Insider tips for the week of October 3, 2016

October 3, 2016

Below are our insider tips to help your family with the complicated college process:

 

person-976759_640Scholarships with October deadlines – Check out this list from Jessica Velasco and find a few you can apply to. 

 

Straight talk from college admissions officers to parents – Brennan Barnard collected candid advice to share with you. While some of it may be hard to stomach, it is valuable to get an insider perspective from the other side of the desk. Check out the article in the Washington Post.

 

Colleges do NOT want well-rounded students – In this important piece that every HS student should read, Lora Block explains students should spend more time deciding what is important to them or what they are curious about and less time amassing long lists of activities. Share with your child and help them identify areas of curiosity.

 

Major FAFSA change – The FAFSA is now available October 1 instead of January 1 and will use the same 2015 tax year info as last year’s FAFSA.

  • Families should file as close to the Oct. 1 date as possible because some of the financial aid is first come, first served. That means a family could literally qualify for some aid, but actually miss out on it because it was already handed out.
  • I strongly believe all families should complete the FAFSA, regardless of how much money they make. Even if they won’t qualify for aid based on their income, we regularly see families get free families can get free merit aid just for completing it

 

PS – Here are our upcoming education seminars around the greater Twin Cities area:

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