Can I afford to send him to the school of his dreams?

It’s critical to have an open discussion with your student about the family financial picture that includes a clear explanation of what you are willing and

able to pay toward his education.

Often, our kids seem to believe in the proverbial money tree in the backyard. As adults, we know this is an unrealistic view. It’s also important to explain that parental assets have to go much further than the education of one child.

Take a holistic approach to financial planning. This means that your retirement is just as important as the college educations of your children. No one child, regardless of accomplishments, should take precedence over the future
well-being of either his parents or the other children in the family.

Once your student understands what your limits are, he can then begin to mentally plan for the possibility that he may not be able to attend his dream school, and approach the college planning process more realistically. He can
still apply to the dream college, but it does leave the door open to other, more financially viable options.

Affordable Fit

In my practice, I find that when families follow these suggestions, their students tend to be much more open to colleges that are both affordable and a good fit. It can also encourage students to be more proactive in looking for scholarship

money, or make them work a little bit harder to try to attain the grades that make a more prestigious college possible.

Being realistic can also take some of the pressure off the student to go trophy hunting, rather than finding colleges that provide a good match and fit for him.

What exactly are match and fit?

Match refers to your student’s numbers and how they compare to the middle 50 percent of accepted students at the college you’re considering. If your student’s unweighted GPA and test scores fall in that range, then the college is a potential match for your student.
A = 4.0, B = 3.0, C = 2.0, D = 1.0, F = 0

Subject                                              9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade
English                                               B = 3.0      A- = 3.7        B+ = 3.3
Math                                                   A = 4.0     C+ = 2.3        B- = 2.7
Science                                               A = 4.0     B+ = 3.3        A- = 3.7
Social Studies                                    B+ = 3.3   A- = 3.7          A = 4.0
Foreign Language                              C+ = 2.3    D = 1.0
TOTAL                                                      16.6         14.0            13.7

Add up the results and divide by the number of courses.

44.3 ÷ 14 = 3.16 GPA (unweighted).

 Most colleges will recalculate the high school GPA to a basic unweighted 4.0 scale based only on the core subjects. To do that, you pull out the grades for English, Math, Science, Social Studies and Foreign Language,

Looking at your student’s grades from the viewpoints of the admission office can guide you in your class choices. And be sure to avoid declining GPA’s – colleges look unfavorably at downward grade trends. It’s important that your student’s grades remain above a B in all subjects if at all possible.

Fit on the other hand, refers to the social and academic aspects of the college.
• Does he feel comfortable on campus?
• Are there students there with whom he can connect?
• Does the school offer the academic environment and extracurricular options that he is looking for?

Seven Steps on the Path to Paying for College

Are you a college senior who is receiving those anticipated college acceptance letters?  Or perhaps a sophomore or junior who is planning ahead?  Either way, parents and students need to plan ahead to determine HOW they’re going to pay for college!  

Step One:

Do the math -- find out the price of your most and least expensive school choices. Then figure out what your family can afford to contribute. Every college now has a cost calculator on its web site to see how you fit the financial profile for that school.

Step Two:

Seek help! On school tours, ask the hard questions about available aid. Visit their financial aid office and get as much information about their grants, scholarships and loans as possible. Start this process as early as you can.

Step Three:

Go scholarship hunting in your local area.  Many local organizations provide scholarships based on certain criteria either directly or through a local Community Foundation.  In Frederick County MD, for example, more than $515,000 was awarded to more than 280 scholars for the 2012-2013 academic year, which represents scholarships from 189 funds.http://www.cffredco.org/receive/scholarships

These applications should be made in the fall or winter, with awards frequently announced in the late spring. Each high school guidance office has a list of local scholarships for its students.

Step Four:

Time your financial aid applications to meet the early deadlines; if you are confused as to how to market yourself or your student, get help from a college consultant.

Step Five:

Complete your FAFSA forms! Even if you think you may not qualify for money, it can’t hurt to try. In addition, everyone needs a FAFSA on file in case of financial emergency in the future.

Step Six:

After you get your financial aid packages back, it’s time to review! Sit down as a family and compare all options.   Look carefully at each award. Even though one school may give you more money, another school may cost less overall. Remember to calculate how much money is being offered in merit aid (free money) as opposed to money that is in the form of loans or work study.

Step Seven:

Make a decision and meet all the deadlines! If you need more time to decide, call the financial aid office and ask for an extension on your deadline. Some colleges are historically more generous than others. A college consultant knows who those colleges are.

For more information on financial aid options and affordable but lesser-known colleges in your area, contact Charlotte Klaar, PhD, 301-834-6888, Charlotte@cklaar.com, www.cklaar.com.

Junior Year: It’s College Crunch Time!

For many juniors, the end of winter break ushers in an important time in their high school careers, as they begin to seriously look at their college options.  With more than 3,500 colleges nationwide, there are many factors for students and parents to take into consideration. No wonder the college selection process can seem overwhelming!  To help you focus your efforts, here are the top three things to zero in on right now:

1. Define your criteria for choosing a college

Think seriously about the things that are important to you in choosing a school.  Are you looking for a specific academic program, or is student life more important? How large or small of a college would you feel most comfortable with? Do you want a school where there are opportunities to study abroad?  Would you like a conservative environment, or a more liberal one?  How far from home do you want to be? 

2. Realistically evaluate your credentials

One of the shifts that has affected college admissions is “grade inflation.”  In the past, the traditional bell curve for an average grade was C; now the average grade is B, which can give kids and parents of B students a false sense of security. 

Also look at how challenging your high school course load has been. Challenging courses, including AP classes, show schools that you’re committed to academics and that you used your time in high school wisely.

It’s also important to be involved in your school and in the community, and to commit to a few activities. If possible, these should include athletics and/or the arts, student government, and community service activities.

If you’re in Scouting, achieving the Eagle rank or Gold Award levels are very impressive to college admissions counselors, because of the dedication and leadership potential they represent. 

3. Understand the need for a balanced list of colleges based on financial and acceptance likeliness

When choosing a college, it’s important to not only look at what you want from a school, but what the school wants from you. Be aware of things such as the acceptance rate of various schools, and the credentials of the accepted students. 

In terms of cost, local state schools may not always be the least expensive.  Many are facing huge challenges and the pool of funds available for financial assistance has dried up significantly. Private schools, on the other hand, are funded by endowments, and when private schools want an excellent, standout student who will be a credit to them, they can shift more Merit Scholarship dollars towards getting that student, and less towards a more average student who may choose to go there.

If you’d like help in finding the best possible match between your student’s educational, social, and financial needs, and what colleges offer, give us a call.  We’ve guided hundreds of students to college success!  To schedule your first consultation, just call 301-834-6888 or email us at Charlotte@cklaar.com. 

Enjoy Your Early Action Acceptance

Did you apply for and receive an early action acceptance (not to be confused with the binding early decision acceptance)?

As you’re aware, early action has a lot of benefits, the biggest being that you don’t have to wait nearly as long as fellow classmates to find out if you’ve been accepted to the college of your dreams. While most students have to wait until spring for their acceptance letters, those who decide to submit their application by the early action deadline typically find out by mid December.

If you’re one of those lucky few who took the early action route and have received an acceptance letter, here are several tips:

• ENJOY IT. Take time during your holiday break to relax and enjoy the fact that you’ve already received an acceptance letter. That’s one less stress to worry about during the holiday season! 

• DON’T RUSH IN. Take your time and keep an eye out for acceptance letters from schools you applied to by the regular deadline. Perhaps another school wants to offer you a scholarship, but your early action school does not. This may be an important factor to take into consideration when deciding which school to attend. Once you’ve heard back from all the schools you applied to, fully evaluate your options to make the choice that’s best for you.

With these two tips, you’ll be able to thoroughly enjoy the benefits of your early action application!

Happy Holidays from Klaar College Consulting!

Don’t Make Selecting a Major too Stressful

While looking at colleges, many high school students find themselves stressing over what major they should choose. It can seem as if you have an almost impossible deadline for deciding exactly what you want to do with the rest of your life!  But as intimidating as selecting a major can seem, there’s one key thing to keep in mind: It’s perfectly fine to not have a major or career path in mind when you start looking into colleges.

Below, we offer three simple tips that will help ease your career path decision woes.

 

1.     Choose a school that has a wide range of majors.

Don’t know what you want to do? Find a school you like that offers a wide variety of majors. Once you’re there, you can try your hand at a few of the courses in the various majors offered,  and see which ones interest you.

 

2.   Take a general career test.

Need help deciding what career path to look into? Try taking a career aptitude test. A college consultant can help with this, and help you to identify your passions and areas of interests. 

 

3.     Keep your options open.

Many of the careers that today’s students are preparing for don’t yet exist. Therefore, it’s crucial that you keep your options open while learning to think critically and to analyze the information you accumulate. This way, you can apply it in creative ways to different scenarios.

 

4.     Relax.

Remember that you still have plenty of time to figure out what you want to do. In fact, most people are undecided when they enter their freshman year of college and many people even change majors multiple times as they progress through the year. The important thing during your freshman year is to take your general education courses, which will help guide you in determining your major.

With these three tips in mind, picking a major can be a much less daunting task!

Summertime - Time for Relaxation but Don’t Forget About College Prep!

It’s summertime and preparing for college may be the furthest thing from your mind. But even as you enjoy your summer break, you’d be wise to use this free time to your advantage.

If you’re a rising senior, be aware that September will come all too soon and by the time school starts, you should have a final list of colleges, so you can begin your applications.  This fall will be a busy time with essays, letters of recommendations, college applications, etc.

By taking advantage of these long summer days, you can get a real jump start on your college application process!

Here are some tips for maximizing your summer:

Read

Reading will help keep your mind fresh and help build language skills. You don’t need to read classic English literature – popular young adult books will do the trick.  And take a book on vacation with you!

Volunteer

Volunteer for an organization that you are interested in and passionate about. This is a great way to build your resume and to narrow down potential fields of interest. 

Get a job

Earn some extra cash while taking on responsibility.  Colleges like to see that you have responsibilities outside of your schoolwork.

Visit colleges

Make time to visit colleges you are interested in.  Since school is not in session, summer may not be the most ideal time for college visits, but you can still get a feel for the place and visit again if necessary. Taking a family vacation? Plan to visit colleges along your way.

Think about what you want out of your college experience

Take time to think about what you want in a school, your interests, and what you would like to get out of your college experience.  Long car rides to the beach are perfect for brainstorming.

Have a fun and meaningful summer!

Charlotte Klaar, Ph.D.

For more information about how Klaar College Consulting can help lead you to college success, call us at 301-834-6888 and visit the many resources available on our website www.cklaar.com.  

Make Peace with Your College Decision. Don’t Second Guess Yourself!

You’ve already paid your deposit and know what school you will be attending in the fall.  Celebrate, it’s a big accomplishment!  But now perhaps you’re having second thoughts about whether you really did select the right school?  Relax -- it’s normal for students to wonder if they made the right decision.  But don’t second guess yourself.  You chose the school you did because you did your homework and thought it would be a good fit for you.  Make peace with your decision. 

Going to a new school is scary, especially if it’s far from home.  Some of you may be going to college with friends, while others may not know anyone.  Either way, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and meet new people.  Remember, all freshmen are in the same boat as you and are looking for new friends and new experiences.  Plan to give it your best shot, and before you know it you’ll be loving college.

If things don’t work out, transferring is always an option.  Your college advisor can help you identify which credits will transfer into another university.

But for now, enjoy your summer and make the most of it.  Soon enough you will be on your way to college and opening a new chapter of your life.  I wish you the best of luck!

Charlotte Klaar, Ph.D.