College admission is a process that requires considerable planning to accomplish successfully. College planners help students with the admission process, financial aids like scholarships or grants and prep courses for SAT or ACT tests. They make it easier for students and families in finding the right colleges according to the abilities of the student and the financial background of the family. With the help of college planners a student can plan for college and graduate in four years which saves a lot of time and money.
Enrolling in a good college requires proper planning and also the understanding of the admission process. You can find out the due date of submission of applications and the required paper works from the school admissions department. You can call them or find information by logging on to the schools website. You can apply to colleges under the regular decision plan. This plan allows you to apply to more than one college before the stated deadline date. You will be notified between mid-March and early April if you are admitted and the deposits are due till May 1st.
Early action applications enable students to apply to college early and know if he or she is will be accepted. The student has a deadline till May 1st to decide on joining the college, if admitted and can apply to other colleges under an early action or regular admission plan. You are under no obligation to join a college if you are admitted and you can compare the financial aid offers from different colleges before making a decision.
Early decision plan involves the student entering into a binding agreement with the college that he or she will enroll in the college if they are admitted. Early decision enables you to get rid of the stress associated with the admissions process but you will not have any bargaining power on the amount of financial aid offered. A student who has applied for early decision can apply to other colleges under regular admissions but will have to withdraw all applications if they are admitted under early decision.
The cost of attendance (COA) is determined by the college so it differs according to colleges. It generally includes tuition, fees, room and board as well as estimated cost for books, transportation and personal expenses. The minimum amount of money that the family is obliged to contribute to the student’s education is called an EFC or Expected Family Contribution. It is compared with the COA to determine the need based financial aid eligibility of the student. It is calculated by using Federal Methodology.
The author is an expert college planner. Successful Education Solutions is a college planner that offers SAT prep courses, ACT prep courses and college essay help.