Parents helping parents. That is what we have always done when our children were babies, through grammar school, middle school, and high school. Now as students get ready to launch their next academic adventure in college, how can parents share their cheat sheets to de-stress the process for all. We love sharing what seasoned parents have learned over the years and what they wish they knew when they were just starting the college applications process with their first child.

As the owner and publisher of Triangle Senior Year Julie is not only a parent who has been through the college search process but she also has gathered a network of resources to help high school parents as they navigate the last two years of high school. We discussed tips and strategies to help parents as they navigate the last year of high school.

The college application process can get unwieldy for both students and parents as there are so many deadlines to keep track of. Getting organized is a key component of the application process and one in which Jessica and Sawyer of Virtual College Counselors can shed some light on. Get your pen and pad or iPad ready to take some notes!

As a parent who has just launched her third and last child to college, I know how tempting it is to “help” edit kids' essays. What starts out as a simple suggestion turns into something like “ What if you just wrote something like …” All of the good natured advice and guidance has turned into “our” essay. Parents try to guide and help students but it is really important that the essay is truly the students voice and their own piece of work. Evelyn Jermone-Alexander joins us today as she has some tips, advice, and stories to share about how parents can support their students in the essay writing arena.

Keeping fit both physically and mentally is a challenge for all ages but especially for our young adults as they head off to college. For many students, it is the 1st time living away from home. How can students better prepare themselves for the transition and what resources are available to students as they navigate the acclimating to their new environment socially, mentally, and physically? Dale Troy is a mom of three college graduates and a health coach. She will provide tools and strategies students can use to get strong both mentally and physically.

When starting the college admissions process, many families seek outside help from independent educational consultants. How do families find an independent educational consultant for their student? What questions should they ask when interviewing the educational consultants? Are there certain criteria every educational consultant should have in terms of experience or certifications? Michelle McAnaney was a high school college counselor prior to becoming an independent educational consultant. She shares why and how to go about hiring an educational consultant. We also touched on letters of recommendations and tips for students as they start to think about who to ask for a letter of recommendation.

One of the stress points for high school students applying to college is finding their unique voice for the personal statement and supplemental essays. Standing out in a way that will highlight a student's strengths and their ability to contribute to a college community is essential. Dyllen Nellis experienced the same frustration and angst during her college application journey as she researched ways to craft a college essay that would stand out to an applications reader. During her sophomore year at Stanford she officially launched her business, College Essay Advice, as a way to help students of all backgrounds tackle the college essays in a strategic way.

Paying for college is on everyone’s mind and it is one of the main pain points of the college search process for parents. Getting into the right financial mindset is essential for families as they start to navigate finding a college that is the best financial fit. Timing is everything and starting the process earlier rather than later will help families in the long run. We invited Jack Wang to share his financial aid tips and guidance for families.

Picking a college major can be stressful for students, especially if they enter college undecided. Dr. Leslie Tucker, owner of Virtual College Consulting, will provide the College Scoops community with tips and tricks on how to pick a college major. If you are a student struggling to pick a major, Leslie Tucker is here to help.

Developing good communication skills both oral and written is more essential now than ever before. Matt Crevin, Founder of Talk Shop and a sportscaster for the San Francisco 49ers, shares helpful tips to develop effective and strong communication skills.

Starting a business is never easy. It takes a lot of time and boundless amounts of energy, and patience. Adam Shlomi, founder of SoFlo SAT Tutoring and a Georgetown University graduate, shares his experience starting a business with the College Scoops community. Adam will provide advice to students eager to learn more about the difficult yet rewarding process of entrepreneurship.