College Admissions - How Your Current Plan Will Lead You to Mistakes That Will Cost You

I was hosting a live workshop recently and two of my attendees volunteered to share their current college admissions and financial aid plans. I was impressed that they each had one.

It has stuck with me because they illustrated the common mistakes students and parents are making that ultimately cost students their opportunity for admission or cause them to pay more for their college degree than is absolutely necessary.

Here's what happened:

It was the beginning of the workshop and I asked the audience if anyone had a strategic plan for the college admissions and financial aid process and if so, what was that plan.

Two brave people raised their hands, one a student and one the mother of a student. Both of their plans sounded eerily similar.

"Wonderful. What is your plan?" I asked the mom first.

"Well," she replied confidently, "we're currently looking at different colleges trying to decide which ones we'll apply to. Then, we'll apply. My son plans on interviewing, as well."

The minute she started outlining her plan, I recognized the mistakes she was making already.

"Okay, you're looking at colleges. What is it that your son wants to be, career-wise?"

"He's undecided."

"How do you know the schools you're currently looking at will be the best place for him once he decides what he wants to do?"

Silence.

The student with a plan, on the other hand, had zeroed in on a career goal. But, she admitted that money was a huge consideration for her. She, too, was looking at colleges.

"Do you know your Expected Family Contribution? What the schools will expect you to pay?"

"No."

"Then how do you know if the colleges you're considering actually have money to help you pay the bill?"

Again, silence.

Both were making the mistake of looking at colleges as the first step of their plan -- and they were completely WRONG!

They were confusing the steps in the process for an actual plan. A plan guides your actions when taking the steps of choosing colleges, creating your application strategy, and so on. The steps of the college admissions process are not a plan of action. They are simply the things you must do to complete the task.

If you're serious about winning at the college game, you need to create a master plan that will guide your actions. Your plan will ensure you have a purpose behind the steps you must take to complete the college admissions and financial aid process.

Your first steps to creating a plan should be:
1. Set Some Goals: College is not the end game. It is a stepping stone that helps you get to a larger goal - such as a particular job or career. If you don't have some idea of what your goals are, how do you know if a particular college is going to be the place to help you achieve them?

2. Know Your EFC: Your expected family contribution (EFC) is the minimum amount of money the schools and the federal government will expect you to pay. If you don't know what you'll be expected to pay, how on earth can you be selecting colleges?

3. Know the Rules: Like any other game, Admissions and Financial Aid operate under their own sets of rules. If you don't know the rules, how do you expect to win?

Stop right now and evaluate your current college plan. Do you actually have one or are you mistaking the STEPS you need to take for the plan itself? If so, you need to fix that and FAST!

Failing to do so will cause you to make costly mistakes when it comes to choosing colleges. Choosing the wrong college can cost you or your student:

-- Loss of Self-esteem if you don't get in OR you get in but it's not the place for you. -- Loss of Time: Transferring or changing majors cost you more time AND more money. -- Loss of Money if you end up paying more than is absolutely necessary for the college degree.

Seniors, you're almost out of time to get your college plan together.

Juniors, it's time you start creating your plan.

Don't wait, because lack of a plan or the wrong plan will cost you - cost you opportunities for admission and opportunities for financial aid to help pay the bill!