Make a Wiser School Investment

IT IS NO SECRET that the cost of sending a child to private secondary school or university is exponentially increasing. Tuition at New York City private schools have increased 79% in a mere 10 years, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article. And the New York Times reports the average tuition at a private college in the US is $27,293 and is increasing at around 4-5% a year. And that doesn’t even include room, board, books and other living expenses. According to the Department of Education, the most expensive institution, Bates College in Maine, comes in at a whopping $51,300 per year including room and board.   That means those students and parents are looking at spending almost a quarter million dollars for one diploma. The numbers are staggering.

If you had a $250,000 investment to make – would you feel comfortable researching opportunities,  looking at potential benefits, deciding on their value, comparing them to alternatives and making the investment decision completely on your own? Probably not. The private wealth management industry continues to flourish and many people turn to their financial advisors to guide them through the most critical decision making processes, keeping them aware of all aspects of the investment environment. It is the same for applying to college. People understand the risks and realize they are probably not qualified to lead the search without guidance. They turn to college counselors who can make as much as $40,000 to coach one child and their parents through the admissions process.

On the other hand, as much as you put your trust in the hands of these experts, would you turn 6-figure investment decision completely over to someone else and take a laissez-faire attitude with it? The answer is an equally enthusiastic “no.” You have regular check-ins and get involved in the decisions based on your overall risk tolerance, life goals and personality. And it’s the same with selecting a 4 year school – be it secondary or university level education.  You and your child need to spend time on campus seeing the buildings, meeting the teachers and professors, talking to other students, and getting a clearer sense of the culture and environment. You need to find the “right fit” in order to ensure your quarter-million dollar investment will reap the return you seek.

Yet many parents don’t spend as much time visiting prospective campuses as they should, if they were really thinking about the investment in their child’s future from a dollars-and-cents perspective. There are at least 4 opportunities for visiting schools and getting a better sense of them before classes actually commence:

1. Pre-Application: Campus Tour
2. While Applying: Interview
3. Post-Acceptance: Admitted Students weekend
4. After Placing a Deposit: Orientation

And many students go back a handful of times in between just to be sure they are making the best decision possible.

Now marry that with the fact that universities and boarding schools are notoriously located in hard-to-reach destinations. The first three scenarios are most likely going to be happening at more than one university as they are all critical parts of the filtering and narrowing process. Are you really going to spend hundreds of hours on the car to make these visits happen? Are you going to skip these and risk investing in an institution that won’t pay off later? That would probably be unwise. The answer seems to be to make the travel more efficient and productive. And we have an idea how you can do that: charter.

Fleet Aviation flies to hundreds of airports in the Northeast alone and no matter how far away the school is, there is typically always an airport less than an hour away. (Follow these links to see a sampling of Boarding Schools and Colleges & Universities in Fleet’s Range.) And because you fly completely on your own schedule, you can easily visit more than one location in a day saving hours of time and a lot of hassle. We’ll wait on the ground while you take a tour or participate in an interview, and we’ll even help arrange your ground transportation so the entire trip is seamless. Instead of being exhausted at your desk on Monday after a weekend of slogging through traffic all across the region, we keep you productive both on the road and back at home. And our low hourly rates means you not only save headache and hassle, but you can your travel plans aren’t dramatically adding to the cost of admission.

With our help, you can focus on learning what you need so that you can be sure to mitigate the risk of your hefty investment and be confident it will pay off four years from now.

Visiting a College: The Most Important Questions to Ask

The following is a guest post by Louise Baker who ranks online programs for Zen College Life. She most recently wrote about getting an online criminal justice degree.

TRYING TO FIND the perfect college for you can be a difficult process; you research, visit, and ponder about which college will be the best for you both personally and academically. Searching for colleges can be time consuming and exasperating. You may feel like so many colleges offer exactly what you’re looking for. At the thought of choosing the right college, you immediately feel anxious. Not to worry! Finding your perfect college is not impossible; when visiting it’s important to know the right questions to ask that will give you insight to whether or not a college is really right for you.

“What are your best programs?

Often, students ask the college whether or not a specific program is good. It wouldn’t be good for the college to put down it’s own programs, and as a result, most colleges will say that the program is good. In order to get to the bottom of things, it’s better to ask the college what their best programs are. If the program you’re interested in isn’t mentioned, you might want to consider taking the college off of your list of possibilities.

“Can potential students shadow current students?”

If you really want to find out what a college is like, staying with and following a current student around campus, to classes, the dining hall, and other important places, is one of the best ways to find out whether or not you truly like the college.

“How are the dorms protected?

Depending on where your college of interested is located, security can be extremely important. Make sure that you’re comfortable with the college’s answer to this question.

“Can I live off campus? When? Can I bring a car?”

Some colleges don’t allow freshmen to live off campus and some colleges don’t even allow you to bring a car for your first year. Although you may be perfectly happy living on campus, you may eventually seek a different living situation. If the college doesn’t allow you to bring a car, be sure to ask about what kind of transportation they offer, both for on and off campus trips as well as getting you home to visit on the holidays!

“What kind of extracurricular activities are offered?”

Remember that you’re not going to in class or studying all of the time. You’ll want your perfect college to offer extracurricular activities that you’ll be interested in.

Remember that your perfect college is out there. Good luck!

Boarding Schools in Fleet’s Range

IN ADDITION TO the colleges and universities in our range, often parents will fly Fleet to area boarding schools either as part of the admissions process or to attend their child’s sporting events.

Here is a sampling of Boarding Schools within our range, and the nearest airport we could fly you to.

• St. Paul’s, Concord, NH KCON
• Exeter, Exeter, NH KPSM
• Andover, Andover, MA KLWM
• Middlesex, Concord, MA KBED
• Groton, Groton, MA KFIT
• St. George’s, Middletown (Newport) RI KUUU
• Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, MA 0B5 or 7B2
• Eaglebrook, S. Deerfield, MA 0B5 or 7B2
• The Governor’s Academy, Byfield, MA 2B2 or KLWM
• St. Andrew’s, Middletown, DE KEVY
• Suffield Academy, Suffield, CT KBDL
• Miss Porter’s, Farmington, CT 4B8 or KHFD
• Loomis Chaffee, Windsor, CT KBDL
• Westminster School, Simsbury, CT 4B9 or KBDL
• Concord Academy, Concord, MA KBED
• Berkshire, Sheffield, MA KGBR
• Peddie School, Hightstown, NJ N87
• Lawrenceville, Lawrenceville, NJ KTTN
• Hill School, Pottstown, PA N47, KPTW
• Mercersburg Academy, Mercersburg, PA N68
• Brooks School, North Andover, MA KLWM
• St. Mark’s, Southborough, MA KORH
• Williston Northampton, Easthampton, MA 7B2
• Asheville School, Asheville, NC KAVL
• Avon Old Farms, Avon, CT 4B8, KHFD
• Northfield Mount Hermon, Mount Hermon, MA 0B5, KORE
• Oldfields,Glencoe, MD KEVY
• Proctor Academy, Andover, MA KLWM
• Ethel Walker, Simsbury, CT 4B9
• Emma Willard, Troy, NY KALB
• Fay School, Southborough, MA KORH
• Holderness, Plymouth, NH 1P1, KLCI
• Millbrook School, Millbrook, NY 44N
• Pomfret School, Pomfret, CT KLZD
• Portsmouth Abbey, Portsmouth, RI KUUU

Colleges and Universities in Fleet’s Range

WE OFTEN GET ASKED where our clients fly with us to visit colleges and universities. These clients are parents who know the best way to get to these schools is to fly private with Fleet.

Here is a sample list of Universities and College in our current range and the nearest airport we can fly you into (typically under an hour):

• Bates College, Lewiston, ME KLEW
• Skidmore College, Saratoga, NY 5B2
• Connecticut College, New London, CT KGON
• Colgate College, Hamilton, NY KVGC
• Hamilton College, Clinton, NY KVGC
• Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY KPOU
• Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME KIWI
• Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 6B0
• Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA KCEF
• Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA KLNS
• Colby College, Waterville, ME KWVL
• Smith College, Northampton, MA 7B2
• Cornell University, Ithaca, NY KITH
• Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA KSEG
• Union College, Schenectedy, NY KSCH
• Dartmouth, Hanover, NH KLEB
• Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA N94
• Bennington College, Bennington, VT KDDH
• St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY KPTD
• Williams College, Williamstown, MA KAQW
• Wellesley, Wellesley,MA OWD
• Hampshire College, Northampton, MA 7B2
• Trinity College, Hartford, CT KHFD
• Lafayette College, Easton, PA, KABE
• RPI, Troy, NY KALB
• Hobart and William Smith College, Geneva, NY 0G7
• University of Rochester, Rochester, NY KROC
• Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA  KABE
• University of Richmond, VA KRIC
• Amherst College, Amherst, MA 7B2
• Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA W05
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA WORH
• Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA KSHD
• Princeton, NJ 39N

Forget the canoe – take a plane to camp!

When I think back to my adventures at sleep away camp in Vermont, the memories include canoes and mosquito bites. Judging by the article in today’s New York Times about taking a private jet to camp — it seems these days some kids’ camp experience seems less about bug juice and more about champagne.

Or is it?

While the examples highlighted in the article may be extreme (that is what makes good reading, after all) the reality is that flying private to camp can actually make a whole lot of sense – if you choose the right plane for the mission. When flying regionally, taking a jet can be overkill… squashing that campfire mosquito with a sledgehammer. If you fly to camp destination in the most efficient aircraft for regional travel, not only will you save time and hassle, but you will ultimately save money as well.

Similar to flying charter to visit boarding schools and colleges, there are plenty of reasons why it makes sense to fly private to summer camp:

• Leave closer to home and land closer to your destination. Fleet flies direct to hundreds of small airports the commercial carriers can’t fly into. It’s likely there is an airport within 15-30 minutes of the camp grounds.
• Save time and headache – Reduce a 5 hour drive to a 1 hour flight. You can arrive 5 minutes before departure and keep on your shoes and belts the whole time.
• Be more productive – Eliminate the waiting and energy-draining associated with commercial travel and driving. When you land, you’ll be rested and ready to join in the sing-along.  And by optimizing your time away, you’ll return home feeling like you never missed a beat.
• Fly completely on your own schedule. Fit your travel around your time with your children – not the other way around.
• Go for as long or as short of a visit as you want. Our aircraft can wait on the ground while you settle your youngster in and spend the entire afternoon for parents’ visiting day. Or, if you want to stay for the whole weekend, we can come back to pick you up whenever it suits you.
• Easily visit multiple locations – Is your son learning to sail in Maine while your daughter enjoys the outdoors in New Hampshire? Not a problem! We can take you to visit them both in a single day.
• Save money - Once you factor in the value of your time on top of the cost of airfare, parking, and ground transportation you’ll realize flying commercial can be a lot more expensive than you originally thought. Fleet’s low hourly rates make it the sensible choice for regional travel.

When you put it all together, it’s easy to see: Flying Fleet to summer camp isn’t about luxury, it’s about extreme practicality. No lines, no connections, no crowds, no breaking the bank.

Top 5 Tips to Get the Most from Your College Visit

Planning a spring time visit to explore colleges with your teen? Here are five easy tips to follow that will enhance not only the quality of your campus visit experience, but also the quality of the information you seek:

1. Visit Your First-Choice School Last.

This tip comes from Eric and Cole Yaverbaum’s book, “Life’s Little College Admissions Insights: Top Tips from the Country’s Most Acclaimed Guidance Counselors.” If you save the “best” for last, then you’ll be well equipped to make that exact determination. Once you have a few college visits under your belt, you’ll be able to make a much better decision as to whether or not that first-choice is the right choice.

2. Don’t Visit More than Two Schools in One Day.

Visiting more than two schools in a single day requires scholastic stamina, a finely tuned transportation schedule, and perhaps a pair of running shoes. Sure, you can visit more than two in a day, but if you really want to get to know a school, you’ll need more than a drive-through glimpse of campus. Plan a visit so you’ll have time to talk with students and teachers, get your questions answered, and see more than the admissions office while your are there.

3. Let the Kids do the Talking.

College and university web sites usually already provide enough information to satisfy most questions on a parent’s list, so while on campus, give your teen some space and let him or her know it’s okay to ask questions. This may be easier if you split up. Have the teen go on the tour while you attend an information session, then switch off for the next round of events. Or, if more than one tour is going out at the same time, join different groups. Either way, encourage your teen to ask questions. The sense of autonomy may stimulate a deeper level of engagement in the college admissions process. At the very least, you’ll have something new to talk about on the trip home!

4. Ask the Tough Question.

It takes a little nerve to walk up to a stranger and try to get a conversation started, but you’ll find college students generally open to talking about their school. The dining hall or student center are good places to meet students. The question you may want to ask though, is not “What do you like about your school,” but just the opposite — “What DON’T you like about CollegeX?” You’re likely to find the answers to be refreshingly honest and unique.

5. Visit the Campus Bookstore.

There’s more to college bookstores than just books. According to Charles Schmidt, Director of Public Relations of the National Association of College Stores, “The college bookstore isn’t just for textbooks anymore.” Sure, they still sell textbooks, but in addition to books and t-shirts, you’ll also find a focus on services that range from computer repair to dry cleaning to tanning beds. Some stores are even expanding their wares to include locally grown fruits and vegetables or fair trade certified coffee, tea, sugar, and chocolate. A visit to the bookstore will definitely provide an insight as to what appeals to the students on any campus you tour.

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Z. Kelly Queijo is founder of Smart College Visit, Inc., a college visit planning resource for college-bound teens and their families.

Http://www.smartcollegevisit.com

Tips for the College Interview

• Tell me about yourself
• Why are you interested in our college?
• What can I tell you about our college?
• Who in your life has most influenced you?
• What do you want to major in?
• What will you contribute to our campus community?
• Tell me about a challenge you overcame.
• What do you do for fun in your free time?
• What do you see yourself doing 10 years from now?
• Does your high school record accurately affect your record and ability?
• Recommend a good book to me.
• If you could do one thing in high school differently, what would it be?
• What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?
• What experiences in your life have shaped you as an individual?

• What percentage of freshmen return for sophomore year?
• Are there tutors and/or a mentoring system for students?
• Does the college help students with internships during school and employment after graduation?
• Are there scholarships available that I need to apply for?
• Other than tuition, room and board, and books, what other expenses can I expect to have?
• What do you think is the number one reason freshmen struggle?
• What is your alumni association like and how involved are they on campus?
• What is it about your college that sets it apart from others like it?
• May I have your business card? (Note: ask when the interview is finished)

• Arrive on time—being late disrupts schedules and shows a lack of respect.
• Dress appropriately—business casual is recommended
• Participate in the interview—don’t just answer “yes” and “no” to the questions
• Be yourself—don’t memorize a speech and spit it out like a robot
• Act interested—don’t say “You’re my back-up school” or “I’m here because my parents made me come”
• Do your research—know about the college before you go into the interview
• Tell the truth—never embellish or exaggerate
• Follow common rules of etiquette—shake hands, say thank you, and
• ALWAYS send a thank you note afterwards