Congratulations! You've completed the First Steps, you're done Selecting Schools, and completed the Application Process, and now you're ready for the final steps.
You will soon start receiving college acceptance letters and financial aid award letters. Based on these offers, you will need to compare/contrast schools and narrow down your options to the one school you plan to attend. Take your time and carefully make a decision to help you make the right choice for your education! Remember to go back to Selecting Schools and compare/contrast your offers against your list of identified Factors to Consider.
You will soon start receiving college acceptance letters and financial aid award letters. Based on these offers, you will need to compare/contrast schools and narrow down your options to the one school you plan to attend. Take your time and carefully make a decision to help you make the right choice for your education! Remember to go back to Selecting Schools and compare/contrast your offers against your list of identified Factors to Consider.
1. Wait for All Your Options
You can wait for all your acceptance letters before making any decisions. Schools vary with how quickly they notify students. However, most colleges require your reply by the first of May. Be sure to read each acceptance package carefully to find important deadlines!
You can refer back to your Saved list on Xello if you cannot remember which schools you are still waiting on.
You can refer back to your Saved list on Xello if you cannot remember which schools you are still waiting on.
2. Compare & Contrast Offers
Review each school that has accepted you-paying special attention to the cost of each school. Consider more than tuition when comparing schools; you’ll also need to factor in the cost of living, such as meal plans or dorm fees. (See Financial Aid page for more information on types of Financial Aid and other resources).
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How to Read Financial Aid Offers
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How to Compare Financial Aid Offers
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Financial aid award letters are created by each institution to provide information on the cost of attendance and to detail grants, scholarships, work-study opportunities and loans the student is eligible to receive. The exact timing of when the letters are sent – and whether by mail, email or both – varies across institutions. Each college will have its own unique financial aid award letter.
Accurately comparing and understanding financial aid offers will require some research!
For each financial aid aware letter:
SAMPLE COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID PACKAGE LETTER:
Accurately comparing and understanding financial aid offers will require some research!
For each financial aid aware letter:
- Make sure you understand the terms the college uses. The definitions can very by school: (example: net price, which is defined by the Department of Education as the cost of college after gift aid is applied – even though some colleges define it as the cost of college after all aid, including student loans, is applied). Make a list of any words you're unfamiliar with to follow up on later.
- If the cost information is not included look up the full cost of attendance at the college. Full cost of attendance will include indirect costs such as books, supplies, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses.
- Separate grants and scholarships from other kinds of aid. Make sure you understand the terms and conditions of money that doesn't have to be repaid.
- Multiple types of loans may be included in the award letter. Clearly distinguish between the government loans and private loan offers.
- Compare how much aid being offered that doesn't have to be repaid versus the government and private loans being offered.
- Make sure you pay attention to if the grants and scholarships are renewable each year or if they are one-time-only. If your grants and scholarships are not renewable your cost of attendance might increase dramatically the next academic year. This is an important to consider if you plan on attending the same college of university to obtain your degree(s).
SAMPLE COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID PACKAGE LETTER:
Information taken from U.S. News Website Articles. See here for full article
There are resources to help you compare costs. Below are free web resources as well as some that are available only through your student Bethel Canvas account.
Free Website Resources
ACT COLLEGE COST COMPARISON TOOL
BVA Tools
The BVA Counseling Office has resources to help you compare and track financial aid package offers. Click here to log into Canvas or talk with Mrs. Wardle to access these resources.
Remember when you were creating a list of potential schools? Make sure that you refer back to the factors that you selected as most important. Compare not only the financial aid offers but also how the schools fit those factors.
Academic Factors
1. Admission Rate
Depending on how you performed in high school and on entrance testing you may want to apply to schools with higher or lower admission rates. If you aced everything in your academic history, you have a better chance for acceptance at the schools with lower admission rates. On the other hand, if your academic history is less than perfect, make sure you apply to some schools that have a higher admission rate, just in case.
2. Graduation Rate
Graduating from college is definitely more important than getting accepted. Review the percentage of students who complete the full program.
3. Freshmen Retention Rate
The percentage of freshmen return for their sophomore year. A high retention rate indicates overall student satisfaction with their first year experience at that school. It also indicates that few students failed their freshmen year, a crucial time for students trying to adjust to college life.
4. Student to Faculty Ratio
How many students are there to each faculty? Can you expect classes sizes of 700 or 50?
5. School Size
Even if the student to faculty ratio is reasonable, analyze the overall size of the school. This can play a huge role in your comfort level, and in how well you fit in. A large school may be overwhelming for some students, but a small school may be underwhelming for others. Do you want to recognize everyone on campus, or do you want to have more privacy?
6. Graduate/Professional School Options
If you have high aspirations of going on to a graduate or professional school, such as law school or medical school, investigate what percentage of four-year college graduates pursue another degree. This metric gives you some insights about whether the school adequately prepares students for continuing their education, and insights into the probability of follow-through for your academic goals.
7. Jobs Right Out of School
If you worry about finding a job when you finish school, consider the percentage of students who receive a job right after graduation. Some schools have excellent job placement programs, assisting their students in making the transition from student to employee, and helping them find jobs after graduation.
8. Curriculum
Different schools offer different programs with their curriculum. For example, as an Engineering student, I had a set of classes that I was required to take, with little deviation apart from electives. Some other schools, such as Brown University, have a more open curriculum, allowing students to have much greater flexibility with the courses they take.
9. Course Availability
I often see advertisements for schools that provide night and weekend courses. Depending on your availability, you may need to choose a school that has those options. These types of schools make it possible for those who must work full-time jobs to also pursue an education.
10. Quality of Department of Study
Review the quality of the department for your area of study. Is the program accredited so you can ensure you're receiving the highest quality education?
11. Accreditation
Review the school’s accreditation. In order to get into graduate or professional school, your undergraduate studies may have to be completed at an accredited institution. Students who attend unaccredited schools are not eligible for financial aid. For well-known universities and colleges, accreditation is almost a given. But with smaller colleges and online schools, this isn’t always the case. Even if an online school is accredited, research graduate schools and professional schools of interest to ensure the schools accept the accreditation.
Depending on how you performed in high school and on entrance testing you may want to apply to schools with higher or lower admission rates. If you aced everything in your academic history, you have a better chance for acceptance at the schools with lower admission rates. On the other hand, if your academic history is less than perfect, make sure you apply to some schools that have a higher admission rate, just in case.
2. Graduation Rate
Graduating from college is definitely more important than getting accepted. Review the percentage of students who complete the full program.
3. Freshmen Retention Rate
The percentage of freshmen return for their sophomore year. A high retention rate indicates overall student satisfaction with their first year experience at that school. It also indicates that few students failed their freshmen year, a crucial time for students trying to adjust to college life.
4. Student to Faculty Ratio
How many students are there to each faculty? Can you expect classes sizes of 700 or 50?
5. School Size
Even if the student to faculty ratio is reasonable, analyze the overall size of the school. This can play a huge role in your comfort level, and in how well you fit in. A large school may be overwhelming for some students, but a small school may be underwhelming for others. Do you want to recognize everyone on campus, or do you want to have more privacy?
6. Graduate/Professional School Options
If you have high aspirations of going on to a graduate or professional school, such as law school or medical school, investigate what percentage of four-year college graduates pursue another degree. This metric gives you some insights about whether the school adequately prepares students for continuing their education, and insights into the probability of follow-through for your academic goals.
7. Jobs Right Out of School
If you worry about finding a job when you finish school, consider the percentage of students who receive a job right after graduation. Some schools have excellent job placement programs, assisting their students in making the transition from student to employee, and helping them find jobs after graduation.
8. Curriculum
Different schools offer different programs with their curriculum. For example, as an Engineering student, I had a set of classes that I was required to take, with little deviation apart from electives. Some other schools, such as Brown University, have a more open curriculum, allowing students to have much greater flexibility with the courses they take.
9. Course Availability
I often see advertisements for schools that provide night and weekend courses. Depending on your availability, you may need to choose a school that has those options. These types of schools make it possible for those who must work full-time jobs to also pursue an education.
10. Quality of Department of Study
Review the quality of the department for your area of study. Is the program accredited so you can ensure you're receiving the highest quality education?
11. Accreditation
Review the school’s accreditation. In order to get into graduate or professional school, your undergraduate studies may have to be completed at an accredited institution. Students who attend unaccredited schools are not eligible for financial aid. For well-known universities and colleges, accreditation is almost a given. But with smaller colleges and online schools, this isn’t always the case. Even if an online school is accredited, research graduate schools and professional schools of interest to ensure the schools accept the accreditation.
Student Life Factors
1. On-Campus Living
As important as academics are when choosing a college, student life can be just as important for some young adults. For the most part, student life begins and ends in dorm rooms. If you want an active student life, you need to live with other students. Look for the schools that have a high percentage of on-campus living if you want an active student life. Additionally, if you really want on-campus living, make sure there is availability in the dorms.
2. Location
Location is most likely a factor for every potential student. If you need a school close to home, use the metric of miles or traveling distance to find the best fit for you. In addition, you’ll have to decide whether you want the bustle of a big city, or if rural, small town living will be a better fit for you.
3. Size of Campus
Consider the geographic size of the campus. Do you want a school where you might have to trek from building to building, taking trains or buses to reach some of your classes? Or do you prefer a small campus, where all the buildings are in close proximity? These are important lifestyle questions that can significantly affect your day-to-day life as a student.
4. Meal Plans
Do the schools offer affordable meal plans? Do students partake in these plans and enjoy the food? Are the meal plans required?
5. Extracurricular Activities
Consider a school’s extracurricular activities, in terms of both number and variety offered. These activities may include clubs associated with a field of study, recreational sports, volunteer groups, and religious organizations.
6. Safety Statistics
Safety statistics are an important metric of campus life. How well are students protected from crimes? How many college police officers are there compared to the number of enrolled students? When you visit a school, do you see evidence of campus security’s presence?
7. Demographics
Schools always publish demographics information, such as gender, race, and religion. If you have a particular preference, you won’t have to do much research to figure out what school would best suit you.
8. Transportation
Do the schools offer transportation around campus, as well as transportation to off-campus locations such as bookstores, apartments, and shopping? Consider the number of students who have cars on campus, as well as the costs and availability of campus parking. Parking can be a huge ordeal at some schools, causing many students a lot of frustration. On some campuses, first-year students cannot have cars on campus at all, without special permission.
9. Spirituality
If attending a school that follows your religious beliefs is important to you, closely study schools of interest to determine their level of involvement with students’ spirituality. Some schools require that students sign agreements related to their spirituality, or follow some sort of honor code, which might require that students abstain from drinking, or regularly attend church, among other things.
These schools will be staffed with professors and faculty who are like-minded, sharing many common religious beliefs. If you are not religious, you may not be comfortable signing a morality agreement or following an honor code, but you may still find a place in a school that has close ties to spirituality.
As important as academics are when choosing a college, student life can be just as important for some young adults. For the most part, student life begins and ends in dorm rooms. If you want an active student life, you need to live with other students. Look for the schools that have a high percentage of on-campus living if you want an active student life. Additionally, if you really want on-campus living, make sure there is availability in the dorms.
2. Location
Location is most likely a factor for every potential student. If you need a school close to home, use the metric of miles or traveling distance to find the best fit for you. In addition, you’ll have to decide whether you want the bustle of a big city, or if rural, small town living will be a better fit for you.
3. Size of Campus
Consider the geographic size of the campus. Do you want a school where you might have to trek from building to building, taking trains or buses to reach some of your classes? Or do you prefer a small campus, where all the buildings are in close proximity? These are important lifestyle questions that can significantly affect your day-to-day life as a student.
4. Meal Plans
Do the schools offer affordable meal plans? Do students partake in these plans and enjoy the food? Are the meal plans required?
5. Extracurricular Activities
Consider a school’s extracurricular activities, in terms of both number and variety offered. These activities may include clubs associated with a field of study, recreational sports, volunteer groups, and religious organizations.
6. Safety Statistics
Safety statistics are an important metric of campus life. How well are students protected from crimes? How many college police officers are there compared to the number of enrolled students? When you visit a school, do you see evidence of campus security’s presence?
7. Demographics
Schools always publish demographics information, such as gender, race, and religion. If you have a particular preference, you won’t have to do much research to figure out what school would best suit you.
8. Transportation
Do the schools offer transportation around campus, as well as transportation to off-campus locations such as bookstores, apartments, and shopping? Consider the number of students who have cars on campus, as well as the costs and availability of campus parking. Parking can be a huge ordeal at some schools, causing many students a lot of frustration. On some campuses, first-year students cannot have cars on campus at all, without special permission.
9. Spirituality
If attending a school that follows your religious beliefs is important to you, closely study schools of interest to determine their level of involvement with students’ spirituality. Some schools require that students sign agreements related to their spirituality, or follow some sort of honor code, which might require that students abstain from drinking, or regularly attend church, among other things.
These schools will be staffed with professors and faculty who are like-minded, sharing many common religious beliefs. If you are not religious, you may not be comfortable signing a morality agreement or following an honor code, but you may still find a place in a school that has close ties to spirituality.
Financial Factors
1. Cost
Some prospective students may look at pricier schools, but for others, it’s important to afford college without taking out student loans. Remember to include room and board, along with tuition, when calculating the total costs for attending a school!
2. Financial Aid Qualification
Some schools are more likely to hand out student aid than others. If you know you will need help paying for college, look for schools that meet the needs of students requesting financial aid.If you will need financial aid, closely examine the types of financial aid packages available to enrolled students. The school’s website may also provide details about the percentage of students who receive financial aid, and the average amount of financial aid students receive. Also, consider the number of students receiving college scholarships and grants, and review scholarship opportunities for schools to determine eligibility.
3. Working Students
Many college students work while they attend school, but some schools have a higher number of working students and encourage work more than others. Many schools also offer work-study opportunities for students in need of financial aid; the jobs offered by the schools can supplement loans and grants.
Some prospective students may look at pricier schools, but for others, it’s important to afford college without taking out student loans. Remember to include room and board, along with tuition, when calculating the total costs for attending a school!
2. Financial Aid Qualification
Some schools are more likely to hand out student aid than others. If you know you will need help paying for college, look for schools that meet the needs of students requesting financial aid.If you will need financial aid, closely examine the types of financial aid packages available to enrolled students. The school’s website may also provide details about the percentage of students who receive financial aid, and the average amount of financial aid students receive. Also, consider the number of students receiving college scholarships and grants, and review scholarship opportunities for schools to determine eligibility.
3. Working Students
Many college students work while they attend school, but some schools have a higher number of working students and encourage work more than others. Many schools also offer work-study opportunities for students in need of financial aid; the jobs offered by the schools can supplement loans and grants.
National College Ranking
In addition to looking at various metrics, you can also check out national rankings of colleges. Here are some of the most well-known national college rankings:
- US News. US News is one of the most well-recognized college ranking programs in the nation. US News changes the way they rank schools each year in an attempt to make the system better. But even if you do not agree with their method of ranking schools, the US News website can still be very useful because they have collected all the information for researching schools in one convenient location.
- Forbes. Similar to the US News college rankings, Forbes.com also puts out college rankings each year. The methodology for ranking colleges is similar to US News; there are about a dozen factors that go into the calculation. However, the Forbes list is significantly different than the US News list. In order to find the right college for you , consider the information included in the rankings to be more important than the rankings themselves.
- Bloomberg Businessweek. This list focuses on business schools, and Bloomberg uses a method similar to US News and Forbes to determine their rankings. If you plan on becoming a business student, this ranking is specifically designed with you in mind.
3. Make the Choice
This is it! You have compare and contrasted financial aid packages and review the Important Factors you identified when creating your school list. It's time to choose one school and use the paperwork (or follow the instructions) included in your acceptance package to accept the college’s enrollment offer.
4. Notify Schools
After making your decision, you should contact the colleges that you will not attend. This is a courteous gesture that helps the colleges send out acceptance letters to other students on the waiting list.
5. Finish Strong
Don’t give in to the temptation to party and abandon your current education! Remember that you will be submitting your final transcript! Your school will see if you stop working and could withdraw your acceptance and/or financial aid! Focus on keeping your good grades and staying involved in your extracurricular activities.
6. Order a Final Transcript
Once you finish your Senior year and grades are finalized, institutions will request your final official transcript. See the Transcripts & Fines pages for information on how to order.