Talkin' Smack-a-demic

Whoever said, “Tis better to give than to receive,” was surely speaking in terms of holiday cheer, and not student loan debt. This year amidst your much-deserved winter laziness, don’t get so lazy that you miss out on important financial aid and priority admissions deadlines. FAFSA season officially opens in just a couple of weeks—January 1!—and there’s lots of other planning to keep thrifty juniors and seniors busy in the meantime.

Be a productive elf this winter, and get ready to kick off 2012—and your college career—with a sled-load of cash!

POTENT PUNCHABLES Discussion: IBM’s Watson Crushes Harvard, MIT in Jeopardy Discussion: Musical Theater: Health, Injury, and Selling Your Body Zombie English Teachers and the Nasty Grammar Lies They Tell

This is Happening: Your To-Do-List

• SENIORS
• Help! I Made a Mistake on my Common App
• Discussion: The Six Worst College Application Mistakes
• Five Application Tips Before Hitting Submit

• JUNIORS
• The Money Monster is Hungry… Will You Be Able to Feed It?!
• Ready Your Hot Questions for Spring Campus Tours
• Discussion: “Chance” This Fellow Junior (and Maybe Get “Chanced” Yourself)

FAFSA Fun

• It’s Only Money, Right? How to File the FAFSA—Correctly
• 10 Common FAFSA Mistakes Parents Make
• Discussion: Could Personal Investments Impact My FAFSA Results?

Parental Points

• Don’t Send Your Kid Away Without These 10 College Essentials
• Discussion: Trapped by a $50K Degree in a Low-Paying Job
  
• Discussion: Advice for Way-Generous PLUS Loan Parents

Early Decision

• Does the Early Bird Really Get the Worm?
• Discussion: Early Decision Applicants, Class of 2016, Unite!
• Discussion: Rejected ED? Plan Your Next Move
  

No Slackin': Get the Jump on Important Dates & Deadlines

Ask the Dean

What Happens to Students Admitted Early Decision without Adequate Funding?
What happens if I applied Early Decision to Vanderbilt (and got accepted), but with no financial aid or scholarships?

Find out what the dean said…

Admit This

Are You a Two-Faced Facebooker?
When admissions officers explore applicants’ Facebook pages, they sometimes turn up good news, and other times not so good news. Most admissions officers don’t have the time to check out applicants on Facebook; however, I do have a theory about which applicants might bear Facebook scrutiny. Maybe you’re one of them.

Read More…