An interesting article about how competitive it is for students applying to college. There appear to be many factors driving the changes, including the number of high school graduates applying to college (it is going up) and the changes in admission and financial aid processes. Stay in touch with your admissions officers and ask for more information when you can!
An interesting article about how competitive it is for students applying to college. There appear to be many factors driving the changes, including the number of high school graduates applying to college (it is going up) and the changes in admission and financial aid processes. Stay in touch with your admissions officers and ask for more information when you can!
Dartmouth President James Wright announced today a number of enhancements to the College’s financial aid packages for undergraduates, beginning in academic year 2008-09, to ensure that Dartmouth remains accessible to academically talented students regardless of their financial situation. The new initiatives also extend the College’s need-blind admissions program to all international students, who typically represent about 7 percent of each incoming class. The Dartmouth Board of Trustees approved the enhanced program at a special board meeting Jan. 16.
Key elements of the initiative, which will go into effect for the coming academic year, include:
1. Free tuition for students who come from families with annual incomes below $75,000
2. Replacing loans with scholarships
3. Need-blind admissions for international students
4. Junior leave term with no earnings expectation
In announcing the initiative, President Wright said, “Dartmouth’s enhanced financial aid program will ensure that all our students are better able to take full advantage of the Dartmouth experience. The College has long been committed to helping superbly qualified students attend Dartmouth, regardless of their financial means, and financial aid has been a personal priority of mine for many years. Building on our more than three-fold increase in financial aid since 1998, I am pleased that we could make this further enhancement to our financial aid program as we seek to keep Dartmouth affordable and to enroll the most talented students from around the world.” President Wright is a member of the College Board Commission on Access, Admissions and Success in Higher Education and has worked to enhance the GI Bill to improve educational opportunities for veterans.
According to U.S. Census data, approximately 90 percent of U.S. households earn less than $150,000; 70 percent earn less than $75,000; and the median family income is $46,326. These families have the most financial difficulty sending their children to college. Dartmouth’s new financial aid program will enable it to continue to enroll one of the most economically diverse group of students in the Ivy League. Currently, 13 percent of Dartmouth students are the first in their families to attend college and 14 percent are recipients of Pell Grants (a federal grant for students who come from low-income families).
Dartmouth is presently need-blind in its undergraduate admissions process for applicants who are citizens or permanent residents of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, which means that it reviews student admissions applications without any knowledge of the prospective student’s ability to pay for a Dartmouth education. Once Dartmouth admits an applicant, the College meets 100 percent of the student’s demonstrated need for all four years through a combination of grants and loans.
Dartmouth currently spends $61 million per year providing financial aid compared to $24.5 million in 1998 – an increase of 250 percent. The new initiative will cost an additional $10 million per year when fully implemented. The additional expense will be paid for through the reallocation of resources and the use of funds generated by an increase in the distribution from the endowment to 6 percent approved by the Trustees last year. The College is in the midst of the Campaign for the Dartmouth Experience with a goal of $1.3 billion – $150 million of which will be for financial aid. This past December, the College passed the $1 billion mark in that campaign.
No Tuition for Families Who Earn less than $75,000
Beginning with the 2008-09 academic year, all students from families with incomes of $75,000 or less will receive free tuition. In addition, many will also receive scholarships for associated costs of attendance, i.e. room, board, books and miscellaneous expenses.
Loans Replaced with Scholarships
The College will eliminate loans for incoming scholarship recipients beginning with next year’s Class of 2012. Over the course of four years of enrollment, students will see loans that totaled as much as $17,500 replaced with scholarships. Currently enrolled students will see their loan expectation cut by 50 percent beginning next fall for each of their remaining years at the College. The elimination of loans will significantly reduce the debt burden of Dartmouth graduates.
Need-blind admissions for International Students
Starting immediately with the Class of 2012, the College will extend its need-blind admissions policy to all international students. Previously the College was need-blind for students from the U.S. as well as those from Canada and Mexico and provided financial aid to other international students up to a preset budget maximum. This cap will now be lifted and Dartmouth will join a very small group of schools that have a fully need-blind admissions process for international students.
Leave Term Earnings Expectation
Starting immediately, Dartmouth will provide an additional scholarship of $2,950 to allow financial aid recipients to take advantage of research or internship opportunities in their junior year. Currently, these students are expected to contribute earnings from their summer employment towards the cost of their education and thus have less flexibility than non-financial aid students in participating in important components of the Dartmouth experience. Students will be able to participate in community service, other forms of volunteer activities, or spend the time on their own research or studying for graduate school entrance exams. This aspect of the new plan builds on Dartmouth’s year-round calendar and strong tradition of service and experiential learning opportunities.
Dartmouth’s 4,300 undergraduates are an academically accomplished and diverse group, representing all 50 states and more than 30 countries around the world. Students of color and international students comprise 30 percent and 7 percent, respectively, of the student body. Nearly 48 percent of undergraduates today receive need-based financial aid from Dartmouth, with an average scholarship of $30,400 for members of the Class of 2011.
Dartmouth is recognized for its excellence in undergraduate education. In keeping with its founding mission, the intellectual quality and the diversity of the students the College admits are of paramount importance as Dartmouth seeks to create an enriching and varied educational experience for all members of the community. It is an historic assumption at Dartmouth that student engagement with a diverse group of peers, drawn from a broad range of racial and ethnic backgrounds, nationalities, socioeconomic circumstances, talents, experiences, and perspectives, contributes significantly to the transformative nature of a Dartmouth education.
Courtesy of Dartmouth News
Dartmouth President James Wright announced today a number of enhancements to the College’s financial aid packages for undergraduates, beginning in academic year 2008-09, to ensure that Dartmouth remains accessible to academically talented students regardless of their financial situation. The new initiatives also extend the College’s need-blind admissions program to all international students, who typically represent about 7 percent of each incoming class. The Dartmouth Board of Trustees approved the enhanced program at a special board meeting Jan. 16.
Key elements of the initiative, which will go into effect for the coming academic year, include:
1. Free tuition for students who come from families with annual incomes below $75,000
2. Replacing loans with scholarships
3. Need-blind admissions for international students
4. Junior leave term with no earnings expectation
In announcing the initiative, President Wright said, “Dartmouth’s enhanced financial aid program will ensure that all our students are better able to take full advantage of the Dartmouth experience. The College has long been committed to helping superbly qualified students attend Dartmouth, regardless of their financial means, and financial aid has been a personal priority of mine for many years. Building on our more than three-fold increase in financial aid since 1998, I am pleased that we could make this further enhancement to our financial aid program as we seek to keep Dartmouth affordable and to enroll the most talented students from around the world.” President Wright is a member of the College Board Commission on Access, Admissions and Success in Higher Education and has worked to enhance the GI Bill to improve educational opportunities for veterans.
According to U.S. Census data, approximately 90 percent of U.S. households earn less than $150,000; 70 percent earn less than $75,000; and the median family income is $46,326. These families have the most financial difficulty sending their children to college. Dartmouth’s new financial aid program will enable it to continue to enroll one of the most economically diverse group of students in the Ivy League. Currently, 13 percent of Dartmouth students are the first in their families to attend college and 14 percent are recipients of Pell Grants (a federal grant for students who come from low-income families).
Dartmouth is presently need-blind in its undergraduate admissions process for applicants who are citizens or permanent residents of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, which means that it reviews student admissions applications without any knowledge of the prospective student’s ability to pay for a Dartmouth education. Once Dartmouth admits an applicant, the College meets 100 percent of the student’s demonstrated need for all four years through a combination of grants and loans.
Dartmouth currently spends $61 million per year providing financial aid compared to $24.5 million in 1998 – an increase of 250 percent. The new initiative will cost an additional $10 million per year when fully implemented. The additional expense will be paid for through the reallocation of resources and the use of funds generated by an increase in the distribution from the endowment to 6 percent approved by the Trustees last year. The College is in the midst of the Campaign for the Dartmouth Experience with a goal of $1.3 billion – $150 million of which will be for financial aid. This past December, the College passed the $1 billion mark in that campaign.
No Tuition for Families Who Earn less than $75,000
Beginning with the 2008-09 academic year, all students from families with incomes of $75,000 or less will receive free tuition. In addition, many will also receive scholarships for associated costs of attendance, i.e. room, board, books and miscellaneous expenses.
Loans Replaced with Scholarships
The College will eliminate loans for incoming scholarship recipients beginning with next year’s Class of 2012. Over the course of four years of enrollment, students will see loans that totaled as much as $17,500 replaced with scholarships. Currently enrolled students will see their loan expectation cut by 50 percent beginning next fall for each of their remaining years at the College. The elimination of loans will significantly reduce the debt burden of Dartmouth graduates.
Need-blind admissions for International Students
Starting immediately with the Class of 2012, the College will extend its need-blind admissions policy to all international students. Previously the College was need-blind for students from the U.S. as well as those from Canada and Mexico and provided financial aid to other international students up to a preset budget maximum. This cap will now be lifted and Dartmouth will join a very small group of schools that have a fully need-blind admissions process for international students.
Leave Term Earnings Expectation
Starting immediately, Dartmouth will provide an additional scholarship of $2,950 to allow financial aid recipients to take advantage of research or internship opportunities in their junior year. Currently, these students are expected to contribute earnings from their summer employment towards the cost of their education and thus have less flexibility than non-financial aid students in participating in important components of the Dartmouth experience. Students will be able to participate in community service, other forms of volunteer activities, or spend the time on their own research or studying for graduate school entrance exams. This aspect of the new plan builds on Dartmouth’s year-round calendar and strong tradition of service and experiential learning opportunities.
Dartmouth’s 4,300 undergraduates are an academically accomplished and diverse group, representing all 50 states and more than 30 countries around the world. Students of color and international students comprise 30 percent and 7 percent, respectively, of the student body. Nearly 48 percent of undergraduates today receive need-based financial aid from Dartmouth, with an average scholarship of $30,400 for members of the Class of 2011.
Dartmouth is recognized for its excellence in undergraduate education. In keeping with its founding mission, the intellectual quality and the diversity of the students the College admits are of paramount importance as Dartmouth seeks to create an enriching and varied educational experience for all members of the community. It is an historic assumption at Dartmouth that student engagement with a diverse group of peers, drawn from a broad range of racial and ethnic backgrounds, nationalities, socioeconomic circumstances, talents, experiences, and perspectives, contributes significantly to the transformative nature of a Dartmouth education.
Courtesy of Dartmouth News
Bowdoin College, a small liberal arts college in Maine, has announced that they are replacing all loans in financial aid packages starting with the 2008-2009 school year. This new policy will apply for new students as well as existing students for whom Bowdoin will freeze their loan obligations to those already incurred.
By KAREN W. ARENSON
NY Times
Published: January 17, 2008
Applications to selective colleges and universities are reaching new heights this year, promising another season of high rejection rates and dashed hopes for many more students.
Harvard said Wednesday that it had received a record number of applicants — 27,278 — for its next freshman class, a 19 percent increase over last year. Other campuses reporting double-digit increases included the University of Chicago (18 percent), Amherst College (17 percent), Northwestern University (14 percent) and Dartmouth (10 percent).
Officials said the trend was a result of demographics, aggressive recruiting, the ease of online applications and more students applying to ever more colleges as a safety net. The swelling population of 18-year-olds is not supposed to peak until 2009, when the largest group of high school seniors in the nation’s history, 3.2 million, are to graduate. The rise in applications at three universities — Harvard, Princeton and the University of Virginia — came about as they ended early admissions policies, which had allowed students to receive decisions by mid-December, months ahead of others. The universities said early admissions benefited more affluent and sophisticated students and required students to commit without being able to compare financial aid offerings from various colleges.
The application figures suggested that the end of early admissions did not hurt. Princeton received a record 20,118 applicants, up 6 percent. The University of Virginia received 18,776 applications, a 4 percent increase. Like other campuses, Virginia said its final count was likely to increase slightly, because applications were still trickling in.
Scott White, the director of guidance at Montclair High School in New Jersey, said the school’s college counselors found students tenser than ever.
“There is a pure level of panic and frenzy like they’ve never seen before,” Mr. White said Wednesday. “There are some people who say that with some schools having ended early admissions, the frenzy must be subsiding. I don’t think that’s so.”
Even at colleges, there was surprise over the surges, in part because they followed strong gains in previous years.
“These are amazing numbers,” said William R. Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid at Harvard, speaking of his university’s flood of applications.
He said Harvard’s announcement in December that it was sharply increasing financial aid even for families earning up to $180,000 probably spurred applications, but, he said, the rise was visible even before that.
He said that the elimination of early admissions encouraged more interest, too, and that joint information sessions by Harvard, Princeton and the University of Virginia drew “astonishing crowds. ”
The reasons for the swelling numbers — not all colleges have reported yet — go beyond the growth in the college age population and the preoccupation with name-brand schools. Recruiting by elite colleges among low- and middle-income students and in new regions are bringing in more applications.
California, for example, has become a bigger source of applicants for Cornell since the upstate New York university created a West Coast regional office in Los Angeles several years ago.
“Ten years ago, California was not among our top eight feeder states,” said Doris Davis, an associate provost at Cornell. “Now it is among our top five.” Cornell applications rose 8 percent.
At the University of Chicago, international applicants grew 23 percent, to 1,826, and early admissions applicants rose 46 percent, to 4,430, Theodore A. O’Neill, dean of admissions, said.
Janet Rapelye, dean of admission at Princeton, attributed some growth to outreach “to more students from many backgrounds, including lower socioeconomic backgrounds.”
Some of the application increases undoubtedly come, too, from students applying to ever more colleges, in hopes of increasing their chances.
“There was a time when kids applied to three or four schools, then to six or seven schools, and now, 10 or more is not uncommon,” said John Maguire, a higher education consultant.
Mary Beth Fry, director of college counseling at the Savannah Country Day School, a private school in Savannah, Ga., said she had held the average number of college applications at her school to five last year, but expected the number to climb this year because students were so nervous.
Michael E. Mills, associate provost at Northwestern University in Illinois, said the 14 percent growth this year had sent the number of applications to more than 25,000. To help it winnow the field, he said, it hired a new admissions dean, Christopher Watson, from Princeton, who was accustomed to rejecting many good applicants.
“We anticipated having to go down the path of having to make more difficult choices,” Mr. Mills said, adding that Mr. Watson helped with “making very fine distinctions among very similar applicants.”
Student Loan Network is celebrating 10 years of serving students by offering all undergraduate and graduate students a chance to win $10,000 towards the cost of education. And the more friends you refer, the more chances to win! Drawing will be held on Feb 29, 2008.
The FAFSA Filing season has begun. The FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, must be submitted in order for students to qualify for federal student aid as well as other forms of scholarships and grants. Fortunately, there is a great website, FAFSAonline.com, that offers useful advice and helpful tips on how to complete the FAFSA and qualify for additional financial aid.
Visit: http://www.FAFSAonline.com for more information.
