New SAT = More Stress?

Just knowing that there is an essay on the new SAT exam is enough to make high school students nervous. Not to mention the fact that it takes 45 minutes longer than the old version of the test, and 2400 points are on the line instead of 1600.

The good news is that most colleges are still using the old format for admissions, at least for now. The essay portion isn't being used simply because it's so new. They have nothing to compare it with. Students taking the SAT should rest easy and do their best, knowing that while the essay section is important for scholarships and honors programs, it won't impact their chances of getting into college.

The longer test length has resulted in a few changes for the test-takers; for example, they are now permitted to eat snacks during breaks. Food is not allowed in the room where the test is being taken, though. But to keep energy up and your mind sharp, it's a good idea to bring along some nuts or granola bars to snack on.

While SAT (and ACT) scores are important, students need to remember that strong academic standing and strong extra-curricular activities also contribute to making the student a strong candidate for admission and financial aid.

Visit www.collegeboard.com and www.actstudent.org for more information on testing dates and rules.

This email contains suggestions and guidelines from College Assistance Plus about what specific things you need to do this month to get your student financially ready for college. Scroll down to find the age bracket that your student falls under to read what you should be doing this month.

Win an iPod!

As a special fall promotion, we are entering every one of our new clients who sign up with us in September or October into a drawing to win a brand new Apple iPod Nano! So if you've been considering signing up for College Assistance Plus's services but haven't done it yet, now is the time!

In a random drawing at the end of November, we will choose one lucky winner of a brand new 4 GB iPod Nano! Compatible with Mac or Windows, your student will be thrilled to receive one of these small and trendy new mp3 players. You can fit up to 1,000 songs or photos on this miniature iPod, complete with click wheel and color screen. We'll even let you choose whether you'd like it in black or white!

Let this be the inspiration you need to pick up the phone and give us a call! We'd be happy to talk to you over the phone or even come to your house to meet with you and explain more about our services.

High school sophomores

Parents need to approach paying for college intelligently and develop a business plan to go about it. Work with your College Assistance Plus representative and educate yourselves about financial aid so that you better understand the process. The more you know, the more you can save!

Students should participate in career profiles and college searches to begin getting an idea of what is available for them.

Students need to continue working to make themselves attractive to colleges. Doing volunteer and community service work is a great way to increase your chances of receiving college grants and scholarships.

Parents should also move qualified assets into non-qualified accounts. This strategy is an important key to receiving more financial aid than you may have thought possible. (Qualified assets are assets that qualify for the FAFSA, while non-qualified assets do not.) If your assets are exposed to either the federal or institutional methodology, you can reduce the amount you have to pay by altering the title or moving those assets into non-qualified accounts. Be careful to properly and legally implement these strategies. See your financial advisor or College Assistance Plus representative for any assistance in this process. The student's sophomore year is the best time to do this, because there is a two-year lookback period on the FAFSA, during which the government can look to see which assets you've moved.

Taking AP classes may help with the student's college applications later. Talk to the guidance counselor when it is time to select classes for next semester so that the student can take courses that will help him or her build a strong transcript. Colleges want to see strong, challenging work, and they would often rather see a student taking an AP course and receiving a B than a student taking an easy class and earning an A. Colleges also use a 5-point scale to weigh AP classes instead of the usual 4 points for regular high school classes.

High school juniors

Students should work hard in their junior year of high school to maintain good grades. Senioritis won't really hurt you, but junioritis will kill you! Junior-year grades are especially important because they show to the college what kind of work the student can do in advanced, upper-level courses. Grades are also used to determine scholarship and grant eligibility. A strong GPA will often be rewarded with college grants, free scholarships, and other educational grants.

Students should continue to refine their lists of potential colleges. Stay in contact with your College Assistance Plus representative, who can search the database for information on any school you may be interested in. Many schools also have online virtual tours that you can take; it's a great idea to go through some of these to see if you like the schools enough to actually visit.

Taking AP classes may help with the student's college applications later. Talk to the guidance counselor when it is time to select classes for next semester so that the student can take courses that will help him or her build a strong transcript. Colleges want to see strong, challenging work, and they would often rather see a student taking an AP course and receiving a B than a student taking an easy class and earning an A. Colleges also use a 5-point scale to weigh AP classes instead of the usual 4 points for regular high school classes.

Continue studying for the SAT/ACT tests. Focusing on doing well in these tests and in school will help enhance your chances of receiving a good financial package. Depending on the SAT or ACT scores, colleges often knock thousands of dollars off the price of tuition for certain students. The Kaplan software that College Assistance Plus provides is very helpful in preparing for the tests.

Junior-year PSAT scores may qualify a student for the National Merit Scholarship Competition and the National Achievement and National Hispanic Scholars programs. Even though these scores will not be used in the college admission process, it is still a good idea to take the PSAT. Check with your school's guidance counselor to see when the PSAT will be given at the school; it is usually sometime in the middle of October.

You should identify schools where the student is in the top 25% of the admitting freshman class. If you want to increase your chances of receiving more scholarships/aid, find schools where the student is in the top 20%. Students in this category tend to receive more free college scholarship/grant money and need less money allotted in student loans. Look on your College Assistance Plus report for this information.

Parents need to approach paying for college intelligently and develop a business plan to go about it. Work with your College Assistance Plus representative and educate yourselves about financial aid so that you better understand the process. The more you know, the more you can save!

Parents should also move qualified assets into non-qualified accounts. This strategy is an important key to receiving more financial aid tha you may have thought possible. (Qualified assets are assets that qualify for the FAFSA, while non-qualified assets do not.) If your assets are exposed to either the federal or institutional methodology, you can reduce the amount you have to pay by altering the title or moving those assets into non-qualified accounts. Be careful to properly and legally implement these strategies. See your financial advisor or College Assistance Plus representative for any assistance in this process. Remember that college is a four-year adventure. If you receive $5000 more in grants, gifts, and college scholarships each year, it adds up to $20,000 overall. That's a lot of savings!

Students should continue to save papers, projects, or any other good work that they are doing in school. Having these things on hand will be helpful during the admissions process (and can serve as portfolios or references later!).

High school seniors

Students should continue preparing for their applications by drafting essays, collecting writing samples, and assembling portfolios or audition tapes.

Athletes who plan on playing in college should contact the coaches at the schools to which they are applying and ask about intercollegiate and intramural sports programs and athletic scholarships. Athletes should also complete the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse form if they hope to play Division I or II sports. (This form cannot be mailed until the student finishes his or her sixth semester of high school.)

Students should attend at least one college fair at their schools or at schools in the surrounding area. Use this time to investigate further the colleges to which you will probably apply.

By this time the student should have identified 3-5 schools to which he or she would like to apply. You should be filling out application forms and writing essays. Remember that it is good to market yourself in the essay, but try to make sure that everything you say about yourself is strongly grounded in reality. Also, make copies of every application that you complete and send.

Students should be sure they know when the admission deadlines are for the colleges they are interested in! It is essential to be prompt and to meet all deadlines. When you apply, check with the guidance counselor to make sure your transcript/test scores have been or will be sent to the colleges to which you are applying.

Keep all records, test score reports, and copies of applications for admission and financial aid. Do not throw anything away until at least the end of your first year in college. Having detailed records will save you time and effort should anything be lost or should you decide to apply in the future to other colleges or scholarship programs./p>

By now the due dates for recommendation letters should be approaching. Recommendations are very important when applying to colleges, so be sure to ask for recommendation letters if you know they have not yet been sent to the school. This is an important step in the application process! If the person who is writing the letter does not turn in the recommendation on time, you do have the right to ask them about it. It is also appropriate to tell the person writing the letter what you have already told the college and what you hope to see in his or her letter. Often this gives the writer a strong foundation on which to write.

If students are not happy with their previous SAT/ACT/SAT II test scores, register to retake these tests. (Remember that retaking the SAT can't hurt you; it can only help!) The next SAT test is scheduled for November 5, and the following test will be given on December 3. (SAT I and SAT II subject tests will be given on both of these dates.) Registration for the November test has already passed, but you can still register late until October 12. Registration for the December test is due on October 28, and late registration is due November 9. To help familiarize yourself with the standardized testing, there is a test prep section at www.collegeboard.com. The next ACT exam will be given on October 22, but registration is now closed. The following test is December 10; regular registration is November 4, and late registration is due by November 17. Visit www.actstudent.org for more info.

Plan visits to any colleges and set up interviews if you did not get to them during the summer or if you would like to return to the campus a second time. Read bulletin boards and the college newspaper while you are there; also, talk to current students and professors about their experience.

Parents need to determine the standards of eligibility for any merit-based scholarships at the colleges to which the student is applying. It is important to know what guidelines the school has and if the student will qualify for any of them. Also determine whether or not the colleges require any of their own financial aid forms in addition to the FAFSA and CSS Profile before they will award any free scholarships or even loans.

Parents should also move qualified assets into non-qualified accounts. This strategy is an important key to receiving more financial aid that you may have thought possible. (Qualified assets are assets that qualify for the FAFSA, while non-qualified assets do not.) If your assets are exposed to either the federal or institutional methodology, you can reduce the amount you have to pay by altering the title or moving those assets into non-qualified accounts. Be careful to properly and legally implement these strategies. See your financial advisor or College Assistance Plus representative for any assistance in this process. Remember that college is a four-year adventure. If you receive $5000 more in free college scholarships each year, it adds up to $20,000 overall. That's a lot of savings!

The New York State Lottery offers a scholarship to one graduating senior from every participating public and private high school in the state. Those could be good odds, depending on how many students apply. Other state lottery programs may have similar scholarship programs; go to your state's lottery website and check for any information on scholarships.

College freshmen

Students need to be continuing to develop good study habits near the beginning of their college careers; setting priorities and establishing a budget can have a lasting impact on the college experience in many areas.

Good grades mean higher incentive for the college to give you scholarships for the following year, and even for years after that. Also, 30% of students transfer after the first or second years of college, so higher grades will give you the ability to negotiate a great deal at the college to which the student is transferring. Parents need to remember that the student is on his or her own as far as school goes now, but it can't hurt to check up on the student and give him or her encouragement at times.

If the student has a car and will be traveling home for Thanksgiving break, parents should check their insurance policies to see if they have towing/roadside service. If the insurance policy does not include this, consider purchasing AAA for the peace of mind. This can be especially helpful to parents who have daughters in college.

Parents should make it a point to caution their students about or prohibit the use getting credit cards. We cannot stress enough the importance of controlling credit card use! Any late payment can be used as an excuse by the credit card company to increase the card's interest rate. Grace periods are also shrinking; whereas they used to be 30 days long, many credit card companies are decreasing these periods to 20 days, and some have no grace period at all. Be sure that both you and the student know the card's policies before signing up. Even inactivity on a credit card can result in high bank fees!

Students should be sure to meet with the advisors for their majors to discuss plans for the next three and a half years. If you have not declared a major yet, talk with a counselor or general advisor to determine which classes to take in the next semester that may be required to graduate. Don't get trapped into an extra semester or year if you can help it!

Students should check with their college's financial aid office to see what (if any) grants are available to sophomores/juniors/seniors based on their grades. Grants that are dependent on GPA are usually unadvertised but can be a great source of "free" money! If the student knows he or she needs to have a 3.25 GPA to qualify for one of these kinds of grants, he or she will be able to work even a little harder and avoid missing out by getting a 3.2 GPA.

Students should avoid buying books from the campus bookstore if possible. Do NOT buy books before classes begin; sometimes professors will only recommend books instead of requiring them. Buying used books from other students or online is much cheaper than buying new books from the campus bookstore. For a list of websites that offer cheaper or used textbooks, click here.

College sophomores

Good grades mean higher incentive for the college to give you scholarships for the following year, and even for years after that. Also, 30% of students transfer after the first or second years of college, so higher grades will give you the ability to negotiate a great deal at the college to which the student is transferring. Parents need to remember that the student is on his or her own as far as school goes now, but it can't hurt to check up on the student and give him or her encouragement at times!

If the student has a car and will be traveling home for Thanksgiving break, parents should check their insurance policies to see if they have towing/roadside service. If the insurance policy does not include this, consider purchasing AAA for the peace of mind. This can be especially helpful to parents who have daughters in college.

If you have changed majors, added a major/minor, or transferred colleges, make sure that you have met with your college counselor/advisor to help you map out the next two and a half years. Don't get trapped into an extra semester or year if you can help it, or you may find yourself paying a lot of unnecessary money in loans or lost income.

Parents should make it a point to caution their students about or prohibit the students from getting credit cards. We cannot stress enough the importance of controlling credit card use! Any late payment can be used as an excuse by the credit card company to increase the card's interest rate. Grace periods are also shrinking; whereas they used to be 30 days long, many credit card companies are decreasing these periods to 20 days, and some have no grace period at all. Be sure that both you and the student know the card's policies before signing up. Even inactivity on a credit card can result in high bank fees!

Students should avoid buying books from the campus bookstore if possible. Do NOT buy books before classes begin; sometimes professors will only recommend books instead of requiring them. Buying used books from other students or online is much cheaper than buying new books from the campus bookstore. For a list of websites that offer cheaper or used textbooks, click here.

College juniors

If the student has a car and will be traveling home for Thanksgiving break, parents should check their insurance policies to see if they have towing/roadside service. If the insurance policy does not include this, consider purchasing AAA for the peace of mind. This can be especially helpful to parents who have daughters in college.

The students should also contact or visit their career services office to see what they can be doing to find a job or internship for the summer.

Parents should make it a point to caution their students about or prohibit the students from getting credit cards. We cannot stress enough the importance of controlling credit card use! Any late payment can be used as an excuse by the credit card company to increase the card's interest rate. Grace periods are also shrinking; whereas they used to be 30 days long, many credit card companies are decreasing these periods to 20 days, and some have no grace period at all. Be sure that both you and the student know the card's policies before signing up. Even inactivity on a credit card can result in high bank fees!

While the student is home for Thanksgiving (and soon, Christmas), he or she should plan to talk to friends/relatives/acquaintances about any job connections those people may have. In order to ensure that you find a job when you graduate, it's good to find an internship or job in your field during the summer. Networking is the best way to find things like this!

Students should avoid buying books from the campus bookstore if possible. Do NOT buy books before classes begin; sometimes professors will only recommend books instead of requiring them. Buying used books from other students or online is much cheaper than buying new books from the campus bookstore. For a list of websites that offer cheaper or used textbooks, click here.

College seniors

Students should be planning how they will find jobs once they graduate. Finding a job by graduation depends on strategizing and marketing themselves well. Begin searching now and networking with others; don't wait until two weeks before graduation.

Parents should make it a point to caution their students about getting credit cards. We cannot stress enough the importance of controlling credit card use! Any late payment can be used as an excuse by the credit card company to increase the card's interest rate. Grace periods are also shrinking; whereas they used to be 30 days long, many credit card companies are decreasing these periods to 20 days, and some have no grace period at all. Be sure that both you and the student know the card's policies before signing up. Even inactivity on a credit card can result in high bank fees!

Students should avoid buying books from the campus bookstore if possible. Do NOT buy books before classes begin; sometimes professors will only recommend books instead of requiring them. Buying used books from other students or online is much cheaper than buying new books from the campus bookstore. For a list of websites that offer cheaper or used textbooks, click here.

It is important for students to start writing letters to contacts in their fields to help find jobs when they graduate. Parents usually have many friends and contacts that may be helpful. Try and meet with any contacts who may be able to help as you go home for Thanksgiving break so you have as many people as possible looking for opportunities for you. Remember that most jobs aren't posted on web or in the newspaper. Networking is the best way to find a job!

Strategical Suggestions

When considering which schools to apply to, high school juniors and seniors should look for schools that offer every major that the student is interested in. Many students decide to switch majors after they start college, and if the school doesn't have the second major that the student is interested in, the student will have to transfer. Transferring schools will generally result in spending an extra semester or two to finish a degree, simply because some credits don't transfer or the requirements are different. Ensuring that you won't need to transfer due to a change in your major will help save time and money.

High school students, especially juniors and seniors, need to spend time studying for the SAT and ACT tests. Unless you got a nearly perfect score, retake the tests! The highest combination of scores is kept, so there is no way for you to hurt yourself by taking the tests again. Some schools automatically reduce the costs of tuition by 50% or more if the student's SAT score is 1100 (by the old standard) or above! There are also many scholarships that students can qualify for based only on their SAT/ACT scores.

College students should work hard to get good grades, for getting excellent grades greatly enhances the ability to get extra money from the college for the following year. Also, if the student does need to transfer schools, a high GPA is extremely beneficial in getting a good financial aid package.

If there has been some circumstance in your family that has suddenly created financial hardship, write a letter to the college's Financial Aid Director explaining the situation. Be specific in asking for the university's support during the spring semester or this fall if possible. It would also be helpful to specify a dollar amount to assure them that the student would stay at the school if they could receive some extra assistance. Don't get ridiculous in your request but give the college a target. Also, make sure that they understand that you are not looking for loans but gifts/grants/hardship dollars directly from the college or university. If you call your CAPlus representative, he or she will assist you in drafting this letter.