Clear Goals and Objectives

The goal: A solid career choice made possible by a sound education plan. If this coordinated plan is successfully implemented, the result is career satisfaction and ability to support target lifestyle and repay student loans.  Failure of the plan can lead to disruption of life objectives and lifelong student debt. 

In most of the 20th Century, a 4-year college degree was affordable and led reliably to career success. Those not seeking 4-year degrees found ready employment in prospering local businesses, in effect receiving vocational education via on-the-job-training. The job market was stable, meaning that graduates could plan to spend their career with a single company. Every one of those core realities has been shaken by 21st Century reality.

College costs have skyrocketed. For all but the wealthy, the 4-year degree will require student loans, taken with the intent of paying off the loan with income from the the new career.  The reality is painful: 40% of college degree seekers drop out, leaving them with a heavy load of debt and without the degree that was intended to be the repayment source. 

     For non-degree seekers, the avenue to career success involves complex decisions among a variety of vocational education paths,  leading to an increasingly turbulent job market. 

The student debt statistics are horrific: over 40 million borrower; $1.6 Trillion in total debt; and 40% of debt holders have dropped out of college.  But, before signing the loan papers, each of those borrowers had a plan that involved Borrow, Learn, Earn, Repay. Clearly, well over half of these plans were flawed, leading to the heartbreak of student dropout, financial burden and major life disruption. In simplest terms, PlanAna21 believes that technology can now dramatically improved the results of individual student's planning. 

Advanced Guidance believes that individual students and their families can create a  plan that addresses current risks of failure..  In sports terms, we are playing defense -- avoiding the errors in planning or execution that cause high drop out rates and unmanageable debt.  For example an education path that leads to a career that is being disrupted by technology can be a life-altering disaster-- a heavy load of debt with no offsetting ability to repay. Advanced Guidance can warn of the plan flaw and suggest alternatives that can be considered. Important Note: People, not AI, make final decisions.

For students using student loans to seek a 4-year degree,  planning extends at least 15 years into the future, wrapping up high school, four years of college, and 10 years of career growth and student debt management. The other players in the process are universities and lender companies, with well established procedures and marketing methods.  Simply stated, it is a power mismatch that can overwhelm individual families. 

         For non-degree seekers, the complexity is less but still includes a wide range of vocation educational alternatives involving a broad range of costs, duration, competence, reputation drop out rates, and reasons for drop out rates. 

         PlanAna21 is a tool aimed at leveling the playing field of complex analysis and decision making, in effect joining parents and counselors in analysis and planning of best paths forward. 

This website collects a wide variety of relevant information and will present it for potential value in the guidance process. 

• Career paths that are ascending, stable and descending - as a guide to a career choice
• Student capabilities and traits important for success.
• Avenues to financial resources that do not involve long-term debt
• Understanding the student loan process and potential long-term consequences
• Requirements for an objective planning, including understanding the goals and motivations of each party involved  
• Case studies of individual students and families making a planning error, and of plans that proceed smoothly. 

As a Counselor option, this information will support the engagement of Parents or Guardians, where involvement in the decision making process is vital, as well as awareness of of parental role and in preparing children for the eventual requirements of higher education and the job market. 

Advanced Guidance uses AI to provide information pertinent to your plan, then to analyze the soundness of the whole plan. Of course, the ideal outcome is  a well coordinated plan that progresses through relevant education and successful transition to a satisfying career. 

     AI tools include the power of predictive analysis, vital to modern-day questions such as,  will this career category by ascending, stable, or obsolete in the next 5-10 years?

      In some cases, AG might inspire consideration of a substantially different plan. Final decision are human not AI, but better decisions come from better information, and AI can often contribute..

    Summarizing the big picture value: Advanced Guidance serves a vital function when it helps student and family avoid a planning error that can lead to financial and emotional pain. The positive contribution is information and predictive analysis that supports positive planning and fulfillment of life objectives.