Wayshower University

03/15/2024

Financial aid packages will be coming out soon and many students will be looking at student loans in one way or another. Student debt is scary but we need to talk about it and give students a framework to understand the reality of managing student loans after graduation. Check out this post to learn my story and get some advice on capping loans.

https://www.wayshower.consulting/blog/lets-talk-about-student-loans

03/10/2024

As high school juniors, you're starting to get serious about the college search and application process. Maybe you've even set up a campus visit or two during your spring break this year. As you learn about essay requirements, application details, deadlines, expectations from those around you, etc.... you may feel the stress begin to build. If so, know you're not alone.

About 1/4 of high school students seek professional support through the college search and application process because it can be stressful, tough to manage all the details, and a high pressure situation.

If you find you want some guidance, know that I can help you- and it's affordable!

03/10/2024

With spring break approaching, many students have plans to knock out some campus visits. check out this list of questions to get the juices flowing and make sure you're thorough and productive with your time on campus.

03/09/2024

I always encourage students to research campuses online first. Filter out any and everything that doesn't at least 85% of your wants and 100% of your needs. This process usually takes 20-30 hours of online research.

Once you have your list of schools narrowed to 10 or less, it's time to start setting up campus visits. I encourage students to start visiting campuses during junior year of high school. At this point, you should have an idea of the kind of things you're looking for and this gives you enough time to change your search criteria and start the process over if. you're just not liking what you're seeing.

As I've said before, this is a really time-consuming part of the process and it means getting a lot of information that you may or may not be ready to make sense of. If you need help, please reach out! I do help students build college lists to get them started on the process.

You can see my offerings here: https://www.wayshower.consulting/universitypackages

counselor

03/07/2024

I think the best way to start the college search process is to make a list of all of the qualities you're looking for in a campus. Once you have your list, note why you want each characteristic.

You may find you are operating from unhelpful assumptions, you don't really know why you want what you want, you may be using other people's stories or experiences you inform your preferences, or you may find that you actually have a really clear vision for what you're looking for and it's rooted in really solid and informed reasoning.

No matter what comes up, it's important to notice it and act accordingly. The process can be tough, but there's always help available. Make sure to seek out someone who has lots of experience in higher education and is willing to meet you exactly where you are in your college search journey.

If you'd like me to support you, check out my website and reach out!

03/07/2024

Financial Aid letters will be coming out soon and it's important to understand what your awards mean. Check out this post to learn more about Federal Work Study (FWS) awards and what it means to get once as part of your financial aid package.

https://www.wayshower.consulting/blog/federal-work-study

02/29/2024

Whether you're a high school senior that's already applied and you're waiting to hear back from campus or you're a junior stressing out about the upcoming application process, remember this.

I've read THOUSANDS of admissions applications and I denied an application because of grammar, misnaming the university, or double submitted documents exactly ZERO times. Don't lose sleep over the little things.

Your application will be reviewed based on the merit of your high school work. Your grades, rigor, test scores (if you chose to submit),and content of your essay will have the biggest impact on your admission decision- not a typo.

Relax and know you've done your best.

01/09/2024

My not-so-clear answer here is.... maybe.

The fact is, school counselors are an excellent and free resource for college application support BUT they are often stretched too thin. An appropriate counselor to student ratio is considered to be 250:1 but in many schools across the US, counselors are trying to work with a ratio of 408:1- nearly double the recommended case load. School counselors are doing their best to keep up, but are not always set up for success.

So, I would say you're a good candidate to seek additional help if your counselor doesn't have capacity to support you, if you're experiencing a lot of tension at home between parents and students, and/or if you have some money available to allocate to the cause.

If you'd like to talk more to see if I might be able to support you, please reach out!

https://www.wayshower.consulting/university

01/09/2024

Audition season is here and it's TOUGH to figure out how to fit everything in from both a time and financial perspective. Read this post to help you make an informed decision.

Link: https://www.wayshower.consulting/blog/auditions-in-person-vs-recorded-vs-virtual-live

01/09/2024

Things have been super fun over here and I’m happy to say that I was able to help two of my students submit all of their application materials ahead of schedule.

This means that I have capacity to take on 2 seniors who are still applying for the fall 2024 term OR I can take on 3 transfer students applying for fall 2024.

If you or someone you know is looking for college application support, please reach out! I’m happy to help.

Let me help you reduce tension and get your dinner table conversation back. A La Carte Offerings 1 Month emailed task list, $60 These emails are intended to help you to understand where you are in the search/application cycle, what you should be doing, and some resources as to how to do it. In my op...

08/30/2023

You may have never heard of “demonstrated interest” before now… but it may totally shift the way you manage your college process.

Learn more! Link in bio.

08/30/2023

YES! Go ahead and apply now.
Once you're admitted, most campuses will allow you to defer your admission for up to 1 year. This strategy ensures you will have something lined up once you return from your gap year adventures.
That said, you will likely need to reapply to be considered for scholarships.