This is the first in a series of Podcasts dedicated to the complex topic of financial aid as it relates to college selection, with its focus on seeking the greatest return on one’s investment in a college education during an era of rising college costs. We hope you enjoy our thoughts and as always, feel…
Author: Art Baird, Founding Partner of Creative Marbles Consultancy
Art melds his passion for acquiring and disseminating knowledge with his decades of experience teaching into straightforward, collaborative advising. His pointed questioning facilitates debate, empowering clients to achieve their vision in education and in life.
En Garde! Writers’ Block Be Damned
For many students, ’tis the season for writing – writing in school – and for those fully engaged in the college admissions process, the writing seems to be without end. Not all required writing is purposeful, hence the tedious nature of it. Writing the required essays on the college applications, though, is for many, the…
Immortality is in The Miracle of Change
In the Western Hemisphere, Winter is upon us. The leaves are falling and for many snow will be right behind, if not already here. Though change is constant, it seems more apparent during the Fall and in the stillness of Winter, with its potential for something to arise, that surely does with the onset of…
“Passion” is not Just for Soap Operas; It’ll Help Get You Into College
The Notre Dame Supplement asks: ” You may have noticed that you have an exemplary passion that separates you from your peers. How does this intense focus set you apart and how will it affect your life’s journey? Please provide us with as much concrete evidence as possible.” Listen as Art and Jill define the…
Something’s Gotta Give
Two recent charts say it all. The first shows the average growth in tuition versus income over the past 35 years. As you can see our growth in income (United States only) through 1986 kept pace with the growth in average tuition (plus fees, room and board). Since 1986 our growth in income has not…
To Seek Early Admissions Or Not, That Is The Question
The question of early admissions, within the context of the college application process as a whole, is more complicated than most students and their families think. Take five minutes out of your busy day to listen to Art and Jill as they share over twenty years of combined experience surrounding the question of seeking to…
California’s Prop 30 and Possible CSU Tuition Increase
If Proposition 30, a tax increase initiative on the November ballot, doesn’t pass, CSU students and their families could be faced with an additional 5% tuition increase mid-school year, on top of the 5% increase that was instituted for before the Fall 2012 school year started. Similarly, UC students and their families are facing a…
Enjoy Yourself While You Can: The Story of the Little Fir Tree
My son, who loves fairy tales, recites in this podcast a timeless fable from memory for all who care to listen. I hope you enjoy and take this cautionary tale to heart, as your lives continue unfolding and you seek the peace and prosperity you deserve. Photo Credit: Art Baird, Creative Marbles Consultancy 2012
The Pitfalls of “Great Expectations”
I have been slowly reading Dickens’ “Great Expectations.” Inspired after a recent night’s reading, I went to the microphone to record my thoughts on the possible conundrum of creating expectations that are too great to meet and yet, too painful not to be met. I offer another approach to the turmoil of setting expectations, when…
Prudent Fiscal Planning (Part 5): What I Am Worth
Now that we understand income, expense and net income–which we arrive at by subtracting expenses from income in any given period–we are now ready to look at the balance sheet, which few understand, but is essential when trying to get a truer understanding of one’s net worth. Everyone’s fiscal interactions with others, which happens everyday…
UC Tuition and Fees: Up, Up and Away
Anyone involved in the University of California over the past thirty years knows one thing for sure: The tuition and fees for the UC has gone in one direction–UP.
Storytelling Season is Around the Corner
A big part of our business at this time of year is listening to the minds of the young share their life stories as part of their college application process. The autobiographical writing process for anyone is grueling, but the young doing so under the time constraints presented to them as part of the overall…
Thomas Jefferson for the Twenty-First Century American
Many years ago, in my role as a high school teacher of U.S. Government, I had the unique opportunity that allowed me to experiment–teach one and only one concept, one document to one group of kids for the entire school year. We studied the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson–attempting to understand and apply…
Prudent Fiscal Planning (Part 4): To Save, Or Not To Save That Is The Question
Previous posts in this series on prudent fiscal planning, focused on the need for fiscal planning, as well as both the income and expense elements of the profit and loss (income and expense) statement. Today, we will look at net income–which is the total after subtracting expenses from income in any given period–and, yes, it…
College Grads Face Difficult Job Market
Recent college grads continue to face what may be one of the most difficult job markets since the 1930’s. Not only is the job market grim for college grads, but many also begin their job search weighed down by student loan debt that cannot be forgiven, postponed indefinitely (nor done so for free).