Category Archives: 2014 Articles

“How do I find scholarship money for college?” is a question I am frequently asked. There are several websites that assist students in their search for scholarships, but before you get too excited, let’s talk about the pros and cons of these scholarship searches.

First, you must understand where most college funding comes from and who gets it.  There are four major sources of scholarships and grants; 

• Federal Government (44%)
• Colleges (36%)
• State Government (9%)
• Private Scholarships (6%)

Many families spend way too much time trying to get scholarships from the smallest source of college money-private scholarships.  The Federal Government awards the vast majority of funding to families who have shown that they have “financial need”. This is determined when a family fills out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Through an analysis of income, assets and other family information, a “need analysis” is conducted to determine the minimum amount a family will be expected to pay for college (EFC).  Once the EFC is determined then the amount of “need-based” aid can be determined. Of course, the amount the college expects a family to pay is almost always more than most families can afford. The answer? Scholarships! 

But wait a minute. For families who qualify for need-based aid, those private scholarships will not lower the Expected Family Contribution. What does that mean? Here is an example. So Joe College qualifies for $15,000 in need-based financial aid at The University of Somewhere. Joe receives a private scholarship in the amount of $2000 at Scholarship Night. He is required to report this scholarship to the university and they say to Joe, “Hey Joe. Since you got a $2000 scholarship, we are only going to give you $13,000 now since you got the other $2000 somewhere else. Good job, Joe! Thanks”.  

What about the family who is not eligible for need-based financial aid? Merit aid is the second type of aid a student might receive. It is not based on financial need, but rather, the “merit” of the student. Merit aid is typically awarded for good grades and/or high standardized test scores, or personal talents such as music, art or athletics. The good news is that colleges do not typically take away merit aid when a student receives private scholarship money. 

So what is a family to do? If you qualify for need-based aid, call the college and ask how they treat private scholarships. Ask if they take the amount off of loans or grants, then decide if it is worth your time to search for private scholarships. If you want to qualify for more merit money that comes directly from the college, then you need to make the college “want” you. That means you need to get good grades and high test scores.  Do not take time away from your studies to search for private scholarships that usually come in small packages of $250-$1000. 

If you are still adamant about seeking private scholarships, here are a few tips. 

• Do not pay a scholarship search company.
• Go for local scholarships first.
• Look for talent scholarships at MeritAid.com
• As a last resort, use these websites to search:  Fastweb, College Board, Scholarships.com and CollegeXpress-and good luck with that!

Always remember that your best chance to receive scholarship money is with good grades, high test scores, and choosing a school that “wants” you!

Well now that school has started up again, many seniors, and their parents are beginning to hit the panic button about college applications! Filling out applications is a much more time-consuming task than most students and parents anticipate.  So not only is everyone stressed about not knowing how to do it, but also when they begin to do it, they realize that it is a more colossal job than they anticipated.  

The University of California application was available beginning August 1^st. Start now. Go to the UC website and it will give you some things to gather before you begin. It will also give you instructions on how to fill it out.  You will not complete this in one sitting, so plan several (not including the essays/personal statements). Deadline for submission of UC applications is November 30^th. I recommend that all students try to submit no later than November 15^th. 

The Common Application is used by about 400 private schools. It was also available on August 1^st. After you finish your UC application, begin the Common App. Once again, this will be a tedious task.  Plan ahead so you do not get too busy to do the best job possible. Do not procrastinate. Common Application deadlines vary depending on each college. Be sure to write down the deadlines for each college. Try to submit them early. 

The Cal State University (CSU) applications are not available until October 1^st but once the other two (UC and Common App) are finished; the CSU application will be much easier. It requires no essays! Deadline is also November 30^th for the CSUs.

Many colleges use their own applications, so check to see what is required.  Many schools also require letters of recommendation. Students should give their recommenders at least 2-3 weeks notice if they want to get the best recommendation.

A few final tips to make this overwhelming process less stressful:

1. GET ORGANIZED!!!
2. Choose 4-10 colleges to apply to. Be sure you have some that you are certain you can get into based on GPA and test scores of previous students admitted. You can usually find this information on the college websites. 
3. Write your essays. Hopefully they were completed before school started.  Tell the colleges something you want them to know about you that was not included in any other sections of your application. Have someone proofread for you.
4. Gather all materials before you begin. This includes transcripts, extra curricular activities, test scores, and completed essays if required. 
5. Know how many letters of recommendation are required at each school. Ask someone to write them.
6. Have your test scores sent. 
7. If they want your transcript sent, request it from your counselor or the registrar. 
8. Still stressed? Hire a professional to assist you.  

Applications matter. So give yourself plenty of time, and do your best!

As an independent college consultant,  it is my job to help students select a college that will provide them with the most success.  One of the first questions I ask is, “What colleges are you considering?” The answer is inevitably quite similar for most of my California-based students: Cal Poly, UCLA, USC, Stanford. How did they decide on these schools? It is usually because they have heard of them, they like the weather or the football team. I have even had students tell me that they chose the school because their “significant” other is going there. So today I want to discuss the importance of college selection and what criteria to consider in choosing.

Academics, social, and financial should all be considered in the selection process.  Are you an academic match? If you are carrying a 3.2 GPA, with average SAT scores (500s), it will likely be a waste of the $90 application fee to apply to Stanford where 92% of the students there carry a 3.75 unweighted GPA and about 70% of the students scored over 700 in each area of the SAT. And what if you were accepted? Would you really want to sit in a class when you academically represent the bottom 3% of the class? That grading curve could be painful!

It is also important to find a good “social” match. When trying to find a good social fit, we look at the type of college to consider.  Do you want a small or large college? Do you want a research college or a liberal arts college. Do you want a college or a university? Chances are, you do not even know why each of these factors matter. So let’s take a look. 

In a small college, class sizes are typically smaller and allow for more student-to-teacher interaction.  However, the smaller colleges  may not have as many majors to choose from, the facilities may not be as updated, and they may not have the same “name recognition” as some of the larger universities. However, that does not mean it is not as good academically as many larger universities. Liberal Arts colleges typically fall more into the “small” college category and will provide a more well-rounded academic approach.

The larger universities, on the other hand, will provide a plethora of majors and courses. They typically have more updated facilities, and better funded sports programs.  However, although there may be a more distinguished faculty, the classes may be taught by teaching assistants.  The classes may contain hundreds of students with limited student-teacher interaction.  

Financial fit is also an important factor to consider . It is important to note here, that it is not the actual cost of the college, but rather the out-of-pocket cost to the family. This should be one of the first things considered when beginning to search for the right college. Do the research! Don’t  waste your time and money applying to a college you cannot afford. 

Choosing the right college can make a big difference in the overall cost. Choose the right college and you may save a ton of money!

One of the questions colleges may ask on the application is “What do you do in your spare time?” or “What have you done your last two summers?”  They are looking to see if the student has productive summers. Most college-bound students do not have a lot of spare time during the year, but summer affords them the time to choose something to do to enhance their college application. Let’s take a look at some options, and you can be sure that lying around working on the suntan is not one of them!

The most obvious is to take a summer class. The high schools typically offer summer classes for their students. But another option might be to take a community college class.  After a two year hiatus, COS brought back its summer program in 2013.  Check out http://collegelists.pbworks.com/w/page/16119590/Summer%20Programs%20-%20General   for some other ideas that promote academic enrichment. But besides a summer course, students can show their intellectual side by reading, writing a book or play, or doing their own research project. Learning a new skill can also show initiative!

Community service is looked upon favorably by the colleges.  Many students do mission trips during the summer, but it is good to remember that students want to set themselves apart from other students, so doing something “original” might be beneficial as well. How about volunteering at a summer camp? Love animals? How about volunteering at the SPCA? It is also a good idea to try to deepen their involvement in something they already do. For example, a student who rides horses could volunteer at Happy Trails Riding Academy in Tulare. Or if they enjoy building things, a summer helping Habitat for Humanity could help them develop those skills. Be creative! They should think of things they can do for others in the community that will also improve their own experience in a field they are interested in.

Some students may want/need to work in the summer.  Students may want to find a job in an area of personal interest. For example, if they love to swim, they might try to become a lifeguard or teach swimming lessons. Working in a sandwich shop or ice cream store gives the student on-the-job training and they can learn responsibility, leadership, and how to be a good employee through this summer job.

For entrepreneurs, students can start a small business of their own.  Maybe they can develop a website or babysit.  Many students are interested in photography or video production.  Students with special skills can teach music or dance. Think “out-of-the-box”.  There are many valuable skills that can be learned through entrepreneurship. 

For students who have an idea about where they would like to go to college, summer is also a great time to make college visits. Although visiting colleges can be expensive, an early visit may save you a lot of money in the long run, if the right college is selected. A college visit can help a lot in the selection process. There is something about “the real thing”. If visits are not possible, then virtual tours are available.  

Summer is a great time to become more familiar with a specific career. Try to spend time, either paid or unpaid, in a place of interest. Want to become an attorney? See if you can shadow or volunteer in an attorney’s office. Interested in medicine? Can you get a job or volunteer in a hospital?  Are you interested in math or engineering? See if you can find a summer engineering institute to attend. Google it!

There are many things you can do in the summer to enhance your application and develop your skills. How you choose to spend your time can definitely have an impact on admission to the college of your choice. Have a plan! And be sure that when the college admissions officer says, “I know what you did last summer”, that it is everything they hoped you would do! 

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Which comes first, choosing a college,  career, or major?  These questions do not necessarily have definitive answers, but the latter is a question frequently asked by students as they begin the college application process.  Let’s take a look at considerations. 

The most common answer to this question, although not necessarily the correct answer,  is that the choice of major is the most important decision and drives the career choice, so major should be chosen first.  The question students are typically asked is, “What are you going to major in?”.   Therefore the student feels compelled to choose a major so that they have an answer when asked. A less common question is, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” However, perhaps this is a better question to ask.

Knowing what they want to do when they graduate can be a tough decision for a high school student. After all, there are adults who have been working for many years who still do not know what they want to be when they grow up! However,  although it is difficult, it is important for students to begin the process of thinking about it, and narrowing it down to a career field. Once a career field has been chosen, students can look at majors and then search for colleges that offer that major. 

So why is it important to have direction when choosing a major? Think about this:

Nearly half of America’s college students drop out before getting their degree. The cost of college is one of the reasons for this. Changing majors increases the amount of time it takes to graduate, thus adding more financial burden to the student and their family.  If the student knows what career he/she wants, then it is best to choose an appropriate major. If a student does not know what career to choose, an undeclared major is also an acceptable choice. In fact “undeclared” is the most popular major choice by incoming freshmen.  But keep your eye on the prize.  Get the diploma as quickly as possible.

So now we are back to our original question of whether to choose a major or a career path first. In reality, there is no perfect answer for this question. However, it is important to have valid reasons for choosing one or the other.  Let’s look at some things for students to consider.

• Self-assessment:  Get to know yourself.  There are many tools to help you explore yourself. 
• Identify your interests. You want to be able to enjoy your future career and college classes, so it helps if you are interested in your area of study. I know a student who loved the outdoors and science. He decided to major in engineering because it seemed more lucrative. He is now an engineer, works indoors all day, and hates his job.  
• Explore your talents and skills. You also need to be realistic when choosing a major/career. For example, a student who hates math and science should probably not choose medicine as a career. Learn your  academic strengths and weaknesses.
• Indentify your values. Do you like to work with others or alone? Do you love the outdoors or prefer air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter? 
• Know your personality.  How do you learn? What kind of work environment fits your personality? Do you prefer structure or flexibility?
• There are many tools to help with this self exploration, and it is well worth pursuing.

2. Major/Career Exploration. There are several ways to explore careers and majors.

• In can be as simple as looking up a major in a college catalogue and reading about the major. Also read the course descriptions. Can you see yourself in classes described under certain majors?
• Job shadow. Summer is a great time for students to job shadow careers of interest.
• Volunteer. Find a career of interest and ask if you can volunteer. Sometimes connections with family friends or high school teachers can help with this.
• Get a job. Once at college, internships are a great way to develop an understanding od different careers. many times, the internship leads to post graduation employment. Research colleges that offer co-ops or internships.

3.  Make a decision. Remember that your choice is not a “death sentence”. 

You can change your mind. Just remember that it IS important to be headed in the right direction for the sake of cost.  That is why research is important. 

Undeclared is a decision you make when you are undecided! It is okay to choose undecided, but it is still important to have some direction. If you go undeclared, explore quickly and get a comfortable path to follow.

Regardless of whether you choose college first, career first, or major first, focus on a plan that allows you to finish in four years, if possible. Check your colleges for their 4 year graduation rate. And most importantly, finish your degree. It will make a difference for the rest of your life!