; and fifteen Scholarship Search Secrets that covers a wealth of information.
Read MoreGraduation Rates
Knowing the graduation rates of the schools you are considering might mean the difference between paying 4 or 5 years worth of tuition. When combined with the lost opportunity of earning an income while your son or daughter is in school the extra year, that adds up to quite a bit of money. The Chronicle…
Read MoreScholarship Search Sites
There are plenty of good, free scholarship search sites on the web that you should never pay to search for scholarships. Most of these sites, however, require you to create a profile and provide an email, which usually means you end up getting hundreds of unwanted emails from colleges or other places trying to sell…
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