Nichole Renee

Parents, you’ve passed the first quarter of the school year. WHAT’S NEXT?

  Most of you have finished the first quarter or trimester of school.  Make sure to check your student’s grades, attendance and chat about any challenges they may be dealing with.

Middle School students should begin talking to teachers and counselors to see the types of advanced courses that are available in high school.  Scheduling for next years courses will take place between January and…

Get one last sneak peak from my college planning book "Being Proactive is the Key!" #beingproactiveisthekey #teachthemearly

      Being Proactive is the Key! pulls from my over eighteen years of experience serving as a school counselor and provided nuggets that I felt would help parents better navigate the school system.

Once you have a grasp on the operating functions of a school, the role your parenting style plays in the process, and the services, resources and options available you can better strategize for your…

High School Parents: Get a Handle on the Second Half of the School Year! Great tips to allow your kid to end the year on a high note!

    For most of you, your kids are approaching the mid-part of the school year.  This is a key time to assess grades, discuss room for improvement and develop a plan to end the year on a high note.  Take some time to make phone calls to teachers and school counselors for any next steps. Make sure you connect with other outside resources for guidance as well.

In regards to post-secondary planning…

Learn how to select high school courses that will allow your child to better strategize and get an edge in the college application process.

    Being Proactive is the Key!, pulls from my over eighteen years of experience serving as a school counselor and provided nuggets that I felt would help parents better navigate the school system.

Once you have a grasp on the operating functions of a school, the role your parenting style plays in the process, and the services, resources and options available you can better strategize for your…

Being Proactive is the Key! The College Planning Book for Parents is Here!

    Well the day has come.  Being Proactive is the Key is now available for purchase!  You can order the book through Amazon or get an autographed copy with a bookmark through your PayPal account.

Of course, I won’t tease you without providing a sneak peek to the book:

Introduction

Day in and day out, I talk to overstressed parents frustrated with how to get their teen graduated on time, on to…

My Gripes about YOUR Gripes: Filing the FAFSA and Getting Money for College

    Out of all the topics I have discussed with parents, financial aid tops the list. People are stressed and armed with tons of inaccurate information regarding the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Since FAFSA made the announcement about recent changes, I’ve attended a number of trainings to get up to speed.  Between the trainings and questions asked by students and their…

A Love Letter to Educators: The Story of Tyera

 As educators, we occasionally get to see the fruits of our labor.  We work tirelessly with kids wondering how much of an impact we have on them.  

Are they listening? Are they changing?  What will happen to them? What will they become? 

These are the questions we ask ourselves.

Sometimes we hear about a news story of a student who graduated, or connect with a previous student who…

College Tours 101: GO ON SOME!

“Hamming it up” on this fabulous coach bus prior to the tour!

College tours are one of the most overlooked components of the application process.  People typically pick schools via referrals, websites and brochures and never set foot on campus until after a deposit is made.  That should NEVER be the case, but many times it is.

Three weeks ago, I had the pleasure of taking a college tour with…

Nichole Renee Enterprises College Planning Interview on iHeart Radio

  Yep, that happened!

Listen to my recent interview with the incomparable Loraine Ballard Morrill on iHeart Radio about college planning and the new changes in the financial aid process.  

Thank you and enjoy!

P.S. Make sure you subscribe to the blog on the top, right-hand side of this site AND follow me on FB (make sure you click the “like” drop down menu and turn on the notifications to stay…

To FAFSA or Not to FAFSA…That is the Question!

  Parents don’t want to give up that precious financial info–especially to the kids.  But you have to.

Let me correct that, you don’t have do anything. But if you want to give your kid all of the options available in the financial aid process–you have to.

Some parents think they make too much money and don’t bother filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  Completing the…

Should Your Child Take the ACT, SAT or Ditch Them Both?

  Standardized testing is like the “Monday morning” of the college application process–we all dread it coming and wish we could skip it altogether.

Students are anxious about all of it:  the essays, the applications, financial aid, etc–but the test is the part over which they have the least amount of control. This, by far, is one of the top stressors of college-bound students.

Educators would…