Category Archives: admissions

Ready. Set. Go.

The 2008-2009 school year is coming to an end. Seniors will be graduating and moving on to college, technical school or trade school. Juniors will officially be seniors with a busy year ahead of them before walking across that stage next May or June. Senior year is NOT the time to coast, relax and develop senioritis. It’s the time to get all your ducks in a row and start a timeline for college planning. Here’s some suggestions from experience that might help.

Summer

  1. Start refining your college list by viewing college tours online and deciding which schools you would like to pursue further by visiting and requesting an admissions interview.
  2. Do some online practice tests of the SAT and/or ACT to determine your weaknesses. Spend time over the summer studying and improving your vocabulary, math skills and essay skills.
  3. Start writing your application essays and refining them so they will be ready for submission.

Continue reading Ready. Set. Go.

An Ivy League School Steps Up

harvard_u_shieldHarvard University has adopted a new financial aid policy. It’s geared toward reaching out to families who are considered middle-low income ($180,00-$60,000). And if you’re in the low end (below $60,000)–hold on to your socks–your child can attend at no cost! That’s right; an Ivy league education FREE OF CHARGE.

According to President Drew Faust:

Our new financial aid policy has dramatically reduced the amount families with incomes below $180,000 are expected to pay, and parents of families with incomes below $60,000 are not expected to contribute at all to college costs. We no longer consider home equity as a resource in our determination of a family contribution, and students are not expected to take out loans, which have been replaced by need-based Harvard scholarship. This new program has reduced the cost to middle income families by one-third to one-half, making the price of a Harvard education for students on financial aid comparable to the cost of in-state tuition and fees at the nation’s leading public universities.

What’s the catch? Your child has to be accepted. But if you have an honor student who has the grades and can meet their admission criteria, my advice to you is to GO FOR IT! With the cost of education rising every year, Harvard has taken the lead by offering this amazing opportunity and making their school affordable to the middle class. They are even claiming that the graduating class of 2008 is graduating with ONLY an $8300 debt. Considering the cost of a Harvard education, that’s a remarkable claim.

What have you got to lose? A $200,000 private university education completely PAID IN FULL. I don’t know about you but I wish it had been available when my kids were applying for financial aid and scholarships. It would have eased the burden and provided a much-needed financial savings.

You can read all about the offer by clicking this link:

Harvard College Financial Aid Office