Gearing Up for a Busy April
Who would have thought that the headlines would read “Recession has Silver Lining for Class of ’09”? (Washington Post, Susan Kinzie, April 1, 2009) After hearing how “record numbers of talented applicants were rejected at top colleges” for much of the past decade, it would seem that this is the year of the applicant—or is it?
It turns out very little is predictable about outcomes this year. Sure, some members of the Class of ’09 are finding unexpected success, but the good news is not flowing evenly. In fact, if you are an applicant, much depends on your personal financial circumstances.
Students who do not need financial aid are finding more college options than usual. Conversely, those who need assistance are either finding themselves admitted—but short of the money they need—or, worse yet, on wait lists.
I heard about these scenarios and more during the March 25 Web-Side Chat in which I talked with Best College Fit™ members about what to expect with regard to admission decisions. I received questions about the impact of needing financial aid on a student’s ability to gain admission from the wait list as well as the likelihood of receiving merit scholarships from selective schools.
One participant, a college advisor, observed that, “Many of my full pay kids are getting money even though they haven’t asked. And my inner city kids are getting scholarship offers in their acceptance letters, but when the financial aid package letters come, they are gapped so much they cannot attend the schools.”
The next six weeks promise to be unprecedented with regard to renewed admission activity as colleges and universities press onward to get their classes. And it will be a time of opportunity for students who understand the process and are prepared to respond decisively when that opportunity presents itself. Wait lists will move and I won’t be the least bit surprised to see schools revisiting admitted students with new offers of financial aid and/or merit scholarships.
The Best College Fit™ (BCF) Membership program continues to provide insight and support to families as they sort through the various college options that lie before them. On April 13, BCF hosts a Web-Side Chat webcast, “Evaluating Financial Aid Options,” that will compare actual financial aid awards and provide advice with regard to next steps in making the final choice of a college. In addition the “College Talk” email listserves provides on-going conversation opportunity throughout the month.
NB: All Web-Side Chats are recorded and available for review in the Webcast Archives.
In addition, I am offering a limited number of short-term private consultations to help you sort out your college options. Please contact me directly at Peter@TheAdmissionGame.com to make arrangements.
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