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How To Get Grants And Scholarships Regardless Of Your Income

How To Get Grants And Scholarships Regardless Of Your Income One of the most important messages I share with my clients is this: Financial Aid is available to everyone regardless of how much income a family makes or how many assets that they have. So many families believe that they are not eligible for Financial Aid or they believe that they will only get a small amount of Aid. This is simply NOT TRUE. When the time is taken to strategize a financial aid plan based on a family’s finances, they have a better chance of getting more money for college because they know exactly for what they are eligible.     This is something I have been sharing since the beginning of College Planning Experts….

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You Need To Know These Three Magic Letters

Magic. If we think about that word we probably visualize magicians at a circus or Disney characters or card tricks. College planning, however, is most likely not our first thought associated with the word Magic. But, wouldn’t it be so nice to snap our fingers, wave our wands, call out our genies and get our kids into their dream schools easy-peasy? That would be a dream. Well, I cannot promise you any of those things, but what I can promise you is that the closest thing to real magic you can get in this college applying process are three little words. These words will mean a lot to you as you start the journey of getting into college.       A few years back I uploaded…

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Parents, Why is College Planning So Important?

Let me start by saying this; “You don’t know what you don’t know.” The reason that I say this is because I believe it is the number one most important thing to understand as we start the college application process. With all the steps involved to get your child into their dream school, it is no surprise that a lot of parents become overwhelmed so easily. How can you have a game plan if you don’t know how to play the game? I started College Planning Experts to answer this question and ease this process for parents. Before I explain further, I want you to think about a time you decided to learn a new skill or think about a skill you would like to…

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How The Government Shutdown Can Benefit High School Seniors

A High School Senior has one goal: Getting into the college of their dreams. They work hard in school for years to secure their future. Hours at a time are spent on homework and studying for the SATs. They write draft after draft to perfect their college application essays. Parents work just as hard to get their child into a good school. Recently, many news sources are relaying the detrimental impact the government shutdown has on High School students. In an article from USAToday they breakdown some of the problems students are facing; “When completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, some students have found they need additional verification material from the IRS. However, the part of the IRS that allows them…

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So You’re Writing Your College Essay…

It’s officially college application season! What better way to celebrate than with expert tips on how to perfect your personal statement? Here are essential tips from The New York Tips: Your personal essay is your voice – it shows your prospective colleges who you are aside from grades and test scores. Let it be known that you have character, passion, values and life experiences. Emphasize how you’ve made this world a better place. Have you volunteered somewhere? Write about it! Show that you can make their school a better place, as well. Write about an experience you’ve had in your desired field of study, like an internship, an extracurricular activity, lab research, etc. This will demonstrate the passion you have for what you’ll study at school!…

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Interested in Entrepreneurship?

Interested in studying entrepreneurship in college? Here is a list of the top 25 entrepreneurial undergraduate programs according to The Princeton Review: Babson College University of Houston Brigham Young University University of Michigan – Ann Arbor  City University of New York – Baruch College Northeastern University Washington University in St. Louis University of Maryland – College Park Baylor University Temple University University of Dayton University of Oklahoma University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tecnológico de Monterrey University of Utah Syracuse University University of Iowa Miami University North Carolina State University Ball State University University of Kansas DePaul University Loyola Marymount University Oklahoma State University Drexel University Schedule a FREE Analysis with College Planning Experts to learn which field is best for you to study…

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Ease Your SAT Stress

Hey, soon-to-be high school juniors – NOW is the time to focus on your SATs. College Planning Experts recommends taking your SAT either during the Fall or Spring of your junior year of high school, depending on your SAT tutor set up. Ease your SAT stress with these tips from the Princeton Review: Slow Down and Score More: Your SAT score is based on how many questions you score correctly, not how many total questions you answer. Slow down and read each question to actually understand what it’s asking you. The more time you take to answer each question correctly, the higher your chance of increasing your score! Mimic the Real Test: When practicing for the SAT with your tutor or by yourself, take your…

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How to Master the College Essay

Believe it or not, college application due dates are right around the corner! Did you know you can get started with your college apps THIS SUMMER? Don’t wait until the last minute – get prepared for your applications this summer and it’ll make the application process much less stressful! So what exactly goes into a college application? There’s a lot of factors, but one of the most important aspects of a college app is your essay. Your essays showcase who you are – they give you the freedom to express yourself and your personality on paper. Colleges receive thousands of applications every fall, many with similar grades, GPAs and SAT scores. Your personal statement can make you stand out in a sea of applicants! How…

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How to Build a High School Resume

Did you know that some universities ask for a resume to be submitted with your college application? Some may not be mandatory, but if recommended, it can show your accomplishments, hobbies, work experience, and skill sets gained throughout high school. Creating a high school resume is also a great idea to give to your teachers, coaches, etc. that you expect to ask to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf. Unsure of what to put on your resume? Don’t feel overwhelmed – here’s your guide to the high school resume based on tips from The Princeton Review: The Basics: 1. Heading: your name, address, and e-mail 2. High school information: your graduation date, GPA (weighted), class rank, and SAT/ACT scores 3. Accomplishments: awards, publications,…

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Vital Info for the Soon-to-be-Seniors

It’s time to get cracking for rising seniors! Make the most of your summer to get a jump start on your application process. This will make you far less stressed come application time. Here are nine ways prospective college students can get ahead from U.S. News: 1. Narrow down your college list: It is vital to research schools you may be interested in, understand what each college has to offer, and narrow down your list of schools to apply to. You should have a variety of target schools, reach schools, and safety schools on your list. Unsure of what that means? College Planning Experts can help! 2. Visit college campuses: Visit, visit, visit! We can’t stress this enough! There’s no better way to get a…

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