The College Whisperer™ | Navigating The Road To College

Hold onto your hats, boys and girls. Here's another list to add to your list of lists: The Most Popular Colleges In America.

Yes, U.S. News & World Report is at it again. Now it's a popularity contest. [Wasn't it always?]

It was Albert Einstein (though the quote is often misattributed to everyone from the late Senator Everett Dirkson to Muhammed Ali) who once said, “What is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right.”

How very true!

So, a college that may be extremely popular with the masses of college applicants may not, in fact, be right for the students who, following the crowd (or the latest reported trend), are applying there.

In other words, the goal in college applications -- and the ensuing acceptance once admitted -- is to apply and ultimately get into a college that is right for you, whether or not that school tops the so-called popularity charts.

Kids -- and parents -- take heed. College is a major life decision and a huge monetary investment.

Do what is right, and not only what is deemed -- by U.S. News & World Report, or anybody else -- to be popular!




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The road to college -- and finding the means to pay the tolls along the way -- begins at College Connection. Visit College Connection on the web at www.CollegeConnect.info. Speak with a College Connection counselor at 516-345-8766.

Just when you thought the paperwork that has followed you throughout your college career was over. More paperwork...

Seems this nation, and our beloved government, in particular, is enamored with paper -- even if it is electronic. Forms. Questionnaires. Surveys. Documents of every kind and of infinite duration. Endless, too often incomprehensible paperwork, rendering the Paperwork Reduction Act just another Congressional blunder, and the act of completing required forms more or less meaningless.

Take the so-called online "student loan counseling" that incoming college students must endure in order to secure federal student loans such as Stafford.

Forget, momentarily, that most 17 year olds don't have the patience to sit through a barrage of gobblygoop on the whys, wherefores and hithertos of government lending. Even assuming they did, your average college-bound student has absolutely no idea what is being said during these counseling sessions. [Think of it as an exercise akin to understanding all of the loan disclosures one signs upon taking a mortgage, or using pencil and paper to figure out the Alternate Minimum Tax when completing your 1040. For the former, it's "just sign here, there and everywhere." The latter, "Thank goodness for TurboTax!"]

Even parents, save for the astute lawyers, accountants, and lending professionals, don't have a clue when it comes to these student loan counseling sessions, which is a shame, as oft times it is the parent who stands in for the student in completing -- or at least assisting in the completion of -- the counseling forms. And if you understand the inticacies of student loan consolidation, raise your right hand. [We said right hand!]

Instead of an ad nauseum recitation of terms and conditions, enough to revive Shakespeare from the dead only to have him reiterate that "neither a lender nor a borrower be," how about a one-liner, signed off by the student, to wit, "I will be responsible for the repayment of this loan, come hell or high water. Period!"

To add salt to the wound, students, having accumulated debt by the thousands of dollars, are required by federal regulation to complete an online "Exit" counseling session when they are about to complete their course of study.

Why? Do they need to be reminded that they have to repay these loans, at interest rates far above the average mortgage rate (and light years beyond interest rates paid by the feds on bonds and notes), no matter what? That default -- and discharge in bankruptcy -- is not an option? That the government will garnish their miniscule wages, assuming they can find jobs, if they do not pay up?

Does our government truly believe that such counseling is helpful to students? That but for the brightest of our grads, anyone will actually absorb and digest the intricacies of the likes of forbearance and deferment? That anyone knows the difference between a Master Promissory Note and a Post-It Note? Or is this just another way to tell us we are essentially at the mercy of a system that mocks the public and thumbs its nose up to all reason?

Exit Interview? Again, we ask, why not simply say to the debt-burdened students of America, "Hey. We realize you have no job, no money, and are living in the basement of your parents' mortgaged-to-the-hilt home, but you owe us big time, so don't even think of not paying up! I'm Uncle Sam, and I approve this message."

Is it any wonder that the abbreviation for the U.S. Department of Education is "ED"?

If the government really wants to reform the way student lending is done in this country -- and to promote the education of young Americans in a way that truly makes college affordable, stop with the counseling, the online interviews, the hobgoblin of gibberish and loanspeak that darkens our Internet portals (only the blue screen of death would be more welcome), and usher in a new era of financing higher education.

Here are but a few ideas worthy of consideration:

- All student loans will be subsidized. Interest, if any, will begin to run only after the student has graduated. The unsubsidized loan, where interest begins to accrue the very day money is disbursed, is eliminated.

- The interest rate (if any) on all student loans will be the lesser of what the United States government pays on its bonds and notes at the time the loan money is disbursed (currently, at or near zero) or what banks pay to borrow money from the government (currently, at or near zero).

- If a student, in good faith, cannot repay the loan, in whole or in part, which good faith can be amply demonstrated, then the government shall offer a bailout to the student, as they do for corporations that, in bad faith, plunder and waste assets, driving America into recession. [Indeed, as corporations reward their failed execs with multimillion dollar bailouts, separation agreements and golden parachutes, Uncle Sam could at least reward students who earn a degree in four years and are ready, able and willing to join the workforce with a job that pays a living wage!]

- Make ALL college expenses -- not just tuition -- tax deductible (or give a corresponding credit), without limitation.

- Public institutions of higher learning (i.e., state universities) shall be fully funded by the government, affording students the opportunity to have a free college education.

At what point will we say, "STOP THE MADNESS!"? More than this, at what point will we actually be willing to do something about it?
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Plan. Prepare. PREVAIL! The road to college -- and the means to pay for it -- begin at College Connection. Call us for a FREE telephone consultation. 516-345-8766.

As any student (or parent) who regularly visits Barnes & Nobles could tell you, books on college applications, admissions, paying for college, and the like are run of the mill. There's a "how to" for every step in the process, from choosing the college that's "right" for you to finding scholarship money to help foot the bill.

Then there's College Prep 101 (Second Edition), which, rather than "how to," is more along the lines of "what to do" and "when."

In fact, college-bound students (and their parents) should consider College Prep 101 a pragmatic, sensible, easy to understand and follow timeline and reference guide, designed to take you step-by-step through the entire college entrance experience.

Test-taking. College visits. Selecting a college that fits. The application. Parental involvement. Time management. And so on. All laid out in an organized yet informal format, easy to swallow as well as digest.

The brainchild of Lance Millis a/k/a The College Answer Guy, College Prep 101 gets you on the right track while the train is still conveniently in the station, transporting you comfortably from the confines of your high school cafeteria all the way to the inside of your five foot square dorm room.

Simple ideas, really, concisely stated. After all, preparing for the college application and admissions process is confusing enough without a diatribe translated from the Latin to spin your head. College Prep 101 tells you what you need to know and do, and exactly when you should be doing it. The highlights are bulleted. There's no fluff. And although what you already knew (or thought you did) is reiteriated, it is what you may have missed along the way that comes to the fore.

If you'd like more than a matter-of-fact college planning calendar but less than the War and Peace version of getting into college, you should be reading College Prep 101. A quick read that will save you countless sleepless nights and a whole lot of agita.

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Comments? Questions for The College Whisperer?
Write us at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com

Plan. Prepare. PREVAIL! The road to college -- and the means to pay for it -- begin at College Connection. Call us for a FREE telephone consultation. 516-345-8766.

Dubbed Common App 4.0, the Common App is about to undergo changes for 2013, some significant -- such as only being able to view one question (or a few, at most) at a time and the elimination (possibly) of the troublesome truncation of essays and short answers.

The New York Times published an overview of the overhaul at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/education/edlife/common-app-4-0.html, and the article is well worth the read.

Whether the bizarre means of submission (i.e., submitting the Supplement first, then making payment, leaving the main application to be submitted last -- oooops) will change remains to be seen, but students, parents and counselors will welcome an update to a system that has far too many quirks for a process that is already overly burdensome and frustrating to the extreme.

Will there be an autosave feature, lest your essay, extracurricular activities, or current year courses disappear from the screen mid-entry? Well, we will just have to wait and see.

Follow the reinvention of the Common App at www.commonapp.org, and stay tuned!

If you know a high school senior, well then, you are well aware of their hectic schedules applying to colleges, searching for scholarships, and biting their nails waiting for admission decisions. [High school seniors should also be preparing their financial aid forms, including FAFSA.]

 

But what about high school juniors?

 

Even though they are not applying, they should be preparing. That means lining up engaging courses to take in the senior year, embarking on those meaningful extracurricular activities and community service projects, taking the SAT and ACT, and, yes, searching and applying for scholarships.

 

Scholarships? Yes, high school juniors can -- and should -- apply for college scholarships. [In some cases, college scholarships are open to all high school students, even freshmen. Go for it!]

Why? Because the early bird really does catch the worm. And, as most high school juniors won't even bother applying for college scholarships, you'll have a greater chance of success now, before the competition really heats up next year.

 

How? Check with your guidance counselor for scholarships available to juniors. Then, sign up and complete the profiles on scholarship search engines. That accomplished, seek out the scholarships for which you qualify. Last but not least, apply. Fastweb and MeritAid are great places to start!

It really is that easy, and a jump start on finding money to help pay for college will put you in good stead as you enter your senior year of high school.

Also, a heads up that Student Advisor, a publication of The Washington Post, offers a number of FREE, downloadable College Guides, including an important and timely piece, Scholarship Secrets. A worthy read, indeed!

 

Lastly (for this post), if you have yet to sign up at ScholarshipPoints.com, entering the monthly $10,000 Scholarship Contest (no essay required), you should do so today. The more scholarships you apply for, and the sooner you apply, the better your chances of getting FREE money to pay for college!

 

As always, The College Whisperer is here to answer all of your college questions. Write us at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com.

P.S. A word to the wise for current college students -- If you will have tuition to pay in the fall, you should be looking for scholarship money as well! And remember to submit the FAFSA, too.
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College Connection, for all of your college planning needs! www.CollegeConnect.info. Call us today for a FREE telephone consultation. 516-345-8766.

Perhaps. Then again, "best," let alone "value," is in the eye -- and wallet -- of the beholder!

Yes, it's time to take that large grain of salt again, as those lists of "bests" are being compiled and disseminated.

Starting the year off is Kiplinger Magazine (because, we suppose, publishing lists sells magazines) with its Best Values in Public Colleges.

Dare we ask the question, Best for whom? Best programs? Best courses? Best endowments? Best in research? Best dining options? Best underground bowling alley or on-campus climbing wall?

If you're talking about bang for your buck, indeed, many public universities and colleges offer just that, particularly for in-state students. And why anyone attending a public university would attend another state's public college strains the imagination (but for best programs, best courses, best endowment, best research, best dining options, and, of course, the best Division I football, basketball and/or Lacrosse program), there are bargains to be had across the board.

Then, too -- and college net cost calculators aside -- with the right mix of scholarships, grants and merit and/or need-based aid being offered, private colleges could well boast best value, even over the publics, which are often constrained to give far fewer bucks in financial aid.

For those who like rankings, placing those artificial accolades right up there alongside George Washington's chopping down of the cherry tree and the manned moon landing being staged in a Hollywood back lot, there's a master list of sorts to be found at StateUniversity.com.

There you will find not only the traditional rankings (Public, Private, NCAA, ACT/SAT, Faculty Salary, Student Debt, etc.), but the lesser known, and not as readily quantified rankings, such as Most Popular Schools By Program, Highest Safety Ratings, and the all inclusive, hold back absolutely nothing at all, "Top 2000 Ranked Colleges" (just so almost no college will feel left out). [FYI, in 2011, MIT was ranked number 1, while the dubious distinction of being number 2000 belonged to Ohio Techincal College. Get those applications in before the lake effect snows close Cleveland down for the duration! :-)]

Anyway, best value -- like best college, best pizza, best dressed, best actor, best man, best in show -- means different things to different people, and, like our colleague Lynn O'Shaughnessy opines in her recent blogpost, 100 best value state universities: Really?, a purported bargain isn't always a value (as in buy cheap, get cheap; pay a bundle, get ripped off), and best for Kiplinger, U.S. News, or anybody else, for that matter, may very well not be best for you.

All of this having now been said, feel free to check out Kiplinger's list of Best Values In Public Colleges, thereafter creating "Best" lists of your own.

It's all quite subjective, if but a bit snobbish. And yet, we all read 'em, talk about 'em, and, in ways both bizarre and bemusing, emulate those who end up in attendance at the college that tops one "Best" list or another.

Just remember, "Best" is what's best for YOU! And that's all The College Whisperer (the BEST darn college planner on the planet, I might add :-) is going to say about it!
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The road to college -- and finding the means to pay the tolls along the way -- begins at College Connection. Visit College Connection on the web at www.CollegeConnect.info. Speak with a College Connection counselor at 516-345-8766. Check out The College Whisperer at www.TheCollegeWhisperer.com.

Ah, yes. The high school senior who, just now, is waking up to the realization that he or she actually has to apply to college in order to start classes in the fall! So much for Early Decision, Early Action and, in many instances, Regular Decision, the deadlines having come and gone.

On the other hand, look at it this way: by waiting to apply to college until later in the game, you unwittingly managed to pare down the list from nearly 4000 accredited colleges and universities to several hundred. Think of the application fees you just saved yourself -- or your parents! :-0

Anyway, it is, as the old saying goes, what it is, and, though many a college gate has gently closed behind you (please don't let it hit you on the way out ;-), there are still many -- yes, many colleges waiting to embrace your applications with outstretched arms and open wallets!

Indeed, the daunting task of finding the perfect fit -- the "best" college for you -- has been made somewhat easier, even as the admissions clock winds down, your choices having been narrowed considerably through the erosion of time (or, for you football fanatics, the proverbial delay of game).

Now, we've tackled this dilemma before here at The College Whisperer, chronic tardiness in submitting college applications reaching epidemic (if not academic) proportions this time, each year. See our past blogs, The Great Procastinator, and, Late Doesn't Mean Never.  And although we offer cautionary tale upon prophetic warning to prepare and submit college applications early in the season, there are those who are intent on waiting -- some, actually, for good things!

Alas, the application deadlines for the likes of Princeton, Yale, Harvard and their ilk may have left us in their dust, but plenty of good -- even great -- colleges continue to accept applications, some with late deadlines, others with so-called Rolling Admissions, where applications are accepted until every last spot in the opening class is filled.

Where to find such colleges, forgiving of your sleep-in attitude and "what's the hurry" persona?

Well, a good place to start is on the Common App itself. Use the College Search tool found at https://www.commonapp.org/SearchEngine/SimpleSearch.aspx. Fill in -- or check off -- the blanks to your specifications (be sure to include a date for "Deadline on or after"), and, voila, you have before you a list of colleges and universities open to the notion of, "come on in, the admissions pool is just fine."

The College Whisperer did a broad search of all colleges with application deadlines of February 1 or later and came up with 324 Common App member schools (over 400 for prospective transfer students), including some rather prestigious centers of higher learning. No, you are not limited to College of the Ozarks, by any means. [Not that there's anything wrong with College of the Ozarks, mind you. Just saying! :-)] The choices are many and varied, and include schools close to home as well as a continent away.

There are a host, nay, plethora, for you SATers, of colleges offering late application deadlines, which can be found on such sites as Peterson's. http://www.petersons.com/college-search/late-deadline-schools.aspx. Here you'll also find a list of colleges offering Rolling Admissions which, by Peterson's count, is upwards of 2300 schools. Not too shabby! http://www.petersons.com/college-search/SearchResults.aspx?q=rolling+admissions&c=UG.

There are other websites and search engines for the late out of the gate high school senior (including the not quite Universal College Application and College Board's Matchmaker (one of the few tools College Board doesn't charge you for -- yet), but the best course of action at this juncture is to sit down with your Guidance Counselor, involve your parental units, where possible, and, by all means, consult with your independent college planning counselor, and get crackin' on those apps (and we're not talking iPhone here)!

By the way, there are some colleges out there which, the passing of deadlines notwithstanding, may accept your late application -- usually to be accompanied by an additional fee. Don't count on much sympathy, though, and, your application, if considered at all, will typically go to the bottom of the pile.

In any case, while it is not necessarily now or never, it is getting pretty darn close. So, wipe the sand from your eyes, sharpen those number 2 pencils (not that you'll need them to apply these days), and let's get to work. College awaits, but only if you actually apply!
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Visit College Connection on the web at www.CollegeConnect.info. Speak with a College Connection counselor at 516-345-8766. Check out The College Whisperer at www.TheCollegeWhisperer.com.

Yes, the new year. And with it, resolutions, fresh starts, W-2s in the mail, and the annual preparation and submission of college financial aid forms.

January marks the official start of the college financial aid season (though the eager high school student started searching and applying for scholarships weeks, if not months ago), and we now usher in that hallowed time for the preparation, completion and submission of FAFSA, CSS-Profile (for those colleges and scholarship programs requiring same), as well as college-specific financial aid forms.

Just about every college requires the submission of FAFSA for consideration of any award, whether merit or need-based, so it is important to prepare the form accurately and completely, and to submit same in a timely manner. [FAFSA online may be completed and submitted beginning January 1st.]

Some things to remember:

 

1. FAFSA must be completed EVERY year, whether you are applying to college, in college, or attending grad school;

2. FAFSA should be submitted by every student regardless of income;

3. For undergrads, both student and parent should have PIN numbers. Get your PIN numbers at the PIN website [Once you have your PIN numbers, write them down and save them. You will need them to access FAFSA and to file FAFSA each year you are in school];

4. The correct -- and only -- site for FAFSA is http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. NOT .com, .net or dot anything else;
5. Submission of FAFSA is FREE (as in, FREE Application for Federal Student Aid)!

Most colleges make their financial aid awards -- including scholarships, loans and Work-Study -- on a first-come, first-served basis, so submitting the requisite forms early is always advantageous!

In order to properly and accurately complete the form(s), and to expedite the process, you should have the following on hand:

• Student's Social Security card and driver's license, and/or alien registration card if you are not a US citizen.
• Student's income tax returns, W-2 forms and 1040 forms for 2010.
• Parents' income tax returns, W-2 forms and 1040 forms for 2010 (if you are dependent).
• Records and documentation of other untaxed income received such as welfare benefits, Social Security income, veteran's benefits, AFDC, or military or clergy allowances.
• Current bank statements, and records of stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other investments (student and parents).
• Current mortgage information.
• Business or farm records (if applicable).
• Records relating to any unusual family financial circumstances, such as unusually high child care costs, death, divorce and loss of employment. (These aren't required, but they could influence the amount of aid received.)

For a quick, and somewhat humorous overview of FAFSA, check out The Five-Minute FAFSA YouTube video.

For an overview of FAFSA versus College Board's CSS-Profile, see our blogpost, Profiles In College Money, as previously posted by The College Whisperer.

And remember, there is a difference between financial aid awards offered by the colleges you apply to and the scholarships you search and apply for through scholarship search engines, the high school guidance office, community organizations, and so on.

The finanacial aid package offered by colleges typically consists of one or more of the following: Scholarships (free money that never has to be repaid, including merit awards and need-based); Grants (ie., Pell, which also never has to be repaid); Loans, including Stafford for students and PLUS for parents (must be repaid, with interest); and Work-Study (on-campus part-time job where what you earn goes to offset tuition). To be considered for an award, you MUST submit the FAFSA!

There are scholarships awarded by colleges themselves (check the college websites, usually under Financial Aid, for available scholarships, their requirements, and how to apply). Typically, you need do nothing more than submit the FAFSA on a timely basis to be considered for such scholarships.

Then there are the scholarships you, the student, apply for outside the college, such as those found through Fastweb, MeritAid.com and similar scholarship search engines. There generally do not require a FAFSA submission and are awarded independent of the colleges you apply to or ultimately enroll at.

So, while FAFSA isn't necessarily the whole ball of wax, so to speak, when it comes to completing and submitting, this one is a no brainer: SUBMIT THE FAFSA ONLINE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1 TO ENSURE YOU ARE CONSIDERED FOR THE MAXIMUM FINANCIAL AID AWARDS OFFERED BY THE COLLEGES YOU HAVE APPLIED TO. [You will receive an award letter (or email) with or shortly after your acceptance, so there will be ample time -- before the May 1 deadline for your decision -- to consider awards, appeal, where warranted, and compare each school's package to the other.]

And let's not forget that every college has a NET COST CALCULATOR somewhere on its website, so you can calculate the true cost of college (or pretty darn close) and see what part of the cost the financial aid award (plus any outside scholarships you secure) will cover.

It all starts with FAFSA Online, January 1!
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Confused about financial aid? Stumped by FAFSA? Confounded by CSS-Profile or other proprietary financial aid forms? COLLEGE CONNECTION understands. We can help you prepare, complete and submit ALL required financial aid forms, including the FAFSA. We'll work with you in-person, by telephone, online and/or via Skype, not just to get the financial aid forms done, but to get them done correctly. DON'T MISS OUT ON MONEY FOR COLLEGE. Contact COLLEGE CONNECTION today! 516-345-8766.

Ever notice how every company, from the largest corporation in America to the smallest Mom and Pop store on Main Street, has relinquished control of their telephone to the relentlessly annoying and endlessly mind-boggling automated answering systems?

"For billing, press 6." "To check the status of your order, press 7." "For repairs and technical support, press 9."

Assuming you have figured out the correct menu item (which, by the way, has never really changed), you are, more often than not, no matter the time of day or night, relegated to the equivalent of telephony oblivion and greeted by the following recorded announcement: 

"We are experiencing a higher than usual call volume at this time. You may continue to hold, or visit our website at..."

Try as you might to reach a human being -- or reasonable facsimile thereof -- on the other end of the line, and you are stymied at every turn by what amounts to the telephonic version of the Borg [And believe us, resistance is futile!].

"To return to the main menu, press 1." "You may now say or press 4." "We're sorry. We did not understand your request. Goodbye!"

Or should you somehow break the code and reach a living, breathing person -- "The approximate wait time for the next agent is 27 minutes" -- you will, more than likely, be met by the scripted, the uninformed, the, "we apologize for the inconvenience" or "sorry, that's corporate policy."

If it seems that we've turned the simple, the personal, the common place into the complicated and frustrating, we have. Looking for a manager or supervisor? "Sorry, my supervisor is in a meeting" or "The managers are currently unavailable." [If you think there's no one either in charge or capable of making a decision or judgment call, you are correct!]

The personal touch? Gone. That semblance of human contact? Gone. The ability of one person to assist another person, to resolve the most mundane of issues, to think, to act, to actually "take care of it?" Long gone.

Call it a culture of corporate contempt. Contempt for reason, for logic, for rules and regulations, for the employee as well as the consumer. Contempt for civility, for human dignity, for what little is left in this day and age of our humanity.

What once took a two minute phone call to someone who could -- and did -- swiftly handle your matter to complete satisfaction, now takes hours, days, or never.

Yes, we've come a long way. . .

Along parallel lines -- and why should this be any different? -- the college application and admissions process has gone from a college handbook, accompanied by a short, hand-written application to a few schools, needing little more than an assist from your friendly high school Guidance Counselor and a 25 cent stamp, to a cumbersome, all-consuming complex mission akin to landing a man on Pluto and safely returning him to Earth. [In many respects, the latter would be less unnerving and a quantifiably more enjoyable journey than the former.]

That easy to understand and no-brainer to complete application has evolved into the uncommonly unfathomable Common App, Supplements, School Forms and Naviance. The once and done SAT (Scholastic Achievement Test) has de-evolved into a flawed, if not fraud-riddled SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), and a host of standardized options -- ACT, SAT II, PCAT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT, AP -- enough to make an Einstein's head spin. The entire application and admissions process, once a clear path at a practical pace and for a reasonable price, has grown into, to paraphrase Dwight Eisenhower on the rise of the military, the collegiate industrial complex. [Just think. College Board has added what one would presume to be a critical component to the SAT -- the Writing section -- largely ignored (the ability to write, reason, comprehend and communicate being highly overrated, we suppose) by almost every college and university. And yet, finding that angle in the isosceles triangle, or that word that escapes the latest edition of Webster's dictionary, remains paramount. Go figure!]

In their wake, an entire cottage -- no, McMansion -- industry of tutors, test preparers, books, videos, webinars and, yes (thank the good Lord!), college planners and coaches. From Kaplan to Princeton Review, College Board to the Universal Application, it's big bucks to the big time world of not just getting into college, but getting into the college you really want to spend the next four years at -- and then, paying for it all.

Yes, the culture of corporate contempt comes to campus. Contempt for logic. Contempt for sanity. Contempt for the pocketbook of student and parent alike. Contempt for all reason. Why, it almost makes us want to pitch a tent in Princeton, New Jersey and Occupy College Board!

What was, not all that long ago, a calm and dignified academic exercise, the college application and admissions process has degenerated into what is today an ugly, costly, time-engulfing and mind numbing game, almost without rules, certainly without rhyme, and most assuredly an assault upon our very humanity.

It once took little more than a telephone call to check on the status of your college application, and to actually speak, firsthand, with a real, live college admissions officer. Today, amidst the flurry of viewbooks, the onslaught of emails and the plethora of online status checkers (each with its own unique login), it's "For Admissions, press 3. For Financial Aid, press 5. For the office of the Bursar (what the heck is a Bursar?), press 8."

Oh, and one more thing [as you prepare to answer that awkward Common App demographic, "Are you Hispanic or Latino?" (as if this should either play into the admissions decision or be anybody's business!)]. . . "Para español, oprime el número dos."
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Comments? Questions for The College Whisperer?
Write us at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com

The road to college -- and finding the means to pay for it -- begins at College Connection. Call us for a FREE telephone consultation. 516-345-8766. [Press any number you'd like. A real, live college planning counselor will call you!]

Our friend and colleague, Michael Szerak of College Counseling for the Rest of Us, is known for his poignant commentary and timely posits. True to form, he has hit that proverbial nail on the head yet again, this time on the topic near and dear to all those in search of the almighty dollar (or was that a buck fifty?) to pay for college: FAFSA -- the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid.

Check out this informative, accurate and undeniably essential post on the DOs and DON'Ts of FAFSA, entitled, FAFSA La Vista, Baby.

Truly, this is FAFSA made easy, not to mention, funny!

And remember, you can, should -- MUST -- complete and submit your FAFSA as soon as possible on or after January 1.
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Comments? Questions for The College Whisperer?
Write us at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com

The road to college -- and the means to pay for it -- begin at College Connection. Call us for a FREE telephone consultation. 516-345-8766.