Jan 04, 2016

NGPF Podcast: Anna Takahashi, College and Financial Counseling For First Gen Students

Thanks to Anna Takahashi, Director of College Counseling at Eastside College Preparatory School in East Palo Alto, California for participating in this recent NGPF podcast. Anna wears many different hats at Eastside as college counselor, personal finance teacher and financial aid expert to name just a few. She has devoted her career to serving first gen students, that is, students who will be the first in their family to attend college.

Listen to this podcast to hear Anna’s insights on:

  • The biggest financial aid myths that she has to dispel
  • How to engage parents in the college decision process
  • Recent changes in the financial aid process
  • How to write a strong personal statement

Enjoy!

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Show Notes

Resources mentioned by Anna:

Net Price Calculator (search on individual college websites)

 

Details:
0:35~2:07 -Description of Eastside Prep.
2:07~3:15 – Anna Takahashi’s background

3:15~5:00 – College counseling process

5:00~8:01 – Online resource recommendations
8:01~9:28: How to write good personal statements
9:28~11:54 – Biggest financial aid myths that you have to dispel
11:54~13:20 – What do you consider a good student loan?
13:20~16:00 – Describes how Eastside Alumni return to her classroom and the impact it has on current students
16:00~18:40 – How to engage parents in the college selection and financial aid process
18:40~22:06 – Educating students about financial aid
22:06~22:40 – Topics you cover in your Transition to College course
22:40~25:33 – Changes in financial aid regulations
25:33~27:40 – What are the three personal finance topics that are incredibly important to teach first gen students?

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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