An unprecedented $1.2 trillion in student debt has grown exponentially in the last several generations, showing few signs of abating. In less than one generation, college graduates have tripled their debt burden. According to the Wall Street Journal, over 70% of the Class of 2014 will graduate college with an average of $33,000 in student…
Tag: High school junior
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…
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,…
Gotta Read ‘Em All
Let the summer reading games begin! In this corner, Whatever Novel that your kid does NOT want to read, but is required to read for Class X! In this corner, Kid + Team Distraction—Instagram, YouTube, XBOX, Hulu, Sleeping In…you get the picture. Additionally, parents may wonder if summer reading is a cruel revenge fantasy of…
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…
Guest Post: Follow Your Instinct to Choose a College
A second blog post from Stephanie about how the “feel” of the campus helped her choose a Mills College in Oakland, CA. I graduated last year (2013) with a BS in Biopsychology and minor in Ethnic Studies. I was originally interested in medicine, but discovered that I enjoyed laboratory work after doing research under scholarship for a…
A $60 Trillion Inheritance…in Debt
Wishing a better life for our children is normal. Actually setting aside our personal wants in favor of our children is more complicated in practice. The next generation will inherit a record $60 Trillion in total U.S. debt—government debt, business debt, mortgage debt and consumer debt. (See chart below) Furthermore, the growth of student loan…
Stamina, Attitude and Tranquility: Essential SAT & ACT Skills
At approximately 4 hours of testing time, the SAT and ACT measure the endurance of a student, as much as their knowledge and ability to reason. Test taking skills can help students access their knowledge during the long testing period, and pace themselves appropriately. Padma, CMC’s resident 8 year old Renaissance Man, shares the following test…
How Major is a College Major?
Choosing a college major is not the fork-in-the-road life moment, where the only consequences are becoming the next Steve Jobs or complete destitution. Many will equate “deciding a major” with “deciding a career.” However, major choice doesn’t always match exactly with careers. Ask any college graduate if their career directly correlates with their academic major. …
Guest Post: Investigating the Stereotypes about Women’s Colleges
Hearsay and rumors can preclude students from considering women’s colleges. In order to gain more understanding, Olivia and Stephanie, the authors of the following post, share their experiences as students at women’s colleges in different parts of the United States. Olivia currently attends Mt. Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA and Stephanie recently graduated from Mills College…
Borrower Beware
Student borrowers aren’t the only ones defaulting on college loans… Chart source: Department of Education & Inside Higher Ed
Who Can Afford College?
Presented with no comment. Click to enlarge Chart Credit: zerohedge.com
Parenting Is Neither Simple Nor Straightforward
As if there needs to be more evidence of the complicated relationship between parent and child, the October 2013 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll results stated that 55% of those surveyed would die for their children; yet of those same folks, only 10% would die for their parents. So, while parents may willingly sacrifice themselves, their…
Youthful Lessons
Teenage hubris born of naïve invincibility is often mistaken for insolence – punishable by grounding, cell phone revoking, internet banning, and parental embargoes on any activities outside of school. Yet, teenagers may be mere reflections of humankind’s inherent pride – our belief that we as a species and we alone are masters of the universe. The…