The Regular Admission Process Provides Students With Additional Opportunities

Students who wish to submit some (or all) of their college applications after fall 2009 must use the Regular Admission process. These students will be joining the ranks of the majority of college-bound students; most college applications are submitted after the first of the year using the Regular Application process.

Regular Application deadlines typically range between January 15 and February 1, 2010, so there is plenty of time for students to complete and submit applications. But make no mistake, students must not delay starting the Regular Application process. As with all admission applications, the process to complete them includes filling out lengthy applications, writing essays, requesting recommendations from teachers and counselors and many other tasks. The Regular Application process will take longer than anticipated, so students need to get started as soon as possible. In addition, many distractions are looming (Thanksgiving holiday, senior projects, fall semester final exams, winter holidays, etc.) so excuses for delaying the process are not acceptable.

MyCollegeCalendar provides all the Regular Application tasks for students in chronologic order. Students (and parents) can simply login at MyCollegeCalendar.org and edit their settings to High School Senior, Regular Application (the “Calendar” and “settings” links are located in the toolbar at the page top), and all tasks with instructions are displayed by date on November, December and January calendars. Follow MyCollegeCalendar to finish all Regular Application tasks and to meet all deadlines.

For more information visit MyCollegeCalendar.org.

Free Money for College – Part 2: Merit-Based Financial Aid

“Free money” that comes in the form of merit-based financial aid includes scholarships and grants; it is money that is almost always tax-free and never has to be repaid. Merit-based scholarships and grants are awarded based on excellence in academics, leadership, volunteerism, athletic ability, and other areas determined by the granting organization, which can be a college or university, community-minded organization, or individual.

Merit-based financial aid is awarded to students without consideration of family income or financial assets.

While some merit-based aid is earmarked for college-bound students that possess exceptional non-academic attributes (e.g., leadership, volunteerism, or athletic ability), the bulk of merit-based financial aid is awarded based on the academic success students achieve during high school. In other words, the majority of merit-based scholarships and grants are given to students with the highest grade point averages and standardized test scores (SAT® and/or ACT® test scores). Additionally, some scholarships include criteria for career goals (must be planning to study a specific major in college).

Below are descriptions of the types of merit-based aid awarded based on student academic success. Instructions on how to apply for each are provided.

1. Campus-Based Scholarships and Grants (from colleges themselves). Application for merit-based awards typically is automatic when students submit their application for admission. In this case, the academic qualifications of each student applicant are evaluated for scholarship and grant awards at the same time they are being considered for admission. Students should check each college’s website to make sure no extra application materials are required to be eligible for merit-based aid.

It should be noted that many private colleges and universities offer special, large scholarships that do require additional application materials and/or interviews. These scholarships are offered to only the most highly qualified students (students with the highest grade point averages and test scores) and include awards such as the Presidential Scholarship, University Scholars Award, Trustees Scholarship, etc. Students should check the scholarship section of each college’s website for specific instructions regarding these scholarships.

2. Private Scholarships. These scholarships are offered by nationwide organizations, local and regional organizations, and parents’ employers. Each source of funding has its own application process and criteria for giving awards.

Scholarships offered by nationwide organizations can be found on Fastweb.com. Students need to register with this website (for free) and scholarships matching their qualifications and interests (with instructions on how to apply) and will be listed or e-mailed to the student. Keep in mind that national scholarships are very competitive and very difficult to win.

Local and regional scholarships are offered by local community organizations (e.g., Elks and Rotary Clubs). Students should ask their high school counselor for details regarding available scholarships and read their high school bulletin/scholarship bulletin on a regular basis. These scholarships typically are less competitive than those offered by nationwide organizations. Students should ask their high school counselor or scholarship sponsors for details regarding applications, essays, required letters of recommendation, etc.

Scholarships offered by parents’ employers may be difficult to find this year. However, parents can inquire, and if scholarships are offered, should learn and share the application requirements with their son or daughter.

NOTE: Because the single best source of scholarships and grants is the colleges themselves, private colleges and universities are a real option for high school students with very little money. Numerous high school students receive so much scholarship and grant money from private universities that it is less expensive to attend a private school than a State college that gives very little financial aid.

For more information visit MyCollegeCalendar.org.

Free Money for College – Part 1: Need-Based Financial Aid

The bulk of scholarships and grants (free money that doesn’t have to be repaid) is awarded based on (1), student financial need and (2), student academic success. While other types of financial aid exist for students with exceptional talents (e.g., athletics, music, leadership, etc.) the majority of scholarships and grants fall into two categories: (1) need-based aid and (2) merit-based aid.

This blog post focuses on need-based aid, what it is and how to apply for it.

The decision to award need-based scholarships and grants is based solely on a family’s financial situation. Student eligibility is based on their personal income and savings and their family’s income and financial assets; academic grades are not considered.

Students receiving need-based aid have a financial need beyond what their family can afford to pay. However, students should not rule out applying for this type of aid because they think their parents’ income is too high; the majority of students do qualify for some amount of need-based aid.

Need-based scholarships and grants are offered by colleges and universities, federal and state governments, and private national, regional, and local organizations. Below are descriptions of the types of need-based aid with instructions on how to apply for each.

1. Campus-Based Scholarships and Grants (from colleges themselves). Application for need-based awards from colleges typically is automatic when students submit their application for admission AND the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). However, some private colleges and universities require an additional short form and/or the CSS/PROILE financial aid application.

2. Federal Student Aid. Application for federal financial aid is automatic when the FAFSA is submitted. Students should accept all offers of federal grants because grants are “free money” that don’t require repayment. (If a student’s federal financial aid package includes federal loans, colleges will send additional forms (and promissory notes) for students to accept or reject the loans offered.)

Federal grants include:

- Federal Pell Grants.
- FSEOG Grants (Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants).
- Academic Competitive Grants (AC Grants)

Also, a Federal Work Study (on-campus employment) may be offered as part of the federal financial aid package .

3. State Student Aid. Application for state financial aid is usually automatic when the FAFSA is submitted, however, students should check the specific requirements of their home state. Additional application forms may be required, ask your high school counselor. California students are required to submit the GPA Verification form (a simple, 1-page form,) in addition to the FAFSA application.

4. Private Scholarships. Each private source of funding has its own application process and criteria for winning. Ask your high school counselor or the sponsors of scholarships for details regarding applications and criteria. Typically, scholarship organizations require submittal of an application, essay, letter(s) of recommendation, and grade transcripts; submittal of a student résumé may be optional. Many local and regional scholarship organizations also require an interview in front of a selection committee.

MyCollegeCalendar.org provides a Scholarship and Grant Summary Table that includes available scholarships and grants, application instructions, deadlines, student eligibility criteria, and dollar amount of awards.

For more information visit MyCollegeCalendar.org.

Simple Stuff Can Derail Your Application

Early action and early decision applications are near completion for many students. To finish early applications, students typically focus on finalizing application essays then grinding through the process of submitting online applications. With all the activity and potential confusion, don’t let the complexity of submitting online applications distract you from some important fundamentals of the application process that MUST be done correctly.

These fundamentals are simple but critical elements of the application process and include:

1. Mailing paper application materials to the correct address. Colleges and universities have many different addresses and some have a mailing address (to their admission office) that differs from the campus street address. Mailing your application materials to the wrong address could cause you to miss important deadlines. Be sure to mail all application materials to the correct address.

2. Proof reading letters of recommendation (if they are returned to you for mailing). Sometimes teachers and counselors will have your name wrong or refer you as “her” when you are a male student (or visa versa). This error indicates the letter is not genuine because it obviously was used by the recommender for another student’s recommendation. Proof read all recommendation letters before mailing.

3. Proof reading application essays. Make sure references in your essay to the college you’re applying to are correct. If you are applying to University X, make sure you don’t express your strong desire for attending University Y. Some students use the same essay (short and long-answer essays) on several applications. Make sure that essays used on multiple applications reference the correct school.

4. Sending test scores. Make sure SAT and/or ACT test scores are sent to your colleges from the testing agencies. Frequently, students think test scores shown on their transcripts fulfill the requirement of sending scores, but many colleges require reporting of scores directly from CollegeBoard and ACT.org. Be sure your colleges receive your test scores according to their application instructions or else your application will not be considered complete.

For more information visit MyCollegeCalendar.org.

Students Make the Call . . . NOT Parents!

If a student has questions about a college admission application and wishes to call admission officers to get answers, the student should make the call, NOT THE PARENTS. The reason? If phone calls are logged and placed into student’s application file, when college admission officers review the file to consider the student for admission, they may see overly involved parents and think (1), the student is not independent enough to be ready for college and/or (2), the parents are mettlesome and could potentially cause problems. Either of these impressions will hurt you chances for admission.

Students should contact college admissions officers, department chairpersons and professors with questions about a college or university. Students calling with informed questions show maturity, independence and assertiveness to get the job done; personal traits that are attractive to admission officers.

It should be noted that it is perfectly acceptable for parents to call college financial aid administrators regarding financial aid. Colleges realize students don’t really understand financial aid and all the details associated with scholarships, grants and loans. They also know that parents will be the ones making tuition payments and securing education loans.

For more information visit MyCollegeCalendar.org.