Final College Decision Resources

Published by Wendy Nelson on

hourglassSince it is getting down to final college decision time for high school seniors, I thought I’d point out some resources that can help you and your student in the final decision process.

One of the most important parts of the final college decision is evaluating financial aid packages.  Here are some great tools to help with that:

How to Read and Evaluate a Financial Aid Award Letter

FinAid Award Letter Comparison Tool

BigFuture Compare Aid Calculator

Read the school’s scholarship offers closely.  Some require a minimum GPA to keep receiving the scholarship every year.  This adds a level of risk.  A school offering a slightly lower scholarship with no minimum GPA requirement could work out better in the long run.  Even the best high school students often struggle with grades in the first year of college!

Tips for negotiating merit scholarships/financial aid:

How to Ask for More Financial Aid

The Complete Guide to a Better Financial Aid Offer

Appealing for a Better Merit Award

How to make the final college decision:

The Final College Choice – Choosing Between Two Colleges

Making the Final College Choice

Check out student reviews on these sites to see what current students say about their schools:

Niche

Unigo

Cappex

In the end, the best way to make the final college decision is to compare financial aid packages, have your student attend admitted student visit days, and determine which school offers the greatest overall “value” for your student.  This may or may not equate to the school offering the lowest price to your student.