College Planning

College planning has become more complex over the past years, with different application portals, requirements and deadlines. Careers and training programs have also changed, however, there is free help available for those who would like to learn more! The following programs are offered online to support students and their families in planning for their future:

Ethan Sawyer is also known as “The Essay Guy”. If you Google him you will find a plethora of free resources. His goal is to create more joy, ease and purpose to the college planning process. Although he began his venture in 2011 as an essay support guy, he has since expanded. He has excellent blogs, videos, webinars and workshops for students and their families. I especially enjoy his podcasts. Topics on his podcasts span from funding college to resources for LGBTQ students and advice for homeschoolers.

The Matchlighters Scholars Program joins high-achieving low-income students with a college counselor who has experience in navigating students through the process of applying to college. Students must apply for and be accepted, but upon acceptance they will receive 10 hours of virtual support from the counselor who is “matched” to them. If you are a United States citizen, a second-semester junior in high school who has an unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher, and qualify as lower-income you may qualify for this program.

From The Matchlighters website, I found this testimonial:

“If it weren’t for College Essay Guy and the Matchlighters scholarship, the college process would’ve been forever a mystery to me. Taking the initiative and immersing myself in Ethan’s videos and meetings with my Matchlighters volunteer was the best decision I ever made. Along with Ethan’s incredible help, my Matchlighters volunteer guided me along the college process: helping me with my college list, answering my naive questions, and providing me with feedback on my writing. As I’m the first to attend a four-year college here in the U.S, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for Ethan and the Matchlighters Scholarship Program.”

Raise.me is a free micro-scholarship site that students can begin as early as 9th grade. Instead of waiting to learn what scholarships you may be able to obtain from your high school or college, you can begin the journey by inputting your current extra-curricular activities. Your good grades, community service, etc., all help you to be better prepared to succeed in college. There are over 300 participating colleges (including University of CA). As the micro-scholarships grow, students can also research the schools and see which ones are a fit for them. Of course, the winning scholarships are awarded upon acceptance at the school, but the average scholarship earned on Raise.me is $5,000 for each year of college. It is well worth the effort!!

Khan Academy is a non-profit educational organization that you may be familiar with. Teachers often use the site as a supplement to teaching particular concepts. Short videos are used to assist students with learning everything from geometry to computer programming, art and biology. Did you know, though, they offer a free course on College Admissions? The series of videos and timelines create a comprehensive tutorial that covers the costs and benefits of college, compares college types, as well as how to overcome obstacles and make high school count. It is free, easy to access and an exceptional learning tool for students who would like to learn more about options and the process of preparing and applying to colleges.

The website of The National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) is an impressive resource for both parents and students. They host virtual and in-person college fairs throughout the year. The next free virtual college fair will be held on April 23. Students and their families can register online to meet with specific college representatives. Students ask questions of the college representatives and listen to the presentations to learn about 300+ college institutions. Check out the free resources for students and parents. You can learn about fee waivers, how to build a college list, coping with anxiety, writing a college essay and much more.

My final free resource for today is “Career OneStop, Get My Future’s” website. This site provides information on various topics through engaging videos. This site has assessments to discover your interests and strengths and match them to different career options. It includes the level of education needed. There are also links to apprenticeships opportunities, Job Corps, banking and credit and much more!

I hope these resources may be helpful as you navigate your future!

This article was originally published in The Union Newspaper, Grass Valley, CA. April 20, 2023

The Union Newspaper
Grass Valley, California

Do you know your learning style? For some people, learning is best when it is applied to real-life situations. Today, there is good news for those who prefer to learn outside of a traditional classroom setting. Work-based and experiential learning opportunities are on the rise. “Hard skills,” such as college degrees, certifications and experience are important for employers. Soft skills, like being able to think critically, communicate clearly and lead a team, are also desirable traits in a new hire. There are many routes one can take to find a pathway to a satisfying career and gain the skills needed. Perhaps one of the following avenues will assist in developing essential work skills for someone in your family.

The Union Newspaper
Grass Valley, California

Do you know which state has the largest, most diverse university system in the Nation? Yep, you guessed it, California!!

The University of California (UC) is part of the state’s three-tier public higher education system. It also includes the California State Universities (CSUs) and California Community Colleges system.

The CSUs have 23 campuses spreading from Humboldt to San Diego. The prestigious UC system provides world-class educational opportunities spanning nine undergraduate campuses. If a student is a California resident, a state college can be an affordable option. For resident students at the UCs, 56% of undergraduates find their tuition is fully covered. The average debt upon graduation from a UC is $19,200, which is about $10,000 less than the national average. The average annual tuition for the 23 CSUs in 2020-21 was $5,742. The graduates of the CSUs, of which 95% come from California, tend to stay in state to apply their skills and knowledge, helping California’s economy thrive. We are fortunate to have such robust institutions of learning within our reach.

The Union Newspaper
Grass Valley, California

One of the most important actions families can take to pay for college is filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you, or your child, are thinking about attending a university, community college or trade school in the next year, the following information may be helpful.

Oct. 1 marks the first day families can access, complete and submit the 2022-2023 FAFSA Application. Some families will skip the application, but I would like to provide you with some essential reasons to not pass up the opportunity to fill out this free application for need-based aid. By filing the FAFSA as early as possible, more time is available to research options and create your college fund availability.

Not completing the FAFSA in a timely manner could be a costly mistake. Nearly all students who apply will qualify for some type of aid. By filing the FAFSA, and for resident undocumented students, a CA Dream Act application, students may be offered government grants, low-interest loans as well as scholarships.

For high school seniors applying to college in the 2021 admissions cycle, things are more uncertain than ever. College admissions officials are currently rewriting the wholistic review process.  The pandemic that hit the U.S. in early spring had a huge impact on the metrics that had been used to differentiate candidates from each another.  Many students are missing letter grades on their transcripts due to high schools turning to pass/fair grades. Students are missing core activities they would have been involved in if school had been in session.  Not to mention, most universities have now made the SAT and ACT optional due to the lack of testing opportunities for students.  Your child’s college list may be solid, but what about their application strategy?  Here we will look at the advantages and disadvantages of applying early action and early decision for college applications.

Approximately 450 colleges have early decision or early action plans. Applying to colleges early decision (ED) or early action (EA) should be carefully thought out and understood.

The differences are defined as:  

Early Decision – A student who is accepted early decision must attend the university if they are accepted.  They will usually see their offer of acceptance by January.  They will need to pay their deposit in advance of May 1^st and withdraw all applications from other institutions.  Students cannot apply to more than one school using early decision.

Early Action –  Is non-binding.  A student who is accepted early action has until May 1^st to make the decision about attending, but they will receive the response of acceptance much earlier than regular applications.  Students can apply to more than one school using early action.

Single-Choice Early Action – A small number of universities offer the single-choice early action option.  A student may not apply ED or EA to any other college.

The following questions will help your child and family determine if an early application is appropriate in their situation.  It is also important to know that The Common Application and some college application forms, require a student applying under early decision, as well as the parent and guidance counselor, to sign an ED agreement form spelling out the plan’s conditions.  It is important to obtain this in a timely matter.

My child was thinking of applying ED to their top choice, is this a good idea? 

If your child has researched all schools on their list and has a top choice that is above all other schools, if your child is a strong fit with their top choice university and financial aid and scholarships will not be a determining factor, then applying ED may be a benefit.

Students are unable to compare financial aid packets with each school when they decide to apply ED.  They would need to accept it, with the package the school offers and not have the opportunity to see what other universities may have offered.  Since aid varies greatly, this could be a negative factor.

It is possible that ED might increase your child’s chance of being accepted.  It also saves time and the cost of submitting additional applications.  When the student is accepted early they can begin looking at housing or other college preparation activities. They can focus on finishing off their senior year with a strong academic focus.  It does reduce stress overall to not have to wait for decisions and weigh them out in late spring.

It would also be important that your student has seen the actual campus and knows the environment it is in.  It can be a big shock to find that the campus a student thought they were being accepted to was not what they expected.  Touring campuses may be an issue during this time of COVID-19.

What are the drawbacks to applying early?

One of the difficulties of applying early is when a student is hoping to be notified early and does not complete deadlines for other applications. If they are not accepted ED by a college they will have very little time to send out other applications.  It is important to apply to all schools on the student’s list that are due within the year, just in case they need to focus on applications for other campuses.   

How much of an increased chance is there that my child will be accepted if they apply early?

Early acceptance rates vary greatly across campuses. Colleges vary in the proportion of the class they admit as well as the percentage of early applicants. This application cycle will also be different than last years.  Students can discuss with their admissions officers what the chance may be. 

For more information on early action and early decision for college applications check out the College Board https://professionals.collegeboard.org/guidance/applications/early#:~:text=Early%20decision%20versus%20early%20action,reply%20date%20of%20May%201 or contact me for a 30 minute consultation https://abestfitcollege.com/schedule/