College Mentors

Of course, the answer to this question depends on what grade you are in, so here are a few pointers for each grade level: Going to be a high school Senior in the fall? These items should be on your to do list this summer: Prepare for taking or re-taking the SAT/ACT and/or Subject tests Work on your personal statement (the prompts don't change a lot from year to year) Work part time and/or enhance your extra-curriculars through volunteer work, community service, athletic and/or arts participation, leadership participation Start or continue researching possible colleges for you; think outside the box of your experience (i.e. consider different geography--such as small town if you're a city dweller or a city if you live in a rural area, size--such as small college if you went to a big high school, activities available, sports, campus life, etc.) Consider taking a class of interest at the local community college to enhance your resume Make some college visits, at least to nearby ...

Those of you who are completing your junior year in high school are probably planning to take or retake the SAT/ACT tests very soon. Which tests should you take? Is one type better than the other? When are the next test dates? Both the SAT and the ACT with writing are accepted by most colleges & universities. If you can, I recommend taking both and then using the scores from the exam on which you do best. The SAT and ACT test differently, and depending on your learning and testing style, you may do much better on one than the other. In a nutshell, the SAT tests abstract reasoning skills more than the ACT, which tests you on the body of knowledge you learn in high school. Both tests include a writing component. (We'll talk about SAT Subject tests in the next post.) SAT TEST DATES June 6th, 2009 Registration deadline is May 5th for regular registration and May 15th (mail) or May 19th (phone). There is an additional cost for late registration. They have not ...

Today I learned that Evergreen State College in Washington is still accepting applications for their fall class. Evergreen is a unique college, offering an interdisciplinary approach to learning. Their program would be of interest to students looking for a "progressive liberal arts and sciences college." If this kind of college sounds interesting to you and you have a 3.0 or above GPA, check out their website at: http://www.evergreen.edu/admissions/apply.htm

In many cases, your financial aid package will contain grants, scholarships, and loans. As we've talked about before, grants and scholarships are free money--money that does not have to be paid back. Loans, however, do have to be paid back. What types of loans might you see on your offer letter? Let's start with the Federal Loans. The main loan types are: Perkins--based on need, these loans are provided at a fixed rate of 5% Stafford Subsidized--based on need, these loans are currently at 6%, fixed, and interest is paid by the government while the student is in school. Stafford Unsubsidized--not based on need, these loans are currently at 6%, fixed, but interest accrues while the student is in college (you can pay the interest monthly or it will be capitalized and added to the principal at graduation). Federal Direct Loans--these are the same as the Stafford, but come directly from the government instead of through a lender. PLUS loans--not based on need, parents can borrow ...

March 2nd fast approaches--that's the deadline for your FAFSA and for Cal Grant applications here in California. Most of you have probably already gotten your Student Aid Report (SAR) from the FAFSA. The SAR is where you will find the EFC (Estimated Family Contribution)--this is the amount of money your family (you and your parents) will be expected to contribute toward your college education for the year. Make sure you look at the SAR to see whether you are among the families selected to "verify" their FAFSA. If there is an asterisk after the EFC figure, then you will have to submit tax returns and other documentation to the financial aid office of the college that you're going to attend. Even if you're not selected for verification, individual colleges may still ask you to submit tax forms W-2s, etc.

I've missed you all and apologize for my absence the past several months--I had to deal with some health issues--but all is now well, and I am back in time for Financial Aid. Now is the time to fill out your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)--this is the form that is required for all forms of financial aid that you may seek. Make sure that you go directly to the government site: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ Do not use a 3rd party FAFSA site, as they will charge you! Your first step should be to request a PIN for yourself and your parents--the PIN is required so that you can electronically sign the form. If you are applying to private universities, then you'll need to fill out the CSS Profile as well. You can access that at www.collegeboard.com Please leave comments with any questions you might have; I'll be checking for questions daily.

You're back to school for your senior year and have begun your college search process. Most likely, colleges have started visiting your high school, and I encourage you to attend as many of these visits as you can--and keep an open mind. Consider colleges in a different climate or a small college if you've attended a large urban high school. You might be surprised at what will feel like a great fit! Take campus virtual tours--either by going to individual college sites or by using a virtual tours site, such as: http://www.ecampustours.com/ Most college sites will even have dorm pictures--and since you're likely to be living in a dorm at least your first year, it makes sense to get an idea of what they are like. If you still need to take the SAT, ACT, or SAT Subject tests, or if you want to improve your scores--get signed up IMMEDIATELY. For most colleges, the December test is the last one accepted. How's that personal statement coming? Many of you will be writing a ...