College Admissions with Calm, Clarity & Confidence
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When students apply to colleges, they may have to choose between Early Decision, Early Action, or Regular Decision. Other options include Rolling Decision and Restrictive Early Action? What is Early Decision and how is it different from other options? Is Early Decision a good choice for you? Let me explain what these options mean and […]
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College affordability matters. Understanding college costs and financial aid works should be one of your first steps in making a college list. This is a long article, but I want to give you a strong overview of college costs and financial aid, so you are prepared to consider your options. Think about your family budget, college […]
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Upcoming changes to military academy nominations rules mean that students applying to Department of Defense military service academies will have more chances of receiving a nomination. Starting with the classes entering in the 2025-26 academic year, each member of Congress will be authorized to nominate 15 candidates at a time, instead of 10. This was […]
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The Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is a program to educate and train future US military officers at civilian colleges and universities. Students are both full-time college students and ROTC cadets or midshipmen. They take courses in military, air, or naval science in addition to their other college classes. They do regular military training during […]
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The Common App essay prompts aren’t a list of questions to answer. They are designed to help you think about what’s important to you, who you are as a person, and what you would bring to campus as a college student. The Common App opens August 1 for students applying as freshmen for Fall 2025. […]
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What Are Military Academy Nominations? When students apply to military service academies, the nomination requirement often causes confusion. This guide will help you better understand which military academy nominations you are eligible for and how to get started with the nomination request process. Nominations are required for appointment to the three Department of Defense Service […]
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If you have a high school student, maybe you’ve noticed articles about FAFSA. Maybe you’re worried about completing it so you can get a financial aid offer. Maybe you are just wondering, “What is FAFSA?” This guide explains what FAFSA is, why it matters, and where to get help completing it. As of January 2024, […]
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FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. FAFSA 2024-25 (for the college academic year that starts in Fall 2024) opened December 31, 2023 in a soft launch. This revised form reflects changes to the format and the formula used to calculate eligibility for need-based financial aid. These FAFSA tips will help you finish […]
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Usually the first question families have after their kid learns they were admitted to a college is: How much will this cost? Unfortunately, there is no uniform format for delivering financial aid offers. And some colleges have confusing ways of labeling grants, scholarships, and loans. So understanding college financial aid offers takes time and attention […]
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These are the biggest college admissions trends I noticed during the 2022-23 admissions cycle. Families of this year’s seniors and younger high school students should be aware of these trends, so they can make wise decisions as they apply to college. Note, I wrote this in April 2023, before the SCOTUS decision on the use […]
