Washington College

Parent to Parent

Advice from current and past parents of Washington College students.

Depew Family

"Our daughter wanted a small liberal arts college with access to professors who care. That's exactly what she found at Washington College."

Contact:caroleadepew@msn.com

Gottlund Family

1. Make early contact with the financial aid office - they are good at what they do and can help you plan your freshman (and on-going) financial needs. Note: you are not asking them for a package - that is later. Take advantage of their user-friendly knowledge!

2. File your taxes as early as possible - but no later than January 15. You will need all of your tax information to do the necessary forms by February 1. In other words - get organized and request all necessary forms (1099s) early.

3. "Practice" using the FASFA form from the College Board website way in advance using prior year tax returns. This is a very good exercise and as you complete it you simply will update it. I would do this as soon as you know where your child is going to school.

4. Understand the federal loan process, costs, and how to apply and where to apply. This will help your own cash needs emerge.

5. Study the various forms of pay plans available through sources like Sallie Mae - it will again help you decide how to finance your child's education. We found the monthly pay process with a decent chunk of cash in August and January the best way to go (along with a 10 month pay for the balance). Again, it becomes a planning process.

6. Study ways to hold down Adjusted Gross Income (with a tax planner) - this is the one area we found where the system of financial aid can really help. I could write paragraphs on this but it is best to say find a good tax person to help you here. There are rules, and some can not be as flexible as others in this area.

7. Finally, do NOT wait - the earlier you figure everything out the less onerous it is to pay for a student's education. It is fine to complain about the cost of tuition etc - but in the end it is an investment in your child's future. If you change your attitude and take that approach the four years will fly and you will be like us - incredulous that it is over and thankful that our son Will went to such as great school and is poised to face his future!

John Harris P'15

Tips on Financial Aid

For private scholarships:

• Many scholarships will have due dates within a narrow timeframe, typically April 1st to May 1st.
• Complete two or three applications each week to avoid a pile of paperwork due at the last minute. Apply for as many scholarships as time will allow.
• If the scholarship application instructions do not limit the documents included with the submission, send in all recommendation letters, resume, transcript, relevant essay, and FAFSA summary showing EFC amount.
• Request 3 letters of recommendation from teachers early in the year, preferably from AP classes and/or teachers that know the student well and can include specific personal anecdotes regarding the student's performance. It may be possible to use recommendation letters that were submitted with college applications.
• Monitor the high school guidance office each week for new scholarship applications.
• Locate a local community foundation that manages privately funded scholarships and check their website for applications. http://cfes.org/scholarships
• Some scholarship requirements are very specific about high school courses. One local scholarship required a student to complete 4 AP Social Studies classes. Only a few students were qualified to apply for this opportunity. Students should plan class schedules for these opportunities if possible.
• Look for scholarships given to students of a specific geographic area which limits the applicant pool and increases the odds of success.
• Do not ignore scholarships offered for students pursuing specific college majors or areas of study. A student can apply for an Engineering scholarship, and also apply for a Music scholarship for participating in Marching Band or Symphony.
• Students should take the PSAT during their freshman and sophomore years in preparation for the junior year PSAT which is used for qualification in the National Merit Scholarship program. Students that do not qualify as National Merit Finalists may be recognized with an Honorable Mention, which is another academic achievement for the student's resume.

Federal and State financial aid:

• Contact the State Senator and State Delegate in your legislative district for scholarship applications. Each legislator has their own application form and mailing address for submitting applications. Multiple scholarships are awarded by each representative.
• Familiarize yourself with the FAFSA process.

Parents that have a financial situation not covered specifically by FAFSA instructions should contact the financial aid office for clarification of the issue before filing their FAFSA.

Jensen Family

Parents of four Washington College students!

1. We looked at retention rates to insure that the college fulfilled the needs and expectations of current students.

2. Once the college list has been narrowed down, do multiple visits along with sitting in on one or two classes that the student is interested in majoring in.

3. If the student is interested in athletics, we would highly encourage an overnight visit with the team, tying the visit in with an athletic event.

4. In our case, on-campus housing for 4 years was a high priority to insure that the student is always connected with the main campus.

5. Parents should endeavor to find out the accessibility of professors to students outside of the classroom.

6. Our children have enjoyed and utilized the relationships that were developed with their professors since graduation.

7. The small school / small classroom atmosphere enables students to form small learning communities where they study and work together on classwork.

8. An important facet for us was that professors, not graduate students, taught the classes.

9. If the student is going to be involved in athletics, it is important to know the College’s relationship between athletics and academics. At Washington College, it is very refreshing to know that academics come first. With the coaches we have been involved with, it has always been stressed that they did not want to do anything to the detriment of the student’s academic success. Coaches are aware that professors would be critical of them if they put athletics ahead of academics.

Ortali Family

"Washington College has the perfect academic attributes that attracted our son to choose this wonderful, historic school. Small classes that allow for vibrant interactions among students and teachers. Connections to significant, internationally known experts in the arts, politics and political science. Brilliant teachers with real world experience and expertise."

Contact: ortali@sbcglobal.net