Welcome to our monthly newsletter!

Welcome back to our monthly newsletter! Below you will find a link to a page on our website that highlights what students should be working on this month, important news in higher education, new blog posts, and other resources we feel are important to share. Enjoy!

Haven't joined our mailing list yet? Virtual College Counselors believes that every student and family should have access to expert advice on the college search and application journey, regardless of any financial or time constraints. By signing up for our newsletter, in addition to monthly college search and application updates, you will also receive a Free College Search Starter Kit PDF containing the following starter guides: ​ ​- The College Application Timeline - Discovering College Fit - College Essay Tips - Common College Essay Pitfalls - Introduction to Financial Aid 101 Send Me The Starter Kit!

New Blog!​
College Tour Highlights: Connecticut

Discover college and university options in Connecticut with our recent blog post! Our thoughts on campus visits to Connecticut College, Yale University, University of New Haven, Quinnipiac University, Fairfield University, and Sacred Heart University. Learn about their key programs, vibrant student life, and unique campuses. Whether you're a prospective student, family, or just a curious IEC, our guide will help you make the most of your college visits in Connecticut. Embark on your educational journey and find several great fits for your academic aspirations!

Jessica Chermak Published in USA Today!

Fall 2024 Virtual & In-Person College Fairs

For many students and families, attending a college fair is going to be the easiest and most affordable way to learn about and visit several college representatives in one convenient location. Click the photos above to review planned college fair events hosted by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and the Colleges that Change Lives (CTCL). NACAC's regional affiliate groups also host local college fairs, check out their regional affiliates list for a college fair location near you. If you're not familiar with in-person or virtual college fairs, then we strongly recommend you visit some of our blogs on the subject:

• ​Tips for Navigating Virtual College Fairs​
• ​Standout Questions to Ask Admissions Counselors​
• ​How to Demonstrate Interest Before Applying​

Higher Education in the News

• "Did you know that many colleges offer interviews even before their applications open? - For those schools that allow them, college interviews are a pivotal component of the admissions process because they allow students to go beyond their written application and truly showcase what matters most to them as people. - Below is a list of several colleges that have already opened their interview schedules for the Class of 2025." You can find details on colleges with available interviews HERE. You can also check out our blogs on Advice for Nailing The College Interview and How to Demonstrate Interest Before AND After Applying.
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• At Virtual College Counselors, we love metaphors and hypothetical (don't believe us, just check out our blog)! It seems we are not alone, as Ray Raviaglia provides an interesting twist on the 1970 Stanford University "marshmallow test" through the lens of college counseling (this time, with a cookie). “Imagine that you are in a waiting room at a college, waiting for your turn to speak to an admissions officer. You are seated at a table with two other students who are also waiting. In the center of the table is a plate with five cookies. How many cookies do you eat?”
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• "Stratford University says it will prepare students to “Be the Boss.” But applicants hoping a Stratford education will ensure that future are headed for disappointment: The Virginia school closed two years ago this fall. Instead, Stratford is one of at least nine shuttered colleges whose names have been resurrected on the web. None of these zombie universities are accredited or cleared to receive federal financial aid – hurdles that signal legitimacy. And their motives are cloaked in a mystery no federal oversight agency seems to have tried to solve."
  Read HERE to lean more about these bizarre "zombie colleges" that are still preying upon living families long after their untimely passing.
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• The disastrous rollout of FAFSA this year, combined with some colleges approaching the $100,000 annual tuition mark, has created panic for those seeking an affordable college education. The good news is that many colleges are seeing the panic within their applicant pools and have begun to institute tuition freezes, tuition resets, and new financial aid programs. The bad news is that any student looking to utilize Federal Student Loans will see another 1% jump in interest rates, continuing a trend of five years of increasing rates. ​
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• We often speak with students and families about the myth of college admissions being a meritocracy. Don't get us wrong, amazing high school grades, test scores, engaging extracurriculars, and outstanding essays carry a lot of importance. That being said, students rarely have control over things like where they live, where they go to school, the courses offered to them, and their overall financial situation. Cole Claybourn dives deeper into how much a student's hometown might affect their desirability for different colleges and how these ideas might become even more prevalent after the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on race in college admissions.​
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• College affordability is, without a doubt, one of the single most important factors of college fit. Students often don't understand their family's financial constraints, and if families don't speak about what a financially feasible choice for college looks like, then parents will have to lead a very disappointing conversation come decision time. Michelle Singletary has written a helpful article on six different conversational talking points to use when speaking to students about unaffordable college opportunities. ​

College Audition Pros:
The Summer Intensive!

We're excited to highlight an opportunity for serious and competitive students interested in actively pursuing musical and acting programs in college. The Summer Intensive program provides eight days packed content while working with professionals on video recordings, resume building, auditions, head shots, financial aid seminars, and more!

Drew Boudreau is a trusted partner of Virtual College Counselors and has helped our musical theater and acting students navigate the college audition process with incredible results. Find more details about the program on their website: https://collegeauditionpros.com.

Last Call!
NACAC College Updates

This will be our last newsletter with these 2024 end-of-year NACAC updates!

​2024 Enrollment Deadlines Directory​

"Due to FAFSA delays this year, some colleges and universities have changed their enrollment deadlines and financial aid priority dates for students planning to enroll in the fall of 2024. NACAC created this public directory of fall 2024 enrollment commitment deadlines submitted by member institutions."

FAFSA delays continue to plague this year's college admission and application cycle. Fortunately, NACAC has create a list of updated enrollment deadlines from institutions that have acknowledged the impact of FAFSA this year and have extended their decision deadlines. Take a moment to review the list and take note of any college that might affect your decision process.

You can view the extensive and live list of updated college/university enrollment deadlines HERE.

​2024 College Opening Update​

"NACAC’s annual College Openings Update: Options for Qualified Students is a voluntary listing of NACAC-member postsecondary institutions that are still accepting applications from prospective first-year and/or transfer students for the upcoming fall term. Now in its 37th year, the College Openings Update is a tool for counselors, parents, and others assisting students who have not yet completed the college admission process."

You can view the extensive and live list of college still accepting applications HERE.

Last Call!
FAFSA Delays & Updates Continue!

This will be our last newsletter with these 2024 FAFSA Delays & Updates!

As many of you have likely already heard, the Department of Education has delayed the processing of FAFSA forms until March. It will take a few additional weeks for schools to be able to access the data and provide financial aid offer letters to students and families. It is now clear that schools will not be providing financial aid offer letters to families until April (however, some CSS Profile schools may provide an estimated award letter prior to FAFSA processing). Many schools have already taken initiative and pushed their enrollment deadline to June 1st instead of May 1st as a result. We plan to keep tabs on this timeline as it continues to unfold.

Our wonderful colleagues at Big J Consulting have broken down the important information you need to know when completing these forms for the first time in this helpful blog. We highly recommend using this as a guide as you navigate the forms.

If you'd like more information on the current discourse about the FAFSA delays, we'd suggest looking into the following articles:

• ​Another "Devastating" FAFSA Delay​
• ​A Call for Deadline Extensions After FAFSA Delay​
• ​Fallout From a FAFSA Fiasco​
• ​Education Dept. Won’t Send Completed FAFSAs to Colleges Until ‘First Half of March’ ​

Relevant Virtual College Counselor Blogs:

• ​How to Understand Your Financial Aid Letter
• ​Applying for Financial Aid: A Step-by-Step Guide​
• ​What is a Financial Aid Appeal?​
• ​Can You Stack Scholarships?​

Relevant Outside Blogs/Resources:

• ​Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)​
• ​College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS Profile)​​​
• ​Big J Educational Consulting's blog page (this is a helpful resource to have all of your questions answered about the changes to FAFSA for this year, and what to expect in subsequent years.
• ​A helpful infographic from studentaid.gov​​
• ​How to determine if the parent is a contributor on the FAFSA​
• ​Information about Taxable Scholarship Reporting​

We want to once again express our gratitude to all of our students, their families, other professionals, and even strangers who have taken the time to peruse our newsletter. As always, if you have questions OR if you have a topic you'd like to see discussed, please don't hesitate to reach out.

info@virtualcollegecounselors.com

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