Student loans can help fund college expenses, yet create a future financial burden for students when in repayment. Currently, the total of student loans 90 days or more delinquent is at a record high of $124.3 billion – an increase of more than $3 Billion since last quarter. Possible reason for the delinquency can include…
Author: Jill Yoshikawa, Ed M, Partner of Creative Marbles Consultancy
Jill Yoshikawa, EdM, Harvard ’99, a seasoned, 25 year educator and consultant, is meticulous in helping clients navigate all aspects of the educational experience, no matter the level of complexity. She combines educational theory with experience to advise families, schools and educators. A UCSD and Harvard graduate, as well as a former high school teacher, Jill works tirelessly to help her clients succeed.
“When You Cheat You Only Hurt Yourself”
Although, generally cast in moral terms, academic cheating can be explained by examining practicality and circumstance, rather than attributing to simply a character weakness. Understanding when people cheat can help show the complexity of why people cheat. In 2012, 125 Harvard undergraduates were investigated for sharing answers on a take home final exam, and approximately…
Scantron Nightmares
Say, “S-A-T” or “A-C-T” to a high school junior, and watch their whole demeanor change. The idea that a test score that will be considered as part of a future college application can provoke a racing pulse and perspiration. A typical conversation with Juniors about the SAT and ACT goes something like this:
Test Taking Tips
As high school Juniors prepare for the SAT and ACT this spring, some test taking tips from Creative Marbles favorite, eight-year old commentator, who offers his thoughts about getting ready for exam time. As an added bonus, his advice can help with everyday classroom tests as well.
More on U.S. Employment
Presented for those of you wondering why new college grads are having a difficult time finding employment: The employment rate has been improving lately, but not nearly as much as the unemployment rate http://t.co/X52OksfI0v pic.twitter.com/Pjx8mS9AMV — Real Time Economics (@WSJecon) February 7, 2014
Ahead of the Curve: February 7, 2014
From Our Clients: SAT and ACT Prep: Each day, I talk with at least one parent concerned that their kid is not doing enough preparation for the SAT or ACT, who asks for advice how to motivate their kid to practice SAT and ACT questions. For most teens, the intention to prepare for the SAT…
183,272
183,272 is the number of single applications the University of California (UC) received for Fall 2014 admissions. The record numbers will make admissions decisions again unpredictable for applicants this year.
Guest Post: Life of A Naval Academy Mom
About the author: Samantha’s son enrolled at the Naval Academy in Fall 2012, after considering colleges, like University of California Los Angeles and Boston University. She highlights the support of the Navy Academy parent groups in the local area to bring families together, building a connection with their sons’ and daughters’ experiences at the Academy from…
The State of the Recent College Graduate
Just in the last month, more recently graduated or soon-to-be-graduated college students have re-connected with Creative Marbles for post-college advising. Degrees (almost) in hand, “Now what?” is the question, as these grads move back home with mom and dad. The current sentiment as published in today’s Wall Street Journal gives insight into the world our…
Free Money For the Asking
Imagine someone wants to give away money to help pay for college, and publicly extends their offer to many people. The only step needed to get the money is to ask for it. Asking for the money happens as a written request – usually consisting of some forms requesting basic personal contact information and a…
Ahead of the Curve: January 23, 2014
From the News: Some Parents, Educators are Rethinking the Role of AP, Baltimore Sun January 18, 2014 Who Cheats and Why, The Atlantic Monthly January/February 2014 More on Net Costs, Higher Ed Data Stories January 13, 2014 From our Clients: SAT, ACT or Both? The format of each test is different, and students can respond…
Resting on Our Laurels
“It’s not enough what I did in the past — there is also the future.” Dr. Rita Levi-Montalcini, commented when asked continuing her work as a pioneering neurologist at 100 years old. I was struck by her matter-of-fact attitude, that a life’s work doesn’t have a “done” point. The tendency to rest on our laurels…
Parents Mean Well
There may be a point of “too involved”… Photo credit: New Yorker Magazine
Ahead of the Curve: January 5, 2014
From Our Clients: More Common App Problems: January 1 is one of the common college application due dates for popular and highly selective colleges, like Stanford, Harvard, Rice, Brown, Notre Dame, Claremont McKenna, Northwestern – just to name a few. In the midnight hours starting on the East Coast and moving West, the Common Application website,…
Brrrrrrrr….Its Yippy Skippy Cold
The idea of seasons can be a selling point for colleges with prospective applicants – especially for students in sunny California, where I live. For me, wanting to live in snow was definitely a reason for choosing to attend Harvard. (Although, when faced with a choice between University of Michigan and Harvard, Ann Arbor was…