Victoria Dryfoos
College & Career Counselor
- Create accounts on:
Black Common App
2. Start, complete, and edit the Common, Black Common and college
specific application(s). Click if applying international
3. Be sure to spend time describing your activities. These are important
4. Ask a teacher for a recommendation letter (add their email to the application once they have agreed to write one for you). You will need 0-3 letters of recommendation
5. Write and edit your personal essay (approx. 550 words). This is generally the most important part of your application after your course selection and grades!
6. Write any additional supplemental essays (including optional essays).
7. Submit applications before deadlines. Be sure to have a list of good-fit schools
8. Create a FSA ID. Complete the FAFSA (unless you do not want financial aid. You should use MASFA if you are a non-US citizen or are undocumented MA high school student.
9. Apply for local, state, and national scholarships (usually due between January-March)
10. Review offers. Talk with the college financial aid officers. Enroll by deadline
11. Send in a deposit (usually due May 1st). Complete all last steps during the summer
Personal Statement- More Tips
Where to best add your Work Experience by College Spy
Lists of College Specific Essays:
Supplemental Essays by College Essay Guy
College Essay Guy Resources for Essay Writing
Financial Resources
How much Student Debt Calculator
Valuable resources, financial aid webinars and at MEFA
Link for non-U.S. citizens and undocumented students to access in-state tuition and state aid
Correcting your FAFSA help on April 18th 6-7:30 pm RSVP
Colleges with other applications
Some universities and colleges do not use the Common Application and have their own application process. Be sure to check the College/University’s website on how to apply if the school you wish to apply to is not listed on the Common App.
Understanding different applications options
Local Scholarship Application Form
(when using this template, be sure to make a copy first, then fill it in
How Much Will Attending Cost?
Federal Government website for Financial Aid Estimator
Find out the Net Cost for each college using this Calculator
Find average cost, graduation rates and other info per College Scorecard
Information for non-U.S. citizens and undocumented students to access in-state tuition and state aid
Massachusetts Application for State Financial Aid (MASFA) is now available at mass.edu/tuitionequity/home.asp. This is an important step towards tuition equity in the Commonwealth. The MASFA allows undocumented students to apply for state financial aid for the first time.
The MASFA is for students who have completed at least three years of high school in Massachusetts and received a diploma but are ineligible for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) due to their immigration status. It should be completed by students who are beginning college in Spring 2024. The deadline for completing the MASFA to receive financial aid for the 2023-2024 school year is May 15, 2024.
Please contact the Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance at
617-391-6070 with any questions. List of MA State Grants/Loans
Mass Grants/Loans
MassReconnect: Learn more about Free Community College for Massachusetts residents, ages 25 or older, without a prior college degree
Information about Loans
Community College
Learn more about MassReconnect- Free Community College for Massachusetts residents, ages 25 or older, without a prior college degree
Helpful Articles & Videos:
Disclosing LDs, ADHD and ASD to colleges (recorded webinar)
Helpful College Resources by College Spy
If you need assistance with post-secondary planning, reach out to MEFA's college planning representatives at (800) 449-MEFA (6332) or collegeplanning@mefa.org
FAFSA
Deadline for priority MA State Aid: May 1st
Link for non-U.S. citizens and undocumented students to access
in-state tuition and state aid
Accepting Admission Offers
Make sure it is a good financial fit!
College Cost
How to Appeal Webinar recording
Financial aid offers usually contain this information:
- Cost of attendance (COA), an estimate of what you can expect to pay for one year of school. This includes tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and even personal expenses.footnote1 If the COA isn’t included in your offer, check the school’s website or call the financial aid office.
- Student Aid Index (SAI) number, a number that your school uses to determine how much financial aid you’re eligible for. It’s not (despite its name) how much your family will have to pay for college.footnote2
- College grants are typically need-based and can be given by state or federal governments.
- College scholarships can be need-, merit-, or interest-based and are awarded by a school, company, or private organization.
- Federal work-study is a program, implemented by the school, where you work to earn your financial aid.
- Federal student loans let you borrow money directly from the federal government; you pay this financial aid back with interest. A financial aid offer may also list the amount you can borrow with a credit-based loan (like a federal Direct PLUS Loan or a private student loan).
How to appeal a financial offer
Steps to consider
How to Appeal Webinar by College Aid Pro
Upcoming Webinar on How to Appeal
your Financial Aid Offer- April 11th at 6:30 pm
Stay of top of next steps after applying
- Check you student portal regularly
- If deferred or waitlisted- follow these steps. Here are some other tips (ie Write a letter of continued interest)
- Write thank you notes to all recommenders and scholarships
- Accept admission by deadline and make deposit
- Decline any other admissions offers
- Accept the parts of financial aid you want
- Submit required documents (i.e. medical forms, transcripts, ID)
- Sign up for orientation (if offered)
- Take placement exams (if needed)
- Sign up for housing
Tips to Stand Out in the Scholarship Application
Here are some tips to make your scholarship application memorable (from Collegeaidpro.com):
- Demonstrate Passion and Purpose: Show genuine passion for your academic pursuits and future career aspirations in your scholarship application materials. Convey a sense of purpose and clarity in how the scholarship will help you achieve your goals.
- Highlight Unique Experiences: Emphasize unique personal experiences, challenges you have overcome, or lessons you have learned that have shaped your character and values. These personal anecdotes humanize your application and make you a memorable candidate.
- Reflect on Personal Growth: Incorporate a reflective and introspective narrative in your scholarship application, highlighting personal growth, development, and resilience. Share stories of how you have evolved academically, personally, or professionally, demonstrating your ability to learn from and adapt to challenges.
- Showcase Individuality and Diversity: Celebrate your individuality, diverse perspectives, and potential contributions to the academic community in your scholarship application. Highlight how your unique experiences, background, or interests will enrich the college campus and create a more inclusive environment.
- Articulate Future Impact: Articulate a clear vision for how you intend to utilize the scholarship funds to advance your educational journey and make a positive impact on the community or society as a whole. Share your long-term goals and aspirations, illustrating the broader impact of investing in your education.
Summer Programs
List of Local Summer Jobs
Free Coding Camp (for girls and non-binary students)
Search Engine for Summer Programs by TeenLife
Boston Leadership Institute (1-3 weeks of various STEM camps- Cost & Registration)
Listing of Summer Adventures (West Coast and Abroad)
College Support Sites
I’m First: resource for First Generation students (to go to college)
College Equity First: for Black students
ScholarMatcher: free search tool for prospective students from families earning less than $50,000 year
Campus Pride: resource for LGBTQ+ students
Tips for applying to minority serving colleges (HBCUs and Tribal)
Questbridge: competitive college admission and scholarship process for high-achieving, low-income students for full scholarships. Finalists typically come from households earning less than $65,000 annually for a typical family of four and students are typically in the top 5-10% of their high school class
Free Summer Ideas:
from https://smarts-ef.org
Summer Journal: keep a summer adventure journal. This activity not only promotes writing and storytelling but also fosters planning and organization skills.
Starting a summer garden: a fantastic way to learn responsibility and time management. From planning the garden layout to watering and caring for plants, gardening helps develop executive function skills such as task initiation, follow-through, and organization. Plus, it’s a rewarding experience to see the fruits of their labor grow!
Engage in do-it-yourself (DIY) projects: whether it’s building a birdhouse, crafting a dream catcher, or designing your own board game, DIY projects stimulate creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills. These activities also encourage flexible thinking and the ability to adapt to unexpected challenges.
Coding and Computer Programming: learn and exploring coding can greatly benefit your executive function development. These activities encourage logical thinking, problem-solving, and attention to detail. Students can create their own games or animations, which boosts their confidence and creativity.
Organize outdoor scavenger hunts: that require others to follow clues, solve puzzles, and work together as a team. Scavenger hunts enhance working memory, cognitive flexibility, and cooperation.
Cook a Meal: make a meal from scratch. First, think about what kind of meal you would like to make. Then, look for a recipe and read through each of the ingredients and the steps. After all the ingredients have been gathered, it’s time to assemble the kitchen tools and supplies you will need. Chefs must keep instructions and lists of ingredients in mind while moving from step to step. They also need to pivot and adapt when they run out of an ingredient or encounter other issues along the way. This can lead to a greater ability to think flexibly. Brainstorm ingredients you can substitute to achieve a similar flavor profile as the original set of ingredients.
Benefits of Summer Activities:
from https://smarts-ef.org
Summer camps provide a valuable opportunity to enhance executive function strategies in students.
Traditional STEM camps often focus on multi-step activities like building a robot or designing a science experiment. These activities foster executive function strategies by asking students to plan, organize, and problem-solve. Help enhance these strategies by keeping a journal to track your progress and reflect on your learning.
Outdoor Adventure and Nature-based camps provide a perfect setting for developing executive function strategies. Hiking, camping, and team-building activities require students to set goals, collaborate, and adapt to new environments. These experiences can also help students practice managing emotions and staying focused under pressure. Students can also learn about environmental issues and participate in activities like planting trees, cleaning up local parks or beaches, and learning about wildlife conservation efforts.
Arts and Crafts Workshops and Creative Activities like painting, sculpting, or crafting enhance artistic skills and promote executive function. Planning a project, gathering materials, and following instructions help strengthen these strategies. Encourage students to showcase their work and explain their creative process, fostering communication and self-regulation.
Sports Camps not only promote physical health but also improve executive function strategies. Team sports require players to strategize, communicate, and make quick decisions, all of which are essential for strong executive function. Students can set personal goals and track their progress throughout the camp. Sports broadcasting camp allows students to learn about sports journalism, commentary, and broadcasting. Students can practice interviewing athletes, writing sports articles, and even create their own sports broadcasts.
Gap Year and After High School Programs
Learn more about Gap Year from mefa.org
Gap year accredited programs search with Gap Year Association
wwoof.org- Volunteer Farming around the World
Job Corps- begin a career with free training