Financial Aid at Babson, Admissions at Goucher, Plus Making the Most of High School Counseling

On this week’s episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Beth Heaton delves into the inner workings of the financial aid office at Babson College and the admissions office at Goucher College and, in between, she gets some great tips on the best way to use resources in your high school counseling office. Beth’s first guest is Michelle Clifton, a College Coach finance educator who spent almost ten years in the Babson Financial Aid Office. Michelle explains Babson’s need-based focus when awarding aid, and how the university has been working toward meeting the full need of all admitted students. She goes on to share valuable information about the merit scholarship process at Babson, where non-need-based scholarships are awarded to the very top of their applicant pool. Finally, Michelle describes how to ask for more money from Babson; while they do not negotiate merit aid, they are willing to consider extenuating financial circumstances, and even review appeals in the middle of the academic year. Beth’s next guest, Emily Toffelmire, has some wonderful ideas about how to utilize the resources that are available to students in their own high schools. She encourages students to seek out their student handbook, and find out if their high school offers Naviance, which is a treasure trove of college search information. She points out that the high school’s website can be a valuable tool, especially for parents who want to keep track of colleges that are visiting the school, and she also suggests that parents ask the guidance office for a copy of the “school profile.” This profile is provided to colleges during the admission process, and provides important context about the high school, including data that parents can use as well. Finally, throughout the segment, Emily offers some sage advice about connecting with your counselor and your teachers in a way to support your college search and application—tune in to learn more! After this week’s School Spotlight on the University of Southern California, Beth’s last guest, Lisa Albro, fills us in on all of the details of working in the Goucher College Admission Office. Beth and Lisa discuss Goucher’s single-reader system, how their admission committee works, and faculty involvement in the admission process, especially in their new video application option. You’ll also get a good sense of what makes Goucher unique and the programs it offers. Tune in next week when guest host Ian Fisher and his guests will talk about the goals of college waitlists and, for juniors, how to build a solid college list that fits you personally, academically, and financially. Don’t miss it!