College In The New Normal, Episode #12

As you might imagine, the college experience today is not what it used to be even a year ago. The pandemic and related issues have made the journey to college troublesome if not seemingly impossible for many students and their parents. Hans Hanson is focused on helping make the transition into college not only possible but the best fit it can be for each family.

Join us for this conversation where Hans explains what he does as a college advisor, how it benefits the people he works with, and how the recent changes in colleges due to the Pandemic of 2020 have impacted how he helps students and their families.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in…

  • College advisors: what do they do and how did Hans get into his line of work? [2:01]
  • Why the school guidance counselor can’t do what needs to be done [7:07]
  • The biggest mistakes parents make and how colleges may be a bit tricky [11:10]
  • Understand how colleges make money and why they require the things they do [22:10]

Yes, you probably need a college advisor

Han’s role as a college advisor is to get the right college outcome for each student (family) he works with. That means there’s a big picture that needs to be in view the whole time and to do so without breaking the family bank. That’s a broad focus that deserves a great deal of attention. Hans works to put people on a path that enables them to be proactive in achieving their goals regarding college.

The average family hopes that the local High School guidance counselor can do what Hans describes, but the fact of the matter is that it’s simply not possible for a guidance counselor to do all the things required. Top that off with the reality that most parents and students don’t have the time or expertise to tackle the job of college selection, scholarship possibilities, and evaluations required to do the very best job and you begin to see why a professional like Hans is so vital.

Your child’s freshman year of High School is not too early to plan for college

Hans points out that most college students, beginning with their freshman year, are already thinking about the future career their college education is preparing them for. That’s at least a four year preparation time. Since that’s the case, why would it be strange to begin thinking about college four years prior — your student’s freshman year of high school? Hans thinks that is the ideal time to enlist the help of a college advisor. It allows the necessary time to pinpoint all the options, make sure a clear and strategic path is devised, and follow that path to achieve the outcomes you want from the process.

The summer between the freshman and sophomore years of high school is an ideal time to begin the process. There is still plenty of time to affect the outcomes when it comes to grades, finances, extracurriculars, and more. There is also time to assess schools effectively and get all testing and scholarships done right. Do you need to begin thinking about how a college advisor might be able to help you?

How has the pandemic affected the college landscape and experience?

The impact of the pandemic on higher education is going to be long-lasting. It’s pretty clear already. Parents have discovered that the money they have paid in the past for their child’s college education has not always been worth it. As well, online courses of study are here to stay. Hans believes that schools are going to begin focusing more on outcomes such as job placement simply because the competitive landscape between colleges and universities has shifted.

SATs and ACTs will play an even more important role for students in the future. The reason is that many schools are not requiring test scores anymore, which means just as many students and their families will skip the tests. That means more applicants to all colleges, so your application needs to be set apart. ACTs and SATs are vital for that reason.

Hans offers a free call to anyone who listens, so be sure you make the time to listen.

Resources & People Mentioned

Connect with Hans Hanson

Han’s bio (in his own words): I am a national college advisor. National means I’ve worked with families and colleges from every state in the country. College advisor means I teach kids how to take ownership of their life with college as its platform. College advisor also means that I save parents thousands on college costs. My job is to guide and direct families through the complicated process of college. We begin by teaching families the college perspective and what colleges want from families. We then build a personalized college list matching the qualifications, interests, and needs of the student family. This puts the family in control! We then implement our winning game-plan putting people on the right colleges, meeting the right people, and asking the right questions. This is the difference-maker, the game-changer to better understanding how the college does its business and understanding real opportunity…what it is, not what it seems. This is the focus of our exclusive “5 Step Approach” to- • Winning preferred admission acceptances • Maximizing scholarship potential • Choosing the right college major • Getting college right without bankrupting the family-finance I work with high school student-families who want to be more knowledgeable of the process and more on top of their game when its needed most. I created CollegeLogic to be a valuable resource for helping families quickly get started in the college process with a personalized game-plan and detailed play-book. Within hours, a family will have a knowledge-based strategy at their fingertips to follow. CollegeLogic is a close, personal resource for helping families solve the complex and expensive college equation. If you can dream, then we can help make your dream become reality. On a spring afternoon day in 2002, I witnessed a “parent-rant” and decided right then that I would spend the rest of my life helping families get college right. Since then, I have- • Presented over 500 educational talks and workshops related to achieving college success • Spoken in front of 50,000+ families • Worked with hundreds of families from around the world in finding their right college fit • Saved parents millions of dollars collectively on college costs • Published two Books, two workbooks, and many articles on college topics • Been interviewed and published on USA Today, Forbes, CNBC, Fast Company, MSN, Inc.500, Human Resource Executive, Private School Review, The Fiscal Times, and many more My families secure improved college options, save on college costs, make the right college choice, and get the college experience they want. This is my work. It’s a big responsibility, but I love it!

Guests on the Mitlin Money Mindset Show are not affiliated with CWM, LLC, and opinions expressed herein may not be representative CWM, LLC. CWM, LLC is not responsible for the guest’s content linked on this site.

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