Commenting on our post, How Much Is That College Coach In The Window?, John T. Weir, Founder and CEO of The College Planning Network, had these words of wisdom to students -- and parents -- interested in college planning services:

I spent the past few years researching the college planning resources that are available for young adults and their families. I found that high school guidance counselors can be a great resource, but their time is very limited and they are spread too thin. So, par...
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Time. There never seems to be enough of it. It goes by so quickly. Fleeting. Elusive. Of the essence. Time, as in, "where did the time go?"

Time as a measure. Time as a harbinger. Time well spent. Time as an investment.

Investment? Sure thing.

Why, just this weekend, as The College Whisperer pored over Sunday's New York Times, there was old man time himself, taking the form of watches (now referred to, among the elite, as "timepieces") being offered up as precious investments.

A Breitling fot $41...
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The College Whisperer, renowned for his wit and witticism on all things college, will host an open forum (sponsored by College Connection, the one-stop source for college planning, counseling and support) on Twitter (@GetCollege), answering your questions about college applications, the admissions process, personal statements and essays, the how and where of finding and getting the big bucks you need to pay for college, and, really, any aspect (well, almost ;-) of college life.

When: Friday, N...
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If you haven't started looking for money to pay for college (assuming that tree you planted in the backyard last spring has yet to bear fruit), now is definitely the time.

The following websites are great places to start:

Fastweb

meritaid.com

scholarshipexperts.com

Be sure you complete the profiles in each scholarship search engine, and then search and apply for all scholarships you may qualify for. Check for new scholarship opportunities regularly. Read all e-mails carefully. And keep at it, r...

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Kiplinger Magazine, in its upcoming December issue, takes a look at "values" in private colleges. As with most rankings, the findings should be taken with both a grain of salt and a hand on your wallet. "Value," too, is subjective, given the price tags attached to most of these institutions of higher learning.

Of value to the college bound (and, most certainly, their parents) is Kiplinger's reporting on the availability of financial aid at the ranked colleges, including averages (in dollars) f...
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M.B. of West Hempstead, NY, by way of Binghamton University, writes:

I'm preparing to take the GRE (Graduate Record Exam) on Monday, On a practice test, the antonym of the word, carom, was called for. Carom. Please tell me there's an antonym for this word that a soon-to-be college grad might know?

The College Whisperer responds:

Carom? Sounds like something Captain Kirk would say in a low budget version of Star Trek. "Mr. Spock, you have the carom!"

Carom (krm), defined by Webster's as (1) A coll...
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Getting good advice -- and, sometimes, following it -- is key to success in the college application and admission process.

That's why College Connection, your one-stop source for college planning, counseling and support, sponsors The College Whisperer blog, and helps get out the word -- to parents and students alike -- on what it takes to get into college, as well has how to pay for it all -- on our website, via Facebook, and by way of Twitter.

Bringing you the inside scoop on successfully nav...
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Our friend and colleague, Lynn O'Shaughnessy, opines on why saving for college -- or for anything, for that matter -- is a good thing. To top it off, having saved some money for education beyond high school, you won't necessarily be penalized in terms of securing financial aid from your college of choice.

There are some links included, courtesy of U.S. News & World Report (the folks with those silly rankings), to be taken with the requisite grain of salt, hopefully spurring some more in-depth ...
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With the deadlines for applications (most colleges) -- many as early as December 1 for Regular Admission, Fall 2011 -- fast approaching, it's crunch time for most college-bound high school seniors.

Presuming you have not already conquered the Common App, Universal App, or your intended college of choice proprietary app, you should be working, diligently, on writing and tweaking personal statements and supplemental essays, accurately and completely filling in the blanks on each application and ...
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