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Scholarship Scam?
Food for thought: 1st, if you have a child in high school; ask him/her when was the last time they spoke with their high school guidance counselor? Has that counselor created a schedule for your child, &, more importantly, followed up with your child when important deadlines approach? Likely not. The reason; most schools are overcrowded & under funded and the result is that guidance counselors are carrying a caseload up to 800 students at times. And, these are the individuals supposedly entrusted to guide our sons and daughters. NO DISRESPECT to the counselors, contrarily, I have plenty of respect for them. I believe they have one of the toughest jobs. I can tell you personally as a former director of a Youth Development Program that most students receive little to no guidance either in school or at home. You might ask, "well why would the company charge a fee for their service?" Because it is a business, just like Test Prep companies such as Kaplan and Princeton Review. The company is stepping in to provide a service where the schools (sometimes families) are failing the students. Think of it this way, why do individuals & businesses pay cpa's to prepare their taxes? Can’t those same folks prepare their taxes on their own? I'm sure the answer is obvious; (1) most people don't have the time to sit down and read through the volumes of tax documents, and (2) most individuals are not as knowledgeable about the tax code as CPA's & will likely leave some money on the table if they go it alone. I would think the same principles apply here. How many of us really have the time & know where to research merit based opportunities let alone get through the FAFSA application which can seem at times more cumbersome than filling out your own tax return. The program is likely designed to fill the void of where our students are falling through the cracks. Another exercise, ask an average high school student what they want to become; you will likely hear answers like "I want to work in CSI". Why, because that is what they see on t.v. and this is what they are basing their futures upon. Or, ask them what school they want to attend and why, and they will likely say North Carolina, USC, etc. b/c they base their decisions on what they see on t.v. (sports) because that is all they are exposed to. In closing, is the way the company goes about asking for the fee, somewhat questionable? Arguably yes, however, if they posted the fee up front, how many parents do you think would attend the workshop? Not too many. However, these are the same parents and families that need the assistance the most. I believe once you here the presentation about what you need to know as a parent or as a student, & what the company does to assit families, you will have a greater appreciation for the program itself. Do your homework first, find out what resources are available to you both for free & at a fee, then attend the workshop, and compare.— November 3, 2009 7:52 a.m.