College Finance: The Parent Perspective, Asking for More Money, & More

‘Tis the season for college finance, and last week’s episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, was chock full of great information about paying for college. The Parent Perspective Beth’s first guest was Rita Boyd, mother of three: a first-year college student; a high school senior (who is in the midst of college decision time); and a high school freshman. Rita offered some honest and thoughtful insights on how she and her husband approached the college finance process with their kids, including tough conversations about how much they were able to contribute to each child’s education. Those conversations started early in high school, and shaped the college search in a variety of ways.  She offered great advice about what she learned (and what she wishes she had done differently) along the way – you won’t want to miss this segment! Asking for More Money – Part 2 While the March 17 episode addressed how to “appeal” a need-based financial aid award, this week’s episode addressed how to request an increase to a merit scholarship by leveraging better offers from other schools. Beth’s guest Shannon Vasconcelos emphasized how you’ve got nothing to lose if you try, and offered some useful strategies and insights on how best to approach a school to ask for more. She wrapped up with some tips for how to set your student up for success in negotiation early in the college search process (it’s all about the list!), so this segment is really for everyone, not just seniors! College Admission Questions Answered In the final segment of the show, Beth answered college admission questions posed by our listeners. They included questions about how colleges might use the essay section in the new SAT format, what effect low test scores have on admission to an Ivy League school, and the often-posed question about how community service fits into the college admission decision. Tune in to hear more. And don’t forget to tune in to this week’s show, when guest host Ian Fisher will continue the conversation about Harvard’s “Turning the Tide Report,” and our finance guest will talk about college students and tax issues. Recent Episodes of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation:

• Asking for More Money, Part 1: How to Appeal a Financial Aid Award
• Asking for More Money, Part 2: Scholarship Negotiations