Fulcrum Educational Planning is a different and better way to help students and families more effectively work through the college search and admissions process.

Costs continue to rise exponentially while acceptance rates drop. Getting Johnny into a good school takes more time, energy and patience on your part. (And maybe you already have a full-time job.) Knowing your Early Decision from your Early Action, and learning the difference between a FAFSA and a Profile can be daunting. Sometimes even the best do-it-yourselfer can use help with writing an effective scholarship essay or finding ways to save money and learn more on those inevitable campus visits.

The landscape of higher education has changed dramatically in recent decades. Professors still stand in the front of the room and lecture, but now you’re just as likely to find a student “in class” on a laptop in the student union. It’s no secret the way we live and work has changed, and the college admissions process reflects those changes. What hasn’t changed, however, is the value of a college education. In very real terms, it is the single most influential phase of one’s life.

But it’s also the most expensive.

College should be a tool, not an event. Used properly it can be leveraged to build a rewarding career and life. Used poorly, it’s no better than a holding pattern between the present and…well…whatever is next.