One student loves a non-competitive academic atmosphere at Haverford College that can make learning much more enjoyable. Another student praises the intense competition at UC San Diego, which motivates her to do her best work.  Two great schools. But not great for every student.  When a student is in an environment where he feels good […]

Each year, the media makes it seem that it’s getting harder and harder to be accepted to college. But is that really true? Is college admission today really more competitive?  There is no denying that many parents wouldn’t be accepted at their own alma maters if they were applying today. SAT scores have inched up […]

Each year, tens of thousands of students take the PSAT exam at high schools across the United States. The PSAT is not used by colleges in the admission process, but the results can help you better understand your academic strengths and weaknesses and suggest the skills you should focus on in preparing for college entrance […]

One of the most important considerations in choosing a college is the size of the student body. Here’s the case for a small college. A small college (which means a college of around 1,500 – 3,000 students or so) will give you a very different experience from that of a large university (of 10,000 plus […]

Case Study: $42,000 Per Year Merit Scholarship One of the things many families worry about is that they earn too much to get financial aid even though they need it. If this is something you’ve been concerned about, you’re not alone AND there are other options! Here’s a merit aid case study from a student I recently worked with, […]

Case Study – $51,840 Need Based Scholarship Here’s a case study from a student I recently worked with that you may find very encouraging if you know you are going to qualify for a need-based scholarships. I’ll call this student Sam. Before I share Sam’s story, here’s a quick run-down of the main 4 types of  college financial […]

No doubt about it – getting into college is a competitive process. Every year, tens of thousands of students set their hearts and hopes on attending their “dream” college…and then receive the dreaded denial letter. There are lots of things that make  a student a good fit for a school, and those factors make you more […]

One of the biggest problems I hear about when families start the college planning process is…(drumroll, please) THE MONEY. As in… Will our family qualify for financial aid? Will we actually be able to afford college!? Are private schools always more expensive than public schools? How come my cousin’s kid got a “free-ride” but our neighbor’s son is paying full […]

The FAFSA has been simplified The current FAFSA has a maximum of 108 questions and that’s being shrunk to around 40 questions. This will reduce the FAFSA form from the equivalent of six pages down to two pages. Yay! But are the changes really all that simple? I would say not. This post summarizes the […]