Admissions Expertise What are the most significant, avoidable mistakes students make in the admissions process? Lying or stretching the truth on extracurricular activities, not preparing for standardized testing adequately, making the essay a recitation of achievements instead of a chance to really make a personal statement, and NOT EDITING THE APPLICATION CAREFULLY AND THOROUGHLY! Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. Tuition aside, what benefits and drawbacks exist by going to school in-state vs. out-of-state? If you are seeking to widen your horizons and meet people from a variety of backgrounds, attending your state U may not allow you to do so as most other students seeking a more affordable education are going to be from your home state. Also not every state school offers every program. If you are interested in engineering, your state U may not have an engineering school. If you are interested in a joint degree program, completing your undergraduate and graduate schools in a compressed number of years, that may not be an option. Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. What are the best ways for students to negotiate their college tuition? No financial aid offer is really final until the student and his or her family call the college financial aid office and try to negotiate. Often if the gap between the Estimated Family Contribution and what the family can realistically afford is small, colleges will make an effort to close the gap. It just takes a phone call! Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. What are the best ways for students to manage their college expenses? Planning for paying for college should start as early as middle school. Students who may not have done planning early enough should consider their state universities, attending community college for two years and then transferring to a four year school to manage costs or if they are academically qualified, seek opportunities for merit money. One way students should not finance their education is by accumulating a significant amount of debt. At graduation, students will be saddled with a debt that may take decades to pay off. Students and their families should research FAFSA, plan to gather the necessary documentation to file for it and consider exploring schools that are known to meet demonstrated need. Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed. Are overnight stays important? How should I prepare for an overnight stay? Some schools dont offer students a chance to stay over until they have been accepted, but if you are interested in one that does allow prospies to stay over, you should! It is the best way to see what life at a particular school is really like. To plan, you should check the schedule online to see what events might be taking place. Ask the admissions office for a schedule of classes you can sit in on, other events like concerts and performances that might be taking place and you might even be provided a few meal tickets to eat in the cafeteria. If there is a particular professor whose class was very interesting to you, send an email letting him or her know how much you enjoyed it. Might help down the road! Likes Like This Answer Already Liked This Answer Thank you, this item will be reviewed.