If you’re the parent of a current college student, or of a high school student heading in that direction, statistics on student loan debt in the U.S. are worrisome. Here are the numbers: Total student loan debt: $1.52 trillion Total U.S. borrowers with student loan debt:2 million Student loan delinquency or default rate: 7% (90+
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College students who work part-time (15–20 hours a week maximum) during the school year get better grades than those who don’t.* They tend to be more focused, organized and conscientious about budgeting time for study. Many parents also feel that students who contribute financially to their education are more invested and less likely to take
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An interview can be a valuable part of the college application. It may also be your student’s first exposure to what a job interview might be like after graduation. Any interview can cause anxiety, but the college interview is especially stressful. Your student will be wondering: What questions will they ask? How will I answer? Will
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The application is the tool colleges and universities use to make their admission decision. No two students are alike, and therefore no two completed applications are alike. Your student’s strengths may be in their impressive test scores, superb transcript, community involvement or the ability to write a vivid personal essay. It will be up to your student to
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When it comes to personal safety, today’s college students live in a world that requires vigilance and awareness. Colleges and universities work to foster safe environments, but students share responsibility. By this point in the year, your student has acclimated to their new campus and life. That makes it the perfect time to check in about what they
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Expect the call. It’s going to happen. Your student may be at school for a week, a month or even a year, but they’re going to have a roommate issue. For most students, it’s short-lived and worked out with simple coping mechanisms and conversations. For others, it’s gut-wrenching and traumatizing — for them, and possibly for their
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With the cost of college rising each year, many families look to financial aid to help pay for their student’s education. In order to qualify for financial aid — both from the federal government and/or from the college — students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Filling out the form
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I said goodbye and boarded a plane after moving my daughter almost 2,000 miles away from home to her new home at college. I didn’t cry when we parted, but I’m sure my fellow passengers may have wondered why I was crying the entire flight home. Not all the tears were tears of sadness; there
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Many parents have a predetermined positive or negative opinion of Greek life based on their own experience. When my daughter began her college search, she wanted a campus with an active Greek presence. I had reservations, influenced by stories I heard and read about partying, drinking, hooking up and more. My daughter was barely 18
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Starting college presents a unique set of stressors. Students are away from home, possibly for the first time. In somewhat unfamiliar surroundings, they must cope with a rigorous academic schedule and a new and intense social life. If your student lives with a chronic illness like asthma or diabetes, they have the added challenge of
Read moreThank you for this revealing article. My freshman daughter will be home in a few days and I was wondering how things would go. She already announced her friend event schedule - which did not include us for the most part. I guess I will need to take a back seat to her social life and be there when she comes home. I feel much more prepared.
another ‘to do’ idea - re visit career counseling / advisor to take meaningful steps to secure a summer internship (especially for undergrad juniors)