College Visit 7

Speak With a Financial Aid Counselor:

1. Are there any school-specific scholarships available? How do I apply? 2. What is the total cost of attendance, including tuition, room and board, books, supplies, incidentals, parking, travel, and health insurance? 3. When is tuition due? Is there a payment plan? 4. What types of financial aid do you offer? Is financial aid need-based, merit-based, or both? What percentage of aid is in the form of loans? Grants? Scholarships? Work-study awards? 5. What financial aid forms and/or scholarship applications do you require? 6. What is the average financial aid award? 7. When do you notify families about their financial aid award?

After the Visit

• Fill out the College Visit Checklist on the following page to help you remember the school. • Write a thank-you note to any admissions persons you met during your visit. This makes a valuable impression. All colleges have increased their virtual visit options. Students can access these opportunities directly on a college’s admissions website. Additionally, both of our online college counseling tools for students, SCOIR and College Kickstart, link to colleges’ virtual offerings.

Student and Parent Roles and Responsibilities

During the college process we encourage students and parents to abide by the following precepts.

Student Roles and Responsibilities

• Know thyself. • You are in the driver’s seat. • Be an informed consumer. • Do your research. • Don’t let this process affect your self-esteem. • Focus on your needs. • Avoid the rumor mill. • Be mindful of deadlines. • You represent more than yourself in this process. • Communicate.

Parent Roles and Responsibilities

• Be realistic. • You are in the passenger seat. • Focus on the right fit. • Use many sources to research colleges. • Help your student think about who they are. • Avoid the rumor mill. • Avoid pronoun confusion (“We are applying”). • Value and celebrate these last two years. • If you went through the college process, recognize that both schools and the process are different now. • Where your student is admitted to college is not a reflection of your parenting. • Communicate.