What I wish I had known when I began my college search process

College Search & Selection
1

Hi everyone! I am a high school senior and will be attending Duke University next year. I have gained a lot of insight in regards to the college application process and there are some things I have learned that I feel will be beneficial to share.

keep in mind that most of the financial aid information applies only toward 100% need-met, 100% need-blind schools

I started the college search process toward the end of my junior year. I thought I wanted to go into engineering and attend my state’s flagship engineering school (this may have been influenced by the large number of friends I have who had the same plan). However, it wasn’t until this summer that I realized that I did not want to be an engineer, that I was actually competitive for top schools, and that top tier schools could actually be affordable.

  1. Be honest with yourself about what you want to do in life and what you would like to study.
  2. Know that the ivy league and other top schools are not the elusive, elitist universities they are made out to be.
  3. Be aware of the financial aid offered by top schools.

This all occurred to me rather late in the process, since it was already the July before my senior year. Suddenly, I had a growing list of 10+ schools which I wanted to look into. Narrowing down the lists went something like this:

  1. Decide if you would like to attend a STEM-oriented or liberal arts school (or one that is strong in both).
  2. Decide what the most important factors are for you. The flexibility of the curriculum? Not too far from home? Don’t let prestige blind you in finding the best school for YOU.
  3. Make an effort to visit the schools you think you would like to attend (I thought I loved Yale and did not want to attend Duke, but after visiting both, those feelings switched).

This led me to college confidential, which as anybody on here knows, can be very helpful in navigating the admissions process. However, college confidential can be a double-edged sword.

  1. Take everything you read from an anonymous source (aka CC, Yahoo Answers, etc) with a grain of salt.

I was told a lot of misleading information about financial aid for children of divorce and middle-class students. Parents on CC told me not to bother applying to any top schools since I wouldn’t be able to afford it. I was also misled to believe that early decision would be a terrible idea if I needed aid. When I talked to the financial aid officers themselves, though, this is what I learned:

  1. Colleges with good financial aid (100% need-blind, need-met) generally come through (use the online calculator! Duke was cheaper than my state school, and my family is in the middle class.)
  2. Some colleges do not consider step-parents when determining need. This varies between schools, so contact the financial aid officers and ask.
  3. Early decision is not binding if you cannot afford it. If you need aid, do not let that scare you away. Talk to the financial aid officers before applying.
  4. If you are certain you want to attend a school, early decision can be well worth it.

I understand that for students who would like to compare financial aid packages, early decision is not the best option. But for students who have a clear first choice and would rather pay, say, $10k a year for Duke than to go to UCF for free, early decision should still be considered.

Overall, I’ve learned more about myself during this process than anything else. College confidential has helped me a lot through the process, so I thought I would try to give back what little I have learned. If anybody else has any advice to add, feel free!

P.S. If you disagree with any of my points, please try to say so in a polite manner :slight_smile:

2

I think is false: 9) Colleges generally do not consider step-parents when determining need (just ask!).

So I disagree with that. :slight_smile:

FAFSA requires that the information from a step-parent be included. What college told you they would disregard the step-parent’s financials??

3

For all of the financial aid stuff, use the net price calculator for each college, and check each college’s policy on divorced parents if applicable.

On (4), a school can have strong STEM and liberal arts, which are also overlapping sets (science and math are both).

4

For colleges that use CSS as well, the majority of the ones that I asked (Duke, Yale, etc) told me that they only consider biological parents unless there is a very large discrepancy in the custodial household. For example, Duke and Yale both asked me for my father’s financial info, but not my step-mothers. But for my custodial household, the required both my mother and step-father’s info. They told me that they needed both W-2s in order to confirm that my mother made the amount she said she did since they filed jointly. They also wanted to make sure my step-father wasn’t making six figures and not being counted.

I suppose that you could consider this as “counting” one of my two step-parents. However, when we used the online calculator, the amount came out the same when we did not include him. I am also not certain that this will hold true across all top schools, but I do for the ones I asked.

5

@BB1313 It is great that a high school senior would take the time to post what they learned to help others through the process. I think the best lesson you mentioned is doing your homework on things as they relate to you personally. We can get great or bum information on the internet and CC is no exception, although I do think overall CC is full of helpful people with good intentions. There is information posted that is spot on, or may have no relevance to your particular situation, or is just wrong for certain individuals, no question. But if it matters to you, verify it, like you did, especially things like financial aid. No one has all the details on a family’s financials except that family (and usually just the parents in that family). Some people say no debt for college, others say invest and borrow whatever it takes, or do something in between. Those are all right answers for somebody.

Also students and parents alike get psyched out about applying to certain prestigious schools, not only from CC, but from friends, guidance counselors and others. Applying to lottery schools that you are really interested in and fit you - if it is not a strain financially and time wise - is good to get closure either way, versus wondering “what if” later.

Congrats on your due-diligence and getting into Duke!

6

This is really good, thoughtful advice.

If I may add:

  1. Don’t fall in love with a school that you and your family can’t afford. Don’t torture yourself. There are PLENTY of great schools that should be affordable.

Good luck!

7

You are so sharp, as we used to say 40 years ago. Congrats on your insight at your young age. I figured my three would go to the big state university. Instead they wound up at private colleges that were much cheaper than state U because of generous financial aid. My wife gets credit for creating an academic environment at home. I credit myself with driving the minivan to lacs in five states. And yes the EFC is just a crude measure. The net price calculator is better. You must contact individual college fin aid offices to get the real dope ( another expression from the old days).

8

wow, I luv hearing about dreams come true for you! @BB1313 :wink:

9

Thank you for posting this! I’m sure it will help me next year when college apps roll around!

10

^^^ fantastic info!