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 congratulations! 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. A simple e-mail will do.
 
For those of you 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.
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




Financial Aid: FAFSA Forms and CSS Profile 


Make sure you are aware of deadlines for filing financial aid forms. Even if you do not think you will qualify for any needs 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.
 
 
CSS Profile forms (used for private and some public institutions) should be submitted now. 
  
Good Tidings
So proud of Lianne for getting the Netflix full ride scholarship to attend Loyola Marymount University! She’s a testament to dreaming big, fighting for change, and never giving up.
10 Unusual Questions to Jump-Start Your College Search

Trends in College Admissions

What's Happening Now
Seniors:   
You are doing a great job, just keep up the momentum until all applications are submitted.   
Juniors: 
 Please schedule your  college needs assessment meeting   so we can begin working on your preliminary list of schools.    
Sophomores and Freshmen:
Keep up your grades and decide which activities you want to delve deeper in.
Follow the journeys of eleven students as they navigate the college application process and search for the right fit schools. Getting into their heads as they make decisions about which extracurricular activities to pursue, which schools to apply to, and which topics to choose for their essays will help you think about your own process in a more strategic way. Order Here .
In Case You Missed It:
Lisa & Abby recently visited the University of Washington.

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