It is November which means everyone – parents and students alike – need to focus on not just the present, but the future as well. Four years of high school went by quickly … just think that next year at this time your high school senior will be a college freshman. Achieving that goal starts now!
Making a list of “To Do's” during these busy times can be challenging, but it needs to be done. Following is a list of fall calendar items to help you get organized and stay focused.
1. If you haven’t already done so, this is the time to start gathering brochures and application forms for at least six schools that are of interest to your student.
a. Two of those colleges should be considered an easy college to get into and one should be a college that would be a stretch considering your students GPA and other considerations.
i. An easy school is one that will accept your son or daughter no matter what, that means his or her grades and/or test scores are greater than the median average of what that particular institution requires. Generally, for GPA, that should be at least a 2.5 GPA. An easy school should also be more affordable to parents. As an experienced college planning professional, I can provide you with information on a school’s average admittance standards.
ii. A stretch school would be your student’s dream school. This is the college that may require a higher GPA or test score than what your student may have achieved. Even though your students GPA and/or test scores may not be up to par for this school, there is still a chance you might get accepted. You should not, however, put all your hopes on this particular college.
b. If you are thinking: “Hmmmm, six schools means six application costs …." This is not an area where you should be skimping costs. The more schools your student applies to, the more options you will have later – both for education and for costs. Whether schools will admit it or not, they are competing against each other for students. They are, in effect, bidding for your tuition dollars. This is also one aspect of how your “reach school” could accept your application.
2. This calendar year is when you want to arrange your finances to make your EFC as low as possible. The amount you pay to attend college is called “Expected Family Contribution” or EFC.
a. The state of your family’s finances will determine, in large part, what costs you will face at each college. This is a MUST DO, you cannot wait until next year to do this as college financial aid packages are determined, in large part, on this year’s finances.
b. Contact me and I can put you in contact with an experienced college planning professional, who can advise you about things that you might be able to do to increase your chances of receiving financial aid.
