questions & answers

Why Are My Offer Letters So Different from One Another?

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022

Comparing your offer letters from different schools you’ve been accepted into is one of many factors that can help you make your final college choice and where you’ll attend. You can weigh how much aid each school is willing to give against other perks or drawbacks in order to narrow down the list. But sometimes …

questions & answers

Do I Have to Accept All of the Student Loans in my Offer Letter?

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022

You’re waiting for a college to accept you… Once you have been accepted into a school, the college will send you a financial aid offer letter—a financial aid package that dictates how much aid the school is willing to give you, including loan offers. Should you accept all the student loans or should you only …

scholarship search & applications

Don’t Overlook Local Scholarship Opportunities!

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022

When it comes to scholarships, it can be very tempting to set your sights on big national opportunities with large payouts. As such, smaller, local scholarships can sometimes get overlooked. But small things can pack a big punch, and that is very true of local scholarships. Local scholarship opportunities: Companies, organizations, groups, and individuals in …

questions & answers

How Are Scholarship Winners Determined?

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022

You put a lot of time and effort into crafting a scholarship application. You likely create and submit dozens in order to help fund your college education. But have you ever wondered what it’s like to be on the other end of a scholarship application? What do scholarship sponsors go through to pick a winner? …

questions & answers

Should I Focus on One Scholarship Category or Several?

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022

Once you’ve found something that works, it can be hard doing it any other way. So when a student finds their talent, skill, or unique factor that can be used in their scholarship search, they might only search for those relevant opportunities. For example, if a student is on their school’s student council, they may …

college search

College Visits: Spring Break Edition

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022

Spring break is a wonderful time to, well, take a break from the stresses of school. While you certainly owe it to yourself to take some relaxation time, it’s also a prime time to visit colleges. You’ve got the time, so use it! While you’re on break, you don’t have classes to get in the …

college admissions

“Tell Us About Yourself” How to Answer This Common College Prompt

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022

The titular college prompt can be asked in many areas within the college application process—it may be a college essay or interview, come up in a college interview, or even appear as an icebreaker for visits or orientations. Some students dread this question and freeze up as they scramble to produce an answer. Other students …

ACT & SAT

ACT & SAT Score Conversion Chart

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022

Say you got a 25 on the ACT—ever wonder how that would translate to an SAT score? Despite their many similarities, when you take the ACT or SAT, you’ll find out that they are still two very different tests. One of their primary differences centers around how it’s scored. So while there is a grand …

student loans

Parents, Think Twice Before Co-Signing on Your Child’s Student Loans

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022

When college students turn to private student loans to pay for their college education, they are often too young to have built up enough credit to qualify for a loan on their own. Therefore, a common practice is to have their parents co-signing with them. What is co-signing? For the student, this means they can …