The Guru's Blog

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In many ways, seniors are in the cross-hairs of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their financial situations may have changed as the bottom fell out of the stock market. They aren't able to visit colleges to decide between their top choices. Their AP tests in May have been canceled and not rescheduled and the test format and scope have changed. Because things are changing daily, it's more helpful to provided links to dynamic resources than to publish lists of important changes to school policies at any given moment. 1. Visiting Schools and Deposit Deadlines NACAC, the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, has posted a searchable database that lists whether or not college are open to visitors, are hosting any admission events and whether or not they have changed their deposit deadlines. The database is searchable by college, location or status. Many colleges are developing resources to aid their accepted students. Smaller schools are doing Video conferences with admissions officers, many schools are providing Zoom meetings. Seniors should check with their school's admissions offices to see what resources are available. 2. Test Optional Policy Changes At the moment, a dozen schools that are not usually test optional will go test optional, at least for their 2021 applications. That number is likely to increase during the spring and summer. Fair Test keeps a current list of all test-optional schools and you can use this resource to see the list of schools that will be temporarily test optional. 3. AP Test Requirements If you're still confused about what the College Board is doing about AP tests or when the online tests will be administered, please use this link to AP Central for a detailed explanation of what you'll be required to know for each AP course. At this time, the test dates have not been published, so check the link often. One of testing partners is providing free on-demand AP tutoring in almost every subject. Please contact me if you are interested. If you have any specific questions, please know that College Match Guru is here to help! Give me a call or send me an email and I'll do all I can to help during this troubled time!

The College Board announced today that AP tests will not be given in their usual proctored format this year because of the Corona virus. Instead, students wishing to take the AP test will be offered the opportunity to take the tests at home. For most courses, the test will only include sections that should have already been covered in class. For the Art-related courses, students will need to submit a smaller number of works and investigations. AP tests are important because most colleges and universities will give students credit for AP test scores in the 4 and 5 range. This can allow students to substitute other classes so they can explore areas they may find interesting or to graduate early. AP tests are an indication that students have mastered their course work and most colleges consider AP courses in their admissions decisions. Art works and investigations will be due May 26th; testing dates for other courses have not yet been published. For more information, go to the College Board website https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update .

Here in sunny Bucks County, spring is well underway. Everything from crocuses to Forsythia are in bloom. Of course, we're also on emergency lock down with non-essential businesses closed, including restaurants, theaters, and many small businesses. With that as a backdrop, COVID-19, the corona virus, has had a tremendous impact on college admissions too. Several colleges are moving their acceptance deadlines from the traditional May 1st to June 1st. This is to give accepted students more time to visit and make their decisions after the crisis has (hopefully!) passed. The list of schools affected is ever-changing, so if you are a senior looking to postpone your decision, please contact your schools' admissions offices to see if they are still on the May 1st deadline. A phone call never hurts! Many schools that haven't officially changed their admissions deadline will give you an extension if you call and ask. If you were planning to make your decision after visiting again during Accepted Student Days, you may be out of luck. Most schools have notified students they have canceled their ASDs. So how can you get more information to make your decision? Here are a few suggestions: Take a virtual tour -- go to websites like CampusReel or YouniversityTV that offer over 300 campus guided tours. Login to the school's Facebook page and join conversations with accepted students and upperclassmen Check out the schools' YouTube channels. Often the content here is superior to the schools' own web pages and can give you different insight on what the schools have to offer. Contact Admissions -- see if they can hook you up with a student in your intended major for a conversation via Skype or FaceTime. Go to the college's website and do some research. Check out the schools' course catalogs and compare the course descriptions from one program to the others on your list. Make sure you are getting (and reading!) emails that the colleges and universities are sending you. Check your college web-portals often. This is likely to offer you the most up-to-date, breaking news from the schools on your accepted list. Above all, don't panic! If you have specific questions about one school vs. another, make a list and call Admissions to get answers. If you're just waiting for an opportunity to visit a few campuses to confirm your choice, you should be able to postpone your decision until you've had your chance to get back on campus.

Many families turn to private sources when their children’s college costs are more than they can afford after the school’s financial aid package arrives in the mail. Often, families look to private loans to make ends meet. Unfortunately, these loans are less regulated than their federal counterparts like Stafford or PLUS loans. A student applying to a community college or a smaller, regional private college may find that student loans originating from even the largest banks have interest rates or points that vary based on the school they choose to attend. Last week, a Courier Times article discussed a paper by the Student Borrower Protection Center that showed students who borrowed money from some of the largest national lenders, like Wells Fargo, charged significantly more for loans they wrote for some students than others. For instance, students attending Howard University in Washington, D.C. were changed almost $3,500 more than students attending New York University for an identical 5-year loan. Or a student attending the Borough of Manhattan Community College may be charged nearly double the interest on the same loan written for a student attending nearby City College of New York. Thus, students looking to save money by attending less expensive schools like community colleges may find their actual savings are significantly reduced. If you’ve recently received a financial aid package that exceeds your budget, what can you do to avoid this problem? If your child is a high-school senior, make sure their college choice takes finances into account. Many times, equivalent schools offer far different net prices. Take emotions out of the decision: Is it really worth attending Prestigious U instead of Other U and pay $20,000 to $80,000 more over 4 years? Apply for outside scholarships. Thousands of dollars are up for grabs in local, regional and national scholarship money, especially for freshmen. Consider other sources of financing. If you have equity in your home, consider a home equity loan. while the interest is no longer deductible they're still less expensive than PLUS or private-bank student loans. Do NOT use your IRA or 401-K savings! You’ll pay a 10% penalty for withdrawing funds early and the proceeds will be considered untaxed income on future financial aid forms. More importantly, you should not jeopardize your retirement to pay for your children’s education. Choosing which college to attend can be a stress-filled, emotional experience. A one-hour consultation with an unbiased professional can often help families make the right college choice!