Quick Review

February begins next week. Review this checklist for items that should be completed at this time in your college planning process.

More information available:

• view our complete college planning calendar for January

Need to Think About Housing

Where are go going to live once you move to college?

For on-campus:
check with your college of choice. Once you get accepted into college, you need to move fast for on-campus housing arrangements to avoid being placed on a waiting list:

Check with your college web site for on-campus living:
use our college directory to link to your school

For off-campus:
link to our "Moving to College" center for housing search:
click here for college housing

Have you started your college planning process?

You need to move fast. Most college admission deadlines are due this month for the upcoming Fall semester. What you need to do:

• selecting the type of career and studies
• finding the right school
• submitting your college application
• analyzing college costs

  open up this quick guide of quick to-do’s: click here

Get the real scoop on college living with these topics such as:

• dorm life
• roommates
• lifestyle
• academics
• health and fitness
• and more

More information available:

• view our complete college planning calendar for January

Collect Aid Documentation

Collecting Documentation

Start collecting financial information about you and your parents in order to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA form will be required for all college aid programs. You can submit your FAFSA form anytime after January 1.

Filing the FAFSA form will be required if you intend to receive financial aid assistance from the school.

The FAFSA form is administered by the Federal Government and it will be required for all Federal Student Loans, many scholarships, and other college financial aid packages. It is used by colleges to determine your financial aid eligibility.

Preparing for the FAFSA form:

1. Register for a PIN
   so that you can sign your FAFSA form and other loan documents electronically. It will speed up the process:
   www.pin.ed.gov

2. Start gathering the documentation needed to complete the FAFSA form:
   • social security number
   • driver’s license number (if any)
   • W-2 Forms and other records of money
     earned
   • income tax returns
   • parent’s federal income tax returns
     (if you are a dependent student)
   • untaxed income records
   • bank statements
   • business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, stock, bond, and other investment records
   • alien registration card (if you are not a U.S. citizen)

3. Find your school codes:
   you will need this information so that your FAFSA filing can be sent to the schools of your choice. Again, the colleges use this information in designing a financial aid package to help pay the cost of college attendance.

4. View interactive worksheets:
   you can use these worksheets to help prepare for the real submission
   www.fafsa.ed.gov

5. Register for Selective Service (male students):
   Young men that have reached age 18 must register with Selective Service before submitting the FAFSA form. This is required by law:
   www.sss.gov

More information available:

• view our complete college planning calendar for December

CLEP Testing / Some Holiday Shopping

Consider taking and preparing for the Advanced Placement Exams or CLEP tests, if applicable. This allows you to test out of some college courses that can save you time and money.

The exams are administered each year in the Spring with some preparation required prior to the exam. Check with your school for exam administration, enrollment and information.

• Information about the advanced placement program:
  the collegeboard administers the AP exams. This site has all the information you need including test programs and dates:
  www.collegeboard.com

• View our advanced placement prep/study guides:
  includes prep planning books and other reading materials that can help you with these exams:
  click here for advanced placement materials

How about some Holiday Shopping
with these on-line shopping centers:

• First thing:
  get this discount card designed for students. Using this card can save you money at many locations tailored for students and their families:
  www.studentadvantage.com

• Ideas for:
  Dad, Mom, Brother, Sister, and the entire family
  our affiliated holiday shopping site for the entire family:
  www.nBuy.com/holiday

More information available:

• view our complete college planning calendar for December

Learn About Financial Aid Options

Let’s talk money for college —
jump over to our College Financial Aid Guide to discuss ways you can pay for college.

It’s not too early! The financial aid process starts January 01 for Fall entering students. You need to begin the process of assembling your financial information for both student and parent. Colleges will use that information to determine the amount of aid to award you.

So Do It Right! Review our quick financial aid notes to understand what you need to know:

Note 1:   understand the financial aid process
Note 2:   submitting the FAFSA form for federal aid
Note 3:   review the student aid report
Note 4:   get the financial award letter
Note 5:   view financial aid options
Note 6:   apply for and manage student funds

Something Extra

What are you doing for the December holidays?

We have a fun holiday package that you can download instantly: click here: FREE download

More information available:

• view our complete college planning calendar for November

Types of College Costs

Your school is required by law to provide you the cost of attendance for an academic year. The cost includes tuition, class fees, books – supplies, and room and board.

You also need to estimate costs for other expenses:

• transportation:
  how are you going to get around? Will you have a car or motorcycle? If so, costs will include vehicle payments if any, insurance, gas and other maintenance expenses.

  Some students will bring their bicycle. You need to consider registration fees. If you don’t have a car or motorbike, you will need to estimate the costs for public transportation use.

• personal expenses:
  you will need pocket change for a haircut, new outfit, new shoes, new book bag, and other personal items. Estimate how much you will need each month.

• entertainment:
  you can’t live in the library all of the time. You will want to take a weekend to get a pizza or head to the movies. You need to budget some entertainment money for the year.

• computer:
  almost every class with require some computer work such as a term paper, mathematical spreadsheet, and classroom log-in. You can use school computer labs, but you can save a lot of time if you had your own laptop. Estimate the cost for a computer. And don’t forget about the software to run the computer.

• special events:
  budget some money for those special events like going to the games, taking a weekend road trip, returning home for the holidays, moving yourself to and from college each year, etc.

Add It Up

Calculate your costs to get a rough estimate. The calculation will provide you a fairly good idea on what to expect as you finalize your decision where to attend college

we have some great tools to use
these spreadsheets require MS Excel or something similar

1. download college cost comparison spreadsheet
   this spreadsheet allows you to compare cost and aid awarded among colleges

2. download budgeting worksheet:
   use this spreadsheet to plan and budget your monthly expenses

More information available:

• view our complete college planning calendar for November

Start the Month by Completing a
Checklist On Prior Tasks

Your college applications should be ready to submit with your essays, HS transcripts, and recommendations. Make sure you have these items completed.

Early submission is in November for most colleges. Regular submission begins in January.

More information available:

• view our complete college planning calendar for November

Write and Edit Your College Essays

You need to finalize your college essays. Remember that the essay is an important part of the application review. A good essay can become the decision factor that gets you accepted. So do a great job.

• Essay resource and editing services:
  use this resource to edit your essay — you will expert advice from professionals who are experts in college essay review
  EssayEdge.com

  Quick View: essay writing tips
  Quick View: essay 101
  Quick View: essay samples

The college admission also requires 1-2 recommendations from teachers and/or community leaders.

Give the person writing your recommendation plenty of time (about 3-4 weeks prior to your deadline).

Also provide them a short autobiography, a list of your outside activities, school transcript and a self-addressed envelope as instructed by your college. Please note that the teacher works with hundreds of students. So give them plenty of time.

More advice: download this FREE article from ivyedge.com
"Secrets to College Admission"

More information available:

• view our complete college planning calendar for October

Quick Review for October

• view our complete college planning calendar for October

Preparing Your College Application

You need to start your college application to meet submission deadlines:

Early Admission: deadlines are in October -November
Regular Admissions: deadlines are in early January

Key elements of the application.

College Application:

Request an application form from each of your colleges. You can find it online or request it from the school.

The package will include the application form, submission requirements (essays, transcripts and other) and self-addressed envelopes for the letters of recommendations.

See if your school use the COMMON application form
the COMMON application form is used by 300+ schools. This can save you time from completing multiple application forms: see form at ww.commonapp.org

you can save the COMMON application form online until you are ready to submit it electronically to participating schools

Early Decision Note:
you need to decide if you are going to do early admission. If so, you will need to have your application completed and ready to submit between October and November of your senior year.

The advantage of early decision is that you will know whether you have been accepted by early January. The disadvantage of early decision is that you may be legally bound to attend that school if you are accepted. So decide on early decisions for schools that are your first choice.

College Essays:

Your college admissions application will most likely require 1- 2 essays. Use the weekends to write and edit your essays. The essay is an important decisional parameter for college admission.

Essay resource and editing services:
use this resource to edit your essay — you will expert advice from professionals who are experts in college essay review
EssayEdge.com

College Recommendations:

Most college admissions require 1-2 recommendations from teachers and/or community leaders. Select who should write your recommendation. Give the person plenty of time (about 3-4 weeks prior to your deadline).

Also provide them a short autobiography, a list of your outside activities, school transcript and a self-addressed envelope as instructed by your college. Please note that the teacher works with hundreds of students. So give them plenty of time.

School Transcripts:

Double check your transcripts when you start your senior year. You will need to forward these transcripts to colleges for admission review. Make sure you have the following:

• all grades are posted correctly
• all required courses for graduation are listed
• all required courses for college admittance are listed

  It is important that these transcripts are correct and up-to-date. If not, meet with school administration to repair any errors.

Extracurricular’s:

Take a swim, tennis, karate or other class over the fall semester (either with your school or community group). You want to show well-roundness in your application. Just the right amount of studies (with good grades) and outside activities.

Don’t think that a lot of extracurricular activities are a must. You just need to show a balance.

More information available:

• view our complete college planning calendar for September