| | | Watch The Recording!
Thanks for registering and attending Friday afternoon's session.
Hopefully you found it informative and useful.
I've included a link to a previous recording I did in the fall, when I had more time to go through all the concepts and answer questions.
Click below to watch the session in its entirety...
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Check out COLLEGE INSIGHTS to jumpstart your research and college search. Get the first month free by using code 1stmonthfree*.
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Here are some important topics discussed:
- College Insights compiles data from multiple sources: IPEDS, Common Data Sets, 3rd party sources, and over 6000 crowdsourced college offers from families, including offers from this admissions season.
- There are multiple ways to use College Insights:
- Check colleges already on your student's colleges list to review if the colleges offer merit scholarships, and if so how much and what did other students receive.
- Do a reverse-lookup: Enter your student's stats and preferences (major, location, size), select to match students in the 75th percentile and review the results of colleges. Sort the columns of "Avg Merit Amount" and "% of Students without Financial Need" in descending order.
- Look for schools with Early Action: Find a few schools where your student is likely to get merit scholarships and has early action. Add it to your student's list. There's NO downside, only an upside of your student getting a merit scholarship.
Answers to some questions families have asked: - Do merit scholarships need a separate application? Sometimes - Yes. This varies college by college. Some colleges review every applicant for a merit scholarship. Other colleges require a student to submit a separate application, potentially with an extra essay too. Check the college's website or call the admissions office to get the specific details for how to apply for merit scholarships at each college.
- When is the latest my student can submit test scores and/or an improved GPA to be considered for merit scholarships? Again - it depends on each college. Some colleges will allow students to submit test scores and/or improved GPAs after they have been accepted. Ask the college!
- Is EFC connected to getting merit scholarships? Yes and No. Your EFC determines whether your student is eligible for needs based aid at each school. If your student is eligible for needs based, a college will offer this type of institutional aid first (up to whatever percentage need the college meets). If your student has no financial need, the EFC is not considered when reviewing your student for merit scholarship eligibility.
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| | | Here's what families have said about using College Insights (all of these are unsolicited comments):
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| | | | | | For now, College Insights is best used from a desktop or laptop. The mobile version will be available in 2021.
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| | *Generously sponsored by College Ave Student Loans. |
| | | My goal is to help families like yours and mine get through college admissions and paying for it with as little pain (emotional and monetary) as possible; and with as much data, tools, and guidance without breaking the bank just to get our kids into college.
I'm always open for suggestions, so don't be shy to email me with your thoughts on College Insights or anything we do on Road2College and Paying for College 101.
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| | Debbie Schwartz Founder, Road2College I'm a parent, like many of you, navigating college admissions and paying for college. With an expertise in personal finance, analysis, and marketing, I'm working to give families the information and tools to make smarter financial college decisions. |
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