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Dept of Ed Announces Change Simplifying Application for Federal Financial Aid

September 29, 2015 By Jolyn Brand

Two weeks ago, President Obama announced a significant policy shift that will help low-income students access college financial aid by making the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) simpler to complete. This key administrative change will allow applicants to complete the FAFSA using income tax data from two years prior to the current year. This change is a major win for students, significantly simplifying the aid application … [Read more...]

Filed Under: FAQ's, Financial Aid Tagged With: college financial aid, FAFSA, financial aid, PPY

New College Scorecard Website

September 14, 2015 By Jolyn Brand

Two years, President Obama announced that the government planned to start ranking colleges based on their students' outcomes, such as their graduation rates, salaries, and success paying back loans. The idea was to help young adults make more informed decisions about applying to school while humiliating the worst-performing institutions into mending their ways. The administration also wanted to tie schools' eligibility for certain kinds of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Upcoming Events Tagged With: college admissions, college advice, college consultant, financial aid, Texas A&M, University of Texas

Top 4 Websites for College Research and Information

August 31, 2015 By Jolyn Brand

There are lots of resources for parents or students looking for college admission information online. The admission website for the specific college that the student want to apply to or attend is always the most accurate and relevant, but sometimes we need more information or comparisons. This is when these top four websites come in handy. College Results is a website with thousands of profiles on colleges. It lets users enter specific … [Read more...]

Filed Under: For Juniors, For Seniors Tagged With: college admissions, college advice, College Checklist, college counselor, financial aid, Texas A&M, University And College Admissions, University of Texas

5 Ways to Get In-State Tuition at an Out-of-State College

May 4, 2015 By Jolyn Brand

Many students are excited at the prospect of attending a state college or universities outside of his or her home state. However, the difference in cost between in-state and out-of-state colleges can be significant. For some students, the tuition differential makes the college unaffordable. For others, the extra cost makes the college seem not quite “worth it.” Fortunately, students from all 50 states have opportunities to pay in-state tuition … [Read more...]

Filed Under: FAQ's, For Juniors, For Seniors Tagged With: college, college acceptance, college admissions, college advice, college consultant, college tuition, financial aid, in state tuition, University of Texas

Are You Managing or Controlling Your Child’s College Plans?

January 21, 2015 By Jolyn Brand

“Hanging back and allowing children to make mistakes is one of the greatest challenges of parenting.” This is perhaps one of the best points made in a recent New York Times article, Raising Successful Children, and couldn’t be more poignant than during your child’s senior year. In today’s college admissions, everything is competitive and overwhelming. This makes it easier for parents to want to step in, help, and guide their child through the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: For Juniors, For Seniors Tagged With: college, college acceptance, college admissions, college advice, college applications, college counselor, college financial aid, college help, college students, essays, financial aid, scholarships

Top 25 Colleges for Entrepreneurship

October 22, 2014 By Jolyn Brand

Think you've got what it takes to start a business? Time to get educated. To get your schooling underway, Entrepreneur presents the annual Princeton Review ranking of the top 25 undergraduate and top 25 graduate entrepreneurship programs offered at U.S. institutions. 1. Harvard University About the Program Harvard University currently offers 33 entrepreneurship-related graduate courses. Over the last five years, its graduates have started 182 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: For Juniors, For Seniors Tagged With: best colleges, college acceptance, college admissions, college advice, college applications, college visits, entrepreneurship programs, financial aid, Rice University, University of Texas, University of Texas at Austin, UT Business

How to Save for College and Start a 529 Plan

April 21, 2014 By Jolyn Brand

Parents of college-bound students know that the costs of college has risen dramatically. The College Board, the creator of the SAT, conducts a survey of average college pricing from universities across the country. For the 2013-14 academic year, the average cost for an in-state public college is $22,826, while the average private college is $44,750. These costs include tuition, room and board, fees, books, and an allowance for personal … [Read more...]

Filed Under: FAQ's, Financial Aid Tagged With: college, college acceptance, college admissions, college advice, college applications, college counselor, college financial aid, financial aid

Testimonials from Clients

February 20, 2014 By Jolyn Brand

"Thanks so much, you could not have been more helpful and supportive throughout this process.  We all appreciate the special attention and promptness you have given us." -Parent of Clear Lake High School student, class of 2014 "Thank you so much for your help! K’s SAT scores increased over 200 points after taking your prep class in September. She is now much more confident about college choices and I’m sure she’s in a better position for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Testimonials Tagged With: college, college acceptance, college advice, college counselor, financial aid, SAT

Money Management Tips for College Students

May 16, 2013 By Jolyn Brand

Guest Blog Article Written by: Kristen Mcmahon College is about the time you discover that managing your own finances involves a lot more than just watching your spending. As current college students, you have to learn to prioritize, especially if you don't live in a dorm, this is likely the first time you have to pay your own utilities, rent, groceries and any unexpected costs. Learn how to plan for your future with these good money … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Financial Aid Tagged With: college financial aid, college students, financial aid, scholarships

Another Happy College Consulting Client!

February 22, 2013 By Jolyn Brand

"Mrs. Brand is a great counselor. We found her through the internet. She has helped in giving me a detailed schedule for my college applications, and create deadlines for all my applications. She is very flexible, and definitely knows her stuff!" -Balark Chethan, class of 2014 student client "My daughter enjoyed prepping for her SAT test with Jolyn. I really appreciated the personal attention she was given. I have known Jolyn on a personal … [Read more...]

Filed Under: FAQ's, Testimonials Tagged With: college acceptance, college admissions, college consultant, college counselor, financial aid, scholarships

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Brand College Consulting
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Joel Delgado
Joel Delgado
16:37 27 Sep 19
Our experience with Jolly Brand was exceptional.
Jacob Gunter
Jacob Gunter
04:27 06 Jul 19
Shannon Robbins
Shannon Robbins
16:26 14 Apr 17
Our experience with Jolyn Brand was exceptional. She was very responsive to us and offered valuable guidance throughout the college preparation and application process. My daughter got in to all of the schools in which she applied, even her stretch school. We credit Jolyn with helping us to make sure her resume, application and essays were top notch.
Marylee Olson
Marylee Olson
00:29 08 Mar 17
Brand College Consulting was GREAT for our son! We met Ms. Brand when my son was in 7th grade! We saw her for an hour consult yearly to help him select his classes, plus a little algebra tutoring in high school. He was ahead of others course-wise and we were able to get 21 hours dual credit in high school, he made the Dean's List, Phi Theta Kappa, and Natl Society of High School Scholars. We are a family of Texas State Bobcats and it's very competitive now to get in but he did and we are thrilled! I recommend Ms. Brand and her services! Marylee Olson, Silverlake, Pearland (Dawson High School)
Chaplain Forever
Chaplain Forever
23:49 05 Oct 16
My youngest daughter attended tutorial services with Ms. Brand. Due to the exemplary, SAT preparation services, my daughter was accepted into several top colleges including the University of Houston, Texas State, Lamar University, and Sam Houston. As a college student, she received scholarships and has been on the Dean's list every semester. Ms. Brand instilled confidence in my daughter. I will be forever grateful.
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Client Testimonials

avatarI was very happy with all aspects of the service, but Anna and I were especially happy with how responsive you were to requests and how quickly you returned emails.  Anna liked that if you were going away or were not going to be available that you sent e mails notifying her and gave dates to complete things before you became unavailable.

(Note: Anna was accepted to Case Western University, Boston University, University of Pittsburgh, Stony Brook, and University of Rochester. She also received scholarships totaling $58,000 a year.)

Maria Swetz
Parent, Class of 2016
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About Jolyn Brand

Jolyn is a certified teacher who holds a Doctorate in Higher Education from Northeastern University. After years of experience teaching high school and college students, she began assisting with the college process. She's the founder of Brand College Consulting and works with families across the country virtually. A note from Jolyn: I started working with low-income high school students in … More...

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