Keeping Track of Student Loans, Submitting Your First Application, and Disclosing Disabilities

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, guest host Sally Ganga talks with her guests about whether or not to disclose learning disabilities on the admission application, how you’ll know when you’re ready to submit your first college application, and how to keep track of student loans while you’re in college. How to Keep Track of Student Loans Jeanne Mahan, college finance expert, joins Sally to discuss how and when to start keeping track of your student loans. Ideally, you would start tracking this information when you first secure the loan, but what if you missed that opportunity? Jeanne walks through how to research your current loans, tips to keeping your contact information up to date, and how to enlist your Financial Aid Office as your ally in this process. Submitting Your First College Application Sally speaks with Kara Courtois, admissions expert, about submitting your first college application. It can be stressful and scary to submit that first application. How do you know when you are ready? Kara provides some tips about what should be reviewed by a trusted adult, how to use the tools in the Common App to check your work, and how to know when your essay is done. Disclosing Disabilities in the Admissions Process Jen Simons, college admissions expert, then joins Sally to discuss whether or not to disclose a disability on your application. This is a must-listen section for anyone struggling with this decision. While there is no overarching rule about disclosing any kind of disability on your application, Jen provides guidance on how a student can make that decision for themselves. She shares advice on how to address question marks in your application related to a disability, which can include extended absences or a sudden uptick in grades, and how to decide if this is indeed the story you want to share with an Admissions Officer. Join us for our next episode, when Elizabeth Heaton and her guests talk about using mindfulness in managing the stress of the college admissions process, disclosing disciplinary actions on the application, and using life insurance as a college savings vehicle. Don’t miss it!