College admissions is competitive,

Obviously a lecture hall of 500 won't afford anyone a 1 on 1 with a professor as a small class of 20-30 will. It's also important to make sure you're taught by someone who wrote the book rather than someone who read the book. Teaching assistants are not as valuable as a professor who has a biography 3 pages long! Be sure to take all this into consideration in the college selection process.

It could, but just because you were born in Sarajevo or Kalimantan won't assure it. There are just too many variables to answer this question definitively .

ED for some, & Early Action is recommended in most cases, but many schools have Rolling where you find out much quicker; avoid regular like the plague, unless there's no other option. The early applicant gets the ticket the quickest!

Obviously, this assumes phone & em contacts, but you don't want to be a pest if the answers are available w/o a phone call. However, contacting higher ups who you met (you did meet some, didn't you) on your numerous visits is a completely different matter.

Over time w/o "using" them. You have to nurture the relationship like you would in any situation, and that takes time & planning. Again, my old adage:

Plan your work, work your plan. Nobody plans to fail, but too many fail to plan.

As best you can, but don't put them in a corner so they'll refuse to make the college of your choice a reality. Placate them if necessary, but under NO circumstances should they FORCE you to attend any particular college or only colleges on THEIR list. If so, seek out a counselor and have them talk to your parent(s). Your future is at stake, and you surely don't want them to really screw it (you) up!

Do an Internet search. Call the school and ask for alums who live nearby or who would be willing to brag about their college experience. Ask around, surely someone knows or knows of alums.

Mention it in your essay(s), but it should have been revealed at your interview - you did have one, didn't you?

If all other schools are unaffordable, and it has a curriculum that can lead you in the right direction - go for it & Good Luck!

Again - it all depends on variables too numerous to mention here. If the athlete is a superstar as well as brilliant, they're usually a shoe in.

Very important. You don't want to wait until orientation to find out that you hate the campus, etc.

At least if not more of what follows:

2-3 sure admits

2-3 mid range

2-3 reach

Just make sure none of your schools are out of reach!

It all depends who the alums are, like a past president or ex-director of admissions. It's not what you know, but who you know - never forget that!

Well in advance. Here's an old caveat:

Plan your work, work your plan.

Nobody plans to fail, but too many fail to plan.

Make sure your portfolio is the best it can be, and set up an interview. Having an LOR from a world class person in the field can be worth an admission ticket!

It's really the parents who are & I've had several. The student applies as if they were living in the US, and when financial aid time comes, an experienced person's services are highly desired. Please note, the further away they live, the more of a travel allowance can be requested & rec'd in the appeals process.

Yes. The financial aid process should be approached with the help of an expert or someone who has vast experience - someone who has credentials similar to mine.

Some should, most shouldn't. There are too many variables for a detailed answer.

It all depends on where the schools are located, but urban campuses will surely have a higher % of commuters. The possibilities of differences are really endless.

Are you an accredited school? What are my chances of transferring my credits if I don't continue here? What's the average % of financial need that you meet?

Is this a typical night in the dorm, or do other things happen I'd be surprised to see?

Make sure it when school is in session. try to arrange a meeting with a chairman of a dept you plan to study under, and a meeting with the provost can enhance your chances immensely. Talk to current students and ask pointed questions, and be sure to stay out of the financial aid office.

Qualifying for college credit which saves big bucks in college costs, and enabling the student to concentrate on more electives w/o having to take every required course.

Call the school or ask a current student for assistance.

First of all, if you did advanced planning, you'd have already had an interview w/the chairman of whatever dept your looking to get into, and more importantly, an appt w/the provost of the university. That surely can be the coup de gras!

Make sure you eat in the cafeteria if you'll take meals there, talk to students, visit a dorm, stay out of the financial aid office, and take pictures to be reviewed later. Ask the guide what % of need-based aid is usually met, & what % is gift aid.

When I was in college, it was Columbia when Jerry Rubin was active & also Berkeley. Sadly, today students are more apathetic because Congress is so inept at accomplishing what's necessary to fix the economy.

Take virtual tours on the Internet, talk to current & students who graduated, visit schools close by if they're on your list.

Probably boring for some w/o any guys. However, they're probably great for the vast amount of women students. Being a guy, I don't have the best answer.

It's a little late in the game, but here are a few:

1. Strive for the best grades & test scores as possible

2. Make sure you've obtained fantastic LOR's

3. Ace those interviews!

4. Pile on community service hours

5. Visit your favorite house of worship and say a few prayers

6. Whatever else is necessary to fulfill all school requirements

Be proficient in that country's language, assuming it's other than English, and far exceed whatever requirements are necessary.

Focusing more, getting better grades so they'd get in to better colleges. The possibilities for an answer are endless.

A lot! But here's just a few things:

1. That maybe they should have studied harder & gotten better grades, test scores while in high school

2. That they shouldn't have earned more than their income protection allowance

3. That they should have had <$100 in their name so they wouldn't have lost so much in financial aid $$$

4. That maybe their parents should have attended a free admissions/financial aid seminar, and if they did and had a free consultation, hired an expert

5. And so much more

Everything from loving it to detesting it.

US News & World Report is a world class magazine that publishes college rankings every year. The College Board in the home of more college info than you can imagine. It's also where you fill out the CSS for 200+ colleges that request this financial aid form.

It could be debate, year book, president of a language club, but it all depends on what the student intends to accomplish and focus their energies on.

Start with a virtual tour & seek out graduates to get their perspectives.

Need blind refers to a family's financial fingerprint NOT being factored into the admissions process; need sensitive is just the opposite. Very few schools use the latter.

A student at the top of their class, but only if those schools have the particular curriculum the student wishes to pursue.

The same ones they face in life - some more, some less.

It's the parents, not the students who will be doing the hiring. Most families should seek out third party experts for a "free" consultation well in advance of the senior year to know what the process is all about and if their family could benefit - and not just financially. What's the value of getting an edge in admissions & being accepted to the college of your choice?

All the financial aid in the world is useless without that coveted admission ticket, because paying for college is the easy part; getting in is the tough part! After 33 years, I can categorically make that statement.

I'm assuming this means that the 11th grade is over. If not, be sure to ask special teachers for LOR's. Waiting until the fall can be too late, as they'll be bombarded by your classmates. Make sure that if they work in the summer that they'll earn <$6,000 in 2012, otherwise, for every dollar earned over, they'll lose 50 cents in financial aid! Contemplate starting your own fundraising organization to get a real boost in the admissions process & hire your friends as your asssistants.

Make sure that if you have to visit a college campus that at least a summer session is in progress. Poor planning resulted in this decision.

Everything that pertains to it. Make a list of ALL components and check them off when completed.

Here are just a few:

1. Have an on campus interview w/the chairman of the dept you plan on focusing on & at the same time hopefully meet w/the provost of the university to present your credentials. This should be accomplished as a non-applicant as early as the 10th grade

2. Making sure all SAT/SATII/ACT tests are completed

3. Meeting ALL deadlines

4. You get the picture

Be sure to include that in an essay, and possibly do dual enrollment. As a last resort, see if you can attend another high school or perhaps a private school.

When school is in session, and it's never too early, even the 10th grade.

9th grade is the optimum time - and don't think it's too early!

At the local level, next comes the Internet, and on campus interviews follow, but make sure schools are in session!

A good choice would be parents and maybe a graduate that you know personally.

Here's one of my favorite caveats:

Plan your work, work your plan. Nobody plans to fail, but too many people fail to plan.

Applying to college is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and EVERY student needs that all-important edge in admissions, so don't screw it up!

It's the fit of the program that a college has to offer rather than how US news rates a school. The perfect school for you could have a low rating - so what!

The optimum time for an on campus visit is as a non-applicant way in advance of entering the 12th grade! If not, make sure school is at least in session when you go.

Eat in the cafeteria if you'll be taking meals there, visit a dorm or 2 where you might reside, speak w/numerous students about courses, professors, cost of books, or about any other concerns you may have. You should have a prepared list, and check off everything if possible. Take the following advice:

Plan your work, work your plan. Nobody plans to fail, but too many fail to plan.

For students who will take SATII's & the ACT in addition to the SAT, make sure you plan well to be able to take the tests multiple times if necessary to satisfy an particular college's requirements. Also, be sure to pile on as many community service hrs as possible. Make sure your income for 2012 will be <$6,000, or you'll lose 50 cents in financial aid for every dollar earned over that. Obtain great LOR's now to avoid the rush in the fall.

Choose wisely and take virtual tours. Talk to current & students who graduated to get a feel of the college & good luck!

10's of 1,000's of students constitute a large school, while 1,500-2,000 would be a small school. A big fish in a little pond could do well instead of being lost at a school with 50,000 students, but it's the curriculum that's most important - not the enrollment size.

Yes. That assumes you were heavily involved in community service & have at least 100's of hrs.

Not submitting applications on time, never visiting the college, only answering the basic application questions, and not submitting or sending other paperwork. Neglecting to have an interview or not submitting any LOR's, not applying for one of the college's own scholarships. But here's one that's often overlooked - having way too few community service hrs on your transcript.

That legacy students or those whose parents make substantial donations will be accepted in spite of their grades.

If the college has the right program, it doesn't matter where it's located - period! That's the primary reason for getting an education.

Talk to your guidance counselor for advice and contact admissions experts for some ideas when you start your own research. Get copies or search the Internet for Princeton Review ratings, CRS (College Raking Service), Best Colleges, and any number of specific reports on engineering, arts, music, drama or other such schools. Be sure to have your checklist out to rate the schools based on your preferences. This is just the beginning!

Public schools will traditionally have stricter guidelines on financial aid, have many more day students, less professors & more teaching assistants. You could wind up being lost in the shuffle. In FL as in many other states, it could take you 5 or more years to graduate.

There's also less flexibility in course structure.

Private schools can offer whatever they want in financial aid, and many have huge endowments and can attract the best professors in various fields. The student retention rate is much higher, and most students are assured of completing 120 credits in 4 years or less.

What really matters is that the school is right for you - big or small, urban or rural Big 10 or smallest 100, you have your criteria & that's all that matters. After you visit & talk to current & past students, you'll have a better idea of just what to expect.

That the schools have the right curriculum and backup programs if you change your major. How much a school has awarded in financial aid is also a factor as well as what % of freshmen are there after 4 years. You should have a checklist of what's really important to you and make sure the school can satisfy all your needs wants & desires.

2-3 sure admits

2-3 mid range

2-3 financially safe

2-3 reach

Most applications travel the same course - transcript review by 1 or more, actual application review w/or w/o essay review, which can stand on its own, interview results factored in (there had better have been one), and possibly a committee meeting to make the final decision. Impossible to determine exactly how many people were involved from beginning to end.

Early action = sooner notice. ED (only 1 school applied to) is a binding contract that if the student is accepted, they must send a letter to ALL other schools applied to to have their application withdrawn! They're telling the school that financial aid is of no interest, only being accepted is. This can be a nightmare if aid is not forthcoming.

Ethnically diverse, & geographically as well, plenty of intn'l students & a number of students with various disabilities round out most freshman classes.

It goes something like this:

The transcript is reviewed 1st, and if it passes the litmus test, the application will be read; next comes essay review, and lastly LOR's & the interview (there better have been one) are factored in.

Having acceptable #'s, a successful interview, has had correspondence with admissions personnel or the Provost or has met them personally. Going out of your way to impress upon them that you want that precious, all-important admission ticket!

Absolutely - but it's best in person and on campus to present their credentials.

Only a robot could check that! Don't be stupid, answer the question. The more varied the better, such as Afro/oriental or Eurasian.

That just having the numbers will get a student admitted; students whose numbers are lower than last year's average have no chance of being accepted, an interview isn't important & neither are a resume or outrageous LOR's.

A madhouse during the process. Paperwork gets lost, and every once in a while a sure admit is rejected 123!

I would assume so to get a better idea of what a particular applicant has to offer a college other than just their numbers.

I'm an unknown because of my financial aid strategies that guarantee to qualify families for maximum financial aid, and my successes at appealing unappealing financial aid award letters are legendary. Any college would always prefer to award less financial aid than more.

Although I'm not an admissions officer, one of my students had the following experience:

During his interview he brought the 3 things I always recommend one have: a resume, a special essay entitled, "Why I Must Attend [Your college] ", and the coup de gras, a business card. He presented his resume immediately, and after about 15 minutes, he gave him the special essay. When it was all over, he turned to leave and did a 180 and said, "Let's exchange business cards!"

After he got his acceptance letter, he called the person who sent it and asked specifically what it was that made the final decision, and she said that when he left, the interviewer ran down the hall screaming, "Look what I just got (holding up the student's business card)!" That was the decisive factor.

Certainly not as badly as they'd like you to believe it has!

Naturally, but not as much as in the past & ethnic bias as well - don't kid yourself into thinking that college is a perfect world!

Some do, some don't.

Some do, so if there's sexually explicit or drug related stuff, you could be SOL (Surely Out of Luck)!

Not all the time, but if you don't send any, they won't read yours, so send stuff to every college, unless they absolutely forbid it!

Much better than if they had withered away.

There could be 2 class years in a 12 mth period, so several 100 at least.

No one knows for sure, but my guess is 20-30 minutes max.

Probably no more than 20-30 minutes, if that long.

It all depends on the specific circumstances - there's no pat answer.

I think it's pretty obvious with the computer age, the vastness of Internet technology, videos, CD's, etc. Most evaluations are done electronically, and too often an acceptance e/m replaces a fat letter!

Some more than others, but surely much less than they'd like everyone to believe!

With lots of scrutiny. No college really wants several students from any particular high school, unless they are all superstars in unrelated academic or athletic areas.

At some colleges it'll be an all or none decision, but many simply judge each student on his/her own merit.

Most likely if they had a chance to personally meet the student that could make the difference. The known vs the unknown can weigh heavily. However, to cover their butts, they could accept 1 and defer and/or wait-list the others. Too difficult to give an exact answer as there are so many variables.

This is almost the same question as the last one, except now we're talking about more students, but the unknown factor is now how many will actually be accepted.

Most likely if they had a chance to personally meet the student(s) that could make the difference. The known vs the unknown can weigh heavily. However, to cover their butts, they could accept a few and defer and/or wait-list the others. Too difficult to give an exact answer as there are so many variables.

Some do & some don't. Don't get caught up in striving for a 5. whatever HPA.

Some schools meet financial need 100%, others 50%. There are many factors in addition to the EFC, but the initial aid offer is usually substantially LESS than what can be obtained in the appeals/negotiation process. I've spent 33 years in financial aid trench warfare and speak from experience.

The standards are getting tougher. Additionally, there has been some relaxation in ED conditions.

Years ago, when 2 of my students gave the interviewers their business cards - it surely was the deciding factor that put them over the edge, and I've been recommending they have one ever since!

Another was getting a student admitted in the fall when her acceptance letter was for the winter! That was a real unexpected coup.

If financial aid is of no consequence, the student is a legacy student, or there are no other schools the student desires to apply to.

Early action gives you sooner notice than regular decision. ED enhances your chances of being accepted as fewer students choose that route.

ED gives you a much better chance of acceptance as the odds will have increased.

At ED schools it's binding & you can get out of it - but in May where will you apply? Wash U in St. Louis has an ED program with a Dec. 31st deposit date; no deposit, no binding contract. But it's still very late in the game to start applying in Jan.

Because they want to gain more information to make a decision about you - so do your best in answering all questions related to it.

Having 1,000 or more community service hrs in combination w/a high GPA. Fluency in 3 languages is always a plus as well. SAT/ACT scores from 9th or 10 grade can also be impressive in addition to dual enrollment. These are just a few.

Only some of the answers can be tailored, as the application itself is a pre-printed form. Try to get it across that this school is your 1st choice.

Yes

That's a tough one, but they surely need to be consistent.

Probably, but no one knows for sure, unless it's stated on the college's website.

It all depends on the school - some will trash any additional info if it's not requested. Call the school and make sure you ask someone in authority to get a definitive answer.

Probably, but timing isn't everything - content is.

Parents being illegal immigrants, poor grammar, misspellings, inconsistent or missing information, resident aliens w/o a TOEFL score, and a host of other things a college might consider a red flag.

On the Common App if the college asks for any additional info you'd like to submit. Just make sure it's not too many characters. Otherwise, submit it directly to the director of admissions, or give it to the interviewer at the beginning of your interview.

It's found at commonapp.org & used by over 400 colleges, some of which use it exclusively.

In my opinion it's something extraordinary that makes the student stand out like Yao Ming does in a crowd.

The Universal College Application is an online admissions application consortium for college-bound students, and can be found at universalapplication.com.

The essay, GPA, test scores, precise answers, and perfect grammar.

I have a GRID which I give to each family so they can list all items to be submitted to a college and the dates they are due. This way NO deadlines should be missed. Also, have a file folder on each college w/copies of all correspondence.

If you have great rapport w/that person & they are impressed with your accomplishments.

You read my mind! Here's one of my favorite caveats:

Plan your work, work your plan.

No one plans to fail, but too many people fail to plan.

Best time to get LOR's is after Jan. in the 10th, 11th, or even the 9th grade. At that time of year, teachers are no longer bombarded w/requests from desperate students. They'll have plenty of time to write a great LOR. Be sure to give them the name & address of the director of admissions at specific colleges you're applying to. Otherwise, they may address it, To whom it may concern; that's the same as, Dear Occupant, & we all know where that mail winds up!

I've had situations where the teacher asked the student to write something & they signed it, but that was only after I enhanced it and it went back to the teacher for their final approval & signature.

Yes! You read my mind! Here's one of my favorite caveats:

Plan your work, work your plan.

No one plans to fail, but too many fail to plan.

Best time to get LOR's is after Jan. in the 10th, 11th, or even the 9th grade. At that time of year, teachers are no longer bombarded w/requests from desperate students. They'll have plenty of time to write a great LOR. Be sure to give them the name & address of the director of admissions at specific colleges you're applying to. Otherwise, if they address it To whom it may concern; that's the same as Dear Occupant, & we all know where that mail winds up!

I've had situations where the teacher asked the student to write something & they signed it, but that was only after I enhanced it and it went back to the teacher for their final approval & signature.

It's never too early, but don't wait too long to start.

It's best to have an expert in the fine art of negotiation explain it and then decide if you want to hire them to pursue more aid - DON'T TRY TO DO IT YOURSELF!

529 Savings plans, 529 Prepaid tuition plans, and to keep the money out of the financial aid calculations, tax deferred annuities. There are other ways, but most involve a larger degree of risk. The most important thing is that the money will be there, and proper income planning & asset repositioning will provide you with the opportunity for maximum financial aid.

Yes. Needy families rarely pay for fees. Talk to the admissions office as there may be a waiver form.

A 529 plan is a qualified savings vehicle that allows the owner to have tax free gains when the money is used for higher education. The best site for more information is savingforcollege.com.

The account value isn't, but the contribution is added back to the AGI (Adjusted Gross Income - 1040 Line 37) and then assessed. In many cases the loss in financial aid is greater than the tax savings on the contribution! Check with a financial aid professional for the best way to benefit from this.

Yes. Many schools will waive a course based on an AP score. Best to check with the school first to see what their policy is.

Yes. The same as if they applied regular decision. However, the school may be much less generous, because ED tells the school you're not interested in aid - only acceptance.

It can. Many schools such as the University of Miami have guaranteed scholarships; if the GPA is x, and the SAT is Y, the student qualifies for Z scholarship. Be sure to apply early as there are deadlines.

That's a trick question! In any family, no matter what the status, it's always the STUDENT!

At some colleges yes, but at others, just the opposite.

By NOT having a Custodian Account in the student's name! They can purchase a Prepaid Tuition Plan so it's not considered a parent asset and also make contributions to a 529 Savings Plan that benefits the student, and a 529 Plan needs to be monitored closely. They can also write a check to the college, but I would only recommend it if the family didn't qualify for any need-based aid whatsoever. If the parents have terrible credit, they can also be the guarantor on a PLUS (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students).

Into fixed tax deferred annuities & specialized life ins. products. The principal will be guaranteed, safe, insured, outside the financial aid calculations & liquid! If the parents work for a living, it's impossible to have any of their income paid to anyone else, but if they own a small business, they can put all their the students on the payroll and be guaranteed to pay less in taxes. There are other legal strategies I've been using for 33 years, but too numerous to mention here.

Here's a simplified description of the basics:

Stafford Loan

Old cap on borrowing - 19,000

New " " " 27,000 - this is actually VERY detrimental, since colleges can now save 8,000 of gift aid per student since they can ALL borrow an additional 8,000!

Old interest rate cap - 8.25

New " " " - 6.80

Old lenders - numerous banks & private lenders w/fees, etc

New lender - Uncle Sam

Old PLUS interest rate - 8.5% fixed rate

New " " " - 7.9% & the repayment depends on borrower's ability to pay

Old PLUS terms - 1st payment due 30 days after 1st distribution

New " " - ALL payments can be deferred until 6 mths after graduation!

Old tax credit max - 1,500

New " " " - 2,500

Old assessment on ALL business assets - 5.1%-5.6%

New " if <100 FT employees - 0

If they have a Green Card, they're as equal as US citizens.

With difficulty at a state college, but a private college can treat that student any way it chooses. The student still qualifies for maximum federal aid.

A step-parent is considered the other parent in the formulas, as long as the student lives with him/her and their spouse.

With the Institutional Methodology (CSS schools), or Federal Methodology (FAFSA). The actual formula is way too complex for this discussion, but both take into account:

parent & student income & assets, age of older parent, number of students attending at the undergraduate level & the dependent status of the student. The CSS has a home equity assessment, while the FAFSA does not. In the final analysis, the EFC (Expected Family Contribution - the minimum the federal gov't determines a family will pay at any college) doesn't vary by that much, and in some cases the CSS EFC is lower.

It only costs what you pay while attending and when paying back loans - which could be a lot!

By the school, or the family who's crying about the bill? It's impossible to tell in either case.

No one but the student is responsible for their own education!

Depends where, when, & how long. Going to Oxford might cost 100% with $0 aid or $0 w/100% aid!

Absolutely! I've been doing just that since 1979 with phenomenal results!

They will almost always be offered less, but a sharp negotiator might be able to get them more.

Scholarships, loans, grants, work, work study, having affluent parents or relatives who will foot the bill.

Students are not in a position to do that; they need professional help. Could a student negotiate their income tax bill?

Scholarships, loans, grants and federal work-study.

The biggest mistake is having the student, and not the parents, complete the application! Like a tax return which is free, have an experienced financial aid advisor offer some free advice - and take it!

Unless the family has no income or assets to speak of, they probably won't screw up the form too badly, and remember, both the CSS and FAFSA can be corrected if there are mistakes!

Have a professional assist them in writing a detailed letter to the Director of Financial Aid. If the situation warrants, Professional Judgment can be invoked, and the financial aid process can start all over with current numbers.

Make sure their parents get a free financial aid consultation from an experienced financial aid expert to understand how the system works for and against them. It's quite similar to consulting a CPA before filing one's taxes.

That there are deadlines for filing forms

All the basics, such as how does their income & assets impact financial aid.

Why a financial aid consultation is absolutely mandatory before filing any forms.

How a divorce or separation impacts on aid

How private scholarships are mainly designed for families who receive NO need based aid

Parents need to understand all the intricacies; students should know the basics.

Your EFC, amount of unmet need, gift aid vs self-help, the amount of your FWS - you did ask for a Federal Work-Study program, didn't you? Also, try to determine the school's average % of need met and in what proportion. Better yet, get some "free" professional advice!

Since students have NO asset protection allowance and lose 20 cents in financial aid for every dollar they have, they have to "appear" broke. They do have an Income Protection Allowance (IPA) of about $6,000, but they need to "loan" their earnings to their parents or other relatives so they won't loose financial aid dollars - what a stupid system that penalizes students for their hard earned work!

Stafford Loans are mandatory, as is a Federal Work-Study program. While in college they should also work, but be mindful of going over the IPA.

Private scholarships for families who will receive need-based aid from private schools becomes phantom money, as the school will consider them an outside resource and deduct dollar for dollar from their own aid! I recently had a student at Northwestern who lost out on over $25,000 she rec'd in private scholarships - the school kept every dollar for itself to offset their aid!

A Federal Work-Study award is an on or off campus job paid at minimum wage. It's usually $2,000 - $1,000 per semester. The first $1,000 earned goes to pay for the award, anything over that the student gets to keep. As long as the job doesn't conflict with studies, keep working through the college years. At very expensive private colleges, I've been able to get students $4,500 Federal Work-Study awards.

If a dependent student's income is less than $5,800, they will pay $0 income tax. An independent student can earn $9,500 and pay $0 tax. An independent student can also qualify for $2,500 in tax credits if they pay for their own education.

Make sure they're not included in any financial aid forms or questionnaires.

Find someone to co-sign a private loan or attend a local college, work and live at home - a very sad scenario.

Students & parents are at a severe disadvantage in trying to obtain more aid. Ever try do finagle more of a refund from the IRS? Hire a professional like most parents do for their taxes.

A Dept of Education form - Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The basis for need and non-need federal aid. Virtually all colleges require it to determine the EFC - Expected Family Contribution - the minimum amount the federal gov't determines a family will pay at any college. The EFC is based on parent & student income, assets, age of the older parent, taxes paid, dependent status of the student & how many students will be attending at least half time in the next college year. Three financial vehicles not included in the calculations are: retirement acct's, tax deferred annuities, and the cash value of life ins. policies.

It all depends on the amount of income and amount of assets. Usually, if the adjusted gross income (1040 Line 37) is less than $45,000, a family will receive a Pell Grant. However, if there are substantial assets of say $100,000 or more, it will preclude them from receiving substantial need-based aid. There are too many variables for a simple answer - they're both important.

First of all, how would a student know for sure? The truth is that every filer qualifies for federal student aid, namely a Stafford Loan and possibly a Federal Work-Study award. Additionally, if parents want to defer payments on college bills, then it's mandatory so they can qualify for a PLUS - Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students.

NO, unless the stepparent lives with the parent & student.

Although filing the form is free, so is filing an income tax return. Parents should get a "free" consultation from an experienced financial aid advisor before attempting to file the form. There are numerous legal strategies to qualify for maximum financial aid. I've been doing this for 33 years and can speak from vast experience.

There are only about 205 private and a few state colleges (U NC Chapel Hill is one) that require the CSS, but virtually every school requires the FAFSA. The CSS comes from the College Board; the FAFSA from the Dept. of Ed.

Unlike the FAFSA, the CSS asks lifestyle questions such as information about home equity, the value of retirement acct's, annuities, cash value of life ins., autos leased or owned, payments to private high schools, etc. They give credits for certain items, and over the years the EFC (Expected Family Contribution) has been pretty close to equal. One year the EFC at Duke was less that the FAFSA EFC. The formulas are too complicated to do it yourself, so use a computer and hope for the best. This year NYU decided to require the CSS & UCLA did not.

On line, carefully, and with the help of an expert. It is unwise to do a paper form, so go to www.fafsa.ed.gov, and be sure to avoid www.fafsa.com!

It's usually included on a W-2 or a 1099.

While in college make sure your parents pay the interest and take the student loan deduction if they qualify. Now that the feds have taken over the program, your ability to pay will be considered when it's payback time - Thank you President Obama!

The old program had a lesser amount of loans available. The new Stafford Loan program has both subsidized and unsubsidized loans for a total of $27,000 that can be borrowed at the undergraduate level. Graduate amounts have also increased, and more students are able to get subsidized loans even if the parent's income is over $100,000.

Borrow the maximum every year; 5,500, 6,500, 7,500, 7,500.

While in college it's impossible. The loan company is now the federal gov't, and the ability to pay is now a crucial factor, so if a student makes all payments on time for 20 years, the remaining balance will be forgiven.

NO!

It's always too soon to tell until the legislation is enacted into law, so why speculate.

By consolidating loans, students can reduce the overall interest when paying them back.

Students are limited on the amount of Stafford & Perkins Loans, so while they're in school the terms are fixed. Private loans require a co-signor, and graduate students' loans terms are also fixed. After graduation it's payback time.

Negotiating an employment contract where paying off loans is a part of it.

Paying for the opportunity to apply is the most common, so don't pay first.