CollegeReflections.com

1. Lower your brand standards

Mom and dad are no longer paying for everything you do (if you’re reading this). It’s no longer all about the Abercrombie shirts, expensive dinners, Grey Goose vodka, and Corona beer. If you want new clothes look for sales, or check Ebay. Instead of that expensive steak, try grabbing a burger. And most certainly downgrade your alcohol brand purchases. You do not need Crown Royal, grab a bottle of R&R. Try the Busch lite. I promise the difference in taste is not worth the difference in price.

2. Pre-party

In a previous article I talked about some of the advantages of schools that are not considered top-tier. One of the major advantages I cited was the ability to graduate debt free or very close to it. After a few recent emails, I now stand corrected.

Stanford has recently announced that for families with an income of under $100,000 students would not pay tuition. For families with an income of under $60,000 students would not be required to pay either tuition or room and board. This is only the latest in a number of Ivy League and top-tier universities sweetening their financial aid packages for lower and middle class kids who might otherwise apply to and choose quality state universities. Many major papers and magazines have been covering this trend as you can read here in the New York Times and Newsweek.