Is middle school too early to start planning for college?
As a middle school student, I spent a few weeks at a Camp Fire camp, and enjoyed having a sisterly relationship with the counselors, my favorite counselors were students at a local college. They made college sound like a fun place to be. I went to a couple of folk concerts there. I eagerly planned to go there. It was a lovely campus, with an excellent reputation, not far from home. I was also very impressed by another college's department in my intended major, but it was a men's college…I could take the classes, but I'd graduate from its sister college…and that didn't thrill me. As I got closer to college age, I became aware of the tuition costs, the lack of a bus connection from my house to that school, and my attention shifted to that college's arch rival which was a little more affordable and accessible, because several of my high school friends went with me, so I had rides to and from school…except for me, it was a poor fit. Cute campus, I really liked several of my teachers, but there was a change in my chosen major that promised several years of chaos, and chaos in a small department of a small midwestern college was unnecessary when there was a big state university nearby, where I found happiness.My point in this meandering tale is that I was thinking of myself as a future college student, my criteria for where my educational future would take place changed several times, but I felt like I was making my own decisions about my education and my future.
Should women go to college if they plan on starting a family eventually?
Let’s see. You go off, find a man that is a good man, a good provider where you will have enough, enough to pay bills, enough to put some money aside for vacations, enough to never go hungry. Then he dies. Or finds a girlfriend and leaves you, with all the lovely children you have because you want to be a mom and stay home with your kids, which is a notable quest.You have no college, no formal education past high school, you haven’t worked in years, and are desperate. So you end up being that single mom that works 3 jobs to pay the bills and child care and put food on the table and work yourself to death.Life doesn’t always work out the way you expect.So here are my suggestions. Yes. Go to college if you can.Get a degree in early childhood education, child development, sociology is very flexible, or family sciences. Education that will help you be a better mother and home manager. Take classes that will provide you with a strong foundation for planning ahead, something that will be useful to you regardless of your need to have an income or being able to stay home.College is never wasted.
When's the best time to start a college plan?
If you are a high school student, you should start no later than early junior year. However, many students begin earlier. Below are a few things you can do:9th grade - view colleges online or stop by a local college. Talk to older friends and family members about their college experience. Speak with your guidance counselor about your schedule and academic progression (Will you be taking AP or honors courses junior and senior year?)10th grade - Join mailing lists of colleges you have some interest in (you can always opt out later). Try to read the NY Times Sunday edition to increase vocabulary and understanding of current events. Explore possible summer camps or programs that expand your horizons.11th grade - Take an SAT prep course or study on your own. (I have seen students improve SAT scores by just retaking the test multiple times). Start touring colleges and learning more about possible academic interests. Attend college fairs. Discuss with your family about issues related to your college decision (i.e., financial aid, distant from home)12th grade - Narrow your selection. Decide if applying early decision/action is right for you. Apply for outside scholarships and federal financial aid. Work on your application with particular attention to your essay.These are just some of the items that go into college planning. Hope it helps.
Is 12 too young to start thinking about college?
No, 12 is fine to start thinking about college... with one important caveat. Don't start making definite plans about how your life is going to go, what you are going to major in and at what school. I can almost guarantee that over the next 5 or 6 years, you will completely change your mind. Up until the beginning of high school, try to experience as many things as you can and find a feel for what kind of things you like. Worry about your grades, but not too much. Colleges don't look back that far. When you start high school, pay attention to your grades and pick a few activities that you are willing to commit to for four years. Colleges like to see that over a zillion activities that you hardly give any time to. Try to round yourself - pick something musical, something athletic, something academic. Colleges like "rounded" people. When you start 10th grade, you can start visiting colleges. Also, start preparing for the SAT/ACT and think about taking that in the spring of 10th grade. When you get to 11th grade, start thinking more heavily about what colleges you want to apply to, and visit more. Take the SAT again, as well as any SAT II subject tests that you feel you will be able to score fairly well in. In 12th grade, start applying to schools. DO NOT slack off in the spring of your final year. Colleges DO notice this, and they won't like it. Good luck!
How do I start a college fund?
A Section 529 Plan is a tax-advantaged investment plan, issued and operated by a state or educational institution which helps families save for college. Almost all 50 states offer these plans, and rules vary by state. In many cases, you don’t have to be a state resident to take advantage of them; in fact, you can invest in multiple 529 Plans in multiple states, if desired.College savings plans.Generally, college savings plans offer tax-deferred earnings; distributions from qualified state tuition plans are tax free if they are used to pay for qualified higher education expenses (some states offer tax exemptions and deductions, so check around). However, the earnings portion of any non-qualified withdrawal are subject to federal income taxes, applicable state income taxes, and an additional 10% federal tax. Maximum contribution amounts range from state to state. Please keep in mind that the underlying investment options are subject to market risk and will fluctuate in value. Check the IRS website and contact your tax professional for the current contribution amounts, and more details regarding income limitations. If an investor or a beneficiary of a 529 Plan is not a resident of the state which issues the 529 Plan he or she is considering, he or she should consider before investing whether his or her home-state 529 Plan provides state tax and other benefits only available to in-state taxpayers investing in the plan.Other 529 Plan details include:You can name yourself the account owner and beneficiary in planning for your own educational expenses. (You can also withdraw funds for non-educational expenses, but the earnings may be subject to ordinary income taxes, and a 10% federal tax penalty.) You can also rename beneficiaries. Some states allow the account owner to be a friend as well as a relative.
As a starting college student next year, how should I plan for the 2020 recession?
Wow! This is a very interesting question from a teenager.We are long overdue for a recession.The current bull market, which started March 9, 2009, became the longest one on record since WW II on August 22, 2018 by avoiding a twenty percent or more decline of the Standard and Poor’s Indices.Sam Stovall, Chief Investment Strategist of U.S. Equity Strategy at CFRA, observed,“Most economic cycles last five to six years, presidential terms are four years, and you usually don’t see more than two straight terms of the same party. Right now we’re already late in an economic cycle that’s already much longer than average ones.”Translation? Nobody should be surprised if there is a recession during Trump’s first term. However, nobody can predict exactly when or how severe. (For example, one of the indicators I track, the Leading Economic Indicators (LEI), looks quite healthy at the moment.Let’s fine tune your question a bit.“There’s a very good chance there will be a recession before I graduate from college. How can I protect myself?”Every one is screaming at you,“Go to college! Go to college!”Nobody is explaining to you that going to college is very risky because only about one in three graduate and become fully employed, i.e. end up in a job that requires a college degree. This pending recession adds to the risk.Here’s some advice I gave to a lady whose daughter was planning for college. I wasn’t thinking about the economy when I wrote this answer, but I think this counsel applies.Thomas B Walsh's answer to I am helping my daughter with the college admissions process. What is your advice?Talk to your family about the affordability of your college choice. How much are you going to need in loans by the time you graduate? Be wary of loans.Notes:The last recession was severe, and devastating for those who graduated in 2008, and for many years thereafter.The Great Recession
When do you start preparing for college? how?
As soon as possible. Study and do your homework. Work to get good grades, and if they are good enough take honor and Ap classes. Volunteer a lot. Apply for scholarships. Work jobs. Join a club or two.
How can I start planning since high school on how to be accepted at the college of my dreams?
Begin by identifying what that college is and try and identify a few comperable schools as well.Speak with the admissions department and current students if possible to try and develop a perspective of what kinds of students are getting in and what the school is looking for.I never agree with changing your habits to accommodate to the schools criteria and focus's, but sometimes it can be good to develop an understanding of what they want.My advice- work your hardest and be as involved as you can. Try a lot of different sports and extracurriculars and try as many things as you can. Be the best person you can be and try to show how well rounded you are. Schools like to see that you have experianced a lot of different things. If you try your best and had a great time doing a lot of fun clubs and sports and the school doesn't want you, then maybe you don't want them!Best of luck to you!