Looking for a strong financial aid package for college?

Then it’s important to include “financial safeties” on your college list. According to the financial aid office at Boston University, “The strongest students in a pool of applicants (maybe this is your safety school) will probably get more aid than the weakest applicants (maybe this is your reach school).”

While many colleges claim to be need-blind in admissions (that is, they admit students without regard to their financial need), they are not talent-blind in financial aid. In fact, many admission committees “rate” an applicant before passing the file on to the financial aid office. The rating tends to be based on a holistic read of the application, including curriculum, grades, SAT/ACT scores, extracurricular commitment & leadership, special talents, and personal characteristics. In fact, the amount and composition of the financial aid award will be based on an applicant’s relative ranking — a higher the ranking means more “grant”* and less loan, but a lower ranking means less grant and more loan.

So what can you do to get more money for college? Working with Certified Educational Planner Judi Robinovitz helps promote a stronger financial aid package! Not only will Judi identify “financial safeties” that are a great match for you, but she will also advise you about extracurricular opportunities and curriculum choices that will enhance your life and improve your chances for a stronger financial aid package.

* Grant is the term used to refer to scholarship that is based on need. It is money that does not have to be repaid.