Edmit Guide for Junior Year

Step 1

How is financial aid calculated?

Who has financial need?

Demonstrated need is the gap between your EFC and the cost to attend a particular school.

"Percent of need met"

Most colleges can't guarantee they will meet all of your financial need.

Need-blind vs. need-aware

How your "financial need" will factor into a college's admissions and aid decisions depends on the type of college it is.

Schools that cover 100% of your financial need

Here is our list.

Step 2

Merit based financial aid & scholarships

What are merit scholarships?

Families who see that their EFC is higher than they are able or willing to pay for college should factor merit scholarships into their search.

The colleges that are most generous with merit money

Here's our list of the colleges that award merit scholarships to the highest percentage of students without financial need.

Step 3

College types and pricing

Ivy League universities and financial aid

Learn about merit scholarships and financial aid in the Ivy League.

What's the difference between public and private universities?

A primer on these categories of colleges.

Public universities, private universities, and financial aid

State schools are not necessarily cheaper.

Can I get in-state tuition as an out-of-state student?

Ways to reduce your costs if you're attending a public university from out-of-state.

The most generous Ivy League universities for middle class families

Here's how the numbers break down for these very selective institutions.

Step 4

How to estimate your college costs

All about net price calculators

One of the most important steps in your college search process - but not foolproof.

Understanding your EFC

And why it might be much higher than you expect.

Step 5

The college search process

College search tools

An overview of the sites you can use to start your search.

How to use college rankings

What they measure, and why they are not necessarily useful for your student.

Working with a college counselor

Learn how much the average independent college counselor costs and why you might consider one.

Step 6

Make the most of college visits and summers

Questions to ask on a college visit

Here are the financial questions you can ask when on campus.

Saving money on college visits

Tips for visiting colleges on a budget.

Summer career exploration activities

Things you can do during the summer to build your career knowledge.

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