Didn’t Get Financial Aid? Don’t Panic – Do This Instead

You fill out the forms, you beat the deadlines—and then comes the moment of truth, also known as the Student Aid Report (SAR). The SAR contains your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) – the amount the government has determined you can afford to contribute towards college tuition during the next year. For most parents, a better [...]

The Important Number That Families Ignore

The other night I was at a barbeque and took an informal poll. I asked all the adults what they thought the average graduation rate was for four-year colleges. The guesses were all over the map, but the average was around 75 – 80 percent.
So they were all quite surprised when I told them the [...]

How to Make The Most of Your Summer Vacation

What are some of the things you’re most looking forward to this summer? Relaxing in a hammock and watching the clouds drift by? Lying on the beach and listening to the crashing waves? Sipping on an iced tea and contemplating your navel?
Relax, yes. Enjoy the summer’s slower pace, yes. Recharge your batteries, yes. But don’t [...]

Is This The Future of College Financial Aid?

There was an eye-opening article in Sunday’s New York Times about a new Web site called Unithrive.org, where cash-strapped college students seeking loans can get matched with alumni online who opt to “sponsor” them. The loans are interest-free.
Sound like an interesting idea? It is. Except here are the caveats: At this point, it’s for Harvard [...]

A Handy—and Important—Calendar for You

Applying to college, getting in, and then figuring out how to pay for it can feel overwhelming at times—especially if this is your first child going to college.
To make it easier on you, we’ve added a Financial Aid Calendar in the library that takes you step by step through the process—telling you what’s due when, [...]

Why You Don’t Want to Have a College President Write Your Essay

Here’s a delicious twist. The Wall Street Journal challenged presidents of 10 top colleges and universities to do the very thing required of high school seniors to gain admission – write an essay question from their own school’s application.
The rules were:

no more than 500 words (some cheated)
no help from PR people or speechwriters
friends or family [...]

Financial Aid FAQ’s

As the school year starts to winds down, kids are starting to look forward to the carefree days of summer. But this is not a carefree time for parents of collegebound students. All they have to look forward to figuring out how to pay the college bills.
And there’s nothing hazy, lazy and carefree about applying [...]

Who Else Wants to go to College for Free?
5 Tuition-Free Colleges

Psst—Hey Buddy, want to go to college for free? It almost sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Like someone trying to sell you a Rolodex for 50 bucks.
After all, everybody knows that the only way to get a full ride to college these days is to be a stud athlete, win the Van [...]