College Admissions Help Blog

Ask Admissions Girl: When applying to colleges you have to send your high school transcript, but do colleges actually look at them?

YES! Transcripts are a very important part of the admissions process and in most cases, give a more accurate portrayal of a student’s academic prowess than the SAT, ACT, or other standardized test. This is why it is very important to start early and get good grades from the very start.

Although schools would like to see consistently high grades, admissions reps look for upward trends as well. If you have a bad freshman year but show a marked improvement over the next three years, this can also be seen as positive. A transcript which shows a decline in grades over your four years is conversely looked upon as a negative indication of a student’s abilities.
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Understand the Cost of College

When figuring out how to pay for college one must first understand the cost of college. There are a few helpful calculators on CollegeToolKit.com that can help you accomplish this:

• Real Cost of College Calculator – estimates how much college will cost from based on when you will enroll and the current cost of the college you are interested in
• Expected Family Contribution Calculator – calculates your EFC or the amount a family can be expected to contribute toward a student’s college education costs when determining federal aid
• Value of college calculator – puts into perspective the costs of college versus the potential benefit overtime by comparing your lifetime earning in two scenarios

Assess all of your resources

Once you have determined the cost you should talk to your parents to see if they can contribute to your college costs, and get a job and start saving for those extra expenses. The remaining amount will be paid for using scholarships, federal aid, and private loans. (more…)

The college application and financial aid process is time-consuming, and requires a great deal of research and planning. Thankfully, most of your forms can now be found and completed online.  Even your toughest questions can be answered online by dedicated advocates.

Key tasks you should get on top of as early as possible:

File your FAFSA - Filing your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step in applying for Federal grants and also Federal and Stafford Loans. Many people do not realize that you may file your FAFSA before your taxes.

Stay on top of your deadlines - A few FAFSA state deadlines have changed this year, so be sure to confirm yours, and your federal school codes at FAFSAOnline. Some states only accept applications at the start of the year and award aid until funds run out.

Plan for emergencies - If you come across some unexpected expenses, find, apply and compare private student loan to help cover the rest of your college expenses.

If you have a puzzling question about how you are going to pay for college or the financial aid process visit the Financial Aid Forum. The Student Loan Network’s dedicated team answers questions daily and will provide resources to help answer those tough questions.

Junior Year Fact: How you prepare for college now will affect your chances of getting into a traditional four year college, on time, after high school graduation.

Dear Juniors, do you know how to prepare junior year to get into college? (more…)

FAFSA FAFSA Online

Completing the FAFSA is required for all types of financial aid, including federal student loans. Those who apply early are more likely to get more financial aid. This year, don't wait!!

FAFSA FAFSA Online

Completing the FAFSA is required for all types of financial aid, including federal student loans. Those who apply early are more likely to get more financial aid. This year, don't wait!!

Sallie Mae Alternative Student Loans < Lenders | Student Loan Network: " Learn about private loan options from Sallie Mae.

Sallie Mae Alternative Student Loans < Lenders | Student Loan Network: " Learn about private loan options from Sallie Mae.