A Word About Work Study

I want to remind students that when they are awarded Work Study (a dollar amount) that you will have to do the following before you are paid:

1.  Sign that you accept the Work Study (and your Award package)
2.  Find a Work Study job on campus - not all jobs on campus are "work study" jobs (work study jobs are funded by special monies the college receives from the government).
3.  Actually work the hours to earn the money that you are "awarded" - just like a regular job, you will receive a pay check each week/month for the hours that you worked.
4.  Sometimes you cannot earn more than you are awarded so find out the details before you accept a job.

It is important to note that YOU ARE NOT given this Work Study money upfront.  It will not be deducted from your tuition.  You will have to pay your tuition when it is due but you will not have earned any WS money by that date.  You and your parents will have to decide whether or not you save the money that you earn and apply it to the next semester's tuition, or spend it for pizza, etc.  Personally, I like the "pizza, etc" option.

An Easy Calculator to Compare Your Financial Aid Awards

We at Academic Insight want to give a "shout out" to all of you seniors who have worked hard for the past four years (+), successfully navigated the college admissions process, and received "Acceptance Letters" from colleges.  By now you should have received your Financial Aid Awards.  Aren't they confusing to understand?  All you want to know is which college is giving you the best deal, and how much will tuition cost you.  I have attached a easy to use Awards Calculator (thank you College Board!) that you can use - just plug in the requested dollar amounts for each college and section and "presto" you have a wonder comparison of awards.
pay-for-college/financial-aid-awards/compare-aid-calculator

We hope that this Calculator functions well and gives you true insight.  

Seniors, You Deserve a Break Today!

Congratulations to all you seniors on your college admissions success.  You have worked hard for four years, joined clubs, put in community service hours, sat through endless hours of testing, and  navigated your way through the college admissions process.  You have earned the right to "chill" (a bit) during these last weeks of high school.  However!  I will warn you that colleges can and do look at your last quarter grades.  So just be warned if you totally check out of school, your college will find out and can slap you with an unpleasant "REJECTION" letter.

What Senioritis Taught Me About Life

What the Top the Colleges Look For In Applicants

This year's admission to the country's top colleges (the Ivies and Highly Selective) was extremely competitive and selective.  After reading Steve Cohen's article, "Who Got Into the Country's Top Colleges", you will realize that students cannot start thinking about admission into these type of schools during their 11th grade year - planning has to begin as early as the 9th grade.
Who Got Into the Top Colleges