Summer and the College Essay

Every summer, several parents of soon-to-be seniors contact Creative Marbles to ask about finishing college application essays before the next school year starts.  In parents’ minds, the thinking goes, “Summer’s a totally unstructured time.  Less distractions with school work and after-school activities.   The college essay is essential to a competitive application, and I want my…

Continue Reading

Future Success + Financial Constraints = College?

More families, and younger, are asking Creative Marbles about financial aid and paying for college.   Parents are facing difficult choices between supporting multiple kids through 4 years of higher education and saving for retirement, while confronting the challenge of encouraging their children to dream big, yet understanding the realities of financing that educational dream.

Are College Going Attitudes Changing?

Are students’ and their families’ attitudes changing about college?  375 colleges, an increase of 96 institutions from 2011, report still having space available for freshmen and/or transfer students for Fall 2012.     Has the economic uncertainty caught up with families’ choices?  Is the $1 Trillion total student debt and consequences for individual borrowers causing families to…

Continue Reading

Instant Civics Lesson–Memorial Day & California’s Tuesday Primary Election

Learning isn’t only in the classroom and for a grade.  Life presents educational opportunities everyday. Tuesday’s Primary Election can spur conversations about citizenship.  Why is there a Primary election?  Why are voters electing delegates to the party primaries, not the Presidential candidate themselves?  What’s a Proposition?  Why are the voters deciding abut new expenses (i.e.…

Continue Reading

Prudent Fiscal Planning (Part 2): Income’s importance in Fiscal Planning and its Effect on Our Standard of Living

In the first post of the series, I discussed the need for prudent fiscal planning in these difficult economic times. Although it may seem that the economy has turned the corner from the most recent, yet severe economic downturn (recession), there are many storm clouds looming on the global economic horizon that could have a…

Continue Reading