034: When Does College Make Sense?

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Melinda Shofner has been a high school counselor for the past 20 years and specializes in College and Career Counseling. She helps students make the best decision possible in their college of choice, what a good fit really means, and she also helps students prepare for transitioning from life at home to college. In this episode, Melinda talks about scholarships, the implications of student loans, and additional resources students can tap into.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Key Takeaways</span></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">There’s so much anxiety around choosing the right college for your teen. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Picking the right college is like teaching your child how to drive. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">How many colleges should you be applying to? </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">What happens if your teen gets accepted into a college you can’t afford? </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Is your teen considering taking out student loans? Sit down with them to do the numbers. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Melinda believes it’s important to look at school retention rates. How many of these young students are dropping out, and why? </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">What makes a good entrance essay? </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">There are so many changes happening during the first year of college that many students do not realize or are not prepared for it all. It’s important to have that conversation early with them. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span