College Counseling

College Counseling 

Beginning in the fall our seniors will begin working hard preparing their applications and scholarships forms.  The senior class of 2023 have been accepted to many colleges and universities across the United States and have been awarded over $6.5 million in scholarships!  It pays to be prepared and to start preparing early.

The FAFSA application opens on October 1st.  It is a good idea to get started as soon as possible.  The first thing to do is to establish your FSA ID number.  This ID number is used to sign the FAFSA application.  To get your FSA ID number go to the FAFSA website:  www.fafsa.ed.gov.  Remember, you do not pay a fee to fill our your FAFSA.  If you are asked to, please check to make sure you are on the government website and not a third party website.

We have a tradition at Prep to strongly encourage all our families to fill out the FASFA on the first day that the application is open to the public.  The sooner you complete your application, the more money you qualify for may be made available to you.  So begin by establishing your FSA ID so that you are ready on October 1st.

A worksheet can be accessed at www.studentaid.ed.gov/worksheet before completing the actual application.  This website offers a lot of information regarding the FAFSA and the FSA ID, take the time to look it over.  It is a good resource.   Don’t hesitate to get your questions answered by the people at 1.800.4.FED.AID, that is what they are there for. Lastly, don’t forget about www.collegeboard.org. This is another excellent website to get more information about the application process, scholarships, and financial aid.

Speaking of financial aid, begin filling our your CSS/Financial Aid Profile (College Scholarship Service).  By filling out one form, you can apply online for nonfederal financial aid from almost 400 colleges, universities, professional schools, and scholarship programs. Access this link for more information: CSS/Financial Aid Profile.

This process can be overwhelming, but by getting your FSA ID, filling out the FAFSA application on or shortly after October 1, you will have a great start to a great year.  Please contact Brett Powers if you have any questions.

For information regarding college admission essays, please access this link for some helpful tips and advice: HOW TO WRITE A COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY