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I have to disagree with the above poster. I am sorry for her bad experience with a HS guidance counselor, but we had 2 who both worked with each and every senior in the school. They made calls to me at night and on weekends. They have the contacts. They know and work with the admission reps of the colleges, and certainly your local colleges. They helped a great deal working with the colleges for getting financial aid and they are responsible for writing a letter on behalf of the student, in addition to recommendations from teachers, that are part of the application. The guidance counselor sets up a packet for each student and they take the students' applications. All college applications were reviewed by the counselor and they directly mail them out to the colleges. At least, that's is how it is done in my area.
That's another thing that your son needs to do ASAP. He needs to contact some of his teachers (should have done it at the end of his junior year) to ask if they would write letters of recommendation for him. You want letters from teachers from different departments, not just his coach. Teachers need time to write a thoughtful, personal letter about each student and they are not pleased when 200 seniors ask for a letter in November.
The campus absolutely matters. This will be your son's home for 4 years. What are the dorms like? Do students live on or off campus? How is SECURITY on campus? What happens if your son becomes ill or injured from sports? Is the campus infirmy open at night and on weekends? Is there a medical facility nearby? Is there a lot of Greek life? What are the food options? What are the faciilites? Does the science/art/computer department have modern equipment and enough for all students to use instead of sharing? What does the athletic department have? What kind of freshman programs are there for orientation, adjustment, counseling? Can students have a car on campus? Does the school have shuttle service if it is a big campus like OSU? What are the general education class requirements for graduation? Must you take a foreign language? How many credits do you need for graduation for your major? What is there to do in the local area? There is a lot to learn about each school and they all do things differently.
As I mentioned in my earlier post, College Confidential was very helpful for us and so was fastweb. Yes, there are scholarships for all kinds of students, not just the top students or minorities. Sometimes, you need to fill out an application or write an essay. Your son might be eligble through a scholarship from your employer. Was your son or his parents members of any organizations? 4H Club? Don't dismiss private schools. Sometimes private schools with money will give more financial aid and can cost less than in-state tuitiion at a state school.
Forget what the process was like when you were going to school. It's been like this for the past 20 years and it is very overwhelming for most. That's why most people start making some casual investigations when the student is in 10th grade if they seem college bound.
All parents are busy with jobs, other children, activities. I am surprised that college was not a major discussion with the other parents while you were attending the swim meets. Financial planners are good for setting up savings accounts for college when your child is very young. They do not know which schools have money for grants, loans, and scholarships.
College consultants really aren't all that great. It's like going to a doctor. You go for a diagnosis but you still have to do your own homework for your disease. The best people to talk to about money is the financial aid office of the college. Also when you visit, pick up the bulletin. They usually list the names of various scholarships and grants. Each school has their own. Sometimes there is money for students who come from a particular state or city. Rich people set up scholarship funds at their aluma mater for all kinds of crazy things.
You are fortunate to be in Ohio where there are many good schools, if he decides to stay in the state. I hear that Miami (in Ohio) has a nice campus and my friend's daughter just finished Bowling Green, having a great experience. I am also fond of OSU.
I don't know all the answers, but there are a few I do know: financial planners - I don't think so. We have one that is fee-based, but the fee is very high and probably not worth it just for that. Maybe if you had other things to plan as well (it's 1500 - 2500/year). Most other "financial planners" are just trying to sell you something. Although you may live in a cheaper part of the country.
About D2/3 schools. If he is good enough, he might be able to get some athletic scholarship money from a D2 school. If there is no money in it, the a D2 school will be demanding a lot of commitment to swim practice compared to a D3 school. I think D3 is a better choice for someone who just wants to swim for the enjoyment of it, but wants to focus on academics and other things more than swimming.
About the schools that sent letters - are the letters about swimming or just the typical college spam that all high school kids get? If it's just mass advertising, I'd ignore it. If it's about swimming, I'd be interested - there might be money in it.
As far as scholarships go, I would say that there isn't much for undergrads unless they are at the top of their class and/or a member of an ethnic minority that has its own eligibility for separate scholarships. If that's not your son, the only money is likely to come from swimming or loans. If you have no ideas where he wants to go or what he wants to study, start with the practical - look first for state schools that are D2. If that doesn't yield anything interesting, look at state schools that are D3, if there are any. If there is nothing at all instate, then expand to D2 private schools that might give money or financial aid and so on. You don't have to visit a place to narrow down your search - honestly, what the campus looks like is not all that important, and you won't get a true sense of the atmosphere of the school in the middle of summer when no one is there and you're only getting a tour guide spiel anyway. Narrow it down first by cost, swimming opportunity, and academics (choice of major, if he can get in or not). Once you're narrowed down a little, talk to financial aid counselors at those schools and the swim coach about athletic money (if he's good enough).
Don't trust high school guidance counselors. Honestly, some of them know nothing about colleges. When you have it narrowed down a bit, or can post more info about your son's qualifications and interests or maybe specific names of schools and majors, then post again for more specific info.
You stated your son is looking at DII and DIII schools for swimming. DIII schools do not offer athletic scholarships. There are six DII schools in Ohio and 54 in the entire country that have men's swimming. Under DII, they can offer up to 8.1 scholarships. Most do not offer as many as they are allowed. In PA, the PSAC schools such as Edinboro University have a total of 1-2 full scholarships to give which are divided among their top swimmers. This is a good website that might help with your financial calculations. Calculate Your Costs | Ashland University
You stated your son is looking at DII and DIII schools for swimming. DIII schools do not offer athletic scholarships. There are six DII schools in Ohio and 54 in the entire country that have men's swimming. Under DII, they can offer up to 8.1 scholarships. Most do not offer as many as they are allowed. In PA, the PSAC schools such as Edinboro University have a total of 1-2 full scholarships to give which are divided among their top swimmers. This is a good website that might help with your financial calculations. Calculate Your Costs | Ashland University
d3 can't technically offer you athletic scholarships, but the athletic departments tend to work with the admissions departments to get you "academic" or other scholarships should the team be very interested in you
I have to disagree with the above poster. I am sorry for her bad experience with a HS guidance counselor, but we had 2 who both worked with each and every senior in the school. They made calls to me at night and on weekends. They have the contacts. They know and work with the admission reps of the colleges, and certainly your local colleges. They helped a great deal working with the colleges for getting financial aid and they are responsible for writing a letter on behalf of the student, in addition to recommendations from teachers, that are part of the application. The guidance counselor sets up a packet for each student and they take the students' applications. All college applications were reviewed by the counselor and they directly mail them out to the colleges. At least, that's is how it is done in my area.
That's another thing that your son needs to do ASAP. He needs to contact some of his teachers (should have done it at the end of his junior year) to ask if they would write letters of recommendation for him. You want letters from teachers from different departments, not just his coach. Teachers need time to write a thoughtful, personal letter about each student and they are not pleased when 200 seniors ask for a letter in November.
The campus absolutely matters. This will be your son's home for 4 years. What are the dorms like? Do students live on or off campus? How is SECURITY on campus? What happens if your son becomes ill or injured from sports? Is the campus infirmy open at night and on weekends? Is there a medical facility nearby? Is there a lot of Greek life? What are the food options? What are the faciilites? Does the science/art/computer department have modern equipment and enough for all students to use instead of sharing? What does the athletic department have? What kind of freshman programs are there for orientation, adjustment, counseling? Can students have a car on campus? Does the school have shuttle service if it is a big campus like OSU? What are the general education class requirements for graduation? Must you take a foreign language? How many credits do you need for graduation for your major? What is there to do in the local area? There is a lot to learn about each school and they all do things differently.
As I mentioned in my earlier post, College Confidential was very helpful for us and so was fastweb. Yes, there are scholarships for all kinds of students, not just the top students or minorities. Sometimes, you need to fill out an application or write an essay. Your son might be eligble through a scholarship from your employer. Was your son or his parents members of any organizations? 4H Club? Don't dismiss private schools. Sometimes private schools with money will give more financial aid and can cost less than in-state tuitiion at a state school.
Forget what the process was like when you were going to school. It's been like this for the past 20 years and it is very overwhelming for most. That's why most people start making some casual investigations when the student is in 10th grade if they seem college bound. All parents are busy with jobs, other children, activities. I am surprised that college was not a major discussion with the other parents while you were attending the swim meets. Financial planners are good for setting up savings accounts for college when your child is very young. They do not know which schools have money for grants, loans, and scholarships.
College consultants really aren't all that great. It's like going to a doctor. You go for a diagnosis but you still have to do your own homework for your disease. The best people to talk to about money is the financial aid office of the college. Also when you visit, pick up the bulletin. They usually list the names of various scholarships and grants. Each school has their own. Sometimes there is money for students who come from a particular state or city. Rich people set up scholarship funds at their aluma mater for all kinds of crazy things.
You are fortunate to be in Ohio where there are many good schools, if he decides to stay in the state. I hear that Miami (in Ohio) has a nice campus and my friend's daughter just finished Bowling Green, having a great experience. I am also fond of OSU.
I guess that's why I was somewhat surprised by everyone telling me I'm a year or two behind; because I do converse with the other swim parents and most seem like we are all in the same boat and pretty much on the same page - except for those exceptional swimmers who will be offered top slots ~ however, even they are waiting to hear from their favored school at this point in time. Some swimmers had not decided by almost the end of their senior year - where they would be going; still seeing who would offer what and would it be a school they could live with. It seems to be quite an agonizing decision for many of them - to continue on swimming at a smaller school or walk away to attend your dream college which doesn't have a team, etc.
The sports thing has muddied the waters a great deal. Does he want to; what will he be offered; who will offer; will he decide not to swim . . . where will he go if he doesn't swim, ad nauseum.
I am going to talk to a financial advisor; fortunately I have saved money but now I need to know when/how to best get it out to avoid penalities and where to put it in the meantime or leave it as is until I actually need to write a check . .
I love Miami of OH and so does my son (at least he loves swimming at their facility) and it will be a top contender. Many of his friends are starting there this fall. He will not have the times to swim there but they have a very active club team. OSU has been ruled out by my son as too big; and we have spent a fair amount of time swimming at their lovely facility and on campus so he should have a good feel by now. Personally, I would love it if he went there but . . .
I think you should make a point to speak to the swim coaches who are interested in him. They should be able to help him get an idea of what it's like to swim in college and if he really wants to do it. Some coaches really want to help the kids and will be honest with you as well as talk about what they might be able to do for him financially.
I would make the academics and the college comfort zone the priorities. If he is accepted to a college intending to swim there and that doesn't work out, he may feel that he's stuck. My kids were all B students, all went to (or are going to) small private colleges and got substantial merit aid, as in over $10,000 per year.
If your HS has Naviance, you can easily get a good idea of what colleges your son would be accepted to. I would ask that question asap. I don't know where you are in Ohio, but I googled, "Naviance scattergrams, Ohio HS" and got this College Planning / Naviance This front page gives a good explanation of what it does.
This site gives you the fast facts and numbers about individual colleges: College Navigator - Denison University For instance, I can easily see here that Denison University costs about $52,000 but 98% of students get financial aid, with an average amount of $21,722. I can also see that the 75% of the students score around 30 with the ACT.
Another site that allows you to plug in your stats - financial, grades, interests, etc is https://www.collegedata.com/ and find out the likelihood of acceptance and cost. I found it to be fairly accurate.
Who can help me through this process? Are there financial planners that focus strictly on College issues?
Or is there some consultant out there that can help me figure out - is he eligible for scholarships; how/where to apply and look; how best to place the money I have saved for his college (it won't pay for all of it).
I feel lost. I have scheduled two visits to two colleges that he has mentioned. To further complicate the process, he is deciding if he wants to swim in college - which will narrow him most likely to
D2 and D3 schools. We have not looked at any of these so far.
Should we visit some of the ones that are sending him letters - even though he is not sure he wants to go there and they are fairly far away?
This could be a full-time job depending on which set of parents I talk to!
He can look up on the internet financial aid offered by schools he's interested in. Some schools offer a full financial aid package, depending on need, that doesn't involve loans at all. (UPenn, for one, for in-state students.) Stanford University pays all expenses for students from families earning under $100,000. Of course, a lot depends on his interests, as to what schools would be a good fit. He should look beyond just the 2 or 3 he's currently interested in. If schools are sending him letters, by all means, consider those. Take a look online at their financial aid options.
Guidance counselors aren't always on the ball, I just thought I'd mention that. Their recommendations aren't always a good fit, if they don't know the student well. But they should have plenty of info at their disposal.
He can look up on the internet financial aid offered by schools he's interested in. Some schools offer a full financial aid package, depending on need, that doesn't involve loans at all. (UPenn, for one, for in-state students.) Stanford University pays all expenses for students from families earning under $100,000. Of course, a lot depends on his interests, as to what schools would be a good fit. He should look beyond just the 2 or 3 he's currently interested in. If schools are sending him letters, by all means, consider those. Take a look online at their financial aid options.
Guidance counselors aren't always on the ball, I just thought I'd mention that. Their recommendations aren't always a good fit, if they don't know the student well. But they should have plenty of info at their disposal.
I think most of the tippy top schools have excellent financial aid, but all of them also deny 80% or more of the students that apply. U Penn is a private college. There is no deal for Pennsylvania residents, that is, there is no "in-state" or out of state for privates. The OP has stated that her son has a 3.4 GPA, which means that it wouldn't make sense to apply to any of those colleges.
With a 3.4 that is going prevent any merit aid unless he has a 32 or better on the ACT. Swimming at the DIII level is a great way to get involved in an activity on campus while not having to devote the time a scholarship athlete would to the sport. It's still time probably not more than he is putting in on his high school team. I would strongly encourage him to seek out D3 schools with ok, not great, swim teams. Email the coaches about his interest in the school and include times. The nice thing about sports like swimming is your time is your time and there really isn't much subjectivity about it. He can look on the various websites to see where he sits for times.
Many smaller state schools are D3, depending on the state, so that is a place to start. It is something that you should probably get going on this week as most kids are past this step in the process.
If you are located in central to eastern Ohio, you might want to look at these DIII schools that have men's swimming.
Grove City
Westminster
Washington & Jefferson
Saint Vincent
Bethany
Allegheny College
Penn State Behrend
Gannon (DII)
Regarding the difference between DII and DIII, your son will find the time commitment will be just as high in DIII.
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