College Search 101

However, there is a catch: What you pay your freshman year isn’t necessarily what you’ll pay every year. “A school may be able to guarantee you a scholarship or give you a great deal in year one, but you don’t know what’s going to happen in year two or three,” Schneider explains.

59% of undergraduates in a four-year program actually graduate within six years.

If you’re dead-set on an occupation that doesn’t pay very well, consider enrolling in a lower-cost college for a better ROI, suggests Kantrowitz.

admissions counselors

influence the decision making process

motivates you,

our writing should reflect your voice and your personality.

The more natural you sound the better.  

Do not rely on technology to proofread your essay! 

Number one is procrastination.  Don’t wait for this to be the last part of the application that you do. 

Why do most private colleges price and discount this way? Most colleges believe that the public relates the sticker price with the quality of the institution and that the higher the price the higher the perceived quality. Second, many colleges believe that students and their families like getting scholarships. Families resonate to scholarships and take it as an indication that the institution wants their child. Third, the larger the difference between the sticker price and the net price the more colleges can charge different net prices to different students; this gives the schools more opportunity to discriminate in their pricing in favor of students who are most desirable to the college. Fourth, many schools are unable to get the enrollment that they need to fill up their classrooms at their sticker price because students and their families are either unable or unwilling to pay the price and thus they must discount the price to get the enrollment that they need for financial equilibrium.

It is really important to know the school’s deadline and to have everything submitted at least 10 days in advance

Applicants should not wait until the last moment to begin the process and then expect every other step to become others’ emergency

The purpose of the supplement is to answer questions specifically about the school and what you see yourself adding to the community

students should take a personal inventory of the things that are most important to them, as this will help determine what schools will be a good fit

it should be the student who takes the initiative in building a relationship with each school

people will typically help where and when they can, as long as students take the initiative and ask

consider the optional items as a way to showcase your achievements, but generally it is not a good idea to provide materials beyond what the college describes in their ‘optional’ list