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2 Minute Video
Happy time of the year -- firming up our lists of colleges -- working with our essayists -- submitting college applications. Perfect time to direct your friends to our 2 minute video, “Finding the right college with a huge discount”.
http://www.collegetuitionassistance.org/our-services.html
Your referrals are our future!
November 22, 2016
Success Story -- Someone Who Listened!
I just got off the phone with one of our clients. She was excited to tell me that her son was going to go to Stanford Law School – it was down to Stanford or Harvard – he chose Stanford.
Now you would think to yourself, this kid must have had a 4.0 and almost perfect test scores out of high school. He probably went to a “Name School”. Au contraire -- he listened to Lana and chose a small private school where he had access to his professors and a voice in choosing his curriculum – an environment where he had internships available to him as well as help from his professors whenever needed. As a result, he grew exponentially from his freshmen year to his senior year. And, best of all, his mentors from his small private were there to guide him onto Law School.
No doubt in my mind, this student will accomplish great things in life. And, oh yes, Lana and I got tears in our eyes when we heard his great news!
July 21, 2016
Finding The New You!
So many students think that the college application experience is a ginormous, brutal, culling out process. This process, however, seems to work out the same way every year for us at CTA -- every year for over 20 years we have helped students successfully find their perfect college.
US News & World Report convinces students to apply to a very limited number of colleges -- shame on them. This can lead to heartache -- only a few will get into the highly selective colleges.
CTA provides students with tremendous colleges that will offer them fantastic options at the end. We encourage our students to visit the colleges that Lana suggests -- the ones with the generous scholarships and the perfect fit. And, upon visiting these colleges, students go through a metamorphosis -- they see college as attainable -- they see where they will fit in and be comfortable -- they are truly excited about their new school! Four years later, they are telling Lana about their entrance into Law School, Med School, Grad School, or their beyond belief new job path.
You must break out of yourself and try something new! Remember: You don't know what you don't know! Your perfect college is just over the horizon where you will learn motivation and passion and make friends for life.
Exciting!
June 16, 2016
Upbeat News!
From one of our clients:
"Just letting you know that I received $250 from you last week and wanted to thank you not just for that but for all the help and guidance you are giving to our kids in this process. Needless to say, we will continue to spread the the word about the good work you do and try to refer as many as we can."
James L.
October 22, 2015
2017 FAFSA CHANGES
The big guys are changing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for students entering college 2017 or later. The Feds have simplified the process. It’s easy! Now by using the new IRS Data Retrieval Tool ( DRT ), you can transfer the last filed tax return (2015) directly to the FAFSA. This is called “Prior-Prior Income” transfer.
And more good news--no more waiting until January to file a FAFSA based on estimates only to have to finalize your FAFSA once your taxes are filed. Nope, you get to file your FAFSA in October with final numbers from the 2015 return. Now you can evaluate your capability of receiving need based financial aid earlier in the process! If your income has changed dramatically (i.e., drop in income), you can ask the college to look at your new income changes. This is when colleges use their “Professional Judgment” to determine aid eligibility.
See, the US Government really can make things easier…
September 24, 2015
A Simple Question Doesn’t Always Have a Simple Answer.
Someone asked a simple question. "For a High School mid to lower 'B' student, what are the best colleges for Engineering?
There is no simple generic answer!
We could go to the different rating services. However, their software packages spit out college lists based on statistics that are politically infused. They are not relevant to individual students. What they fail to realize is “one size does not fit all”! Each student deserves a realistic list based on their individual qualifications.
Example:
A High School mid to lower 'B' student told me that his three years at a small college with only 10 students in his math classes was like having a private tutor. When he transferred to a prestigious university for his last two years in Engineering, he was at the top of his class. He now has a “hot” job in the computer industry!
He graduated for a "fraction of the price" of a state college!
How did he do that?
September 15, 2015
Sizing Up Colleges: Big vs. Small
Are you itching to break free of the high school fishbowl and enjoy the anonymity that comes with being one of the thousands of students? Or do you want a warm sense of community at a private college?
Do you want a wide variety of majors and courses at a big state college? Or, do you want a smaller private college where you have guidance in designing your own major?
Do you want the assurance that you will get all your classes during your 4 years? Or, are you comfortable making adjustments in your course schedules, if some classes are not available when you want to take them? If this necessitates it, are you willing to take classes during the summer or in your 5th year?
Do you want a huge well stocked library?
Is a well funded sports program a priority?
Is a wide range of academic and student activities to your liking? Or, are their lots of administrative red tape, multiple signatures, and approvals that are required?
Do you want distinguished and famous faculty at a big college? Will they be teaching, or will you be stuck with a graduate school teaching assistant?
Would state-of-the-art research facilities be a must? But, are they only for the grad students?
Are you aggressive, a go-getter, and don't take no for an answer? Or, will your advisor, who knows you well, work with you to find a major and graduate you in 4 years or less?
Do you find huge classes to be overwhelming or exciting? Would you prefer smaller classes and working with your professors one-on-one with hands on learning?
Do you want personal attention from my teachers and advisors?
Do you want help getting internships during college, help getting into the top Grad schools, fantastic jobs after graduation, and support for life?
Would you prefer a rigorous competitive environment where the students with less or different aptitude than you will be willowed out, or do you prefer a more collaborative community?
Would you prefer free scholarships so you could go to a "pricey" private college for the same or less than a state college?
We would love to help you make the right choices for you!
September 1, 2015
Didactic Learning vs. Experiential Learning
Definition of Didactic Learning: Lecturing for rote learning.
Definition of Experiential Learning: Learning through the reflection on doing.
State colleges, because of economics and the large number of students, use didactic learning. Privates use a combination of approaches, but often emphasize experiential learning. Some state colleges want to copy the privates and use the more efficient experiential approach. But, because of economics, they can only select a chosen few (students) for their elite experiential programs.
Which way do you want to learn?
August 27, 2015
