Editor’s Note: This originally appeared as a post in our private Facebook group called Paying for College 101. Retired admissions director and author Peter Pitts is a frequent group contributor, and we publish some of his posts as articles to benefit a wider audience. He’s an advocate of the value of small colleges.
Now that I have been retired for almost eight years, it is time to reflect:
I would like to propose a slightly different approach to the college application process to reduce your student’s stress and save you money. Check out some of the 700+ awesome small colleges (fewer than 3,500 students) throughout the United States that can save you time, money, and stress.
What This Process Could Look Like
How does this sound for your student?
- Apply in August.
- Get admitted (and receive a large merit scholarship) in September or October.
- File the FAFSA in October and receive an aid award by November or December.
- Visit the campus at least twice.
- Apply for other scholarships (potentially even full-tuition scholarships) sometime between December and February.
- Pay your deposit in February or March.
- Then relax.
This method works for C+ students to A+ students if you look at the correct set of colleges in the first place.
Tips for Making This Approach Work
Start by narrowing your list the right way.
Exclude the highly ranked, high-priced, prestigious colleges. Look at colleges that have rolling admissions, where you are 99.999% likely to be admitted. I am not a fan of the whole “reach, match, safety” concept. I believe in “fit, fit, and fit.”
Look for colleges with a 60% or higher admit rate.
These colleges tend to award significant amounts of free gift assistance that is not based on your family’s finances. These small colleges are the perfect fit for a wide range of students.
The academic superstar gets huge (potentially full tuition) scholarships. The strongest students also have opportunities for research and leadership from day one (sometimes even starting before the first day of classes). The C+ student is given a chance to succeed in a welcoming and supportive environment.
Do the math on cost — before you fall in love with a school.
Exclude any college with a high price tag after merit aid (do the cost estimators for each college). You can also see the average cost (after merit) at various income levels on sites like Niche and U.S. News. Compare your estimated numbers to your family budget and stay within those parameters.
Apply early.
Apply for admission early in the process (August or September).
Build real relationships with admissions representatives.
Develop a strong relationship with your admissions representative from each college to which you are applying, and make sure to VISIT each of the colleges at least two times (or at least do a virtual visit plus a Zoom call with your admissions representative).
Don’t overlook private scholarships.
Apply for private scholarships (especially the local ones).
File the FAFSA as early as possible.
Do the FAFSA at the earliest possible date. If you are chosen for verification (1/3 of families are chosen to verify their information), make sure to send in your documents in a timely fashion.
High-achieving students: consider full-tuition scholarship competitions.
Make sure to consider applying to any of the many colleges that offer full-tuition scholarships by competition. (There are over 200 of them in the U.S.) Go to the competitions without necessarily any expectation of winning. Instead, view these days as an extended campus visit. You will be more relaxed this way (therefore, you will probably do better in your interviews), and if you happen to win the top award, all the better!
Note: Those who participate in these kinds of competitions usually still receive a lot of merit aid. Also, if you are a strong academic student, you should apply to colleges where less than 20% of students have your statistics. You need to be a shining light!
A Word of Caution
So, if you want stress, feel free to play the “competitive college admission game.” Apply to the most highly ranked and popular colleges. Deal with early decision, waitlists, interviews, extra essays, and big price tags. Go for it! But be careful what you wish for. Often, a “dream college” can turn into a stressful senior year for students and a financial nightmare for parents.
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Use R2C Insights to help find merit aid and schools that fit the criteria most important to your student. You’ll not only save precious time, but your student will avoid the heartache of applying to schools they aren’t likely to get into or can’t afford to attend.
Looking for expert help on the road to college? See our 1-1 Coaching Services.
Other Articles You Might Like:
8 Ways Top Students Thrive at Small, Less Selective Colleges
10 Reasons to Consider Smaller Schools with Higher Acceptance Rates
Undecided about a Major? A Small College Might Be the Best Choice
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