The 12 Days of College Affordability
I’m no financial planner. But as a college counselor, college essay coach, and SAT, ACT and academic subjects tutor for more than a decade, I do have some thoughts on how to make college more affordable. So in honor of one of my favorite Christmas carols – John Denver and the Muppets’ “The Twelve Days of Christmas” – I figured I’d list 12 of them. Believe me, you’d rather read them than listen to me sing!
1.On the first day of Christmas, my Uncle Sam gave to me…The (New) FAFSA: Fill It Out Now!
Many middle-class families incorrectly believe that their earned income is too high to receive financial aid. True, you might not qualify for a Pell grant, awarded to undergraduates with exceptional need. Yet, you may be eligible for outside scholarships and those awarded by the college itself. But you’ll likely need to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to be considered. Normally, the FAFSA becomes available to families starting October 1. This year, however, the FAFSA underwent a revision. It’s expected to be ready for filing on December 31.
In the meanwhile, start compiling documents you’ll need. Then you'll be ready as soon as the FAFSA becomes available.
2. On the second day of Christmas, my college counselor gave to me… Early Applications
Sometimes universities have a finite pool of money available to award to students. If you apply for admission July through November 1, you may have a better shot at that limited resource. Didn’t get that application in yet? Don’t sweat it. Apply for admission by the regular decision deadline around January 1. Submit your FAFSA soon thereafter.
3. …My College Counselor Gave to Me: Outside Scholarships: Apply for Them NOW, No Matter Your Age
It’s never too early to apply for scholarships offered by foundations, corporations, and non-profit institutions. There are even scholarships for kindergarteners! Listen to this episode of Tests and the Rest to learn about – you guessed it! – 12 must-see college scholarships. (Of course, if they need help writing the essay, you can contact me, a college counselor and college essay coach, here.)
4. …my college counselor gave to me: Your GPA: Concentrate on It Rather Than the Elusive Athletic Scholarship
According to Jeff Selingo, author of Who Gets In and Why, GPA and the rigor of a student’s course load (see #8 below) the number one criteria used by college admissions officers. Of course, you want to pursue some extracurricular interests. But I see too many students spending more than 25 hours per week on sports, often to the detriment of their grades. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that that investment of student time (not to mention family finances) will result in significant merit aid. Instead, students should focus more time on raising their GPA. Seek help first from the classroom teacher. If that doesn't work, I’m happy to supply additional support if your child needs it.
5. On the fifth day of Christmas, my Uncle Sam gave to me, Fiiiive-Twenty-Nine: Open a 529 Account Before December 31
These accounts allow you to save money for the tuition of your child, grandchild, or other young loved one. (I just opened one for my fourteen-month-old niece!) At the same time, a 529 account reduces your taxable income! For more financial tips like, check out my webinar with CFP Igor Tsukerman here. Don’t worry: I stick to giving the advice of a college counselor; Igor dispenses the financial advice.
6. …My college counselor gave to me: Colleges That Award the Best Scholarships: Find Them and Apply
Not sure how to find them? Listen to this podcast episode for a start. You can also contact me, a college counselor and college essay coach, for a half-hour complimentary consultation to discuss how I can help craft a college list with such institutions on it for you.
7. … My college counselor gave to me: Education: Learn About Paying for College
You’re reading this blog post right now. That’s a great start! After patting yourself on the back, listen to this podcast episode to learn the different ways to pay for college! You can also get general college planning advice from the YouTube channel of your favorite college counselor and college essay coach here.
8. …My college counselor gave to me: The Right Courses: They’re More Important Than the SAT and Extracurriculars
As I mentioned in Tip #3, a strong GPA is only half of the most important criterion college admissions offices use to judge candidates and their worthiness of merit aid. Taking some of the most challenging courses offered in your high school is the other half. Nevertheless, sometimes getting into such courses requires years of forethought. For more information about this tricky process, watch “Picking the Right Courses in Middle and High School for Selective College Admissions,” here. Or attend my virtual delivery of the same talk live on February 12, 2024, at 7pm. You can’t register yet, but you can sign up for my monthly newsletter to receive an email reminder about it in the new year. (I promise, I don’t sell your email or spam you. The newsletter provides actionable advice from an experienced college counselor and essay coach .)
9….My College Counselor Gave to Me: The SAT or ACT: Still Useful, Especially If You Study Hard and Do Well On It
As I’ve discussed before, many parents and students believe that “test-optional” means “test-blind.” Unfortunately, even if a college has adopted a test-optional for admissions purposes, it may require an SAT or ACT score for a student to even be considered for any merit aid. Because most juniors – even those with a college counselor – have no clue where they’re applying to college, I strongly suggest that they all study for and take one of those two exams. To help you figure out which might be more appropriate for your student, watch my webinars, “The Digital SAT: What’s New and How to Prepare For It,” as well as “The SAT or ACT?” If you think you might need help preparing for either standardized test, feel free to make a free half-hour consultation appointment with me here.
10. …My college essay coach gave to me: An Application Essay That Rocks: Can Mitigate Other Flaws in the App
By the time a student reaches senior year, one of the only ways that they can earn more merit aid for college (except for Tips #1-3) is an outstanding essay. I’ve written about this reality here. However, the essay-writing process is often one of the most difficult parts of a student’s college application journey, as I’ve discussed here.
An investment as little as $2950 (the cost of my 10-session college essay coaching package) yielded one student’s full ride to college, an ROI (return on investment) of 9,391.53%. Wall Street’s not giving you anywhere near those returns! To learn more about how I, a college counselor and college essay coach, can help your child craft a meaningful essay that may earn meaningful merit aid, book your free half-hour consultation here.
11. …My College Counselor Gave to Me: Your Financial Aid Award Letter: Don’t Be Afraid to Appeal It
Wait! What? You can appeal a letter? Yes, I’ve blogged about how to do that here. More importantly, you can also parlay one school’s offer into an equal offer at a (more desirable) college. One of my former SAT students did justthat. He informed Syracuse University of SUNY-Purchase’s offer; Syracuse matched it and this student is now graduating from a more selective, prestigious institution for the same price as a state school!
12. And on the last day of Christmas, My College Counselor Gave to ME: A Knowledgeable Mentor: Worth Her Weight in Five Golden Rings
Well-educated, well-intentioned parents and grandparents contact me all. the. time with questions and misperceptions about the college application process. It’s natural! I spend all the hours I’m not working one-on-one with students or teaching groups keeping up to date on the latest developments in this fast-paced, ever-changing industry. I do this so you don’t have to!
As one of my former clients, author Nancy Slotnick, wrote on Google last year:
Dr. P is a superstar!! I am a Harvard graduate and my son applied early to Harvard. Dr. P helped him to glean and consolidate his thoughts, choose the right topics and tighten his writing. She also understands the strategy that is right for colleges. On top of all that, she was fantastic at navigating the time management. The process is sooooo overwhelming for kids these days and there are so many different essays and short answers. She was able to navigate the time management and break things down into small chunks. It was so shocking that she was able to lead my son to doing all the work on his own, to the point that they had to kick me out of the loop, when I was used to being a helicopter Mom. Once I trusted and accepted Dr. P., it was such a relief! I would recommend a package so that the time management piece is handled by Crimson Coaching and the Moms or Dads can go have a glass of wine. Cheers!
So, go ahead: Email me and then pour yourself a big glass of wine!
Happy holidays!
