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[00:00:00] All right, well thanks for joining tonight. Welcome. Uh, my name is Jennifer Bento Pinion. I’m director of K 12 Services at MEFA. And tonight we are going to be talking about college admissions and MEFA Pathway. I am joined by my colleague at Bila Joseph, um, who will be behind the scenes, uh, answering any questions that come up.

So during this presentation, we are going to go through the college admissions process and how you can use MEFA Pathway as a tool to support that process.

Let’s get to the next slide here.

Okay, a few logistics before we start. We are recording the session, so if [00:01:00] you need to leave before we conclude, no worries. Uh, we’ll be sending out the recording and the slides so you’ll have both as resources. Uh, the chat fig, uh, chat feature is disabled, so if you have a question, just pop it in the q and a and we’ll address those.

Uh, and also if you enable the live transcript, uh, you can see the words that I’m speaking. Okay. MEFA is a state authority, started over 40 years ago with a mission to that is stayed strong with helping families plan, save and pay for college. Uh, we have a number of savings plans. We have a loan program, and we pride ourselves on, uh, the guidance and support that we offer our families as they navigate planning, saving, and paying for college.

Uh, as I mentioned, as I go through the presentation, I’ll be highlighting features in MEFA Pathway that support, uh, the college missions process. Uh, MEFA Pathway is a cost free web portal. It’s available [00:02:00] for students and grades six through 12 supports all post-secondary paths, uh, whether that’s a two or four year D degree, uh, certification, uh, advancing in a, in a trade.

Uh, so currently we have over 200 schools across the Commonwealth that use MEFA Pathway as their college and career planning tool, but any student, um, can create an account, uh, just by going to MEFA pathway.org and registering as a first time user. So again, we’ll highlight a number of tools as we go through the presentation that can help support the college admissions process.

All right, just to, to go through some of the topics that we’re we’ll cover tonight. Uh, tonight we’ll look at, uh, current trends in the college admissions process. Uh, we’ll talk about building that solid college list. Uh, we’ll talk about the importance of campus visits. Uh, we’ll go through the application process and touch a bit on financial aid, and we’ll also be highlighting resources as we go through.[00:03:00]

Uh, college admissions is certainly a process, uh, in the, and our goal is to, um, map it out in a way that hopefully alleviates some of, of, of your stress. Okay. First, let’s talk about, uh, some of the current trends in college admissions. Uh, we know that students are beginning to think about college admissions now, earlier, uh, maybe in junior year or even earlier than that.

Uh, maybe some of you, uh, have, uh, are in grade 10 or 11, or parents of a, a grade 10 or 11 student. Uh, we are seeing that students are applying to a greater number of schools of colleges. So according to, uh, the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, otherwise known as nacac. Um, so when I, I know when I was applying to college, you know, obviously many years ago, uh, I lived in New Hampshire.

I applied to the three state schools, and that was that. Now some students are applying to 10, 15, [00:04:00] maybe even 20 colleges. So this is certainly increased over the years. Uh, most counselors now recommend applying to between six and eight schools, but more, more colleges if the list is comprised of Ivy League or highly competitive schools, um, or if a student is interested in a selected major.

So as a result, um, of these higher, uh, you know, applications, schools are having a more difficult time making those admissions decisions, so therefore. Makes the students, uh, indicated interest in a school, uh, that much more important. Uh, so many colleges are, are paying attention to and keeping track of the student’s interest in them.

Um, not all colleges do, but some do, in fact keep track. So what, what is demonstrated interest? Um, some examples, uh, if a student, uh, took a tour of the campus, um, are they opening [00:05:00] their emails? Uh, have they spoken to someone in the admissions office? Um, so these are, these are, these are some great examples.

Are the students following them on social media? Uh, and that’s important to do if you’re, if, if you’re really interested in a, in a school. Um, if a college comes, uh, to the student’s high school, uh, you know, make sure you visit, uh, if a student can’t connect with, uh, someone at the college, in person, uh, maybe do a virtual tour.

You follow up with an email to the admissions office, uh, let them know you’re excited, uh, because a, again, many pay attention and, and do keep track and it makes a difference, uh, when it comes to admissions. Okay. Um, we know that social media has certainly, um, had an uptick over the last handful of your years.

Uh, according to nacac, uh, 97% of of colleges use social media in their online, [00:06:00] uh, recruitment and marketing efforts. Uh, so these can be used in a number of ways, uh, maybe to, uh, remind students of deadlines, uh, informational sessions. Uh, though colleges may not check. Uh, Facebook or Instagram, uh, for every applicant, uh, a student’s social media, uh, presence or profile, uh, or how well he or she presents himself over the phone, through email, and in person can be considered a part of the application.

So it’s just really important for students to make certain that their, uh, their profiles are, are clean, they’re appropriate, uh, they’re professional, uh, just in case, uh, the college checks, uh, maybe have the, the, have your student, uh, do a, a little Google search on themselves, uh, and see what comes up. Uh, you know, what I always say is if it’s something you’re, you don’t want your grandmother to see, maybe, um, maybe take it down or, or don’t post it.

Uh, [00:07:00] alright. And then there’s of course, um, cost being a, a, a factor and we’ll, we’ll talk about that a little more in depth, um, down the road in the presentation. So there are certainly, uh, more ways to connect with colleges, uh, virtually. So during, during COVID colleges, were forced to kind of pick up their virtual game, uh, and it’s stuck, uh, and we’ll talk about this a little more too later on in the presentation.

Uh, we’re seeing that, uh, more colleges are test optional. Uh, over 2000 colleges are test optional now, resulting in more applicants because the students don’t necessarily have to worry about a test score can, that can be less stressful. Uh, students can still submit their test scores to test optional schools if they feel good about how they did on the SAT or the A CT.

And we’ll talk about that a little more too, uh, and then longer wait lists. We’re seeing that as well. And [00:08:00] another topic, we’ll, we’ll go into more in depth down the road here. Okay. So. Staying organized. So important to stay organized no matter how you do it. So as students start to research their schools, they want to keep track of all the schools that they’re interested in.

They want to keep track of admissions deadlines, financial aid deadlines. Uh, MEFA has a great, as you can see on the screen here, a great application manager. Uh, so, you know, you can use this, you can download it right from our, our website or, or you can use, um, a simple spreadsheet. But no matter how you do it, just stay on track with the details.

’cause you’d not want to miss a deadline. It’s not like missing a deadline on an on an English paper. I’ll just take that really seriously. Okay, so now, um, researching colleges. So it’s really important to focus on finding colleges that will [00:09:00] be a, a good match or a good fit for your student, for the students’ needs.

Uh, so some tips on developing the college list is one big one. Do your research. Uh, applying to college is expensive, so you wanna make sure every college on your list is a good fit for the student. So there are a number of ways you can research colleges. Uh, here on the screen, you can see we have, um, a number of them, uh, college Navigator.

We have the College Scorecard, uh, and we have links to all of these, uh, right on the slide. So you’ll get these again. Uh, and then we have Big Future that’s put out by college board. Uh, and then we have, uh, MI a’s college Career Planning Platform, MEFA Pathway. So within MEFA Pathway, there is an interactive, uh, feature called Match Me.

So this is where students can go through each page and identify factors and criteria, um, kind of what they like, and then [00:10:00] it will populate out a list of colleges based on those preferences. So from there, the students can look at the details of the colleges, such as cost, academic information, uh, programs that are offered.

And then when they do start doing that research, they can then save those colleges of interest to their college, uh, my college list, and then come back to that list at a later time. So also, once students start looking at the different colleges, they can see where they fall within the school’s profile. So they’re looking at maybe the, the average GPA, the SAT and a CT, uh, scores, the acceptance rates, uh, and they can also look at the, um, the last admitted class, the profile of that last admitted class.

Uh, it’s, it’s important to, to note that the students, um, develop a re a relationship with each college on the list, especially if they’re, they’re serious about, uh, [00:11:00] applying. Um, so be in touch with the admissions office. Uh, maybe attend a, a, a college visit at the high school and visit the college if possible.

Uh, many, many high schools offer, um, offer colleges to come in on a one-on-one basis, so, you know, keep track of what, which colleges are coming to the high school, uh, and make sure students visit if they do, do come. Uh, and colleges do track the interest each student shows in their institution. So that’s, um, that’s also a good example of demonstrated interest.

Uh, it’s also helpful to note, like if you’re interested in, um, extracurriculars, uh, see that the college offers those, uh, ’cause that can help ease a student into the transition of college if there are extracurriculars that they’re involved in and that they like. So that’s important. Okay, so now we’re going to talk about college factors to [00:12:00] consider so many different factors to consider when assessing a college.

Uh, you want students want to look at the college, the size of the college, the location of the college, see if they match up with the student’s preferences and how they fit academically within the school’s profile. Uh, you wanna find out, uh, what colleges offer potential majors that the student may be interested in.

Students wanna consider, uh, learning style and, and this ties into the size of the school. How does the student learn more effectively, uh, in a smaller classroom, in a larger setting? So that’s an important thing to consider. Uh, also important, uh, campus culture. Uh, does the student share the values, uh, traditions, behaviors that help shape.

That may help shape their college experience. Are activities that the student is interested in available, uh, do they wanna be [00:13:00] in a rugby club or, uh, on the debate team? Uh, those are activities are important to look at. What is the school offering? Uh, students want to also look into, uh, the career in intern services at a college.

Uh, those are certainly, uh, considerations. Uh, many students placed in an internship develop connections which may lead to career choices. Um, a study abroad program as a student, um, interested in, in, in, in studying abroad. So if that’s important to them, they wanna make sure that that college that they apply to offers that We always wanna think about finances, uh, but also keep in mind and remember that you may pay a much less price than the actual sticker price due to financial aid.

All right. Let’s talk a little bit about campus visits. Campus visits are invaluable. If students can take advantage, [00:14:00] it can mean the difference between, uh, applying to a college or not. Uh, I know specifically when my daughter was applying to to college, we had the opportunity to go to a number of different campuses and there was definitely a feel when you get on that campus of if you can, if you can see yourself there.

Um, so it, there they are quite. Quite valuable. Uh, remember that? So there’s a difference between informal and formal visits. Uh, informal visits are more, you know, if you decide to do a drive by or, or, or go to a basketball game, uh, you can attend a play, maybe talk to and observe students, you know, make sure you go on a day that students are actually on campus.

Uh, do students, uh, seem happy, engaged, that sort of thing. Uh, you can get a real good feeling for the, the, the culture of a, of a school just by, by walking around. Uh, college campuses are open environments, so you can visit anytime at least informally. [00:15:00] Uh, so the now formal visits are, uh, typically you can sign up for a formal visit right on the college website.

So you can, uh, schedule that and then you go to the school and, you know, you have, keep in mind that, um, colleges always put their best foot forward when they have their, their tours. Um, and, and so will you. So you wanna ask your, your tour guide questions. Um, and sometimes they’re, uh, the tours are led by students, so you can ask them, you know, specific questions.

What do they like about the school? What, what do they not like so much about the school? Um, you wanna also, as a student, how do you feel on the campus? You know, does it seem like a fit? Uh, with the formal visits, you might be able to go through some of the academic buildings, uh, look at the housing, uh, maybe even go through the dining commons.

And yes, of course, just [00:16:00] asking, asking, asking questions. Uh, we are so fortunate in Massachusetts that um, we have so many different in types of institutions just within even a half day’s drive, uh, that we can visit all types of in institutions, public, private, uh, rural, urban, small, big. So if you can take advantage, um, and also I’ll say that because we have so many different types of colleges in Massachusetts, if you’re interested in a college outside of Massachusetts and don’t have the opportunity to visit that college ’cause they’re far away, maybe it’s a plane ride, you know, maybe there’s a similar co college in Massachusetts that you can visit.

And so you can get kind of a feel, a feel for that, for that campus. Um, also suggested some, some more tips is just when you’re on the campus, take a look at the bulletin boards, um, see what kind of events are being offered. Uh, maybe pick up a copy of the new school newspaper. I don’t know if they’re [00:17:00] still doing newspapers, but, um, if so, maybe a newsletter so you can see what’s happening on campus.

Um, and also as I mentioned before, um, colleges have really, um, beefed up their virtual offerings. So you can all, you can maybe do a virtual tour on a, on a college, uh, if you can’t actually get there in person. So again, how do you find about these campus visits? Um, check the school’s admissions, uh, section typically of the website.

Uh, and they will have a, a calendar of events and information on how to register for those formal campus visits.

Okay. So moving on to college fairs. College fairs are a great way to learn about colleges and their different college options. Um, there was just the, the nacac Fair, fair, it was just last week I had the, um, opportunity to [00:18:00] attend Amazing event, uh, over 200 colleges that set up where students can walk around and ask questions.

And, uh, now students typically have, um, they can go and visit, you know, the colleges that they want to speak to, representatives as and at, and they have little scan cards. So that will show that the student actually stopped by and, uh, chatted with a, a representative. Uh, it’s advised that. To check out the who will be at a college fair before you go, because there are so many students aren’t able to go to everyone.

So kind of map out your plan before you go. Uh, if there are any informational sessions, certainly take advantage of those. Those can be very quite valuable. And then on our, uh, page here, you can, there’s a link to, uh, the different organizations that offer the college fairs and you can see what’s, uh, coming up next.

Uh, and also keep, uh, keep an eye out on, [00:19:00] um, if your high school offers smaller events. And that’s oftentimes high schools do. Uh, and so again, as I mentioned earlier, some coll uh, some high schools even have colleges that visit throughout the school year. So you wanna stay up to date on what’s going on at the high school, on the high school level.

Okay, so now let’s talk a little bit about, um, prospects for admissions. So when you’re thinking about building out your college list, you will want to think about building a, a, a mix of, a list of, uh, likely, uh, possible and reach schools, colleges, uh, on account of colleges becoming a more competitive, A student could very, very well likely end up attending one of the likely schools and be very happy about that.

So the most important thing to do, uh, is to determine. Um, well, to have all the schools on your list to be one that you [00:20:00] could see yourself at, that you would be, that you would be happy to attend no matter. Okay. Uh, so students can check ad uh, admitted, uh, student profiles on the college websites to find out where they might fit best and to d to determine that probability target and, and, and reach colleges.

Um, so how many schools should be on the list? This is definitely a family decision. As I mentioned earlier, that number has heightened in the last handful of years. Uh, but anywhere from, you know, six to eight schools seem to be the new norm. Uh, nine is the national average, uh, but some school counselors recommend less.

So again, family decision, maybe speaking with your school counselor. Uh, and again, each college should be one that the student wants to attend. Uh, students m might apply to more. If the list is, um, if has, you know, a handful of Ivy League schools, uh, as [00:21:00] you know, I Ivys have a, a lower acceptance rate. Okay.

Students should know why you are applying. Um, you know, applications are expensive, so have some, you know, good footing behind that. Uh, and just, uh, a little bit about each of the categories. Uh, the reach category is where students have, you know, less of a 50% chance of admission and competition is, is higher so that it, it’s difficult to predict the chances even for the, the strongest of students.

Okay? And you can also, um, you can utilize like a common set DA data in Google, you know, the college profile of the school. But again, you can also use some of those resources that, uh, I highlighted earlier. And, um, MEFA pathway being, being one of those. Okay, so now before you actually apply, you’re going to think about your applica, your application timeline.

[00:22:00] So we have early action and early decision where those deadlines are typically in the fall. Some colleges require students to apply early if they want to be considered for merit aid or have an interview. Uh, so you really wanna research this. Thoroughly. Um, so you, you know, this information, so there can be advantages, uh, in both, uh, admissions and financial aid to apply early action and early decision.

Um, there, the difference between early action and early decision is that early decision is a binding decision. Uh, early action is not. So you can, you can apply early action to as many schools as you like. You can, you can apply early, you can get your, your, um, your decisions early, and then you, you do not have to.

Um, decide until May one. So, early [00:23:00] decision is, um, a binding decision. So if you get into a, a school early decision, you have to rescind all of those other applications. Um, and that’s where you’re going. So early decision is, you know, that is a, a conversation, uh, to have with, with parents, uh, with, with school counselors.

Um, because also you wanna think about the financial part about that as well. ’cause you’re not, um, guaranteed, um, you know, a certain financial aid award. So just think about that before you’re applying early decision, uh, so early, um, early dec, early ear, early decisions. Also acceptance rates for these early programs, um, can be a little, a little higher.

Uh. For some colleges, they may admit more through that early deadline. Uh, so just make sure you’re watching the deadlines again. We’ll say that a a lot through, through, uh, throughout. Um, and so let’s talk [00:24:00] about a little bit about re regular decision. So, regular decision is where, um, typically the deadlines are early Jan, January, maybe even through February or March, so call it early-ish winter.

Uh, sometimes students will, uh, apply regular decision if they want to get their senior grades in to maybe boost their application and that regular decision may be a better option for them. Uh, rolling admission is when applications are reviewed as they are received. So if you are applying to a school that’s rolling, admission is, um, best.

Uh, to submit your application as soon, uh, as you decide to apply as chances for admission may be better. Um, also if admission is rolling, keep in mind there may, there may be deadlines for other processes such as housing. So just keep an eye on the deadlines. Uh, and also another, another, um, [00:25:00] aspect of rolling is that financial aid, uh, resources, uh, can run out toward the end of the, uh, rolling admission process.

So, another reason to apply at the start of when they open up and then open admissions. Um, colleges admit almost, uh, this is for a lot of our community colleges, uh, colleges admit for community college, all, all, almost all applicants with a high school diploma or GED. Uh, some co colleges have open admission for, for pro, for some programs, but not all.

Um, so you wanna keep an eye on, on that if you’re applying to a community college. And I’ll just throw in this because we do get this question a lot at MEFA. Uh, will students get more financial aid if, if they apply early? Um, and the answer is that, that some colleges do, uh, dole out funds equally across all application deadlines, uh, where some, uh, give more merit aid in the early round.

So it’s a great question of the [00:26:00] college. Um, and again, just be aware of the deadlines. Okay? So now you have your colleges that you’re applying to and colleges have different avenues of applying. So you wanna check out each college website to, uh, determine the type of application that is required and how to submit the application.

So Common App, uh, was uh, established in 1975 and now has over a thousand member member institutions. Um, actually I think it’s a above 1100 now, uh, member institutions. Um, so that’s one way students apply to college. Uh, there’s also the Universal College app that was, uh, established in, uh, 2007 and has about 18, uh, member institutions.

Um. Including Harvard, uh, duke, uh, and Princeton, just to name a couple. [00:27:00] Uh, and then there’s the coalition application. So there are approximately 170 colleges that use the coalition app, uh, many of which also use the common app. So this application, uh, provides, uh, it’s more of a centralized toolkit for students, um, to organize and refine their applications.

Uh, so a couple, a couple schools that use this are Bates, holy Cross, Harvard. Um, so you can determine too, which would be better for you if the, the college, uh, uh, accepts both. And then many of the col the, the remaining colleges you can, uh, apply directly from their website. And then there’s the good old, uh, paper application.

Uh, some of the community colleges still use that. So you’ll, you’ll know when you go to apply your colleges how you’ll, how what they’re accepting. Okay, so now let’s talk about the application, the college application components. So there are components that are required within each [00:28:00] application. So you have your app, the form, the high school transcript, uh, maybe standardized test scores, your letters of recommendation, uh, your activity list or your resume.

Uh, maybe, uh, well, possibly more, probably you’ll need a, a college essay. Uh, you may do an interview, uh, if you’re going, if you’re applying to a theater or a dance, maybe you have to do an audition or, or supply a portfolio. So you wanna look at the colleges, obviously, to see which components are required.

You wanna treat your application like an absolute work of art. So you wanna make sure your name is capitalized, um, you wanna preview it before you submit it to make sure all the formatting looks okay. And, and, and just really, um, remember that the application is a representation of you. Uh, you wanna maybe keep [00:29:00] copies of your application after you submit it.

Uh, maybe if you, if you’re going to an interview, you may wanna bring a copy with you. Uh, so always good to have a, have a copy. Um, and also, uh, it’s helpful maybe to look at a blank application before you. Before you start to fill it out, just so you know some of the things, um, that will be asked. And MEFA has a handful of helpful articles and, and, um, webinars.

And I think there may be even a podcast, uh, about the application kind of process. So something to check out, uh, in the future. So also keep in mind that college applications can have, uh, fees, uh, and, but there are also fee waivers that are available, um, for lower income students.

Okay, so let’s talk about academic readiness. Academic readiness is still the most important component, [00:30:00] uh, for the in college admissions, uh, rigor of the high school transcript. Is assessed. So rather than just grades, looking at has a student challenged themselves, uh, in the course of their, you know, their high school years.

Uh, we, we get this question frequently. Um, is it better to get a a b and an AP class rather than an A and an honors class? Uh, AP is college level work, uh, and will prepare the student better for college. So looking at that, um, you know that maybe the b and the AP class, ’cause it is, it’s, uh, college prep preparatory work.

Uh, and you wanna also check with the college to see if your AP class, uh, translates into, into college credits. Um, colleges definitely want to see how well a, a student has challenged themselves, um, based on those academics offered at [00:31:00] the school. Uh, they wanna see was the student willing to push themselves.

Um, you know, in, in going back to, you know, taking those AP courses, preparing them for college level work, uh, did the subjects that they took in high school match the student’s indicated intended program of study in college? That’s something that, that colleges look at. Uh, senior grades are still very important, so if you’re currently grade 10 or 11, you know, keep your grades up, but, and definitely don’t slack off in senior year.

Uh, colleges do have the right to rescind admission to a student if the student’s senior grades are not satisfactory. And also in Massachusetts, we have a, a sliding scale, uh, for our mass public colleges and universities. Um, and you can, you can we have that on our website as well. So you can, you can, and you can just do a quick gool to see the, the requirements for the, that sliding scale.

Um, so, and I’ll just [00:32:00] finish this slide with there’s, remember that there is a college out there for everyone. Um, so not everyone gets all A’s in high school. Uh, and, and students with, you know, B’S and C’s can still go to college. So keep that in mind when you are, uh, when you’re assessing your, your colleges you wanna apply for.

And, um, yep. College out there for everyone. Okay, now let’s talk about standardized tests. So standardized tests. Um, the PSAT is taken first as a practice test, uh, and sometimes typically grade 10 and maybe even I grade 11, uh, students, uh, can, uh, so design, once they take the PSAT students can actually, uh, use Khan Academy to as a, as a test prep.

And it’s a customized, um, customized prep based on their, their PSAT scores. So that’s kind of cool. Uh, so what’s the difference between, we have [00:33:00] the SAT and the A CT, uh, the SAT uh. Tests for, uh, more analytical critical thinking. Uh, it measures college readiness, um, and where the a CT is more curriculum based, uh, and has a test science knowledge.

So question which, which one should the student take? If you’re not sure, give both a world and see how you do and then focus on the test that you did the best in. Uh, if a student does not, uh, submit their test scores, um, at those test optional schools, other parts of the application are weighed more heavily.

So that’s, um, something to think about. Uh, there are other free and in expensive test prep resources you can check maybe at your high school. Um, something fun that we, my, we did with my daughter was we signed up for the SAT question of the day. Um, that was always kind of fun. Uh, [00:34:00] and then, um, yep. Khan Academy offer also offers, um, free test prep, uh, and research shows that tests test scores usually improve after a second try, but not typically after three, three tries.

So, and again, over 2000, uh, four year schools do not require the SAT or a CT, and you can get that list of schools on fair test.org. Uh, however, test scores may be required to be considered for merit scholarship, uh, or placement once you’re enrolled. So something, uh, to keep in mind. Um, let’s see, what else?

Um, yep. Test. As far as the test optional scores, as I mentioned, um, other parts of that, um, of your application may be weighed more heavily. And then the AP exam, uh, AP scores could urge you college credit or advanced placement. So that is something to check out as well.[00:35:00]

Okay. So another, um, an important part of the component of the college application is the, uh, students’ activity list or their, or their resume. So colleges are looking for, they’re look, looking for leadership. They’re looking for resilience. Uh, they, they, they look at, um, family responsibility. Uh, you know, they have, um, are you not sure what to put on your list?

Think about things that you do after, after school hours, after 3:00 PM. Uh, so all the great things that you’re doing, uh, and MEFA Pathway has a great tool where you can track all of the great things you’re doing both inside and outside of school, right within the platform. So whether that’s sports clubs, uh, volunteer work, an internship, honors and awards, uh, any certifications, all of that can be housed right in Mefa Pathway.

And you [00:36:00] can build out a resume right from the, our resume builder. So great way to keep track and then you can use that for your college application. You wanna keep in mind too, that, you know, working part-time counts as an extracurricular. So just really think about all that you do and all that you have done, you know, in, in the past years as well.

Um, colleges do wanna see, you know, a passion behind the extracurricular activities. Uh, so that’s, that’s something to think about too. So use me for pathway to, to help keep track of all the, all that great stuff. Okay. Essays. So an essay is, can be a, an important part of the college application. It is, don’t think of it as a research paper, it is definitely a personal story.

Your application essay says a lot about you, so you want to put a [00:37:00] lot of thought. Into what you’ll write about. Uh, so you want to think about and share something that’s meaningful or personal. Uh, you want to start writing early. The college essay is definitely not something you want to wait until the last minute to do.

You could even start thinking about it, and I’ll show you the prompts on the next pa on the next slide here, thinking about, um, the, the questions as a, you know, towards the end of your junior year, maybe even do a draft over the summer. Uh, so, so start writing early even, uh, you know, read your essay out loud to someone, to a friend, to, to a parent, um, to, to, you know, your school counselor.

You wanna make sure that it sounds genuine, uh, and, and is a personal to, to you. Colleges take plagiarism very, very seriously. Uh, you should ensure that your essay is your own work. And [00:38:00] colleges do have ways to, to, to, to see if a, if a, if a essay has been, um, is not your own. So make sure you’re not, um, ticking from, from others.

It’s important. Okay. Um, just some other tips. Um, you know, making sure that, um, you’re describing your current self, uh, you know, something that’s specific to you, uh, you want, you want the reader to know more about you, obviously after reading your essay. Um, and, and right. Maybe invoke some feeling within that reader.

So things to think about and Yeah, of course. Um, careful, careful proofreading. Okay. And here are the, um, the common app prompts. So these are for fall 2026 admission. So you can take a peek at these and, uh, just maybe start to mull [00:39:00] them over. Think about maybe one or two that you may want to start to write about.

And, and also maybe you start writing and you’re like, Hmm, this isn’t really, this isn’t really jiving. I’m gonna, I’m gonna try a different one. So here are the prompts for, um, fall of 2026, and you can get those, you can just, we’ll, we’ll have ’em here in the slides, but you can also get those on common app.

Okay. So moving on to letters of recommendation. So letters of recommendation, uh, something that you can start thinking about in junior towards the end of junior year too. Who do you wanna ask? Uh, to, to write a letter of, write a recommendation for you. Uh, you wanna think about, uh, teachers that have known you well, um, maybe, uh, one that had you in your, in your junior year.

Uh, so it’s, it’s helpful to seek out those teachers that taught you in a core subject. Uh, you know, especially consider those teachers, uh, that taught your honors or [00:40:00] AP courses. Uh, maybe a, a teacher that, uh, taught you in a plan, uh, a subject that you plan to major in. So teachers that know you, know you well.

Uh, so it’s, it’s recommended that maybe you ask a, a teacher that you had Junior, because those are the teachers that just had you for that academic year. Uh, also kind of interesting to, to think about, you know, teachers that are going to, uh, send, you know, submit their recommendation on time. Um, so some of those teachers, they get, they get busy.

So asking ahead of time is something to think about. So then the teacher has time to think about what they’re going to write because teachers do, um, they are thoughtful about their, their recommendations, and they do put thought and effort into, into those. Um, so that maybe sounds kind of cheesy, but after you have a, a letter of recommendation that’s written for you, write a thank you note, [00:41:00] uh, you know, uh, at least, you know, send an email.

Thank you for your time. You know, I appreciate you submitting that letter. Um, a, a little thank you, uh, goes a long way. And something to consider too is that you do not want to send, um, more. Uh, letters to colleges, then they are request, they are requesting. So if a school is saying we have, uh, you know, two letters that are required and one optional, you can send in a total of three, but don’t send any more than three because the colleges will not look at, um, at those over the, the number that they are asking for.

And who knows that that last one might be the, the best one. So again, just look at how many are, uh, are required of the, of the college, how many are optional, and don’t, uh, send any more than than that. Okay, so now we’re talking a little bit about interviews. Uh, [00:42:00] interviews if offered at a college is a great way to make a positive impression and get that face-to-face advantage.

So there are two types of interviews. There’s the informational interview, so this is for when students can ask questions and learn more about the school. And then there’s the evaluative interview where this is where admissions ask questions as part of their decision process. So, if a school en encourage, strongly encourages an interview, do it, uh, respond immediately to any interview requests, uh, and, and note that the importance of an interview varies wildly from school to school.

So determine the importance and if you have the opportunity. You know, take it. Uh, you could be interviewed by someone in the admissions office, maybe a current, a student even, or an alumni. Uh, so [00:43:00] you, so just be prepared. You know, when you go into an interview, be prepared to tell your story. Uh, uh, just kind of goes without saying dress appropriately.

Uh, you know, know the reasons why you’re applying to that college. Have some questions prepared so that you can, uh, you can ask, you know, not a question like, how many students are on this campus. Come, you know, come up with some thoughtful questions and be prepared to answer questions. You know, why do you wanna go to school here?

Um, so maybe do a little practice run. And even though it might be a little bit nerve wracking, try to, uh, relax and, and be yourself.

Okay, so now let’s go on to our admissions, uh, dec admissions decisions. Uh, so it’s one thing I’ll mention before I we talk about the actual decisions is it’s important to note that most, uh, most colleges are now sending their [00:44:00] decisions, uh, via email, uh, or posting to their online portal. So really important that students are checking their emails and have created an account, um, for that portal, for, for those colleges that they have applied to.

So, very important thing to, to think about. I, you know, I think a lot of, um. A lot of students maybe aren’t checking their emails as much as they should, so just keep right up with that. And something too to consider as a family is having a, um, like a family email, uh, so that, you know, we want the students to be responsible and accountable for checking, but also maybe, you know, a parent can kind of double check now and again just to, you know, be kind of in the background, but, but making sure everything is, is being opened and, and responded to.

Okay. So different decisions we have admitted, uh, our student has been accepted. Uh, students, um, students may be accepted, uh, and [00:45:00] begin at a later semester. So that’s sometimes, uh, something that happens. Uh, deferred. Uh, if you have been deferred early action, uh, you could be considered in the regular applicant pool, uh, denied is that you have not been accepted and.

Wait listed. Uh, we are hearing more and more, uh, students being on the wait list. It means that the student is not accepted yet accepted, uh, and may or may not get accepted. So, uh, just a word about the wait list. Um, you know, even for the best students, some may not ever get off the wait list. They are increasing in popularity, and some schools have a long list.

So some just tips. If that school that you’re on, the, the wait list is one that you’re really dying to, to, to go to, uh, you know, write a short note to the admissions counselor on, on, you know, why you wanna go. [00:46:00] Maybe send your updated, uh, grades, uh, recent grades, any awards. Uh, so yes. More, more and more students are, are, are being was, uh, waitlisted.

And some schools have more students on the wait list than they can accept. So obviously they can’t accept, accept everyone. So always have a backup. Don’t put all your eggs in the wait listed school’s basket. Um, and keep in mind that your deposit is to your school of choice is due on May one.

Okay, so talking a little bit about, um, college affordability. So what is cost of attendance? Cost of attendance is for one year. It includes, uh, tuition fees, housing, uh, meal plan, personal expenses, books, uh, maybe health insurance. Uh, most will not pay the full cost of attendance, um, due to financial aid [00:47:00] offers, um, from different sources.

Again, keeping financial aid, deadlines and requirements in mind is so very important. The financial aid deadlines are as important as the admissions deadlines, so keep that important. Uh, keep that, you know, in, on your, on your planner. There, uh, need based versus, uh, merit based aid, uh, need based aid is based on financial circumstances, whereas merit, BA based aid is, uh, based upon, uh, academics, athletics, uh, or other achievements.

Um, and so regardless of financial need, so this is a good time for, for parents to start having some pointed conversations. We call them kitchen table conversations, uh, with students about what the family can afford in regards to college costs, uh, and student loan debt. So we have, um, webinars, many, many webinars.

Um, we have a financial aid 1 0 1 webinar, [00:48:00] uh, that goes, you know, soup to nuts about, um, college affordability and options and whatnot. So you can, you can check that out. We’ll have the QR codes at the end here, um, with all our different topics that we offer. Uh, and then also, stu, there’s, it’s never too early for students to start looking, um, for private scholarships.

Uh, MEFA Pathway has a, a great tool, uh, with a, a national database of over 4,500, uh, scholarships. So this, this tool within MEFA Pathway can make, uh, what is kind of an overwhelming search, much more manageable so students can, uh, put, uh. Look, uh, get a, a list of scholarships based on different criteria. So a type of award, their state of residence, um, the state where they may be studying a type of school.

So they put that criteria and, and it narrows down that list. They can, um, start adding scholarships to their scholarship list. And, [00:49:00] um, they get all information on the college, on, excuse me, on the scholarships, and then apply. So there are so many scholarships out there that go un awarded each year because students don’t apply.

It’s, it’s free money. It’s a little bit of an effort, but it’s so worth it. And you can start, um, start looking for those today. Also, your, your, your, your high school may have an, a good list, um, of local scholarships that are, that are offered. So that’s another, another way to look at scholarships. Okay, so net price calculators, uh, net price calculators are an online tool.

Every college website has them, uh, actually in Mefa Pathway. On our college details page, we have a link to the college net price calculator right on there. So if you’re doing your, your search and mefa pathway. Um, but these are, uh, the net price calculators for each of the colleges. Ask questions about, uh, family [00:50:00] finances and student academics.

So the information you get from the calculator is only as accurate as the information you put in. So just, you know, be honest with the, with the information you’re putting in. Um, different schools have different questions on their, on their calculators. And, um, the net price calculators do include the full cost of college.

So, um, if you’re and are intending to commute, you’ll see housing costs. Um, so you just deduct those, so you’ll, it’ll display federal and institutional aid, uh, in merit aid may also be calculated within that net price calculator. So check those out on each of those colleges that you’ll be applying to. All right.

So financial aid, there are, um, every, we’ll talk about the FAFSA first, the free application for federal student aid. Every family submits the fafsa. Some colleges require, uh, for merit aid to be awarded, uh, will open on, so they’re telling us October one [00:51:00] of this year, uh, for the 26th, 27, uh, and they will be asking for the 2024 income.

So that’s the fafsa October one. You don’t have to fill out right on October one, but that’s is when it opens. Uh, the CSS profile, there are approximately, uh, 200 colleges that require, uh, the CSS profile. So that’s an additional financial form that also opens on October one, when you get your list of colleges that you’re going to apply to, you will see if that CSS profile form is required.

And also that will, um, that form will also ask for 2024 income. And then there are some colleges that have their own specific financial aid applications. So those are posted on each college website. So another thing to, um, look at when you’re looking at each of these colleges individually.[00:52:00]

All right. So paying for college in Massachusetts, you definitely have options. Uh, we’re so lucky here in Massachusetts, we have so many great affordable options for paying for college. Uh, first we’ll talk a little bit about mass transfer. Uh, mass transfer, uh, in MEFA Pathway. We have a great tool that you can use where you select a community college to start at and then your four year public to transfer.

And it will calculate out the, uh, estimated savings for each of the, the three programs that are offered. So there’s a Commonwealth Commitment, the A to B program, and the Gen ed Foundation program. So there are benefits to the, each of these three programs within, uh, mass transfer, uh, including, uh, credit transfer, tuition, uh, credit, and, uh, freeze on tran, uh, on tuition.

So check that out. We have the website here, uh, mass, mass Educate. Um, this is [00:53:00] a, uh, uh, a covers co tuition and fees for all community colleges, co community college students in Massachusetts. You can get more information on the, on the website here. Uh, you do have to, um, submit the FAFSA in order to, um, be eligible.

So something to think about. And then, uh, the mass tuition equity law. This is, um, for students who aren’t eligible, uh, to submit the FAFSA so they can receive mass state financial aid, uh, in, in, in tuition rates. And then we also have, uh, the tuition break offered by Nebi. Uh, so this is a program that you can also, uh, check out offers, uh, tuition break for, uh, colleges outside of Massachusetts in New England.

Okay, so what are we doing now? We’re staying on track through senior year. We are, um, and MEFA sends out emails. Uh, you’re probably on if, on our, in our, in our [00:54:00] curriculum. Uh, but if not you sign up for emails, they’ll, I’ll show you a, a QR code at the end of the, of the presentation here. Uh, so through spring and summer, uh, you’re researching colleges, you’re visiting your campus, and, uh, call in maybe attending some college fairs.

Uh, you’re asking your teachers for letters of recommendation. You’re taking the SAT or a CT, uh, and maybe starting to write that co or think about, uh, the college essay and a topic. Uh, fall of senior year. Maybe you’re retaking now. Those, those standardized tests, you’re securing your letters of recommendation, finalizing your college essay.

Uh, I’ll mention, uh, MFA’s Financial Aid 1 0 1 webinar. Again, uh, something to take advantage of. Uh, you’re completing your application, submitting the FAFSA and, uh, the, or the CSS profile. Fafsa, definitely maybe the CSS profile. Uh, winter of senior year, you’re, you’re submitting your [00:55:00] admissions applications.

You’re continuing to apply for private scholarships, uh, sending in your mid grade reports, uh, and then spring of senior year. I mean, things are, things are getting real, right? It’s, um, you’re getting ready to graduate. Uh, you’ll be receiving your admissions and financial aid offers, uh, maybe attending, uh, your colleges of, that you’ve been accepted to, maybe their open house programs, and then choosing your college, uh, by that May one deadline.

So, super exciting time. Okay, so I’m gonna pause here and see if there were, if there are any outstanding questions that we could address.

Let’s see here.

Oh, here’s a good question. If you choose to do a mass transfer, when [00:56:00] you’re ready to transfer to a four year college or university, do you need to do a formal application for that four year college? So, suggested that you work directly with the community college that you are, um, that, that you are attending and, and they will help guide you to, um, to that next phase.

And in some cases, if you adhere to a certain GPA, you are automatically, um, you know, you can automatically go to, you know, some of those public colleges. So work you wanna, if you’re, if you’re in within one of those programs, you definitely wanna work with the, um, the, the support staff at, at the community college.

Thank you. Okay, so let’s see. What are we, I. Let’s get back here. All right, so what you can do now, again, signing up for, uh, webinars, [00:57:00] resources in your colleges, you know, creating your college list. And then here we have, um, more re resources for you. We have, um, your signing up for our emails so you can stay on track with your timely emails that you’ll receive from us.

Uh, listen to our podcast. We have some great topics. Uh, Jonathan Hughes does a really nice job as a host. Um, and, um. He has some, uh, interviews with some, with, with students. So those are, those are my, my favorites. Uh, you can, uh, access, uh, MEFA resources, uh, to find articles and videos and calculators and webinars.

Um, and we also offer, uh, one-on-one counseling. Um, our, the college planning team, uh, we answer phone calls and, uh, we, we do schedule one-on-one appointments. Uh, if you, if you wanna speak with us one-on-one, uh, we have many, uh, support events to help you filling out the fafsa. Um, this time of year we’re offering, uh, financial aid [00:58:00] hotline, uh, excuse me, uh, the financial aid offer hotline.

So you can bring your financial aid offers, right? Um, right into, uh, and, and talk to somebody live and, and they’ll help you make your, your final decision. You can also connect with us on social media. Uh, here are the many ways you can, you can connect with us, Facebook, Instagram, uh, LinkedIn, YouTube, again, our podcast.

So certainly stay in touch with us. It’s, um, it’s an exciting time. We want it to be not, um, not overwhelming, um, but to, to, to get you through and, and, and help support you however we can. So thank you for joining tonight. Uh, you will receive the re the recording, uh, of this, uh, this presentation and along with the slides, so don’t, again, don’t hesitate to reach out down the road if you, if you have, um, have, have other questions.[00:59:00]

All right. And thanks so much. Have a good, um, Jennifer, there’s one more question in the chat if you just wanna answer that one live. Oh. Is there any auto admit option to UMass colleges? Um. A, do you know the answer to that? Auto admit? I don’t. We can look that, I can check that out. Do you know? I I was just gonna say, I’m not aware of any auto admit options for any specific, uh, UMass programs, um, through mass transfer.

Um, there are some, you know, depending on grades and that sort of thing. Um, but I’m not aware of any, like, direct from high school auto admit, um, programs. Yeah, we can look into that though. Yeah, I, I don’t believe so either. Um, but we can, we can look into that and, um, [01:00:00] follow up. I’ll jot your name down. Okay.

And yeah, thank you for joining. Kinda a nice way to spend an evening, I hope. Um, I hope you enjoyed our presentation. Thank [01:01:00] you.