AZ College Planning

How Families Accidentally Lose $50,000+ In Scholarships | AZ College Planning

jd@AZCollegePlanning.com (J.D. Wyczalek) — Thu, 21 May 2026 18:39:09 +0000

If You Start Late, You Will Over Pay For College.

Do not watch if you are or have a high school senior!

Most parents believe:
✔ good grades are enough
✔ in-state is automatically cheaper
✔ scholarships are mostly luck
✔ applying by the deadline is “good enough” Unfortunately… college admissions and scholarships do NOT work that way anymore.

In this workshop, J.D. Wyczalek (why-zall-ick) college admission expert of AZCollegePlanning.com explains:
• Why some strong students get rejected
• Why weaker students sometimes receive large scholarships
• How timing can impact admissions and aid
• How colleges use rankings, enrollment goals, and financial strategy
• Why some private colleges cost LESS than in-state universities
• How families may reduce unnecessary college costs
• Scholarship positioning strategies for 8th–11th grade students
• FAFSA & CSS Profile insights
• Real student scholarship success stories

This workshop video is for: 🎓 8th–11th grade students and families
Since 2007, AZ College Planning has helped families nationwide navigate:
✔ college admissions
✔ scholarships
✔ career planning
✔ financial aid strategy
✔ application positioning
✔ college selection I

f you would like a Complimentary College Admissions & Scholarship Strategy Session:
📞 Call or Text: 888-237-2087
🌐 Website: AZCollegePlanning.com
📧 Email: info@AZCollegePlanning.com

Don’t become the family that says: “We wish we had started sooner.”

TRANSCRIPT:

Hello. Hi. Good evening. The information I am presenting today is general in nature. If you want to talk

about your family specific situation, at the end of the presentation, I’ll offer a free no obligation college

consultation. If you don’t want that, that’s fine, too. I’m going to give you a lot of great good information today.

Tonight may completely change how your family thinks about college because most

believe good grades are enough. Instate is automatically cheaper. Colleges are fair and scholarships are mostly luck.

Unfortunately, none of these are fully true anymore. College has become big business. And families who don’t

understand the rules often overpay by tens of thousands of dollars. Hi, I’m J.D.

Wyczalek (why-zall-ick), the founder of a AZCollegePlanning.com. I started in in 2007 and I can

tell you something with absolute certainty. What worked when you applied for college years and years ago doesn’t

work today. Imagine this. Your child works hard for years. Late nights, AP classes, sports,

volunteering, etc., etc. Then senior year arrives, the financial aid offers

come in and suddenly the dream school costs $62,000 more than you expected per year.

Now you have three choices. Say no. Number one, say no. Number two, take on

massive debt. Number three, watch your child walk away from a dream they worked for years. This is happening to families

every single day. Every year. It’s sad. Not because the student failed, but

because the family learned the rules too late. So, let me ask you a question.

Would you rather learn the college admissions and scholarship rules early or after the damage is already done?

College has become big business. Tonight, we’re going to talk about what parents and students will learn today

about the college admission scholarship process. Why a 3.9 GPA student can be

rejected while a 3.3 GPA students get said gets admitted with scholarships.

Why some out of state and private colleges can cost less than instate. The hidden scholarship tiers most families

never see. Why waiting until senior destroys scholarship leverage?

How colleges really decide who gets money and why. And at the end of the

presentation, I’ll offer a complimentary college consultation if you would like

to uh take advantage of that. Exhibit A. Same student, two colleges, completely

different results. Sam was admitted to Auburn University and Miss Auburn

admitted him with a weak aid offer. In fact, they offered him nothing. Miss

admitted admitted him with a strong scholarship offer, then increased the

offer again after strategic positioning. Why? Because colleges do not all want

the same student. They don’t all want the same student. Parents think college admission is about

being good enough. This is only partially true. What really matters is does this student help this college

accomplish its the college’s goals? If the answer is yes, then the student

will be admitted and will get some good scholarship money. The answer is no.

Well, you know the answer. Colleges do not award money fairly. They award money strategically. It’s because of the

college ranking system. Colleges care about rejection rates,

yield, applications, uh, test scores, rankings,

demographics, geodiversity, and more. Once parents understand how colleges are judged through the rankings, then you’ll

understand why colleges make the decisions they Let’s talk about why colleges really admit a student and give

scholarships. College is not just rewarding students. They are recruiting students they want. Colleges give the

biggest best scholarships to students who help the college. students who may

help a college raise rankings, improve statistics, increase diversity, fulfill

uh underrepresented majors, improve yield, strengthen programs, and attract

future applicants. Colleges do not award money fairly. They award money strategically.

Colleges are businesses competing against other colleges. And like every

business, they invest in their customers that they want most. Colleges ask this

question of every applicant. How does this student help us? Colleges are not

trying to get a well-rounded student. They’re trying to build a well-rounded

student body that will have a positive impact on their rankings. That will have a positive impact on their rankings. A

student who is the missing puzzle piece often gets rewarded. As the example with

SAM, Auburn and Miss, I love the rivalries that go on between colleges. ASU and UVA, Berkeley, and UCLA are just

a couple of them. Colleges compete heavily for rankings. This past year, UCLA surpassed Berkeley in selectivity.

Because of this, 145,000 students applied to UCLA at $80 a pop.

That generated 11.6 $6 million in application fees and UCL only has

about 7,000 freshman seats to fill. That means tens of thousands of students

never had a chance. So why does this matter to your family? Because colleges

are businesses competing for prestige, ranking, applications,

uh statistics, and students that they want.

that’s why they’re doing it. And once you understand that, you stop approaching college emotionally and

start approaching it strategically. The goal is not to just get admitted.

The goal is to become wanted. Families who understand how colleges

think pay less and can position themselves to win.

So, selectivity creates prestige. Prestige drives applications and

applications drive revenue. College is big business. You got to understand this so that you can position yourself and

your child to win. Exhibit B. Here’s another example. This is Max. Max followed this the strategic application

plan. Instead of randomly applying to schools, we helped him identify colleges where

he was more likely to be admitted, more likely the colleges wanted him, and more likely they would reward him with

scholarships. I do an awful lot of research as I’m helping these students out. And there are over 2,000 four-year

colleges in the US. That’s overwhelming for most families. The real challenge is

not finding colleges. The real challenge is identifying which colleges fit your

student and which colleges may compete for your student. Well, Max applied to

about a dozen colleges and was admitted to most of them. But then something very interesting happened. Three colleges

kind of rose to the top. And those three colleges were ASU, Drexel, and Muhlenberg . And the financial outcomes

were dramatically different. First, let’s look at Drexel. Most parents would see an $86,000 price tag and immediately

cross the school off the list. But that’s exactly what most families don’t understand about college pricing. The

published price is not the real price. Drexel’s official cost of attendance is

over $86,000. But after scholarships and grants, Max

Max’s estimated net cost dropped to $27,000.

He was offered over

$50,000 in scholarships. Max’s estimated net cost dropped to

27,000. And here’s the shocking part, that was comparable to ASU’s instate net

cost. So, the expensive private out of state college ended up costing about the same as the in-state public

university. Parents, this is why strategy matters. If families only look at sticker price, they may accidentally

eliminate colleges that could have been financially competitive. The goal is not

finding the cheapest looking college. The goal is finding the college most likely to want your student.

Let’s look at Muhlenberg . the official sticker price at Muhlenberg . Same thing about uh 86,000 for Drexel,

85,000 for Muhlenberg . But look what happened. Muhlenberg offered Max $66,000

in scholarships and grants, which brought the estimated net cost down to just over $8,000.

$8,000 for one year. parents, that’s way less

than instate at any public university. So, what changed? Muhlenberg really

wanted MAX. And when a college identifies a student that helps them accomplish the institutional goals, the

financial offers can be very aggressive. This is why two students with similar grades can receive completely different

scholarship offers because scholarships are not awarded equally, they are awarded strategically.

The goal is not just getting admitted. The goal is becoming wanted.

So, let’s step back and look at the big picture. It was actually cheaper for Max to attend an out of state private college

than an instate public university. In Max’s case, the out of state private college offered the best financial aid

package. And here’s another important detail. To keep this scholarship, he only needs to maintain a 2.0 GPA.

And he’ll he’ll exceed that. uh he’s got a 35. Uh many parents assume

scholarships are impossible to keep. Some are actually very manageable. This is why families need to stop thinking

emotionally and start thinking strategically. The college that appears expensive sometimes becomes affordable

and the colleges families assume are affordable sometimes become very expensive. The goal is not chasing the

cheapest looking school. The goal is understanding which college wants your student,

which college may compete for your student, and how to position your student strategically. Families who

understand how colleges think often pay less. Why did that college give him an

amazing scholarship package? So, after everything we just looked at, what was the final results? It was actually less

expensive for Max to attend an out of state private college that’s than an instate. And most families would never

believe that. Parents are taught stay in state, avoid private colleges,

automatically eliminate expensive looking schools. But the sticker price is often misleading.

The colleges that look expensive sometimes become affordable, and the colleges families assume are affordable

sometimes become expensive. In Max’s case, the private out of state college offered the strongest financial aid

package. Strategy. The goal is not simply getting admitted. The goal is

identifying which colleges want your student, which colleges may compete for your student, and how to position your

student strategically. Families who understand how colleges think often pay less. Why did that college give him an

amazing scholarship package? Simple answer, they wanted him.

He made a positive impact on their rankings. Here’s one of the biggest secrets in college uh admissions.

Different colleges value different students. A student who is overlooked by one

college may become extremely valuable to another. Again, we just looked at Sam.

So, one of the smart things a family can do is ask this question. What does this college value?

Because colleges reward students who help their goals. In Max’s case, we helped him understand which activities

mattered most, how to strengthen his resume, which colleges fit him best, how

to engage with colleges, how to position himself in essays, and how to follow up strategically. He positioned himself in

those ways that that the college valued. And the result was this exceptional scholarship offers. Before you can

compare colleges, you need to understand one very important number, COA, cost of

attendance. And this is important. Write this down. Cost of attendance because

tuition alone is not the real cost of college. Cost of attendance includes everything.

We want to know what that ALL-IN number is. Tuition, housing, meal plans, books,

fees, parking, travel expenses, personal expenses, and more. So, what does an

instate uh actually cost at Arizona State University? The uh annual cost is

roughly $38,000 per year. NAU and UVA are hovering about

the same price. And many parents are shocked to see that number. Now multiply that over four years. That’s $152,000

for four years. And God forbid that a student takes six years to graduate.

This is why understanding college pricing matters so much. Most families underestimate

college costs because they only look at tuition. And once your student is admitted and does get all of his or her

um scholarships and aid packages, we have an easy to- read proprietary spreadsheet to plug all your numbers in

so you know actually you know accurately your net cost for each college your

student was admitted to. and we’ll review that and tell you if you were offered a good aid package or you were

short changed. One of the biggest mistakes families

make is falling in love with a college online or the brochure. College brochures are designed to sell. So are

the websites. So are social media accounts and all those things. But an

in-person visit gives you something far more valuable. reality. If your family

was not has not visited colleges yet, do that now. I had a student who visited a college in Los Angeles and she was

looking at the brochure and looking at the students and she said, “These don’t

match. I am going to encourage you to go and visit some colleges and visit locally. Visit colleges within an hour, maybe two

hours of where you live because the local visits are easier, cheaper, lower pressure, and they’ll give you give your

family a frame of reference. Once students visit a few campuses, then they begin to notice the differences, and

that helps families make much smarter decisions later. You don’t know what fit means until you’ve actually visited the

college. We had a student, Ellie. She visited several colleges. Pacific

Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, Willamette University in Oregon, and the University of the Pacific in

California. On paper, some colleges look amazing. But once she visited her

feelings changed. One campus the vibe felt different, one felt too quiet and another felt just

right. And that is why visiting matters. It was really funny. I was talking to

her about it and asked her, “What do you like about these different colleges?” And what she liked specifically about

Pacific Lutheran university or I’m sorry, um, University of the Pacific in California was it would it was within

walking distance of an In-N-Out Burger and a Crispy Cream.

Uh, but once you visit once she visited, her feelings changed. And that’s why it and that’s why visiting matters.

Students often know within minutes whether a campus feels right. A campus

visit can save a family from making a very expensive mistake. What happens if your student falls in love? A campus

visit can save a family from making a very expensive mistake. The best time to

visit a college is when college is in session so you can see the other students. See the other college students

and ask yourself, do you feel do you fit in and do you feel as if you can make

friends? If the answer is yes, keep it on your list. One category that’s ranked, which I

think is one of the most ridiculous categories, is most expensive college. Some colleges now exceed $100,000

uh per year. And yes, you heard that correctly, 100,000. This year, Harvey Mud College in California was placed at

over $104,000 per year. NYU is six figures. Caltech is 93,000 and even UCLA

for out of state students is approaching $84,000 per year. This is why strategic planning

matters because one wrong college decision can impact a family financially

for years. The cost of college has outpaced inflation dramatically. This is why

families can no longer afford to figure it out later. I want you to try something later tonight.

go to the internet and type in uh the name of any college

and cost of attendance. So, ASU cost of attendance, Stanford cost of attendance.

And look at what those numbers are because that number includes everything. Tuition, housing, meal, meals,

uh dorm room, books, fees, transportation, personal expenses, and more. And now take that number and then

multiply that number times four years. And then multiply that number again

times the number of kids you’ve got, two kids, three kids, etc. And how and how are you going to be able to afford to

pay for that? Parents are asking this question because many families accidentally drift into college decisions without fully understanding

the financial consequences. And most families don’t start asking

these questions until the senior year of high school. Oh, we’ll just figure it out. How are you going to figure out

$400,000? By then,

many opportunities for leverage, scholarship, and strategic position have already passed. The earlier families

understand the game and start the process, the more options they are going to have.

So, after speaking with thousands of families over the years, I started asking parents a simple

question. How are you planning to pay for this? And honestly, most of the families don’t have one single answer. Instead, they’re trying to piece

together a plan because parents are trying to balance their child’s dreams, family finances, retirement, monthly

cash flow, and future debt. And unfortunately, many families don’t start seriously discussing this until it

becomes urgent. So, over the next few slides, I want to walk you through some

of the most common ways families have told me as ways to pay for college. And these might be some ways that you might

be thinking about. And always the first one that comes up is uh private scholarships. My student’s going to get

a private scholarship. So let’s put a definition on what private scholarship means. That is a scholarship that your

student applies for and wins. If your student receives a notification that

says you’ve won this scholarship and they did not apply for it, it’s a scam.

Especially if that notification says, “Mail us $100 and we’ll tell you which

one you’ve won.” That is absolutely a scam. So, they have to apply for it. And

if they win that private scholarship, they can use it at almost any college.

And families are going after these numbers be and going after the private scholarships. But those are the small

numbers. I want to go after the big scholarship numbers. And the big

scholarships are going to come from these three categories. The first category is federal funds. Second is

state funds. And the third, the big kahuna of the three is college endowment

funds. Some colleges have ridiculously huge endowment funds. For fun, do this.

Go to Google and type in the name of the college and endowment. Harvard has $53

billion in their endowment. The interest that

that account produces is enough to give every student a full ride. Does Harvard

do that? Absolutely not. ASU $1.4 billion

in their endowment. And then uh UVA $1.3 billion in their endowment. Uh the UT

$40 billion in their endowment. We want a piece of that pie. When families think about paying for college, one of the

other things that they think about is athletics. My kid is an athlete. My kid’s going to

get an athletic scholarship. Most student athletes do not receive a full

ride scholarship. That’s one of the biggest misconceptions in college planning. Many athlete scholarships are

actually partial scholarships. For example, sports like baseball and athletic scholarship might be around $5

to $8,000. That’s not going to cover anything near the total cost of attendance at any college, even an

instate college. I always encourage families to think strategically. Don’t build your entire college

financial plan assuming athletics will cover everything. Instead, look at athletics as one piece of the of the

puzzle. Another strategy that parents have told me as a way to pay for college is we’ve

saved some money. And a lot of families think, well, maybe we should have saved more. But the

reality is, uh, many families have saved $10,000 or less for college. Now, if you

save that or more than that, then God bless you. You’re better than the average. How are we going to make 10

grand go where $150,000 or $400,000 should go? And even if you did save more, the next

question is or a better question is how does the

financial aid system look at those savings? Because not all savings are treated the same. Money saved in the

student’s name is assessed more heavily at around 20 to 25%. And parent assets

are assessed at around 6%. So sometimes just by moving assets from one owner,

from the student owner to the parent owner, we might qualify for more need-based aid

um in that. And then there’s a a third bucket and that third bucket is the

retirement system. Any money that’s parked in that category is not assessed

in the financial aid system. So we want the the majority of our money to be in the not assessed file.

Here’s my disclaimer. Before you move money around or any of that stuff, you need to

know what the ramifications are, both positive and negative. Sometimes it’s smart to move money around. Sometimes

not. Each family situation is unique and different, and each student within a family is unique and different. If you

want to talk about it later in the complimentary consultation, give me a holler.

Another strategy that parents have told me as a way to pay for college is we’re going to

um pay as we go or payment plan. Some colleges allowing fam families to spread payments out monthly instead of paying

one giant bill all at once. Uh but here’s something important. Not all colleges offer a payment plan. And even

among the colleges that do, the rules can vary significantly. There may be some enrollment fees,

processing fees, uh deadlines in order to enroll in those things. Those are all

things that need to be uh identified before

before you go to college. Another strategy that parents have told me as a way to pay for college is we’re going to

borrow the money. And this is where parents really need to understand the difference between

these different types of loans. There are federal loans and private loans. I won’t go into all the details on that.

The federal loans, there are two federal loans, one for student and one for

parent. And the student loans for the student are more favorable in interest

rates. Uh but they are capped. So, you can’t take out uh $30,000 or $60,000

in a student um student federal student loan.

This is why uh this is one reason why early planning can dramatically change a family’s options. The goal is not simply

getting admitted. The goal is graduating without creating financial damage to the family. Another way that families have

told me is to pay for college and you might be thinking about this as well is uh some are going to use their equity in

their in their home. I won’t go into all the details on this. Most of you know how this works. If you want to talk

about the pros and cons with this idea, I’d be happy to talk with you about it.

And the last idea is uh liquidate retirement accounts. Some families even

consider withdrawing from retirement accounts. Parents, this is why planning matters. Because while without a

strategy, families often make emotional, financial decisions.

Please don’t throw out a college based only on the sticker price. One of the biggest mistakes families make is

automatically eliminating a college based only on the sticker price.

Because, as we already seen tonight, the published price is often not the real price. Some colleges that look expensive

may end up offering significant scholarships, grants, or other financial incentives. And some colleges families

assume some colleges that families may assume are affordable may end up costing

more in the long run. So parents, I do not want you to automatically throw a college away just because that number

initially scares you. But you must ask, how are we realist realistically going

to pay for this? The goal is finding colleges that fit academically,

socially, emotionally, and financially. We want balance. Explore opportunities,

keep an open mind, look for colleges that want your student. We can help you identify those colleges, but also

understand the net cost, scholarship requirements, etc. Families who understand both sides, opportunity and

affordability, usually make much better decisions. The goals is not just getting admitted. The goal is helping your

student graduate with options. One of the things we do with families is help them evaluate colleges strategically. We

help families estimate admission probability, potential scholarships, estimate net cost, and what colleges may

uh which colleges may be most financially realistic.

So, we’ll help with that. One of the things we do with families is help them evaluate colleges strategically. We’ll

help you create a list of colleges and we help families estimate admission probability, potential scholarships,

estimated net cost, and which college may most financially

which colleges may be financially best.

One of the most overlooked questions families should ask is this question. How long is it going to take my kid to

graduate from your school? What is the average graduation timeline for students to graduate from your college? Because

many parents assume college equals four years. But for many students, that is

not the reality. At many public universities, the average graduation timeline is six years.

And those extra years are expensive. extra tuition, extra housing, extra meal plans, extra books, extra lost income

opportunities. Why does this happen? Well, here’s why.

A student may apply for a class and that class and and that class is full, but

they need that class to get into the upper level classes and now they have to wait until that cycle comes back around.

That’s one reason because they can’t get into a class. But the most prevalent reason is because they flip f between

majors. This week I’m a business major. Next week I’m a biology major. Oh, philosophy major. That sounds super

cool. I’ll do that. Every time a student changes majors, that pushes the

graduation window out further and further. So, one of the things that we do at a college planning is we help

students research careers, majors, and colleges

so that when they do go to college, they’re more solidified. This is the direction I want

to go into, and they’re less likely to change their major, to change their mind, and graduate on time in four years

or less. If you go to my website, AZCollegePlanning.com, click on the college results

button, type in the name of any college, it’ll tell you the statistics of that

school, and we’re looking at ASU. And the six-year graduation rate at ASU

is 66%. 66% are taking six years to graduate at

ASU. Parents, this is where strategic planning can completely change the

experience for a family. One of the first things we do is help students better understand themselves because

many students are trying to choose majors

and then uh are trying to choose colleges and then a major and then a career. And

that’s the wrong order. That’s why we use our proven career assessment tool to help students identify careers first,

then majors, and then colleges that have that major

because ideally colleges college should support a career goal, not just become

an expensive default decision. We hope families understand admission

strategies, scholarship positioning, demonstrating interest, application timing, and college fit.

And one of the biggest things we help students do is learn how to position themselves because college is not

looking for uh good grades just for good grades. They’re looking for students who

help them accomplish their institutional goals. How will the student impact our rankings? So we help students

strategically highlight those things that will uh that the colleges value

and then the student becomes more competitive and more attractive to the college.

The challenge is identifying the right colleges, the right strategy, the right positioning and that’s where a college

planning can dramatically change outcomes. Yep, that’s me. It’s my high school

senior picture. I remember when I met with my uh high school guidance counselor, Miss Nuss. As I walked into

her office, she said, “J.D., you’re a good artist. You should be an art major.” And that’s about how much time I

spent with her. Maybe maybe just a couple minutes there. No offense to any guidance counselors. They’re overworked

and over booked. I went home and I thought about for about 37 seconds and I decided I probably need another plan.

Graphic design. Yeah, that sounds cool. At that time, I had a friend attending Biola University in uh Southern

California, and he told me, “Biola,” he told me, “You got to come to the school.” So awesome. Awesome. The girls

here are super cute. We have amazing amazing beach bonfire parties. And they

were fun. Yeah. And I asked him the all important question. Do you have a

does that college have a graphics department? He says, “Yeah.” And I said, “Dude, I’m in.” And that’s how much I thought when you pick up my career,

major in college and all that. And what ended up happening was in my junior year

of college, I was speaking with uh my favorite

professor, Professor Craig, and he says, “J.D., there’s this internship opportunity. I think you should apply

for it, and if you do, I’ll write your recommendation letter.” And I applied, and he did, and I got it. I got a I got

a job at a graphics house and decided I don’t want to do this the rest of my life and I had to reset. We really are A

through Z college planning. We help families from A to Z. That’s why one of our biggest things

that we focus on is helping students identify careers, majors, and colleges

strategically because the goal is not simply get a degree. The goal is helping

students build a strong future, a meaningful career, financial stability, and a quality lifestyle. And parents,

this is the world is changing fast. AI, automation, and technology are already changing industries and careers. So

students need to think strategically about adaptability, skill development, long-term demand, and future

opportunities. That’s why we help students think through the process in order. careers

first, then majors, then colleges because colleges should support a prosperous a college degree should

support a prosperous future. There are two main financial aid forms.

You need to understand both and almost every college is going to require one or both of them. And yes, you should submit

these forms even if you think you may not qualify for aid. Some families accidentally disqualify themselves

simply because they never submit the forms. Sometimes these forms are required for merit aid scholarships.

Submitting financial forms can also signal enrollment seriousness.

There’s a little hint for you. The first form is the FASA free application

federal student aid. This is um a mistake on this form uh can cost

thousands of dollars, tens of thousands of dollars. This is why uh families uh

hire us to help them with these different things.

The second form is the CSS profile. It’s administered by College Board. College Board is the entity that creates the SAT

test, PSAT, APS, uh KIPS, and a few other things. The CSS profile asks all

the same questions that are on the FAFSA form and then it asks additional questions in the supplemental questions

section. And one of the supplemental questions that some colleges ask in the

on the CSS profile is what’s the make, model, and year of your vehicles? JD,

why are they asking me that question? Because if you’re claiming that your adjusted gross income is $60,000

and you’re driving a brand new Bentley or a brand new Maybach, that doesn’t match. And then they’re going to start

asking more questions. Here’s David’s story. David’s uh family

hired us to help him with his applications, help him position himself, all that stuff. We helped him identify a

handful of colleges and uh one of the schools that he applied to

was Georgetown in Washington DC. And according to the numbers uh let me back

up a little bit. His uh give you a little bit demographic about dad. uh dad’s uh income uh was

in in in the very high six figure uh and and seven figure numbers every year and

that and based on on just that alone he’s not going to qualify for any need-based financial aid at any college

and Georgetown is a predominantly a need-based aid only school and and when I was talking with David’s

father I encouraged him to fill out the forms and he says, “We’re not going to qualify.” I said, “Let’s play the game.”

And we helped him with the financial aid forms. The end of the story is he was

offered $30,000 uh half tuition uh to attend Georgetown. Um why? because

they wanted him and they offered that incentive of that scholarship because they knew that David would make a

positive impact on their rankings which would attract more students which would

attract more applications and more application fees. It all comes back to

making money. The colleges want to make money. This is

one reason why we really say we are A through Z college planning because helping families today goes far beyond

simply choosing colleges. We help families navigate admission, scholarships, career uh direction,

financial strategy, and financial aid forms. And parents, these forms matter.

Now, unfortunately, many families wait until the last minute. This is one reason many families choose to have

guidance through the process. At a college planning, we assist families with reviewing the FAFSA forms,

reviewing the CSS profile, understanding deadlines and all that. And parents, the

earlier families understand the rules, the more options you’re going to have.

One of the best ways to increase scholarship offer is

dun is to create competition

because colleges compete for students. They’ll tell you that they don’t and

they’ll encourage you to apply early decision and when you apply early decision you’re not competing. Strategic

families understand something different. Colleges compete for desirable students.

We show your student how to become desirable where those colleges want your student. We want the college to compete

for your for your student for your child.

How do we uh the number one way and get more money increase scholarship is

through leverage. Here’s the strategy here’s where the strategy becomes powerful. If a student

applies to only a highly uh to one college, a highly selective school and gets admitted, uh that college often has

very little incentive. If a student applies only to one college and gets

admitted, the college often has very little incentive to offer aggressive scholarship money. Instead, we prefer

helping families identify multiple strong fit colleges where the student

has strong chances of admission and where the student may become highly valuable

to the college. Because when multiple colleges want your student, leverage increases. The goal is not just

admission. The goal is options. When colleges know they are competing,

behavior can change. Here’s a real example. We had a student named Danielle. She visited um we encouraged

her to go and visit some colleges. She and her parents visited University of Arizona. And whoever the tour guide was

did an outstanding job because after the visit, Danielle basically said, “This is it. This is my number one. I’m going to

only apply to one college. I want to go to UVA. Only one.”

But we encouraged Danielle to build a more strategic college list and to apply to several competing colleges. Fast

forward to February of her senior year. Dad calls me on the phone and said, uh,

she was admitted to, uh, UVA, we knew she was going to get in, but they didn’t give her any money.

That’s not unusual. Um, but because Danielle had other

admission offers and competing scholarships offers, we were able to strategically communicate with UVA. And

not only did UVA improve uh, beat the other aid packages, they

gave Danielle an iPad. Daniel was really excited about the iPad. Dad was more excited about the scholarships.

This is why strategy matters.

Exhibit C. This year, two students applied to ASU Barrett. One student had a 39 GPA. The

other student had a 33 GPA. And here’s a surprising part. The 39 student was

denied admission to ASU Barrett. The 33 student was admitted to ASU Barrett

Honors College. Parents, when I tell families this, they’re usually shocked because most

people assume high GPA automatically equals better outcome. But college admissions are often more complicated

than that. In this particular case, timing played a role. The 39 student

applied in January, just before the deadline, and the 33 student applied

much earlier in September. Colleges are shaping classes in real time. So,

generally speaking, earlier applications often create more opportunity. And by the way, the story does does have a

positive ending. The 39 student was admitted to other colleges and did get some really good aid packages and we

were able to negotiate and get some more aid uh at some of the schools that he uh applied to.

Um so, missed deadlines or delayed applications can potentially change

outcomes. That’s why we provide monthly reminders, planning timelines, strategic guidance,

and ongoing accountability so students stay on track instead of scrambling late in the process. Colleges

reward proactive families.

Parents, every student is different. Different strengths, different goals, different financial situations. And even

within the family, two students are different. But what these students have what all

these students have in common that we just went over and a few more that we’ll talk about was strategic planning. So

let me show you a few real world examples of how strategy can influence admission scholarship timing and overall

cost. This is McConnell. McConnell applied strategically to nine colleges and would

was admitted to all of them. One of the things we focused on was helping him position himself strategically.

Different colleges responded very positively and ultimately NYU offered the strongest

scholarship package. The scholarship was valued at over 65,000 per year.

McConnell aligned strongly with what that college valued and that’s an important lesson here. Different

colleges value different things. Remember that question earlier, what does a college value? McConnell fit that

value. And interestingly interestingly uh he did not apply as a theater major

because over 40% of the students at NYU are theater majors.

We have too many of those students. We need somebody else and McConnell fit that category. So over

four years, McConnell received $263,000

and parents that is potentially that is

less student loans, faster uh and earlier investments,

buying a home sooner, potentially starting a business, and greater per freedom because he doesn’t have all that

student loan baggage. This is why strategy matters because small decisions made during high school can create

massive long-term financial differences if you start soon enough. I love to tell

this story about Rohit. What’s good? Good is being admitted. What’s better than that? Getting a scholarship. What’s

better than getting a scholarship? Getting full tuition. Getting the full tuition scholarship.

And by the way, when families um be very skeptical if any of your families or

friends say that they got a full ride at ASU or UVA or NAU or any of the state colleges or any college in that matter,

uh because they probably got full tuition. What’s better than full tuition? Of

course, the full ride that covers tuition, housing, meal plans,

everything, books, all that stuff. But what’s more, what’s even more unusual,

more incredible, this getting paid to go to college. The

scholar, this scholarship covered tuition fees and included additional cash stipend. After paying for housing

and meals, Rohit actually net was a net positive of $2,000. He got paid $2,000

to go to college. Parents, imagine your student getting paid to attend college.

that completely changes everything. We’ve had multiple students earn highly competitive scholarships like this. Uh,

one student earned a similar scholarship like this at USC. Imagine graduating from USC and getting paid to go there.

Parents, opportunities like this don’t accidentally happen. They’re

strategically planned. They typically involve planning, positioning, academics, timing, uh

strategic execution, and that’s one reason families uh choose to start planning earlier.

This is Nicole. Nicole ultimately received 45,000 per year in scholarships

and the estimated parent net cost was $11,000.

This is important to note. WashU is is widely viewed as a extremely expensive college and many families would

automatically assume there’s no way we can afford it. But this is where strategy matters

because the college offered need-based aid and merit aid and we approached the

process strategically to maximize both opportunities. The sticker price was not the real

price. Over four years, the total scholarship value was $181,000.

This is not random. It involves planning, positioning, timing, and understanding how the system works.

Sometimes the colleges that look most expensive end up offering the best aid package.

Here’s another example. This is Bruce. Bruce ultimately received $51,000 per year in scholarships and parents net

cost $13,000. That was less than an instate college.

And honestly, Bruce’s dad, it was less for him to attend an in-state college.

Bruce’s dad initially thought my statement, it could sometimes be cheaper to attend an outstate college than an in-state college was just marketing. And

then the scholarships arrived and and then they discovered it was true

uh that the sticker price is not the real sticker price. It’s not the real price. Uh $24,000 in scholarships to

attend University of Notre Dame. Yeah, J.D.. But does lightning strike

twice? Yes. And then came Adele, his younger sister. Same family, same

strategic planning process. and Adele ultimately received more than $216,000

in scholarships over the course of four years to attend TCU. Again, it was less

than $10,000 for her to attend college per year. And parents, this is important

because this demonstrates something critical. Strategic planning can create repeatable results. Once the family saw

how the process worked with Bruce, they approached Adele’s process much earlier and much more strategic and she got

more. But JD, do all these students have perfect GPA and perfect test scores? No.

This is L’s story. And L had a 2.3 GPA. So this is not just for um students that

have great grades and great test scores. Colleges are looking for many different things. And despite the GPA, L uh still

received scholarship assistance. And here’s the really surprising part. It ended up being less expensive for her to

attend this private college than to her to attend instate. Parents, I keep telling you this, the sticker price is

not the real price. The sticker price is not the real price. Different colleges

value different students differently. Some colleges are more aggressive with scholarships and institutional

aid because they are trying to attract certain students. L showcased her

leadership, her community service which that college valued.

This is Tanner. Tanner was interested in the military academies and yes, we can help out

with the military academies. They’re extremely competitive. When Tanner first started

his we had a conversation, he said is that he was doing some research and found out that his u the minimum ACT

score to be admitted into the Air Force Academy was a 24 and he had a 25. He

says, “A yay.” And I said, “They’re going to take your application and throw it in the trash

because you’re just barely above the minimum.” So we plugged him into our um beat the test program and he improved

his score uh to a 29 2930 and uh got admitted into the merchant

academy. So yes we can help families navigate highly competitive opportunities like the military academies

and if you’re considering the military academies we need to start earlier in the process.

Here’s Jonathan’s story. Jonathan and his parents and I had a conversation late in his senior year after we had

worked with him for several years. Sprucing up his resume, getting better test scores, all of those things. We had

a roundt conversation and his parents agreed that they would were willing to spend X dollars for him to go to

college. Anything above that, Jonathan would have to take care of. And after we

received his uh scholarships from uh George Fox University in Portland,

Oregon, we were $5,000 short. It’s not unusual for colleges to lowball offers

because they know that most families will just accept the offers and rack up some loans. Jonathan had an idea. He

says, “What if I do this? What if I uh defer admission?” And yes, you could do

that. I He says, “I’ll call the college. I’ll defer admission. have them hold my

spot and then I’ll go get a job. I’ll save a $5,000 and then I’ll um go to college the next

year. I said, “What are you gonna do? Work a year? You go to school year? Work a year? Go to school for year? Take

eight years to graduate?” No. No. Here’s what I want you to do, Jonathan. I want you to call your admissions recruiter

and explain your situation. You know who your admissions recruiter is, right?

I’m asking him loaded questions because we had already instructed him on how to uh find his admissions recruiter. Oh

yeah, I know who that is. I said, ‘Call up and explain your situation. And poof, magically another $5,000 appeared.

Jonathan graduated in four years, not eight. So we met the parents budget and

Jonathan graduated on time. Bull’s another example of student who did the work was coachable, followed through and

got the results. 100% of tuition plus and that was at our latte.

Chad followed the strategic plan and landed $231,000 at Vanderbilt. Parents net

cost was about $6,000 per year. Also,

this student followed the strategic plan and landed with $212,000 for TC TCU and graduated with no student

loan debt. The end of his story is awesome. He utilized the career center at his college to land an internship,

which he did. And with his experience and his degree in finance, he landed a

top paying job at an investment firm in Colorado. Awesome. Excited for his

future. This is Trevor. And Trevor is an important example because sometimes an

instate college is the right choice. Parents are not saying every student should leave the state. I’m saying every

student needs the right strategy to ever follow this the strategic plan and ultimately graduated 100% debt-free. And

parents, that’s where we want our uh our kids to start their future without all that student loan baggage. I got this uh

just a a short while ago. Um so, let me show you something that

most families do not realize. Sometimes admission admission decision is not

final. So, this student received a notification from Boston University that pretty much

said, “No, you’re not admitted.” And um the student was initially not admitted

to Boston University, which was her dream school. And like many families, they were devastated. But instead of

simply giving up, we approached the situation strategically. And eventually,

Boston University sent this message. We are really excited to welcome you to the

class of 2030. I have updated your record to admitted and you will be able

to see this on your my BU application portal tomorrow. Super excited for her.

Families often assume a denial is always permanent, but in some situations there

may be some opportunities that might be worth exploring. We’ve seen successful

reconsideration outcomes at multiple universities. Not guaranteed, but sometimes.

But sometimes I would love to help your student create

their own success story. Every student story we’ve discussed tonight started

somewhere. They simply started planning earlier and approached the process strategically.

And I would love the opportunity to help your student create their own success story. At A throughZ College Planning,

we help families navigate the entire process. Admissions, scholarships, career direction, essays, financial aid,

positioning, strategies, strategies, and every family is different. So, we

personalize the process based on the on the student, the family, their goals,

and long-term plans. Our goal is not simply admission. Our goal is helping students graduate in four years or less

with strong opportunities with little or no student loan debt.

If tonight’s workshop opened your eyes and if you’d like help building a strategy for your student, I’d encourage

you to schedule a complimentary college admission and scholarship strategy session. In that meeting, we can discuss

your students goals, college possibilities, scholarship positioning, financial consideration, and strategic

next steps. I do want to mention this, we only have a limited number of spots

available, and families who begin earlier create more opportunities. Colleges,

college planning rewards proactive families.

Here’s another example. This student received $39,900

in scholarships and over four years 159,000. And once again, this private college ended up costing less than an

instate university. This is exactly why strategic planning matters. This one

came in recently. This student initially received a scholarship of 28,000 per year, but after additional strategic

communications, the college increased the offer by $2,000 for a total of

30,000. Uh times four years, $120,000 for loyal University of Chicago.

Sometimes colleges improve offers when they know they are competing for your

student. We want them to compete for your student. I love receiving messages like this.

This student wrote, “Thank you.”

I got into Georgia Tech. Thank you for the 10-week plan you gave me. It helped me get into my dream school, which means

a ton. I will be attending Georgia Tech in the fall, and I got 32,000 a year. It

was the best aid offer I got outside of ASU. Admission success is often the result of

many small strategic decisions. This success started with a conversation.

Let’s have a conversation. Let’s have a conversation. Parents, your

child only gets one shot at college admission and scholarships. One missed deadline, one poor strategy,

uh one poor uh decision, one overlooked opportunity can potentially cost a

family thousands of dollars. That’s why I’m so passionate about this because I’ve seen families overpay unnecessarily.

missed scholarship opportunities, applying late, choosing the wrong colleges, and making decisions without a

strategy. And many of those mistakes could have been avoided. So, please don’t leave something this important to

chance. At a college plan, we’ve been helping families navigate this process since 2007.

Before you leave tonight, stop here. Take a picture of this slide. If you’d like help creating a strategic plan for

your student, call or text or email us jdazolplan.com.

Call or text 8882372087. Leave a message or text. And when you

the best phone number we can reach you at during the day. I’ll give you a call. And um

we’ll put we’ll put something on the calendar. Don’t become the family that says, “I wish we would have started

sooner.” Because college planning rewards families who start early.

info@AZCollegePlanning.com

Call or text 888-237-2087.

If I didn’t answer your questions, please call, email, or text and I’ll

be happy to answer any of your questions.

Thank you

The post How Families Accidentally Lose $50,000+ In Scholarships | AZ College Planning appeared first on AZ College Planning.

2026-2027 Common App essay prompts

jd@AZCollegePlanning.com (J.D. Wyczalek) — Tue, 12 May 2026 15:56:20 +0000

The 2026–2027 Common App essay prompts

We are happy to announce that the Common App essay prompts will remain the same for 2026–2027 🎉.

Based on positive feedback from students, counselors, teachers, and colleges, we are keeping the essay prompts unchanged.

During the 2025-2026 application year, we’ve observed the following trends in prompt selection by students. The most popular essay prompt was ‘Topic of your choice’ (28%), followed by ‘Facing adversity’ (23%). Here’s the full breakdown:

Topic of your choice: 28%
Facing adversity: 23%
Personal growth: 20%
Background, identify, interest, or talent: 18%
Intellectual curiosity: 5%
Gratitude: 3%
Challenging an idea: 3%

Here is the full set of (The 2026–2027 Common App essay prompts) essay prompts for 2026–2027. The 2026–2027 Common App essay prompts, write your essays!

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design

By releasing the prompts early, we hope to give students ample time for reflection and brainstorming. We recognize that some schools and organizations are beginning discussions with juniors and transfer students about college options.

Students who wish to start exploring the application can create their account anytime. With account rollover, Common App will retain students’ responses to questions in ‘My Common Application’, including the personal essay, when the 2026-2027 application opens on August 1.

The 2026–2027 Common App essay prompts

All Applications Must Be Submitted in August or September. (The exception is the University of California schools and the California State colleges as those applications open in October. UCs and Cal States must be submitted by November 6^th.)

Getting your applications submitted in August or September beats all deadlines plus it increases your chances of admission and scholarships.

Admissions Officers Like Storytellers

Making your college essay come alive Virtually all colleges will ask you to write at least one essay as part of your application package. After poring over hundreds (and in some cases thousands) of class ranks, SAT scores, transcripts, and teacher recommendations, admissions officers want to read something that stands out from the masses. The admissions office views the essay as a little window into your personality, and they see it as evidence of how well you write. The essay is the only place where they can hear your voice, just as you want it, all the while, really get a sense of who you are.

You are after the most natural style and tone possible – if read aloud, your essay should sound like a good conversation. Write about something you really care about. Keep in mind who your audience is, and choose a topic you want to write about – not one that you think you ought to write about.

A personal anecdote (story) can be used in your essay in various ways:

As the introduction and take-off point for the whole essay
As a final note, a story that sums up or crystallizes what you have been saying and leaves the reader with the tone of the whole
As a detail in the body of the essay
As a big story that runs throughout the essay and shapes the whole

One key factor to prevent your story from becoming a sweeping generalization is the ability to utilize detail. Write to help admissions officers see what you saw, hear what you heard, and taste what you tasted. Rather than tell what you learned from photography, show what it looks and feels and even sounds like in a darkroom as your picture emerges, the smell of the chemicals, the red bulb glowing in the darkness, the stillness in the darkroom. Rather than describe how disciplined you have become as a result of your music lessons, talk about your violin, the texture and feel of it, the smell of the wood – no one ever thinks of the sense of smell in connection with a violin – details that take your reader through your practice routine with you. Use sight, sound, smell, touch, taste, in other words, SHOW what you know.

A creative metaphor can also be used to make your essay come alive. Writers continually see one thing in terms of something else; the result is metaphor, the language of comparison.

Sometimes the sheer wit and power of metaphors can carry a piece of writing and make it entertaining and fresh. Learning to think “metaphorically” is perhaps the most fun part of writing. Metaphors are all around you, but through time and use, some of them have lost their ability to startle: leg of a chair, face of a clock, eye of a needle. Still others are on their way to the metaphor graveyard, but are not quite buried yet. Using them is not the sign of a dead metaphor but of a dead mind: white as snow, big as a mountain, high as a kite, smooth as glass. To be an entertaining writer you must hammer out your own metaphor from materials you know and understand. A good rule of thumb, suggested by writer George Orwell is, never to use a comparison you have heard before.

The 2026–2027 Common App essay prompts, get it done!

Need help? give us a call/text or fill out the contact us form.

The 2026–2027 Common App essay prompts

The post 2026-2027 Common App essay prompts appeared first on AZ College Planning.

College Admission and Scholarship FAQ | A through Z College Planning

jd@AZCollegePlanning.com (J.D. Wyczalek) — Wed, 06 May 2026 20:44:28 +0000

College Admission & Scholarship FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Could it be cheaper to go to an out-of-state college?
Is in-state college always cheaper than private or out-of-state colleges?
No. Many families are surprised to learn that some private and out-of-state colleges can actually cost less than in-state public universities after scholarships and grants are applied. The “sticker price” is often very different from the final net cost parents actually pay.

What numbers should I look at when comparing college cost?
The most important number is the net cost, not tuition. Net cost equals the total cost of attendance minus scholarships and grants. This gives families a more accurate picture of what college will truly cost out of pocket.

What does COA or “cost of attendance” mean for college?
Cost of attendance is the full estimated yearly cost to attend a college. It includes tuition, fees, housing, meal plans, books, transportation, parking, and other college-related expenses.

How can I get my kid a large scholarship for college?
Why do colleges give some students large scholarships?
Colleges award scholarships to attract students they want to enroll. A student may receive more scholarship money if they help the college improve rankings, fill underrepresented majors, increase geographic diversity, strengthen programs, or meet enrollment goals.

How can students win bigger college scholarships?
Short answer: Colleges often give larger scholarships to students they actively want to recruit.
Students may receive more scholarship money when they strengthen areas the college values, such as:

academics
leadership
intended major
geographic diversity
extracurricular involvement
showing intent

What does my student need to do to get more scholarships from a college?
How can students “position themselves” for more college scholarships?
Students can increase scholarship opportunities by showing colleges what makes them valuable. This may include strong academics, leadership, extracurricular involvement, intended major, demonstrated interest, service, talent, work experience, or unique background characteristics.

How many colleges should I apply to?
Why should students apply to multiple colleges instead of just a few?
Applying to multiple colleges increases both admission opportunities and scholarship leverage. When families compare several financial aid offers, they may be able to negotiate or appeal for additional scholarships from colleges that want the student to enroll. Ideally apply to 5 to 10 colleges that you have a higher probability of acceptance.

If I am not offered enough scholarships to go to that college, can I ask for more help?
Can you appeal a college scholarship or financial aid offer?
Yes. Many colleges allow families to appeal for more scholarship money or financial aid. A strong appeal letter that includes competing offers, financial changes, or new accomplishments can sometimes result in additional aid.

Does applying to college early increase scholarship chances?
Often, yes apply way before deadlines. Many colleges award scholarships and admission spots on a priority or first-come, first-served basis. Students who apply early may have a better chance of receiving merit scholarships, honors college invitations, and stronger financial aid packages.

Should I apply Early Decision?
Do I really increase my chances applying early decision?
No. When a student applies Early Decision, the student give the college all the power. Realistically most colleges are struggling to fill freshman seats. Early Decision data is manipulated into thinking you will have a better chance of admission. Early Decision candidates typically do not get the most advantageous scholarships.

We make to much money to qualify for need based aid, do we need to fill out the FAFSA?
Should high-income families still complete the FAFSA and CSS Profile?
Yes. Even families who think they will not qualify for need-based aid should complete the FAFSA and, when required, the CSS Profile. Some colleges require these forms for merit scholarships, institutional grants, honors programs, or future financial aid consideration.

Do college care about demonstrating interest?
What is demonstrated interest in college admissions?
Yes, colleges track this. Demonstrated interest is how colleges measure whether a student is seriously interested in attending their school. Campus visits, attending college fairs, opening emails, meeting admissions recruiters, virtual events, and follow-up communication can sometimes improve admission and scholarship chances.

Should I apply for outside scholarships, private scholarships?
Are private scholarships the main way families pay for college?
Yes, consider outside scholarships. However, private scholarships, outside scholarships make up only a small percentage of total college financial aid. Most funding typically comes from college institutional scholarships, federal financial aid, state grants, and university endowment funds.

I have a few Cs on my grades; can I get into college with scholarships?
Can students with average grades still win college scholarships?
Yes. Many colleges award scholarships to students who are not perfect academically. Leadership, extracurricular involvement, intended major, work experience, geographic diversity, service, talent, and showing intent can all influence scholarship opportunities.

I got admitted to college but no scholarships, how can I find my scholarship?
What is the difference between a college acceptance letter and an award letter?
A college acceptance letter confirms that a student has been admitted. An award letter explains the student’s financial aid package, including scholarships, grants, loans, work study, and the estimated net cost to attend that college. The award letter, award offering is posted on the college website student portal.

How long does it take for the average student to graduate college?
Why do many college students take longer than four years to graduate?
Students may take five or six years to graduate because of changing majors, missing required classes, poor academic planning, transferring schools, or attending part-time. Choosing the right major early and following a clear graduation plan can help students graduate faster and reduce college costs.

I want to visit the college campus but I can’t, should I?
Should students visit colleges before submitting applications?
Ideally yes. Visiting colleges helps students compare campus size, academic environment, housing, culture, student life, and overall fit. College visits can also help students make more confident admission decisions and may demonstrate interest to some colleges. You can start with a virtual visit. Check out the college website for virtual visit options.

I don’t know which admission plan I should choose, rolling admission, early action, early decision, regular decision?
What is the difference between rolling admissions, early action, and regular decision?
Rolling admissions means colleges review applications as they are submitted and release decisions continuously. Early action has earlier deadlines and may improve scholarship and honors college opportunities. Regular decision follows the standard college application timeline and deadlines. Ideally apply as non restrictive early action to multiple colleges so that you have options. We never recommend early decision because you won’t have options as early decision candidates must withdraw applications from other colleges.

Does the major I pick impact admission decisions, should I apply undeclared or undecided?
Does a student’s intended major affect college admission and scholarships?
Yes. Some college majors are significantly more competitive than others. Students applying to underrepresented or less crowded majors may sometimes improve their chances of admission, honors programs, and scholarships.

What is the difference between a merit scholarship and a need based scholarship?
Are there different types of scholarships?
Merit scholarships are awarded to students based on the student’s merits which can include good grades, good test scores, leadership, community service, talent (music, theater, dance, art). Need based scholarships are based on if the student qualifies for need aid which is calculated from the college’s need assessment formula and the FAFSA.

Should I care about how high a college is ranked?
I want to go to a highly ranked college, should I?
Why are college rankings so important to universities?
College rankings help universities attract more applications, media attention, prestige, and revenue. Many colleges strategically use scholarships and financial aid to recruit students who strengthen categories the school values, such as academics, diversity, leadership, geographic representation, or specific majors. Bottom line, no, as a student it should not matter to you. What should matter is if the college has the majors and programs you want to study and if the college is a good fit for you.

Is AZCollegePlanning.com a good company?
What does AZ College Planning help students and families with?
Yes, AZCollegePlanning.com is a highly rated 5 star compassionate company. AZ College Planning helps students and families with college admissions, scholarship strategy, career and major selection, financial aid planning, essay coaching, test preparation strategy, show intent, award letter comparison, and college decision guidance. We have helped thousands of student get admitted to great colleges across the nation and get great aid packages.

What do we get from the free consultation with AZCollegePlanning?
What happens during a free college admissions consultation?
During a free consultation with AZ College Planning, families meet one-on-one with a college counselor to discuss career interests, majors, college selection, scholarships, financial aid strategies, admissions planning, and personalized next steps for your student.

Schedule your free consultation today.
Call 888-237-2087 or click https://azcollegeplanning.com/contact-us/

About J.D. Wyczalek
J.D. Wyczalek is the founder of AZ College Planning and has helped thousands of students and families with college admissions, scholarships, financial aid, and career planning since 2007.

The post College Admission and Scholarship FAQ | A through Z College Planning appeared first on AZ College Planning.

Elite College Firms Help Students Get In | We Help Families Not Overpay.

jd@AZCollegePlanning.com (J.D. Wyczalek) — Fri, 01 May 2026 00:20:13 +0000

Elite College Firms Help Students Get In.

We Help Families Not Overpay.

Most families are focused on admission. Smart families focus on admission, scholarships, financial aid, and the real cost of college before it is too late.

Call or Text 888-237-2087
Schedule a Free Consultation

The College Game Has Changed

For many families, the goal is not just getting accepted. The real goal is getting accepted to the right colleges, with the right scholarships, at a price that makes sense.

Big-name college consulting firms often focus heavily on essays, applications, and elite admissions. Those things matter. But for most families, the bigger question is this:

Will this college admit my student… and what will our cost be to attend that college?

That is where AZ College Planning is different.

AZ College Planning vs. Traditional Elite Firms

What Families Need	Traditional Elite Admissions Firms	AZ College Planning
College List Strategy	Often focused on prestige, rankings, and selectivity.	Built around admission odds, scholarship potential, fit, and net cost.
Scholarship Strategy	May discuss scholarships, but often not the central strategy.	Scholarship potential is built into the college list from the beginning.
Financial Aid Planning	Often separate from admissions strategy.	Admissions, SAI, financial aid, merit aid, and affordability are reviewed together.
Appeal / Reconsideration Strategy	Usually limited or not emphasized.	We help families evaluate awards and determine whether an appeal makes sense.
Student Positioning	Strong essay and application coaching.	Student positioning includes essays, activities, demonstrated interest, major strategy, and scholarship leverage.
Outcome Focus	“Where can my student get in?”	“Where can my student get in, earn money, graduate on time, and launch successfully?”

Why Smart Families Choose Strategy Over Status

Admissions Is Only One Piece

An acceptance letter is exciting. But if the school costs too much, the victory can turn into a financial burden.

Merit Money Is Not Random

Colleges use scholarships to attract the students they want. The right list can create better offers and more leverage.

Fit + Cost Matter

The best college is not always the most famous college. The best college is the one that fits academically, socially, financially, and professionally.

Our Planning Approach

AZ College Planning helps families build a smarter college plan before applications go out and before award letters arrive.

1. Admission Probability

We help estimate where a student is likely, possible, or unlikely to be admitted based on academic profile, major, and school selectivity.

2. Scholarship Potential

We identify colleges where the student may have a stronger chance of merit scholarships, talent scholarships, or institutional grants.

3. Financial Aid Positioning

We review the family’s financial picture, including SAI when available, to understand need-based aid potential and affordability risk.

4. Demonstrated Interest

We help students show real interest to colleges through smart outreach, visits, events, and program-specific communication.

5. Award Letter Review

When offers arrive, we help families compare true net cost, not just the size of the scholarship.

6. Appeal Strategy

When appropriate, we help families determine whether to request additional aid or scholarship reconsideration.

The Question Is Not Just “Can My Student Get In?”

The better question is:

Which colleges are most likely to admit my student, offer money, and make financial sense?

What We Help Families Avoid

Applying to colleges that are unlikely to offer enough money.
Confusing a large scholarship with a low net cost.
Waiting until senior year to think about financial strategy.
Building a list around rankings instead of outcomes.
Missing scholarship, honors, FAFSA, CSS Profile, or priority deadlines.
Leaving demonstrated interest and department outreach to chance.

Who This Is For

Parents of 8th–11th Graders

The earlier the strategy starts, the more options your family may have.

Families Concerned About Cost

If paying full price is not the plan, your college list must be built differently.

Students Who Need Positioning

Grades matter, but so do major choice, activities, leadership, interest, essays, and fit.

Before You Spend $100,000+ on College, Get a Real Plan.

Call or text AZ College Planning today to schedule a free consultation and learn how your family can build a smarter college strategy.

Call or Text 888-237-2087
Schedule a Free Consultation

AZCollegePlanning.com

Disclaimer: Admission and scholarship outcomes are not guaranteed. Colleges may change admission standards, scholarship amounts, financial aid policies, deadlines, and program requirements at any time. AZ College Planning provides guidance, planning, and strategy based on available information and the family’s individual circumstances.

The post Elite College Firms Help Students Get In | We Help Families Not Overpay. appeared first on AZ College Planning.

Scholarship & Cost Strategy Workshop Registration

jd@AZCollegePlanning.com (J.D. Wyczalek) — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:03:49 +0000

Return to AZGiveBack.org

Workshop Confirmation!

“Congratulations, you’re now registered for the Nation’s Premier College Planning Workshop!”

Keep an eye out for a text message and email with a Zoom link.

Workshop (Approx. 60 min.)

You are registered for one of these workshop dates.

DATE #1: Thursday May 14, 2026 @ 6:30 PM -Virtual

DATE #2: TBA

BRING A FRIEND!

Scottsdale – 7025 N Scottsdale Road #115, Scottsdale AZ
Chandler – 3200 W Ray Rd #101, Chandler, AZ

This essential information needs to get out to other families. Please tell a friend or two about the workshops and this website. – Thank You!

Thank You to all who told 3 or 4 friends about this workshop & website.
Please Invite a Friend!

AZGivesBack.org & AZ College Consulting LLC

AZGivesBack & AZ College Consulting, LLC. can be reached at 1-888-237-2087 (voice or text) or send an email.

The post Scholarship & Cost Strategy Workshop Registration appeared first on AZ College Planning.

Basics of Financial Aid | College Counselor

jd@AZCollegePlanning.com (J.D. Wyczalek) — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:45:13 +0000

Basics of Financial Aid | College Counselor

Financial aid is a term used to describe money that is awarded to help a student pay for college and the necessities related to college. Financial aid consists of grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study programs said J.D. our expert college counselor.

How do you get financial aid? In order to be eligible for either “need-based” or “merit-based” financial aid, you must fill out financial aid forms. Usually these forms are filed on or as close to Jan. 1st of your child’s senior year as possible. There are two financial aid forms you need to be familiar with: 1) The FAFSA form, and 2) the CSS Financial Aid Profile form. All colleges require the FAFSA to be completed. Many schools will also require a more detailed view of your income and assets by having you complete the CSS Profile form. In addition, many schools will have you complete their own institutional Financial Aid Forms as well.

Your financial aid will usually come in an awards letter or package directly from the colleges, college counselor.

The financial aid process is based upon the following calculation:

COA (Cost of Attendance)
-SAI (Student Aid Index
“Need”/ Eligibility

Financial “need” is calculated by taking the Cost of Attendance (tuition, fees, books, room and board, living expenses, transportation costs, etc.) and subtracting your Expected Family Contribution. The SAI is a very complex calculation. It is calculated by taking the parent’s income and assets, the child’s income and assets, the age of the parents, how many siblings in the family, as well as a variety of other factors.

Remember that the COA is not just tuition. If a school does not include all relevant costs in their award letter, it is imperative to immediately bring this to the attention of the Financial Aid officer (FAO) at the college. An increase in the COA will cause an increase in the eligibility for financial aid.

Expert seasoned college counselor, like AZCollegePlanning.com can help estimate your SAI.

For example, let’s say the COA at a particular college is $34,000, and the SAI is $14,000. The family would have a “need” or eligibility for $20,000 in financial aid.

COA (Cost of Attendance)
-SAI (Student Aid Index
“Need”/ Eligibility

Just because a family has a “need” or eligibility of $20,000 doesn’t mean the family is going to get $20,000 in financial aid. Not every school is in the position to give you 100% of your “need”. Some schools are only in the position to give you 60% of your “need” and other schools are in the position to give you 82%, 95% or even in the ideal situation 100%. It is important to know this information before you apply to the schools. You don’t want to find out when you receive the award letters in March and April of your child’s senior year that the schools your child applied to were never in the position to offer you the financial aid you needed in the first place. By that time it’s too late!

How & where does my aid come from?

How do schools meet your “need”?

In addition to knowing how much “need” each school will meet, Arizona college counselor, it is equally important to know, before applying, what percentages of “need” based financial aid will be from gift aid (free money, i.e. grants and scholarships) and self-help aid (loans, work-study). Again, not every school will give you the same type of award package. Some schools will meet 100% of your “need” in grants and scholarships, and some will meet 100% of it in loans and work-study. You need to know which schools will meet more of that “need” in free money rather than loans you’ll need to repay. For the most part, it will definitely be a combination of grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study.

What sources of financial aid are available?

The majority of financial aid comes from four primary sources:

Federal Government
State Government
Campus-based programs
Private Scholarships

Federal Government:

There are three major Federally-based programs-1) Pell Grants, 2) Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, 3) Parent PLUS LOANS

1) Pell Grants: The Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid. Pell Grants are awarded only to undergraduate students with extreme financial need. Scottsdale college counselor, Awards range from $400-$4,000. It will depend not only on your financial need but also on the cost to attend school and your status as a full-time or part-time student.

2) Subsidized: and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans:

These loans as well as the PLUS loans are available through the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL- Funds come from a bank, credit union, or other lender that participates in the program) and William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan- Funds come from the Federal government) Programs. The terms and conditions of both loans are similar (Currently President Obama is proposing the federal government issue all student loans and eliminate FFEL bank loans.)

a) Subsidized: This loan is based upon “need”. The student does not have to begin paying this back until six months after graduation from college. The interest does not accrue while the student is in college, meaning the interest is in effect, paid by the government. Ideally do not take out loans, if you can manage with the help from Arizona college counselorcom
b) Unsubsidized: This loan is available to families regardless of “need”. The only difference is the government will not subsidize the interest payments, and the interest payments will begin to accrue immediately.

*To receive a Stafford Loan, the student must fill out a loan application from a lender, and send it to the college for certification by the college’s financial aid office.

Maximum amount for the Stafford Loan are limited to $3500 for the student’s freshman year in college, $4500 for the student’s sophomore year, $5,500 for the student junior and senior years in college.

Interest rates for Federal Stafford loans are fixed and adjusted annually.

3) Parent PLUS/SLS Loan: PLUS stands for “Parent’s Loan for Undergraduate Students”

These loans are in the parent’s name and are not based upon “need”, but a credit approval is required.

Theoretically, a parent could borrow the entire Cost of Attendance, minus any other financial aid received, if they needed to. Interest does accrue on this loan and the parent needs to begin paying this loan back 60 days after taking it out.

The PLUS loan is capped at 8.5% and amortized over 10 years (or you have ten years to pay it back). This may not be the best option to pay for college, but it is still an option.

State Government:

Each state differs in its own special programs. These can include grants, scholarships, tuition assistance, and loans. Many programs are designed to assist students pursuing careers in the health and teaching professions.

Campus-Based Programs:

Campus-based programs are funds that colleges and universities receive from the Federal Government and from private endowments. Generally, a specific amount of money is given to a college each year. Once that money is awarded, there are no more funds available until next year. This is why it is imperative to file the financial aid forms not only on time but also correctly, since financial aid is awarded on a first come first serve basis! If the forms are not filled out correctly, the forms will get rejected and sent back to you to be corrected. That may cost you 4-6 weeks in delays, and thousands of dollars in lost financial aid.

There are four main sources of campus-based aid: 1) SEOG grants 2) Work-study 3) Perkins Loan and Endowments.

1) Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG): These are “need” based grants awarded to students with extreme financial need. Priority is given to students who receive the Pell Grants.

There is now guarantee that all eligible students will receive SEOG Grants. Grants range between $100-$4,000.

2) Federal Work-Study: This award is based upon “need”. The student is offered a specific amount of money for the year. The student is then expected to work on campus part-time for the Federal, minimum wage until the student has earned the total amount awarded. At that point, the student work commitment is over. If the student is offered work-study, they should take it because its money they will not have to pay back.

3) Federal Perkins Loan: These are low interest subsidized loans that are offered by the colleges and subsidized by the Federal government. The interest rate is 5% and no payments have to be made until the student is out of school for 6 months and the Federal government subsidizes the interest.

An undergraduate student can receive a maximum $4000/yr. with a total limit of $20,000. A graduate student can receive $6,000/yr. with total limit of $40,000 (totals include all previous Perkins Loans).

4) Endowments: Endowments are funds that are given to schools from private sources: alumni, corporations, and other foundations.

Private schools have a lot more of these types of funds available. State colleges have to rely almost entirely on Federal and State funds.

Private Scholarships:

Millions of dollars are given away each year to deserving students by private organizations. Finding these scholarships and applying for them can be a frustrating, but rewarding process.

The best place to start looking for scholarships is in your high school guidance office. Once you have a handle on what is available locally, then move onto the free scholarship search services available on the Internet. It is recommended NOT to pay for scholarship searches.

Be persistent! Use more than one service. Don’t take the application process lightly. Be sure to meet deadlines and to complete applications thoroughly and accurately. Follow application instructions to the letter. You cannot be complacent when it comes to asking for other people’s money.

AZ College Planning, Arizona college counselor tips.

Schedule a free consultation today.

The post Basics of Financial Aid | College Counselor appeared first on AZ College Planning.

The Secret for Admission to Reach School, Safety School & Fit School, Good Fit College

jd@AZCollegePlanning.com (J.D. Wyczalek) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 23:36:20 +0000

Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college

Let’s jump straight into the deep end!

have you ever asked yourself why would a Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college admit a student and give out scholarships to that student?

is there some formula that can be discovered that can help you gain admission and get the best scholarships let’s look at some examples

here’s a few examples of students who got results

this student was offered thousand four hundred and ten dollars in scholarships

for iowa state seventy three thousand

six hundred and forty dollars over four years this scholarship

made it comparable for him to attend this out of state

Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college as it would have been for him to attend an in-state public college

here’s another example Hannah was offered forty six thousand

four hundred and ninety five dollars in scholarships and grants

totaling 185 thousand nine hundred and eighty dollars over the course of four

years for her to attend Cal Lutheran university in California

the parents net cost eleven thousand five hundred dollars for one year it was

about the same for her to go to Cal Lutheran as it was for her to attend an

in-state Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college such as Arizona state university

and another example michael was admitted

to Washington university st. louis wash u and was offered 62,298 dollars in scholarships his parents net cost for one year is 11 thousand one hundred eighty

dollars it was less expensive to go to this private out of state Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college than

it would have been for him to go in state to ASU

why did these students get admitted and why did they get these amazing

scholarship packages was it because they had perfect grades perfect test scores

or was it something else please stick with me and you’ll discover

the secrets that colleges and admission officers don’t want you to know

hi, I’m JD Wyczalek and I’m the founder of

A through Z College Planning, AZCollegePlanning.com, Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college planning i started Az Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college planning in august of 2007

and over the last decade and a half i’ve discovered the secrets of admission and the secrets to get the most scholarships humanly possible so let’s talk about it i call this presentation how to not go broke for paying for Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college or you

don’t know what you don’t know about Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college but what you really need to know

about Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college it starts with a Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college ranking system if you ever talk with someone or looked up a Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college the ranking system always pops up such things as this Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college is ranked number 10 in biology or that Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college is ranked number 17 in engineering etc etc the Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college ranking system is extremely important to the Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college and

we’ll talk more about that in a few slides there are a variety of things that are ranked

and

that are important to the Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college what we want to do is we want to figure out

what things are valued by the Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college then do those things

for admission and for scholarships have you asked yourself

why a Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college would give out scholarships is because they’re generous and kind or

is it because they want and need a specific student colleges ask a lot of

questions when they’re looking at potential applicants one of the many questions that they ask

is how will the student impact our rankings will the student have a positive neutral

or negative impact on our rankings if it’s negative then they’re going to

reject that student if it’s neutral well maybe they’ll admit the student and maybe they’ll give them some scholarships if it’s positive they’re going to do whatever they can to

recruit that student and one of the ways recruiting tools that colleges use

is scholarships and grants so when a Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college identifies a student that they want they will and that

student will make a positive impact on their rankings in one or more categories

the Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college will do whatever they can to recruit that student

and offer some offer admission as well as scholarships

and i gave you a couple examples in the previous slides

rankings matter to the Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college because whenever there was an upward trend

in any category that is ranked that attracts more attention and with more

attention comes more applications and more application fees

so last year 2021 university of California Berkeley had a hundred and twelve thousand eight

hundred and forty six students apply and it cost seventy dollars to apply so when

you do the math 112 thousand times seventy dollars that’s seven point eight

million dollars that was generated just in application fees so Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college is big

business, now that you know this, now you can properly position yourself

to win! in the previous examples of students who received admission and extremely

generous award packages this is because these students were taught how to

properly market themselves to colleges so the college

needs the student and knows the student will have a positive impact on their

rankings this was accomplished through a through z Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college planning’s proprietary strategies these include one-on-one college

counseling and classes which are carefully designed to help your student

increase chances of admission and scholarships

there are several things that you can do to get some more information you can

check out the stuff on my website azcollegeplane.com

you can also give us a call at 1-888-237-2087

to schedule a complimentary consultation or you can email us at info

azcollegeplan.com

and you can also check out some of the other videos that are available on here

In these Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college Workshop videos, J.D. the founder of AZCollegePlanning.com explains the Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college Ranking System. You have probably seen one or more magazines or websites that have a list of the “top” colleges. ‘US News & World Report Best Colleges Edition‘ and ‘Forbes Best Colleges’ are just a few of these ranking publications.

These eye-opening videos discuss who actually gets admitted, who actually gets scholarships and why one needs to Discover the Rules of the Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college Admission and the Scholarship Game to align yourself to WIN. (Yes, Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college Admission is a game!)

This next video will answer most of your questions and will answer a lot of questions you may not have considered, in this Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college Workshop REPLAY video. This video further emphasizes the importance of the Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college Ranking System and the roll the ranking system plays in admission selection and scholarship funding and how to use the ranking system as leverage for admission and scholarships. When one discovers what a Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college values (and each Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college values different things) then one can participate in the appropriate activities and clubs that a Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college values and write about these things in the resume and Reach school safety school & fit school good fit college admission essay.

The post The Secret for Admission to Reach School, Safety School & Fit School, Good Fit College appeared first on AZ College Planning.

College Admissions Portal Astrology, Real Clues or Just Wishful Thinking | A through Z College Planning

jd@AZCollegePlanning.com (J.D. Wyczalek) — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 01:01:10 +0000

Is Portal Astrology Real?

College Admissions Portal Astrology: Real Clues or Just Wishful Thinking?

Portal astrology becomes particularly dramatic with these highly selective colleges because students know that the outcome is uncertain. When applying to reach schools like Columbia University, Duke University, Brown University, Dartmouth College, Northwestern University, and the University of Pennsylvania, applicants often search for clues that they might be among the small percentage admitted. Students may analyze whether a financial aid checklist appeared early, whether a new tab opened in the portal, or whether the wording changed in their application status. Online forums frequently fill with theories suggesting that these tiny portal changes indicate an acceptance or rejection, even though admissions offices rarely design portals with hidden signals.

In reality, reach colleges are the least predictable institutions in the entire admissions process, which is why portal astrology thrives around them. Universities such as California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Johns Hopkins University, Rice University, Vanderbilt University, Georgetown University, and Carnegie Mellon University receive tens of thousands of applications for a limited number of seats. Admissions committees review applicants holistically, comparing them against exceptionally strong pools of candidates. Because decisions are made deep inside the admissions office and released simultaneously through the portal, the portal itself rarely contains meaningful clues ahead of time. For applicants to reach schools, portal astrology may provide entertainment during the waiting period, but it rarely provides accurate predictions about the final decision.

College Admissions Portal Astrology: Why Families Refresh Their Portals Like Horoscope Predictions

Every spring, millions of high school seniors across the United States begin a strange ritual. It doesn’t involve telescopes or star charts, yet it resembles astrology more than a traditional decision process.

Students sit in front of their computers refreshing their college admissions portals, watching for status updates, changes in wording, or the sudden appearance of a button that might reveal their future.

Parents stand behind them, anxious.

Friends text each other screenshots.

Reddit threads explode with speculation.

And suddenly, the college admissions portal begins to look less like a secure website and more like a crystal ball.

Welcome to what many families jokingly call “College Admissions Portal Astrology.”

It’s the practice of trying to predict admissions decisions by interpreting tiny clues inside a college application portal—changes in wording, missing tabs, financial aid updates, or mysterious messages.

For anxious students waiting to find out where they will spend the next four years, the temptation is irresistible.

But how much truth is there to these predictions?

And why do students treat admissions portals like horoscope forecasts?

The Rise of the College Admissions Portal

In the past, students learned their admissions results the old-fashioned way.

A thick envelope in the mailbox meant good news.

A thin envelope meant rejection.

Families would gather around the kitchen table to open the letter together.

Those days are largely gone.

Today, nearly every college delivers admissions decisions through online applicant portals.

After submitting an application, students receive login credentials that allow them to track the status of their application, submit missing documents, and eventually receive their admissions decision.

These portals have become the central hub of the modern admissions process.

But they have also unintentionally created a new kind of anxiety.

Because unlike a sealed envelope that arrives once, portals can be refreshed endlessly.

And every refresh opens the door to speculation.

The Psychology Behind Portal Refreshing

When students apply to college, they enter a period of uncertainty that can last several months.

Applications are submitted in November or January.

Decisions often arrive in March or April.

That waiting period creates enormous psychological pressure.

Humans are wired to search for patterns when facing uncertainty. When information is scarce, the brain starts looking for clues—any clues.

In college admissions, the only visible system students have access to is the portal.

So they begin analyzing it.

Did the checklist change?

Did the financial aid tab disappear?

Did the portal suddenly show a housing form?

Did the wording change from “application received” to “application under review”?

Each tiny change can spark waves of speculation.

Reddit: The Birthplace of Portal Astrology

Online communities have amplified the phenomenon dramatically.

On forums like Reddit, particularly in communities such as “Applying To College”, thousands of students compare their portal screenshots with one another.

Threads often appear with titles like:

“Did anyone else’s financial aid tab disappear?”
• “My portal says ‘Congratulations’ in the URL code.”
• “Is the housing tab a sign of acceptance?”
• “Portal astrology thread for University X.”

Students share theories about hidden signals buried in the portal interface.

Some claim that certain tabs appear only for admitted students.

Others believe financial aid documents show up before acceptance letters.

Some inspect the HTML code of the page looking for hidden clues.

At times, entire communities attempt to reverse-engineer the admissions process based on portal behavior.

Common Portal Astrology Signs

Over time, a handful of common “signs” have become famous among applicants.

These include:

The Financial Aid Tab

Students often believe that if the financial aid tab appears early, it signals admission.

The logic is that the school wouldn’t prepare financial aid information unless the student were accepted.

However, many colleges load financial aid systems automatically for all applicants, regardless of outcome.

Housing Applications

If the portal allows students to apply for housing, some believe it signals acceptance.

But many universities preload housing forms for all applicants before decisions are released.

Checklist Changes

Students obsess over the application checklist.

If a document disappears, it may spark speculation that the application has moved to a different stage of review.

In reality, these changes often reflect routine administrative updates.

Portal Wording Changes

Some students track wording changes in portal messages, interpreting subtle differences in phrasing as clues.

For example:

“Your application is complete”
versus
“Your application is under review”

These wording differences often have no connection to admissions decisions.

The Myth of Hidden Signals

Despite the excitement surrounding portal astrology, admissions offices generally design portals with very little hidden meaning.

Most portal systems are built using standardized software platforms that automate application tracking.

Many of the changes students interpret as signals are actually automated system updates, not decisions.

Admissions offices typically finalize decisions internally before uploading results to the portal system.

Until the official release date, the portal is simply a holding area.

In other words, the clues students are analyzing usually have nothing to do with admissions outcomes.

Why Colleges Don’t Reveal Decisions Early

Admissions offices are extremely careful about when and how decisions are released.

There are several reasons for this.

First, universities must coordinate thousands of decisions simultaneously.

Second, they must prepare financial aid packages that accompany admissions offers.

Third, they often coordinate release dates with institutional communication strategies.

Releasing decisions early—even accidentally—could create chaos.

Therefore, most colleges keep the decision locked until a specific release time.

Even if a portal appears to change, it rarely reflects the final outcome.

The Role of Yield Management

Another reason portal astrology fails is that admissions decisions are not finalized in isolation.

Colleges manage enrollment using a concept known as yield, which refers to the percentage of admitted students who actually enroll.

Universities use sophisticated modeling to estimate how many students they must admit in order to fill the freshman class.

Because of this, decisions often involve waitlists, deferrals, and strategic admissions balancing.

These decisions are finalized in batches and uploaded simultaneously.

That means the portal usually contains no individualized hints ahead of time.

The Emotional Roller Coaster

Despite the lack of predictive value, portal astrology continues because it satisfies an emotional need.

Waiting for admissions decisions can feel unbearable.

Students want to know their future.

They want control over a process that feels mysterious and opaque.

Analyzing portal clues provides the illusion of control.

Even if the signals are meaningless, the act of searching for them helps students cope with uncertainty.

But the downside is that it can also increase stress.

Students may convince themselves they have been rejected based on a portal change that means nothing.

Others may become overly confident based on a rumor circulating online.

The Danger of False Signals

There have been cases where portal rumors spread quickly and caused unnecessary panic.

A single student may report a change in their portal, and within hours thousands of applicants begin checking their own accounts.

Rumors spread through social media, group chats, and online forums.

Sometimes these rumors are completely wrong.

Admissions offices occasionally issue statements reminding students not to read too much into portal behavior.

In extreme cases, colleges have even had to reassure applicants that no decisions have been released yet.

What Actually Matters in Admissions

Instead of focusing on portal clues, students should concentrate on what truly influences admissions decisions.

Colleges evaluate applicants based on a range of factors, including:

Academic performance
Course rigor
Extracurricular involvement
Leadership
Essays
Letters of recommendation
Demonstrated interest (at some institutions)

These elements are evaluated long before the portal ever changes.

Once applications are submitted, the outcome is largely outside the student’s control.

Refreshing the portal will not change the decision.

A Healthier Approach to Decision Season

For students waiting on admissions results, experts recommend a healthier approach.

Limit how often you check the portal.

Avoid getting caught up in online rumor threads.

Focus on school, friends, and activities during the waiting period.

Remember that a college decision does not define your future.

Many successful people attended schools that were not their first choice.

What matters most is how students use the opportunities available to them once they arrive on campus.

The Moment of Truth

Eventually, the portal does reveal the answer.

At a specific date and time—often announced weeks in advance—students log in and finally see the decision.

For some, the screen displays congratulations.

For others, a waitlist or rejection.

Regardless of the outcome, the months of speculation suddenly come to an end.

All the portal astrology theories vanish in a single moment.

Why Portal Astrology Will Never Disappear

Even though portal clues rarely predict outcomes, the phenomenon is unlikely to disappear.

The admissions process is inherently emotional.

It involves dreams, identity, and future plans.

Whenever humans face uncertainty, they search for patterns.

Astrology itself has existed for thousands of years for this very reason.

College admissions portals simply provide a modern digital version of the same instinct.

Students stare at their screens the way ancient astronomers stared at the stars—looking for signs about the future.

The Real Lesson

The real lesson behind college admissions portal astrology is not about technology.

It is about human psychology.

When outcomes matter deeply and information is limited, people naturally begin searching for clues.

But the truth is simpler.

Admissions decisions are not hidden in the portal’s wording, tabs, or HTML code.

They are determined by the strength of the application long before the portal ever changes.

In the end, refreshing the portal repeatedly will not reveal the future.

It will only make the waiting feel longer.

The best strategy is patience.

Eventually, the decision will arrive.

And when it does, the real journey—college itself—will finally begin.

👉 What you should do now

By the time a senior is checking their admissions portal… it’s usually too late to change the outcome.

Admissions officers make decisions based on years of preparation, not last-minute applications.

Families who start planning in 8th–11th grade often give their students a major advantage in admissions and scholarships.

Schedule a free college planning consultation and learn how to position your student before the competition catches up.

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Safety School Fit School Good Fit College | AZ College Planning

jd@AZCollegePlanning.com (J.D. Wyczalek) — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 19:57:36 +0000

A Through Z College Planning

Today’s class is the influencer class. It’s the marketing class on how to sell yourself to college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s. Potential. This is a great SAT word as well as a good uh word to use in your essay.

and intentional. An adjective is a function word that depends on something else or another word. So, we have to be intentional about things. Be intentional about our grades. Be intentional about our test scores, our involvement with clubs. We have to be intentional about our college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college a through z college planning. selection. Be intentional about our college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college applications. and of course be intentional about our college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair visits. So influence, the power of influence is the power to have an effect on people or things.

She used her positive attitude to positively influence the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college recruiter’s admission decision. He used his energetic attitude to positively influence the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college recruiters scholarship decision.

So we want to make ourselves into great college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college candidates and to make yourself into and make yourself into an easy to recruit candidate which makes their job easier and we want to make their job as easy as possible. So the first thing we got to do is figure out what a college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college values and uh what they want and then of course do those things. figure out which figure out which college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college on your list is the hardest school to get into and then aim for those parameters.

Whatever those test scores are or GPA scores are, then position yourself for admission to that college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college . Then when you hit that, by default, you have everything necessary for each college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college that falls below that mark. It makes sense, right?

If you need help creating a list of college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s, please do reach out to us.

So, how do we make ourselves into great college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college candidates and how do we market ourselves to the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s? First, we need to know a few things and we need to know what college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college value and what they want.

And the first thing that they’re going to look at is your grades and your test score. So, your job is to graduate high school with the highest grade, highest GPA you can. And they’re going to look at your unweighted GPA.

So get the best unweighted GPA that you can.

Some college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit colleges value class rank

and that’s uh important at the highly selective college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s and you can name some of those college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit colleges.

Those are going to be Harvard and Stanford and Duke etc. to increase your increase your

class rank. Take the most AP honors, dual credits, and IB classes that you can get a high grade in those classes. High grade means A. And those extra GPA points for those honors and AP classes are going to help you move up on class rank. Some college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit colleges do value class rank. If your high school does not show class rank on your transcripts, don’t worry about it. The college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college will simply run its own calculations.

The third thing that each college, school, safety school and fit school, good fit college are looking at and asking questions about are your test scores. SAT, ACT, PSAT, even AP

scores. These tests are not going to go away. The main reason some college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s are test optional or even test blind is so

the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college can get more and more students to apply. Every application has an application fee.

When UCLA dropped the test requirement during a pandemic, their number the number of applications that they received skyrocketed. In fact, last year they had 145,000 students apply to UCLA and it cost $80 to apply. So when you do the math, $80 times $145,000, that is $1.6 million that was generated just in application fees.

So take the SAT and ACT as many times as necessary and get the best score that a through z college planning. You can. So the first three things are valued by college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s because of the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college ranking system. College each school, safety school and fit school, good fit colleges are big business and they do things for business purposes. Whenever there’s an upward trend in any category that’s ranked that attracts more attention and more attention means more application fees. Have you asked yourself why does a college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college have any of these things? Why do they have a football team? Why do they have a basketball team? Why do they have, you know, whatever?

And the reason is because if a college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college ‘s football team is successful, more students are going to want to attend that college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college . So, of course, they’re going to try and get the best athletes and uh and win those games. That will make their college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college ranking in the football section. It will go up and that will attract more attention. And more attention means more application fees. The bottom line is money.

The next couple things are things that you can really kind of control and these are activities in school and activities outside of school. Some college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit colleges value the activities that you’re involved with and will give some scholarships for those things. For example, if a college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college values marching band, the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college may give a student a scholarship for being involved in marching band in college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college .

So, be strategic with the things that you do. If you need help choosing activities to make your resume pop, schedule a meeting with us and we’ll be happy to talk about the different clubs and activities and hobbies that you’re involved with. Also, be a leader in one or more of the activities that you do. Leader doesn’t always mean an elected position, president, vice president, treasurer, etc. It could be that you just take charge and offer positive influence.

Leadership also means being responsible. You’re responsible to do certain things. So, if you’re involved in a club and they’re like, “Hey, we need someone to do this.” You can raise your hand. Hey, I volunteer to do that. That is taking charge. and shows initiative and is leadership. Another example is Seattle University.

They will give out a scholarship to a select few who are leaders in volunteer and community service activities.

So we want to look at and ask the question of each college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college that we’re going to apply to. What does this college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college value and whatever that college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college values? Then of course do those things.

How do we find what they value? By looking up their mission statement and then also looking up what types of scholarships they give out. If they give out a leadership scholarship, then you know that they value that. If they don’t give out a community service scholarship, then you know they don’t care about that.

The fifth thing that college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s look at in a candidate is your passion or your spike.

So having a single passion about one or two things. You don’t have to be class president to show leadership. Employment or helping out the little kids are two examples of leadership.

I’m going to read an essay and I really like this essay. She got into Syracuse University in New York with this essay and I’m going to read it and then I’m going to talk about the things that are highlighted in this essay and explain why.

So, over the past six years I have been babysitting. I have noticed one major complaint among parents of children I watch. Their car seats are hard to install and use correctly and are a nuisance in their everyday lives with their children. Many of these parents resort to installing and using their car seats improperly because they are complicated. They also do not realize their tremendous importance. This is one major reason that car accidents are the number one killer of children in the United States. I have been researching child passenger safety since middle school when I learned of this frightening statistic. Child passenger safety is my passion. The loss of a child is tragic and something that no family should ever have to experience, especially as a result of something preventable, like injuries from a car accident. In effort to try and turn these numbers around, I plan to become a child passenger safety technician when I turn 18.

I would be trained to install car seats and in turn teach parents to install their specific car seats and use them correctly. However, I would like to take my passion for child passenger safety one step further by becoming an engineer. I hope to one day help advance the field of child passenger safety. In working with the child seat companies, my main goal would be to create an extremely easy to use car seat that is safe, reliable, and hard to misuse. I hope that this could reverse the statistic of car accidents being the number one killer of children in the United States. When I know that I have saved just one child from the death as a result of a car accident, I will feel my goal has been accomplished through public education, improved child passenger safety laws, and improved child seats. I believe a revolution can be made in keeping children safer in the car. I’d be thrilled to play a part in that revolution. Car accidents do not have to be the number one killer of children in America.

So, she first starts off by saying that car accidents are the number one killer of children in America. Then she concludes with that same statement. So she ties those two together. I call them bookends. You have this statement at the at the beginning and then you emphasize that same statement at the end. That’s kind of a book ends with the essay. So here are the things that are highlighted. I have been researching. What this tells the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college is that she has the desire to want to learn and college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s are a place of learning.

The next statement that’s highlighted, I plan to become a child passenger safety technician when she turns 18. Well, her birthday was in November and she turned 18 in November and went down to the fire department and got car seat installer certified. As soon as she had that certificate, she sent an email to each of the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s that she applied to and said, “Hey, I just want to update you and let you know that I am now car seat installer certified.” What that does is several things. First, it continues to demonstrate interest, and demonstrating interest is critical.

Second, it shows the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college that she’s being proactive and she’s not going on uh coast mode and dying of senioritis.

And the third thing is that she concludes and says hey I am going to do this and then she proves that she did do it. Okay.

So, and then the last is uh by becoming an engineer. The college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s that she was applying to did have engineering programs.

Develop your passion and your spike. So, Lori showed her passion for safety engineering and child uh car seats in her essay and in her high school resume.

So, some ask how do I develop my passion and my spike? And the simple answer is to learn more about it. The more you learn about it, the more you appreciate it. The more you appreciate it, the greater your passion is going to be for that thing, for that subject, whatever it may be.

To develop your passion, it starts with your interests. What are you interested in? when you’re not doing school work, homework, what can I find you doing? What hobbies do you enjoy? What hobbies do you have? What hobbies do you want to start? And what kind of things do you like to

research online and offline? Those might be some things that uh can start with building your passion and building your spike.

So, here’s my story. When I was in college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college , several of my friends had motorcycles and I was interested. I picked up a magazine on the topic, read some books. I would have browsed the internet, but that wasn’t available back then, and learned more about it. I learned more about motorcycles

and the first one is uh my first motorcycle and then I eventually got a Honda CBR and that passion continued to develop. The more I learned about it, the more passionate I became. And my passion for motorcycles led me to doing some motorcycle drag racing. And that passion continued to grow.

And that passion grew and my passion, one passion led to another passion. And that that one spike led to another. And my passion for racing led me to build a race car and race. And that’s a picture of me and my team. We took second place at Willow Springs. So, where will your passion take you?

I found this article in Scientific American, and I’ll just kind of read a couple sentences. Finding a passion implies that it already exists, fully formed, and is simply waiting to be discovered. Unfortunately, this idea doesn’t square with what science tells us. Instead, passion like interests are developed. They often begin with a spark of curiosity caused by something in one’s environment. And in my case, some friends had some motorcycles.

So they often begin with a spark of curiosity caused by someone or something in one’s environment such as fascinating physics lectures or a moving piece of art or as I said in my case friends who had motorcycles through a process involving repeated

engagement positive experiences and cared knowledge people can come to personally value that content or activity and internalize it in simplified terms. Learn more about it.

Let’s talk a little bit about the what, why, how, when. And you can pick up this book, the official book of electronic etiquette, or you could just pay attention.

When you’re conveying your passion and your spike to college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s, you may talk to them on the phone or on email, when you are communicating with a college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college , imagine that that person you are corresponding with is a stuffy old English professor. Use complete sentences, proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. All those things matter.

These things will have influence on the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college admission and college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college scholarships.

Don’t use abbreviations.

Spell out the whole word. Some people may not understand your abbreviations. So to provide clarity, use complete sentences and spell out the entire word.

When you are communicating with them via email, use a generic, plain,

professional email address. Don’t use a school issued email address.

So when you communicate with a college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college with email and please check your email daily, use an email account that you control. A school issued email account may be turned off when you graduate.

creating a simple professional email address and then again check that on a regular basis charter school and then also create a signature file. A signature file is added to the bottom of every email that you send in and that signature file should include the following information. It should include your full name, first and last name. Should include your address, your phone number, and your email address. And you can put in there class of 26 or class of 27 or uh if you’d like to do that, that would be fine, too.

The reason why we are creating a signature file is we want to make their job easier. So, if they need to reach out to you and ask you a question or tell you about an event that’s coming up, hey, we’re going to be at the Scottdale or we’re going to be at the Phoenix College each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college Fair at downtown of the Civic Plaza. I just want to let you know. And so, they might tell you about different events or different things that are going on. And if they have your full contact information, your phone number and your email, that’ll make it easier for them t o get in touch with you and make their job easier. And if you make their job easier, they’ll be happier. And if they’re happier, that could increase your chances of being ad admitted and increase your chances of scholarships.

Electronic etiquette also includes social platforms. So, keep your social sites clean, clean language, and clean photos. No hate speech. Students have been rejected based on the information that college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college recruiters find on social sites. So, keep your keep your social sites clean. So, be intentional about your online presence.

When you are texting someone, include your full name.

Occasionally, I’ll get text messages like this and it’s uh, hey, I’d like to schedule a meeting. And like, oh, I’d love to schedule a meeting with you. Who is this? So when you text someone, include your full name. That will make their job easier for the tech for the person who receives your text. So then so they know who they are corresponding with. Some college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college recruiters use text as a mean to communicate with potential college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college candidates. Sometimes these recruiters are sending out hundreds of text messages to hundreds of students. When you send a text message with your full name, it makes it easier for the recruiter to do his or her job. And if you make it easy for them, you can increase your chances of admission and scholarships.

Continuing with the what, who, why, and when. Demonstrated interest.

Demonstrated interest is exactly as it sounds. You’re showing the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college , hey, I’m interested in your school.

The definition is de demonstrated interest is one indicator used by college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s to determine how interested applicants are in enrolling in their college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college . Demonstrated interest can be assessed through various contacts with the admissions office, including requesting information, campus tours, and contact with the admissions representatives.

Demonstrating interest is critical regardless of whatever the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college says.

Some college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit colleges say we don’t care about demonstrated interest. They really do. And the reason why every college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college cares about it is because of the ranking system. And one of the categories that’s ranked is the yield percentage. The yield percentage is the percentage of accepted students who actually enroll in the their yield numbers. It costs the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college money in advertising to entice students and have them ultimately enroll as a student at their college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college . College each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s want to control their costs by admitting students who are more likely to say yes if the student is admitted. And college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit colleges will do this by tracking which students have demonstrated interest and which ones have demonstrated more interest and which students have not demonstrated interest at all.

So the best college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s for you are the ones that you can give you the educational opportunity and experience you want and schools that you feel are comfortable uh that have a good fit. And one way to determine that is by demonstrating interest, interacting with the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college , going to their different events. And as you go to those different events and interact with the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college , ask the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college questions, that will help you determine if that college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college is a good fit for you. And if it is a good fit, keep it on your list. If not, cross off and move on to the next one.

College each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s who value demonstrated interest and yield are going to track every student who comes in contact with their institution. Now that you know why these things are important, the next step is to implement a plan.

Get on the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college ‘s radar by attending the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair. We’ll talk about that more in a little bit. and by filling out the request for information form. Go to the college’s website and in the search bar, type in request information and then fill out that form. This step will get you on the college’s radar and we’ll begin to track you. We want the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s to track you. You’ll get an email that says something like this.

Hey, we saw that you filled out the request for information form and my name’s Steve. I’m your recruiter contact. If you have any questions, reach out to me. Here’s my number. Here’s my email. So, those are instructions that you get in your email. So, do follow those instructions. And when you get that email, you know who your recruiter contact is and now you know who you can cultivate rapport with and develop that relationship.

Here’s an example of a form. Go to the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college ‘s website. in the search bar, type in request for information. It should bring you to uh something like this. It’ll ask you for your name, your address, your phone number. Sometimes they ask you about what major it is you want to study. Sometimes it asks about what your GPA is or if you or what test scores you might have. Whatever information they’re asking for, you know, provide them with that information. If you don’t have a solid test score yet, uh then don’t report that. And then once you do get your your solid test score, then we’ll report those scores. If you cannot find this form, call the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college on the phone and say, “Hey, I’m interested in getting some information.” And they’ll ask, “What’s your name? What’s your phone number?” And they’ll put you in their database and you’ll start getting you’ll get on their radar and you’ll get flyers and brochures and emails and all that stuff. If you are getting an email from a college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college and you did not fill out the request for information form, you are on their prospect list.

To get off their prospect list and to get on their hot list, go to the website and fill out the request for information form.

The purpose of the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair is several things. One is to get information about the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college and the second is to meet the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college representative, the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college recruiter or the admission representative. They have different titles, but they’re all the same person. It will be the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college representative or the admissions rep

or it’ll be the admissions rep and a panel of people that make the decision. Do we admit you and do we give you scholarships? And the human psychology is if they know you and they like you, their probability of admission and scholarships goes up. So seniors, go to the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair and let them know that you’ve applied to their college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college or you will apply to their college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college pretty soon. Juniors, go there and develop rapport with the admissions recruiter. Get some information, ask questions. sophomores and freshman and younger, uh, go to the fair and get information and ask questions. Here are the 17 steps on how to make the most of the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair. There may be some specific fairs and a internet search can help you find those things. There might be an arts fair, arts college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s fair, a STEM college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair, religious college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s fair, or just a general uh fair. And typically in Arizona, there are two fairs, one in the fall, one in the spring. Whether you’re in Arizona or a different state or elsewhere on the planet, a quick internet search will yield those results. type in the name of your city and college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair and attend that whether it be a in-person fair or it be a virtual fair before you go to the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair find out where and when and if you live in a different part of country uh do the internet search for that tip number one register for the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair when you register online. The form will ask you some for some personal information such as your name, your address, phone number, and email. It might ask you what high school you’re attending, and what grade you are in high school. And you’ll you’ll fill in all of that data, and you’ll click the submit button, and it will create a barcode.

And then you can print that barcode off, or you can download it to your phone. By having that barcode, you won’t have to fill out dozens of cards as you go from booth to booth talking to different college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college representatives. A quick beep and that college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college has scanned and captured your information. I’ll send out an email and also in the dialogue box on the YouTube channel there’ll be a link to sign up for the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college grant. I did send out an email with a link to that previously.

I’ll send it out again. Tip number two, before the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair, check the roster to see which college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s will be in attendance and which college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s you want to talk to. on my website, there’s a list of the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s that will be at the Phoenix College each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college Fair. Again, just uh a quick internet search, name of the city, college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair. Click on that link and there should be a roster list of the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s that will be in attendance. Review that list so you can identify schools that you want to learn more about and uh make a priority to visit those college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college booths first. Tip number three, before the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair, create a plan. Some college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fairs will give you a map. Check and see where these college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college booths are located. Then make a beeline to those college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college booths. So the the fall college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair in Phoenix, Arizona is the big fair. There’ll be about 200 or so college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s that will be there. And when you go to that fair, there’ll be people out front handing out maps. uh grab one of those maps and bring a pen or a highlighter and then circle which college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s you want to go and talk to and then pick out two or three college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s that you’ve never heard of and go talk to them. Who knows it might be a perfect fit. So check out the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s that you are interested in first and then as time permits uh go and look at two or three or more college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s again depending on time.

Tip number four have a list of questions. So before the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair be prepared with a list of questions. If you don’t know what questions to ask I have a list of questions. I’ll be happy to uh give you that list. So I’ll send out an email to everyone with several links. One link will be the link to sign up for the Arizona College each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college Fair. Another link will be a list of questions that you can ask. So, print that out or circle or highlight a few questions that are important to you. Then ask those questions. An important question to ask an out-of-state college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college is how accessible is your campus to some form of major transportation, airport, bus, or train station or something like that? Write that question down. How accessible is your college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college to some form of major transportation, airport, bus, train, etc. How accessible is your campus to major form of transportation? Because if you’re going out of state, you want to know how easy or difficult it is to get to your campus.

And a fun question that I love to ask is, does your college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college have any secret traditions? So, I went to Biola University in Los Angeles and our mascot was the eagle and we had a giant 300 pound cement gold painted egg and it had the Biola logo on it and occasionally that egg would disappear.

Uh, I don’t know how but somehow that egg ended up in our dorm hall. Now that the statute of limitations has lapsed, I can kind of tell that story. So, it’s just fun.

Tip number five is forge your own path. Don’t be afraid to split up from your friends and your parents. In fact, ditch your parents. Parents, it’s okay if you go to the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair, but don’t be the one that engages with the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college representative because the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college wants to admit your student and not you.

Tip number six, bring a tote bag or something that you can carry the material that you collect from the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair. Some venues only allow clear or see-through bags and uh backpacks. So, check the venue to see what they allow and what they don’t allow. Broachers and similar marketing materials are common at college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fairs. Pick up any and all printed material. Bring a bag that you can carry some stuff. Sometimes a college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college will have a bag or something that they’ll they’ll give you to carry all the information that you’re collecting. If they do or they don’t, you know, it’s always better to be prepared.

Tip number seven, dress appropriately. Dress appropriately by dressing up a little bit. You don’t have to wear a suit or a tie or anything like that. I mean, if you want to, that’s fine. but you should dress nice. Um, a polo shirt or or a button-down shirt or something like that. Um, some nice shorts maybe or some nice long pants or a dress or a skirt combination or something like that for the for the girls.

You want to present an image that is professional and well put together. When talking to the representative, also remember to smile and make eye contact.

Convey that you are interested in attending their school. And do not wear a shirt or a hat that has a college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college name or college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college logo on it. Wearing a University of Oregon shirt while you are talking to the representative of University of Kansas is not a good idea.

Let’s talk about tips during the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair.

Tip number eight, get there early, right as it opens. So, the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair is going to be from 11:00 a.m. to 300 p.m. And because it’s the big college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair, they’re going to bus kids in from Yuma, Flagstaff, and Tucson.

And those students are going to arrive by bus around noon. You want to get there before everything goes completely crazy. And some college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s have a just a limited number of hours. You want to get there early enough so that the representative that you meet is fresh and ready to go.

Tip number nine, during the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair, introduce yourself and always try to ask the first question, not your parents. Remember, you ditched your parents, right? Say something like, “Hi, my name’s JD Smith. What can you tell me about the biology program at your school?”

And use your full name.

What can you tell me about the chemistry program, the engineering program, the whatever about your school?

Tip number 10, don’t ask the representative to evaluate your chances of admission. Instead, ask, “What are two or three cool things about your college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college ? What is your college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college ‘s favorite tradition?” And then review that list of questions that I’m going to send out. A really great question to ask is, “What’s your best scholarship and what do I have to do to earn that?” Tip number 11, stay engaged while you’re interacting with the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college representatives. Show that you are interested. There may be a lot of noise and distractions. Remember to smile and look them in the eyes.

Tip number 12, take some notes. These notes will help you remember things.

Plus, you could use these notes to help write your essay later on. Some college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s are asking the essay question, why do you want to come to our college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college ? And a really boring answer is your college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college has a good football team or your college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college has a good biology program. They already know that. But a really great individual response that only you can answer and you can ask is I want to go to your college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college because when I met the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college recruiter at the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair, he or she said this that intrigued me. I did some more research on your website and I want to be in that type of learning environment. That is a awesome powerful response. And by uh by telling them that you are taking notes well if you are taking notes on your phone, let the person know that you’re taking notes and you’re not just randomly texting someone. By telling them that you’re taking notes on your device, you’re being polite and you’re showing that you are staying engaged with that person. Remember tip 11, stay engaged.

Tip number 13, remember to get the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college representatives contact information or their business card. If you have any questions after the fair, you’ll be able to reach back out to them because you have their contact information. Ask the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college representative for a business card. Don’t just take one off the table. introduce yourself, ask questions, and say, “Hey, do you have a business card?” And they’ll hand it to you. And now you’ve got their contact information with their phone number and their emails.

Tip number 14. After the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair, spend some time getting organized. Take a moment to sort through the brochures and business cards with their related notes. You took notes, right? create a folder or something like that that you can keep all this information together.

Tip number 15, after the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair, you may have some additional questions or perhaps you visited one college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college booth later on that prompted a question that you should have asked or could have asked the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college that you had visited first. Follow up with that college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college representative and ask those additional questions. By following up and asking more questions, you are continuing to demonstrate interest. Demonstrating interest is critical.

Tip number 16.

After the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair, follow up with a thank you email. Because you have the representative’s business card and you got their contact information. You can follow up with that thank you. If you really want to stand out, send a thank you. You’re not going to believe this. Less than 1% of students follow up with a thank you. This is one of the most important steps that can make you stand out. And it’s just a simple short little email. Hey, hi Steve. I met you at the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair. Thank you so much for talking to me about the biology program.

And then if you have a question, you can uh put your question in there. Sincerely, JD Smith, class of 2027.

Here’s my phone number. Here’s my email.

Tip number 17. After the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair, check your email regularly. Preferably, check your email daily. College each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s communicate with students via email. Sometimes, college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s email students with important tips or events.

Check your email regularly so you don’t miss those important things.

I had a student who applied to a college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college . It was a prestigious college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college in Chicago and he got a preliminary acceptance letter in December and that letter said uh you’re admitted and the letter continued and said there are several things that we’re missing. One thing that we’re missing is your final transcript. And that’s going to be true for every college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college . We know that when you graduate from high school, you’ll send in your final transcript. And then it said the second thing that we’re missing is recommendation letters.

Well, this student went and talked to his teacher at his high school and asked his teacher, “Hey, can you write me a great recommendation letter?” And the teacher said yes. And then the teacher promptly forgot. And then the student promptly forgot.

Jump forward to March of his senior year. He got a second letter from the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college and I’ll paraphrase it. It said, “You missed the deadline. Too bad. So sad you ain’t coming here. We never got a recommendation letter.” Well, I can tell you that this student never checked his email. Please check your email regularly, preferably daily.

So to do a quick recap, whenever you’re communicating with a college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college representative, admission staff, college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college professor, use proper grammar and punctuation. That is important. Before you send in the email, letter or an essay, reread it.

Have a parent or counselor or teacher read it and then correct it. And I always say read it out loud because when you read it out loud, you can hear things that sound funny. Sometimes when you read it in your brain, your brain corrects things. But when you read it out loud, if it sounds funny, then you can look at it again and go, “Oh yeah, this is weird. Let me correct that.” And then always conclude with your full contact information, first and last name, address, phone number, and email. So that it whenever that crores whenever you correspond with a college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college representative, if you conclude with your full contact information, it will be easier for them to get back with you because they have your full contact information and that is on everything that you send them and you will make their job easier.

And when you text someone, um, reply in a complete sentence.

Don’t just reply yes or no or whatever. Um, reply with a complete sentence. Yes, I would love to meet you at Starbucks on Thursday at 400 PM. JD Wyczalek. And then put in your name in there as well.

Imagine how frustrating that could be for a college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college representative who’s who’s talked to thousands of students and texted thousands of them. We want to make their job easy.

Send that email, that thank you email. Very few students actually send out that thank you note. It’s that extra personal touch. This can also help you develop rapport with that admissions recruiter.

Thank them for telling you about the weather at that college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college or whether or not they have a golden egg that goes missing every once in a while and just thank them for that. So, please remember to send that thank you note. It is super important. When a college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college recruiter comes to your high school and it is a college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college that you are interested in, go and meet that recruiter. Ask that recruiter some questions and then follow up with that thank you email. If you are a freshman or a sophomore in high school and your high school does not allow you to go meet the admissions recruiter, they’re doing you a disservice. Bring in the big guns, mom and dad, and go and meet those recruiters.

Three important questions. What is your best scholarship and what do I need to do to earn that? What kind of student are you looking for? And another great question, I’m interested in your school. What’s my next step? So, when you go to the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair, ask that question. I’m interested in your school. It sounds awesome. what’s my next step? And they’ll tell you what the next step is.

And of course, do those things follow their lead as directed? You can ask one or all three of those questions.

I saw this article and it was on Newsweek and here’s the title of the article. Ignoring emails from college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s could hurt students chances at being accepted. Admission experts say if a student hasn’t p and this I’m reading a couple sentences from this article. If a student hasn’t paused and clicked on an email that may show lack of demonstrated interest. So they may not take a chance on admitting that student even if they’re a qualified candidate.

So on that note, check your email regularly. Click on the links in the body of the email. There will be instructions in that email and those instructions will be something like, “Hi, my name is Steve. I’m a recruiter contact.” Instruction number one is call me or email me with any questions. Instruction number two might be like and follow us on YouTube or Instagram. If you don’t have an Instagram account, don’t create one. Um, but if you do, uh, follow them. And a third instruction might be, hey, we’re having a Zoom presentation next week. Sign up for that. Do those things. So interact with the email. Click on the links, watch the videos, read the articles. When you click on those links in the email that you get and it opens up the web page, they’ll know that you opened it up because there’s tracking code embedded in that email. and they’ll also know how long you are on the web page. So, if you click on the link and it opens and then you click on the X and you close it, they will know that you’ve been on that uh page for one second.

So, read the information that’s on there, watch the videos or open the page and go in the other in the room, go in the other room, get a glass of water, and then come back. But better yet would be to watch the videos and read the information that’s on there.

Five ways to demonstrate interest. Fill out the requester information form on the college’s website. Click on the hyperlinks that are embedded in the body of the email the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college send you. Go to the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair. Meet the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college admissions recruiter and follow up with a thank you email. Attend virtual events, Zoom meetings, etc. Those will be emailed to you. Check your email regularly, preferably daily, and physically visit the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college . First, do a virtual visit and then go and visit physically visit your top two, maybe your top five college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college s. So, and when you visit, visit the c the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college when school is in session. So, great time to visit is going to be your fall break or your spring break because your high school fall or spring break typically doesn’t coincide with a college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college ‘s fall or spring break. And you want to go when school’s in session so you can see the other college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college students that are there and you can ask yourself the question, do I feel comfortable? Do I feel as if I fit in? Do I feel as if I can make friends? If the answer is yes, then keep that college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college on your list. If the answer is no, then cross it off of your list. If you feel yes, you do fit, then when you when you do go to that college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college , because you fit, you’re going to thrive at that college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college . And because you thrive, you’re going to have better grades at that college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college . Because you have better grades at that college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college , you’re going to have better rapport with the professors. Because you have better rapport with the professors, those professors might tell you about opportunities So when I was in college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college at Biola University, my favorite professor, Professor Craig, I was in his class and at the end of class, he he pulled me aside and he says, “Hey JD, there’s this internship opportunity that’s coming up and I think you should apply for it and if you do, I’ll write your recommendation letter.”

I applied for it. He wrote my recommendation. I got it. So, those things do happen and that happens with starting with fit and thrive. Here’s a quick little story about Max.

Max did not check his email. He applied to University of Miami and he should have been easily admitted, but he was not. Max called me. He applied to the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college and then he called me in December and he said I was not admitted to the college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college . I was not admitted to University of Miami. I was deferred admission. Deferred means not admitted, not rejected. You’re kind of in limbo state. And what had happened is University of Miami looked at Max and they said, “We like his stats, but we’re not really certain if he’s going to choose to come to our college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college because he didn’t demonstrate interest or did not demonstrate interest enough.

So, please demonstrate interest at every college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college that you’re going to apply to.”

What we ended up doing was I ended up creating a 10-week plan and for the next 10 weeks, once a week, Max demonstrated interest at that college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college . And they did reverse the decision after about eight weeks. That whole headache could have been eliminated had he demonstrated interest right from the beginning. Please demonstrate interest right from the beginning to every college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college that you’re going to apply to. And remember to send that thank you note. So here’s the NACAC National College each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college Fair and NACAC is the National Association of College each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college Admissions Counselors. They host fairs all across the United States. even do it globally. you can check that out. Again, just do an internet search of the name of your town and college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college fair and tell a friend about a college each school, safety school and fit school, good fit college planning.

Call or click to schedule your free one hour consultation.

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