Blogs for Students, Parents and Youth Pastors
If any of you lacks wisdom about career or college planning, pray to God. He will answer generously and without reproach (James 1:5).
These college admissions blogs offer expert advice and personal insight from coast to coast. Along with your school counselor or independent educational consultant, you can learn from these professionals as you make wise decisions about planning for college.
Great College Advice - Representing the East Coast is former professor and administrator, Mark Montgomery, who shares his insider views about the college admissions process.
The College Solution - Representing the West Coast is Lynn O'Shaughnessy who has a comprehensive blog about all things college.
CAREER PLANNING
You may have 2-3 careers in your life. That's great! The first step is discovering your first destination. Read these career blogs to learn more about what to study in college. Major. Minor. Double Major. How will you get off to the best start in life?
CareerOneStop is a plain, t0-the-point blog with videos that give you the basics of 900 occupations.
American Student Assistance posted an article Helping Middle and High School Students Build Smarter Career Plans Using the Ikigai Framework. These Japanese Ikigai principles are based in Judeo-Christian values.
NextStepU - transitioned from a blog to a STEM magazine for middle school, high school and college students. Great resource for females researching careers.
COLLEGE PLANNING
Get expert advice from a variety of professional college counselors.
The Georgia Tech Admissions Blog never dissapoints. Here is a blog about essays from Samantha Rose-Sinclair (Typ0s, Repeated Words Words, and Other Signs of Humanity on Your College Application).
In More Than a Grade: What Colleges Really Look For in a Student, high school senior Amariyah Callender (VOXATL) spoke with Latrina Fisher, Spelman College’s Associate Director of Admissions, as well as Georgia Tech’s Stephanie Douglas, Assistant Director of Community Relations about how they feel about students when it comes to the importance of GPAs and academic endeavors, as well as their idea of a well-rounded student.
Get Into College - Steve Schwartz is a professional college admission counselor with over a decade of experience and the instructor of Udemy's most popular course on college admissions, and the moderator of Reddit's college admissions forum.
GPS College Guidance - Susan McCarter, Director of College Guidance shares a high school guidance counselors perspective on college planning.
The Ivy Coach - The IvyCoach offers advice for students wanting to enter a highly competitive college. It's good advice to meet the admissions requirements for the most difficult college on your Working List of Colleges. Then you'll be at or near the top of the class for every other college!
College Admissions Partners - Based in Minnesota, Todd Johnson specializes in the BS/MD admissions process. This is a great resource if you are interested in going to medical school.
Admit One - Hosted by MyCollegeOptions, this is another site with general college planning resources.
FINANCIAL PLANNING
These blogs provide details about grants, loans and other ways to cover college costs.
College Financial Aid Advisors - Jodi Okun shares financial aid insights on her blog and #collegecash (Twitter).
Go Financial Aid was founded as a result of the difficulties surrounding the financial aid process. Their blog is current, but their social media posts are not.
Student Aid Matters covers timely news, developments and perspectives relating to scholarships, college savings plans, student loans, financial aid application forms and other aspects of planning and paying for college.
PARENTS
YOU are the MOST important people that will help your student succeed. However, you should not become "too involved" in the process. Don't be "that parent" who pretends to be their student (on the phone, writing essays, on chat...). Being called a Bulldozer Parent is not a badge you want in your file. This short video by Kaplan shows you the best way to be involved. And here are some professionals ready to guide you (blogs, websites...).
Parents Countdown to College Coach is for parents by a parent. Suzanne has a very active parent blog and social media presence.
College Mom Minute - Read and listen to these out-of-date but timely parent survival tips shared by stand-up psychologist, Dr. Nancy Berk, author of COLLEGE BOUND AND GAGGED.
"Why We Don't Have to Fear Sending a Child Off to College" by Carolyn Lankford (Rooted Ministry)
If your teenager will be graduating from high school and entering either college or a career. they need to be prepared to make the transition. Tim Elmore shares some “travel metaphors” to guide your conversations and create new helpful habits, Read A Game Plan to Prepare Yourself and Your Child to Head Off to College.
YOUTH PASTORS
As youth pastors (ministers), you have role to train parents to raise their teenagers. You can also disciple those students to live out their faith in Christ.
What is the role of Faith at a Secular University? - This Veritas Forum lecture features Satyan Devadoss (mathematician), Morton Schapiro (economist), & Axel Mueller (philosopher) as they share their Christian, Jewish, and relativist beliefs, respectively.
Read the Chronicle of Higher Education (paid), Inside HigherED, High School Counselor Week, and Forbes for higher education related news.
Malcolm Gladwell observes how the top 30% of students graduate with 50% of the degrees regardless of the difficulty of the institution. The bottom 30% graduate with fewer than 15% of the degrees. If graduating with a degree is the goal, students should attending a college where they would be in the top 30%.
ARTICLES
Dear College Freshman: 5 Ways to Stay Strong in the Lord by Jon Payne (Gospel Coalition)
College Doesn't Change Your Heart, It Reveals It by Sammy Rhodes (desiringGod)
Six Things Every Freshman Needs to Know by Sammy Rhodes (desiringGod)
How to Stay Christian in College by John Piper (Bethlehem Baptist Church) - Includes the podcast.
God Desires Your Heart, Not Your Degree by Kathryn Butler (desiringGod)
How to Stay Christian on Campus by David Mathis (Cities Church)
Don't Waste Your University Years by John Piper (Bethlehem Baptist Church)
Minimize Student Debt, Maximize Christian Mission by Alex Chediak (Professor of engineering and physics at California Baptist University)
These college admissions blogs offer expert advice and personal insight from coast to coast. Along with your school counselor or independent educational consultant, you can learn from these professionals as you make wise decisions about planning for college.
Great College Advice - Representing the East Coast is former professor and administrator, Mark Montgomery, who shares his insider views about the college admissions process.
The College Solution - Representing the West Coast is Lynn O'Shaughnessy who has a comprehensive blog about all things college.
CAREER PLANNING
You may have 2-3 careers in your life. That's great! The first step is discovering your first destination. Read these career blogs to learn more about what to study in college. Major. Minor. Double Major. How will you get off to the best start in life?
CareerOneStop is a plain, t0-the-point blog with videos that give you the basics of 900 occupations.
American Student Assistance posted an article Helping Middle and High School Students Build Smarter Career Plans Using the Ikigai Framework. These Japanese Ikigai principles are based in Judeo-Christian values.
NextStepU - transitioned from a blog to a STEM magazine for middle school, high school and college students. Great resource for females researching careers.
COLLEGE PLANNING
Get expert advice from a variety of professional college counselors.
The Georgia Tech Admissions Blog never dissapoints. Here is a blog about essays from Samantha Rose-Sinclair (Typ0s, Repeated Words Words, and Other Signs of Humanity on Your College Application).
In More Than a Grade: What Colleges Really Look For in a Student, high school senior Amariyah Callender (VOXATL) spoke with Latrina Fisher, Spelman College’s Associate Director of Admissions, as well as Georgia Tech’s Stephanie Douglas, Assistant Director of Community Relations about how they feel about students when it comes to the importance of GPAs and academic endeavors, as well as their idea of a well-rounded student.
Get Into College - Steve Schwartz is a professional college admission counselor with over a decade of experience and the instructor of Udemy's most popular course on college admissions, and the moderator of Reddit's college admissions forum.
GPS College Guidance - Susan McCarter, Director of College Guidance shares a high school guidance counselors perspective on college planning.
The Ivy Coach - The IvyCoach offers advice for students wanting to enter a highly competitive college. It's good advice to meet the admissions requirements for the most difficult college on your Working List of Colleges. Then you'll be at or near the top of the class for every other college!
College Admissions Partners - Based in Minnesota, Todd Johnson specializes in the BS/MD admissions process. This is a great resource if you are interested in going to medical school.
Admit One - Hosted by MyCollegeOptions, this is another site with general college planning resources.
FINANCIAL PLANNING
These blogs provide details about grants, loans and other ways to cover college costs.
College Financial Aid Advisors - Jodi Okun shares financial aid insights on her blog and #collegecash (Twitter).
Go Financial Aid was founded as a result of the difficulties surrounding the financial aid process. Their blog is current, but their social media posts are not.
Student Aid Matters covers timely news, developments and perspectives relating to scholarships, college savings plans, student loans, financial aid application forms and other aspects of planning and paying for college.
PARENTS
YOU are the MOST important people that will help your student succeed. However, you should not become "too involved" in the process. Don't be "that parent" who pretends to be their student (on the phone, writing essays, on chat...). Being called a Bulldozer Parent is not a badge you want in your file. This short video by Kaplan shows you the best way to be involved. And here are some professionals ready to guide you (blogs, websites...).
Parents Countdown to College Coach is for parents by a parent. Suzanne has a very active parent blog and social media presence.
College Mom Minute - Read and listen to these out-of-date but timely parent survival tips shared by stand-up psychologist, Dr. Nancy Berk, author of COLLEGE BOUND AND GAGGED.
"Why We Don't Have to Fear Sending a Child Off to College" by Carolyn Lankford (Rooted Ministry)
If your teenager will be graduating from high school and entering either college or a career. they need to be prepared to make the transition. Tim Elmore shares some “travel metaphors” to guide your conversations and create new helpful habits, Read A Game Plan to Prepare Yourself and Your Child to Head Off to College.
YOUTH PASTORS
As youth pastors (ministers), you have role to train parents to raise their teenagers. You can also disciple those students to live out their faith in Christ.
What is the role of Faith at a Secular University? - This Veritas Forum lecture features Satyan Devadoss (mathematician), Morton Schapiro (economist), & Axel Mueller (philosopher) as they share their Christian, Jewish, and relativist beliefs, respectively.
Read the Chronicle of Higher Education (paid), Inside HigherED, High School Counselor Week, and Forbes for higher education related news.
Malcolm Gladwell observes how the top 30% of students graduate with 50% of the degrees regardless of the difficulty of the institution. The bottom 30% graduate with fewer than 15% of the degrees. If graduating with a degree is the goal, students should attending a college where they would be in the top 30%.
ARTICLES
Dear College Freshman: 5 Ways to Stay Strong in the Lord by Jon Payne (Gospel Coalition)
College Doesn't Change Your Heart, It Reveals It by Sammy Rhodes (desiringGod)
Six Things Every Freshman Needs to Know by Sammy Rhodes (desiringGod)
How to Stay Christian in College by John Piper (Bethlehem Baptist Church) - Includes the podcast.
God Desires Your Heart, Not Your Degree by Kathryn Butler (desiringGod)
How to Stay Christian on Campus by David Mathis (Cities Church)
Don't Waste Your University Years by John Piper (Bethlehem Baptist Church)
Minimize Student Debt, Maximize Christian Mission by Alex Chediak (Professor of engineering and physics at California Baptist University)
New York University (New York City, New York)