Independent college counselors also known as independent educational consultants (IEC), are individuals other than high school guidance counselors who provide college counseling to students and families. They are hired to provide these services independent of the high school. A common depiction of independent counselors in the media are high-priced consultants who “package” students for admission … Read more
You know getting into college must be tough when some of the highest achieving high schools are experiencing suicide clusters. It’s not really that surprising given what you hear in the popular media. Come April 1st every year, you would think that most high school students don’t have a chance of getting into their first … Read more
A learning community is when a group of students take two or more courses together. The courses may be based on a theme or simply core classes required by the college. The goal of a learning community is to provide students with increased opportunities to form relationships with other students and interact with faculty. Learning … Read more
When trying to decide how hard it would be for you to get into a specific college, you have to realize that there are at least two categories you’re dealing with. The first category consists of schools that are hard for everyone to get into, no matter how qualified. These are the schools with acceptance … Read more
The Federal Methodology is the formula used by the federal government in calculating a student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) which determines their eligibility for financial aid. Students receive their EFC by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and receiving their Student Aid Report (SAR). The Federal Methodology is used for calculating the … Read more
There are multiple strategies for getting the most out of a college fair. Any strategy starts with the same premise: talk to the admissions representative. After all, given the amount of information available from the internet, the point of attending a college fair is talk to actual people. And if you are going to talk … Read more
Merit aid refers to college awarded financial aid that is not based on financial need. The most commonly recognized form of merit aid is the scholarship. Scholarships may be awarded for academic skills or achievements based on talents such as athletic, artistic, or leadership. Other types of merit aid include tuition waivers or institutional grants … Read more
Net price calculators (NPC) are a way for students and their families to estimate how much it would cost to attend a specific college. All colleges that accept federal funds are required to provide Net Price Calculators on their websites. The NPC is supposed to provide estimated net price information to current and prospective students … Read more
Last September a group of 80 colleges announced a new college application designed to improve access, affordability, and success. They actually call themselves the Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success. But for some reason, the counselors who work with high school students, both private and school-based, don’t seem impressed with the new option. Maybe because … Read more
