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I agree with a lot of the observation and sentiment, here. And, I'm one who is more reluctant to embrace "the Internet" as some sort of default, "magical" solu

I agree with a lot of the observation and sentiment, here. And, I'm one who is more reluctant to embrace "the Internet" as some sort of default, "magical" solution. But... most everyone has at least some level of access, now. And so it seems to me that this particular... "information divide" is crying out for online redress. Not some super fancy example of "design". Not a marketing opportunity to be "leveraged". Some straight, to the point text (ok, maybe some pictures, even a few videos -- but to serve the purpose, not become it). From real people. Who know about this shit. Brainiacs. And parents of future brainiacs who'd had to learn to negotiate this. Anyone can view web pages. Consider it a "contribution" to volunteer some time to putting a good, concise, thorough, authoritative, and... I guess also collaborative, site together. (There are always new strategies and answers to be shared, and it helps not to feel one is in this all alone.) Maybe also, or distinctly, this is something Sal and his Khan Academy should take on. A "meta" of the educational experience. How to negotiate school and its bureaucracy. (I realize this becomes daunting when looking across states, countries, systems. At a minimum, it would have to be broken down into regional efforts/teams.) A half hour or hour's "WTF" video about the financial aid aspect, might be one good starting point for parents, per some of the description in the OP article. P.S. Couldn't Khan Academy seek out good resources from dedicated career guidance professionals? I've run across some who are really dedicated to their field (and who are not mere marketing droids focusing solely on their institution). It strikes me this might be a good mechanism for finding appropriate materials and then getting them to the students and parents who need them.

mjmahone17 14y ago
That site exists. It's called College Confidential: http://www.collegeconfidential.com http://www.collegeconfidential.com Especially interesting is the forum. Unfortunately, it may not feel "at home" for all types of students, as most the participants are planning on going to top-tier schools, and have been all their lives. But if you post "I'm a rural student from X. Here is what I could pay to go to college, and here are my current stats (such as class rank, etc.). Does anyone have suggestions on where I should apply?" you'll get a whole bunch of people trying to help you out, pointing out schools that "match" your statistics, and schools that are "reach" schools, and explaining that you don't need a bunch of money to attend the reach schools, as they offer need-based financial aid. While I don't support spending ridiculous amounts of time on the site trying to figure out whether or not you'll be accepted, I think it's a reasonable place to learn about college admissions, especially if you have no background.

mjmahone17 14y ago

That site exists. It's called College Confidential: http://www.collegeconfidential.com http://www.collegeconfidential.com Especially interesting is the forum. Unfortunately, it may not feel "at home" for all types of students, as most the participants are planning on going to top-tier schools, and have been all their lives. But if you post "I'm a rural student from X. Here is what I could pay to go to college, and here are my current stats (such as class rank, etc.). Does anyone have suggestions on where I should apply?" you'll get a whole bunch of people trying to help you out, pointing out schools that "match" your statistics, and schools that are "reach" schools, and explaining that you don't need a bunch of money to attend the reach schools, as they offer need-based financial aid. While I don't support spending ridiculous amounts of time on the site trying to figure out whether or not you'll be accepted, I think it's a reasonable place to learn about college admissions, especially if you have no background.