Category Archives: Application Process

Earnings and Debt by Major

Application Process, Cost saving strategies, Financial Aid, Student Loans

Last month, the Department of Education announced the release of earnings and debt levels by major and school. This is a fantastic level of transparency when a career path is already in mind. The data is available on College Scorecard.

For example, a student looking at Seattle University would see that the average annual cost is $35,006, with graduates’ starting salaries ranging from $22,000-$84,000 and median debt between $19,000-$27,650. Those are huge ranges, so not particularly helpful– owing $25,000 is not a problem if you’re making $80,000, but it probably is if you’re making $20,000. If you’re a nursing student, on the other hand, the numbers are considerably better:

SU RN

Where do you find this data? Go to College Scorecard, then search for a school, then expand the Fields of Study link.

2020 Rhodes Scholars

Application Process, Uncategorized

What do Harvard, Yale, MIT, Princeton, University of Connecticut, University of Oklahoma, Ohio State, Washington & Lee, Notre Dame and Michigan State have in common? Each had a student selected as one of this year’s Rhodes Scholars. The Rhodes Scholarship is arguably the most prestigious and competitive scholarship available to American students, and the size and diversity of the applicant pool– over 2,900 students endorsed by 298 different colleges and universities– speaks to the academic and leadership excellence of the 32 selected students.

It’s also testimony to the fact that you do not need to attend an expensive or reach school to compete at this level: 1/4 of these scholars attend public universities that admit more than 50% of applicants, according to College Navigator.

“Where Do I Begin?”

Application Process, Cost saving strategies, Financial Aid, Merit-based Aid, Need-based Aid, Student Loans, Tax Credits and Deductions

I’m taking a brief break from the programming I outlined for myself a week or so ago. It’s September and that means that many people are looking seriously at college for the first time. They may be parents of seniors, parents of freshmen, parents at any point who think now is a good time to start investigating this big future step. And after a few google searches or conversations with friends or counselors, they have concluded, “This is overwhelming! Where do I begin?” Continue reading “Where Do I Begin?” →

The Common App and Coalition App

Application Process

The Common App and Coalition App are available now. It’s summer (at least here in Oregon it’s still summer), so why should you care? Looking now can give students a fuller sense of all the pieces they’ll need to assemble for their applications. Based on our experience and recommendations from guidance counselors, I’d suggest starting with the Common App. Continue reading The Common App and Coalition App →

Net Price Matters More

Application Process, FAFSA, Financial Aid, Merit-based Aid, Need-based Aid, Student Loans

What do the numbers $7,000, $42,000, $44,000, $56,000, $58,000, $72,000 and $81,000 have in common? Each is a net price estimate (rounded) that we received from a different college, using the same data inputs. That’s one example of why one might reasonably argue that Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is of marginal significance. Continue reading Net Price Matters More →

Does EFC Matter?

Application Process, Cost saving strategies, FAFSA, Financial Aid, Merit-based Aid, Need-based Aid

When you start looking at specific colleges, net price calculators are the best tool to figure out how much the school will actually cost– especially since they will show the aid package including self-help aid (loans and work study). Anyone who has gone through this process knows that the net price tends to differ quite a bit from EFC. And only the FAFSA provides an EFC, so you’re definitely going to get a different cost from a school that requires the CSS Profile. Which begs the question, does EFC matter? Continue reading Does EFC Matter? →