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The College Unraveled Blog

Changes Coming to the FAFSA: EFC to Student Aid Index efc expected family contribution fafsa student aid index

The FAFSA Simplification Act of 2021 brings a slew of changes to the FAFSA that will begin with the 2022-23 application cycle. Perhaps the biggest change is to the EFC—Expected Family Contribution. The EFC is the number that was calculated by the FAFSA and provided to colleges as a way for...

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HIgh School Academic Planning academics

In this video, Amy Haskell and I discuss Academic Planning for high school students.  

  1. What Classes should you take?
  2. Should you push yourself in certain areas?
  3. The importance of transcripts.
  4. Getting a high school curriculum guide is important.
  5. Advantages of proactive ownership of...
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Thinking About Majoring in Psychology in College?

If you are interested in the motivations behind peoples’ behaviors, you might be interested in a major in psychology. Psychology is the study of the workings of the human mind from both factual and theoretical points of view.

Because psychology is founded on research, undergraduates will...

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Financial Matters: Money for College financial aid grants scholarships

Money often plays a big factor in the pursuit of a college degree, but hopefully, it will not stop anyone from attending college! Yes, college can be expensive, but there is aid available to help you and your family pay for college. Major sources of financial aid for college include:

Grants...

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Making Sense of College Rankings

Although this article is directed to students just beginning their college search, it will also be useful to seniors in making their final choice of college to attend. This is especially true this year since so many applicants have been unable to make an in-person campus visit.

For many students...

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11 Pages to Research When Taking a Deep Dive Into a College Website

Pandemic or no pandemic, researching colleges is imperative for high school students. Typically, it involves many modes of research, including in-person campus visits and tours by students and families, and attending college representatives’ public information sessions and their visits to...

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The Language of Financial Aid financial aid

When you’re searching and applying for college financial aid, it helps to understand the jargon. The FAFSA form (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) employs a bewildering array of acronyms. American students should file a FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1st of senior year....

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Financial Matters: The FAFSA fafsa financial aid

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the primary form used by colleges to determine eligibility for need-based aid. In some cases, colleges will not consider an applicant for merit aid unless that student has first submitted a FAFSA. The FAFSA should be filed as soon as...

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How Will Colleges Make Decisions This Year and Next?

There have been many challenges and disruptions to our everyday lives since the COVID pandemic started – in-home quarantine, required social distancing, no visits with friends or distant family, no travel, and even a shortage of toilet paper. This article addresses the unique circumstances...

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College: Demonstrating Interestā€”COVID Edition

Demonstrated interest is a term used by colleges as a way of measuring an individual student’s level of interest in their institution. Traditionally, students have been able to show their interest through personal contact to indicate to a college – hey, I like you! That involved...

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Making The Most of Virtual Learning

In a March 2020 education paper printed in the Harvard Business Review, Vijay Govindarajan and Anup Srivastava, both renowned international business professors, stated the following: “Tectonic shifts in society and business occur when unexpected events force widespread experimentation...

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AP Scores and College Credit

Although this year's AP tests were “non-traditional”, many colleges have said that they will still award AP credit (see this list by Prompt).  AP scores will be available online beginning July 15.  Scores are released over several days based on the state in which you...

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