Parents
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 | 0 comments | ContinuedAnswers to College Recruiting Questions
I’ve gotten questions lately from parents whose children are being recruited by college coaches. I wanted to share the questions because it might help other families who are or will be navigating the Byzantine world of college athletics. I talked to Karen Weaver, my go-to-expert on college athletics. Weaver is the director of athletics at […]
28Oct2010 | Lynn | 0 comments | Continued
Qualifying as an Independent Student
I periodically get emails from teenagers, who are freaking out because their parents plan to contribute little if anything to their college education. Many of these kids are from affluent families, who could afford to kick in far more than they are planning. I don’t understand parents with good paying jobs who have no problem […]
27Oct2010 | Lynn | 0 comments | ContinuedSticking Close to Home for College
I talked to a mom last week who wanted me to help her son find wonderful colleges that would would award him a scholarship, but her top priority is keeping him as close to home as possible. The San Diego mom wants him to attend a California college. She also seemed to rule out Northern […]
25Oct2010 | Lynn | 3 comments | Continued
Visiting My Son in College
When I dropped my son Ben off at Beloit College (WI) in mid August, I left with a lot of questions. Would he adjust well to college? Could he handle his classes? Would he make friends? And would he tell his mom or dad if the answers to any or all of the preceding questions […]
24Oct2010 | Lynn | 1 comment | Continued
Campus Safety: How Safe is Your College?
I wanted to share a great federal resource today that can help you measure the campus safety at any college or university. All you need to do is visit the website of The Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool. (It’s a federal website, which explains the clunky name.) With the federal college safety […]
14Oct2010 | Lynn | 1 comment | ContinuedThank God My Kids Aren’t Toddlers
There are a couple of reasons why I’m glad that my two children, who are both in college, aren’t toddlers. One reason is obvious. I don’t think I’d have the energy today to chase toddlers around. The second reason occurred to me last week when I reading a story in The New York Times entitled, […]
13Oct2010 | Lynn | 4 comments | ContinuedShould Rich Students Get Merit Scholarships?
Should colleges continue to give merit scholarships to rich students? The vast majority of colleges and universities in this country dispense money to rich kids through merit scholarships or grants. The higher-ed world isn’t proud of this practice, but it’s pervasive. I ended up talking about this phenomenon this weekend when I was visiting my […]
10Oct2010 | Lynn | 2 comments | Continued
How To Select a College Counselor
How do you select an independent college counselor? A parent posted that question on my college blog a couple of weeks ago and I promised that I’d provide the answer. I had the good fortune to interview three prominent independent college counselors on this subject when I was at a national college conference last week […]
7Oct2010 | Lynn | 0 comments | Continued
