College Admissions Webinar

There are a lot of ways to get information on the school that you want to apply to.  You can visit the college campus in person, or visit their web sites.  Another way that I learned yesterday was through a webinar (Web Seminar, I suppose).

After dinner, I and my son sat in front of the computer screen in our family room.  My son had signed up for the webinar about a week ago and received a link to the webinar.  After clicking the link, we were taken to the site where the webinar was taking place.  If you are not familiar with this idea, just imagine that you are in a lecture hall with a presentation made on a screen in front of the audience.  Webinar is the same; the screen is your computer screen.  You can even ask questions.  The webinar site provides a little gadget on your screen where you can type in your questions.  Then the lecturer selects some questions that are representative of other questions and provides answers live, through the speakers connected to your computer.  It was my first experience with a webinar last night.  It was so cool.  There is no need to drive or fly 5 or 10 hours to attend college admissions seminars held by the colleges that you are interested in.  The college admissions presentation comes to your living room!

There are many more webinars on college admissions, I suppose.  All you have to do is call or contact the admissions offices of colleges you are interested in and ask if they hold webinars on admissions.  If they don’t, they will after enough people ask them about it.

College Visits

When visiting colleges, spend some time listening to and watching what students are doing.  See how the students are interacting, what they are wearing, what books they’re reading and so on.  Are the students lively and enjoying what they are doing?

It is always a good idea to do the traditional tours, to observe classes and to attend informational meetings on campus.  To get a real sense of the school, go and speak with the students and observe what they do outside of classrooms.

The alumni network will tell about how the graduates feel about their college education.  Find out what career paths alumni have chosen and who some of the “famous” alumni are.

If the college offers an interview, you must use that opportunity or you will be put at a disadvantage, at least with some colleges.  However, many schools do not require or recommend that you ask for an interview.  If you do have an interview, try to highlight yourself with what the college wants to know more about yourself.  The most important thing, however, is being yourself.  You want to attend a college because it will fulfill your educational needs not because of its ranking, after all.

Whatever you do during your visits to a college, enjoy yourself, try to imagine yourself among the students and see if you will like it.

Help with College Costs at Sallie Mae

Sallie Mae, the largest provider of student loans in the country, announced today an offer that no family preparing for college admissions should miss.

A new website, at Sallie Mae, aims to help alleviate fears and provide answers. “We have helped more than 21 million Americans achieve the dream of a college education, and we do not intend to let this economy keep us from helping you achieve yours.” They’re not only offering detailed responses to frequently asked questions, but on Wednesday (February 25), Sallie Mae has a toll-free hotline open from 6pm – midnight EST. In addition, you can submit questions directly to the site, get email updates when new answers are posted, and download a free podcast that explains how to complete the FAFSA (the federal financial aid application).

Finally, there are two 45-minute webinars that explain how to calculate and compare college costs, create a plan to pay for college, understand loan payments, and use free scholarship Web tools. The webinars will be held on February 24 at 6 pm and February 25 at 7 pm (both EST). Register by emailing schoolresource@salliemae.com. If you miss it, the webinar will be available on their website beginning February 26.

Early Admissions

A new report found that many students who apply early for college end up regretting their college choice. “Many young people are being pressured to making college choices before they are developmentally ready,” Michigan State University sociologist Barbara Schneider, author of the report, told USA Today.

Schneider’s case “has yet to be made empirically,” but her research suggests that “students who make these choices very early, without having opportunities to explore other options, (in their 20s) report some dissatisfaction with their college choices and lives.”

David Hawkins, of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), told USA Today that this finding supports some members’ concerns that students are being rushed to make college decisions. A 2005 NACAC survey found 25 percent of responding colleges accept some applicants before they start their senior year. Some recruiters wave application fees or offer priority housing to students who apply as juniors.

NACAC now bars colleges from admitting students until after they get a junior year transcript. Harvard, Stanford and other selective schools have ended binding early admissions policies.

Avoid Paying Twice for Your College Student

Many college students already have health insurance under their parents’ health insurance policy.  Yet, they pay for the group insurance covered by the college.  This double payment of health insurance for your college student can cost you thousands of dollars a year.

Why don’t students who already have health insurance simply opt out of the school policies? One reason is the backward way many schools’ insurance programs work. Coverage is automatically provided for all students (and billed along with tuition, room and board, activity fees, and other costs) unless they fill out forms proving they’re eligible to opt out. This system is confusing enough to prevent thousands of students and their families from avoiding, or even being aware of, the double coverage.

In this tough economy, every bit counts.  Check with your student’s school health insurance policy to opt out of the plan or adjust your plan accordingly.

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