Whats a cost-cutting option thats often overlooked?
” A: One top strategy that people often don’t think of as a financial strategy is SAT (or ACT) test prep. This is huge, because it not only helps you get into schools where the door wouldn’t have been open but can bring thousands of dollars in merit-based aid. I think it’s one of the best investments parents can make in the process. It might cost you $200 for an online program, $500 or so for classroom prep or up to $2,000 or more for personal tutoring. Two of the online programs are Peterson’s and PrepMe. Peterson guarantees that the student’s SAT score will go up by 200 points, and PrepMe claims its average student goes up 305 points. Those are dramatic increases. Q: What’s an appropriate amount of debt to take on? A: One question I often get from parents is what is the right amount for the student to borrow. It depends on the family’s finances and what field they’re going to go into and how much they’re going to be making. I like to cap the student borrowing at the (federal) Staffor
