Dec 24, 2008

Application Numbers

College applicants certainly have admissions officers scratching their heads this year. While the surge in applications to public institutions was expected, the fluctuations in numbers for private colleges and universities has been a bit puzzling. At first it seemed that the downturn in the economy wasn't having as great an impact on student decision-making as anticipated since early decision (ED) applications increased significantly at a number of schools. Now things are looking
a little different:

http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2008/12/23/applications_soar_at_public_colleges/?page=2

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/22/education/22college.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1&em

How these numbers will eventually play out is anyone's guess. Tune in next year!

Dec 17, 2008

FAFSA on the Web

I wanted to let everyone know that the FAFSA on the Web Worksheet is now online in PDF at

www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov/worksheet

You may use it to jot down answers before going online (on Jan. 1 or later) to fill in the online application. Please remember the earlier you complete the FAFSA the better, as many colleges distribute financial aid based on when they receive your application.

The FAFSA on the Web demo site is also ready. The site helps you increase your understanding of FAFSA on the Web. At the site, you can complete a sample FAFSA, make corrections, or check the status of your application. However, when you choose "submit," the information is not actually submitted. The site is purely a learning tool. To access the demo site, go to http://fafsademo.test.ed.gov/. The user name is eddemo, and the password is fafsatest. The site displays both the English and Spanish versions of FAFSA on the Web.

I know the seniors among you are working hard to meet application deadlines, but please don't forget about FAFSA!