Comparing Financial Aid Awards, Women’s Programs, & Selective College Interviews

The latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, hosted by Sally Ganga, is chock full of useful information! Jeanne Mahan, College Finance Consultant, joined Sally in the first segment to discuss a very timely topic—comparing financial awards across colleges. Because colleges’ financial aid offers aren’t apple-to-apples comparisons, they can be very confusing to read and evaluate; but as your financial aid packages begin to trickle in, it’s important to pay close attention to key pieces of information. Keep in mind: the school that offers you the highest amount of award money may not be the school at which you pay the lowest price! Award letters look very different from school to school, with numbers and accounting practices varying widely, so it’s incredibly important that you pay close attention this segment. Jeanne offers great advice on the ‘red-herrings’ to watch out for—and the important information that will help you make the smartest decision. In the second segment Christine Kenyon, College Admissions Consultant, shared information about unique and focused programs that promote leadership and mentoring among women on college campuses. While some programs are available to all women, others require a pre-application process.  Sally and Christine both noted that these were programs they wish they had known about much earlier on in their careers and education, as most of the programs are designed to create a cohort of peers to connect with, link older and younger women providing impactful mentorships, and in many cases, provide training and support. Finally Amy Alexander, College Admissions Consultant, joined the show to dish about the role of interviews at highly selective colleges and universities. As a former admission officer and alumni interviewer at Yale University—and Sally a former admission officer at University of Chicago—Amy offered up so many juicy tips and tricks! For example, do you think interviews at highly selective colleges matter more than interviews at less selective colleges? Their answer may very well surprise you, so you’ll have to tune in!