JDC Consulting

10/02/2026

Campus life is vastly different from the 80s and 90s when most parents of Gen Z students attended college. Keep an open mind when talking about campus life with your student. Just because things are different from when you were a student doesn't mean they are worse.

10/01/2026

Students often have trouble getting started on their essays. For some, the blank paper is just too much pressure. I recommend students simply write anything, like "This is the beginning of my essay. I am having trouble writing it." Once there is something on the paper, the rest typically flows much easier. Just be sure to edit that first paragraph before submitting it!

10/01/2026

Are you following student groups on social media at the schools your student is interested in? You will get a different perspective from what is posted on the official university channels.

09/30/2026

Learning Living Communities (LLCs) are select areas on campus where students are grouped by either major or interest. They often take their classes together and have a campus employee who shepherds them through their first year, providing support resources and planning social activities. They are a great option for students to explore.

09/29/2026

The earliest application deadlines are on October 15. They should be submitted today in order to have time to apply for campus scholarships upon admission.

09/28/2026

If your student is eligible for campus honors' or scholars' programs, encourage them to apply. They don't have to take those courses but if they do not apply, the option is not available to them if they change their mind and want to take them. Sometimes, there is an additional scholarship for being in the honors/scholars programs.

09/25/2026

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid opens on October 1. Do you have your documents together so you can fill out the application? Filling it out as early as possible gives you the best chance for financial aid.

09/24/2026

College essay ideas that are fantastic but not dramatic:
1. A compliment you still remember.
2. A responsibility you didn't expect to have.
3. A hobby that changed how you think.
4. A conversation you keep thinking about.
5. A small tradition you have in your family.
6. A place where you feel most like yourself.
7. Something you taught yourself.
8. A mistake that changed your approach.
9. An ordinary moment you appreciate differently now.
10. A small decision that had a bigger impact than expected.

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09/24/2026

Happy birthday to my first baby! She is now the age I was when she was born. It doesn't seem possible but time really does move as fast as they say it does. 🥳

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09/23/2026

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search

Use College Board Scholarship Search to find matches from over 24,000 programs, totaling over $1.5 billion scholarship dollars yearly.