In this weekly blog post, the Curriculum team will highlight Just One Resource from our NGPF collection that maybe doesn't get the attention it deserves. Use it this week or bookmark it for later.

[The Resource]  INTERACTIVE: Eight Questions to Ask Before Picking a College

The Gist: College is one of the biggest decisions and investments a parent and student will make. As your students get ready for winter vacation with their families, it might be a good time to have them sit down and have a college talk. This Wall Street Journal interactive will help your students explore the finances of higher education and consider various factors while choosing the right college for them. 

The Best Parts:

• After your students select an answer on the interactive, they are provided a helpful explanation with relevant data, graphs, and useful links. For example, the first solution includes the bar graphs for Top 10 Schools in 20-Year Net ROI and their Graduation Rates, as well as 4 links to online search tools that compare colleges across nation regarding net price, potential salaries after graduation, and other factors. 
• This interactive is geared to support conversations between students and their guardians to debunk any misconceptions about paying for college. This could be very helpful for families to gain a strong understanding of college finances and how well a school sets up a student to be financially successful after graduation. 

About the Author

Abby Alcala

After graduating with a statistics major at UC Davis, Abby set off to Massachusetts to teach algebra 1 and geometry and enjoyed working with the curious and creative minds of high school students. She is passionate about helping students recognize and develop their strengths and leadership skills. She was instrumental in taking the high school cheer team to regional competitions, as well as elevating school spirit and pride through creating unity amongst the study body and educators. Back in the Bay Area, Abby is excited to work with other educators to build and share content to enhance the teaching experience in applied math and finance.