It’s easy to convince yourself as a college applicant that the most important characteristic of a college is its selectivity or prestige. No matter how envious your friends may be if you’re accepted into selective colleges, it doesn’t mean you’ll ultimately be happy there. Here are some of the problems with judging colleges only by …
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College Myths: The Colleges I Get Mail From Are the Best Options for Me
Colleges send out lots and lots of bulk mail Not all colleges can afford to mail every student Most mailings are not very targeted If you haven’t started to get piles of brochures from colleges yet–just wait. Most high school juniors and seniors receive more college mail than they know what to do with. It’s …
College Myth: College is for Rich Kids
You’ve probably heard horror stories about students who pay $60,000 plus every year to attend college. If you’re an average middle-class college hopeful, this can be disheartening. It seems like college is for rich kids only, and not as accessible to other students. The good news is that the most-often quoted price–the sticker price–is paid …
College Myth: I Could Never Afford to Pay for an Ivy League College
Most students who consider attending an Ivy League college, like Harvard and Stanford, think of them as dream schools. Even some well-qualified students shy away from applying. They think they could never afford an Ivy League college. The good news is that, for most students, Ivy League colleges and other elite, selective universities are often actually …
College Myth: I Should Wait Until I’m Accepted to Apply for Financial Aid
Applying for financial aid can be tough. Beyond the complicated jargon and long forms, financial aid is tricky. Not only that, there’s a lot of conflicting and misguided advice. For example, most people think that they should apply for financial aid after they get accepted. However, this isn’t usually the right approach. We broke down …
College Myth: I Shouldn’t Reach out to a College Until I’m Ready to Apply
Many students assume they’ll reach out to a college during the application process, but this shouldn’t necessarily be the case. In fact, contacting a college before you apply can have advantages. Contacting a college before applying could actually improve your admissions chances Reaching out to a college as a prospective student shows you’re actively interested. …
College Myth: I Have to Fill Out Hundreds of Applications and Essays to Try to Get Scholarships
Teachers and counselors encourage many of their students to search the internet and apply for as many scholarships as possible. Teachers and counselors push students to get scholarships — as many as they can. This can be helpful for some students, but it’s usually not the most efficient way to reduce your cost of college. …
College Myth: College Isn’t Worth the Price
Accounting for inflation, the annual cost of college has more than doubled since 1980. With the average cost of attendance at private colleges now at $42,419, it’s no wonder people question the investment value and think college isn’t worth the price. Not only is the cost of college rising, many students are forced to take …
Happy New Year: Make a Resolution to Start Your College Search Early (And Keep It!)
As we turn the page on 2014, a whole new class of high school students is making their New Year resolution and beginning to turn their thoughts toward their college search. Future college hopefuls and their families may consider putting off their search, as the process can be quite intimidating. But, keep in mind that …
How Do I Know if a College is a Good Fit?
There is a college out there for nearly everyone. The most important part of finding the right college is determining if a school is a good fit for you. A college that’s a good fit should have the following characteristics. 1. The college matches you academically You want to be challenged in college, but being …