Expert Interview: How to Send Your Student to College Without Losing Your Mind or Your Money

Shellee Howard

Shellee Howard is the owner and president of College Ready and a Certified Educational Planner. She has a son who graduated from Harvard in 2016–debt free! She has traveled around the world helping students plan for their “perfect match” college. She knows what it takes to compete for entry into Ivy League schools to small town colleges. She believes that no two students are the same, and that each has a gift/talent and a passion that will set him or her apart from their competition.

How to Send Your Student to College Without Losing Your Mind or Your Money

“It makes me a little crazy that people assume the sticker price for college is non-negotiable. For reasons I don’t understand, people who would never think of paying full sticker price for a new automobile or a home are willing to pay full price for college. I share knowledge gleaned from my years of work with students and parents. My recent book tells step-by-step what to do to make yourself a good candidate for any college, and how to do it and graduate debt free, with a job. My goal is never simply to get a student into college, it’s to get them to graduate with a major that will pay them a great salary, so they can start life without the burden of crushing debt.”

Why Is This Important?

“With knowledgeable guidance, if you plan and strategize so that your student stands out, there will be so many opportunities, including the very real prospect of getting a college education for free! The best stage to start preparing is now, at whatever stage of life they’re in now. Talk about how wonderful college is, and about how the opportunities they will receive there are unlimited. Talking about it when they’re young makes it a lot less scary to talk about it when they are in high school. Visiting college campuses can help your student understand why you’re asking them to work hard in high school.”

What Are the Key Lessons Learned Here?

“There are four main pillars of a plan for getting into college: grade point average (GPA), tests, community service and leadership. If balanced properly, students have every opportunity of getting a free education. There are so many colleges that are willing to meet their needs. You just have to know where to find them. My book can help.”