Allison Wignall

Allison is the Editor & Content Manager of College Raptor. In addition to writing and editing posts, she also works on marketing and special projects. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in English: Creative Writing.
What is need blind admission?
questions & answers

What Does “Need-Blind Admissions” Mean?

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022
“Need Blind Admission” means that a student’s financial situation will not be taken into consideration when deciding to admit, wait-list, or deny an applicant. In other words, the student’s ability to pay for a college education is not a factor in whether or not they get in. Students are only reviewed based on their merit—GPA, …
A blackboard with "any questions" written on it.
financial aid

Questions to Ask Your College’s Financial Aid Office

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022
A college visit is a prime time to ask any burning questions you have. You can ask your guide about the best study spots on campus, you can ask professors about class size, and you can ask the financial aid office questions about paying for college. College finance is often at the forefront of people’s …
A tennis ball spinning with a darker green background.
myths

Myth: Colleges are ONLY Looking for Well-Rounded Students

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022
You’ve probably heard the term “well-rounded student” a thousand times over during your school years. That term may have even inspired you to branch out, to sample a bunch of different extracurriculars or interests in order to appeal to admissions officers. If colleges only look for a well-rounded student, you better get busy rounding yourself …
White sequential numbers printed on black boxes.
questions & answers

What if My School Doesn’t Have Class Rank?

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022
When searching for colleges and filling out applications, you’re likely to find a list of things you should include in every application: GPA, of course, ACT/SAT test scores, a list of extracurriculars, an essay, maybe a letter of recommendation, and your class rank. But what if you don’t have a class ranking system? Does that …
Here are some student loan acronyms to help you understand student loan terminology
student loans

Student Loan Acronyms You Need to Know

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022
Planning for college finances can be tricky enough, even without all the letter-scrambling acronyms thrown into the mix.  Between the jargon and complicated questions, we understand why financial aid can be so difficult. As a result, we’ve compiled a list of common student loan acronyms to help break things down a bit, and make the …
You can apply for scholarships at any time during your academic career
questions & answers

When and Where to Apply for Scholarships?

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022
If you need help paying for college, you should definitely apply for scholarships. But scholarship applications come with a deadline. If you miss those deadlines, you miss your chance of getting free money that will help reduce your college bills. So, when and where should you apply for scholarships? The short of it: whenever you …

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Join thousands of students and parents learning about finding the right college, admissions secrets, scholarships, financial aid, and more.