Finding Your Best Fit College

When students begin working on developing a college list, the task can be daunting. There are over 3,000 colleges and universities in the United States, but it’s hard to know which one will be a place where the student thrives. To help students dive into creating their best-fit college list, I provide questions  to ask themselves:

Is it affordable? Before researching colleges, parents should speak with their students about what the family can realistically afford to pay. With the help of websites like College Board, families can calculate the cost of attending using Net Price Calculator using current tax year information. Parents can check with the school's financial aid office to determine the percentage of students' financial need they met in the previous application season. Students being aware of the families' financial bandwidth is good for two reasons. First, it allows the student to avoid putting schools on the list that do not have a record of giving competitive financial aid packages. Second, the student can focus on finding schools that have the capacity to provide aid to make attending affordable.

Is it worth the investment? College is expensive. The average middle-class family will spend between $40,000 and $120,000 on public and private college costs respectively. According to the Pew Research Center,  94% of parents say they expect their children to attend college. As such, during the research phase, students must spend time learning the value-add that attending specific colleges would bring to their life such as deep-rooted knowledge, career opportunities, and connections to an expansive network of professionals and industry experts.  Students can find published lists by Forbes or U.S. News & World Report. However, actual value add will vary by student. For example, a student who's majoring in agricultural engineering may greatly benefit from attending Purdue University, while an urban studies student may be at a disadvantage being distant from a major city.

Does it provide a multi-faceted experience? Academics is a huge part of the college experience. However, universities are increasingly adopting admissions policies to diversify their class so that students will enrich the social and campus life. Extracurricular, experiential opportunities that add value to the program of study and prepare for adulthood beyond campus include special interest groups (e.g. Young Democrats, Organization of Asian American Students, Fencing Club), intramural sports, community service clubs, independent research appointments with professors, study abroad semesters, and paid internship programs to name a few. Students should spend time exploring the student life section of school websites. Also, students should visit schools several times through the exploration process, with at least one time being an overnight stay with a current college student host.

Does it feel right? In spite of technological advances that allow students to visit campuses virtually, there is no substitute for experiencing the real thing. It is understandable that when there are over a dozen schools on the list, visiting them all can be challenging. Often I suggest that students and their families visit their top three schools. The best time to visit is when the school is in regular session, which can mean visiting during minor school holiday breaks, or the less popular (but sometimes necessary) option - taking time off school. Families can make their way down the list, visiting as many schools as possible before the application season ends (and campuses break for winter holidays) in early-December. After acceptance letters have come in, families can visit schools that have moved up to a higher position of consideration.

When the student arrives at a campus, parents should observe their students' reaction. The student will know if it feels right and will demonstrate such feeling immediately. Students who are excited about a college ask a lot of questions, want to stay longer and see more, ask to make a return visit, and are more engaged throughout the process of putting together their application for admission. These students are most successful in gaining acceptance as this excitement will be displayed in their application.

Do you need help finding your best-fit schools? Our expert college admissions counselor can help you find, apply, and get accepted. Visit www.standout-collegeprep.com.

Parents: 6 Mistakes That Will Make You Go Broke Paying for College

The costs of higher education are rising. According to a recent College Board survey, today’s college education costs approximately $24,061 for an in-state public college and $47,831 for a private college, up 3% since last year.

Inadequate planning through the college financial aid process can bring the burden of unnecessary debt in the form of unsubsidized federal loans, private bank loans, or home equity lines of credit. In our years of working with middle- and upper-income families, we have learned that you can save as much as 50% off of tuition costs with proper planning.

Here are common mistakes to avoid that can potentially save you up to $30,000—

Mistake #1: Not filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or other financial aid forms because you assume that you make too much money.

The reality is that most families with incomes up to $175,000 per year are eligible for some form of financial aid. The higher education industry is booming, with more than $200 billion available from the Federal Government, individual states, colleges, and private foundations and corporations to give in aid to deserving students.

To qualify for funding, you have to apply for financial aid.  The FAFSA is the form required at all colleges that award federal aid. Select colleges, typically private schools will require completion of the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE.  New York schools will require the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) form.

Mistake #2: Applying for private scholarships as your lead college funding strategy.

Private scholarships account for only 1% of college funding. 99% of college funding comes from the Federal Government, colleges, individual states, and private foundations and corporations. Much of this free money comes in both merit and need-based aid. However, having financial need does not necessarily mean being low-income. Your need is calculated by the FAFSA, but if your student is highly desirable to a particular college, then financial aid officers are willing to make sure financial barriers are not the reason your child cannot attend.

Mistake #3: Choosing colleges without comparing your student’s profile to the rest of the student body.

To increase the competitiveness of the college financial aid award, you should make sure your student is a highly desirable candidate. This is different from assessing your child’s chance of admission. To get the best college aid package, choose schools where your student has a GPA and SAT/ACT scores that put him or her in the top 10% of incoming freshmen. Nationwide it is a priority for colleges to attract high-quality students to their campuses. Therefore, top academic achievers will be favored in their financial aid packages with more FREE money (e.g. scholarships and grants) and fewer loans that have to be repaid.

Mistake #4: Applying only to in-state public schools.

In-state public schools are affordable options with tuition being half of what it costs to attend a private college. However, in-state public schools get no private funds and rely heavily on state and Federal funds. Moreover, state schools get thousand of applicants to share a smaller pot of financial aid.

This makes private schools a viable option for optimal funding. Though not all private schools are created equal and will not give you the same financial aid packages. Look for schools that are well endowed and get a lot of money from alumni and corporations.

We have seen cases when families would have paid more for an in-state public school than a better financially endowed private college where the student was highly desired.

Mistake #5: Not knowing where you keep your money matters.

In FAFSA’s calculation of the family’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC), money saved in the child’s name is weighted much more heavily than money saved in the parent’s name. This mistake could make the difference of $10,000 in financial aid dollars. Position your money legally and ethically in a way to maximize your financial aid.

Mistake #6: Going through the financial aid process yourself to save money.

Consider retaining the services of a college/financial aid expert to help you navigate the process. A hired expert can generate an average financial aid package of $60,000 in college merit scholarship funding for four undergraduate years. That’s an average of $15,000 tax-free dollars per student, per year of college. With this type of aid package, the cost of your investment returns a multiplied profit in the way of college aid that you would never obtain if you took the “Do It Yourself” approach.

Juniors: Who's Afraid of the New SAT?

Scheduled to launch in March, the new SAT has high school students afraid all over America. Feeling the fear more than anyone are juniors.

According to the College Board, the SAT redesign gives colleges a more accurate view of a student's ability to think, read, and write critically at the college-level. With all the frenzy that's surrounding the new exam, many juniors were advised by guidance counselors to complete SAT testing in January, four months ahead of when it's typically advised to take the exam for the fall 2017 admissions cycle.

What's the fear about? There's speculation that the exam will be more difficult than its predecessors, with a rigorous reading section, along with reading passages integrated in math and writing sections.

The last opportunity for juniors to take the current SAT exam before the transition happens is next Saturday, January 23. Otherwise new SAT dates for 2015-2016 are: March 5, May 7, and June 4.

The other alternative is the take only the ACT. Dates for the ACT are: February 6, April 9, and June 11.

Current SAT vs. New SAT

	Current SAT	New SAT
Number of Sections	11 (with experimental section)	5 (with optional section)
Critical Reading Tests	3 Sections (20-25 minutes each) 67 Questions	One 65 minute Reading Test 52 Questions
Math Tests	3 Sections (10-25 minutes each) 49 Questions	35-minute Writing and Language Test 44 Questions
Writing Tests	3 Sections (10-25 minutes each) 54 Questions	One 25-minute section without calculator (20 Questions) One 55 minute section with calculator (38 Questions)
Essay Tests	1 Required Essay Test (25 minutes)	1 Optional Essay Test (50 minutes)
Experimental Sections	1	0

New SAT Practice Exam: For the Redesigned SAT 2016

College Board New SAT Test 1 (PDF)

Answer Explanations (PDF)

Scoring (PDF)

Real-Time Scoring and Scaling from Ivy Global

Download Bubble Sheet (PDF)