As much as I can’t believe it, I’ve got a child that’s just a few years away from pursuing higher education at a college or university. It was quite a reality-check when we received the first piece of mail addressed to my son from a college. I’m guessing he’ll need virtual tutoring to prepare him for the upcoming exams. He may also want to meet with a college admissions consultant to discuss his options. I received an email from someone through the site that let me know about a new website called SchooLinks that helps parents and students gather more information about all the opportunities that are available to us as we enter into this journey of the next stage in my son’s educational life. I’ll be honest, frequently I wonder how my life would be different now if I had the online resources at my disposal for this type of research and self-training that’s available. My opinion is having more information at your fingertips is never really a bad thing. So, I had Kara from SchooLinks write up a little bit about the website to share with you all and just throw it out there for you as a resource to use for your family.
Education is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children. It shows them how to think as individuals and allows them to grow into the person that they’re meant to be. We are lucky enough that where we live allows our children to have a free education, however, what about when they want to pursue higher education and college tuition starts to skyrocket? Our nation is experiencing a widening achievement gap between students who have the potential to be successful in college, but are unable to afford the price of a college education. Many of these students have enjoyed a free education between grades K-12, and have been academically successful. These same students have the ability to perform well in college, however, their own education will now cost them thousands of dollars that they don’t have. Sure, there are many scholarships available, however it is extremely difficult to find a scholarship that they are actually eligible to apply for. As parents, we want to provide our children with the best education possible but a $40,000 price tag is enough to make us think it’s acceptable to settle on education. SchooLinks is an EdTech start-up that is on a mission to bridge the achievement gap and get students into colleges they will be successful at without putting them over their heads in debt. Our children are unique learners, so why should they be restricted to where they go to college because they are unaware of their options? SchooLinks introduces prospective college students to a network of worldwide schools, thus opening them up to countless educational opportunities. Simple tricks such as chatting directly with an admissions officer significantly increases a student’s chance of getting accepted to their top choice, and SchooLinks makes this possible with thousands of schools around the world. Furthermore, features such as Scholarship Matching pairs students with scholarships that are suitable for them, which cuts out countless hours of fruitless searching that has frustrated students for years. If our children are the future, why should they be limited to where the advance their studies? SchooLinks wants to eliminate the notion that it’s okay to settle on your education. Reasons such as “It’s too expensive.” or “I don’t know what other options are out there.” will be things of the past, and your children will be able to afford and attend the college that is the best fit for them. Lets build a stronger and brighter future and get our children linked up with their future Alma Mater, today.