Taking a Gap Year Affording College

SELECTING A COLLEGE

Students applying under Regular Decision plans generally receive admission decisions by April 1. The next step is for each student, with the help of his parents, to consider his options carefully and decide where to enroll. Important steps in this process are: • Review all offers of admission (including any available scholarships, grants, workstudy programs, honors colleges, etc.) and discuss with his college counselor. • Consider deferrals or wait-list offers and discuss them with his college counselor. • Attend special admitted-student programs, receptions, or overnight visits offered by schools to get a better feeling for the campus and community. • Select one school — and only one school — to commit to by or before May 1. • Notify the college counselor of the enrollment decision immediately. • After making a deposit, promptly decline all other offers of admission (via email or application portal).

ACCEPTING AN OFFER

When a student receives all of his college decisions, he works with his college counselor and parents to make a final decision. Lots of factors go into a final decision — academic and extracurricular program fit, college location, and scholarship and financial aid packages. Each college has its own process for accepting an offer, though nearly all are now done online and involve submitting an enrollment deposit. Students must send a deposit to their school of choice no later than May 1. Deposit deadlines may occur sooner for Early Decision admits and scholarship recipients.

DON’T DOUBLE DEPOSIT

“Double depositing” is accepting a position and sending a deposit to more than one college. This act is unethical. It prevents colleges from planning their classes, and it often leads to other students — who would have gladly enrolled — being released from waiting lists. Depositing at more than one school also violates terms each student agrees to when he fills out his college applications.

Double depositing harms other prospective students and future Woodberry graduates. If a Woodberry student submits a deposit and then does not follow through on his pledge to attend, a college may be less likely to admit other Woodberry students in the future.

TAKING A GAP YEAR

Colleges are often very supportive of high school graduates who choose to take a gap year after graduating high school. In some cases students will defer their matriculation to a college for one year and plan to attend that school after the gap year. In other cases a student may conduct a new college application process after the gap year. Colleges are most interested in students who use a gap year to push and challenge themselves, whether through work, volunteer activities, or travel. Gap years can be pursued through programs such as the English Speaking Union (which matches students with boarding schools in the United Kingdom) or through a family’s own arrangements and planning. The possibilities for a gap year are nearly limitless. What’s most important is that a student will do something over the year that helps him grow and mature, and demonstrate that growth to a college.

A college education is expensive, and the means to determining eligibility for financial assistance are not always obvious. A good place for any family to start is the online Net Price Calculator provided by almost every college.

Some colleges offer merit scholarships available to students without regard to need. Merit scholarships vary from college to college and may take into consideration factors such as academics, extracurricular activities, and leadership. Most merit awards are partial scholarships. Pay attention to scholarship deadlines — many are earlier than application deadlines. There are also community organizations that offer scholarships. These may supplement aid received from colleges. The best scholarships to apply for are those renewable for all four years.

Parents should research financial aid application requirements at each school on their son’s list.

Students and families applying for financial aid will need to complete the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, found at studentaid.gov and available October 1 of a boy’s sixth-form year. Some private colleges also require the CSS PROFILE, which can be found at cssprofile.collegeboard.org starting in September.

Tax information filed in the previous year is used to fill out a FAFSA application. Some colleges may also require supplemental financial aid forms. Please consult individual college websites for specific information.

Woodberry uses a different methodology than colleges do to calculate financial aid. Families who receive financial aid at Woodberry often find that the amount colleges expect the family to contribute to their son’s college education is higher. Loans can make up a significant portion of a college financial aid package.

Learn a bit about common financial aid language. The college counseling staff hosts a financial aid webinar for fifth- and sixth-form families in the fall, and is available to help answer questions or explain terms.

Colleges have specific information on their websites for international students and their families. Please review these websites thoroughly, as some colleges do not offer much aid to non-US citizens.

Woodberry Forest School College Counseling Office 148 Woodberry Forest Road Woodberry Forest, Virginia 22989 540-672-6050 woodberry.org