Colleges with Free Laundry: A Time and Money Saving Consideration

how to do laundry in college

For many of us, laundry is a dreaded chore. But when you have to pay for each and every load, this task becomes even more daunting.

As many colleges charge for the use of their laundry services, this could be an extra challenge for students.

The transition to freshman year of college can be tough even when the college is a good fit—academically, socially, vocationally and financially.

Contrary to what most may think, the biggest adjustment for college freshmen is social. This includes things like life skills, independence, roommate issues, organizational skills, and time management.

Learning new skills in college.

One of these challenging life skills can be when a student tries to figure out how to do laundry in college.

College life is busy and requires tremendous discipline as freshmen adjust to life away from home with more freedom and independence.

When my son was a freshman at Stanford, it was a major adjustment for him to manage his time, given all the social distractions that come with college, like meeting new friends, joining clubs, and going to parties.

When he came home for break, I was pleasantly surprised that he had no dirty laundry.

I thought to myself, “Wow, how impressive! He made time to do laundry!”

Well, I quickly learned that Stanford has free laundry. So, I guess it wasn’t that impressive…

Time and money saving tips for university students.

Having free laundry in college really does make life a bit easier.

It becomes one less thing for students to worry about.

No more, “Just finished studying at 1 a.m. in the morning . . . time to do laundry. No quarters . . . need to do laundry. Need a clean shirt for an interview . . . must do laundry.”

When I was in college at Stanford, there was no such thing as free laundry. I would spend a lot of wasted time thinking about how I was going to get quarters to do laundry.

Even though there was a bank on campus, it was a hassle because the bank’s 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. hours didn’t always work with my schedule. If I was lucky, I could borrow quarters from my dorm mates.

If free laundry had been an option, my (and my fellow students’) eternal struggle of figuring out how to do laundry at college would have been solved.

As was proven by my son’s experience, some things never change, like how busy and demanding the life of a college student can be. That’s why any opportunity for a student to save money and time should be looked at seriously.

Are you struggling to find the right college? Sign up for my FREE upcoming master class!

Free laundry shouldn’t be overlooked.

When a high school junior is developing their college list, free laundry may not be at the top of their list of considerations for a fit. But once they’re in college, it will make a huge difference for them.

So, when you’re putting together a list of colleges your child might want to attend, don’t discount the power of free laundry! Include information about the laundry services offered by colleges in your searches.

It might seem like a small thing at the time, but it can save valuable time and money at college—two precious resources that can be better spent elsewhere.

If you’d like to hear more about how to put together a college list, don’t miss this post. 

Are you looking for one-on-one guidance for how to get into (or pay for) college? Click here for help.

If you enjoyed this post, don’t miss these either:

Living Off Campus: Pros and Cons
College Application Checklist
Get In and Get Money: 5 Tips for College-Bound Juniors

Pros and Cons of Living Off Campus

Student living off campus walking to classes

The idea of going off to college might seem scary enough. But the thought of living off campus?

Even worse!

The truth is, there are plenty of advantages to living off campus and it could be a great option. But understandably, it isn’t always the right choice.

Many students choose to start their college experience living on campus in university residences. This can help them get the “full college experience.” Also, not having to worry about transportation to and from campus can be a great advantage.

Some parents appreciate the comfort of knowing their child is surrounded by other people and resources. Moving from home to their own place and starting university all at once might seem like too big a step.

While there are definite advantages to living on campus, let’s go over the pros and cons of living off campus. With these in mind, you can make an informed decision for which option might be right for you.

Advantages to living off-campus

1. You can stay all year

Some colleges close their on-campus residences during holidays and summers. That means anyone who lives there needs to clear out.

If you live off-campus, there’s no need to leave during breaks and holidays. On the other hand, if you’re required to sign a year-long lease for off-campus housing, you may have to sublet your place during the summer if you go home.

For students who live far away and can’t make it back home regularly for visits, the ability to stay in their off-campus residence can be very useful.

2. More space and privacy

You might luck out with a college that has spacious student residences, but quarters tend to be tight. When you live off-campus, chances are you’ll have more space than you would if you live on campus.

With that added space comes more privacy, freedom, and independence.

On that note, this added freedom and independence while living off-campus might be what scares some students or their parents.

For some students, those close quarters and lack of privacy are just what they’re looking for because they want the complete picture of college life.

But sleeping just a few feet from another person (often a total stranger at first) every night and sharing facilities with hundreds of other students isn’t for everyone.

For students who value peace and quiet (especially when it comes to getting their studying and homework done), an off-campus home might be the better choice.

3. Establishing independence

When a student rents a place off-campus rather than living in a dorm, they’re giving themselves the opportunity to experience many of the responsibilities that come with adulthood.

These include:

  1. Setting up utilities
  2. Managing a small household
  3. Paying bills
  4. Buying groceries and other household products
  5. Establishing and building credit

For students who are comfortable getting an added dose of real-world experience, the off-campus living could work well for them.

Maybe college is still a few years off for your child but you’re doing your research ahead of time. In the meantime, there are things you can do to help prepare younger children for college. In this post, I’ve outlined important ways high school freshmen can start preparing for college. 

Of course, we need to cover the cons to living off-campus, too.

Drawbacks to living off-campus

1. Distance

There are usually off-campus housing options available very close to college campuses.

But often, students will need to take public transportation or drive to school from their off-campus home.

This can equal an added cost for gas, transit passes, and other transportation costs.

2. Some students feel isolated

Living on campus in residence means you’re in the midst of campus life and the activities, events, and other factors that come hand in hand with it. Off-campus housing could leave some students feeling isolated and as though they’re missing out on campus life.

Off-campus housing could still mean living with other students, so you won’t miss out on all interactions with your schoolmates.

For some students, these interactions are enough.

Students who live off-campus can make an extra effort to attend school events and meet other students to minimize any isolation they might feel.

3. More responsibility

Going to university might be a big enough change and added responsibility for some students—the extra work of running and maintaining a household could be too much.

Off-campus housing comes with more responsibility, and these responsibilities could prove overwhelming for some students. On that same note, it might also take up too much valuable time that should otherwise be spent on school work.

Do you find yourself reading these and thinking, “that’s not a con?” That could be a telltale sign that off-campus living would be a good option for you.

What about the cost of living off-campus vs on campus?

You may have noticed the cost of living off-campus wasn’t included as either a pro or a con.

That’s because the cost of living on campus versus off-campus varies so much between schools, students, budgets, and other factors.

If you’re sharing off-campus housing with several roommates, it could turn out to cost less than living in a dorm. But in other cases, living in a dorm will end up costing less.

To help you determine what it might cost to live off-campus of your college, do your research into real estate in the area, spend time talking to other students, and be sure to calculate the added cost of things like utilities, transportation, and groceries.

If you’d like to learn more about securing funds for your child to go to college, be sure to have a look at the “Get In and Get Money” workshop. 

As you’ve probably noticed, there’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to off-campus housing or living on campus.

The answer will depend on things like a student’s personality, how much responsibility they’re ready for, and what kind of college experience they’re hoping to get.

Planning college campus visits are an incredibly important part of making this decision, too. Here’s how to make your visit to a college campus as stress-free as possible. 

You might consider living on campus for your first year to help give yourself a softer landing. After that, you could choose to live off-campus for the rest of your university experience. For many students, this proves to be the best of both worlds.

If you’re interested in one-on-one support and other resources to help you or your child get into (or pay) for college, click here.

If you enjoyed this article and you’d like to learn more about preparing for college, don’t miss these posts:

Get in and Get Money: 5 Tips for College-Bound Juniors
College Essay How-to: Who is someone you admire?
The 5 Key Things Students Should Do the Summer Before Senior Year

4 Tips for Ninth Grade

Ninth Grade

Ninth grade is a very big deal! It’s a transitional year that can set the tone for the rest of high school and beyond.

While parents may be tempted to “back off” in terms of involvement, it’s really the time to step up your engagement. Granted, your engagement may not be as hands-on as helping in the classroom, your assistance with guiding your teen to make the most of high school is important.

4 Tips for Ninth Grade

Practice good organizational and study skills. These are foundational skills that your teen will continue to rely upon each and every year.

Although courses may be a bit more challenging in ninth grade, they will get even more challenging for 10th, 11th and 12th Grade. So ninth grade is a great time to start practicing those good organizational and study skills. If your teen’s skills are weak in these areas, then 9th grade is an ideal time to figure out what works. There are any number of books and/or digital tools/apps that your teen can use to develop these skills.

Get involved with only one or two activities at school. During 9th grade, there’ll be so many new things happening. . . new teachers. . . perhaps new friend groups, and more. It will be all too easy to participate in the same activities as friends. Rather than follow the crown, I would suggest that your teen figures out their own you and focus on participating in only one or two clubs (including sports). Getting involved in too many activities at once may add too much undue stress and slow down their adjustment to high school.

Map courses forward. Courses taken in 9th grade play a role in the course selection for the remainder of high school. So, rather than considering 9th grade only, you can determine the core courses for 10th 11th and 12th grade as well (includes foreign language). This can help your teen see where there may be gaps in their course schedule and plan ahead for creative ways to fill any gaps.

Be intentional about summer. Gone are the days of only “hanging out” in the summer. Having fun and going on family vacations are important. However, there are typically many more other weeks for participating in a summer program, interning, reading several books, even focusing on a creative project. Whatever it is your teen does during the summer, be intentional about it, i.e. have a reason for participating!

Check out my 9th-grade roadmap for more timely tips to navigate each month of this year! (Choose “9th Grade” with the blue button here on this page.)

How to Create a Smart College Application Strategy

College application deadlines are not the most exciting topic to consider as your teen prepares for college during high school, but it’s a very important topic one. It’s important because it can make a big difference in terms of what you pay for college as well as impact your student’s chances on getting admitted. Here’s an effective college application strategy to help navigate these important dates.

The Importance of College Application Deadlines

Each year there are different application deadlines that your teen can use for their applications for college. They sound similar, so it can be confusing to understand how they are different. I’ll explain how they can impact your teen and their college future.

Regular Decision Deadlines

One of the deadlines is simply the regular decision deadline that happens every year,  usually around January. The thing to remember is that application deadlines are very unforgiving, so your teen needs to make sure that they meet that deadline.

Regular decision is a standard deadline, and another deadline you may hear about is the “rolling deadline”. The rolling deadline means that your teen can submit their application at any time. Usually they’ll get a notice back of a decision about three or four weeks later (but sometimes it could be sooner, depending on the time of year).

Rolling Admissions Deadlines

The rolling deadline is one that doesn’t have a specific date. So, it could start perhaps as soon as October and keep going until the final deadline, which means that all the applications have to be in by that time. Or it can be set to go as late as the spring of senior year.

Early Action and Early Decision

Now that we’ve covered standard and rolling deadlines, I want to review two other deadlines that can be a bit confusing because they start with the same word. One of these deadlines is the “early action deadline”. Early action is non-binding, which means that your teen can apply to an early action deadline and usually they’ll find out the decision perhaps around December. It gives them a little bit of ease, especially if they do get admitted, because they’ll know pretty much where their application stands. Then, if they want to apply to some additional colleges, they still have time to do that under the regular deadline.

The fourth deadline I want to talk about also starts with early, and it’s called “early decision deadline”. Early decision is more strict because this deadline is binding. Every year, there are a lot of families that will apply under the early decision deadline. With the early decision deadline, because it’s binding, you cannot apply to any other colleges that have any type of restrictive deadlines. You want to make sure that you read the fine print on that.

The early decision deadline is one that the parents have to sign off on. Also, the school counselor will be notified as well. The key thing with the early decision deadline is that it means that if your teen is admitted, they must go to that college, regardless of financial aid. This is where sometimes I will see families who decide to do the early decision deadline, because that’s the only one that a particular college offers for them (either early decision or regular).

Generally with the earlier application rounds, the admissions rate is a bit more favorable. Families that want to make sure that their teen has the best shot in terms of admissions will often go ahead and exercise that option to use the early decision deadline. But soon after, if the decision comes back positive in December, you have a short window of time to withdraw all of your other applications and to submit your deposit to hold your space.

That’s a really serious deadline. Sometimes families will say, “Oh, I didn’t know. I thought we would be eligible for financial aid.” They get a surprise that they don’t get any additional aid and then it’s trying to figure out, “Okay, how do we pay for it?”

It’s a deadline that I wouldn’t take lightly. It’s certainly your family’s choice if you decide to do the early decision round, but know that it means that your teen will be going if they get admitted, regardless of what the financial aid is.

At least with the early action option, you have a chance to look through the financial aid offers from other colleges as well. On the flipside, some colleges will offer only the early decision deadline, and then others may have an early action, or they can also have an early decision as well. So you want to be sure you know the deadlines for your student’s college of choice when they begin applying!

One thing I will add about the very late regular decision deadlines is that sometimes colleges will say the deadline is June 1st. They will be filling those seats before then,  so for colleges that may have a very late regular decision deadline doesn’t mean that you can apply on May 31st still find seats available. It’s a point to keep that in mind when your student is scheduling when to submit applications.

Do you have questions about application deadlines and helping your student get into their dream school? Application deadlines can make a big difference in terms of what you could end up paying. In some cases, it can also make a difference as to where your teen gets admitted. I look forward to hearing from you if you have any questions or thought about the process!

If you’re a parent of a high school student preparing for college, I have created a free online training class that answers the most common questions I get from parents: “How to Find The Right College.” It offers insight into the college application process as well as how to get money for college. You can check it out and register for it HERE.

Choosing the Right High School

choosing the right high school makes difference

Are you already thinking about high school for your college-bound middle-schooler?

It’s important to start thinking about high school options at least a few years ahead, especially if your teen’s middle school ends at the 8th grade.

What if you don’t have 1-2 years to plan for a school change?

Understanding firsthand just how difficult it can be to choose the right high school for your child is what inspired this post.

Before I move on to tips for choosing the right high school for your child, let’s discuss why you might be considering switching your child’s high school in the first place.

Reasons for changing high schools.

Parents consider changing their teen’s high school for a variety of reasons, including:

  • Disapproval of curriculum at current school
  • Over-testing
  • Relocation
  • Marital separation or divorce
  • Bad social environment for teen
  • Safety concerns
  • Current school closing

Personally, I’ve had to choose different schools for my children for curriculum/testing, safety concerns, social reasons, and relocations. Each time has been different because each grade level is different. Also, my children are quite different from each other.

Regardless of the time parents have to make all the necessary decisions about high school, this one decision (which school your teen attends) is important enough that parents must know their options. So this brings the question, how to choose the right high school?

Important choices for parents to make.

These are some of the critical decisions parents will have to make when they’re choosing the right high school for their child:

  • Independent (i.e. private) school—day or boarding
  • Parochial
  • Public school district, including charter
  • Homeschool

Again, given the different personalities of my own children, they have attended day, boarding, and public schools. Plus, I homeschooled… yikes!

Each time my children changed schools, I followed a basic process which included:

  1. School visits
  2. Online research
  3. Personal networking
  4. Considering social dynamics

These four aspects are very important when choosing the right high school for your child.

Here’s how each step of this process can help you choose the right high school for your teen.

Conduct high school visits for and with your teen.

Changing schools can be just as anxiety-ridden for the child as for the parent.

If I’m considering a new school, I generally visit for the first time without my child. This gives me an opportunity to speak with the principal, teachers, and staff one-on-one.

I also observe the condition of the school and notice how students are responding.

When I meet with teachers, I not only ask them about their grade, but their perception of other grade cohorts at the school.

The postings on the wall can say a lot: If there are a lot of signs with directions about behavior, then it may indicate that a school has safety/discipline issues.

I don’t mind waiting in the office; I can see and hear about typical issues there. Sometimes, the office staff isn’t discreet, and I learn a lot from overhearing those interactions.

The other thing I notice is the smells in the school. (It may sound strange but it’s still part of the learning environment.)

As best as possible, I’m trying to get a sense for what the school day would be like for my teen.

I strongly advise parents against the first day of school being the first day that a child sees a new school.

A good opportunity for any child to see a new school is a “shadow” day.

Shadow days are good for any grade level. It allows the child to have the face-to-face experience of visiting a class and getting a better feel for the environment—I only took my child to visit a school if it was a serious consideration.

The campus visits for parents and children is a crucial aspect of the new school search. (Your campus visit is in addition to any open houses held by the school.)

While we’re on the topic, you’ll want to visit this post for tips on surviving college campus visits with your teen.

Save time with online searches.

There is so much information online when it comes to choosing the right high school that it can be hard to know where to start and how to manage.

I love discovering new information but when it comes to searching online, I can waste hours (that I don’t have) reading information on random sites that overwhelm, rather than help.

Here are some online resources that I’ve used to inform my search, which may help you save time:

Bonus tip: Even if you’re not considering a particular school, if the school has a strong reputation, you can still poke around on their site and see what they’re offering. This may trigger some ideas for what questions to ask and how to evaluate the options you’re considering.

Network with other parents.

As always, it helps to talk with other parents in and outside your network about a new school you’re considering.

I’ve found that I can get more information over a cup of coffee than anywhere else.

In each conversation, I make sure to ask these five key questions:

  1. Why did your family choose this school?
  2. What keeps your family at this school?
  3. How would you describe the parent community at this school?
  4. What’s been your involvement at this school?
  5. What do you wish you had known before your teen enrolled?

(If there’s any juicy gossip, I want to hear that too, although I may not ask directly!)

In fact, even when my children changed to a new grade, I would talk with parents in the next grade level to get a sense of their experience. Often, the next grade/teacher can be a whole new experience and adjustment.

Consider social dynamics.

Another factor to consider when you’re choosing the right high school for your child is the social dynamics at a given school.

As my children entered high school, it was more difficult to consider changing schools because of all the social dynamics that play an even bigger role in their experience. That’s why this step deserves special attention.

I’ll admit that I was particularly concerned about the social aspects of high school for my daughter. (Every mom of a daughter can probably identify with this.)

The teen years can be particularly challenging for girls, and moms must be sensitive to the social environment of high school, which can influence their identity formation and self-confidence.

If you follow these four steps, they will help you choose the right high school for your child, to set them up for future success along with a better experience in the meantime.

If you’ve researched a new school for your child, what was your approach? Which resources did you use? Please leave a comment and share with other parent readers.

If you’re interested in one-on-one support and other resources to help you or your child get into (or pay) for college, click here.

If you’d like to learn more about preparing middle school students for college, you’ll want to have a look at these articles too:

7 Ways to Support Your Child During the College Application Process
College Scholarships for Middle School Students
Preparing for College in the Ninth Grade

 

This article was originally published on April 17, 2018, and has been updated.

Public vs Private College: Which is Right for You?

public vs private college | Compass College Advisors

Are you stuck deciding between a public vs private college? Many students and their families face this dilemma.

Maybe you’ve decided you’ll never be able to afford a private college. Or you think a public university or state school won’t have the course offerings you need.

Each has its own benefits, but there are considerations about private colleges and public universities that could make either one a better choice for you.

Either way, there are plenty of misconceptions about post-secondary institutions.

Whether you’re a prospective student or the parent of one, this post should help clarify differences between public universities and private colleges, to help you make the most informed decision.

Let’s start with the basics.

What is a private college?

Private colleges are privately funded institutions that rely on tuition, endowments, and donations for their funding.

However, these schools may still receive tax breaks, grants, and loans from the government.

Private colleges can often dictate their own policies, but depending on where they’re located, they may still be subject to government regulation.

Private colleges almost always have fewer students. The average enrollment at a private college is 1,900 students or less.

It’s also estimated that about 20 percent of post-secondary students in the United States attend private colleges.

What is a public university?

Unlike a private college, a public university is publicly funded, which means tax dollars are the primary source of income for these schools. Usually, they are operated by state government entities.

When you hear of “state schools”, they’re almost always referring to public universities. Some states have more than 30 of these institutions, and each state has at least one.

So, now that we know the fundamental definitions of public universities and private colleges, let’s dive into some other important differences.

Tuition

State-funded schools were largely built to offer an affordable post-secondary option to its residents. After all, the taxes they pay go toward funding public universities. For that reason, public universities often have lower tuition rates for residents from that state than a private college would.

That being said, there are often bigger scholarship opportunities available to private college students, so don’t count them out just yet if you’re worried about cost!

Financial aid, grants, and scholarships.

If you compare the sticker price of private college tuition to public university tuition, the private college will be higher.

Just look at this data from the US Department of Education for average total tuition, fees, and room and board rates charged for full-time, four-year undergraduate students in degree-granting institutions for 2015/2016:

Private college: $48,510
Public university (in-state): $21,370
Public university (out-of-state): $37,430

If you look only at those numbers, you might make up your mind right then and there that a private college is too expensive for you.

But wait till you hear what I have to tell you next.

There are some very sizable financial aid options available to eligible students who go to a private university!

So sizable, in fact, these financial aid packages and grants often offset tuition cost enough that attending a private college could be comparable to—or even less expensive than—attending a public university.

Scholarship opportunities for private college students may also be much greater than they are for public university students.

While we’re on the topic, take a look at this post I wrote about not letting the college sticker price fool you at first glance.

Size.

Another important distinction between public universities and private colleges is the student body and class size at each.

As I mentioned, most private colleges have an undergraduate class of around 1,900. Public universities, on the other hand, may have an undergraduate class at least ten times that size.

Understandably, with bigger student bodies there tend to be bigger class sizes.

For students who prefer a smaller class size and more individualized learning experiences, this factor may draw them to a private college.

But a larger student body population can also have its advantages, including a broader selection of course offerings.

Course offerings.

As I mentioned, bigger schools often offer more course selections for their students because they have the student body to fill those courses.

For students who want a wide selection of courses and degree options to try, a public university might be the ideal choice.

When a student has a particular focus (liberal arts, for example) a private college may be the perfect choice.

If you happen to be one of those students looking for a private college with a liberal arts focus, I recommend you have a look at this post where I outline why Williams is the #1 liberal arts college in the country. 

Choosing between a public vs private college

There’s no doubt that choosing the right school for you is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. To help you with this decision, we’ve outlined some key differences between public and private post-secondary schools.

The best choice for you often comes down to price, location, where you’re accepted, and course offerings.

It’s important to remember not to write a college off at first glance without doing research into available options to help with tuition and other costs.

I offer plenty of other free resources for help with choosing a college—you’ll find those right here.

Need a little more guidance?

For one-on-one support and other resources to help you or your child get into (or pay) for college click here.

If you’d like to learn more about getting into college and getting money for college, don’t miss these articles either:

How to Save Time When Seeking Money for College
7 Ways to Support Your Child During the College Application Process
How to Avoid Overpaying for College

What is Freshman Orientation?

College Bound? Here’s What To Expect at Freshman Orientation

You’ve finally done it. You’ve graduated high school and you’ve been accepted to a college where you’ll begin the rest of your life. But before that big leap, there’s another step you must take first: freshman orientation.

What is freshman orientation? Freshman orientation was designed to give new college students the information about their new school they need to get started on the right foot. In some cases, orientation takes place in just a day, while other schools operate it over a weekend.

No matter how long your freshman orientation is, they tend to cover many of the same things: from campus tours, meeting lots of new people (including roommates), presentations, and the delivery of a whole lot of information meant to help you on your new journey.

What can you expect during freshman orientation?

While each school has a slightly different way of doing their freshman orientation, here are some things you can expect at yours:

  1. You’ll be nervous and overwhelmed.
  2. It will be a long day (or days).
  3. You’ll meet A LOT of new people (advisors, roommates, classmates, etc.).
  4. It will be an information overload.
  5. You’ll become more comfortable in your new surroundings.

The emotion and excitement of freshman orientation.

Most students experience a variety of emotions at freshman orientation (and so do their parents!). Most describe it as a mix of feeling nervous, overwhelmed, and excited. I doubt it will surprise you to hear these are all normal feelings. 

You’re embarking on a life-changing new journey. It’s no wonder it comes with big emotions. Try to keep in mind that all the other freshmen you’re meeting likely feel exactly how you’re feeling—even if they look calm, cool, and collected on the surface. 

All the new faces.

At freshman orientation, it’s not uncommon to meet hundreds of new people in the span of a few days. Some of the people you’ll meet include classmates and other freshmen, your academic advisors, your roommates, and their families, and more. 

When you’re meeting your advisors, professors, or other professionals around campus, do your best to remember their names right away and get to know them a bit, if time allows. This can often help you down the road.

When it comes to meeting other students, it’s important to learn their names, too. But chances are, you’ll run into these people a lot and have more chances to get to know them. 

Presentations and more presentations.

Most freshman orientations involve a variety of presentations set up around campus. Some of these are more fun than others and some stick to the basics in giving you the information you need as concisely as possible. 

Presentations can cover topics like Greek life, housing, financial aid, and much more. Be sure to have a pen and paper on hand to take notes. Don’t be afraid to ask questions when the floor is opened up, either! 

Getting to know your new home.

Whether or not you’re living on campus or off, you’re bound to spend a lot of your time at college over the coming years. 

By the way, here are some of the pros and cons of living off-campus.

Think of freshman orientation like getting a tour of your new house: you’re going to be shown how to get from one room to the next, as well as how to make the most of your new surroundings. 

But instead of learning how to use the dishwasher, you’ll learn things like how to do laundry on campus, how to join clubs and sports, an academic breakdown, how to apply for financial aid, and a lot more. 

If you’re not at the freshman orientation stage yet but you’d like to get to know a college you might want to attend, campus visits are important. If you’re a parent, you might be struggling to motivate your child to make campus visits. Or perhaps you’re dreading them yourself. Here’s how to motivate your child to take this important step.

If you’ve already done a campus tour, you might be somewhat oriented with your new campus. But freshman orientation is a great time to get ever more comfortable with your new surroundings, to help you make the most of your college experience. 

If you’re looking for one-on-one guidance to help you get into (or pay for) college, click here for help. 

Want to see more posts like this? Don’t miss these: 

Rolling admissions: benefits and drawbacks 

Top 10 must-dos for college-bounds juniors

7 ways to support your child during the college application process

How to improve your chances of getting in to Yale

Beyond its Ivy League brand and selective admissions, there’s more to know about Yale to understand whether it’s a fit. Given how competitive it is to be admitted to Yale, it’s worth it for students to get to know the university beyond the surface of its New Haven location.

 

Admittedly, I love the artsy feel of the town itself. The prolific arts and culture scene are well-matched with the arts and entertainment figures who call Yale their alma mater. Two of my favorite actresses, Angela Bassett and Jodie Foster, graduated from Yale and there are several others.

 

Yale is a major research university with a historic commitment to undergraduate teaching. Research is a big component of academics. The curriculum across the undergraduate years is 1/3 distribution courses, 1/3 major courses, and 1/3 electives. Distribution course requirements cover the humanities and arts, social sciences, and natural sciences plus two courses that emphasize writing and another two that emphasize quantitative reasoning. Foreign language mastery is also a requirement. Interestingly, there are no minors at Yale, only majors. Juniors and seniors can take classes in any of the thirteen distinguished graduate schools.

 

Last year, Yale received over 36,000 applications for a class of approximately 1,300 students. The majority of the applicants are highly qualified which makes the admissions decisions very difficult. Students seeking admission to Yale are weighed according to these ABCs of getting in:

A- Academics [school context, teacher recommendations (from 11th or 12th), SAT/ACT testing, with subject tests]

 

B- Breadth and depth for extracurricular activities (i.e. stop doing a lot of activities for the sake of resume building)

 

C- Character (evidenced in essays)

 

Given the vibe of Yale and New Haven, arts supplements are even welcomed!

 

The keys to getting in to Yale is 1) knowing yourself, 2) being your authentic self in academics and outside interests, 3) researching Yale thoroughly and 4) applying to Yale only if there’s a sincere fit with their campus academically, socially, financially and vocationally.

 

 

Additional quick facts about Yale:

Acceptance: less than 5%

Freshmen retention: 99%

Freshmen from out of state: 93%

4-year Graduation rate: 86%

Most popular majors: economics, political science and government, history, psychology, molecular biology

 

Social: There are 32 Division 1 teams with several championships in men’s ice hockey, basketball, women’s volleyball and sailing. In addition to athletics, there are 500 active clubs including 50 performance groups and 60 cultural associations. Only 20% of students are involved in Greek life. Yale’s proximity to downtown New Haven affords students a vibrant artistic and cultural life, countless restaurants (I had the best Cuban meal ever at a local spot), and a myriad of academic and service opportunities within 15 minutes of campus.

 

Housing: There are 12 Residential colleges at Yale which are smaller communities where students live, eat, socialize, and pursue academic and extracurricular activities. Although undergraduates are required to live in the residential college for 2 years, most choose to live all 4 years there.

 

Similar colleges to consider: Cornell, Duke, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania

 

Financial aid: Yale offers only need-based scholarships, with 100% of need met. Although the cost of attendance is $76,000, the average need-based financial aid package is $60K. About 80% of students receive scholarships/financial aid. Yale covers financial aid for one summer, in addition to all academic terms.

 

What do you think about Yale? What about this college is a good fit? Please post your comments below.

Vassar College: For the Creative Teen with lots of Interests

college for teens with lots of interests

When I recently discussed the merits of Vassar with a family, the first response from parents was “Isn’t that a women’s college?” Over 50 years ago, indeed Vassar was a women’s college but since then has been coed.

Vassar students and academics

Vassar is known for its innovative curriculum across multiple disciplines and was the first college to offer an undergraduate degree in cognitive science.

 

The typical Vassar student is creative, proud of individuality, and has an independent spirit. Likewise, those natural inclinations match well with Vassar’s open curriculum. This “open curriculum” means that there are no core or required courses that all students must take. Instead, Vassar students must fulfill a language requirement, take a writing course during freshman year, and complete 1 quantitative course before graduation.

 

This type of program of study then frees students to design the plan of study that best matches their unique interests. The flexibility of an open curriculum allows over half of Vassar students to graduate with two majors. Upon graduation, a strong 70% of Vassar undergrads go to graduate school, with most of them going on to medical school.

 

Given its 2,500 student body, introductory courses, often taken in freshman year have an average class size of 21 students. All classes are small seminars. When it’s time to do research or simply get help with a project, each student is matched with his/her own librarian. Art majors get their own studio in senior year which can be a huge time-saving perk.

 

In terms of freshman year, a unique offering at Vassar is that freshmen are assigned to a group of 10 fellow classmates, which is led by an upperclassman leader to help with the transition.

 

Additional quick facts about Vassar:

Acceptance: 25%

Freshmen retention: 95%

Freshmen from out of state: 73%

4-year Graduation rate: 88%

Student to Faculty Ratio: 8 to 1

Most popular majors: economics, political science, biology

 

Social: There are 23 Division 3 teams at Vassar with about a quarter of the student body participating. There are over 50 theatre productions during the year and 100+ student clubs. With over 1,000 events held on campus each year, there is plenty for students to do and enjoy outside of class. There is no Greek life at Vassar.

 

Housing: On-campus student housing is guaranteed for 4 years. Interestingly, 70% of faculty also live on campus. Each residence hall has 1 or 2 faculty as house fellows.

 

Similar colleges to consider: Amherst, Brown, Columbia, Pomona, Swarthmore, Tufts, Wesleyan

 

Financial aid: Vassar meets 100% of need for domestic and international students for all 4 years. In addition, theres a low or no-loan policy for lower income families.  The cost of attendance is $73,000, with 60% of students receiving a range of scholarships from $1,200 to $60,000. The average aid package is $52,000.

 

What do you think about Vassar? What about this college is a good fit? Please post your comments below.

College Tips for Freshmen in High School

9th graders preparing for college early

I have a critical question for high school freshmen: have you started preparing for college life yet?

For ninth graders, college can feel like a lifetime away—many freshmen will not only say they haven’t started early college prep, but they also thought it was too soon to do so!

But we all know life moves fast. Before we know it, high school freshmen become college freshmen.

When the time between ninth grade and college is utilized wisely, we see increased admission rates and a smoother transition to college life.

With that in mind, I’ve compiled five important tips for freshmen in high school to prepare for college.

I’ve previously shared tips for helping ninth graders get into the best college and what parents should know about getting their ninth grader ready for college.

With these tips, students will not only help themselves get admitted but also make sure they’re prepared for what life is like once they’re in college.

1. Learn a new language.

Ninth grade is an excellent time to start learning a new language.

That way, you’ll have four years of foreign language experience, which many Ivy League or Ivy-equivalent institutions expect.

Foreign language mastery is not only a way to help boost your chances of getting into the college of your choice, but for many schools, it’s a requirement.

Some other schools only expect two or three years of foreign language experience, but starting in grade nine is never a bad idea!

2. Get involved in your school community.

Involvement in your highschool community not only looks great on college applications, but it can also prepare students for college life and being involved in that community.

Find ways to immerse yourself in the school communities that interest you—there’s no need to do activities just because you think they’ll look good on your application.

Instead, you can find activities, groups, or clubs that excite you, and accomplish two goals at once—gaining experience and having fun!

3. Establish good relationships with adults.

Ninth graders should get to know their teachers, guidance counselors, and other adult leaders in their lives.

This is beneficial for two reasons.

  1. When ninth graders begin to establish these relationships early, they’ll feel more comfortable asking for recommendation letters later on in high school, and the recommendation will be well-informed.
  2. It helps students prepare for dealing with professors and other adults they’ll encounter during their college experience.

4. Read every day.

We all know that college will come with a lot of reading, as does high school.

To prevent a rude awakening when you start college, begin to read every day in ninth grade for at least half an hour if possible.

Not only will this help prepare you for all the reading you’ll do in college, but it will help you excel on the reading portions of exams.

5. Learn when to ask for help.

During the high school and college years, there are bound to be times when you could use some help with school and life.

Many students struggle not only with asking for help but knowing when to do so.

When they were younger, your child needed help with things like tying their shoes or getting dressed.

As they get older, they’ll need help with more complex issues or problems, including education guidance.

In some cases, a parent might not be the right place to get this help, which is why your child should learn to reach out for the appropriate support when they need it.

Encourage your ninth-grader to reach out for help, whether it’s with academics or other aspects of their lives.

Learning how and when to ask for help is an essential personal development skill that all students can benefit from. The sooner this skill starts to be developed, the better.

Of course, ninth graders are still kids, and their constant focus doesn’t need to be on preparing for college. But a little bit of work in ninth grade can ultimately make the rest of high school and the start of college go as well as possible!

Need a little more guidance?

For one-on-one support and other resources to help you or your child get into (or pay) for college, click here.

If you’d like to learn more about preparing for college and the college application process, you’ll want to check out these articles too:

7 Ways to Support Your Child During the College Application Process
Get In and Get Money: 5 Tips for College-Bound Juniors
The 5 Key Things Students Should Do The Summer Before Senior Year