CHOOSING A COLLEGE

By Carol Christen, Career Strategist and author of What Color is Your Parachute? for Teens

As a high school junior or senior, you probably consider yourself a savvy consumer. When you buy something, you check out different stores for a bargain with the best features. You and your friends share tales of getting a good deal on recent purchases. Do you know that a bachelor’s degree can cost from $50,000 to over $100,000? A college education is likely to be the most expensive product you’ve ever bought. To choose a college that’s right for you, applying your consumer smarts becomes extremely important. To make a good decision, you need to know:

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GETTING INTO COLLEGE

By Gene and Kelly Tanabe

Applying to college may seem daunting. There are forms to complete, essays to write and maybe even interviews with admission officers. Without knowing what to expect, the whole process can be overwhelming. The first step to conquering college admissions is to know what it’s made of. To help, here are the major parts of the college applications and some tips to make sure you’re successful.

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MAKING COLLEGE SMALLER

By Jane Di Leo

It is the moment you have been waiting for — no one telling you when curfew is, no one telling you to eat vegetables and to get homework done. College — it is the good life, right? Well, yes. But going to school can also be very intimidating. In high school, many people are a big fish in a small pond, but in college it can be just the opposite.

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FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS

By Brooke Pearl

Dream big. Reach for the stars. Never give up. These are all words of inspiration every child and teenager has heard at least once growing up. But what or who gives them that inspiration to dream big, and how do they figure out what that dream is? Does it come from a pep talk from Mom, a pat on the back from a best friend or an A+ on a math test? For popular author Kevin Carroll, his inspiration sprouted from his favorite toy as a child—a red rubber ball, which led him to ultimate success.

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CAREERS OF THE FUTURE

Looking for a fabulous job that offers a great salary, excellent benefits and lots of fun? On CNNMoney.com, Money Magazine and Salary.com the top 50 best jobs in America complete with salary expectations and job prospects. Each career is graded on stress, flexibility, creativity and difficulty. Average pay, 10-year job growth and a description also accompany each career.

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THE BEST PLACES TO FIND FREE CASH FOR COLLEGE

By Gen and Kelly Tanabe

You might think that once you're accepted to a college, you're done. But there is one last hurdle to face–how will you and your family pay for it? Fortunately, there is help.

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DEALING WITH DISAPPOINTMENT

By Sally Springer

While many students find themselves excited by the task of choosing a college once their acceptances are in, others find themselves disappointed. Students who are admitted only to one or two colleges they never really liked, but denied or waitlisted by those they really wanted to attend, may not be excited by any of the choices. It isn’t fun to be told “no” by a school you are really enthusiastic about, and when several such colleges say “no,” it is even harder. Understanding how uncertain the outcome can be at highly selective colleges can make it easier to accept each outcome gracefully – whether it is an acceptance or a denial.

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