IN Pine-Richland Summer 2018 | Page 13

SPONSORED CONTENT BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT SPONSORED CONTENT Preparing Parents and Teens for College Success While many view the summer as a time of relaxation, vacation and getting in some fun in the sun, for high school juniors or seniors and their parents, there’s still a lot of work to be done. There are confusing college campuses, complicated financial forms, and dollar signs for parents to navigate. For students, there are summer class- es, jobs, and volunteering in addition to wondering about what they should do with their lives. Trips to visit colleges, questioning from relatives, and studying for SAT/ ACT tests can overwhelm students and stress out everyone. Fortunately, Right 4 You Advisors can help families to overcome these hur- dles, understand the process, and put them on a path to college success. Right 4 You Advisors excels at this because its founders, LN Blackburn and Karen Corral, not only have the skills and education, but also the first-hand knowledge of getting their own children off to college. They know that family schedules can be crazy, so they work to minimize the stress of the whole process. Centered in the North Hills, Right 4 You Advisors serves families in the Pine-Richland and surrounding school districts. As a convenience to its clients, Right 4 You makes house calls or meets families wherever they’re most comfortable - whether it’s a coffee shop, the library, or online. “Students look for a winning team, pretty dorms, or good food, but in the long run, that’s really not the most important thing,” Blackburn said. “Whether a col- lege or university is strong in the student’s chosen area of study; has effective student engagement programs - like study-abroad and li ving-learning communities; shows 4- year graduation rates higher than 70%; and, provides effective mentorship, college job placement programs, or good graduate-school placements, these are the more important things to identify in a school. We study the facts and visit to find great schools - having toured over 75 colleges in just the last three years. We also get to know the students, helping them to investigate interesting careers and majors, in ad- dition to educating them on what to look for in a college campus or a college pro- gram. In our newer Essentials Package, we meet juniors and their families up to 12 times. Overloaded school counselors rarely spend that time with each student. Our daughter had no idea what she wanted to do for a career. LN and Karen identified excellent career choices, majors, and colleges with which we were all happy! - Heather and Ray, Bradford Woods Pa. On the financial side, Corral’s experience as a CPA helps families navi- gate the minefield of money concerns that both prospective students and their families face when considering a school. From FAFSA applications to payment options, Right 4 You will not only help you understand your options, it will help you make the best of them.“When we talk with students, it’s not all about name- brand schools, we’re all about fit. Lesser known schools can truly be the better choice and being a big fish in a smaller pond has very distinct advantages. For students who aren’t sure a four-year degree is for them, there are many technical or community colleges to choose from,” Blackburn said. “Students can also at- tend CCAC and then transfer. This allows students to save money while they explore interests and possible careers.” For more information on Right 4 You Advisors, including all of the ser- vices they have to offer families looking towards higher education, go to Right4YouAdvisors.com, or call them directly at 412.301.7871. Right 4 You offers hourly consultations, bundled services and free open-office hours. Check out their website for upcoming dates and times. PINE-RICHLAND ❘ SUMMER 2018 11