College Mentors

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 ...

Greetings! Yes, it's still summer. . . but it's August, and so summer has peaked, and we're on the downslide. . . well, I prefer to think of it in more positive terms, as sliding into home, at least for those of you who are starting your senior year and getting ready to apply for college! You're all preparing for the "World Series" of high school--finding the right fit for your post high school career! My job as your coach is to help you and your family to assess your talents, skills, and interests, and help you find the colleges that would best meet your needs, work with you on essays, then happily watch you hit one out of the park!! Some suggestions to get your "training program" started! Start thinking about what you might want to write about for your personal statement. The most important part of your application, the personal statement lets colleges know who you are. It gives them the chance to see you as an individual, to get a sense of what ...

Acceptances are rolling in, and along with them, financial aid letters showing how each college will "meet your need." Most colleges promised to meet full need with the package--the difference between your Expected Family Contribution (EFC from the FAFSA) and the total cost of attendance. Take a look at the sample at right (click on it for a larger view). This hypothetical student's family had an EFC of $10,000, and this college promised to meet 100% of need. What are the elements of a financial aid offer letter? Cost of attendance --this section tells you how much it costs to attend the university. It always includes tuition, room and board, any mandatory student fees (e.g. health, registration, etc.). Most colleges will also list an amount for books, travel, and incidentals, but some will not list all of these. Scholarships-- If you are receiving any scholarship money, they'll be listed. Scholarships may be need and/or merit based, don't need to be paid back...