Is there a scholarship secret?

My college seniors and I are currently in the middle of the "hurry up and wait" part of the college application process. The applications are in. Most of the Early Action results are in. But it's too early to start deciding between schools because, in addition to the regular decisions, the complete financial aid letters are still coming in. It's hard to evaluate your options when you don't have a clear sense of how much those options will cost.

A couple of my students, however, are feeling pretty good even without the full financial aid picture. That's because with each acceptance, they've been awarded larger and larger merit aid packages. They've gotten merit scholarships for $9,000/yr. $13,000/yr. $25, 000/yr. $40, 000/yr.

It's well-deserved, and even before they have the full financial picture, knowing that you've guaranteed yourself such a large discount off of tuition and room & board makes both students and parents feel better about the prospect of paying for college for four years.

How were my students able to do this? What's their secret?

There isn't any one thing. But after helping these students get these results, here's a list of factors that helped:

• mostly As, and a high GPA. Is a 4.6 necessary? No. But above 3.75 will really help.

• dedication to an extracurricular activity, and visible leadership within it. Twenty extracurriculars aren't necessary. In fact, one or two that shows dedication in time, and growth in leadership, is probably better than too many extracurriculars with no dedication.

• strong essays, especially supplemental essays that show the students have taken the time to get to know the school they're applying to.

But most important, however, is the college list itself. A strategically chosen college list that includes colleges that actively invest in their college class and have strengths in the students' chosen majors is critical to this kind of merit aid success.

A college consultant like Balanced Path can help you and your child choose schools more likely to give them merit aid. And I'll help your child stand out through essays and interviews so that they have a better chance at those awards.

You can find my Calendly on the "Services" page, and book a free introductory meeting with me to find out more about how I can help you and your 9th, 10th, 11th grader (or in the fall, even 12th grader!) through the college admissions process.