It’s that time of year. Yeah, it’s the gift season, but it’s also frantic college application frenzy season. As deadlines for many college applications loom just around the corner, many students are now in what we call “Holiday Crunch” mode. If you’re a student–or a parent of a student–like most, who plan to use the …
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Myth: Applying to Fewer Colleges Boosts My Chances of Acceptance
Generally speaking, colleges don’t share admissions information with each other. The only way a college might figure out how many colleges you’re applying to is through your FAFSA, where you list each of the colleges you wish to receive a copy of your financial aid application. The number of colleges listed on a student’s FAFSA …
Financial Aid Forms: FAFSA and CSS Profile Overview
So, in the alphabet soup of college financial aid, you (hopefully) learned that the grand-daddy of financial aid acronyms is the FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Every school uses the FAFSA in determining and awarding financial assistance for college. Through the personal and financial information provided on the FAFSA, the federal government …
Why Do Private Colleges Appear to be So Much More Expensive than State Colleges?
While you’re looking for colleges, of course you’re also looking at the cost. After all, you want to make sure you can afford attending the school. The average sticker price for an in-state resident at a public college was $18,391 in 2012. That’s almost $12,000 less than the average sticker price for private colleges. What …
How Do Students Afford Colleges Like Harvard or Stanford?
How Do Students Afford Colleges That Are Very Expensive? – College Raptor Q&A For the 2014-15 school year, the published costs of attendance at Harvard and Stanford are approximately $65,000 and $62,000, respectively. These numbers can easily be discouraging for those who want to afford colleges, especially for students from low-income families. Even students who …
Can I Get Financial Aid?
Over 80 percent of college students met some financial aid eligibility criteria and received financial assistance during the 2011-2012 school year. This means there is a good chance you can get financial aid. You may think that the only way to get financial aid is to be extremely smart or a stand-out athlete. But most …
Is Early Action Right for Me?
A number of colleges give prospective students the option to apply early action. Early action (EA) is a non-binding program which allows students to receive admissions decisions in December rather than April. Unlike early decision, applying early action is not a commitment to a single college. Is EA right for you? Applying Early Action can …
Should I Apply Early Decision to College?
Prepared students with a single first choice college may consider applying early decision. Early decision is binding–meaning if you apply and are accepted early decision to a college, you are expected to go there, with almost no exception. There are a lot of reasons students apply this way. Many believe it’s easier to be accepted …
How Do I Choose a College Major?
Choosing a college major can be a huge part of your overall college plan. Knowing what you want to study can narrow down the college search. But with literally hundreds of majors to choose from, it can be hard to decide. The following are some things to consider when picking a major. What do you …
How do I Choose a College?
It can be intimidating to try to choose one college from nearly 3,000 options. Luckily, you can easily narrow your search by considering fit and accessibility. Consider these questions as you search for the right college for you. Is the college a good fit for you? Compare your academic profile to the previous incoming class …