Michelle Kretzschmar

What is financial aid preferential packaging?

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ShareTweetFlipEmailPin0 SharesPreferential packaging is the practice of changing the type and amount of financial aid awarded to a student based on the desirability of the student relative to the applicant pool. This policy is common among private colleges but not by public institutions. Since most colleges have a finite amount of aid available, they have … Read more

FAQ: What is the Academic Common Market?

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College Student asking what is the academic common market

ShareTweetFlipEmailPin2424 SharesThe Academic Common Market (ACM) is a program that allows students to pursue degrees not available in their state at out-of-state institutions but pay in-state tuition. There are 15 members of the Academic Common Market: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Florida … Read more

FAQ: What’s the difference between a college and a university?

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A student stands on a path in front of a brick building on a college campus. A sticky note reads: "College FAQ: What's the difference between a college and a university?" The scene captures the essence of academic curiosity and exploration.
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Postit Note asking What's the difference between a college and a university?In the United States, there isn’t any official difference between a college and a university. There are no rules that require certain types of higher education institutions to use the term “college” and others to use “university.”

Many perceive the difference in terms of size, “university” means big and “college” means small.  However, there are 467 institutions with “university” in their name that have 3,000 or less undergraduates with 109 having less than 1,000. There are some pretty big colleges out there as well. A total of 79 have 5,000 or more students, 163 have 3,000 or more.

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I can’t afford private school tuition, why should I even bother applying?

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Note with text I can't afford private school tuition, why should I even bother applying?

ShareTweetFlipEmailPin0 SharesMost people can’t afford the published private school tuition. But most people don’t pay the listed price for private school tuition either. And while private colleges cost more than public schools, they usually provide more financial assistance than public schools. Consider the following information from College Data on two institutions: Item Texas State University … Read more

What is demonstrated interest?

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ShareTweetFlipEmailPin0 SharesDemonstrated interest refers to the interactions initiated by college applicants with colleges they apply to. These interactions include: Requesting information Contacting the admissions office Campus tours Overnight visits Campus interviews Alumni interviews Virtual interviews College fairs Information sessions Social media interaction Early admission Some colleges use demonstrated interest as a way to gage a … Read more

How do I convert my SAT scores to an ACT equivalent (or my ACT scores to the SAT)?

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ShareTweetFlipEmailPin0 SharesThe College Board and ACT have created concordance tables to compare ACT and SAT test scores. The tables are based on a group of students who have taken both tests. If you use the tables, you should be aware of their limitations. There may be differences in students who take both tests and those … Read more

FAQ: What is the difference between public and private colleges?

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Student in front of college asking What is the difference between public and private colleges?
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Post-it note asking What is the difference between public and private colleges?Families need to understand the difference between public and private colleges because of the differences in prices and financial aid.

Public institutions are colleges that operate under the ultimate control of a state or local government (there are some exceptions). These colleges receive a significant amount of their budgets from state appropriations although the amount has been dropping over the years.

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When should I start visiting colleges?

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ShareTweetFlipEmailPin0 SharesIf you know enough to ask the question, you are ready to start visiting colleges. But what if you’re only a freshman in high school? Doesn’t matter. Now it may matter to the colleges. Many colleges will host special visit days only open to juniors or seniors so you won’t be able to participate … Read more

FAQ: How do I become an Independent student for financial aid?

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student standing in front of a college asking How do I become an Independent student for financial aid?
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Postit note asking How do I become an Independent student for financial aid?Just because a student is paying for all of his own expenses doesn’t make him an independent student for financial aid purposes. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has very specific requirements to qualify as an independent student.

Students must answer “yes” to one or more of the following questions to be considered an independent student.  (The dates change each year.)

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