Insider tips for the week of April 30, 2018

10 ways for parents to get on top of the college process – A must-read for parents of college-bound students from the Washington Post. My favorites: 1) Become a mentor as much as a parent and 2) Expect your student to take advice from others that he or she won’t take from you.

23 college experts reveal the worst advice they’ve heard – Liberalartscolleges.com interviewed college leaders from around the country and got terrific nuggets on what not to do. A great read to share with your son or daughter.

3 hard truths about financial aid – Even though it is from a few years ago, DIY College Rankings does a great job of summarizing what every parent of a college-bound student needs to understand about financial aid. Spend a few minutes on this must-read.

Don’t stress about changing majors – A new study from The Advisory Board debunks a lot of the myths about the dangers of changing majors. A couple key findings: 1) switching majors through the senior year has no impact on graduation rate and 2) it doesn’t increase time and cost of degree completion. Most interestingly, students who choose their major once right away in their first semester actually graduate at a lower rate.