Posted on Thursday, January 31, 2019

STARTING POINT: All the Basics You Need to Know Right Now (AUDIO)

For Parents of Kids Ages 12–26

by Jeannie Burlowski

If you’re a parent and you’ve just found this, you’re probably thinking:

“Oh, wow—seriously? There’s help for getting my kids through college debt-free, and into great jobs after college? I had no idea this kind of help was available! Am I late starting this? Yikes, I don’t have any spare time! If I work on this, how much time is it going to take me?”

Rest easy, Mom and Dad. You’re not late.

And getting your kids through college debt-free takes only minutes per week.

Right now, at this moment, you’re standing at the perfect starting point.

Listen to episode 1 of my podcast, below. It takes only 23 minutes. (Listen while you’re commuting, loading the dishwasher, or getting ready in the morning.) When you finish listening, you’ll feel hope and confidence, and you’ll know exactly what you need to do next to get your kids to the most exciting academic and career destinations—even if they don’t get a single scholarship.

If you’re parenting kids ages 12–26, listen to just the first 8 minutes below, and you’ll be hooked.

Posted on Saturday, January 14, 2017

Morgan Stanley’s Alix Magner Buys 30 Copies of LAUNCH For Her Clients

Below, the Top 9 Questions Parents Are Asking Me About This Book

by Jeannie Burlowski

To see a list of the top 9 questions parents are asking me about LAUNCH —along with detailed answers—scroll to the red print below.

When Morgan Stanley’s Alix Magner calls you, you sit up a little straighter in your chair.

Alix is a high-powered, Stanford educated wealth management advisor who works with Minneapolis area families who have millions in assets—and families who are strategizing to get to that point.

When Alix told me that she’d read my book cover-to-cover and wanted to buy 30 copies for her clients, I jumped out of my chair.

Posted on Monday, September 16, 2019

Will a Minimum Wage Job Cover Rent? Anywhere?

by Jeannie Burlowski

Some kids decide not to go to college after high school. This can work out great—if they opt for high quality job training instead of heading off to 4-year college. But what if your kid wants to work a minimum wage job in the years after high school? Is there any hope that he or she will move out of your house?

minimum wage job

A minimum wage job after high school puts kids at high risk for living in their parents’ basements.

Why is this?

THE STRATEGIC COLLEGE STUDENT: How to Get Great Grades While Studying LESS Than Most Other People

For students ages 12–26 and their parents

There’s not a student alive who wouldn’t love to get higher grades than anyone else while studying less than most other people.

In this 3.5-hour live class, students ages 12–26 and their parents learn the advanced studying, test-taking, and paper-writing strategies that top students use to succeed at the most prestigious colleges in the country while still having plenty of time left over for leadership, interning, and having more fun than they ever thought possible.

Students leave at the end armed with a systematic review method developed at Carnegie Mellon University that can completely eliminate the need to ever cram for exams.

REGISTER HERE!

Are you a student age 12–26?

This class will help you to maximize your potential in high school and in college, give you more time to relax, and help you to become a top contender both for scholarships, and for career or grad school success after college.

Who should attend this class?

The class is ideal for current high school students, middle school students, current college students, graduate students, and teens who’ll be starting dual enrollment college courses this coming fall. Parents are encouraged to attend as well.

REGISTER HERE!

Look at what others are saying about this class!

Visit JeannieBurlowski.com/SPEAKING.

Can’t make this class?

Subscribe to Jeannie Burlowski’s free weekly email newsletter using the grey box at JeannieBurlowski.com, “whitelist” the newsletter using the instructions here, and you’ll be notified of your next opportunity to register.

Cost: $59 plus $25 for each additional family member.

FAQs

“Why are you encouraging middle schoolers to take this class? Isn’t age 12 way too early to take a class like this?”

Most parents don’t realize it, but middle schoolers’ brains are developing faster than at any time since infancy. Age 12, 13, or 14 is the perfect time for students to first get exposure to the strategies that top-performing college students use to manage time so they can study less than most other people.

Middle schoolers eagerly devour the information in this class, and then use what they learn to get higher grades all through high school. Bringing a middle schooler to an event like this is an opportunity that should not be missed.

“I’m a high school junior starting dual enrollment college classes this fall. Should I be taking this class?”

Absolutely, yes. This class will relieve your stress and anxiety, make your dual enrollment classes far easier for you to manage, and set you up to have the highest possible college GPA when you either go looking for post-college jobs or apply to grad school one day. Many students who’ve taken this class as middle schoolers take it again just before starting dual enrollment college classes in high school.

“I’m in graduate school. Should I attend this class too?”

Yes. This class is ideal for any student, age 12–26 and up, who would like to achieve more while giving less time to studying.

“I’m a parent. Should I attend this class with my middle school or high school age child?”

If possible, yes; please do. Parents are strongly encouraged (but not required) to attend this class. The reason? If your child begins to flounder academically at any point in the future, you’ll be able to say, “Remember that ________ strategy we learned from Jeannie Burlowski? Are you still using that one?” This class will help you to be your child’s greatest encourager and cheerleader during the college years.

“I’m not sure we need this class. Isn’t my child already learning high-level college study strategies in high school?”

No. The strategies in this 3.5-hour class are not taught in high school.

“My son or daughter would rather play video games than attend this class. Should I pay him or her to attend it?”

What a great idea! Take a look at the inspiring, helpful article Jeannie Burlowski has written on this exact subject here.

REGISTER HERE!

Date:	October 12, 2019
Time:	9:00am-12:30pm
Event:	THE STRATEGIC COLLEGE STUDENT: How to Get Great Grades While Studying LESS Than Most Other People
Sponsor:	Prior Lake Savage Community Education
Venue:	Prior Lake High School
Location:	7575 150th St W Savage, MN 55378
Public:	Public
Registration:	Click here to register.

Want me to teach this class somewhere near you? When I travel to speak, I pay my own airfare. Who do you know who plans conferences and events? Visit JeannieBurlowski.com/SPEAKING to learn how to bring me to your state.

MAKE THEM SAY WOW: How to Write Brilliant Scholarship Application Essays

For students ages 12–26 and their parents

Imagine your child applying for 10 scholarships every single year, starting in 8th grade and going all the way through grad school. 80–100 scholarships altogether. Wow! That would be amazing! But who wants to write 100 scholarship essays? Not your kid, that’s for sure.

Here’s the brilliant solution. Your child writes one stunning scholarship application essay, and then modifies it and uses it over and over again to apply for 100 different scholarships. You make sure this is such a brilliant essay that it gets your kid money—even if he or she has lower grades and test scores.

This 3-hour class will teach you and your child exactly how to write such an essay.

You’ll learn to:

1. Throw the old “introduction-body-conclusion” essay structure out the window. That’s an informative essay structure that doesn’t work for persuasion.

2. Use the same principles of argument that lawyers use when arguing cases in court. (Be sure you know all three component parts of logical argument before you try this.)

3. Use vividly written stories to capture attention and create powerful emotional pull. Begin to see potential in your child’s own life stories, the ones that in the past you only viewed as run-of-the-mill and ordinary.

4. Equip yourself with a new, clever, multi-layered organizational structure that makes room for all of your greatest accomplishments without ever sounding scattered, disorganized, or disjointed.

To get more information and to register, click here.

Other students have called this class “amazing” and “revolutionary.”

See what others are saying about this class at: JeannieBurlowski.com/SPEAKING.

This class is also suitable for applicants to law, medical, business, and grad school.

Wondering where you’ll find 100 scholarships to apply for? The instructor for this class provides 1.5 million of them for you at this link: Bit.ly/2gbS0tu

Applying for scholarships is a relatively small but important part of getting through college debt-free. Be sure you’re doing it in the best way possible.

(This event is open to the public. It is highly recommended—but not required—that parents and students age 12–22 attend this class together.)

Cost: $59 plus $25 for each additional family member.

Would you like me to teach this class live in your location? Learn how to make that happen at JeannieBurlowski.com/SPEAKING.

Date:	November 2, 2019
Time:	9:00am-12:00pm
Event:	MAKE THEM SAY WOW: How to Write Brilliant College and Scholarship Application Essays
Sponsor:	Prior Lake Savage Community Education
Venue:	Prior Lake High School
Location:	7575 150th St W Savage, MN 55378
Public:	Public
Registration:	Click here to register.

Posted on Monday, September 9, 2019

To Increase Academic Success, Ask Your Teen This, Now

by Jeannie Burlowski

Many teens believe deep down that academic success is only for “smart people.” For kids that got lucky at birth and were granted more brainpower than others.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Research by experts such as Stanford’s Carol Dweck tells us that the human brain is malleable and changeable throughout life, and that “dedication and hard work” actually increase brainpower.

This month, increase your teen’s potential for academic success by asking this one question:

academic success

“When your teacher explains something important, or gives you an assignment to do, where are you going to write that down?“

Writing—not typing or tapping—most solidifies information taken in through the eyes and ears. (Learn here why laptops are not recommended for taking notes in class and keeping track of school assignments.)

To dive deep into this subject, see the article I’ve written entitled 5 Things to Ask a Kid Every September. This article will help you to play the role of “business consultant” for your kid—and get him to set himself up for greatest academic success.

How to Get Kids Through College Debt-Free — WITHOUT SCHOLARSHIPS!

Prior Lake High School, Savage, MN

September 19th | 7:00–9:00 PM

For students ages 12–26 and their parents

Free and open to the public

Why would you want to prep for college or technical school the same old way everyone else does? That’s the surest route to mediocrity! In this jam-packed evening info session, author Jeannie Burlowski will explain:

4 things parents can do right now to put their kids on the fast track to getting through college debt-free
How kids as young as age 15 can get an exciting, liberating sense of possible career goal early on, and then sign up for only the amount of college absolutely necessary to accomplish that
How kids as young as age 12 can get a massive head start on racking up the 10,000 hours it takes to be viewed as expert in a career field
Why deeply inspired caring—not the fancy name of the college you attend—is the key to fulfilled, satisfied career life in the long term

It is recommended—but not required—that students ages 12–26 and their parents attend this session together.

This FREE event is provided by Prior Lake Savage Community Education. No registration necessary.

Date:	September 19, 2019
Time:	7:00-9:00 pm
Event:	FREE EVENT: How to Get Kids Through College Debt-Free—WITHOUT SCHOLARSHIPS!
Sponsor:	Prior Lake Savage Community Education
Venue:	Prior Lake High School
Location:	7575 150th St W Savage, MN 55378
Public:	Public

Posted on Monday, August 26, 2019

This Fall, Debt-Free College Strategy Will be Easier to Get

by Jeannie Burlowski

Whether you’re currently parenting middle schoolers, high schoolers, or college students—you know one thing for sure. You’d love to get those kids through college debt-free, and into jobs they love afterward.

But here’s your struggle with debt-free college.

The parenting whirlwind has you gasping for air every day. There’s so much to do to just get through this day and this week.

Where will you find the time and energy to create strategy for something that’s not coming down the pike for years?

The answer is, bit-by-bit. With careful timing and expert guidance.

debt-free college

You’ll take small baby steps each month, with a kind expert to guide you—and then over months and years you’ll make massive progress toward debt-free college and career for your kids.

The key is, you want to move on this bit-by-bit. No pressure. No stress.

This fall, I’m taking steps to make this all easier for you.

In the coming months, I’m going to be making 4 exciting changes to the way I help parents.

1. I’m going to be bringing together a tribe—a group of parents from all across the United States—who’ll get ongoing, personal, step-by-step help from me with implementing debt-free college strategies.

Posted on Monday, August 12, 2019

Reduce Study Time By Putting Your Laptop Away

by Jeannie Burlowski

Ask any student, “How’d you like to study less—while still getting the highest grades possible?” The response will be a resounding, “Are you kidding? Yes!” A student who figures out how to reduce study time while still achieving high grades is freed to pursue paid work, sports, volunteer positions, deep friendships, and other opportunities that will enrich her for a lifetime.

Today we’re looking at just one of the top ten ways students can reduce study time while still getting the highest grades possible.

Students, reduce study time by putting your laptop away.

Oh don’t worry—you can still use your laptop in the library, for doing research and for writing papers.

But when you walk into the college classroom, leave your laptop turned off, put away in your backpack.

6 reasons putting away your laptop during class will reduce study time:

Posted on Monday, July 15, 2019

Pay For College by Renting Out Your Kid’s Bedroom?

by Jeannie Burlowski

Your son or daughter will be leaving for college soon, and it’s just hit you how much you’ll be paying out of pocket for tuition, room and board, and other college-related expenses. How can you pay high college bills—without piling debt onto the kid you love?

You could pay college bills by renting out your kid’s bedroom.

Your son won’t be using his room during the school year anyway—right?

Imagine yourself boxing up and storing all the belongings he left behind when he went off to college.

You re-carpet and paint, move in an easy chair purchased on Craigslist and an IKEA loft bed and desk—and then earn thousands of dollars each year renting the room to a student from a nearby college or grad school.

Here are 7 things to think about if you decide to pay college bills by renting out a bedroom:

1. Where will your child sleep on school breaks?

Plan that out ahead of time. At Dad’s house? In a top bunk in a sibling’s room? On a twin bed that you’ve pushed up against the wall in your cinderblock basement?

Your child can easily tolerate a little discomfort and inconvenience if it’ll lead to him having thousands of dollars less in onerous, burdensome debt after college graduation.

2. “Won’t it be weird to have someone we don’t know living in the house?”

Think of it like being a host family for a foreign exchange student through the AFS program.

That’s not weird, is it?

Your student renter starts out a stranger, but soon begins to feel like another family member.

Posted on Friday, June 21, 2019

In College? Do This and Slash Your Student Loan Debt

by Jeannie Burlowski

If you’re currently in college—or if you’re a parent who’s taken out dreaded Parent PLUS loans—you’d love for a hero in a red cape to swoop down and tell you how to slash your student loan debt.

The hero is here.

1. Slash your student loan debt by applying for scholarships while you’re in college.

Oh—you thought that students could only apply for scholarships during high school?

It’s not true. Sorry—you’ve been given bad information that could cost you and whomever you marry massive amounts of unnecessary debt. Bad information that could compound your parents’ grief if you die unexpectedly.

Here’s the truth. Students can apply for scholarships while they’re in college, and while they’re in grad school.

2. Apply for 10 scholarships every single year during college and grad school.

Knocking out 10 scholarship applications each year is actually easy.

Posted on Monday, June 17, 2019

7 Ways to Encourage Teen Summer Jobs—Starting Now

by Jeannie Burlowski

Teens tend to think summer jobs are all about the money—but parents know different.

The very act of getting off of the couch, identifying job opportunities, and then actively going after those opportunities builds life skills into your teens that they’ll need long after their summer jobs are over.

If you find your teens resisting the idea of applying for summer jobs, here are 7 strategies that will help. (Even if weeks of summer have already passed.)

1. Let your teen feel the sting of poverty.

If you hand your daughter plenty of money to satisfy her every wish and need—she’ll never feel motivated to work hard and earn money for herself.

Give her a tiny allowance and ask her to stretch it to cover all her own teen life expenses, though—and a grocery store job might start to look pretty good to her!

See my clear instructions for parents on exactly how to implement this “tiny allowance strategy” here.

2. Remember—even June and July are good months to look for summer jobs.

The month of May was insanely busy for your family, just like it is for all families. If your teens didn’t have time to look for summer jobs then, that’s OK. June and July are not too late. Employers are still adjusting staffing in June and July—and some of their summer hires aren’t working out. Your teen may be applying just in the nick of time.

3. Encourage teens to go in person to ask about summer jobs.

Teens who fill out job applications online and then wait passively at home for phone calls are a dime a dozen.

Show up in person and talk to managers, though? Let these managers see a bright, eager-to-work face? That’s something not everybody does, so it can make a powerful impression.

Your teen will likely still be asked to fill out an online application, but the initial in-person, face-to-face contact will give him or her an edge over all other applicants.

4. Have your teen list 6 local businesses where she might like to work. Then…