Category Archives: College Prep

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Could Graduating High School With an AA Degree Hurt a Kid?

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Today I’m writing on topic I never, ever thought I would. Could graduating high school with an AA degree in any way do a student more harm than good? My eyes are bugging out just writing that.

graduating high school with an AA degree

Could graduating high school with an AA degree HURT your kid?

For many moms and dads, one of their proudest parenting moments occurs when their 17-year-old walks across the stage at high school graduation with two years of college already completed. An entire two-year AA college degree already sewn up—entirely at state expense. An amazing, stunning achievement! All while dodging the pitfalls of AP classes—and still enjoying a rich, full high school experience.

Parents who get to experience this proud moment get tingly with excitement thinking of their child confidently diving into third year college courses at age 18, finishing college with a bachelor’s degree at age 20, slashing college bills by half, and having extra years of life before age 22 to tour Europe, volunteer, or start piling up real world work experience that rockets their careers far ahead of their peers. (Making them stellar candidates for grad school or medical school, I might add—if that ever becomes a goal.)

Other parents aren’t so sure.

“Might graduating high school with an AA degree keep my child out of the Ivy League?”

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Elite Education Leads to a Happier Life. True or False? (AUDIO)

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Is it really true that expensive, elite private education is so enriching that it automatically leads to a happier, more fulfilled life after college? What does the research say?debt-free college podcast

Join me, Jeannie Burlowski, for episode 2 of the Launch Your Teens podcast, and you’ll learn 6 jaw-dropping, research-backed facts that just might make you think, “Wow—maybe the Ivy League isn’t such a great idea after all.”

You’ll also learn why “for profit” colleges should be avoided like the plague, and which great colleges are likely to be far better bargains than your local state university.

(9 min.)

You’d rather read than listen? OK, you can do that here!

Continue Reading »

Get Your Kid Through College Debt-Free—WITHOUT SCHOLARSHIPS!

debt free college

This session is for parents, and for students ages 12–26.

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:

* 7 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 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 an 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.

This 2-hour session will be presented live by Jeannie Burlowski, author of the book LAUNCH: How to Get Your Kids Through College Debt-Free and Into Jobs They Love Afterward. A live Q & A will be offered at the end.

To register, click here.

To see what other parents and students are saying about this session, view a short sample video, and hear Jeannie Burlowski interviewed on a national podcast, visit:

JeannieBurlowski.com/SPEAKING.

Tell your Facebook friends about this event! Post this link: 

bit.ly/debtfreecollegeATTLEBORO.

Be sure to ALSO attend Jeannie’s second class on Saturday morning, November 3rd, in West Greenwich, Rhode Island.

The Saturday morning session will be completely different from the session described above. It is highly recommended that parents and students ages 12–26 attend both. Learn more about the Saturday session at this link:

bit.ly/scholarshipessaysWESTGREENWICH

Who is Jeannie Burlowski?

Jeannie is a full time author, academic strategist, and speaker. Her writing and speaking help parents set their kids up to graduate college debt-free and move directly into careers they excel at and love. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Huffington Post, USA Today, NerdWallet, and US News and World Report.

Jeannie also helps students apply to law, medical, business, and grad school at her website GetIntoMedSchool.com. You can follow her on Twitter @JBurlowski. She lives in Minneapolis.

This Thursday evening session is brought to you courtesy of Good Company Tutorials. Good Company Tutorials supports homeschooling in grades 5–12 with weekly classes.

FAQs

Will Jeannie’s sessions be offered in our area at any other time?

Yes. This session, How to Get Through College Debt-Free—WITHOUT SCHOLARSHIPS, will also be held at the Quidnessett Baptist Church Youth Center in North Kingstown, RI on Friday, November 2nd, 2018, at 2:00 pm. The ticket prices are the same, and the two event venues are only 35 minutes apart. The link to register for the session in North Kingstown, Rhode Island is here:

bit.ly/debtfreecollegeNORTHKINGSTOWN

Because Jeannie lives in Minneapolis, these will be the only two opportunities to hear this session in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in 2018.

Are there minimum age requirements to enter the event?

All ages are welcome to attend, but Jeannie’s sessions are most highly recommended for students ages 12–26 and their parents. It is highly recommended (but not required) that students ages 12–26 and both their parents attend together.

My kids are still in middle school. Isn’t it too early for us to be thinking about college?

No way. At this session, you’ll learn why parents who start thinking about debt-free college when kids are in middle school have a huge advantage over parents who wait. (This especially applies to parents who aren’t planning to save any money for college.)

We have 10 children. Do we all need tickets?

Each attendee needs a ticket. The first ticket purchased by your family is $29.00. Each additional attendee from your same immediate family pays only $10.00. It is highly recommended (but not required) that students ages 12–26 attend this session with both parents.

Foster children count as being from your same immediate family.

To register, click here.

We’d like to bring a friend of the family along. Can he or she get in for just $10.00 as one of our family members?

Since this friend is not a member of your immediate family, he or she would attend at the $29.00 ticket level.

How do we register for Jeannie Burlowski’s second, completely different Saturday event in West Greenwich, Rhode Island?

Everything you need to register for the completely different Saturday event can be found at this link:

bit.ly/scholarshipessaysWESTGREENWICH

We don’t homeschool. Are we still welcome to attend these sessions?

All are welcome. Jeannie Burlowski’s sessions are for all parents and students—public, private, and homeschooled.

What’s the refund policy?

Refunds are allowed up until 24 hours before the event.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

It’s helpful if you can print it and bring it, but if you forget it, you can get in by showing picture ID.

Is my registration fee or ticket transferrable?

Yes. If you can’t use it, you may sell or give it to a friend.

Is it ok if the name on my ticket or registration doesn’t match the person who attends?

Yes. Completely OK.

Where else can I find Jeannie Burlowski appearing live November 1–3, 2018?

Find Jeannie at her Saturday BOOK SIGNING with Cookie Reception to Follow (FREE EVENT)

Louttit Library, 274 Victoria Highway, West Greenwich, RI 02817

Saturday, November 3rd, 2018

Book signing 2:00–3:00 pm | Cookie Reception 3:00–4:00 pm

Personally signed books make great holiday gifts.

How can I contact the organizer with my questions?

You may email your event questions to Jeannie@JeannieBurlowski.com.

Date: November 1, 2018
Time: 7:00-9:00 PM EDT
Event: Get Your Kid Through College Debt-Free—WITHOUT SCHOLARSHIPS!
Venue: New Covenant Christian Fellowship
Location: 609 North Main Street
Attleboro, MA 02703
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.

Get Your Kid Through College Debt-Free—WITHOUT SCHOLARSHIPS!

debt-free college

This session is for parents, and for students ages 12–26.

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 afternoon info session, author Jeannie Burlowski will explain:

* 7 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 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 an 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.

This 2-hour session will be presented live by Jeannie Burlowski, author of the book LAUNCH: How to Get Your Kids Through College Debt-Free and Into Jobs They Love Afterward. A live Q & A will be offered at the end.

To register, click here.

To see what other parents and students are saying about this session, view a short sample video, and hear Jeannie Burlowski interviewed on a national podcast, visit:

JeannieBurlowski.com/SPEAKING.

Tell your Facebook friends about this event! Post this link: 

bit.ly/debtfreecollegeNORTHKINGSTOWN

Be sure to ALSO attend Jeannie’s second class on Saturday morning, November 3rd, in West Greenwich, Rhode Island.

The Saturday morning session will be completely different from the session described above. It is highly recommended that parents and students ages 12–26 attend both. Learn more about the Saturday session at this link:

bit.ly/scholarshipessaysWESTGREENWICH

Who is Jeannie Burlowski?

Jeannie is a full time author, academic strategist, and speaker. Her writing and speaking help parents set their kids up to graduate college debt-free and move directly into careers they excel at and love. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Huffington Post, USA Today, NerdWallet, and US News and World Report.

Jeannie also helps students apply to law, medical, business, and grad school at her website GetIntoMedSchool.com. You can follow her on Twitter @JBurlowski. She lives in Minneapolis.

This Friday afternoon session is brought to you courtesy of the Rhode Island Christian Homeschool Co-op (RICH). RICH is a group of homeschoolers who meet weekly to provide enrichment classes for children from 1st grade through high school. RICH members come from all parts of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

FAQs

Are there any special parking instructions for this event?

Yes. A limited number of parking spots are available next to the Quidnessett Baptist Church Youth Center. Overflow parking is available in the large lot next to the school building.

Will Jeannie’s sessions be offered in our area at any other time?

Yes. Get Your Kid Through College Debt-Free—WITHOUT SCHOLARSHIPS will also be presented in Attleboro, MA at 7:00 pm on November 1st, 2018. You and your friends can register for that session at this link:

bit.ly/debtfreecollegeATTLEBORO.

Are there minimum age requirements to enter the event?

All ages are welcome to attend, but Jeannie’s sessions are most highly recommended for students ages 12–26 and their parents. It is highly recommended (but not required) that students ages 12–26 and both their parents attend together.

My kids are still in middle school. Isn’t it too early for us to be thinking about college?

No way. At this session, you’ll learn why parents who start thinking about debt-free college when kids are in middle school have a huge advantage over parents who wait. (This especially applies to parents who aren’t planning to save any money for college.)

We have 10 children. Do we all need tickets?

Each attendee needs a ticket. The first ticket purchased by your family is $29.00. Each additional attendee from your same immediate family pays only $10.00. It is highly recommended (but not required) that students ages 12–26 attend this session with both parents.

Foster children count as being from your same immediate family.

To register, click here.

We’d like to bring a friend of the family along. Can he or she get in for just $10.00 as one of our family members?

Since this friend is not a member of your immediate family, he or she would attend at the $29.00 ticket level.

How do we register for Jeannie Burlowski’s second, completely different Saturday event in West Greenwich, Rhode Island?

Everything you need to register for the completely different Saturday event can be found at this link:

bit.ly/scholarshipessaysWESTGREENWICH

We don’t homeschool. Are we still welcome to attend these sessions?

All are welcome. Jeannie Burlowski’s sessions are for all parents and students—public, private, and homeschooled.

What’s the refund policy?

Refunds are allowed up until 24 hours before the event.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

It’s helpful if you can print it and bring it, but if you forget it, you can get in by showing picture ID.

Is my registration fee or ticket transferrable?

Yes. If you can’t use it, you may sell or give it to a friend.

Is it ok if the name on my ticket or registration doesn’t match the person who attends?

Yes. Completely OK.

Where else can I find Jeannie Burlowski appearing live November 1–3, 2018?

Find Jeannie at her Saturday BOOK SIGNING with Cookie Reception to Follow (FREE EVENT)

Louttit Library, 274 Victoria Highway, West Greenwich, RI 02817

Saturday, November 3rd, 2018

Book signing 2:00–3:00 pm | Cookie Reception 3:00–4:00 pm

Personally signed books make great holiday gifts.

How can I contact the organizer with my questions?

You may email your event questions to Jeannie@JeannieBurlowski.com.

Date: November 2, 2018
Time: 2:00-4:00 pm EDT
Event: Get Your Kid Through College Debt-Free—WITHOUT SCHOLARSHIPS!
Venue: The Youth Center at Quidnessett Baptist Church
Location: 6356 Post Road
North Kingstown, RI 02852
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.

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Do Families Need to Hire College Consultants? Really?

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The dad sitting by you in the soccer bleachers tells you that he’s not worried about his kids’ college planning—because he’s hired a $5,000 college consultant to engineer the whole thing for him. You wonder, “Is this what parents have to do nowadays? Hire college consultants that cost as much as used cars? If parents don’t hire college consultants, do they shortchange their kids?”

It’s not necessary to hire college consultants—but it can be helpful in some cases.

Here are 10 things parents need to know before they hire college consultants.

hire college consultants

1. College consultants vary wildly in quality.

Some are fantastic, and some are terrible. Many high buck college consultants you see on the internet are simply moms or dads who went through the college application process with their own kids last year, and now they see themselves as experts on college planning and financing.

2. Ask a ton of questions before you pay a dime.

Ask lots of exploratory questions about how long they’ve been in business, and how much of their service includes walking you through strategies that really work to get kids through college debt-free. Ask what career planning tools they use to make sure your kid ends up being employable after college.

3. Be sure to ask your prospective college consultant this critically important question.

Ask him or her to explain to you the two huge changes Barack Obama made to the US college financing system on September 13th, 2015—and how those changes will dramatically affect your kid when he or she is a sophomore in college. If your prospective college consultant can’t answer this question, run away and don’t look back.

4. Look for this very good sign.

If a college consultant hands you a copy of the book LAUNCH: How to Get Your Kids Through College Debt-Free and Into Jobs They Love Afterward and says, “We’re going to be walking through the steps in this book together,” consider that a very good sign. It means you’ll have excellent one-on-one support for the journey, and you won’t miss a single debt-free college or career planning strategy along the way. (College consultants, financial planners, and wealth managers who do this can be found on the “Approved Consultants” tab on this website.)

5. Don’t hire college consultants who tell you this:

Don’t hire college consultants who say, “Oh, we don’t worry about career goal at this point. We’ll just get your son into a good college, and then he can take random college classes to see what he’s interested in. We’ll hope it’ll all come together into some kind of career five years from now.”

Continue Reading »

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Manage All Your Kids’ College Planning—Mostly By Yourself

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If you’re concerned that you’re currently LATE to college planning, read this article now.

college planning

College planning can feel like being lost in a jungle. And sadly, your kid’s high school guidance counselor (nowadays more properly called a “school counselor,”) can’t help much with hacking through the underbrush. Oh, he or she would love to, but budget cuts have slashed the amount of time counselors get to spend with college bound students, in some cases down to just eight minutes per year.

And your child, smart as he is, isn’t in any position to handle the complexity of college planning either. The stakes are high, both financially and career wise, and his brain won’t be fully developed until age 24.

And the internet? You sure don’t want to depend on the internet for college planning advice.

Don’t rely on the internet for college planning advice.

It’ll take you years to sift through everything the internet has to say about college planning. The bits and pieces of info and conflicting messages you hear from online resources will drive you insane. Plus, a huge percentage of what’s currently on the internet regarding college planning is sorely out of date, since President Barack Obama drastically changed US college financing on September 13th, 2015, and most of the world has not yet caught up.

You need a resource that will give you fast, accurate, specific instructions that the internet can’t provide. (I’ll provide a resource for you, below.)

7 things to do when you feel lost in the jungle of college planning

1. Don’t put off college planning because you feel overwhelmed.

I understand that you feel overwhelmed by the college planning process. Every parent does. But if you wait until your kid’s sophomore or junior year of high school to get started on college planning, 75% of the strategies you could have used to get your kid through college debt-free will be gone. Starting early is the best strategy, even if you can’t save a penny.

(If you’re worried that you’re currently late to college planning, read this article now.)

Continue Reading »

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The Key College Planning Strategy That Most Surprises Parents

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Recently, a school district that’s bringing me in to speak interviewed me so that students and parents could get to know me better. This article includes the best portions of that interview.

To zoom straight to the key college planning strategy that most surprises parents, scroll to #4, below.

college planning

1. Jeannie, what originally inspired you to want to help parents get their kids through college debt-free?

Continue Reading »

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“Oh, No—We’re Late to College Planning!”

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It happens to every parent—it’s not just you. The first day of school ritual goes like this: 1) Pack lunches. 2) Take smiling first-day photos at the front door. 3) Wave goodbye. 4) Panic that your child is suddenly another year older, and you feel like you’re late to college planning.

You are not alone. Almost every parent feels this way.

What can you do right now, if you feel like you’re late to college planning?

1. Don’t worry right now that you haven’t saved enough money to pay for college.

Fear and worry can be paralyzing. Some parents feel so fearful about not having planned earlier that they repeatedly put college planning on the back burner.

Don’t be that parent.

Let go of fear and worry over what you haven’t done, and look closely at all the clever, creative strategies you can use right now.

2. Don’t jump to the conclusion that a state university will be the bargain answer to all your problems.

Continue Reading »

college debt free

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

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:

  • 7 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

This FREE event is provided by District 833 Community Education. No registration necessary.

Date: September 26, 2018
Time: 6:30-8:30 pm
Event: FREE EVENT: How to Get Kids Through College Debt-Free — WITHOUT SCHOLARSHIPS!
Venue: Park High School
Location: 8040 80th St S
Cottage Grove, MN 55016
Public: Public

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.

college study skills

THE STRATEGIC COLLEGE STUDENT: How to Get Higher 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-hour live class, students ages 12–26 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.

This class is presented just twice each year.

Can’t make this one? Subscribe to Jeannie Burlowski’s free weekly email newsletter at JeannieBurlowski.com, “whitelist” the newsletter using the instructions here, and you’ll be notified of your next opportunity to register.

Cost: $59 plus $30 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-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!

“How can I contact the organizer with any questions?”

You can email the organizer of this event at brilliantincollege@gmail.com.

Date: November 10, 2018
Time: 9:00 am-12:00 pm
Event: THE STRATEGIC COLLEGE STUDENT: How to Get Higher Grades While Studying LESS Than Most Other People
Venue: East Ridge High School
Location: 4200 Pioneer Dr
Woodbury, MN 55129
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.