STUDENT-CENTERED SOLUTIONS FOR COLLEGE PLANNING

I had a number of conversations over the last several weeks with individuals who wanted to talk about the college transfer process. They were coming at the discussion from a variety of different perspectives ranging from the intentional to the desperate. The one thing they had in common was that they weren’t where they wanted to be—or so they thought.

In light of these conversations, it would seem appropriate to discuss the topic further in this space where the insight gleaned might help both those active in the transfer process as well as families that might be weighing the transfer option as part of the four year educational plan.

Before we look at the transfer process, it is important to acknowledge that many educators agree the optimal learning experience is one that takes place over four years on one campus. While there are certainly great examples of individuals who have pieced together meaningful undergrad experiences at multiple schools, the continuity of one academic program—and the relationships that emerge through it—typically fosters a more holistic experience and often produces more favorable results after graduation.

Opportunities to transfer into institutions are typically contingent on two factors: the availability of space and the availability of funds (for those who may need assistance). For example, schools that experience very little turnover in student enrollment (prior to graduation) may take on few, if any, transfers in a given year. These are places that, by virtue of rigorous admission standards, can make sure the students who enter, either as first-year students or transfers, are well equipped to manage the expectations of their respective classrooms.

Many of them also invest significantly in the various types of support needed for their students to find success. As a result, students who enter usually stay and graduate. Not surprisingly, these are also places that many students seeking to transfer see as “destination schools.”

By contrast, institutions more open to transfers are those that experience greater attrition prior to graduation. Their ability to support transfer students who need financial assistance may vary from year to year depending on the funds available at the time. It is possible, then, that institutions could extend offers of transfer admission but fail to provide the necessary financial aid.

In any case, the admission process for transfer candidates is remarkably similar to that of first-year applicants with several notable exceptions. 1) The high school transcript often takes a “back seat” to the college record in the credential review process. 2) The high school extracurricular record becomes secondary to involvement at the college level. 3) A statement is often required of the “sending” dean of student affairs attesting to the student’s good standing at the institution. 4) Finally, transfer students will be expected to address their reasons for transferring. The more selective the process, the greater the scrutiny that will be given to each factor as admission officers ask the question, “If we admit this student, what do we get?”

Given this background on the process, the rationale for transferring can be considered contextually. While there are myriad reasons for transferring, they tend to fall into one of three categories:

1. Intentional
2. Circumstantial
3. Reactive

Intentional The transfer process is both expedient and intentional for students who plan from the outset to piece together academic experiences at multiple schools. For some, it’s a matter of finances. They plan to address general education requirements at a community college or state university where the cost per credit is much lower before transferring into a four-year college to complete their degree requirements. Others simply need to develop academic competencies (and confidence) before embarking on a four-year degree.

Regardless, students intending to pursue a “2+2” degree path need to make sure the potential destination colleges promise to accept the coursework taken during the first two years and to support the transferring student with need-based financial aid. Many community colleges have negotiated articulation agreements with four-year programs that offer such assurances.

Circumstantial Sometimes, the “best laid” plans fail to accommodate changes in circumstance at a chosen college. For example, unforeseen changes in career interest, access to competitive opportunities athletically, health concerns, or financial support may put a student in the position of having to look for a new college home. When this happens, it is best to work with advisors at the “sending” school to compile a compelling statement in support of the transfer.

Reactive Some of my recent exchanges were with parents, worried that the first-year experience for their students isn’t going so well. Such revelations are never easy especially in light of the time and energy that was expended in the initial college selection process. As a result, parents are often conflicted about what to do—rush to their students’ sides with assurances that a transfer is in order or let things work themselves out on their own.

That the transfer “button” has been touched in any way is often symptomatic of adjustment issues (i.e. homesickness, high school relationship that is “on the rocks,” or envy—“the grass is greener somewhere else”) that do indeed benefit from time, experience and, in some cases, added maturity. My experience is that the vast majority of scenarios that seem highly worrisome at the end of the first semester have all but been forgotten by the end of the second.

Summary: All potential transfer scenarios must be carefully considered, not only for the benefits that seem to be immediately apparent, but for the long-term implications. If you go down the path of the transfer applicant, do so with your eyes wide open and an honest assessment of your rationale for doing so.

Do you know you have rights as a college applicant?

Well, you do. As you apply to colleges, you have the right to certain information about them including information about how much it will cost you to attend. According to the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC), a member organization that includes more than 11,000 college access professionals around the USA and beyond, you have the right to:

• “Receive factual and comprehensive information from colleges and universities about their admission, financial costs, aid opportunities, practices and packaging policies, and housing policies. If you consider applying under an early admission plan, you have the right to complete information from the college about its process and policies.”
• “Be free from high-pressure sales tactics.”
• “Wait until May 1 to respond to an offer of admission or financial aid.”

In order to make good decisions, you need good information and, quite often, a reasonable amount of time in which to consider your options. Toward that end, NACAC further stipulates that:

• “Colleges that request commitments to offers of admission and/or financial assistance prior to May 1 must clearly offer you the opportunity to request (in writing) an extension until May 1. They must grant you the extension and your request may not jeopardize your status for admission and/or financial aid.”
• “Candidates admitted under early decision programs are a recognized exception to the May 1 deadline.”

It is important to note that May 1 is regarded as the “Candidate’s Reply Date”—the date by which admitted applicants must make their final college choices. That date was established years ago to allow students a reasonable amount of time to consider their college options and to give colleges a date by which they could begin the registration process (course selections and housing) for the coming year. If you are not an Early Decision candidate, then, you should be afforded time to process admission decisions and financial aid awards that you receive from various colleges and universities.

That said, it is easy to fall prey to pressures to make enrollment commitments before you are ready. For example, you may have already encountered enticements such as early or “priority” application deadlines associated with scholarships or housing preferences. Some colleges may offer you scholarships that you can only claim by enrolling well ahead of May 1. And, if you applied to schools that offer “Rolling Admission,” you may be offered admission with the expectation that you will submit a non-refundable enrollment deposit—as soon as possible!

If you feel uncomfortable about the conditions that seem to be placed on your admission status, there is probably a good reason to proceed with caution. Listen to your instincts. And recognize the circumstances for what they are. The colleges in question are attempting to secure as many enrolled students as early in the process as possible.

If you don’t feel you are in possession of the information necessary to allow you to move forward comfortably with a particular college, ask for an extension. It’s not likely that your enrollment opportunity will be withdrawn if you miss a deadline (May 1 is the possible exception). And communicate your concerns with your college advisor as well. If the college remains insistent, ask yourself whether this is the sort of place with which you want to be associated for the next four years.

NACAC has produced a number of important documents that help to define ethical, albeit not legally binding, behavior for everyone involved in the admission process. You can learn more about your rights and responsibilities as an applicant at the Policies and Statements page on the NACAC website. Click on “Statement of Students’ Rights and Responsibilities in the College Admission Process.” In addition, you may find the “Statement of Principles of Good Practice,” a document that guides the actions of colleges and universities, to be instructive as well.

It’s official.

On Saturday, October 29, 2011, “net price calculators” will be required elements on college and university websites. In accordance with the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, institutions that enroll full-time, first-time degree or certificate seeking undergraduate students must provide a mechanism on their websites that estimates the net cost of attendance for current and prospective students.

As institutional price tags continue to soar—many are now above $50,000 per year—the resulting sticker shock is seen as a deterrent to many students who might otherwise consider post-secondary educational opportunities. The intent behind the net price calculators (NPC) is to encourage access to higher education by creating greater transparency with regard to the anticipated cost of attendance as defined by the student’s individual circumstances.

In theory, the NPC will calculate an adjusted price for each student that is reflective of that student’s “expected family contribution” (EFC). While the need-based financial aid analysis for college applicants (and returning students) is already rooted in the concept of expected family contribution, the NPC is intended to give families at glimpse at the EFC before the student engages in the application process. With this accomplished, students will be able to proceed with a greater understanding of the likely cost associated with their educational experiences.

To better understand the impact of the NPC, consider that institutions are employing “means-based” pricing models. In other words, at the end of the day they expect you to pay the amount you can afford rather than the listed sticker price. If you are fully self-supporting, you will be expected to pay the sticker price. On the other hand, if you demonstrate that you cannot be fully self-supporting, the NPC will calculate an EFC—a “reduced price”—that you are likely to encounter if admitted and enrolled at the institution.

The reality is the NPC is only an estimate of the price you will pay and it does not forecast your chances of gaining admission. Most institutions engage in differential needs analysis as they assess EFCs for students they might admit. In addition to being able to choose from a range of methodologies (FAFSA, College Scholarship Service Profile, institutional forms), financial aid officers can exercise “professional judgment” in assessing your EFC. As a result, your EFC for a given institution can vary by as much as $10,000 depending on the methodology that is used.

Moreover, the NPC cannot accurately anticipate the manner in which an institution will meet your demonstrated financial need (the difference between the sticker price and your EFC). This is because most institutions utilize preferential packaging in meeting the needs of their admitted students. Depending on your desirability to the institution, your need could be met with a financial aid award that includes a lot of gift aid (grants and scholarships) or a lot of self-help (loans and campus work study opportunities). A financial aid award that includes more of the latter adds substantially to the cost of attendance that you and your family must bear—a cost that the NPC is not likely to identify for you.

The bottom line: net price calculators are not likely to give you the degree of precision in projecting college costs that you might expect. They might give you a “ball park” sense of your out-of-pocket cost, but the final tally could be far different for the reasons outlined above. If you need a very close estimate of your EFC before making a “buying” decision, consult the financial aid professionals at the school in question directly.

The premise behind the NPC is certainly noteworthy. Unfortunately, it is not a failsafe measure nor is it likely to increase the dialogue between families and financial aid officers as the latter will direct the former to the net price calculators their websites.

An unanticipated development emerging from the NPC mandate is that many institutions now have new mechanisms for pre-qualifying, screening and recruiting potential candidates for admission. While most of the related activity is fairly benign, be wary of providing information on an NPC regarding the other colleges to which you are applying. This data is not essential to the calculation of the EFC, and, frankly, it can raise questions about the sincerity of your interest in the institution.

“Can’t we get a comparable educational value at a state university for much less the cost?”

Affording a private college education isn’t easy these days—even for families who would presume to have the means. As costs reach upwards of $50,000 per year, more families are understandably weighing public options instead.

The simple truth is that comparable value can be found at many places, both public and private, if you are willing to be discriminating. There are, however, risks associated with making arbitrary assessments.

Outcomes must be considered. Will the comparable “value” carry with it a comparable outcome? In terms of educational content, the answer is quite often “yes.” While each college may differ in the manner it delivers its educational experience, the value students derive from the experience will correlate directly with their respective investments in getting the most out of the experience.

However, make sure you factor in all the outcomes. How long will it take to graduate? What is the total cost involved over that period of time? What will your post-graduate options be?

The notion of “comparable value” is sweeping the countryside to the extent that state universities are feeling unprecedented pressure to accommodate deserving in-state candidates. As a result, many cash-strapped state universities are hard-pressed to provide academic programs to meet the needs of their students in five or even six years. When you crunch the numbers, tuition, room and board for five or six years at a state university may not be that far removed from costs for four years at a private college—especially a private college that offers need or merit-based financial aid.

As you visit college campuses, ask to see the data (don’t settle for conversational responses) that describes the graduation rates. And be discriminating. You might be asking about graduation rates in four years but the respondent may be telling you about graduation rates over six years! Ask to see the actual numbers.

Then, dig deeper. Ask to see the data that reflect the post-graduate outcomes for students in the degree program(s) that interests you. How many graduated in four/five/six years? Of that cohort, how many went to graduate school—and where? How many got jobs—and where? What were there starting salaries? You will be making a considerable investment of time and money in your undergraduate experience so make sure you see evidence that, if you apply yourself in a reasonable manner, you can expect desired outcomes.

Information about outcomes is readily available on college campuses. You just need to ask for it. And be an equal opportunity detective.  Get the same information from private and public institutions alike. You might be surprised by what you discover.

The end of April marks the conclusion of a long search and selection journey as you find yourself on the threshold of your new college home. After years of preparation and months of speculation, admission outcomes are finally known and the decision-making is nearly complete. Soon, the enrollment “check is in the mail”—literally. Let the celebration begin!

You need to be careful, though, as you celebrate. The following are points to consider as you move through this exciting transition in your life.

1. Stay focused academically. While an overwhelming sense of relief is washing over you—and all you want to do is kick back, relax, and enjoy the moment—don’t lose sight of what got you to this point. A quick re-read of the not-so-fine print on your acceptance letter tells the story. In offering you a place in its entering class, the admission committee expects you to complete your senior year at no less than the same level of performance that was evident when it decided to accept you.

Many colleges, particularly those that are highly selective, will monitor your academic performance right up to the end. In order to complete your enrollment, you will need to submit a final transcript confirming your graduation from high school. If your transcript reveals measurable declines in your program or performance, you may suddenly find your enrollment status in jeopardy as colleges are known to revoke their offers—and the actual enrollments—of students whose final transcripts fail to measure up to expectations. When I was Dean of Admission, I had to send 6-8 such letters each summer. It was, for obvious reasons, one of the least pleasant things I would have to do as Dean.

So what does this mean for you? It doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the rest of the year. However, you do need to keep going to class! Resist the temptation to drop courses. Take final exams. Think of such actions as “insurance.” Don’t fall prey to the intellectual comas that seem to overcome students at the end of the senior year. The last thing you want to see is a letter from the Dean of Admission sometime later this summer informing you that you no longer have a place in the entering class at that school.

2.    Commit to one college! In the face of multiple options, it may be tempting to submit enrollment deposits to more than one college in order to give yourself more time to make the final choice. Don’t do it! Hard as it might be to make the call by the May 1 Candidates’ Reply date, that’s what you need to do. Just as admission officers review final transcripts, they are also prone to comparing enrollment rosters with colleagues at peer institutions.

If your name appears on the enrollment rosters at more than one school, be prepared for the consequences. It is not uncommon for a dean of admission to arbitrarily withdraw a student’s enrollment at her/his school out of respect for the student’s commitment to another school—not the kind of surprise you want to encounter after you have graduated from high school! Imagine if the Deans at both schools took the same action!

Do the smart and ethical thing.  Make one commitment and honor it. The possible exception to this well-documented rule involves the sequence of events following admission from a college’s Wait List. Should you be committed to one college when another offers you a place from its Wait List, you may accept the latter offer. In doing so, however, it is understood that you must forfeit your initial deposit at the first college.

3.    Complete the financial aid process. The fact that you have received—and accepted—a need-based financial aid award doesn’t mean the process is over. You have accepted the award on the condition that you and your parents will submit tax returns for 2010 in order to verify the data that was reported on your financial aid applications. Even if you are not receiving need-based assistance from the institution, you should complete the FAFSA application if you wish to secure un-subsidized student loans and campus work-study opportunities funded by the federal government. Most schools that award merit scholarship programs will require that you have a completed FAFSA on file as well.

Finally, be sure to report any scholarships you receive from community organizations to the college you will attend. These awards will be credited to the cost of attendance.

4.    Be safe! Tragically, the best of times can turn quickly into the worst of times for young people as they revel in their achievements. Have a good time but take care of yourself!

The next six weeks are indeed a time for celebrating both happy endings and new beginnings. Having made your college selection, it would seem all that is left before you’re “outta here” is the pomp and circumstance of graduation. As you pause to reflect and enjoy the moment, don’t lose sight of the bigger picture that continues to unfold before you.

Congratulations and best wishes!

The odds are that you will receive admission decision letters in the coming days that bear the curiously encouraging message, “We are pleased to offer you a place on the Wait List.” If you receive such a message, you might find it puzzling. You can’t find the word “congratulations” anywhere in the letter, yet the school is “pleased to offer you…”—what?

Rather than a polite denial, the Wait List offer is a “definite maybe.” Whether you knew it or not, you were on the competitive “bubble” at the college in question. Though you were certainly qualified—deserving of consideration in a close competition—you were not a shoo-in. When it came time for the admission committee to make very fine distinctions, it chose others over you. By offering you a place on the Wait List, though, the committee is really saying, “We like you. Since we might not get the enrollment we need from the initial round of acceptances, we might be able to admit you later.”

The explanation may not feel very reassuring as you read it the first time but, in truth, you may well have options before this whole thing is over. Hang in there. Most of the selective colleges in the country will admit students from the Wait List every year in numbers ranging from half a dozen to well over 100.

Information about Wait List status and movement is closely guarded. Sensitive to negative inferences that are made about the “need” to go to the Wait List, colleges prefer to be discrete about the extent of their reliance on it for enrollment. That said here is what you need to know—and do—in order to give yourself a competitive edge.

1. Wait Lists will be active because colleges are constantly gambling that their yield on initial offers will be better than expected. They are usually wrong.
2. When they go to the Wait List, admission officers have efficiency in mind. They want to fill their empty seats as quickly as possible. Rather than mailing offers of admission to hundreds of students, most will call or email candidates one at a time until they receive the number of commitments they need.
3. Make sure the school knows it is your first choice. Write a letter confirming your interest. Visit. Send new grades. Provide new insight into your performance as well as evidence of recent accomplishments that might not have appeared on your initial application.
4. Stay on the radar screen of the staff member who recruits in your area. Make sure that person knows you are available and ready to accept an offer of admission. Continue to show your interest without becoming a pest.
5. Be sure to provide evidence of your potential “hooks.” Colleges re-define their needs as they go to the Wait List. For example, they may have acquired plenty of tuba players, but now have a need for an oboist.
6. Be clear about what your family can afford to pay. Your need of assistance could well be a determining factor. Movement from Wait Lists prior to May 1 will probably be limited to students who do not need financial aid.
7. Many Wait List offers will come after the May 1 deadline for submitting enrollment deposits. If such a call comes, you need to be prepared to decide quickly (often in 24 hours) whether you want to forfeit an earlier enrollment at another school in order to take advantage of the acceptance from the Wait List.
8. Don’t allow yourself to become so preoccupied with the Wait List situation that you lose track of your more immediate options. If the Wait List offer doesn’t come, you need to be ready to happily embrace one of your other options.

So, take heart. The enrollment opportunities from the Wait List are very real. In fact, competing for admission from the Wait List is like playing in a contest that has gone into overtime. If you assume the game is lost, you can’t win. Keep “playing,” then—hard and smart—to give yourself a chance for a happy outcome.

Getting into a “good” college is a big deal these days—so big that many families are investing thousands of dollars into a range of credentialing experiences for their students with the expectation that somewhere, somehow, there is a competitive “edge” to be exploited in the admission process.

Chief among these investments is the engagement of private consultants—folks who offer fee-based assistance to families outside of the high school environment. Such assistance can come in the form of private tutoring, test preparation, reflective self-assessment, college list development, essay editing, dedicated “advocacy” in the admission process, and planning support for students with special needs. It’s a long list and there are some incredibly gifted people who provide high-quality services. There are also a lot of imposters so “buyer beware!”

I’d like to offer a few observations and suggestions in the event you are considering the involvement of a private counselor.

1. Don’t overlook the fact that a lot of high schools, public and private, feature highly trained college access professionals and offer an abundant supply of college planning resources. Explore them first. They’re already part of the educational environment of which your student is a member and they will be integral to the presentation of his credentials.
2. Manage expectations. It is more important that you help your student find and get into colleges that are good fits for her than it is to try and “shoe-horn” her into a place that will satisfy your social urges, but not her educational needs.
3. Despite their pedigrees or prior work experiences, private counselors don’t get students into college. They can help students calibrate the process and prepare effectively to compete for admission, but it is the student who must carry the day in the admission process.
4. Engage private counselors for the right reasons. Ask yourself why you want or—more importantly—need the help. Is the college counseling available through your student’s school truly deficient? Does your student have specific needs that need to be addressed? Or do you simply want the peace of mind of having access to an expert who can interpret the process for you as you move forward? Many consultants are experts about specific areas such as learning differences or family relocations or financial planning. Make sure you know what you need.
5. Make sure the student is regarded as the lead client. To the parents, that means, “pay the bill and then stand back.” I see far too many situations in which the parents are engaged with the consultant as though the student isn’t even present!
6. Get referrals and ask for references. If you are considering a consultant who lives near you, make sure your student meets with that person before “signing on.” Ask to see evidence that s/he is well educated (former admission officer, college advisor, Certified Educational Planner, etc.) about the college admission process and has been actively engaged in professional development activity over the last 2-3 years. Look for honesty, sincerity (don’t buy what you don’t need!), accessibility and compatibility with your student. This exercise won’t work if your student isn’t buying into the concept or the person delivering it.
7. Consider cost and the projected time commitment. You shouldn’t have to pay more than 20% of the cost of one year at the colleges your student is considering for qualified assistance (you can often get what you need for less). And working with a consultant should not detract from your student’s ability to do the things that are important to her/him.
8. Finally, be wary of individuals who make guarantees. Consultants do not get kids into college! They should not manage the process nor should they write essays or complete applications for them. Students must take ownership of the process and the required tasks.

On the other hand, good consultants can help young people find the most appropriate colleges and they can provide assistance in gaining perspective on how a student might best present him/herself in the admission process. Make sure the consultation is student-centered and you won’t go wrong!

The concept of “Expected Family Contribution” (EFC) is, and has been, at the heart of the financial aid process for years. The underlying premise is simple: the first source of funding for college is the family. In order to receive assistance from a college, a student needs to demonstrate that his/her family is not able to cover the full cost of attending. When there is a “gap” between the EFC and the total cost of attendance, financial aid is intended to make up the difference.

The basic process for determining EFC and, thus, “demonstrated need” is an exercise rooted in determining a student’s eligibility for funding from the state and federal governments. The “Free Application for Federal Student Aid” (FAFSA) was established by the United States government to accomplish this end. Since colleges also provide financial support from their own coffers, most use the FAFSA to gauge the student’s eligibility for assistance. In addition, many private colleges subscribe to the College Scholarship Service PROFILE, which features a more complex “needs analysis” formula, to determine the student’s EFC.

On the surface, then, it would appear that the question of EFC is being calibrated with precision and fairness. In reality, the data generated by both the FAFSA and the PROFILE is subject to institutional scrutiny and nuanced interpretation. As a result, it is likely that a student who gains admission to five different institutions may find herself with five financial aid award letters that look very different. And, curiously enough, none of the letters will reference the family’s EFC!

The upshot of all this for families is that, despite the prevalence of online FAFSA Forecasters and federally-mandated institutional net price calculators, it is hard to anticipate actual college costs. These estimators are constructed with generic qualifiers that don’t reflect the nuances of various agendas that come into play as colleges decide whom they want to target with offers of admission and financial aid. Unless you are able to receive an estimate of your expected family contribution (EFC) directly from the financial aid office of the schools to which you are applying, anticipating out-of-pocket college costs will be a guessing game. And, even with such an estimate, you can’t proceed with certainty.

In the final analysis, your EFC is what a college or university wants it to be. The practices of differential needs analysis (applying whichever needs analysis that suits the institution’s purposes) and preferential packaging (strategically using scholarship and loan funds to “meet need”) at many schools make it difficult to measure the true impact of the EFC in the awarding of financial aid.

As you begin to develop strategies for anticipating and managing college costs, do so with your eyes wide open. The decision to admit and support a student with financial aid is a calculated decision that is often driven by the student’s desirability to the institution. The colleges that value most the things you have to offer are the ones that will admit you and give you the financial support you need to achieve your educational goals.

The April 1 Best College Fit (BCF) Webcast, “Unwrapping the Financial Aid Award,” takes an even closer look at how financial aid is administered and provides insight with regard to interpreting your financial aid award. Subscribe to BCF to gain access to this important webcast.