Nuggets every college parent can use

Admit rate mostly reflects how many students apply, not the quality of the education. Colleges that market heavily can push applications up and admit rates down without anything changing in the classroom.

Yield is the share of admitted students who actually enroll. Because it helps colleges predict class size and budgets, some schools give weight to demonstrated interest — campus visits, thoughtful “why us” essays and early applications.

A reach is a long shot — which includes any highly selective college, even for top students; a match is one where your student's grades and scores sit in the middle of admitted students; a safety is one where they're comfortably above. A true safety is also one your student would be happy to attend and your family can afford.

Early Decision is binding: if admitted, your student commits to enroll and withdraws other applications, so you can't compare aid offers. Early Action is non-binding. ED can improve odds at some schools — but only apply ED where the net price calculator says it's affordable.

Test-optional schools let you decide whether to send SAT/ACT scores; test-blind schools ignore them; and some selective colleges have gone back to requiring them. A good rule of thumb: submit scores that fall at or above the school's middle-50% range.

The published price is rarely what families pay. Every college that offers federal aid must post a net price calculator on its website — use it to estimate your real cost after grants before ruling a school out.

Many of the most selective colleges offer only need-based aid. Schools where your student would rank near the top of the applicant pool are far more likely to offer merit scholarships — sometimes making a private college cheaper than an in-state public.

If your finances have changed (job loss, medical bills) or a comparable school offered more, write a polite, documented appeal to the financial aid office. Many colleges will take a second look — it never hurts to ask.

Grants and scholarships are free money; loans must be repaid and work-study must be earned. Compare offers by what you'll actually owe after grants — not by the “total aid” figure at the bottom.

The FAFSA for the next school year is available by October 1. File as soon as you can: some states and colleges award aid first-come, first-served until the money runs out.

The FAFSA uses “prior-prior year” tax information — so the first form your student files looks at income from the calendar year that starts in January of their sophomore year of high school. Big financial moves in that window can affect aid.

Many private colleges use the CSS Profile to award their own grants. It asks for more detail than the FAFSA, and its deadlines can be earlier — often lining up with Early Decision or Early Action applications.

The federal FAFSA deadline isn't until the end of the school year — far too late to rely on. State deadlines can come much sooner, and college priority deadlines are often the earliest of all. Put the earliest one on your calendar.