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April, 2017
We are very proud of our students and happy to report that everyone has been accepted to a school that is a great fit for them.  It seems like every year, we say, "this was the most competitive year ever!" But each year applications continue to rise!  

Here are the acceptance rates at some of the most competitive colleges and universities for this year; another incredibly competitive year with ED acceptances filling 50%+ of the freshman classes at many institutions.

 

Congratulations for working so hard and we wish you the best of luck.  


 

Matriculating to schools: only one will do!

Seniors, you will need to send in your deposit to a school by May 1st.  Please let us know if you want to talk or meet to help make the final decision.  

 

For those of you still deciding, it is helpful to come up with a list of questions that you feel are still unanswered.  If they are academic in nature, e-mail the questions to professors in the department you are thinking of pursuing at each of the schools in contention.  See what sort of response you get.  This will give you an idea of how your relationship with professors may be next year.  If they are social in nature, develop a list and send it to some current students.  If the choice is purely financial, let the numbers speak.

While it is tempting to send in multiple deposits to keep your options open, you may only send a deposit to one school.  If the two schools find out that you have double deposited they may both rescind your offer.  If you deposit before May 1st, which we recommend for larger schools to guarantee housing, it is polite to let the other schools know of your decision, especially to open up slots to kids on the waitlist.  

For those of you still on a waitlist, should you get accepted off the waitlist, it is perfectly acceptable to let the school to which you sent a deposit know you will not be coming.  They are used to that and there will be no hard feelings.

Please let us know where you do end up going so we can stay in touch.

 

Evaluating Financial Offers
These two articles discuss how varied financial aid award letters are between institutions.  

Be on the lookout for the following when reviewing an aid award:

  • Are the college's costs updated?
  • Does the award include an institutional loan in addition to the Federal Direct/Stafford Loan? 
  • Is a PLUS loan included in the award letter?
  • Has Federal Work Study been included as a resource to reduce your bottom-line, out-of-pocket cost?
  • Are the renewability criteria for the scholarship offered realistic?

Click here for Huffington Post article

Click here for Simple Dollar article

Finding Outside Scholarships
Seniors, once the elation of getting accepted into school wears off, the financial reality may start to set in.  If you do not qualify for need based financial aid and your school does not offer merit aid, then the best way to look for outside funding is through local scholarships or scholarships aimed at your academic interest, talent, or personal background.

Seniors:  We are proud of you and enjoyed working with you through this process.  We are available to meet to help you make your final decision.  Please let us know your results. 

 

Juniors:  We hope your college visits are going well.  Let us know what you thought so we can refine your lists.  Please contact us to schedule a meeting to create resume/activity lists.

 

Sophomores and Freshmen: If you we haven't already met, please contact us to develop a plan for the coming year and finalize your summers.  

 

Sincerely,

Lisa, Beth, and Abby
College Bound Mentor, LLC 
Lisa@collegeboundmentor.com 
908-789-8566   
www.collegeboundmentor.com 

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