If you are nearing the end of your high school career you are probably either planning on attending college in the fall or trying to make it in the working world. Jumping into the working world without a college education is extremely difficult in this day and age. Luckily, there are higher education alternatives for students graduating from high school who do not see themselves becoming traditional students.
Online schools are a great option for students who are interested in a higher education, but no necessarily the college life. Online schools allow students greater flexibility than traditional schools. It is even possible for a student to work full time while attending an online school.
Online schools are far less competitive than traditional brick-and-mortar schools. Online schools do not have to limit class sizes due to space constraints like traditional schools do. When admitting students online schools do not have to think about fitting people into residence halls, feeding all of the students they admit and providing every student with technological resources. Because of all of this students have a greater chance of being admitted.
Want to start the admissions process? Your first step is to find a school that fits your needs. Edvisors.com can help you choose a school and a program and walk you through the application process.
Ask Admissions Girl: What is the Expected Family Contribution (EFC)?
When you receive your first college financial aid package, you might not know what all of the components are. Students and parents are usually confused my a number called the EFC. EFC stands for Expected Family Contribution. It is the amount of money that you and your family are expected to contribute to your education based on the information you provided on the FAFSA.
The EFC not only determines how much money you family can put towards your education, but also how much financial assistance you need for college. Your EFC is subtracted from the total cost of attendance to determine the rest of your financial aid package including Federal Pell Grants, Stafford loans, Federal Perkins loans, Federal Work-Study and other school loans and scholarships.
It is important to remember that not every school is able to cover 100% of need for every student. This means that your total award amounts will not always equal total cost of attendance minus EFC. Federal student loan funds and grants are limited which is why you will not always receive the total amount that you are eligible for.
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March 23
College Admissions Examiner
Private colleges and universities are quietly announcing increases in tuition and fees crossing the $50,000 mark for the 2010-2011 academic year. Coupled with promises of increased financial aid, the boost in tuition is needed to cover continuing shortfalls in campus operating budgets.??This week, Harvard University announced that undergraduate tuition and fees for next year will total $50,724, an increase of 3.8 percent. According to a Harvard press release, financial aid for undergraduates will be increased by 9 percent, to a record $158 million for the upcoming academic year. “Harvard remains committed to a fully need-blind admissions policy that will enable us to continue attracting the most talented students, regardless of their economic circumstances,” said Michael D. Smith dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.??Harvard’s tuition increases remain roughly in line with other Ivies, including Yale, which announced tuition and fees totaling $49,800 or an increase of 4.8 percent; Princeton, which went up by 3.3 percent to $48,580; Brown at $51,360 or 4.5 percent over last year; Penn at $51,944—3.9 percent more; Dartmouth to $52,275, up by 4.6 percent; and Cornell, which will increase by 4.4 percent for the university’s endowed colleges to $52,316.??
Other private colleges and universities crossing the $50,000 threshold for the next academic year include Boston University at $51,120 (+3.7%), Carnegie Mellon University at $52,250 (+2.98%), Notre Dame at $50,785 (+3.8%), Washington University in St. Louis (+4.2%), and Stanford University at $50,576 (+3.5%).?? Both George Washington University and Georgetown have been over $50,000 for the past two years. This year, Georgetown tuition will go up by 3 percent and room and board will increase 2 percent for a grand total of $52,443. GW will remain true to tuition commitments leveling a 3 percent tuition increase only on incoming students leaving tuition and fees the same for all others.??While tuition increases at private colleges are not good news, they don’t approach the projections for public institutions. Florida college students could face 15 percent tuition increases for several years, and University of Illinois students will pay at least 9 percent more next year. Georgia’s 35 colleges and universities are planning a 35 percent tuition increase on top of a raise in student fees according to the Huffington Post online. The University of Washington will charge 14 percent more at its flagship campus, and in California, tuition increases of over 30 percent have sparked protests.??A four-year freeze on college tuition in Maryland is expected to end this year, but the increase is likely to be only in the range of 3 percent. Virginia schools so far remain mum on the subject, but increases are all but inevitable.?
By Nancy Griesemer
After you have been accepted to college and received your financial aid package, paying for college becomes more of a reality than a distant necessity. It is time to start seriously thinking about how you will make up the difference between your federal financial aid awards and the total cost of your education. Here are a few places where you might find funds for college:
- Your parents: If you are lucky your parents have saved some money for your college education. This is not the case for everyone, but if it is the case for you count your blessings.
- Your own savings: If you haven’t already started saving, start now. Your own personal savings will go a long way in paying for books and social expenses while you are in college. You may even want to take on an extra job this summer so that you can have extra money saved for expenses that pop up along the way.
- Scholarships: StudentScholarshipSearch.com is a great resource to help you find scholarships that you might qualify for. There are hundreds of thousands of scholarships from all around the country in the database.
- Private Student Loans: Private Student Loans are a great option for students who may not have a lot of financial need on paper. These loans are based on credit. The only catch is that most students will need a parent or family member to cosign the loan for them.
Ask admissions girl: How should I dress for a college admissions interview?
Many colleges and universities offer admissions interviews to their prospective students. Most of the time grades, SAT tests and essays do not tell your entire story. These interviews are a great way to show the college admissions officers your personality in living color.
Going to a college admissions interview is much like going to a job interview. Of course you should be prepared mentally for the interview, but it is also important to look and act in a professional manner. Looking and acting professional has a lot to do with the way you dress.
There are a few things to remember about you appearance when attending a college admissions interview:
- It is not necessary to wear a three piece suit to a college interview, but you should go with a business casual look. This means dress pants and collared shirts for guys and dress pants or skirts and blouses for girls.
- Keep undergarments out of sight. Pull your pants up and wear a belt. This goes for both guys and girls.
- Cover up any prominent tattoos and take out non-traditional piercings.
- Do not wear jeans, t-shirt, sandals, sweatpants or sweatshirts.
- Do not wear too much makeup, perfume or cologne.
When you look good you tend to have more confidence. More confidence will help you feel more comfortable in the interview. Sticking to these tips could be one of the keys to getting into the college of your dreams.
When starting the college application process some many students wonder how many schools they should apply to. This is a completely personal decision and students can apply to as many or as few schools as they feel appropriate.
No matter how many schools you apply to it is important to have a few different kinds of schools on your list:
Reach Schools: A reach school is a school that is somewhat out of your league. Although you would love to attend your reach school, you are not confident that your skills and academic achievements match what the school is looking for. However, being accepted to a reach school is never out of the question. Ivy League schools often fall into the category of “reach schools” for many students.
Target Schools: A target school is a school that fits your achievements well. Students who attend your target schools probably got similar SAT scores and high school grades to you.With target schools you will most likely be accepted, but there is still a chance you might not be.
Safety Schools: A safety school is a school that you are almost 100% confident you can get into. There is always a very real possibility that you will end up You should apply to at least one safety school that you would feel very comfortable and happy to attending.
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Ask Admissions Girl: Is it true that you could be accepted to a school because of your gender?
I don’t know why, but some colleges and universities attract more women than men, or more men than women. This is something to think about when applying to college. The college I attended was about 60% female and 40% male. People always said that the school was “easier for guys to get into” because the admissions office was trying to even the classes out.
Most schools prefer that their gender distribution is about 50-50, but that is not always possible. It has been said that some college take steps to make this distribution a reality. For example, if a male and a female are both equally qualified for one admissions spot in a heavily female school, the male may get the spot over the female. This helps the school increase its male population.
The reality is that when you are applying to college this is not something you should really worry about. Do not ever think, “I won’t get into that school because I am a girl,” or “that school has too many guys already.” Colleges want to admit the most qualified candidates regardless of gender.
ScholarshipPoints Bonus Code: AAGWEEK18
If you are nearing the end of your high school career you are probably either planning on attending college in the fall or trying to make it in the working world. Jumping into the working world without a college education is extremely difficult in this day and age. Luckily, there are higher education alternatives for students graduating from high school who do not see themselves becoming traditional students.
