From the day they are born, we want the best for our children.  We buy the best toys, send them to the best schools, see the best doctors, get them swimming lessons, and music lessons.  We will stop at nothing to make sure our kids have the right tools to make their dreams come true.  Planning for college, completing financial aid, deciphering financial aid letters, and choosing a college to attend are just some of the big milestones students must hit during their senior year.  They need to do all of this on top of completing their most challenging classes, participating in extracurricular activities, and enjoying the last remaining moments as an adolescent with their friends and family.  And of course parents help their kids with all of these items; however; parents are incredibly busy themselves.  While high school counselors do their best to meet with their students individually, many counselors just do not have time for such individual attention.  There is so much to do during your child's senior year so it makes sense to hire an independent College Advisor.  

Here are a few reasons students and parents hire Riley College Advising:

• Gain a competitive edge
  • For every parent that you hear talking about working with an independent College Advisor, there are 5 more that are using one but do not want to disclose it.  A study out of Standford University reported that 26% of applicants in 2013 hired a "private admissions counselor" and this was three times as many than was reported in 2003.  As admissions becomes more and more rigorous, it is important to give your child a competitive edge during an incredibly competitive process
• Personalized attention
  • Clients get personalized recommendations and advice tailored to their clients.  All materials we use with clients is created by us for every student. We do not use templates or old materials; nothing is cookie cutter.  Everything is personalized for the client by their College Advisor. At Riley College Advising, we take great pride in getting to know the student and the family so we can proceed with our advising and ensure it is personalized.
• Relieve stress for both parents and kids
  • Knowing an expert is guiding your child through this process each step of the way can ease the stress and tension at home.  Often times parents call Riley College Advising after a big family argument because their child is not as motivated or industrious as they would like him/her to be.  When this happens, we make sure to talk to everyone involved and we create a simple, stress-free timeline with very clear goals to meet every day or every week.  We suggest weekly meeting with your College Advisor to keep you on track and help with anything that is not getting done.  The clear plan, weekly meetings, and accomplishing real goals will not only make parents feel relieved that their kid is making real progress on their college applications and the work they are doing is being monitored by a qualified professional.  In turn, students will also feel a great sense of relief because they will feel they have some control over this crazy process after they talk with their College Advisor and they see their personalized plan and timeline.  
• Get insider information
  • It is incredibly complicated to know all of the admissions information, different systems colleges use for applications, financial aid, and admitted students as well as information about great college with less name recognition that offer incredible study abroad programs, great housing, leadership and research opportunities, and valuable support services.  And this is just the beginning of it! Our Advisors have a vast catalog of information about colleges that families can't access through a big blue book or via a website search engine.  It has been acquired over many years with countless college visits, meetings with admissions officers, and one on one talks with admissions and financial aid officers. We also offer unbiased advice;  we do not receive any funds or materials to promote one college over another and all of the work we do is strictly confidential.  We will never release your name or identifying information to anyone or any institution.  
• Create the best application package
  • Students only get one chance to apply to a college and you want to make sure the application is the BEST representation of your child.  Our College Advisors will make sure that everything in their application package highlights their uniqueness, potential, and credentials.  This starts with the college essay and ends with teacher recommendations.  There are many pieces of a college application package and each one of them is important and should be treated as such.  Our Advisors will ensure that every piece of the application package perfectly represents your student and gives them the best possible chance of gaining admission into that college or university.

College application and financial aid deadlines are quickly approaching and it is imparitive that students do not miss any of them.  Doing so could lead your son or daughter to miss out on being accepted into their dream college and lose financial aid money. Contact Riley College Advising today for your FREE 30 minute evaluation! (724) 591-1924 or Riley@RileyCollegeAdvising.com

With the cost of college rising every year, it is no wonder parents and kids are worried about paying for all of it.  Many times the conversation about how to pay for college starts in high school and not earlier like it should.  And it is even more common for parents to exclude their kids in this conversation.  Then, when the time comes for students to choose a college and analyze their financial aid letters, they have an idea of how much money their parents will contribute to these costs. This is usually different than the amount their parents have decided to contribute.  It is crucial for parents and kids to have this conversation way before junior year.  Ideally, parents would begin planning for college at birth by starting a 529 or another savings plan.  As the student goes through elementary and middle school, parents would talk with their kid about expectations related to college.  These conversations should include whether the parents are expecting their kid to go to college and if the kid has aspirations of going to college.  They should also talk about how college will be financed.  Will the parents pay for it completely? Does the child expect to contribute something?

A recent study by College Savings Foundation found that 82% of students believe it is their responsibility to pay for at least part of their higher education.  71% of students said they would pay for at least 25% of college costs. While this is up from 53% the previous year, 25% of college costs can be a pretty big number and if students do not have a plan for saving, they won't be able to actually contribute this money.  With cost of attendance, for one year at private 4 year colleges averaging $46,272, it is essential that families begin talking about college costs, financing, and responsibilities before junior year.  If your student expects to pay for at least 25% of college costs each year, they will need $11,000 a year. They'll need to save this amount before they graduate high school but that is just for one year of college. They'll then need a solid plan for how they'll save for their contribution of the next 3 years.  

So how can students save? Students can get a part-time job during the school year, making sure to put away most of this money for their college fund. They could also work more hours during the summer and do the same with their paycheck. Not only is this great for their savings, it will also show admissions officers that the student is responsible, is able to manage their time, and is able to juggle multiple responsibilities at the same time like school and work.  Students who do this could save $3,000-$7,000 a year! Students can also contribute to their own 529 plan with these funds!  Students should also be on the lookout for scholarships for kids their age. While there aren't as many scholarships for 9th or 10th graders as there are for seniors, there are still great scholarships for them!  Students should take the initiative and research these scholarships and apply for them! A few helpful sites: www.fastweb.com ; https://colleges.niche.com/ ; www.cappex.com.

How can parents save and make college more affordable? Well, it is important to make sure you fill out the FAFSA. This is done in the student's senior year of high school. The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. By filling this out, you will automatically qualify your student for state and federal grants and some scholarships. Check to see if your employer offers tuition assistance program or scholarships for the kids of employees. Also check with your union, church, or any professional organizations  you are a part of and ask them if they offer scholarships for the kids of members.  Start a 529 savings plan and ask friends and family to contribute to it instead of buy gifts for holidays and birthdays.  This might seem odd to some people but the money really adds up!

At Riley College Advising, we counsel families through the financial aid process and help them make realistic plans for paying for college.  We're here to help make this stressful process a lot more manageable and even, enjoyable. 

US Lacrosse recently published an article urging parents whose kids participate in sports to stop, breathe, and enjoy every single moment because the moments go by so, so fast.  Try not to get wrapped up the the politics on the field and off of the field.  Have fun, every day! Remember the reason you are there, in your camping chair, holding a bag of oranges in the hot sun or sitting in the stands in a big winter jacket a homemade sign.  You're there so your kid has fun and so your kid is happy.  

Often, parents can get wrapped up in number of goals scored, changing the lineup, or playtime.  While those things are important, they rank second to your child's happiness. Yes kids need to learn discipline and they need to experience failure, which, won't be fun for them. But your child should want to go to practice and play in the games. If he or she isn't feeling joy and satisfaction from playing, have a long conversation with your kid and discuss what stands in between their happiness on the field.  Is it that they aren't feeling like their skills are up to par with their teammates? Are they afraid of really pushing themselves and failing? Are they uncomfortable with being part of a team and sharing responsibility and play time with others? All of these issues can be worked on and used as a learning experience. From hard work and evaluating the situation, kids can move forward and learn how to take ownership of a situation and feel like they really did something to fix their problem on their own.  

Playing a sport for a significant amount of time can really enhance a college application.  It shows commitment, team work, time management, responsibility, respecting authority, and so much more. These skills are essential to being successful on a college campus and afterwards, in the working world.  If parents get wrapped up in the nonessential parts of the game, this can detract from the kid's ability to acquire all of these great skills.  An example: If parents get too wrapped up in being their child's manager and yelling at the coach or their kid for their performance, they could hold their kid back from learning how to take the coach's instruction, they could embarrass their kid in front of their teammates and damage the bond they had been working on, and the parents could make their child miss out on learning how to advocate for themselves. The next time you feel your kid's sports stressing you out, remember that there will be a day that you long to watch your kid at practice and the chats you have on the way home together. The reason you put your kid in sports is for him or her to grow and have fun so make sure those are your top priorities.

April is the season of acceptance letters and of course, rejection letters from colleges. For many kids, a rejection letter from their dream college can be crushing.  If they planned well, they should have at least  one acceptance to another college, which they might have deemed their "safety school". College admissions is more competitive than ever so rejection letters are expected.  The New York Post recently published an article suggesting that parents can take the rejection just as hard as their kids.  Parents can drive themselves crazy thinking about what they could have done differently. Where did they go wrong? Should they have paid for an SAT prep class? Did they make a mistake by having their kid take AP Calc instead of AP US History? What about that internship? Second guessing could go on forever and it will do no good.  

We've worked with many families where students have taken the rejection letters better than their parents.  Students are preparing themselves for the rejection, even if they don't seem like it. They know that there is a chance that they could not get in.  Parents, on the other hand, feel like they've done everything they can to make sure kid will get into the best, most prestigious college and when that doesn't happen, they can take that rejection personally.  How could a college not totally fall in love with your baby? How could they reject your talented, smart, witty kid? Take comfort in the knowledge that you and your child did everything you could and college admissions is complex.  It is not just about grades or community service. It is more than what is on a student's transcript or application.  Admissions officers have complicated and secretive processes for accepting and rejecting an applicant. Riley College Advising can help you and your child navigate the college admissions process.  We will help your child create a well thought out college list, making sure to include a variety of schools that fit your child's personal, academic, and financial interests. We will help your family celebrate the many college acceptance letters he or she will surely receive but we will also help if a rejection letter makes its way to your mailbox.