I can empathize with new parents when they talk about the seemingly-impossible task of finding great schooling that doesn’t break the bank.  Sending your preschooler off is hard enough emotionally, and becomes even more challenging when factor in your requirements: you want it to be a stimulating, educational, and reliable start and a comfortable place for your kids to be while you are at work.  For most options, you end up spending more money on tuition than you actually…

Only extremely gifted children are capable of thriving regardless of their circumstances. For the rest of us, raising children to realize their full potential requires 18 years of proactive, creative, and dedicated parenting. My daughters were no exception. My husband and I are normal people of average intelligence, so Nicole and Jaclyn certainly didn’t get any super genes from us. How, then, did they get accepted to the most selective colleges in the country? Personal drive and…

There are likely mixed emotions as summer vacation comes to a close and the children head back to school.  Whether your family is eager to get back into the groove of school, or you are wishing for another month off one thing is certain: everyone in the family wants to have a productive year ahead.  The single most important skill to enable your child with to allow them success is effective time management.  Giving your child the tools to effectively manage their time is not only going to…

Thanks to state budget cuts, many public universities are going through tough times, and students from across the country are feeling the strain. For example, the UC’s are now admitting a lower percentage of residents, which means that their ever-higher admissions standards are only getting more so for Californians. It’s becoming harder and harder to stand out. These days, with the abundance of AP and Honors classes offered at many high schools, a 3.6 GPA or even a 4.0 doesn’t get you nearly…

Now that summer and the end of the school year are fast approaching, working moms and dads, especially those with young children, will soon have to confront the yearly hassle of finding something for their kids to do for the next three months. Whether you want to make sure your child doesn't waste his whole summer vegging out on video games, or just need the security of knowing that someone's watching him while you're at work, now is a good time to look into ways to get free child care in…