by Tom O'Hare | Aug 13, 2020 | Before, College Admissions, College Planning
Unprecedented. One word describing the perils of COVID-19 and being felt by many, including high school students and their parents. College planning, the experiencing of finding, selecting, and paying for college can raise the anxiety level for individuals working on the post-high school educational goals.
Placed on temporary holds are many of the events, activities, and ways that students and colleges traditionally connect. College fairs, high school visits, and in-person campus tours have all moved virtually. The Student to College Networking Community (S2C), fosters a new philosophy emphasizing the need for students to be proactive in marketing their interests and talents to college options.
Your Homework
Understanding Enrollment Goals & Needs– Matching student applicants is an art but more of business—the business of attracting students (families) who can meet specific enrollment needs and goals. Schools work to address their Needs that include majors, housing, academic profiles, extra-curricular programs, and socio-economic households. Goals look at the big picture; long term needs affecting revenue, alumni fundraising, and keeping the doors open. Knowing a school’s objectives are critical to the recruitment game.
Who is Recruiting Whom – The college enrollment game is 90% organic, with the majority of the schools relying on the submission of an application to gauge a student’s interest. There is relatively little recruitment. So why do students and parents think it’s the opposite? Glossy viewbooks, brochures, timed campus tours, and limited access to decision-makers fuel anxiety drive consumer behavior. COVID-19 has changed the game. The new playbook is now all about becoming one’s own marketing representative.
Simple Starting Points
- Build a Strong HS Resume – The accomplishments and activities of a student during their high school years are those to be showcased in the resume and communicated during the S2C process. In-school, community-based, academic, personal achievements from 9th grade on are vital. Individual wow factors that define a student are essential to showcase student talents and treasures.
- Engage and Be Authentic – Everything begins with a conversation. It starts through an email, text, or phone call, but centers on a discussion. People exchange pleasantries, get to know each other, build a relationship, and then discuss needs and solutions. As students and their parents work the college list evaluating possibilities, options, and choices, contacts across campus need to be determined and engaged as part of this new S2C initiative.
- 90 Second – When the call comes, when the email or text arrives, be ready. Every student should be able to answer three questions:
- WHY- Attend College?
- Who are You- Accomplish and Personal Characteristics; What Sets You Apart?
- WHAT is the Desired Outcome-Career, Job, Financial Security
- The Fit – Search for colleges and universities that match you. Academic, personality and financial.have a range but be realistic with expectations of competing to get in and affordability. There are over 35oo schools in the US, but everyone chases less than 20%. Be a different consumer and look for the unknowns. They might surprise you!!
- Virtual Communications – School administrators, faculty, and coaches are working like the rest of the workforce, remotely. COVID-19 will dictate how fast they return; its clear things will remain different for a while. Virtual communication, mobile applications, plus the use of texting, email, and phone calls, need to be part of a student’s college plan.
Checking a box on a card (in-person or virtually), registering on a colleges’ Admissions page is important but alone will limit the exposure a student has with a college. A new section of the college planning guide/checklist should include steps on how to stand out to a college or university. Differentiating oneself through their HS Resume and the way they communicate their value to a college or university can be the difference between getting in and earning valuable tuition assistance.
Whether you are a Student, Parent, or Educator looking for quality virtual (college planning) support in uncertain times, Pivotal College Years is making the College Planning Portal for Families FREE to EVERYONE. EVERYTHING you need for college planning in one place. COVID-19 Community Commitment: FREE Until 2021
by Tom O'Hare | Jul 24, 2020 | Before, College Planning
Paying for College – Know YOUR Numbers Early!
Education after high school is a critical life event that every student (and their family) needs to prepare for and pursue. Planning one’s pathway is based on academic potential, personal interest, and the motivation to attend that begins as early as middle school and culminates at high school graduation. Planning typically centers around setting goals and expectations, talking about majors and school settings, and one’s readiness to follow an educational path after high school.
But there is the elephant in the room. Students and their parents, many times, search, apply, and even commit to a college or university without understanding the financial implications. Today, the process of purchasing a first-time home, car, or even remolding one’s home requires prequalification. A review of one’s budget, resources, and ability to pay occurs are all part life-changing purchase. The process of prequalifying is to learn what one’s financial gap could be when considering large consumer purchases and how to make wise choices to achieve goals. A process that, to this day, seems to come late in the college shopping experience.
Two Steps to Prequalification
Parents of rising Sophomores and Juniors with an eye on college should learn their Expected Family Contribution, the EFC number early.! Although not carved in stone, the EFC is the first number used in the process of determining a student and family’s demonstrated (financial) need. As the first chart illustrates, as school options change, so will the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, room, board, and other indirect charges), and the demonstrated need. Secret #1 – the EFC, never changes..
Now we need to learn the rest of the calculation to understand what our financial gap (prequalified) would look like as we go shopping.
As part of the overall college selection process, we need to know what a student/family might earn in tuition assistance money? Tuition Assistance is the financial support that comes from multiple sources to help supplement a student/family’s ability to meet the cost of attendance at a specific school. Financial aid, scholarships, grants, and self-help (loans and work) are typically what fill the category. The other driving factor is how a student’s profile matches a school’s admissions requirements, enrollment, and business (revenue) needs. Secret #2 – Schools have different needs; students offer different values; schools award students different money!
So we have walked through a high-level paying for College 101 Overview. Understanding the family’s financial gap is in essence a form of pre-approval, pre-qualification. The beginning of the college search and selection journey with numbers in mind is like buying a first home. You can fall in love with the home, but if you can’t afford to move in you’ll be in financial trouble. Falling in love with the “dream” school can be the same.
Find the right education path, for the right reason, at the right school for the right investment!
Questions on your EFC and how to ultimately learn your financial gap, schedule a conversation to learn how Get College Going can help!
Looking for college planning support during these uncertain times, consider Pivotal College Years. Pivotal College Years, an online college planning resource, offers educational information, downloadable reference documents, and resources before, during, and after college. Sign up for Access to the College Planning Portal for Families Everything you need for college planning in one place!
by Tom O'Hare | Jun 17, 2020 | Before, College Admissions, College Planning
We double-check triple-check our lists. We visit the doctor and dentist for annual exams. When the “check maintenance light,” the car goes to the garage.
As parents of high school and college-aged students approach the mid-year of their student’s journey, consider a few checkup items for a healthy second half!
Meet College Costs – The sticker price of college is now an investment that rivals buying home. Understanding the direct and indirect costs is an essential part of knowing how to pay. Can we, as a family, afford a net tuition cost of $10K, $20K, or higher? What is our debt tolerance? Parents of high school students should know their spending capability before students go shopping.
Parents of students enrolling or enrolled, are you able to meet and keep up with the costs? As a four-year financing process, anticipating payment costs in years two, three, and four is critical.
- Applying for financial aid, completing the FAFSA is vital whether you’re going to a traditional, community college or part-time program. Don’t leave money on the table!
Hunting for Private Scholarship – Supplement one’s resources to pay for college—undergraduate, graduate, or professional studies. One might say it is time-consuming, but one will never know until they search. Email us to obtain a free Scholarship Guide full of tips and ideas to enhance the search.
Essay, Common Application, and Recommendations – All are an essential part of the application documentation needed when applying. Right now, it is a perfect time to write the essay and personal statements and start the Common Application. The new school year is going to be very hectic for high school seniors. Taking a few items off the list can make for a calmer senior year.
Searching and Raising Your Hand – Where will I go? How will I get in? Are you asking these questions? If so, you’re not alone. Campus tours and visits will return by the end of the summer. Is the college list complete, well rounded, and are you scheduling appointments that were missed this spring or forced to virtual? Do the colleges know you are interested? I bet not. If you’re not calling, texting, or emailing, they don’t!
Gap Year – Be cautious. Each school has its own rules and policies regarding deferring, taking a semester or year off. Contact your school and learn the rules!
Managing Education Loan Debt – Not to be forgotten is the recent core of graduates and individuals already in the workplace and managing the repayment of their education loan debt. The mid-point in the calendar is a perfect time to evaluate one’s ability to manage its debt. Federal loans will be coming out of their temporary hold in September, and refinancing of private loans continue to offer relief. Current loan holders should prepare for the return of monthly loan payments.
- Employers can now be a great assistance to their workforce. New changes to IRS Business Tax Codes allow employers to use education reimbursement funding to assist employees in repaying their education loan debt.
Reopening???? – COVID-19 throws a significant curveball during this first half of the year. Now it is a process of monitoring how schools will be reopening their campuses. Modified academic schedules and dorm living arrangements are being analyzed, questioned, and reviewed, to bring students back to campus. Colleges want and need students back. Plan to return!!
CALM THE WATERS – Are you feeling anxious? Have questions? As a parent of four working college graduates having spent my career in college and high school enrollment (admissions and financial aid) and marketing positions, I understand the complexing of college planning. I welcome the chance to provide clarity and insights to your questions. Feel free to reach me by text or telephone at 617-240-7350 or email at tom@getcollegegoing.com.
Looking for a quality virtual (college planning) support during these uncertain times, Pivotal College Years, an affiliated partner of Get College Going, is making the College Planning Portal for Families available to parents, students, educators, EVERYONE, FREE until December 31, 2020. EVERYTHING college before, during, and after-one place, one-click!!
by Tom O'Hare | May 18, 2020 | College Planning
If college is in your cards for 2021, now’s the time to make college planning the focus. Yes, early dismissal and online learning have left a sour taste for this junior year, but letting it take over will mean regrets in the Fall.
Using this time wisely will offer huge rewards. Here are a few things that you should be doing before the real summer break begins.
Clean up FB and all social media. Colleges and universities will stop looking behind the curtain for misbehaving.
Put on your salesman hat and recruit your schools
- Use a Gmail account to communicate with college representatives, access scholarships, and live in a college-bound world.
- Attend virtual college fairs, and when a college reaches out, begin the networking process. BUT
- Go beyond just asking for information and colorful viewbooks. Recruit the recruiter. Get to know your institutions of interest and help the schools get to know you!
- Create a 90-second description of why you want to attend college, what you want to gain from experience, and, most importantly, what you will bring to the campus. Be ready to use it. Step one of selling yourself!
- Do some number crunching, cost, aid awarded, enrollment (+ or -) & transfer out, to name a few.
Testing is to measure your academic strengths and benchmark your college readiness. While thinking of taking the test, keep in mind 1400+ institutions (as of May 18) have declared they are test-optional, not requiring the test as part of admission requirements on their campus. Many highly selective schools are also looking at implementing a trial postponement of the test for one to three years. Taking the SAT, ACT, or any other test that comes should meet the student’s goals and needs without raising stress and anxiety levels. SATs (August dates and beyond) and ACT (June 13 plus Fall).
Keep working your college list – keep your search, evaluation going https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search. Use virtual tours, connect with current students, and speak with faculty to set up YOUR list of interested institutions.
Start your Common Application www.commomapp.org, create your college list, learn guidelines and requirements, and start paying attention to the process. Check out the areas requiring information on you and your family and prep for the Questions. Leave your Essay for the Summer!
Learn more (a lot more) and paying the bill – learn what your EFC (family contribution) www.studentaid.gov will be, what a private and public college will cost https://collegecost.ed.gov/net-price and how, ultimately to pay the bill https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Knowing the answer will make shopping for college, real and affordable!
Look under the rocks – scholarships, large and small; those through the high school, work, and on the web. Ask us about our Kitchen Table Scholarship Guide. Sadly many scholarship providers this year have not had enough applicants. Perfect for those who did apply! Invest the time, and rewards might pay off.
Stik to the College Plan – keep calm, keep communication open within the household, and ask questions of School Counselors, colleges, and your adviser.
If you are now feeling a wave of anxiety, were sorry. There is a lot. That’s why we do what we do. Start with a free call.
by Tom O'Hare | Apr 8, 2020 | College Admissions, College Planning
Everything Equal
High school juniors and sophomores looking beyond high school are planning for college or other paths while focusing on their academics and continued personal development. Seniors are finalizing offers, comparing financial aid award letters, and discussing the next steps at the kitchen table. Questions are being answered with visits to the guidance office, attending an accepted student day invitation, and speaking with former students now in attendance. Maybe the path after high school is instead moving into a skilled professional position or pursuing an Associates’s degree or serving our country. The process of elimination is in full swing.
[Insert the sound of screeching tires}
COVID-19 – Now we’re pivoting!
Normalcy may be out the door; however, sticking to the plan should still be the PLAN. Yes, adjusts are now required; the norm is no longer the status quo. Changes and modifications are the new norms, but sticking with the script should be the climate for every household. Normalcy will return with a few twists. On-line and on-campus experience may split the interest scale. More students won’t feel pressured to go just to go, and becoming a skilled professional will again be applauded.
With a Plan in hand, college or not, students and their parents will be able to navigate the current emotional and personal challenges. The key will be how we adapt and seek clarity through the nose. While bobbing and weaving, the key will be for students and their parents to make their modifications but remain on track by executing their plan.
Everyone Needs a Plan
Know YOU’RE Criteria: Distance, size, location, athletics, performing arts, courses, and affordability are just a few of the want and offers that remain constant when a student builds their college list. Students need to stay committed to their needs and wants in the early stage and when conducting that final review before committing.
Register Your Interest: Visiting a college or university website and drilling down to the Admissions page allows a student to register, acknowledging one’s interest in the specific school. Welcoming information and other communications will follow. Students can inquire about particular areas of the campus, academics, and student life. You’re now part of the college’s database, step one of showing your interest.
Recordkeeping: Create a way of recording and retaining information: emails, e-viewbooks, contact information, and other documentation from schools under consideration. When researching a school virtually, keep notes, and maintain them by the school. As one moves through the process of elimination, one cannot rely on memory!
Your School Counselor: Work with your School Counselor. Today due to the COVID-19 concerns were all at home. So is your School Counselor. Now that you are at home navigating either the beginning, midpoint, or end of your college search, reaching out to your Counselor for assistance is vital. They can provide insights on schools, locate a former student who is enrolled, and generate all to critical documents that are part of the application process.
Use the Eyes of an Insiders: Gaining hands-on feedback from individuals who are attending or are recent graduates is a great way to learn about a school. Former high school classmates, friends, relatives, and alumni are a great source to learn college back story. Don’t know someone, check in with your School Counselor or Admissions Office.
What’s Changed?
Campus Visits & College Fairs: For the time being, Informational Tours, Accepted Students Day, local and regional college fairs are all on hold. The stay home, 6FT of social distancing, and the critical need to protect everyone’s health, the school needed to cancel all events on campus. They’ll be back, but for the time being, virtual is the new tool. Virtual Tours – Webinars – Facetime
Virtual Tours: While nothing can replace walking across the quad, peeking into a classroom or dorm, or sampling the latest culinary delights, technology can be the next best friend. Navigating to a school’s website or through one of a few different third-party providers, students can investigate college options.
On-Demand Streaming- Along with virtual tours, colleges and universities are offering streaming video, live and taped webinars, and other events. Check their websites for events and schedules.
Facetime: Chatting, answering questions, and providing specific insights to campuses is available to prospective and accepted students. Students and parents can speak with a current student, Admissions Counselors, Coaches at designated times, or on-demand.
Meeting College Representatives: With the closure of college campuses around the country, Admissions Counselors, Coaches, Performing Arts Advisers, and Faculty are all working remotely. Getting to know these individuals should not be a barrier during these times. They’re just an email and text away! Admissions Representatives who frequently visit high schools and attend college fairs are not traveling. But, they are working to build the next two enrollment classes. So are those looking to field the next team of student-athletes, dancers, and performers? If the contact information is not known, searching a school website or contacting the high school should produce their name and info. Getting to College Representatives are essential to building relationships and communicating why you are the top candidate to accept, this year or next.
With or Without COVID-19
Where I’m Applying: When it is all said and done, selecting a college or university to attend is a personal choice. A choice based on multiple factors, including educational training and personal development. An institution whose internal structure supports a student’s emotional wellbeing and leads to a career outcome. Through the process of elimination, a student’s final list of choices, schools I want to apply to fall into three categories where the average student is:
- Above MY Profile – I’d be psyched to get in!
- Right ON MY Profile –perfect match, and
- I’m Above the Profile –”I’m the big fish in their small pond!”
Let’s Not Forget Affordability – Colleges are not free. Attending an institution of my choice is an investment. Today, yes, it is troubling to consider how to finance a college education; however, even in prosperous times, affordability must be a critical consideration. Getting in is one part; paying the bill throughout four-years must is equally essential and should not be ignored while narrowing the list!!
Explore| Evaluate| Refine| Select – Don’t Let COVID-19 Change the Process; Continue to Work Your Plan
by Tom O'Hare | Apr 3, 2020 | College Admissions, College Planning, Financial Aid, Uncategorized
Yes, these are unusual times for everyone, including millions of college-bound high school seniors and their families. Within the last two months, everything has turned upside down, affecting even the greatest of plans. Or so, one might think.
Financing one’s college education has become one of the top five most significant financial investments an individual will make in their lifetime and that of their parents. Choosing to go to college should be treated as an investment, one that doesn’t put the student or their parents at a financial risk.
But How?
Depending on where a student and their parents are in the college planning process, multiple strategies can apply. Plans should take into consideration college choices, financial resources, dependency on financial aid, and future goals. Wise steps are needed next today.
Seniors: Unfortunately, you are under the microscope, experiencing the most significant impact. You and your parents may have chosen a college, submitted a deposit, or you have been narrowing the list and were ready to pull the trigger. However, now as you compare financial aid awards and calculate the net cost, the gap has grown. In both cases, filing an appeal is your next step. Deposited or not, if your ability to meet the cost of one or more college on the list, a request is in order. You must convey the new, current financial status of the household and the specific reason (loss of or drop in income). The appeal is sent to the Financial Aid Office and copied to Admissions. Then give them time, monitor emails, and follow up.
Deposited Days Extended: By now, most college-bound seniors know that the official May 1 Deposit Day is on the move. The vast majority of colleges and universities are moving their deposit date to June and a few even, July. For students and families who are evaluating the cost side of choosing, enrolling this is a helpful sign.
New Recruitment Practices: I’m not referring to athletics, all though they too are affected by the current COVID-19. I am speaking about potentially new recruitment practices coming to the forefront of higher education. The idea of schools reaching out past the deposit date to have a conversation about considering their campus. A practice generally unheard in higher education, but one that this Adviser feels its time has come. Maybe call re-inforces second or third might just be the best fit. A call the student can also make!!
Financing Resources: Traditional funding resources are still here. As is typical for this time of year is the exercise of finalization of payment strategies. What current savings or income as part of the financing plan and what if any future income, loans were going to be needed. Of course, now, for many families, learn if an adjustment to merit and financial aid awarded will accrue and if it will be enough.
- Family savings: Potentially hit the hardest due to the COVID-19; families may continue to have resources through 529 Plans, other college savings programs, and investment programs. It may be too early to learn of the overall effect COVID-19 has had on families.
- Monthly payment plans: A program offered directly through the school, providing 5, 7, 10 installment payments over a semester or year. Most plans require a small application fee and are interest fees, a very cost-effective loan program. The question becomes, what resources within the current budget are available?
- Federal Direct Student Loans: A loan extended to the student directly as part of the completion and filing of the FAFSA, awarded based on grade level and academic progression. A first-year student may be eligible to receive up to $5,500 with payments are due six months after graduation or early separation from school. The loan carries a fixed interest rate, which, based on current projections, maybe as low as 2.89%* for the coming academic year.
- Federal PLUS Loan: A credit-based loan available to parents of a dependent student. This fixed-rate loan (projected to be as low as 5.44% for July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021*) allows a parent to borrow a portion of or the entire remaining balance owed to the college or university. Payments begin 30-45 days following the disbursement of the full loan. The loan is repaid monthly between 5-20 years. Although not recommended, loan payments can be postponed during the student’s enrollment period. Interest accrues during the postponement and is either paid or added to the balance at the end.
- Private Education Loans: A credit-based loan is provided through a small nucleus of lenders and credit unions and may be available to an eligible student and parents. Interest rates are based on the creditworthiness of the borrower and co-borrower if required (90% of undergraduate students require a co-borrower) and whether the loan will is repaid or deferred while the student is in school. The average fixed interest rate today can range from 3.99% to 12%. A private loan has become prevalent resources, but one that can be the most costly. It should only be one’s last resort!
Alternative Decisions: Looks like I will be the one to address the elephant in the room. Students’ first choice may not be their choice today. The decisions to select a top runner from the second or third row may be in the best interest of the student and their family. Shouldering the cost of high-interest private loans, allowing a parent to (never) think of using retirement savings to enroll in a school that yes, is the dream, but an investment risk needs to be studied, evaluated and questioned. Moving to a top second and third choice may be the wises decision, a new first-year college student will make in their life!!
In such trying times, we are here to serve as a resource and provider of useful content from the college industry. Our team has walked thousands of families through the college process over the last few decades. Please feel free to call, text, or email your questions. We hope you find value in our information and welcome you to join us virtually.
Reference: Mark Kantrowitz March 11, 2020, Savingforcollege.com
