Not all student debt is ruinous. However, borrowing can be complex. Loans spend tomorrow’s income today, and for college students, a promise of tomorrow’s income is spent to pay for expenses in the present day. Understanding recent growth in student loans and the challenges of repayment can help potential student loan borrowers consider both the benefits and the risks before borrowing.…
Tag: College applications
The Changes to the SAT
The College Board will give the revised version of the SAT for the first time in March 2016. The revised version of the SAT will still include a Critical Reading, Math and a Writing portion; however, the Writing section will be optional. College admissions offices are slowly addressing the changes in the SAT format, yet…
Enjoy Childhood
Preparing for college admissions doesn’t have to begin at conception… Cartoon courtesy of The New Yorker
#CommunityServiceMatters
Yes. The reasons for completing community service matters… Cartoon credit: The New Yorker Magazine
On Writing
The writing process is not simple nor are perfect college essays developed in one draft. The following is an excerpt from a recent New York Times Magazine article, “Old Masters“: Lewis Latham on writing: When I was 6, I delighted in the act of writing, at 12, in the expecting that by the time I…
Guest Post: Is My Nest Going to be Empty?
About the Author: Both of Louise’s daughters worked with Creative Marbles Consultancy to navigate the college admissions process. Emily is a third year student at Cornell University and Kate is a second year student at University of California, Berkeley. Louise graciously shares her experiences about the transitions as both daughters moved away for college. Before…
Are You Ready for the SAT and ACT?
Reviewing subject matter broadly does not constitute an effective preparation strategy for the SAT and ACT. Since the SAT and ACT constrain students’ performance within strict time limits, understanding the test format is essential. Being familiar with the test structure and testing circumstances, students can deftly navigate each section, and not become flustered when encountering…
College Confidence?
The following chart shows wage growth (or lack of) 60 months into the most recent economic “recovery”, which is at the lowest point since World War II. Furthermore, the employment situation is no more rosy: “The bottom line is, we’re a million miles from full employment,” said [David] Blanchflower, a Bank of England policy maker…
Ahead of the Curve: August 9, 2014
Inspired by CMC Clients: OMG College ESSAYS! College essays are often feared. Topic selection can confound students, who’re under the impression that a traumatic-dramatic-life-altering experience makes a compelling college essay. However, choosing the “perfect” topic is not necessary to begin writing. Simply start putting words on the page. Then, students will have some thoughts to edit and…
Top 10 Questions NOT to Ask a High School Senior
Where are you applying to college? You must be excited to graduate high school, aren’t you? Isn’t senior year the best time of your life? What is your GPA? What are your SAT scores? Why do you want to apply there? (referring to a particular college) My son/daughter/nephew/co-worker’s daughter’s boyfriend’s cousin went to _____ (fill-in-the-blank…
Summer Is Not a Time For Slacking Off or Is It?
Parents often wonder how kids can use summers to stay competitive for college admissions, and at the very least, not lose all their academic knowledge from the previous school year. On the other hand, kids are planning how late into the afternoon they’ll be able to sleep, how many Call of Duty levels they’ll be…
The Chronicles of Procrastination
Bravado When first given an assignment, especially a project due beyond the end of the week, we’re often overly confident that we’ll complete the assignment in stages, so there won’t be a last-minute-panic-tear-streaked-temper-tantrum-tazmanian-devil-whirling-dervish kind of effort in the 24 hours before the deadline. We pridefully chalk up previous “all-nighters”, as “all in the past”, determined…
Ahead of the Curve: July 5, 2014
Inspired by CMC Clients Advanced Placement (AP) Test Scores: Students often believe that a score of less than 3 will hurt their college admissions competitiveness. The belief is a myth. A student’s willingness to challenge themselves academically by taking AP classes and the tests will be considered by college officials in the admissions process. The score,…
Sometimes You Gotta Go Slow to Go Fast
Parents are often afraid that summer vacation will render their children’s minds into mush. Plus, the indulgence in what can be considered mindless activities, like playing video games, for hours on end is a seeming threat to a kid’s long term college admissions competitiveness. Realistically, most students brains, nor their chances for college admissions, were…