It is at this time of year that students are furiously studying SATs and / or ACTs (if you are not, you should be!). These results are not only important to be noticed in the admissions office and colleges, they are even more important when deciding how much money you will get in the financial aid office.
While qualifications and classes are the most important in the admissions office, standard SAT or ACT test scores are also important. However, once you are approved and the grant office decides on your grant package, your SAT or ACT assessment will make a lot more sense.
Many schools use very cut and dry formulas. Your GPA is X, your SAT score is Y, you get “Z” for financial support. 50 more points on the SAT or 1 or 2 more points on the ACT usually means more money in your scholarship package.
I watched this game with my clients over and over. However, the best example of more standardized test results that bring better money was a few years ago when I was working with two young women attending the same private high school. (They were best friends and planned to apply and attend the same schools; these two were like sisters and absolutely lovely!)
In any case, girl number one had a 3.5 GPA and a reading / math score of 1150 on the SAT.
Girl number two had a 3.58 GPA and a math reading score / 1200 on the SAT.
When the financial aid came from the schools, the results were significant:
The number one girl received a $ 5,000 grant.
Girl number two received a $ 9,000 scholarship from the same school.
Eight hundredths of a point on the GPA and 50 plus points on the SAT resulted in a performance grant of 4,000 MS MS. BUT it didn’t end there … both grants were guaranteed for four years, as long as the girls maintained certain GPAs (which were completely realistic).
Both families were thrilled to be on the right track to save money on the college bill. Number One and his family wanted to save at least $ 20,000 for their college education. But number two was on track to save at least $ 36,000.
The Young Lady Number Two family not only saved $ 4,000 MS in the first year, their parents saved $ 16,000 MS than the Young Lady Number One family over four years.
What made the difference? Girl number two studied and prepared, including about $ 600 for an SAT tutor. While her parents were slightly complaining about the time they had to pay for the tutor and the young lady number two was moaning when I told her to learn at least 1-2 hours a week, they followed her advice and followed the plan. .
But let me tell you, they quickly forgot their anger when they saw their return on investment. 1-2 hours a week + $ 600 = higher score (an improvement of 200 points on your personal top note and 50 points better than your friend!) = $ 36,000 in your pocket. This is money that could be used for another child’s college education, saved for retirement, paid for by a wedding … basically everything the family wants because it’s money left in their pockets instead of school!
The better the student, the better the money to pay the bill. Period.
You will be notified, entry, get money:
Learn how to spend at least 20 to 30 minutes a day, at least four times a week, to study the more standardized test that works best for you (SAT or ACT College both agree). Some children benefit from the personal instruction a preparatory course can give. others are perfectly capable of easily increasing their scores with a study guide. The key is to do something consistently. It’s all about taking an apology approach to take you wherever you are and still have money in your pocket when you arrive.