McNeal Sams College Consulting

09/03/2026

🍕 Pizza Index: College Edition?

Let's look at the costs you won’t see represented in the (astonishingly high) total for tuition, fees, room, and board.

08/28/2026

🎓 Financial Aid 101: Beyond the Basics FREE Webinar!

Navigating financial aid can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone.

Join us on Wednesday, September 9 at 7:00 PM for a FREE informational webinar designed for students and parents who want to better understand the financial aid process.

We’re pleased to welcome Hannah Zenishek, Assistant Director of Student Financial Services at Saint Louis University, who will share valuable insights beyond the basics of financial aid.

📅 Wednesday, September 9
⏰ 7 PM
💻 FREE Webinar
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Open to students and parents

This webinar is offered strictly as a public service and informational resource.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more and feel more confident about navigating financial aid! Registration is required 👉https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GWSV380gR7eiKQcAjdvvcg

08/25/2026

What can a pastry chef teach us about college, ambition, and opportunity? Quite a lot.

Christina Tosi, founder of Milk Bar, built her success by doing something deceptively simple: she showed up, worked hard, and meant it.

For students, the lesson is just as powerful. You can’t control every outcome, but you can control how you prepare, how much effort you give, and whether you’re ready when opportunity knocks.

Read our latest blog for a reminder that success isn’t handed to you. You have to put in the work - and show up when it counts.

We first learned about her through a fascinating episode of How I Built This, a stellar podcast featuring entrepreneurs who’ve made it really big (Instagram, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream, Serena & Lily, and more). Tosi founded Milk Bar in

08/20/2026

Seniors, it’s game time. 🎓

Applications are open, and now it’s time to turn your college list into a strategy. From choosing the right application plan to managing supplemental essays and deadlines, there’s a lot to do - and plenty you can control.

The goal? Make the plan. Do the work. Finish strong.

Read our latest blog for practical advice on tackling the application season with intention and confidence.

Susan Lutz, College Consultant Seniors, applications are open. It’s game time. This may be the largest long-term, multistep project you have managed. And…it’s one where you often cannot predict the final outcome. What you can control is your preparation, effort, and quality of work. That begin...

08/11/2026

A calendar can be more than a place to record deadlines. It's a tool for building independence, reducing stress, and developing a skill students will use for the rest of their lives.

But there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to calendaring. The best system is the one a student can actually use and maintain.

In our latest blog, we share the A, B, Cs of successful calendaring: Accessible. Building Blocks. Clear. Because the goal isn’t the perfect calendar. It’s helping students create a system that works for them.

Lorie Kram, MA, JD Founder of BLUBERYL, which provides strengths-based coaching and consulting services for competitive students and professionals. Coaches, parents, teachers, college advisors—everyone tells students to use calendars. And, yes, students should use calendars! Commitments need to be...

08/06/2026

📚✏️ Back-to-school season is here! Along with fresh notebooks and color-coded planners comes the annual promise that "this year, we'll stay organized." (We believe you... mostly. 😉)

Whether your student is starting high school or preparing to submit college applications, every grade has different priorities and parents have an important role to play, too.

Our latest blog shares practical, grade-by-grade advice to help families build good habits now, reduce stress later, and keep the college planning process in perspective.

Read our Back-to-School Survival Guide and start the year with confidence. 🍎

Barbara Sams, Managing Partner Ah, August. The season of sharpened pencils, unopened planners, school supply aisles that somehow cost $200, and parents everywhere wondering, "Didn't we just celebrate the last day of school?" Every year, students promise this will be the year they stay organized. Eve...

08/01/2026

Today marks the official start of application season for the Class of 2027!

Take a deep breath, make a plan, and start strong. Thoughtful applications aren't built overnight, but they do begin with a single step.

Reach out to us today to start your college choice journey.

07/30/2026

Thank you Melissa Mieyr, M.Ed. with InfoQuest College & Financial Solutions for putting this great information together!

𝗙𝗔𝗙𝗦𝗔 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗜𝗗 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆

The Department of Education is now screening every FAFSA application for fraud in real time. If your student gets flagged, they will need to verify their identity with a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID (like a driver's license, state ID, or passport) using a smartphone or tablet camera; a student ID card does NOT count.

IDs can take time to get. Do not wait until it is time to complete the FAFSA.

Do this today:
✅ Check your student's ID—is it valid and unexpired?
✅ If not, start that process now
✅ Questions about your family's specific situation? Reach out to InfoQuest or talk to your school counselor

Aid delayed is aid your student may miss out on.

07/30/2026

⏳ The Common App is about to hit its annual reset. Maybe it's a good reminder that seniors should, too.

College application season is almost here, and before long you'll be balancing classes, activities, friendships, and deadlines. A little planning now can make senior year far less stressful and help you enjoy all the moments that matter.

Our latest blog shares practical tips for getting organized before the school year begins so you can submit strong applications and make the most of your senior year.

Susan Lutz, College Consultant Each summer, the Common App hits reset. This year, the first-year application will close on July 28 for its annual refresh and reopen on August 1 for students applying for Fall 2027. Most information entered in the main “My Common Application” section will roll ove...

07/21/2026

Summer reading doesn't have to end with the last page; it can open the door to your future.

Books have the power to introduce students to careers they may never have considered, spark new interests, and help them imagine what's possible. If your high school student is looking for meaningful ways to spend the rest of the summer, this week's blog offers reading recommendations that inspire career exploration while building curiosity along the way.

Read the full post and discover how the right book can help shape what's next.

Elizabeth Schnell, College Consultant We often recommend that students’ summer plans include some investigation of careers. Activities like jobs by internships by or camps present one way to explore, but sometimes those opportunities aren’t available or conflict with other summer commitments. In...