As a public relations guru in New York, Eric Yaverbaum was moving a mile a minute. He built his business from bottom up and penned a few best-selling books on leadership and communications. But his children were growing up in the suburbs without him, and his wife was suffering from multiple sclerosis.
In 2008, Yaverbaum had enough. He left his firm and started another PR business, this time from his home. That decision allowed him to be closer to his family, and also freed time to go on a yearlong national college tour with his 17-year-old daughter Cole — a tour which inspired this single question.
"I thought, 'What if we could interview 1,000 guidance counselors and ask them for their best tips?'" he said. "I'm sure kids want to hear what they say on a guided tour unfiltered, the unscripted thoughts of people actually at the school."
One year after leaving his life in the fast lane, Yaverbaum’s sixth book, which he co-authored with his daughter, will be released this fall, "Life’s Little College Admission Insights: Top Tips From The Country’s Most Acclaimed Guidance Counselors."
The book offers insights from notable experts on subjects such as technology and financial aid. Not everyone can relate to Yaverbaum’s exact journey, but he said the nation’s economic crisis gives parents and students a similar opportunity to bond as they explore education options.
"Money is, statistically speaking, an issue for a significantly higher amount of people than ever before," he said. "But it's forcing a conversation between parent and child that might not have happened before."
For years, parental involvement has been lacking on all levels of education. Many parents simply don’t know how to help. According to a GreatSchools/Harris Interactive national study, 49 percent of parents listed the lack of opportunities offered by schools or teachers among the main obstacles in their involvement.
But, according to the same report, the recession has motivated 53 percent of parents to volunteer at their child's school this year, a 20-percent increase from last year. Other highlights from the study include:
