EP030 Janet MacDonald of MYCAMPUSGPS Navigates Postsecondary Education

With over 20 years of experience working with young adults, Janet MacDonald continues to work with high school students and their parents through her company, MyCampusGPS, where she guides them through the important decisions that will significantly impact their post-secondary life. She also helps university students prepare for professional school and equips them with the necessary skills to make them employable. Due to her passion for helping youth, she has received a nomination for an RBC Women of Influence Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Her blog has helped numerous students and parents and was named one of the top education blogs in Canada.

 

Janet joins me today to share how she helps high school students in these three significant steps — university admission, career exploration, and scholarship preparation. She shares her success factors that contributed to where she is today and the formula for writing a unique and impactful scholarship essay. She also shares the common missteps in the university admission process and the success factors of the students who achieve success.

 

“It’s about knowing when the decisions need to be made and what kind of information you need to make those decisions so that you’re making the best decisions and at the best time.” - Janet MacDonald

 

This Week on Young Money:

 

• What led Janet to start her business
• Why it is vital to include the parents in their children’s post-secondary planning process
• Why having a sense of meaning and purpose is a critical factor for youth
• How MyCampusGPS works
• Why the University calendar is like her "bible"
• The benefits of doing career exploration activities
• How she helps university students
• Tips for scholarship applications
• The most common stumbling block for students who are applying for a scholarship
• The biggest mistakes when applying for post-secondary education

 

Key Takeaways:

 

• The best time to get a post-secondary scholarship is in the earlier part of Grade 12.
• It is not just about arriving at the solution but learning the type of information you need to make an informed decision.
• The more specific the goal, the more likely students are to get to it.
• The scholarship reader wants to see the reflective area in scholarship application essays - specifically what you learned, how it impacted you and those around you as well as how you will use it in the future.
• Prioritize your activities. Plan ahead. Be open to feedback.

Connect with Janet MacDonald:

 

• MyCampusGPS Website
• MyCampusGPS Blog
• Janet MacDonald on LinkedIn
• MyCampusGPS on Twitter

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