B.A. in Common Sense

“Common sense can be uncommon.”–Art Baird Every parent knows with certainty their kid is smart.  As Montaigne said, “Everyman has within himself the entire human condition.”  Yet, what does smart mean?  How smart is smart? Is our current generation of budding adults–actually legally an adult–but mere months away from teenager-dome, lacking common sense?  Have we,…

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Financial Aid Myths: Fact & Fiction

Soccer field sidelines are filled with parents sharing their college expense stories and sometimes “nightmares” that can create misinformation circulating through the community.    Depending on the listening parent’s effort to validate or debunk the information gleaned can determine how useful the shared experience will be in guiding their own children. Here’s a few common myths:

When a Letter of Recommendation Isn’t Just a Letter of Recommendation

Now, that school’s back in session (or about to be back in session), and the excitement of choosing colleges for application can be wearing thin (given that everyone who discovers or knows you’re a senior is asking where you’re applying), so what’s next?  Well, parents, since about July have been asking us about letters of…

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“Why Do You Want to Go To College?” Has New Meaning

“How do employers look at college names?”  is a typical question parents ask us, when trying to narrow their senior’s choices for application.   Two meanings emerge from this question: What’s the value of a college degree? How, if at all, is value different for different colleges? The value in college question will be answered differently…

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Plagiarizing Doesn’t Happen Only in School

Original thought that contributes to common knowledge and greater understanding is demanded of students across the country.  New software that scans students’ work and rates the percentage of the document that is potentially plagiarized are being used in high school and college classrooms. One high school junior told us that her teacher returned her history…

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How Are Middle & Upper Income Families Affording College?

For families with $94,000 to $205,000 in yearly income, the percentage of debt is increasing.  The Wall Street Journal reports, 25.6% of these middle-upper income families incurred student-loan debt in 2010, up from 19.5% in 2007. With the costs of college increasing and use of debt is increasing, will families begin making college decisions with…

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