December 2023: Happy Holidays from College Bound Mentor!

Congratulations to most of you on completing all of your applications and to those of you who were accepted early to any of your schools.

If you were accepted Early Decision, you can relax for the rest of the year (just not too much!). Also, remember to contact any other schools with pending applications to let them know that you have been accepted ED somewhere else if you can't do so in a portal. A simple e-mail will do.

For those of you who were deferred or denied to an ED or EA school, we feel for you. It is hard to receive disappointing news, but it's time to regroup and figure out your strategy going forward. You will find a school that is a great fit and where you will thrive.

What's on our Minds

Class of 2028 Early Admission Results

Why You Shouldn’t Post Your Teen’s College Acceptance on Social Media

Why Parents Can’t Quit the Elite College Arms Race

Etiquette 101: Are You Sharing the Good News About Your College Acceptance Letter? Or Just Bragging?

Sending Additional Information for Deferrals and Regular Admissions

If you have relevant, additional information that has happened after you have submitted your application for regular or early decision, it is important to send that information to the schools. If you were deferred by an ED or EA school, you are now part of the regular applicant pool, and it is important to help yourself stand out. You will need to send mid-year reports to any schools that you have not yet heard from, so keep up your grades, so there is good news to report. Admissions offices have piles upon piles of material that they need to sort through and attach to the appropriate application. If the information is relevant, send it, if it is not, then err on the side of caution.

So what constitutes relevant information?

Scholarships or awards
Additional leadership responsibilities
Change in activities or additional activities
Articles in the paper highlighting your accomplishments
National Merit Scholarship

Click here for a great graphic "Should I Send It?" created by Tufts University.

Click here for an article with advice from Tulane University

And click here for an article from Georgia Tech on being deferred.

Understanding your PSAT Score Report

Sophomore and Juniors who took the October PSATs should have received their scores by now.

Click here for a guide to help you understand your scores.

Trying to figure out which test to take based on your PSAT scores? Click here.

Colleges with Great Scholarships for National Merit Finalists

Financial Aid: FAFSA Forms and CSS Profile

Make sure you are aware of the deadlines for filing financial aid forms--especially because there is a new FAFSA this year with a very delayed release date (December 31st). Even if you do not think you will qualify for any need-based aid, you will need to submit the forms to be eligible for Government subsidized and unsubsidized loans. Additionally, the money is given out on a first come first served basis, so in this case, the early bird gets the worm.

Check individual school websites for dates and additional forms.

FAFSA Forms

CSS Profile forms (used for private and some public institutions) should be submitted now.

CSS Profile

What We're Reading

What's Happening Now

Seniors:

For those who aren't done, keep up the momentum until all applications are submitted, so you can enjoy a VERY WELL-DESERVED break.

Juniors:

If you haven't already, please schedule your "College List PNA," so we can begin working on your preliminary list of schools. Click here to schedule a "College List PNA" under the "College" dropdown.

Sophomores and Freshmen:

Keep up your grades and decide which activities you want to delve deeper into.

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