Your summer, your story

Summer vacation shouldn't be defined by pricey camps or elite credentials to hold real value. Instead, view it as a unique window to slow down and reflect on a fundamental question that the hectic school year often drowns out: What truly drives me? Before chasing down applications or placements, begin with that reflection. Authentic self-awareness acts as the blueprint for all your future choices, ultimately guiding your path to higher education.

Start by auditing your interests with total candor. Which of your current commitments actually give you energy? Is there a hobby or project you’ve sidelined due to a packed schedule? Reflect on any moments you've stepped into a leadership role—whether official or unspoken—and how that felt. Have you ever launched an initiative, managed a project, or identified a local issue and taken action? Consider your footprint, too. How have your actions shaped those around you, and how have you evolved as a person? These insights deserve your time.

What Admissions Officers Design
An open secret in college admissions is that universities aren't just scanning for a laundry list of prestigious achievements. They want to see a narrative—a cohesive glimpse into your character and core motivations. When you dedicate yourself to pursuits out of genuine curiosity, that authenticity resonates. View your summer choices as individual brushstrokes. Eventually, they should form a portrait of an individual driven by sincere curiosity, proactive drive, and personal development.

Finding Impact in Your Own Backyard
Valuable experiences are frequently right on your doorstep. Take a look at your immediate community. Do elderly neighbors require assistance with yard work or chores? You could launch a local dog-walking service, coordinate a neighborhood trash pickup, or dive into a conservation effort. Perhaps there are vintage goods waiting for a creative restoration. Even running a charity refreshment stand provides practical lessons in marketing, public speaking, and financial literacy. Similarly, designing and selling custom crafts while donating the proceeds cultivates artistic expression, business acumen, and empathy simultaneously.

June Newsletter

Financial Matters: The Overlooked Student Loan Option

Focus on Majors: Liberal Arts Reconsidered

If you ask twenty individuals to define a "liberal arts education," you will likely walk away with twenty different explanations—and those descriptions will probably contain just as many fallacies as facts. Let’s debunk the most common rumors:

Myth 1: Liberal arts majors are all politically progressive.
False. Students from across the entire political spectrum earn liberal arts degrees. The term "liberal" in this context has no political connotation whatsoever. It originates from the Latin phrase artes liberalis, where artes signified the foundational skills a "free person" (liberalis) required to participate meaningfully in civic life.

Myth 2: STEM subjects are excluded from the liberal arts.
False. Chemistry, physics, astronomy, and mathematics are all foundational liberal arts disciplines. People often assume otherwise because these subjects are categorized under the STEM umbrella today; however, from the Middle Ages to the present, they have always belonged to the liberal arts. This educational model also encompasses the humanities (like English, music, and theater) and the social sciences (such as history, economics, and psychology). Conversely, pre-professional majors designed for a single career track—like nursing, business, or engineering—are generally not classified as liberal arts.

Myth 3: You have to attend a small college to get this kind of education.
False. A liberal arts education is available at a wide range of institutions, from intimate colleges to massive research universities. While many assume these studies only happen on small campuses, the reality is that every major American research university—from massive state schools to elite Ivy League institutions—houses an undergraduate liberal arts college offering extensive programs in these fields.

Myth 4: A liberal arts degree doesn't prepare you for a specific career.
Maybe. This educational path is intentionally not designed to train you for one single job, but that does not mean graduates enter the 

repayment terms, college planning resources, and scholarships. These organizations are typically created or sanctioned by state governments with a singular mission: to lower the cost of higher education. Because they lack shareholders, they reinvest their revenue directly into borrower benefits, resulting in lower interest rates, flexible repayment terms, college planning resources, and scholarships.

The financial impact can be substantial. Data from the American Action Forum revealed that during the 2024–25 school year, non-profit and state lenders issued 88% of their loans at interest rates between 5% and 8.99%. Conversely, 69% of loans from Sallie Mae—a major for-profit lender—carried interest rates of 9% or higher. For-profit lenders dominate the advertising landscape, but familiarity rarely equates to the best deal. Even a 1% to 2% rate difference can save your family thousands of dollars over the lifespan of a loan.

The Proper Funding Sequence
To protect your finances, always approach college funding in this specific order:

Free Money: Maximize all available scholarships and grants.

Federal Aid: Utilize federal student loans, which offer the strongest consumer protections.

Non-Profit Loans: Use state-based non-profit loans only to bridge the remaining financial gap.

National Options & State Variations
Several prominent non-profit lenders operate across the country. Key examples include:

RISLA (Rhode Island Student Loan Authority) – Open to borrowers nationwide, with extra discounts for Rhode Island residents.

MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority) – Provides low, fixed-rate loans to students across the United States.

Other notable entities include Brazos Higher Education (Texas), ISL Education Lending (Iowa), and the Oklahoma Student Loan Authority.

Because RISLA and MEFA accept out-of-state applicants, they are excellent alternatives for families living in states without a dedicated non-profit lender.

For instance, California and New York do not run their own non-profit lending agencies. Instead, they prioritize robust state grant and scholarship systems—such as California's Cal Grants and Middle Class Scholarship, or New York’s Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC)—which significantly reduce the need to borrow in the first place.

Pro Tip: Look into state-specific loan forgiveness programs. Many states will erase a portion of your student debt if your child commits to working in a high-need field (like healthcare) within that state for a few years post-graduation.

By widening your search to include non-profit options—even those outside your home state—you can secure a much stronger financial foundation for your child's future.

Thriving in Your First Year of College

Stepping onto a college campus marks a massive personal milestone. While the freedom to set your own schedule and sleep habits is incredibly liberating, it also shifts total accountability onto your shoulders. Navigating academic or residential hurdles independently is exactly how you build authentic self-reliance and life confidence.

It is completely natural to feel a bit intimidated by the talented peerssurrounding you. When imposter syndrome creeps in, remind yourself that admissions committees reject thousands of elite applicants; your acceptance proves you belong there.

Academic Strategy: Starting Smart
The high school race to stack your schedule with maximum rigor is officially over. Protect your peace during that crucial first semester by factoring in balance:

Pace Yourself: Enroll in at least one course purely for enjoyment or curiosity.

Advocate for Yourself: If a highly desired course is full, email or speak with the professor directly. Instructors appreciate genuine enthusiasm, and they can often pull strings to get you a seat.

Treat School Like a Job: Think of your academics as a 9-to-5 commitment. Dedicating daytime hours between classes to studying keeps your evenings entirely open for socializing and rest.

Show Up & Engage: Go to every class and sit near the front to stay focused. Taking thorough, handwritten notes and reviewing them right after lecture makes exam prep infinitely easier.

Pro Tip: Don't wait until you are drowning to utilize resources. Reach out to professors, teaching assistants, peer tutors, and writing centers early. It is vastly easier to stay on track than to dig yourself out of an academic hole.

Social Life & Well-Being
Your initial priority should be establishing a community. The opening weeks in freshman dorms are a whirlwind of open-door socializing. While you don't need to be inseparable from your roommate, mutual respect is usually the norm. In the rare event of a toxic dynamic, the housing department is always there to facilitate a swap.

To keep stress manageable during this transition, establish daily routines. Keeping a tidy living space heavily influences your mental clarity. Regular physical activity is equally vital for burning off tension and triggering endorphins.

It's also a proven fact that students who plug into campus culture report higher satisfaction and better grades. Whether your niche is outdoor recreation, cinema, or advocacy, joining student organizations creates an immediate sense of belonging, particularly on sprawling campuses.

Navigating the Lows
At some point, homesickness, looming exams, and late nights will collide, leaving you feeling entirely overwhelmed.

Never hesitate to utilize the campus counseling center. They specialize in helping students adapt to this exact life stage, and talking to a professional can completely shift your perspective.

The same determination, work ethic, and focus that earned you your acceptance letter will see you through this transition. Give yourself permission to adapt, and you'll find your footing soon enough.

workforce empty-handed. Critical thinking, sharp communication, deep research, and complex problem-solving are core competencies developed in these programs—and they are highly prized by employers in every sector.

Furthermore, the versatility of the degree allows graduates to pivot between different industries much more fluidly than those with narrow, highly specialized training. However, a diploma alone is not a golden ticket. Just like any other student, liberal arts majors must pursue internships, employment, and campus leadership to build a competitive resume and gain real-world experience.

Myth 5: Liberal arts graduates are doomed to underemployment.
False. You can easily disprove this by looking at the liberal arts majors who went on to lead corporations like Whole Foods, Goldman Sachs, Disney, HBO, American Express, Merck, and Hewlett-Packard. (Even Howard Schultz, the longtime CEO of Starbucks, held a liberal arts degree.) Data from the Hamilton Project—an economic initiative by the Brookings Institution—confirms that these majors build successful careers across a vast array of industries, including science and technology.

What the Data Actually Shows
Employers value these specific skills.
True. Research proves that organizations actively seek out the exact traits a liberal arts degree fosters. A survey by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) revealed that 91% of employers believe a job candidate's demonstrated ability to think critically, communicate effectively, and solve complex problems matters more than their undergraduate major.

To maximize this advantage, liberal arts students must be highly proactive about their professional development. This means engaging with career services early on, secure internships or co-ops, attending networking events, and utilizing the flexible scheduling of their major to build a strong professional portfolio.

Liberal arts majors earn less than business or engineering grads.
It depends. Lifelong earnings are dictated by individual career choices, geographic location, experience, and personal ambition; no two graduates share the exact same financial trajectory. While it is true that engineering majors typically command the highest starting salaries and some liberal arts grads start below the median income, the long-term outlook is encouraging.

Key Finding: Studies from the AAC&U and the Hamilton Project show that while liberal arts graduates often start out with lower earnings, their compensation tends to grow at a faster rate over time, significantly narrowing the initial wage gap later in their careers.

If you want to explore where your specific major might lead, the Hamilton Project provides an interactive tool using U.S. Census data. It maps out the most common career trajectories for over seventy undergraduate majors alongside median salary data spanning an entire working career.

When funding a college education, most families focus solely on federal financial aid and corporate lenders. However, a highly effective, often overlooked alternative exists: state-based, non-profit student loan lenders.

These organizations are typically created or sanctioned by state governments with a singular mission: to lower the cost of higher education. Because they lack shareholders, they reinvest their revenue directly into borrower benefits, resulting in lower interest rates, flexible 

Tailoring Your Journey
If you thrive in more organized settings, free online hubs like edX, Coursera, and Khan Academy provide deep dives into topics ranging from computer science to behavioral psychology. Local community colleges also provide budget-friendly dual-enrollment classes for official credit. If medicine intrigues you, consider shadowing a clinician or volunteering at a care facility.

Creative minds might focus on curating a portfolio, launching a blog, writing for an independent outlet, or producing video content about a personal passion. For those drawn to advocacy, politics, or environmental science, look for local campaigns, green initiatives, or non-profits aligned with your values. Don't overlook the value of employment, either. Clocking hours at a grocery store, restaurant, or local shop instills accountability, people skills, and independence in ways academia simply cannot.

The Takeaway: Explore openly, embrace the unfamiliar, and enjoy the process. The personal growth you cultivate over these months is precisely what transforms your future achievements from a checklist into a meaningful journey.