Other Recent Articles

Is Your Smart Child Being Left Behind?
How many times have your read news accounts about American students lagging behind countless other countries in academic achievement? In a recent standardized test of math proficiency, we’re way behind Taiwan (No. 1), Hong Kong (No. 2) and Korea (No. 3), but wait. We can’t even compete with the likes of Slovenia and the Slovak […]
16Nov2010 | Lynn | 1 comment | Continued
Why State Universities Aren’t Always a Bargain
If you’ve been a regular visitor to my college blog, you know that college price tags are meaningless. A $50,000 college, for example, could cost some families less than a $25,000 school. More families in my state of California are beginning to realize this. I bet that’s why expensive private schools such as Whitman College, […]
15Nov2010 | Lynn | 2 comments | Continued
6 Tips for Performing and Visual Art Majors
In my college blog post last week for US News & World Report, I wrote about students who want to major in the performing and visual arts. Here it is…. If your child wants to major in musical theater or some other performing art, go ahead and blame it on Glee, American Idol or America’s […]
14Nov2010 | Lynn | 1 comment | Continued
University of Chicago’s Ego
I had lunch today with a dear friend whose son hopes to be attending the University of Chicago in the fall. This is a kid from Southern California who fell in love with the institution when he visited. Taylor, I changed his name, applied early action to the University of Chicago and he remains optimistic […]
11Nov2010 | Lynn | 2 comments | Continued
Will Saving For College Hurt Your Odds for Financial Aid?
Is your family going to qualify for financial aid? Many families that I talk to assume that they won’t qualify for financial aid. Many believe that the money that they’ve stashed in their college savings accounts will kill their chances. Stressed Out Dads It’s been my experience that it’s usually dads who get stressed out […]
10Nov2010 | Lynn | 2 comments | Continued
A Lovely Empty Nest Dinner
I’ve been an empty nester since mid August when my youngest child headed off to college. Most of the time, I can handle both of my kids being far away at their colleges, but I do feel like an empty nester at dinner time. I think that’s because dinner at our house was often the […]
10Nov2010 | Lynn | 2 comments | Continued
Should You Apply for Financial Aid?
Are you wondering if you should apply for financial aid? For most families, the answer will be yes. You should file for financial aid. Here are three key reasons why families of any income level should apply for aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid: 1. The FAFSA is free. The FAFSA […]
8Nov2010 | Lynn | 2 comments | Continued
Why State Universities Love Rich Teenagers
Nearly one out of every three students who attends a flagship state university is affluent. Thirty percent of students at these top universities have parents with incomes in the top 20% of all American households. This is just one of the findings of a study from the Education Trust, which is a nonprofit that promotes […]
7Nov2010 | Lynn | 0 comments | Continued
Grockit: Can Studying for the SAT or ACT Be Fun?
Studying for the SAT or ACT isn’t fun. But Grockit is trying hard to make it entertaining. Grockit, whose motto on its homepage is “Get addicted to studying,” bills itself as a social networking site for learning. With Grockit, teenagers can improve their test skills, in part, by learning from and competing against thousands of […]
5Nov2010 | Lynn | 0 comments | Continued
Attending UC Berkeley for $50,649
I’m not surprised by much that I read about the higher-ed world, but even I was amazed at how quickly private colleges are blowing by the $50,000 price tag. After crunching College Board data, The Chronicle of Higher Education has published a list of the nation’s 100 top colleges by price, which all cost at […]
4Nov2010 | Lynn | 2 comments | Continued