Paying For College

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Making The Most Of Your Scholarship Search

Making the most of your scholarship search

 

With the frenzy of college application deadlines finally starting to wind down, it’s time for high school seniors to turn their attention to private scholarships. While the majority of scholarship money will come directly from colleges in the form of merit scholarships, there is a lot to be said for spending some time searching for private scholarships.

And while you might be burnt out from your college application process, here are some ideas on how you can make the most of your scholarship search.

 

Searching for scholarships is like a part-time job. It’s not a one and done deal. The more you search and the more you apply, the more likely you are to win something.

Beware of scams. It should never cost you more than a postage stamp to apply for a scholarship. Also NEVER give out your social security number or bank information.

Start your search locally and be prepared to do the work that other students won’t. Check out scholarship opportunities through employers, your church, local organizations, your bank or credit union, the town library and, most importantly, your high school’s college counseling office.

Search smarter, not harder. To narrow down internet search results, trying searching more specifically such as “accounting scholarships 2014 2015.”

Your major matters. If you know what you want to major in, you should start looking for scholarships through professional organizations and associations affiliated with your field. For example, here’s a list of scholarships offered through the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) for students majoring in engineering.

Make good use of social media. The ScholarshipExperts.com Pinterest board has over 1,300 scholarships!

Look for scholarships with essay requirements. Then, apply the same rules for college application essays: Grab the reader’s attention in the first two sentences and tell a story. If your essay bores you, it will most definitely bore the scholarship selection committee person who has to read it.

At the end of the day, scholarship searching is a time-consuming process. Pace yourself and stay positive.

If you would like some assistance with your college search, contact me today for a free 60-minute consultation.

Here’s what other families like yours are saying about how Dobler College Consulting made a difference for them.

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Eric Jan 13, 2015 , , , , , , , , No Comments
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What To Look For When Researching Colleges

Elon University

Elon University

With students applying to more colleges than ever before, it’s critical for them to know what it is they are most interested in before they begin the arduous work of filling out applications and writing supplemental essays. Obviously, things like geographic location, campus size, cost, and chances of admission are talked about frequently. With that in mind, I’d like to talk about some points students should be paying attention to that don’t always enter the conversation right away.

Look at the numbers

While admission rates and averages for GPA and test scores can provide valuable information that should factor in deciding whether you should apply to a college, there are other numbers which are just as important, if not more important. Pay attention to a college’s retention rate, the percentage of students who are in-state versus out-of-state, the make-up and diversity of the student body, the number of males to females, and how many students live on campus. You will find out very quickly that colleges are not created equal.

Affordability

I beat the drum on this issue with my students because I just don’t want to ever see any of them graduate with excessive student loan debt. Start off by finding your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) and then compare that number to how much assistance the college is likely to give you. For students who have a low EFC (will qualify for need-based aid), pay close attention to how much of your need a college meets. For students with a high EFC (will not qualify for need-based aid), pay attention to a college’s merit scholarship opportunities for high achieving students.

Explore Academic Programs
While you don’t necessarily need to know your major when you begin your college search, you should invest some time figuring out your VIPS. Knowing what you’re good at, what you’re interested in, what’s important to you and what your skills are can go a long way to helping you identify programs that will be better suited for you. So, whether you know your major or not, a few things you should focus on as you research your colleges include:

  1. Does the college have specific requirements outside the major or is there an open curriculum?
  2. If there are specific requirements, how extensive are they?
  3. Is there a first-year student program and, if so, what is it designed to help you with?
  4. If you know your major, are there core requirements you need to complete?
  5. If you don’t know you major, can you design your own?
  6. Who will be advising you? A professor from the department? A general advisor who advises all first-year students? A graduate assistant?
  7. Does the college (or the department of your major) require internships and, if so, do they help with securing internships?

All colleges have strengths and weaknesses and it’s up to you to find out how well a college fits your needs. So take the time to research schools, get to know them and determine for yourself which ones are the best ones for you.

If you would like some assistance with your college search, contact me today for a free 60-minute consultation.

Here’s what other families like yours are saying about how Dobler College Consulting made a difference for them.

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Eric Dec 15, 2014 , , , , , , , , No Comments
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The CSS/PROFILE: The “Other” Financial Aid Application

The CSS Profile The Other Financial Aid ApplicationThe CSS/PROFILE went live on October 1st officially kicking off the start to the financial aid season. Ironically enough, many families don’t even know the CSS/PROFILE exists.

It does and here’s what you need to know about it:

1. While every college requires a student to file a FAFSA to qualify to federal need-based aid, over 200 mostly private colleges require students to complete the CSS/PROFILE as well for consideration of scholarships.

2. Here in Connecticut that list includes: Connecticut College, Fairfield University, Quinnipiac University, Sacred Heart University, Trinity College, University of New Haven, Wesleyan University, and Yale University.

3. While the FAFSA is a free application, the CSS/Profile is not. The initial application is $25 and then each subsequent submission costs $16.

4. Unlike the FAFSA, a family’s home equity is taken into account as an available asset.

5. If a family owns a business, 100% of its equity will be assessed.

6. Assets held in the names of siblings will be considered parental assets and assessed as such increasing the parents’ EFC.

7. Only untaxed social security benefits for the student will be excluded whereas benefits for the parent will not be excluded.

8. Pre-tax contributions to flex-plans for healthcare and dependent care are assessed as untaxed income.

9. Schools have their own deadlines for when the CSS/PROFILE should be filed and these dates can range from as early as sometime in November for Early Decision or Early Action applicants to as late as February for students applying Regular Decision. When in doubt, families should always check the school’s website or call the financial aid office to verify deadlines.

As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into the CSS/PROFILE. It’s costly, it’s invasive and it’s just another hurdle standing in the way for many students and their parents.

If you would like some assistance filing the CSS/PROFILE as well as the FAFSA, contact me today. Like an accountant would with your taxes, I can help you gather the documents you need, assist you in the filing of both applications and then also help you with appeals should the need arise.

Here’s what other families like yours are saying about how Dobler College Consulting made a difference for them.

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Eric Oct 03, 2014 , , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments
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Why Graduation Rates Should Matter To You

As I work with students on finalizing college lists, I teach them to look for factors that will help them identify the ones who are truly great fits.

One of those factors is graduation rates.

If a school’s graduation rates are low, let’s say less than 50%, that means that every other student isn’t graduating on time.

Of course, that would be the case if graduation rates were actually based on four years. You might be surprised to find out that when you see graduation rates quoted, what you are actually seeing is the percentage of students who graduate in six years, not four. If you can find the four year graduation rate, you will find that it’s even less than the six year rate.

You can read more about the historical context of graduation rates on the Chronicle of Higher Education’s College Completion website.

Ultimately, you have to pay close attention to these numbers. If a school is doing a poor job of graduating students in four years, a student could end up in a very costly situation.

So, look the numbers up and then ask admission counselors about them when you visit or meet them at a college fair. Find out what’s affecting graduation rates and decide for yourself if the reason for the lower rates is concerning. For example, some schools have lower four year graduation rates due to co-op programs. These programs, which are popular at schools like Northeastern University, Kettering University and Rochester Institute of Technology, require a student to mix in long-term, paid experiential opportunities which almost always push a student into a fifth year.

For some students, that’s a good reason to be in school for five years. Especially, if they really maximize the opportunity a co-op presents them to develop their resume and professional network if not land their first real job.

For other students, who haven’t done their homework and don’t know what they’re getting into, it could simply mean more student loan debt.

If you want some help and guidance on your college search and application process, especially help with identifying the right colleges for you, contact me today to set up an appointment for a free 60-minute consultation.

Here’s what other families like yours are saying about how Dobler College Consulting made a difference for them.

 

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Eric Aug 05, 2014 , , , , , , , No Comments
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What’s The Difference Between Early Decision & Early Action?

college consultant Southington CT

As I work with students and their families on college lists, one question that always comes up is, “what’s the difference between Early Decision and Early Action?”

Typically it’s followed by some sort of statement that sounds like, “I hate to ask a dumb question like this but I really don’t know.”

It’s not a dumb question at all.

In fact, like many other questions that come up during the college search and application process, the only dumb question is the one you don’t ask.

So, let’s talk about the difference.

Early Decision, also known as ED, is binding while Early Action is not. This means that if you apply ED to a college and are admitted, you are now going to be enrolling at that college. You’ve just gotten married, in a sense.
In fact, when you apply ED to a college, and you can only apply to one school as an ED applicant, the student, parents and school counselor all sign an electronic agreement on the application stating that, if admitted, the student agrees to immediately withdraw all other pending applications. You don’t get to see who else wants to admit you and you definitely don’t get to wait around for financial aid awards so that you can compare offers.

So, the ED school says, “yes”, and the student is locked in. Their college application process is over. And, most likely, this is all happening in November or December of their senior year.

Early Action, on the other hand, is non-binding. Students can apply to as many Early Action schools as they like and, if admitted, are under no pressure to commit early. They can wait on their remaining decisions and review their financial aid awards before committing by May 1st. Like ED, students admitted through Early Action are still hearing back earlier in the process than students who apply through Regular Decision (typically January or early February) but the key difference is that their options have not been taken away.

Which brings me to the most important factor in deciding to apply ED or EA.

If a student knows, without a doubt, that the college fits them in every possible way, that it’s THE place they want to attend and that the cost is something the family can afford without regard to financial assistance, then applying ED can work out great. Some of the most selective colleges in the country are more generous with their decisions during the ED round of applications and, therefore, a student’s chances may improve. Note that I did not say, “will” improve. Students who are not strong applicants to begin with will not improve their chances just by applying ED.

But, if you are worried about cost, and you do want to have options, Early Action is very clearly the better way to go.

If you want some help and guidance on your college search and application process, contact me today to set up an appointment for a free 60-minute consultation. Not sure if a college consultant is for you? Here’s what other families like yours are saying about how Dobler College Consulting made a difference for them.

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Eric Jun 12, 2014 , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments