College Admissions & MEFA Pathway

Please note that this transcript was auto-generated. We apologize for any minor errors in spelling or grammar.

[00:00:00] Great. Hello and welcome. Thank you for joining tonight's webinar, College Admissions and NIFA Pathway. My name is Jennifer Bento Pinon. I'm Director of K 12 Services at NIFA.

Okay, just a few logistics, uh, before we get started. Uh, the chat is disabled. So if you have a question, just type it in the QA and those will be addressed. You can use the live transcript feature if you'd like to see the words that I'm speaking. And if you need to leave, no worries at all. Uh, this session is being recorded and we will send a follow up email with the recording along with the slides.

All right. So just a little bit about MIFA. MIFA is a state authority created over 40 years ago [00:01:00] to help families plan, save, and pay for college. And we continue to do that today with all of our offerings. And as an extension of what MIFA offers, MIFA Pathway is a cost free college and career planning website that's offered to students in grades 6 through 12.

So as we go through the, throughout this present, present, excuse me, presentation, I will highlight tools. that to help with that college admissions process. So in addition, MeFAP pathway also offers a host of activities to guide and support students through all types of future planning. That's career exploration.

Um, we have financial aid and scholarship information. Students can create a digital, uh, personalized digital portfolio. There are a number of assessments within the platform as well. So that's something, um, that you can check out. But again, I will be highlighting many of those tools, um, tonight as we go through this presentation.

Okay. So during this [00:02:00] presentation, we will look at, uh, current trends in, uh, the college admissions process. We will also look at how to build a solid college list. Uh, we will be looking at how important campus visits are. We will be looking at, uh, details. And components of the actual college application process.

We will be touching upon financial aid. We have MIPHA offers many, many different webinars on that particular topic. So we'll just touch on that briefly. And then throughout, we will also look at free resources that are, that you can check out. All right. So let's start by talking about trends in college admissions.

So students are starting to think about colleges earlier. Maybe many of you are grade 11 students or parents of grade 11 students. One of the top things that we're seeing currently is that [00:03:00] students are applying to a greater number of schools. And one of the reasons for that is that the common application which we'll talk about in a couple of slides allows the students to send their applications to many colleges, so the student can go into common app, put in their information and then automatically send their, their applications to many colleges.

Most counselors recommend that six to eight. Colleges students should apply to, but to more if the student has more selective colleges on their list. So a result of that is that colleges are having a harder time making admissions decisions, therefore indicated demonstrated of interest is more important than in the past.

So some examples of demonstrated interest are an email to the admissions office or a campus visit, uh, going to a college fair. actually making a phone call. These are all examples of demonstrated [00:04:00] interest and important for the student to do this rather than the parent. Because if a parent does this, it's not really showing that the student is interested.

So it's really important that the student actually does these actions. Uh, cost is definitely a factor, uh, so you want to be very aware of, of tuitions and fees and so that's obviously a very important, um, aspect of the college admissions. There are always there are also more ways to interact with colleges virtually.

Now, uh, as a result of the pandemic, many colleges had to shift and how they would connect with students. And so many, many colleges really upped their their websites. So more ways to interact with those colleges virtually. Uh, many colleges stay connected with potential students by way of social media. So it's really important, um, for students to be careful with their [00:05:00] profiles, uh, keeping their postings appropriate.

Some colleges do look at students profiles, but on the, uh, it's a, it's a very good way for colleges to stay connected with their potential students as well. So just as a word of caution to students just to keep their keep their profiles clean We always say if it's not something your grandmother would Want to look at then maybe take it off.

We also suggest you can always Google students Google themselves just to make sure everything's, you know, nice and clean. Another thing we're seeing is that more schools are test optional. So further on in the in the presentation here. We will talk about that a little more, but we do have a list of colleges that are currently test optional.

Uh, also because there are more test optional schools, students are applying to more colleges. Uh, so another reason why to get a good balanced list of colleges. There is a longer. We're seeing longer wait lists. Uh, and this is also a result [00:06:00] of students applying to more colleges, and we will touch upon that later on more in the presentation as well.

So it's super important to stay organized. You don't want to miss the deadline. There are application deadlines. There are financial aid deadlines. However you do it. Here is an example of a manager that we have, uh, Uh, I've heard on mifa. org that you can grab, uh, but you can also just create a regular old, um, you know, you can use an Excel spreadsheet.

You can use a whiteboard, uh, maybe just an old fashioned notebook. However you do it, just make sure you keep track because you do not want to miss a deadline. It's not like, uh, it's not like missing a deadline on a history paper, whatnot. Okay, so now we're getting to the fun stuff. We're starting to think about researching colleges.

And many students, um, again, are, are thinking about colleges earlier and earlier, but actually starting to get serious about it there, maybe in their, in their junior year. [00:07:00] So you want to make sure you're doing the research and thorough research. It's very, very important. You want to take the time to explore.

And here are different ways that students can explore colleges. We have the college navigator that's available, the college scorecard, big future. But MIFA pathway offers within our platform a college search tool. So students can create a search based off their preferences. Maybe they know that they want to be at a certain size of a school or a certain, uh, location of a school or a certain area of the country, uh, so they can create, uh, a search, many, many, as many searches as they like and start building a college list.

So if they find a college that they want to maybe research further or keep an eye on, they can add those colleges to their college list. It's called My College List. So it keeps it all nice and, nice and tidy in a, in a, in a list there. [00:08:00] So now we want to talk about college factors to consider. So when starting the process, you may not know.

So it's really important to take a look at all of these different factors and take them into consideration. Institution size and location. Do you want to be at a big school? Do you want to be at a smaller school? Do you want to be in the city? Do you want to be out in a more rural area? Very important to to assess that.

Academic fit. Colleges have an academic profile for the class that they admitted, posted, so take a look at how you fit in academically. Intended major. If you feel strongly about a particular major, make sure it's offered at those colleges that you're considering. It's very important. Learning style. Do you, this goes into maybe the size of the institution.

Would you prefer to be in a classroom that's [00:09:00] smaller, maybe more intimate, or do you want, do you, would you prefer to be in a larger size class? So that's something to think about when you're thinking about colleges. campus culture. What are students doing? Does it fit in with what you like to do?

Activities. What's going on on the weekends? You know, you maybe go and do a, a campus tour and maybe there's a big football game going. Is that, that what you would like in, in your, in your college atmosphere? Important to check out, um, if you're interested in potentially a study abroad program or an internship, make sure those, the colleges that you're looking at offer those.

Options and also always consider finances, but also remember that you might pay much less than the sticker price due to financial aid. So different things to consider when you're when you're thinking about those colleges. All right, another, another way [00:10:00] to get to know a college is with a campus visit.

It's a great way to get to know a campus. So there are two different types, we have informal and formal. So maybe you start with the informal, and then as you get to know Uh, more into the college admissions process, you can consider consider a formal visit. So informal visits are so valuable. You can do a drive by, you can go to a basketball game, you can attend a play, you can maybe talk to and observe the students on campus, and you can visit any time informally.

That's what's great about these informal visits. Formal visits, you may want to consider when you're maybe a little more serious about, about applying to a college. Uh, very, most colleges have a calendar of sorts. So check the school's admissions section on their website. Uh, so again, they typically have a calendar of events and information on how to register.

[00:11:00] And, um, so you can sign up also for, at many colleges for an informational session. Uh, so when you do these formal visits, You want to make sure you ask questions. Uh, you want to make sure that your, um, That you're many of these tours will bring you to some of the academic buildings, you can look at the housing, you can maybe go to the dining commons but really important to to ask to ask questions, these formal visits and the formal visit would also.

Be considered, uh, demonstrated interest. So the school, the college has record of you going and, and doing a formal visit. So that, um, that's, that's important as well. And it's also good to note, how do you feel when you're on the campus? Uh, I know when my daughter was. looking at colleges. We did a number of campus visits and there were a couple that she just, we got on to the campus and she just didn't, she just didn't think that it would be a great fit for her for [00:12:00] whatever reason.

Uh, so these visits, if you can, if you can swing them are, are valuable. Uh, but we are very fortunate in Massachusetts to have So many different types of schools within a day's drive. So you can look at many, many different types of schools within just within just a car drive. Also, if you are looking at colleges that are that you may not be able to visit a couple of options, you could look at a similar type school.

That's drivable from you. Or again, the a lot of the college websites are they they're they're very savvy now with their with their virtual offerings as well. So you can do a virtual visit on a college if you can't make it there in person. Okay, college fairs. So college fairs are a great way to learn about different college options.

So, um, the [00:13:00] last bullet here, we're, I'm showing you that we have, um, a couple of links to events that are offered, college fairs that are offered. So you can check those out. Uh, you can sign up typically right online. If you are going to attend a college fair, some of them are really big and can be a little overwhelming.

So you want to get a list of colleges that will be there beforehand and have a plan of attack before you start. Maybe you want to visit. 10 10 tables of the college of the colleges so have a plan of attack before you start uh a lot of the Fairs have informational sessions that you can take advantage of so do that if you can And you could even schedule a one on one meeting with the college if that's uh available or an op or an option for at the fair uh, but always uh When you visit a table, make sure the college, uh, usually they have a little scan card, make sure [00:14:00] you get your name in there because, again, that's demonstrated interest, so that's good, but the college will know that you visited and that, you know, you potentially may be, uh, interested in their, in their school.

And keep an eye out to some high schools offer, uh, and host smaller college fairs, so check out your high school, that might be an option as well. All right, so now let's talk about prospects for admission. So as a student, you will need a solid balance list of colleges that you're going to apply to. You will need a balance of likely, possible, and reach schools.

So all of the schools that you apply to, you want to know that any of them, even if you get into one likely school, you would be happy to attend there. So the most important thing to do is build out that balance of list. And you can check, um, you can check the admitted school [00:15:00] profiles on the college website to find out where you might fit in best based on your, your academics.

So how many schools should be on your list? Anywhere from five to eight schools seems to be the new, the new norm, and, uh, it may be more if you are applying to more of those selective schools. So what you're seeing here is, uh, an example of a compare chart on MIFA Pathway. So MIFA Pathway has what's called a college compare, and you can compare up to five schools side by side and see how you fits in with those schools.

So for example, let's look at GPA. Maybe your GPA is between a three and a three, a three five. And you can see here on this chart that highlighted in red is our schools that you might maybe more consider a reach school because your GPA is a little bit lower than what the [00:16:00] school is asking for. So you can create as many.

Combinations of this chart as you like, and it really will help you build out that solid list of likable possible and likely possible in reach schools that you'll apply to.

Okay, so now let's talk about college application types. So some, um, we have, we have five different types here. So regular decision. So the, and you'll want to go on to the college website, every college that you're applying to, you want to go on to the college website to see when their deadlines are. Mark them on your wherever you're keeping track of deadlines because you don't want to miss a deadline.

Regular decision usually has a deadline, an early January or so in and around there. So. If you are applying, uh, decide to apply early, a lot of times, potentially, um, you might need your senior year grades to boost an application. [00:17:00] Um, so that would be an option for regular, uh, early action and early decision, both involve an earlier filing.

financial aid may involve an earlier financial aid deadline as well as an admissions deadline. So those admissions deadlines are typically in November and December. So for early action, you could, you would get your decision early, but you do not have to make your final decision until May. Whereas early decision, is a little bit different, where early decision is a binding decision, whereas early action is not.

So if you apply to, if you apply early decision, you are telling that college, if you are accepted, that you will go there, and then you will have to rescind your applications from the other colleges you have applied to. So make sure you do, if you're thinking about applying early decision to a college, just make sure you do the research first.

And [00:18:00] use any calculators to show what a financial aid package could look like. So that's early action early decision and then rolling admissions have they open up the application pool And then they um make decisions on a on a rolling basis. That's typically november through may but don't wait To apply if you, um, if a role if you're applying to a school rolling admission, don't wait to apply, apply, you know, close to when it opens, because sometimes the financial aid runs out so you don't want to be in that position.

And then finally we have open admission and open admission. It admits most applicants with a high school diploma or GED. So again, just make sure that you're, uh, looking at, um, at, at deadlines, specific deadlines, because even if you have, you might have three colleges that you're applying to [00:19:00] early decision, but they may have different, different deadlines.

So just make sure you're, you're keeping track of that. Alright, so now it's time to apply. Again, you'll want to go to the college websites and. And look to see how they're accepting applications. Common App, as I mentioned earlier, it's commonapp. org. Students can apply to many colleges at once through commonapp.

org. There is a list of colleges that take Common App. There is also the Universal College App, along with the Coalition App. Some colleges will accept Common App or Coalition, so make sure you look at that. And then some colleges, um, you apply right through their actual website. And then the paper application, that's becoming less and less common, but you can, Possibly for community colleges use a, use a paper app, but those are becoming less and less common.

All right, so now [00:20:00] let's talk about college application components. You want to make sure you know the requirement for each school. Uh, again, I know I've said it a couple times already, but keep track of your deadlines, your admissions and your financial aid deadlines. Uh, and those components that are required for each application.

So your application, uh, will most often include, of course, the application form, uh, your high school transcript. Uh, standardized test scores if you're, um, if they require them or if you're choosing to send those in, uh, letters of recommendation, we'll talk about that a little more. We'll talk about the activity list or resume, uh, personal essay is typically required.

And the good thing about the personal essay is sometimes it can also be used for scholarships. So that's, um, so that's good to know. And also some colleges, uh, require supplemental [00:21:00] essays. So. Keep, um, in mind and. Of that, make sure, you know, if you're, if you're a college, you're applying to requires a supplemental essay and then interviews, we'll talk a little bit more, uh, not all schools require them, some offer them, but we'll talk a little bit more about that and then auditions and portfolios.

If you're, uh, if you're applying to say a school and you're like a theater and you want to be a theater major, you may need an audition, or if you're applying to an art school, you may need a portfolio, so those are a little more specialized. Okay, so now let's talk about academic readiness a little bit.

Academic readiness is still the most important component in college admissions. So rigor of the high school transcript is important. It's important, um, it's important to the school, uh, rather than just the grades on the transcript. [00:22:00] So good grades versus challenging classes. It's better to get a B and an AP class than an A and an honors class.

Uh, AP is college level work, uh, and will also prepare you better for college. So something, something to think about in the, when you're preparing. You know, in actually in high school and selecting your courses, you want to check to see with check with the college to see if your AP classes translate into college credits, because sometimes they do.

And. The colleges are looking to see they look at improvement over time. You know, maybe you started off a little rough and in grade nine, but then as the year as the years progressed, you really improved and you you took more challenging classes and you got better grades. So colleges look at that. Um, they look to see to that you've challenged yourself, you know, based on the academics offered at your school, uh, they're looking to see that [00:23:00] you exceeded the minimum requirements, you know, did you just do, you know, classes to get by, or did you just go above and beyond.

Colleges are also looking, uh, at subjects, the subjects you took in high school, uh, matching your potential indicated. Intended program of study in college. So that's something to think about. Um, you know, the relevance to your college plans. Keep in mind that, uh, senior year grades are still very, very important.

So don't let senior year drop. If your grades drop in senior year, colleges do have the right to rescind admission to a student if the student's senior year grades are not satisfactory. So keep that in mind. And also just remember that there's a college out there for everyone. So keep that in the forefront of your mind as you're going through this process.

And the last thing on this slide [00:24:00] is to look up the sliding scale for Mass Public Colleges to see how you fit in there, because we have some great programs at Mass. All right, let's talk a little bit about standardized tests. So first off, the PSAT is taken, um, as a, first as a practice, and students can, um, based off of their results, can design their free SAT prep based on PSAT scores, um, actually right on the SAT webinar.

Uh, so find out when your school offers the PSAT, check when, with your school counselor, uh, could be as early as ninth grade, so you'll, you'll, you'll take that, certainly. Um, take a, it's suggested to take a practice. for both the ACT and the SAT to see which tests suit you best. Uh, what's the difference between the two?

Uh, the SAT tests for analytical critical thinking, whereas the ACT is curriculum based and science, [00:25:00] uh, knowledge based. So take, maybe take a practice of both of them, see which one suits you best, and then You know, take the real deal for either one to see to, you know, just to make sure you're taking the right test for you because they are a little bit different.

So you're taking your, um, as far as test optional schools go. If a student does not submit test scores to those test options. Test optional schools, you know, maybe you took the test and you didn't really do as well as you thought and you're deciding not to send those test scores to colleges, other parts of the application are weighted more heavily.

So, so that's good to know. Khan Academy offers a free test prep on the SAT website. So you may want to check that out. Uh, and yeah, there are all kinds of inexpensive test prep resources that, [00:26:00] that you can, that you can look for. So keep in mind too, that even though, um, test scores may be required, um, to be considered for merit scholarships or for placement once enrolled.

So keep that in mind. And then some colleges take the best score from each section of the test while others just take the overall best scores. So it depends on, on the college. Uh, at almost all test optional schools, your test scores will be considered if you send them. So definitely send them if you, if you did well.

All right. Okay. So we're looking at our activity list and resume. So what else are colleges looking at? They're looking at your activities. It's not weighted as heavily as academics, but colleges still want to know, you know, what else you do. Um, how do you spend your time? Uh, colleges are [00:27:00] looking for students, uh, with leadership and resilience.

Uh, family responsibility. Not sure what to put on your list? Think about what you do after 3 p. m. The college, let the college know of any leadership positions or initiative you've shown in your activities. Uh, working part time definitely counts as an extracurricular activity. So colleges want to see passion behind you.

What makes you tick? What do you do? Again, outside of the school walls. And what you're seeing here is MIFA Pathway offers a resume builder. So you can put, start building all of what you're doing both inside and outside of school right within the profile details. Of me for pathway and then all of that will automatically feed into a resume builder so you can select what you would like to appear on a particular [00:28:00] draft or resume, because you might have a resume draft for a college may look a little bit different than a resume draft or say a job.

So start that today. And if you haven't already, and you can use that and meet the pathway. Okay, your essay, your essay is an opportunity to share something about yourself that does not come through in your actual application. Your essay is not a research paper, it's a personal story, and it should say a lot about you.

So you want to write about something that's meaningful and personal, maybe something that really shaped who you are today. You want to start writing early. You do not want to leave writing your college essay until the last minute because you'll, you may even, you may start it. You may pick a topic you may start it, you may write it, and you may [00:29:00] say, I think I'm going to pick another topic, and you so you want to have time.

You want to have time to be able to edit, you want to have time to be able to, to share it with a friend or family member or a teacher or school counselor and get some feedback. So another good reason why to start writing early, you might want to try different topics and different approaches. So again, it's a, it's, it's, it's a piece, it's a piece of you, it's a personal story.

Colleges take plagiarism very, very seriously. So don't copy other people's work. You wouldn't do that. I'm sure. Uh, and again, yeah, just leave careful, just leave a lot of time for that careful, careful proofreading. And here are, uh, seven prompts from, uh, for fall 2025 admission for Common App. So you can, you have access to these, but You can just get an idea here [00:30:00] on what are some of the, what are some of the questions reflect on a time when you questioned or challenge a belief or idea, what prompted your thinking, what was the outcome discussion and accomplishment of a realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or, or others.

So there are some questions that are really make you think. So read them all and, and, and see which one jumps out at you first and give it a shot.

Letters of recommendation. Okay, these are important. Important to find out how many are required and or optional at the colleges you're applying to. You want to send only as many as are required. And are optional. You don't want to send over that because colleges aren't going to read over the number. So make sure you you know that and it might be different for each college.

So, so check that out. [00:31:00] You will want to you. What are your high school guidelines are there. Is there a form you need to fill out it when you want to request a letter of recommendation. Is there a particular process? So find out what your school does, how you can, um, how you will request those letters of recommendation from your teachers.

Uh, who are you going to ask? Uh, typically you want to start thinking and maybe even asking your teachers in May of junior year for recommendations so that they can potentially think about it over the summer. Uh, it's helpful to seek out those teachers that know you best, uh, that may be taught you in a course subject.

Uh, especially, uh, teachers of your honors and AP courses, if you've taken those. Also, maybe to think about helpful to seek out teachers who taught you in a subject you plan to major in. So, those are things to consider. And, always write a thank you [00:32:00] after, after the fact. Teachers spend a lot of time and effort on, on these letters.

So, it is, it is, um, thoughtful to, to say a nice thank you. And give them plenty of time to, to, to put their letters together. All right, interviews. Who mentioned interviews? A couple slides back, uh, interviews are not offered at all schools, uh, and they're not required by many. But if you have the opportunity to do an interview, take advantage of it.

There are two types. There's, uh, informational. So this is when, this is when that may not be required of a school, but it's more for students to ask questions, to learn more about the school. And then there's the evaluative type. And this is when. Uh, an interview would be part of the decision process. So, be prepared to tell your story, uh, to answer open ended [00:33:00] questions.

Uh, you know, know the reasons why you're applying to that college. Be prepared with a couple of thoughtful questions. Um, and then a couple of questions for the admissions person. Uh, not a good question would be, you know, how many students are on your campus, you know, something that you can easily look up.

So think about a couple of thoughtful questions. You may even want to practice before you go. You know, try, try not to be nervous, but, um, you know, It might be you want to practice with a, you know, with, with a, with a parent or even just doing it in front of a mirror. So make sure you dress appropriately, of course.

And yeah, just another another good reason to send a thank you note after an interview, you know, follow up. With a little thank you note, and that way this college is also know that you're you're serious about about their institution. [00:34:00] Alright, so now you've applied to all of your colleges and you're waiting back for your decisions.

So, if you've applied early, early action, you may, you will receive your decisions earlier so those sometimes may come even before winter break, so you'll get one of four decisions. Admitted you were accepted. Yay. All right. If you're applying regular, you won't hear those decisions until spring ish. So be prepared for that.

Uh, if you're deferred, it means that you applied early action or early decision. You are not accepted within that realm of time, but you were put into the regular applicant pool and you will hear in the spring. Denied meaning you were not accepted, uh, but [00:35:00] also know that. As I mentioned earlier, college admissions is very competitive, and there is a college out there for everyone, and getting denied does happen.

So don't, um, don't be too bummed, just keep on, keep on chalking. And then last but not least, uh, the waitlist. So the waitlist, as we mentioned in the trends, is becoming more and more common. Some colleges have a very long waitlist. So you know that the deadline for deposit is May 1st. So some things to potentially possibly do if you're on a wait list and you and that is this, you know, one of the schools that you are, you really want to go to write a short note to the admissions counselor saying, I'm on the wait list.

I'm very interested in your school. And you can [00:36:00] also send an update updated grades. So maybe recent grades and even any awards you've received. So you can send that to the admissions counselor. Uh, yeah. So again, more and more students are, are on, are being waitlisted. Hundreds of schools use the waitlist.

You know, so also something to note that if you're on the waitlist and you're accepted off the waitlist, you might not get as much financial aid. So have a backup knowing that May 1st is the, the deadline for the decision deadline. And, um, consider apply, uh, accepting to one of the other colleges you've been accepted to, admitted to.

Alright, so talking a little bit about college affordability. Uh, what is the cost of attendance and net price? Okay, so know that most will not pay the [00:37:00] full cost of attendance. Uh, due to substantial, you know, due to financial aid offers, um, from many sources. Net price is the full cost to you minus any aid that you would receive.

So this is what you would actually have to pay. So again, I know I've mentioned this a handful of times. Make sure that you're looking at your financial aid applications, which are, which, you know, what are, what's required by the school? What are the deadlines? You can also, we can also talk about a little bit about need based aid versus merit.

Need based aid is, um, aid that's based off of the financial aid application, so that's family income and assets versus merit based aid, which is based on, um, qualities for admission such as, such as grades. [00:38:00] So good time to have those kitchen table conversations with your students about affordability for the colleges that they're applying to, and they can start looking for private scholarships now too, and they can do that on MIFA pathway there is a tool, strictly for Scholarships.

It's a national based web website. All the information on the scholarships comes from Peterson's and the students can put in criteria specific to them. And what it does is it narrows down that search. So based off of the criteria they put in, they can look for scholarships. They can get the details of that scholarship, the deadline, how they're going to apply.

And then they can start building out that scholarship list and manage their awards and deadlines on that, um, right within those pages. So again, that's on MEPA pathway. org. All right, a little [00:39:00] bit more about the net price calculators. So net price calculators are, it's an online tool that can be found on every college website.

So it asks questions about family finances and student academics. And keep in mind that the information you get from the calculator is only as accurate as the information that you put in. So different schools have different questions on their calculators. So make sure you're, you're, you're, you're accurate and that provides, um, personal estimated net college price.

So it displays the federal and institutional financial aid. And, uh, Marinade can also be calculated on here. So if you use the net price calculator, note that it includes the full cost of colleges. So if you're intending on commuting to college, you can take out that, that cost. [00:40:00] And, um, then you'll get that, that total.

So again, all you can find those on the college website. Let's not press calculators. All right. So a little bit about how you would apply for financial aid. Uh, the FAFSA, the free application for federal student aid, uh, typically opens on October 1st. So for current juniors, rising seniors, you, your, the form that you will fill out will be available October 1st, 2024, and this will be for the 2025, 26.

College season, and they will ask for your 2023 income. There are, uh, about roughly 200 colleges that require an additional financial aid application, and that's the CSS profile. So when you get, um, on to, um, your college website, you will be able to see, uh, if your, if your school is School if, if the college that you're applying to requires that CSS profile.[00:41:00]

And then some colleges have, um, specific financial aid applications, so you'd be able to see that, uh, on the college website as well. Not many, not many use that, but some still do. Uh, and then, uh, as I mentioned earlier, we have a host of. webinars, live, live webinars, recorded webinars on this, on financial aid and on the financial aid process, so you can get further information on there.

On mifa. org. All right. And then Massachusetts, we do have a couple of options for paying for college in Massachusetts. We have a great program called mass transfer. So this is when a student can start at a community college and transfer to one of the four year public colleges. There are three different programs within mass transfer all with different requirements and different estimated savings.

for joining us. So you want to check that out. [00:42:00] And then we also have the tuition break that is a reduction on out of state tuition costs at New England schools for certain programs. So the links are right here. And again, you'll get this, this, um, PowerPoint, uh, probably tomorrow with all the links. All right.

So what are we doing now? Staying on track through senior year. Here we are on the spring and summer of our junior year. You're, as students, you're researching your colleges, you're maybe visiting campuses and college fair and going to college fairs, you're at least thinking about and maybe asking teachers for letters of recommendation, taking the SAT or ACT, you're maybe doing a draft for your college essay, maybe you do that over the summer, that's a good thing to do over the summer.

And then fall of senior year, you potentially may be retaking the SAT, you're securing those letters of recommendation, finalizing your college essay, we got many different webinars you [00:43:00] can on a host of topics in regards to financial aid that you can look at on MIFA. org. You're completing your admissions applications, submit the CSS profile if that's required of your colleges.

And then come winter of your senior year, uh, if you're applying regular decision, you're finishing up those admissions applications, definitely, um, submitting the FAFSA, always looking for private scholarships, don't ever let that, um, go to Go. I mean, because even after you've applied to all of your colleges, there's still there's so much so much money out there that goes on awarded for private scholarships.

So keep that up. And then maybe you're sending in your, your mid year grade reports to the colleges that you've applied to. And then come spring, you're receiving your offers your admissions and your financial aid offers. And maybe you want to do another round of visits to the schools that you've been accepted [00:44:00] to in going to their open house programs.

And then by day one, you are choosing your college, which is super exciting. Okay, what can you do now? Um, since you're here attending this webinar, you probably already signed up for Uh our webinars at mifa. org slash events Researching colleges starting to create that college list Um the timeline that I just showed you you can refer back to as well And then you can always connect to us on social media through Facebook or LinkedIn, Instagram.

We have a great podcast that we're always adding new episodes to. We're on Twitter and we have all kinds of great, uh, again, webinars available and, um, videos. So keep connected with us. [00:45:00] All right. And now I will open it up to questions. If anyone has any questions, um, you'll again, you'll be getting the recording to this session and you'll have, uh, our contact information and this presentation.

All right. Doesn't look like any questions are coming in. All right. Well, thank you for joining tonight. I appreciate it. And don't hesitate to reach out to us at MIFA if you have anything you need to chat about. Okay.