Dobler College Consulting

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Don’t Let Assumptions Lead You Astray

My seniors have most of their application work done and my juniors are starting to explore programs, potential job shadows while trying to get a grasp on just how much college is going to cost them.

It’s an interesting time of year because I find myself on pins and needles with the seniors, hoping that we have done everything right and that acceptance letters will come their way shortly. With the juniors, it’s all about exploration and introducing them to the idea that they need to be good investigators right now.

Which brings me to my thought for today.

Assumptions.

Don’t make them.

Please.

There is so much information to be had about colleges that to rely on something somebody once said as a reason to apply or not to apply is just foolish. I know we all have those people in our lives who tend to know a little about everything, but when this so-called expert on life tells you that you shouldn’t apply to a school because it’s an all-male school (when, in fact, it is not) or tells you that the professors aren’t any good (like anything in life, there are the good, the bad and the ugly but I refuse to believe that the entire roster of professors on any given campus are just the worst in the world) or that there’s no way you can afford it, I say it’s time to find out the truth for yourself.

This is YOUR college application process. Not your friend’s, not your uncle’s and not your parents. Yours. And you need to own it. Use the resources available to you to qualify information before you allow assumptions to lead you astray. Go the colleges’ websites and read up on their profile, their demographics and their majors. Use their net price calculators to learn more about what you might be able to expect financially. Go for a visit and sit in on a class in your intended major. If you can’t visit, check out a virtual tour or read student reviews on sites like Unigo or College Prowler.

Whether you do all of these things or just some of them, whatever you do, just don’t make assumptions.

If you have questions or would like some help with your college search and application process, use the comment box below or email me directly at eric@doblercollegeconsulting.com. I would love to hear from you!

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Eric Dec 02, 2012 , , , , , , , No Comments
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Mom in Cheshire Grateful For Dobler College Consulting

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I wanted to share this story from a Cheshire mom whose daughter I have worked with over the past year:

“As my phone rings AGAIN and it’s my sister calling to tell me another thing I should be doing for my daughter’s college to-do list, I have heart failure.  I can’t hang up fast enough to yell for my sixteen-year old to come downstairs so I can ask her if she has done it.  She looks at me like I am crazy and says, ‘mom, Eric and I did that two months ago.’  Every single time this scenario plays out, her answer is always the same.  Not only is she prepared, she has had whatever is needed done well before the deadline.  Eric has made this process so uncomplicated and actually enjoyable!

The most important thing he has done for parent and child alike is to make my daughter accountable. The parents are not responsible to get things done for college. The student is.

This has helped my daughter in the growing-up process.  She also owns her college experience.  She did the work, she picked the colleges, and she succeeded in her first hurdle of her college experience.  Is she nervous? Absolutely, but thanks to Eric she couldn’t be anymore prepared for what lies ahead.  For this we are extremely grateful.”

To have the opportunity to work with families like this and to know that our work together has made a difference in their lives, is something I am so thankful for.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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Eric Nov 25, 2012 , , , , , No Comments
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Why You Should Know Your EFC

Last week I wrote a post about understanding the difference between net price and sticker price. Today, I wanted to carry the financial torch a bit further by talking about EFC.

EFC? What’s that you say? Another acronym?

Yup. The world of college admissions and financial aid is full of them.

EFC stands for expected family contribution. It is the amount of money you will be expected to contribute towards one year of your college costs. While it won’t paint the entire picture for you, it will serve as a starting point before you venture into how generous a school is with their aid. You won’t know your official EFC until after you’ve completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and, in my opinion, this is too late. You can’t fill out the FAFSA until after January 1st of the student’s senior year when decisions on where you are applying have already been made.

Rather, you should know your EFC before you start getting too deep into looking at colleges.

Parents of freshmen, sophomores and juniors, I’m talking to you.

For example, let’s say your EFC is $25,000. If you are looking at a college where the cost of attendance is $55,000 you can immediately see that you will be hoping to get $30,000 in aid. Conversely, if the college’s cost of attendance is $30,000, you shouldn’t be expecting much of anything outside of the basic student loan.

In the case of the former, $30,000 is a big difference to make up. The next step is to understand just how generous a school is and if they are going to help you out. Typically, the biggest factor in whether or not a college is going to offer you a financial aid package that meets your need is how competitive you are as an applicant.

Do yourself a favor and obtain your estimated EFC now. Write it down, understand it and use it when you are researching schools and want to know what a school is going to cost you.

If you have questions or would like some help figuring out how to reduce the cost of college, use the comment box below or email me directly at eric@doblercollegeconsulting.com. I would love to hear from you!

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Eric Nov 18, 2012 , , , , , , , , No Comments
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How Much Is That College In The Window?

The other day I was working with a student who ended up learning a lot about the difference between sticker price and net price. The student in question was interested in architecture but assumed that schools who offer the program would cost him too much.  In fact, he was prepared to give up on the idea of architecture and pick a different major altogether so that he could attend a local state school here in Connecticut just to save money.

While this is not meant to be a knock on our state schools (I’m a product of two of them), this is a knock on a system that had so far prevented this young man from truly understanding his options.

I proceeded to pull up the College Board website so that I could show him the difference between sticker price and net price. Since he wanted to stay in the Northeast, we narrowed his search down to several schools in the New England and Mid-Atlantic region. For the purpose of this blog, I randomly selected three schools from the list we generated: Lehigh University, Temple University, and Philadelphia University.

Going by the assumptions the student was making about sticker price, one year of college would cost him $55,515 at Lehigh, $38,935 at Temple and $46,282 at Philadelphia. Each one of them a prohibitive cost. But then I showed him the Paying tab on the College Board website and how he needed to look beyond the sticker price of each institution. Upon doing so, I was able to show him that Lehigh’s average first year financial aid package is $34,773 making their net price $20,742. Temple’s average package was $15,373 bringing the net price in at $23,562. Philadelphia University gives freshmen $28,220 to bring the true price down to $18,062.

All of a sudden, not so prohibitive.

Seeing as how this student’s grades and SAT scores fell within the top 25% of admitted students for each school, it’s a safe bet to say he’s probably going to receive the average package from each school. In fact, he may receive financial aid packages that are better than the average.

Another way to figure out what a school is going to cost you is to use a net price calculator. Colleges are now required to include one on their website, though some are easier to find than others. These calculators will ask you to enter some personal information and will then compute an estimated net price. Not all calculators are created equal so be sure to pay close attention to the breakdown of loans, grants and merit money when you get your net price results.

At the end of the day, as this student learned, it pays to do your homework.

If you have questions about net price or would like some help figuring out how to reduce the cost of college, use the comment box below or email me directly at eric@doblercollegeconsulting.com. I would love to hear from you!

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Eric Nov 11, 2012 , , , , , , , No Comments
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The Seven Parts Of A Complete Application

As I start working with a lot of juniors this time of year, we get to talking about the different parts of the application, how to approach them, when they are due and why they matter. Below is the watered down version of what we talk about:

1. Student’s Application– Applications need to be filled out accurately, completely and on time.  Nothing else matters if your application doesn’t accomplish these three things.

2. Academic Record – This includes grades and courses. The difficulty of the curriculum you have been pursuing can significantly affect how your application will be evaluated.

3. SAT and ACT Scores – All colleges will accept both, though some won’t require either. As juniors, taking a practice test for both the SAT and the ACT is a great way to figure out which one is better suited for you. There are differences between the two tests and you may find that one or the other is a better fit. Once you’ve made a decision on which one you want to take, be prepared to take it twice.

4. Personal Statement and Requested Essays – Between the personal statement, the activity essay and required supplemental essays, you need to produce some of your best writing. Speaking from experience, the majority of students produce poorly thought-out and sloppy essays. The essays are your opportunity to tell your story and show admissions counselors just how well you can write.

5. Recommendations – Colleges will typically require recommendations from the school counselor and at least one teacher. Depending on the school, a third recommendation may be welcome, but you should avoid a barrage of recommendations. The counselor recommendation should highlight significant facts about you, explain any issues of significance related to your transcript and, when necessary, introduce extenuating circumstances that might enable an admissions counselor to view your application with greater insight.

6. Extracurricular Activities – Colleges are increasingly interested in students who demonstrate a passion for one or a few interests and activities rather than applicants who have tried their hand at everything available. A very real and compelling case can be made for a student who has branded themselves through their VIPS.

7. Interview – While not necessarily required at most colleges, the interview (like the personal statement) is your opportunity to connect with admissions counselors and show who you are beyond grades and test scores. I always recommend that students interview where they can even if the admissions office says it will not factor into their decision.

 

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Eric Oct 28, 2012 , , , , , 1 Comment