Tuesday, February 26, 2013

TOS Review College Common Sense


College Common Senseis a great resource for family whose children are considering college whether they are in high school or younger. It is recommended that it is used with younger children as well as the older ones.  Denise C. Ames a Financial Aid Consultant has a wealth of information that she wantsto share with families to help this process go smoothly.

My family had accessto Going to College and Paying for It Online video and workbook, this is a 12 month log-in access for only$25.  You can also order her DVD andWorkbook set for $50 + $5 shipping. 
I am a newbie to this college thing, never going myself, so any help I could get to help my children is greatly appreciated.  It is a crazy maze out there and I needed some good instruction for what my children need to be doing.



How we used College Common Sense:
We, my junior, freshman, and 6th grader sat down, printed out the workbook pages and watched the videos.  Once through the first video we discussed things about their future, what they want to do and how we should go about getting things done.  We filled out the College Worksheet and made an appointment with our local community college.  We continued to watch the next video and work on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).  We then continued through some of the free lesson plans we had signed up for and have begun working on the Scholarship binder.

What I thought about College Common Sense:
This is a great resource to help get started thinking about what to do after graduation.  It did get us to make the appointment with an adviser at the community college.  That was the best meeting and has really helped the kids make a plan for what they plan on doing in the future.  It helped them see what they needed to do to be prepared for college and their future.  You can use this as much or as little as you want.  Most of the college information geared toward colleges that are away from home, but for  these three of my children they are all staying home to go to school.  She explains how school assign monies and how you work through that process.  I do feel that this program isn't something you need to use as a daily activity for your family.  Once your children are ready to start this process (I would say middle school) I think it is something you work on every now and then.  It is a wealth of information, but a little overwhelming for younger children.  I do like that it is directed for the student to do the work and research.  I do think they should take the lead with the information we have to plan for their future. I do recommend signing up for the free lesson plans on College Common Sense website.
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Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.


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