48: How to Plan for College | Mike Giffin

Mike Giffin, founder of Ensphere College Planning Services, shares the 5 steps to successfully guide your family through the college planning process. He and Emily also talk through the common pitfalls of college planning and how to avoid them.

Quotes:

• “When you said misfits, that’s my nametag. Misfit.” – Mike Giffin
• “College is absolutely worth it if you can build a strategy that starts primarily with what training do you want your student to have in college? It’s not just going to college and getting a degree, you’ve got to at least establish a career path or career clusters.” – Mike Giffin
• “You can pass all the tests, but not be good at or enjoy the career. And I see a lot of people go into careers that they think they love and are passionate about, but ended up actually hating it, becoming bitter about it, because it was a bad match for how they naturally operate.” – Emily Melious
• “I will say to parents, I can’t guarantee the students are going to do back handsprings on the way to work Monday morning, but let’s find them something that makes sense so that they won’t start hating Monday on Sunday.” – Mike Giffin
• “He started out hammering nails and building decks. There’s nothing wrong with that. There’s also nothing wrong with having a mechanical engineering degree and doing that. So get them at 15, trying some of these things. Quit making it a mental exercise.” – Mike Giffin
• “I would so much rather try out with no risk, or low risk, what I am investing in for my future, in a summer of my freshman year and not get paid, than earn minimum wage and not be investing in my future or having more confidence and clarity in that.” – Emily Melious
• “Give them a chance to learn. Learning is fun. It really is. And it helps us make those decisions later on. Do those internships, do those jobs, particularly in the summer because you know it’s only for three months at the most, so you can get out from under it.” – Mike Giffin

Highlights:

• 1:50 – Is college worth it?
• 4:07 – Does the college matter?
• 6:19 – Student debt
• 12:36 – Is college for everyone?
• 20:19 – 5 Strategies to prepare for college
• 22:09 – Get in touch with Mike
• 23:14 – Help your kids find their strengths