Each year, on August 1, the Common Application updates their database with any changes to college specific questions and supplemental essays, as well as the Common Application itself. However, since students can create a first year applicant account before August 1 to begin completing the application, beware the following information will not be saved or…
The published college tuition is not likely the amount the average family will pay, as discounts in the form of merit scholarships increase every year. Thus, parents and students should not dismiss a college solely on price, but instead define value at a price they can afford. In the recent school year, 2021-22, the average…
Applying to an Ivy League or other similarly highly selective college, where 95-97% of all applicants are denied admissions can be intimidating. To apply or not apply requires asking, “Just because I can (since I’m qualified), does that mean I should?” Being the top of one’s class in one’s local high school, even in a…
Each spring, California high school juniors, who are likely within the top 20% academically in their class, are invited to submit their official high school transcripts to the University of California (UC) for their potential Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) status when applying for admissions. Lastly, there is no downside for parents to permit…
The title should be the guiding principle of every college applicant. The college admissions process is inherently student-centric, driven by the student’s quest to identify the one institution of higher education where each person discovers more about their unique aptitude. Yet, today, students and parents perceive the admissions process as college-centric, forced to contort into…
The following is the second installment of our blog series for high school juniors turned rising high school seniors in preparing for the college application process. During Spring of a high school junior year, families are conscientiously selecting colleges for application to reduce the risk of educational malinvestment. To guide the selection process, students should…
In addition to extending the pause of Federal student loan repayments to August 31, 2022, any borrowers who were in default or delinquency prior to March 2020, will have their status reset when repayment is scheduled to start on September 1, 2022. ….all borrowers with paused loans to receive a ‘fresh start’ on repayment by…
In college admissions, applicants often perceive exclusivity, translated as less than 5% admit rates, as a higher quality education, and (sometimes more importantly) a guarantee of lifetime prosperity, The Golden Ticket, as one is forever branded with elitism. However, in coming years, applicants may be guessing more often than not about the selectivity of a…
In response to Art’s recent post, To Choose or Have Others Choose for You, a Reed College student who’s finishing her first year, shared the following in a recent text conversation. Since many other students are likely in a similar predicament, I’m passing her message forward: I’m so glad other students have the opportunity to…
Answering “Why do you want to be a doctor?” is the essence of medical school personal statements. Aspiring family practitioners, specialists, surgeons, radiologists, you name it, must make an argument why they are a healer, who needs additional training to gain a greater realization of an inherent ability for easing other humans’ suffering of both…
Each July, Federal student loan interest rates are reset for the upcoming school year using the formula of 10-Year Treasury Rate + 2.05%. Currently, as of today, May 12, 2022, with the recent .5% interest rate increase, the 10 year Treasury interest rate is 2.91%. Thus, although the Federal student loan interest rates are fixed…
Each Spring, I’m often asked, “Why wasn’t I admitted to _____ University, when others with lower GPA’s (grade point averages) and fewer extracurricular activities were accepted to that same university, believing a particular set of qualifications automatically merits an acceptance, while those “lesser” qualified should be denied admissions, a misconception of the modern academic meritocracy. In…
Transferring from one college to another is disruptive: moving to a new city, leaving the family home for possibly the first time, establishing new friend networks in a new place. Being 19-20 years old and taking more specialized, upper division courses, typically, transfer students are seeking other older students, but often worry about breaking into…
While annually rising college tuition is regularly reported in the news, frequently prompting much concern and discussion, few families discuss increasing housing costs. Yet, depending on the city where the college campus is located and the availability of on-campus housing, where to live can quickly create additional costs, both in opportunity and financially for undergraduates. …
Warren Buffet famously stated, “Price is what you pay, value is what you get.” Thus, in valuing the education at one college in comparison to the education at another college (or even a third campus), contrary to popular belief, families have the advantage. Families can negotiate college price, known in educational parlance as “Cost of…
