DECIDE WHICH COLLEGES YOU WANT TO APPLY TO 

AND START FILLING OUT APPLICATIONS!

If you are planning to go to college including any kind of vocational/technical/trade school/program, in state or out-of-state, it's never too early to start researching options. Then by fall of your senior year, you can make your decision about where you want to go, and start filling out your applications. The earlier you apply, the better chance you have of getting offered scholarships and financial aid that can be on a first-come first-serve basis. Apply to more than one college, because you never know what each college has available for grants, scholarships, and aid and it may surprise you which one comes back with the best offer. It could be that a more expensive school ends up being less expensive than you think due to their scholarship and aid package.  

Expensive private colleges have larger pools of money to give, so they are offering more financial aid than ever. Those substantial discounts, offered in the form of merit scholarships and need-based aid, are meant to lure cash-strapped students who might not otherwise think of private schools as a viable financial option. On average, students tend to pay half the price-tag after all the discounts.

Some colleges consider you for scholarships automatically when you apply. However, some require a separate scholarship application. Make sure to check if the college you are applying to has a separate scholarship application and fill it out if they do. Inquire to individual departments (such as engineering or music) to see if they offer additional departmental scholarships.

EARLY ACTION deadlines are typically in November. Early action plans are non-binding — students receive an early response to their application but do not have to commit to the college until the normal reply date of May 1. You may receive priority housing preferences and you will hear back sooner (Dec/Jan typically vs March/April) about your acceptance and scholarship/aid offer. (Don’t confuse this with early decision which is binding — a student who is accepted as an early decision applicant must attend that college).

Think you can't afford a pricey, elite private school? Think again! 

Click HERE for the top 10 best colleges for financial aid - including Princeton which comes out at an average out-of-pocket cost of just $11, 385 for tuition, fees, room, and board after financial aid awards! 

The Princeton Review's 

TOP 25 BEST COLLEGES FOR FINANCIAL AID

College Application Fee Waivers

If you qualify for free/reduced lunch or meet other income criteria, you could be eligible to receive a fee waiver so you don't have to pay the college application fee where you are applying.

Click HERE for the NACAC Admission Application Fee Waiver

Click HERE to find out more about who is eligible.

College Enrollment Fee Waiver

If you demonstrate financial need, colleges MAY consider waiving or deferring your enrollment deposit that is required to hold your spot. If you don't have the financial means to pay your enrollment deposit click HERE for the NACAC Request for Enrollment Deposit Fee Waiver Form. This is not a guarantee that you will be granted a waiver, but many colleges will consider your request. Let me know if you want to fill out this form, as it requires a signature.

College Fly-In Programs - to cover your cost of visiting distant colleges

Did you know that some colleges offer "fly-in" programs to cover the cost of transportation, room, and board for you to go check out their college campus? Some fly-in programs are competitive and you have to qualify. Others are for any student who is interested (Grand Canyon University for example)

Find out if the college you are interested in offers such a program, or check out the list HERE

Sweet Briar College Fly-In Program (ALL expenses paid for you and one parent!) - Click HERE

Application Deadline Types

• Early Action: Applicants submit before the regular deadline and get a nonbinding admission decision earlier than usual. With restricted early action, you must only apply to one college.

• Early Decision: Apply to your first-choice school before the regular deadline and submit all financial aid forms. If the college admits you AND the financial aid offer is acceptable, you're expected to withdraw any other college applications and enroll immediately. Two schools offering early decision are Whitman College and University of Puget Sound.

• Regular Decision: With this nonbinding option, application deadlines fall anywhere from mid-November to mid-February. Decision letters arrive by April 1.

• Rolling Admissions: Some colleges, such as Washington State University, accept applications as early as September and offer seats on a first-come, first-served basis, usually notifying applicants of admissions decisions quickly.

Applying EARLY ACTION

• With "Early Action," students apply in the fall (usually by November) and get a decision by December.

• Typically much higher acceptance rate than regular decision.

• Usually meet any required deadlines for merit scholarship consideration, honors programs, or admission to highly selective majors.

• Can receive priority status for financial aid

The College (and Scholarship) Essay

Experts say the essay should give the school a sample of the student's personality.

"A good essay to me, in general, is one where I learn something about the student that I wouldn't learn elsewhere in the application," says Monica Inzer, vice president for enrollment management at Hamilton College in New York.

Click on the following links for helpful tips on how to write your college essay that you will use for both college and scholarship applications. For more information, please see the "Scholarship" page.

•       How to Write Your Story: College Essay Examples - Click HERE for real essay examples and tips

•      10 Ways to Discover College Essay Ideas - Click HERE

•   

150 Great Words and Phrases to Use During the College Admissions Process. 

Click HERE for a list of words to use in your college and scholarship essay.

Recommendation Letters 

For Colleges and Scholarships

Click HERE for tips on WHO to ask, HOW to ask, and WHEN to ask for recommendation letters from teachers and community members.

Click HERE for tips to give your your recommender on how to write you a good letter.

Click HERE for "How to get good recommendation letters."

Activity Resume

For Colleges and Scholarships

If you plan to apply for scholarships, you need one of these. List all your awards/honors/leadership positions, community service, school and community clubs/activities/sports, and job experience - include the grade level this took place.  Grab an example of one from the wall outside my office or see the examples below. 

Campus Reel

10,000+ student-made videos showcase dorm rooms, dining halls, student life and more on college campuses. It's like YouTube for college search. 

Click HERE to visit site

College Tours

Juniors should try to schedule campus visits in the spring when classes are in session. Spring break is an ideal time for college visits!

Seniors should schedule visits in the early fall when classes are in session.

You should not decide to attend a college until you have visited the campus - feeling like it is a good fit for you is important. You will be spending up to 4 years here!

The College Visit - What you need to know - Click HERE

Top 10 questions you may not think to ask on a college tour (but totally should) - Click HERE

The Common App

What Is the Common Application?

The Common Application is a college application shared by its member colleges. Member colleges then accept this application from prospective students.

So what does this mean for you? Instead of filling out an individual application for each school, all you have to do is fill out the Common Application once and send it to whichever colleges you want to apply to that accept it.

However, this doesn’t mean you can apply to dozens of colleges with the click of a button. Many colleges have additional supplements you have to submit. These are forms with additional questions and sometimes an extra essay.

Furthermore, most colleges have application fees, so you can’t apply to hundreds of schools—unless, of course, you have a lot of money to burn!

Finally, the Common Application only accepts colleges that use a holistic review process. In other words, Common Application colleges look at each applicant as a whole, taking into account grades, SAT/ACT scores, essays, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, etc.Because of this, all of these components are part of the Common Application. (However, the essay is no longer required for all schools.)

Who Uses the Common Application?

More than 750 colleges use the Common Application! At least one college in every state accepts it, with the exception of North Dakota. In addition, more than 50 international universities from 19 countries accept the Common Application.

While the Common Application is used by many private universities, some public school systems, including many schools in the State University of New York (SUNY) system, accept it as well. However, you should be aware that public schools tend to have their own application systems.

Lastly, the Common Application is accepted by the following top colleges and universities:

• All eight Ivy League schools (Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale)

• Many other highly selective schools, including Stanford, the University of Chicago, Caltech, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and Rice

Complete List of Common Application Members

Without further delay, here is the complete list of colleges that use the Common Application. The first list is organized alphabetically by state/region for US universities, while the second list is organized alphabetically by country for international schools.

Making College Decisions 

When it comes time to helping students make their final post-secondary selection, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• What does your student plan to study? Does their top school provide that program? If they are undecided, does their top  school have a majority of the programs that interest them?

• Class size matters. What kind of learner is the student – what environment do they learn in best? Knowing the average student-to-instructor ratio can determine how successful they are.

• Housing. Where students sleep, study, and hang out matters. Consider the environment and the cost of on-campus residence halls. Don’t forget to explore other options if they are available.

• Location and transportation. Have the student consider how they will get around on campus and the local community. Is biking or taking a bus/shuttle an option?

• Considering Costs. This is a decision we encourage most students make with their families. What does financial aid look like for the student? Do they know all of their options? Does your student have a point of contact at the institution for any financial aid questions they might have?

• Social and extracurricular activities. Have students consider what is important to them in a school’s culture. Encourage them to talk to alumni and check out student resource pages and blogs, or plan a campus visit.

Choosing a College Major

Choosing a College major often sets students up for a specific career path. Click HERE for tips on choosing a college major, including the highest and lowest paying college majors.

Open and print the College Comparison Chart below and use it to compare information about the colleges you are considering. 

Comparing Financial Aid Award Letters and Making the Best Decision For You

Congratulations — acceptance letters and financial aid award letters are in your hands. But now what? How do you keep cost in perspective when making a decision? This webinar will provide you with the information and tools needed to analyze your award letters and to understand the financial impact each might have. 

Go HERE for a great article: 

"How to Understand Financial Aid Award Letters"

10 Companies That Offer Tuition Reimbursement 

To Help Pay for College