529 Plans vs Prepaid Tuition Plans, Summer Programs for Writers, Fordham Admissions

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Elizabeth Heaton continued our new series on summer opportunities for high school students. This installment was dedicated to opportunities for the high school writer. In addition, Beth invited guests to talk about the differences between 529 college savings and prepaid tuition plans, and to explore the admission process at Fordham University. Listen to the complete show on VoiceAmerica or wherever you get your podcasts. 529 College Savings Plans and Prepaid Tuition Plans For the first segment, Beth welcomed College Coach finance expert Alex Bickford to talk about two popular strategies for financing a college education: 529 college savings plans and prepaid tuition plans. While both plans follow the same federal tax treatment, there are important differences. Alex described the important things to consider when deciding which of these plans, if any, may be most beneficial to you. Alex and Beth also explored the impact of the new tax law on college savings decisions. Summer Programs for Writers In the next segment, Beth welcomed College Coach admissions expert Julia Jones, to talk about summer writing opportunities for high school students. Julia suggested a variety of summer writing programs, including Iowa’s Young Writers Studio, and programs at Middlebury, Bard, Interlochen, Emerson, and Carleton. Julia also introduced writing competitions sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English, Bennington College’s Young Writers Awards, taking a community college writing class in your hometown, and pursuing an internship at a local newspaper or public relations department as options for a student with a passion for writing. Julia also gave a tip of the hat to the popular November writing event, National Novel Writing Month, affectionately referred to as NaNoWriMo. Admission at Fordham University In the final segment, Beth welcomed College Coach admissions expert and former admissions officer at Fordham University, Tova Tolman, to talk about the Fordham admission process. Tova reflected on her experience at Fordham and described their process for making admission decisions. Tova described what stood out in the Fordham applicant pool and how they defined a good “fit” for their institution. On the next episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Ian Fisher will continue the summer program series, exploring summer internships, and will also answer listeners’ own college admissions and finance questions.