As regular readers recall, the news about stagnant American household median income is not a new story, more of an evolving story about how more American middle class families are adjusting to life with less income. Lifestyle adjustments are just one possible shift in American households. More often, I’m hearing parents ask questions about how…
Tag: Parent
College Admissions Is Not a Race
When choosing colleges for application, the first criteria considered is often, “Where can I get in?” Students are really asking, “How do I measure up?”, creating a competitive mindset. Then, in comparing the strength of their application to those of other possible applicants, students can generate unfounded or stereotypical conclusions, building nervous energy and aggravating…
Hurry Up and Wait and Wait and Then Wait Some More
“Will my kid get in?” is a concern often rattling around Senior parents’ minds at this time of year, causing a fair share of insomnia. Worries spike each time these same parents listen to other parents excitedly share good news about their kid’s acceptance, while polite smiling to hide the anxious wonderings about why their…
Why Winning Free Money Takes Effort
Scholarships are not mysterious. Winning them takes work – which is only a continuation of the efforts to be eligible to compete for scholarships in the first place.
Ahead of the Curve: February 27, 2014
From Our Clients: Aaaaccck! How do we pay for college? Parents often tell themselves, “First things first. Applications, THEN we’ll think about how to pay for college.” Totally an expected reaction, when considering the six figure totals for a college education these days. However, the planning to pay for college can take place long before…
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…
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…
Caution: For Soon-to-Be-Graduated College Students
As the chart shows, 18% of college graduates are currently living with their parents. In addition, unemployed college graduates are more likely to live at home (45% vs. 29%),
Holiday Gifts for the College Student
6 Gift Ideas for College Students: Community Supported Agriculture Veggie Boxes: worries that college students aren’t eating healthy can be reduced by ordering weekly, locally grown vegetable boxes. Not only will college students be able to pick up fresh veggies every week, but they’ll also be reducing their carbon footprints. A Loan Payment: student debt…
Creative Marbles In The News
Creative Marbles Consultancy was in the press again today – featured in The Sacramento Bee. Cathie Anderson, who’s goddaughter is a former client, highlighted our decade long history and evolution as an educational consultancy. Take a read and enjoy the weekend! Photo Credit: freefoto.com
Thank Your Third Grade Teacher: She Was Right About the Thesaurus
Every word counts, when there’s a word count. A common complaint amongst college essay writers is the the wish for more words. The tedium of examining, re-examining, thinking through each word chosen when writing a college essay can be a test of patience, as much as a test of intellect. The Thesaurus, dictionary and books…
The Returns on Writing College Essays
While writing the college essays may be a stressful experience, the process of reflecting on your life experiences – gaining greater awareness of what you’ve accomplished and where you’re headed – will serve you long after any acceptances return in the Spring.
The College Application Process in 7 Minutes
From challenging the myths about writing college essays to dealing with the stress of applying to college, Creative Marbles Consultancy’s three-part video series gives an overview of the college application process. Take a look: Part 1: The College Application Part 2: How to Write A College Admissions Essay Part 3: A Few College Essay Myths
A Moment of Impatience Can…
Anxiety can cause anyone to make otherwise irrational decisions. “People are constantly spoiling a project when it lacks only a step to completion”, declared Lao-Tzu in the 6th Century BC. Lao-Tzu’s observation might give today’s college applicants some perspective about why they’re wanting to impetuously click the “submit” button in the days before the application…
It’s Possible to Sleep In High School AND Be Admitted to College
To be qualified AND competitive for college admissions only feels like this… Cartoon Credit: Andertoons