| |
| |
|
College & University Information |
|
|
|
The College-Bound Students Early Bird Menu
Many parents and students I counsel confuse Early Admission, Early Read, Early Decision, Early Action and Early Notification. How these and the other admission strategies listed below are used, will determine the course of the student's college years. Understanding them is an absolute must! Early Admission: Typically, the student applies to college at the beginning of the junior year and simply goes through the process earlier. However, Early Admission is seldom used as it only applies to the most exceptional students who complete all high school requirements prior to the 12th grade, or even earlier. Although it is not binding, I strongly recommend that the student demonstrate a college level of social and emotional maturity before implementing this strategy. Schools often get into a bidding contest to recruit the truly exceptional student, some offering full scholarships for the privilege of having such an accomplished student on their campus! Nonetheless, use with extreme caution! Early Read: A number of colleges will offer to calculate a family's EFC, (the expected family contribution; the minimum amount determined by the federal government that a family will pay at any college for each student). This is done without obligating the student to apply to their school. Simply send them all your financial information at the beginning of the 12th grade! Sounds like a good deal, right? Wrong! Wherever possible, keep the schools and the federal government out of your wallet! If the student eventually decides to apply to that school, the aid offer has already been predetermined. Surely, you wouldn't feel comfortable having the IRS calculate your taxes, so why would you have a college determine your EFC? Avoid this at all costs! Failure to heed this advice will result in paying thousands more than you had to for a college education! Early Decision: This is a program with earlier deadlines and notification dates than the regular decision process. Students who apply for an Early Decision program commit to attending that school and only that school. This is a binding contract restricting the student to that one school. Once accepted, the student must notify all other schools applied to and request that their application be withdrawn. There is however, an upside. If money is not an issue, and the family will not be applying for financial aid, Early Decision is highly recommended, because it will give the student a decisive advantage in the admissions process! On the other hand, if financial aid is an issue, the danger is that the student must attend that college regardless of the financial aid offered! While Early Decision adds some leverage to being accepted, the financial consequences can be devastating because the student must accept the school's financial aid package no matter how inadequate it might be! I only recommend Early Decision under very specific circumstances. Also, if you change your mind, rescinding an Early Decision acceptance doesn't sit well with the schools. This option should only be used with extreme caution. Early Decision II: Offered by some schools, it is virtually identical to Early Decision except the application deadlines are later, usually January 1st. As with Early Decision, only one school can be applied to. I'm not an advocate of this one either. Follow the Early Decision criteria above and proceed accordingly. Early Action: Except for Early Decision candidates, I encourage all students to apply for Early Action. Students apply from September 15th to January 1st, and notices usually go out between December 15th and January 31st, (dates may vary). Applying for Early Action has one definite advantage. Since the competition is so fierce, the sooner a student applies the better. For the barely qualified student, this is the only way to go. It would be highly unlikely such a student would qualify in the general applicant pool, as they would be competing against far too many honor students and would pale by comparison. Also, students apply to college at the beginning of the senior year, and any grades beyond mid-term may not count at all! Always implement this strategy! Early Notification: This is similar to Early Action, except that some schools might also ask for a commitment to their financial aid package well in advance of the traditional May 1st deadline. Unless they make an offer you can't refuse, ask them to extend their deadline until the family has had sufficient time to consider all offers from the schools the student has been accepted to. I would strongly advise against negotiations because the student will be at a serious disadvantage with no other offers to compare and accepting could be a very costly mistake! Avoid this like the plague! Open Admissions: Some four year, most two year and virtually all community colleges will offer all applicants admission on a come-as-you-are basis. If they have room, as long as you have a high school diploma - you're in! Implement when available. Rolling Admissions: (I've saved the best for last.) This is a most advantageous school policy for applicants, as colleges offering Rolling Admissions will notify students of their status within a few weeks of receiving all necessary application documents. They usually accept students until such time as their quotas have been satisfied. Check the admissions policies of the schools you're applying to and by all means implement this strategy whenever and wherever available. This is one of a series of articles by college admissions and financial aid expert, Reecy Aresty, based on his book, "Getting Into College And Paying For It!" For further information or to contact him, please visit www.thecollegebook.com. For almost three decades, financial advisor & lecturer Reecy Aresty, has helped thousands of families to protect their assets, increase their wealth, and reduce their taxes. During the 1980's, he turned his attentions to the complex world of college admissions and financial aid. By the end of the decade, he was already saving his clients thousands of dollars on a college education! He has authored, "Getting Into College And Paying For It," also available in Spanish. Filled with trade secrets and insider information, it offers solutions for high school and college families guaranteed to give students the all-important edge in admissions, and parents countless legal ways to reduce college costs. In 2004 alone, Reecy saved families hundreds of thousands of dollars! He has become a major factor in obtaining affordable, quality educations for America's students. In doing so, he has restored the faith people used to have in one another by proving that there are still people who care, people who can be trusted, and people who actually do what they promise - and get results!
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Do Best Friends Make the Best College Roommates? Do best friends make the best college roommates? Not always! It's amazing how the quirky things you used to like about your best friend can begin to drive you crazy when you're around it 24/7. Just because you've been friends since grade school doesn't mean you should live together. Hidden College Costs: Roommate Conflict Parents, if you're already reeling from the costs of today's college education, take a deep breath. According to one expert, if your kids lack conflict resolution skills, it could end up costing you even more. Reducing the Administrative Burden for Further Education Colleges The introduction of the Government's Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) in September 2004 meant that more young people from poorer backgrounds could afford to stay on in further education instead of being forced to find work.But the scheme brought with it an extra administrative burden for further education (FE) colleges. What Makes A Penn State Online Degree Preferable To Other Online Degrees? A Penn State online degree is a college degree from Penn State University that is offered through the Internet. This is equivalent to a degree received from the traditional on-site Penn State University, and is advantageous because Penn State has a highly esteemed reputation in the academic world. MRCP and MRCPCH - Preparation for the Examination There should have been a time in the human history when there was no need for anyone to prove themselves; it is so delightful to think such a planet earth where human beings were free as birds without examinations. But to entertain such thoughts is almost sinful, a taboo for those in the medical field!!! It is all the more true for those who aspire to gain their MRCP and MRCPCH certifications. GCSE English I Hate the Moor Notes about Othello The Shakespearean play "Othello" describes a cruel chain of events ending in tragedy. This a plot of want and destruction caused by one man's envy and malice, whose actions in the name of revenge upon a firma friend get out of control, and go far beyond reprisal, the conclusion to which is loss of life through murder and suicide. Online Degree Program and Online Degree Programs Online degree program is a good choice for busy individual's seeking a degree and continuing their education. There are many institutions online that offer online degree programs. Study More Effectively If you are studying for an exam or if you need to learn some material for a presentation, you may be wondering how early you should start to study, and how often you should review the material in order to remember it.Is it best to study large chunks of the information at a time, or should you try to master small bits of it? Should you review the material again the next day? Or is it best to let a few days go by?Learning experts have proposed several different schedules for reviewing study materials, but the following is one that works well for most people. I Hate My Roommate! So its the beginning of the school year, your first day of class is over, and you just want to sit down and relax for a moment because you know that the rest of the semester won't be as easy as Day 1. You're alone in the room. Why Pursue Your Degree Online? Distance education has been around longer than people may realise. A system which teaches students without requiring that they actually be present, distance learning was pioneered in 1946, by the University of South Africa, which continues to offer distance education courses today. College Tuition Costs are Spiralling So, our children want to fly away from the nest and further their academic life in college. But with escalating costs, can we afford it? Will they have to take part time jobs to stay afloat or can we supplement their financial needs with college loans?These are just some of the questions that concerned parents and aspiring students are asking themselves nowadays. All About Grants for College Students Grants are a type of student aid that is awarded by the government. Grants for college students do not have to be repaid. Business and Academia! The driving factor of any university is to make the students understand the business needs of today and equip them for a better tomorrow. This means there has to be a constant inflow of feedbacks on "what" the business needs today and what it might need tomorrow. Student Removals - How to Get the Lowest Quote The problem with student and any small move comes when a small load has to be transported a long way:- For the moving company, the mileage and road time costs are not much less than for moving a whole house.. 9 Lessons for Success in College - That Actually Make Sense Most students know what it takes to be successful in college because some genius told them already. But here's the news flash: The prescription probably won't work. Academic Research on the Internet : There Is a Better Way Students nowadays start their research projects by looking up information on the web. And they are very right to do so, as there are libraries of useful information available. College Entertainment for Less Most of these activities are free or very cheap:* Campus music or dance recitals* College theater productions* Guest speakers* Poetry readings* Museum tours* Sports-either participate or go route for your school* Film and video showings* Art openings* Clubs on campusIf you are looking to stray away from campus here are some off campus fun frugal ideas:* Go watch a local band, they usually play at bars but the cover is usually $5-$10 to sit and enjoy and be in a sociable setting* Go to the movies, catch the matinee film during the day when prices are less expensive* Explore natural parks or recreation facilities where you can work out or simply enjoy the surrounding* If you have a pool in your apartment complex or have friends that do, gather round and soak up the rays and have some fun.* If you are in cold climates, go sledding in the wintertime, it's an activity that you're never too old for. Online Paralegal Degree Preparing You For Employment In an era when professional opportunities are diminishing, one area where opportunities are certainly expanding is in the field of paralegal work. Consequently, as the practice of law expands, and the need for professional paralegals grows, many argue that there has never been a better time to enter the field of paralegal work. How to Save Money While at College Still struggling to pay off the college loan? Have you disconnected your cell phone just to avoid those darn creditors? Need a quick get rich scheme? Well?maybe not that but in this article you will find some practical ways on saving money while attending your post secondary institution.BooksCollege book prices have been rising along with the cost of tuition, and it is no wonder why so many students have resorted to photocopying their texts. Self Marketing 101 - Why Students Should Tell Lies Everybody lies, and storytellers are some of the best liars around. But here is the problem: People like storytellers.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
