College Admissions Consulting What you need to know about the FAFSA, the Coalition Application, and Study Abroad Written by Julia Joneson October 11th, 2018 I have been working in education with students for more than 20 years. I spent many years working in the admissions office at Brandeis University, where I was involved in virtually all aspects of the admissions process. As a senior member of the admissions committee, I was a key decision maker on applications, and I met and recruited students around the country and from major cities including Boston, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Nashville. I also served as director of a one-thousand member national network of alumni recruiters and interviewers. Prior to joining College Coach, I continued my work with high school students and their families as director of admissions at a private day and boarding school in Massachusetts. Learn More About Julia coalition app, coalition application, fafsa, financial aid, On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, guest host Sally Ganga kicks off our first segment, by welcoming College Coach finance expert Michelle Richardson to discuss the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as the FAFSA. They cover the basics, like what info the FAFSA requires and who should complete it, as well as more nuanced questions regarding divorce and other family situations, plus the logistics of just how colleges receive this information. Up next, Sally is joined by college admissions advisor and former Reed College admissions officer, Abigail Anderson, to discuss the relatively new Coalition Application, which is used by about 140 colleges and universities. In addition, Abigail breaks down the differences between the Coalition App and the more commonly used Common App. In our final segment, Sally welcomes College Coach expert and former MIT admissions officer, Zaragoza Guerra, for an enlightening discussion about study abroad options offered by colleges. Whether you’re hoping to study abroad for a week or a year, Zaragoza’s got you covered—even you STEM majors who are worried about squeezing in some time abroad in college. Tune into our next episode, when host Beth Heaton explores the impact of a student’s major on college applications, how and when to send test scores to colleges, and just what the heck is the CSS Profile. Related Resources Read | Posted on March 13th, 2024 Standardized Tests; Choosing Your College; Financial Aid Appeals Read | Posted on March 6th, 2024 College Auditions; Becoming a Musician; Negotiating Scholarships Read | Posted on February 28th, 2024 The Cal State System; Pre-Med Post-Bacc; Not Enough Financial Aid