myUsearch blog

If you or your child are heading to college this fall, you are probably a little stressed out about the move. The best advice I can give you is to SIMPLIFY! When I moved in to my college dorm, I was so worried about having everything that I needed; I bought much more than I should have. I hassled with my clutter all year and ended up throwing a bunch of it out at the end of the year. Remember: Your dorm room is tiny!

With that said, there are a few things that you will certainly need. The following is a list of bigger, more expensive items that are worth spending money on. I will follow-up with a list of smaller items, but I thought I’d start big so you can budget.

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Once upon a time, YouTube was a place to watch silly videos. Now, about ten hours of video is uploaded to the site every minute and many of those videos are actually news. A Google search of “news blog” brought up over a billion hits. Many people like watching or reading the news on the internet, rather than watching it at five o’clock — It’s just more convenient. So, are journalism programs implementing new media (online videos, websites, blogs) into their curriculum?

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Whether you’re heading off to college this fall or in a couple years, it’s never too early to start figuring out how to pay for college. Even after scholarships and parental contribution, the reality is that you’re probably going to have to take out a student loan. According to FinAid.org, about 65% of students at 4-year colleges take out loans. After you’re sure it’s the best option for you (remember, student loans are scary), it’s time to start hunting for a loan.

Disclaimer: I’m just a kid starting college this fall. This is what I’ve personally learned going through the financial aid process and I am not any kind of financial aid advisor.

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If you thought applying to college was stressful, applying for financial aid is even more daunting. Applying for financial aid can be challenging because you are sharing sensitive financial information on long and complicated forms.

As seniors and their parents put the final touches on their financial aid applications, learn from the following mistakes that many families make about financing a college education.

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Last time, we discussed how to approach the college essay. Now, before you take a pen to paper (or keyboard to monitor), there are a couple of things you need to keep in mind as you write your application masterpiece.

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Ever since Al Gore made An Inconvenient Truth, “going green” has been the topic of discussion. It’s sad that a film had to be the one thing to make us see that our planet isn’t disposable, but nevertheless, some colleges and universities are finally jumping on the green wagon to offer green degrees for students looking to make a difference environmentally and globally.

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On Monday, President Bush signed a $162 billion war spending bill into law. The new bill will increase educational benefits for service members who have served at least three years on active duty. Veterans will be eligible for up to 100% of their full tuition fees and will receive a monthly housing stipend, a tutoring allowance of up to $1200 and $1000 dollars per year for textbooks and supplies.

On the surface, this bill seems like a much needed improvement to the benefits our armed forces receive, but will the benefits really outweigh the costs to our country and our troops?

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Of course, like everything, every student has different needs.  It is not universally true that every high schooler undergoing the college application process needs to hire an admission “expert”. Granted, hardly any who call themselves such truly know much more than any guidebook could tell you.  There is, however, one thing that is indisputable: all young people need advocates in their lives.  Sadly, a common trend in education, private and public, alike, is that the high school guidance and college counseling departments are too overworked and underfunded to offer much more than one or two generic meetings to discuss the local and in-state university landscape.  Not to mention, they all too often quickly dismiss certain universities as unrealistic and impossible for the student to gain admission.  There have been very few instances that I can recall where I have said to someone that he/she can’t gain admission somewhere.  It’s just not a good habit to practice.  With the constantly changing state of the college admission process, you might want to look into hiring a private counselor if you meet any of the following criteria….

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Many people dream of graduating from college and moving into that picturesque American lifestyle: An interesting job. A marriage. A house. A speedy car. Kids, a dog and trips to the coast on holidays. And then it hits, the student loan payments show up in a burning red bill every month. Student loans can be dangerous and cause the suspension of that picturesque life for many, many years. Be smart about student loans.

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You’ve accomplished a great GPA, you’ve made hash of the standardized test, and you’ve managed to squeeze in some great extra-curricular activities. But suddenly, you come to a screeching halt as you stare at a blank page, facing the ultimate test.

The college application essay.

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About a month ago, myUsearch launched a $1000 scholarship for students frustrated with college admissions. We are very excited to give this scholarship to a worthy candidate, but we have a slight problem — we hardly have any candidates.

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Campus crimes are on the rise. These crimes, for the most part, include theft, sexual assault and aggravated assault. Ninety percent of these crimes involve drinking, a popular past-time for college students. Here are some simple tips to stay safe on campus.

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I started seriously looking at college applications last summer. A year ago, I never would have guessed I’d end up going to Yale. It wasn’t even on my list. If there’s one thing I learned about the college admissions process, it’s to always keep an open mind.

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A master’s degree at 52? Taking art history classes at 65? These ages don’t sound like the traditional college student, but then again, baby boomers are never the type to stick to tradition. Baby boomers are conventionally defined as anyone born between 1946 and 1964, and the U.S. Census estimates more than 75 million people fall into this generation. Yet as their age increases, more and more boomers are bucking retirement and hitting the books. 

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Not all of us are born into a life of silver spoons and trust funds and thus, we middle-class folk only dream of attending private colleges or universities.

But that old adage of public universities being cheaper than private schools has recently been thrown out the window.

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While sparkling SAT test scores and a flawless transcript put you in the running for Ivy League admissions, your college essay can make or break your application. There are a few important things to keep in mind when writing your college essay.

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No matter how much anyone tells you that you can prepare for the college application process beforehand, it’s inevitable that it will, ultimately, feel like a time-crunch. Too often, the process seems like a race against the clock. And, along with everything else going on during the senior year, organization is essential if you want to enjoy the admissions process or more importantly, enjoy your senior year.

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Everybody knows that it’s hard to save money while attending college. Everything costs money. For the first time (for many), we’re paying for traveling costs instead of just borrowing the family van, paying for our own meals, washing our own clothes, et cetera. Because of busy class schedules, a part-time job might not be a possibility for many students. So, how can a student make money?

Here are a few creative ways to make a few bucks while in college.

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So you’re contemplating applying to an Ivy League school. Getting into the “elite of the elite” -Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania and Yale— is extremely difficult, but its not impossible. The following is a list of tips to help you win the Ivy admissions game. Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee your admission, but these tips will certainly provide you with solid direction in your application process.

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myUsearch is searching for high school and college students to explore the truth behind the college experience. Our video bloggers produce short videos to help new students choose, apply for and pay for college, and the best part is….. the position is paid.

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