What trends related to college admissions do you foresee post-pandemic? The biggie among post-pandemic admission trends will be a spike in permanently test-optional colleges. Many schools that stopped requiring SAT’s and ACT’s this year will continue these suspensions into next year or for a 2-to-3-year trial period beyond. Some colleges will make the SAT/ACT changes …
2020 wrapped up with the passage of a $900 billion fiscal stimulus package and a $1.4 trillion government funding deal, which also included some long-awaited reforms to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). There has been a lot of discussion about the rebranding of the EFC (Expected Family Contribution), but there are some …
FAFSA Updates: All The Big Changes You Need to Know (2021) Read More »
Tap into a few tricks that can ease your mind about how to pay for college. Tip 1: Know that aid is available to everyone. You don’t have to be a financial aid whiz or “an insider” to get financial aid. You can tap into lots of different types of financial aid. What most people …
Yes — You Can Relax About the Cost of College! Here’s How. Read More »
When you’re starting the college search, it’s easy to hit a few brick walls. What’s one of the major not-so-soft landings? Yep: The sticker shock that accompanies every website you scan, every pamphlet you read, every conversation you have about college. How are we going to afford this? How will we pay for this? I …
If you want to add a few colleges to your Common App list before the Regular Decision deadline (but don’t want to spend any more money), choose one from the list below. This is the most comprehensive list of colleges that don’t have application fees. Liberal Arts Colleges with no application fee Agnes Scott College …
The deadline for Regular Decision is coming up fast. You’re probably all set with sending applications to colleges on your list. But should you add a few more options? The short answer is . . . yes. It’s a ‘roll-the-dice’ application season with many schools going test-optional and factors like distance learning still up in …
Some families breathed a sigh of relief when colleges went test optional for incoming 2021/22 applicants. On the flip side, test-optional admissions policies have put a laser-like focus on the personal essay and the activities section of the Common App — a section that matters more now than ever. “A poorly crafted activities list is …
Strong B Students are Good Candidates for Merit Aid. If you think merit aid scholarships are only awarded to valedictorians or National Merit Scholars, think again. Over $8 billion in merit aid is given out by colleges all over the country to students who are in the top 25% of their most recently admitted freshman …
11 Colleges with Generous Merit Aid for B Students Read More »
News headlines for the past year have been focused on the effect the pandemic has had on the college admission process for current seniors, with canceled standardized tests and virtual classrooms. But quarantine has also brought uncertainty of joining campus at all this coming fall. This uncertainty, along with widespread frustration with the unaltered tuition …
“How Does a Gap Year Potentially Affect Merit Aid?” Read More »
Whether you are a senior currently submitting applications, a junior building your college list, or a sophomore thinking about college, determining how you will pay for college is an important step in the college application process. First thing first, why is college so expensive? While many factors affect college costs, the biggest mistake that I …
How Will You Pay for College? Financial Aid Considerations Read More »
We created these tools to help our family navigate college admissions. We hope they will help other families tp save money, time and hassle. We would love to hear from you–drop us a line at info@meritmore.com
@All Rights Reserved 2022
