Grace
What should I be doing during my "waiting period"?
I sent in all of my college applications before the New Year, but don't hear back from them until late March, leaving me with approximately three months of crippling financial worries and general stress about acceptance. I've been spending my time applying to as many scholarships as possible, but have found little fruition in this since many organizations fail to alert students regarding their success or failure in the scholarship field. Meanwhile, I'm receiving emails from certain institutions about filing for financial aide--though I turned in the FAFSA in October. What more should I be doing? Do I need to submit supplementary information for financial aide? Are there deadlines that I should be paying attention to but, for whatever reason, I don't know exist? #financial-aid #scholarships #college-admissions
2 answers
Caroline Cercone, CISA
Caroline’s Answer
Hi Grace! I would definitely recommend continuing to apply for scholarships that are relevant to your financial situation/field of study. Next, I would start to research private student loans. You can compare interest rates, payback programs, and grace periods to find the loan that works best for you. Lastly, I would enjoy the downtime with friends and family before you're busy with college and classes! Hope this helps. Good luck!
Junli (June) Zhong
Junli (June)’s Answer
Continue to apply to financial aid in your local community and even research ones within the colleges you applied for if you haven't already. Volunteer so you can use this to help the community out, to take your mind off of this stressful time, and as something to talk about in any interviews that might come up. Also, try part-time work.