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How to Choose an Independent College Counselor

Friday, July 9th, 2010

Why work with a private college counselor?

Whether you’re in New York or Miami, a private college counselor can help stressed-out parents find ideal academic fits for their students. One can also help families save money by matching students with scholarships and schools that fit a family’s budget AND student’s goals. Putting an independent college expert at the helm of the application process is not a bad idea for family relations either. As parents of teenagers most likely already know, it’s better to have someone else helping your student stick to a plan of action and look over their shoulder or hold their hand through the process. Choosing the right expert college adviser in Dade, Broward, Palm Beach or elsewhere is the important first step

Something to consider about private college counselors.

There is no shortage of individuals and firms willing to help you get your student into college. However, just because someone calls themselves a Palm Beach or Miami college expert doesn’t always mean they are. Many people consider themselves a single source for all things college admissions oriented: college, scholarships, admissions, testing and more. The best independent college advisers know enough about each of these to be helpful, the worst ones can be harmful.

What to look for when you’re choosing a private college counselor?

1. Make sure you have a good, comfortable rapport with the college counselor. Feel you can trust them because, essentially, what you’re doing is entrusting them with your child’s future. Also it’s important that the student and the expert college adviser have workable chemistry.

2. Ask about the students with whom the college expert works. Are they all valedictorians, or does she have some underachievers too? Some expert college advisers have a high rate of success getting students into Ivy League schools because they’ll only work with students who would be getting into a top university anyway.

3. The best kind of private college counselor will spend time learning about your teenager and finding out their likes and dislikes: academically, socially, and geographically. The aim is to get your child into the best school for him or her, which may or may not be the most prestigious school possible.

4. The best college experts work with your student’s individual strength and weaknesses to prepare them to get into the college of their dreams. And they should encourage them in a positive and constructive way. A student should not be forced to participate in extra-curricular activities and classes that provoke anxiety or increase the risk of burnout. In other words, if your student is not gravitating towards rowing, there are always bassoon lessons.

5. Look for an independent college counselor who understands scholarship and financial aid.

6. Ask the college advisor what qualifies her to offer college admissions advice. Look for a planner who has proven experience with college admissions and who has the right relationships. Don’t underestimate relationships whether they’re with college admissions offices or top SAT tutors. Determine what steps the advisor takes to stay current with changes and developments in college admissions. Also check what schools the college advisor has attended and what relevant professional organizations she belongs to, including those like NACAC and the IECA that will keep her in the local and national educational loops.

The answers.

Come in for a free consultation with International College Counselors. Or get 5 friends together and we will come out and hold a private seminar just for you and your friends. Just call us at 954-414-9986 or contact us at International College Counselors by email.

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International College Counselors
(954) 414-9986

International College Counselors has college counseling Broward, Palm Beach, and Dade college counseling offices. International College Counselors handle undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications. Mandee Heller Adler, lead college admissions consultant and Founder of International College Counselors in Miami, tailors her wide range of college counseling and college coaching services to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each individual student, whether Florida college or Ivy League university. Our college advisors, Miami Florida based, work with domestic and international students. We also work with high schools. Our college counselors are in Miami, Boca, Broward and Palm Beach. Let us help you make the best decisions choosing, getting into, and paying for college.

The answers.

Come in for a free consultation with International College Counselors. Or get 5 friends together and we will come out and hold a private seminar just for you and your friends. Just call us at 954-414-9986 or contact us at International College Counselors by email.

Join our Mailing List
International College Counselors
(954) 414-9986

International College Counselors provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications. Mandee Heller Adler, lead college admissions consultant and Founder of International College Counselors tailors her wide range of college counseling and college coaching services to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each individual student, whether Florida college or Ivy League university. Our college advising company, based in Miami-Dade, Florida, works with domestic and international students. We also work with high schools. Our college counselors are in Miami, Boca, Broward and Palm Beach. Let us help you make the best decisions choosing, getting into, and paying for college.

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High School Athletes: How to get recruited

Monday, June 21st, 2010

The question many talented high school athletes come to International College Counselors with is: How do I get recruited?

The expert college counselor’s answer: An athlete needs to get noticed by the right coach.

It’s easier in some sports and cities. Athletes in AAAAA and AAAA football and baseball have scouts come regularly to their games. If you’ve ever seen Friday Night Lights, you’ll know that for some sports, and in some cities, whole counties come to games. In metropolitan areas, many sports are regularly covered in widely distributed newspapers or newscasts.

But, every year, thousands of other outstanding athletes are overlooked for one simple reason: the coaches didn’t know they were there.

Have a power drink and breathe. Whether you participate in baseball, bowling, cross country, fencing, field hockey, football, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rowing, skiing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, softball, volleyball, water polo, or wrestling, there are ways that you can help yourself be recruited.

Depending on your sport, start contacting coaches and building relationships with them as early as possible. Perhaps even in junior high if you’re competing in a sport like gymnastics. Try to get them to know your name without being annoying. For example, send them the occasional newspaper article about you and the teams you play for.
Create a professionally prepared resume that highlights your athletic and academic achievements. Then post it online.
Make a high-quality sports video of yourself in action. There is a real probability that a college coach will never see you play in real life until you play for him or her. The best video is a combination game video and skills video.
Use the Internet. Visit college sports sites and college sites and collect as much information about the different sports programs as you can. You’re looking for a school that will be a good fit for you and your talents, athletically and academically.
Get evaluated if you can. Many third-party people serve as the eyes and ears of the coaches who don’t have time to see every player. Get to know the evaluators in your area. Coaches and evaluators face immense pressure to fill their slots with the most gifted athletes they can find. Their jobs depend on it. Your pro-activity actually can make their job easier from their perspective.
Attend college sports camps if you can. The director of the camp is usually the college head coach. It’s also recommended that you gain experience by competing in any tournaments you can.
If a college does show interest you, answer any request they have immediately. If a coach or school is requesting more information chances are you are probably being seriously considered. Ask your high school coach to complete any requests for information about you as soon as possible, as well.

A BRIEF FOUR-YEAR TIME LINE

Freshmen: Take this year to grow and develop your skills. Also, plan your academic calendar. You want to make sure you meet the academic eligibility at the end of your high school career. Even a high school sports superstar is not be eligible to play as a college freshman if he or she does not have a transcript with the right high school courses. Athletes and parents of athletes, make sure you read the NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete (free PDF to download)

Athletes and their parents can also contact us at International College Counselors to arrange a meeting with one of our college counselors in Dade, Broward or Palm Beach County and we can help you plan your high school sports career.

Sophomores: Get serious if you are interested in competing in college. Start working on raising your visibility and building a reputation as a mature, hard-working, team player. This is also the year you should start researching the ins and outs of recruiting, regulations, colleges, coaches, and sports programs.

This is an ideal year for International College Counselors to help you, as well.

Juniors: This year is your most important one. It is the accomplishments of your junior year that will get the recruiting phone calls later in the year. Get on the coaches’ radar screens as soon as possible to better your chances of successfully getting recruited. Boost your visibility by reaching out to coaches with notes and calls, visiting schools and meeting coaches. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t hear from coaches. NCAA rules prevent them from contacting or calling you until late in your junior year.

Seniors: Make sure that you are eligible by completing all the classes you need for academic eligibility. Show continuing development in your sports skills. Don’t slack off until after you’ve received and signed the “Letter of Intent” and, even then, if you really screw up, they can drop you.

Talented athletes, good luck and take care of your body. Keep working hard to get stronger, faster and fitter. It’s a competitive environment out there – but if you’re a true athlete at heart – knowing that should only push you more.

If you need help, contact a private college counselor at International College Counselors to help you with college admissions and finances.

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International College Counselors
(954) 414-9986

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Going to College without Going Broke

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

by Mandee Heller Adler, president of International College Counselors

You can’t afford not to go to college. But, taking on too much debt and ending up living in your parent’s house after college is not the only option. You could become a Westinghouse scholar, Olympic champion, or dictator of a small country. Then you’d get a free ride.

For the less driven or genetically gifted, there’s hope for you too: you need to maximize your financial aid and minimize your costs.

Top ways the expert college counselors at International College Counselors recommend to make college more affordable include:

1. Government Loans
The US government loans money to every student who needs it. To receive FAFSA aid, you need to fill out and file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (www.fafsa.gov). This federal application for financial aid is also used to apply for aid from other sources, such as your state or school.

The only catch to the FAFSA is it’s one long application that requires detailed information. Don’t leave it until the last minute and it’ll all be OK.

Not just for our clients in Miami, college counselors at our firm recommend that ALL students who feel they need aid fill the FAFSA out regardless of their house-hold income.

2. Grants
Grants are better than loans because you don’t have to pay the money back. (Free money!) But they’re not available to everyone.

Pell Grants are federal grants awarded strictly on the student’s financial need. Other federal grant programs include the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (also based on financials), and grant programs for students with good grades in competitive high-school programs or specific fields of study, such as math, nursing or teaching. States and colleges also have their own pools of grant money.

3. General and School Scholarships
Scholarships are terrific because students do not have to pay them back and many are not based on financial need.

Thousands of scholarships are available. Sources of scholarships can be national organizations, local clubs, contests, and the schools themselves. The trick is finding the ones you’re in the best position to win. If you’re not a Native American there’s no point in going for the scholarship. You’d be better off making a clever prom outfit with duct tape or becoming a champion at duck calls (both skills are scholarship worthy).

School scholarships are typically given to top athletes, national-merit finalists, and other outstanding students. In order to apply for these scholarships, you need to contact each school individually.

4. Transfer
For students with their hearts set on an elite, expensive school, your best bet may be to attend an affordable school like a public university or a community college first. Credits earned at these less-expensive schools can often be transferred to other universities – even the priciest. For your first two years, they’re mostly core classes you’ll be taking anyway. And in the end what you’re really after is that framed diploma office décor. So it’s the last two years that really count.

5. Work
Many students take a part-time job in order to pay for college and the things they will need such as books, housing and bean-bag chairs. Colleges offer thousands of work-study jobs that can be on-campus or off-campus. They are designed to allow students to study while they work. Waiting tables and taking Advanced Astrophysics never complemented each other so well.

For the foreseeable future, college grads can also cancel some or all of their federal education debt by working in public-service jobs – lower-paying professional jobs that serve low-income communities – or by volunteering.

Other tips include buying used books, living off-campus or at home when you can, and accelerating your degree – knocking off a year or even a semester by taking more courses per semester or loading up on the APs while in high school.

Getting out of college with little or no debt is hard, but not impossible, and with initiative, you don’t have to rob a bank to do it.

If you need help, contact a private college counselor at International College Counselors to help you with college admissions and finances.

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International College Counselors
(954) 414-9986

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Graduation Wisdom for All

Monday, May 31st, 2010

High school students, college counselors are only among the first professional advisors you’ll hear from throughout your life. In four years (for most of you), you’ll hear from your commencement speaker (the guest speaker at your graduation). Some will be witty and some serious, all will hopefully leave you a little bit wiser.

Gradspot.com made a list of “The All-time Best Graduation Speeches”. Whether they’re the “best” is debatable, as are all “-est” lists, but they’re all really entertaining. Read the full article on The Top Ten All-Time Best Graduation Speeches from gradspot.com.

CNBC also made a list of The Ten Best Graduation Speeches of All Time.

Only three people made both lists, and Will Ferrell is one of them!
They’re all inspiring, so enjoy!

One thought from International College Counselors:
Go out and be successful, but include ethics in your definition of success.

From Mandee Heller Adler, president of International College Counselors, and the other expert college counselors: Good luck to all graduating seniors, in college and beyond.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.” ~ Dr. Seuss

International College Counselors provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications. Mandee Heller Adler, lead college admissions consultant and Founder of International College Counselors tailors her wide range of college counseling and college coaching services to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each individual student, whether Florida college or Ivy League university. Our college advising company, based in Miami-Dade, Florida, works with domestic and international students. We also work with high schools in Miami, Boca, Broward and Palm Beach. Let us help you make the best decisions choosing, getting into, and paying for college.

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Get started on 2010-11 college applications

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

The College Application preview is now available.

High school juniors who want to get a head start on college applications can see a preview of the entire 2010-11 Common Application.

The new Common App goes online on August 1. Until then, students can familiarize themselves with what information they will need. And, they can start working on it.

Where can I find a preview version of the Common Application?

A preview version of the 2010-11 Common Application has been posted at: https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/SchoolFormsFAQ.aspx

What is the Common Application?

The Common Application is a not-for-profit organization that provides an admission application – online and in print – that students may submit it to any one of 414 member schools that accept it, including 47 public institutions.

The full list of schools that accept the Common Application can be seen here: https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/Members.aspx

What are the benefits of the Common Application?

The Common Application is intended to ease the admissions process for students by reducing the number of separate applications a student has to complete when applying to numerous colleges.

Note from International College Counselors: Many colleges still require additional information, including more essays.

Is there a Common Application for transfer students?

Yes. You can preview the transfer application here: https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/SchoolFormsFAQ.aspx

There are six choices of topics for student essays and the minimum length is 250 words. This essay should be the same for all colleges – so make sure it’s the best you have! Students working with International College Counselors, please call us at 954-414-9986 as soon as you possible and we will help you get started.

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AP GRADE REPORTING

Sunday, May 9th, 2010

To report the AP test or not to report the AP test, that is this week’s question.

By Mandee Heller Adler, president of International College Counselors

After taking one of the many various AP tests, there are usually three ways a student will feel: Great! Good. And Awful.

If you think you did great or good, congratulations!

If you’re sure you did awfully and scored a 1 or a 2, or you’re not sure how you did. You can withhold or cancel your score.

Because AP grades are released in July, any request for changes in reporting must be received by June 15.

Note that it’s not likely that any one AP grade you submit, no matter how low, will fatally wound you.

Canceling vs. Withholding

Canceling AP grades

Canceling an AP grade permanently means you’ll never, ever see the grade and it’s deleted from your record forever.

The option to cancel a score helps a number of students. Some of those students took an AP course but found it didn’t cover all the information on the test. (And this happens more than we’d like to think.) This option also encourages the risk takers, the students who take an AP exam in a subject they might not have taken the class for. (They’re the ones who study a lot on their own).

To cancel a score, you must notify the College Board by sending them assigned request by mail or fax with your signature. You should include in your letter:

your full name, home address, birth date, and AP number(s)
the year(s) that you took AP Exams
the name, city, and state of the college you specified
the name(s) of the exam(s) for which you want a grade canceled.

This service is free but note that the grade report that you and your school receive will indicate that the grade has been canceled.

Withholding AP grades

Withholding a score means you may have one or more grades withheld from the colleges you indicated on your answer sheet. This gives you the chance to see your scores before the colleges.

You may later release the grade to that college by sending AP Services a signed written request and a small fee.

What we suggest to the students we work with at International College Counselors is to not send your scores to any colleges in May.

Our reasoning is as follows: with your test, as explained to me by an AP representative, you only get to send your scores to one school free, any others are $15. In other words, if you choose to withhold your scores from all the colleges until you see them, you’re only “losing” $15. Many students can think of the $15 as “insurance”. It’s easy to see your scores and then end them in if you want to.

You can withhold a score if you already sent them in, but if you took them this year, we recommend waiting until early July. Beginning July 3, grades by phone are available for the 2009 exams. It’ll cost you a few extra dollars to get your scores by phone, but it’s a very small price to pay in the larger scheme of things.

To withhold a score, you must notify the College Board by sending them a letter with your signature. You should include in your letter:

your full name, home address, birth date, and AP number(s)
the year(s) that you took AP Exams
the name, city, and state of the college you specified
the name(s) of the exam(s) for which you want a grade withheld. (All your grades will still appear on the reports sent to you and your high school.)
a check for the exact amount due made out to “AP Exams.” There is a $10 fee per grade, per college.

Note that unlike a canceled score, a request to withhold a grade does not permanently delete your grade. A withheld AP grade counts in your AP average and affects AP scholar designations. This means you can choose the scores that work to your advantage and feel confident to take some extra AP exams.

For more information on AP grade reporting services straight from the College Board go to:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/exgrd_rep.html

If you need a college advisor or have any other college questions, I’d be happy to answer them. Please write me here or at my personal email which can be found on this International College Counselors website.

Mandee Heller Adler, Founder of International College Counselors and lead college advisor
www.internationalcollegecounselors.com

<http://www.internationalcollegecounselors.com> >

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How to Make the Most of Your Summer Internship or Job

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

Summer is almost here. For those of you with jobs or internships, take the time to plan on making the most of your opportunity. Mentors and people who you may want recommendations from are almost always on the lookout for promising young talent. One of your other goals should be to turn your experience into a resume builder.

Stand out with your professionalism. Do what you can to show the company you’re the one they should be watching and giving the plum assignments to. Be professional, serious and responsible. This should earn you more respect and responsibility. Be on time for work, meetings, conference calls and team building exercises. Even better – come early. Make sure you dress for success, too.

Reset your expectations. It’s good to have personal goals but sometimes realities don’t match our expectations. Rather than dwell on any negatives of the job or internship, seek out and embrace the opportunities offered. Chances are you won’t be given that assignment that saves the company and makes you a star. But, that’s not why you’re there. You’re there to learn, expand your horizons, and add to your resume. No matter what, always be enthusiastic and upbeat.

Be proactive. If your job or internship appears to be a sea of repetitive tasks like making photocopies or coffee, don’t complain. Ask to have a meeting with your supervisor to ask about new opportunities or projects. If there is a job you want to try, ask your supervisor if you can join the team, observe the meetings or otherwise contribute in some way. You won’t know, unless you ask. Even if they say no, you will gain the respect and attention of your older colleagues. Interns and employees who identify their employer’s needs and ask for new challenges demonstrate the initiative and motivation that companies want.

Learn about yourself. You’re there to watch and observe. Use this time to find out more about yourself. See what kind of people you relate to. What kind of work you like to do. Compare yourself to people on the job who you admire. Do they have skills you lack or can work on acquiring?

Build up your resume. Volunteer for extra tasks and look for opportunities to take advantage of. To do this, the best first step is to prove that you’re responsible and resourceful. Then, let’s say, you’re working in an ice cream shop and your boss needs to leave a few hours early, volunteer to be put in charge. If you’re given the responsibility to lead, this counts on your resume as Management. If you’re working in an advertising firm and think you might want to be a copywriter, ask for the current assignments. Write the ads then ask for feedback. Who know, they may even love your ad so much, they’ll run it.

Ask questions. Always remember that a summer job or internship is a learning experience for you. While your employer expects to get some work from you, you are expected to be interested in what’s going on. So ask questions. This is your chance to get advice and learn.

Make connections. Build up personal relationships. Find a mentor. After the summer is over make sure to stay in touch with the people you met and connected with – and stay connected. It’s never too early to start building your professional network. A professionally geared site like LinkedIn.com is a good place to keep in touch.

Develop your professional people skills. Hone in on people you admire. Study the qualities you admire in them. Take notes on their dress and what character traits put them ahead. Then try to emulate those traits.

Learn to take criticism gracefully. No one likes to be criticized, but you’re sure to encounter many negative opinions throughout your life and career. Criticism can help you. Follow up a negative assessment by asking for their thoughts on what you could have done better. Are there resources you don’t know about? Is it true you need to be more detail-oriented. And then put that information to use. The best part about a summer job or internship is that you’re not expected to know everything. Both you and your employer know that you are there to learn.

Always, always stay enthusiastic and positive!

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Free Webinar: College Admissions Answers

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

Our Broward/ Dade/ Miami College Counselors are pleased to announce that Kaplan is presenting a Free Webinar on “The Most Commonly Asked Admission Questions” featuring Mandee Heller Adler on Tuesday April 13th at 8pm.

The link to register is below!

http://www.kaptest.com/College/Getting-into-College/free-practice-tests-workshops.html&utm_source=kaptest&utm_medium=promotiles&utm_content=pc-home-lol-rally&utm_campaign=promotions

We look forward to seeing you there.

The Team at International College Counselors

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Decision making after the thick envelopes

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

The envelopes are in.

If you have more than one thick envelope in your hand you’re now in the driver’s seat. The colleges have taken their sweeeeet time choosing you, and now it’s your turn to choose them. They’ve given you the month of April to make your choice. Far beyond the glossy paper of the brochures, here are some things you should consider:

Economics. It’s hard to deny that this may be a factor for many students. If you’ve been offered a generous financial aid package or a scholarship, it’s going to be hard to ignore this “bonus”. However, the price tag may not be so much a factor in some cases. The Ivies and a small number of other schools across the country have policies that allow students to meet the full need of students and allow them to attend irrespective of their ability to pay.

Fit. Where do you feel like you will fit in best? Some students thrive at universities where the city itself plays an important role in one’s overall education. Cities included on this list include New York and Boston and, as you can imagine, the cultural and internship opportunities are enormous. However, city schools tend to be more impersonal and cities aren’t as conducive to a school community atmosphere. Residential campus schools like The University of Florida in Gainesville or Williams College pride themselves on providing everything you need right there on campus, from cultural activities to social life. They have more of a community atmosphere.

Academics. Do you have an idea of what you want to do in the future? Then you need a school that offers a major or program that will allow you to explore that option to fullest. Also be aware that there can be real differences in the course of study at various places. Some schools like Columbia University and the University of Chicago require students to take a core curriculum. The mandatory courses can take up to two years to complete. Open curriculum schools, like Amherst, Brown and New College, have no required courses. Instead they require that students take one of a list of first-year seminars. Guidelines and advisors at these schools help students with their course choices.

Culture. Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan College presents this consideration excellently:

“The evolution of student culture over many years that comes to define the way a place feels to the young men and women who spend these transitional years on campus. Students – not teachers and officials – make that culture. At Duke, for example, there are extraordinary programs and deep research going on. But over several weeks of the spring semester (especially this year), it’s Blue Devil basketball frenzy that takes over campus culture. At Middlebury, there is currently an energetic student debate about the meal plan, which many students see as a defining element in their campus experience. At USC, the entertainment industry seeps into the fabric of the place, even when the subject areas are quite distant from Hollywood. At Wesleyan, the students have created vibrant music and film contexts that seem to fuel independent rock and hip-hop on the one hand, and popular film and TV on the other. Although most students here study neither music nor film, the energy of these areas percolates around campus.”

Only you will know what is truly important to you. What this college counselor suggests is that you create a list of all the questions you want answered and then you go visit the school. If you’ve already visited the schools, then visit your top two choices again. Take a good hard look at the school. Can you see yourself fitting into the culture? Do you feel comfortable? This is going to be your home away from home for the next 4 years.

Specific questions you may want to ask if you haven’t already: How hard is it to get into the classes you want? How small or big are the classes? Are there internships, and how does the school help students prepare for life after college whether that means career placement or help with graduate and professional programs? Does the school offer the athletic opportunities you want to participate in or cheer on? What will it mean to be an alumnus of George Washington University rather than the University of Miami? College counselors can help guide you to the right decision but ultimately, you should be looking for the campus energy that matches your own.

No doubt about it. Choosing your college is a big decision. Congratulations from International College Counselors to all the students offered this decision to make.

Reach deep down inside and make the best decision for you!

Mandee Heller Adler

International College Counselors

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Tougher standards proposed for Bright Futures Scholarship

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

by Miami college counselor Mandee Heller Adler, founder of International College Counselors

Lawmakers are preparing to make the Bright Futures scholarship more difficult to get and keep. This will happen if a proposal made Tuesday in a Florida Senate budget committee wins favor.

The legislation is an effort to close a $3 billion budget hole.

The Bright Futures college scholarship program was originally designed to pay full tuition costs for top-performing university and state college students.

Changes under consideration this year:

— Increasing the academic standards to qualify for the scholarships, from a 1270 SAT score to a 1290 by 2013 for the top award and from 970 to 1050 for the secondary award.

— Prohibiting students from renewing their Bright Futures scholarships if they lose their eligibility.

— Requiring students to use their scholarships within four years, as opposed to the current seven-year limit.

— Reducing the number of credits covered by Bright Futures from 110 percent of a program’s requirements to 100 percent.

— Maintaining Bright Futures at its current level of $126 per credit hour, essentially making it ‘flat’ award –even though tuition could rise as much as 15%,

— Requiring students to fill out a federal student aid form when applying for Bright Futures scholarships. It would give the state access to financial information on Bright Futures students and their families.

According to The Miami Herald, nearly 185,000 students are attending college with help from the scholarship. More than 95 percent of students at University of Florida use Bright Futures, as do the majority of those studying at FSU.

The changes would make the scholarship more competitive and leave less wiggle room for students who want to take extra classes, said state Sen. Evelyn Lynn, R-Ormond Beach and head of the Senate’s budget committee.

In contrast to the Senate’s budget team’s sweeping overhaul of the Bright Futures program, the head of the House’s budget committee proposed a simpler change: a 6 percent cut in funding for the scholarship. This means up to $450 less for Bright Futures students next year.

The college advisors at International College Counselors have extensive knowledge regarding the Bright Futures Scholarship. Whether you live in Orlando or Miami, college counselors at International Counselors are available to help you. Please contact us with any questions you may have.

International College Counselors

Main office: 954.253.5719

Mandee Heller Adler

mandee@internationalcollegecounselors.com

Barry Liebowitz

barry@internationalcollegecounselors.com

International College Counselors provides expert college counseling on undergraduate and graduate college admissions, financial aid, tuition, essays, and college applications. Mandee Heller Adler, college admissions consultant and Founder of International College Counselors tailors her college counseling and college coaching services to address the goals, needs, and dreams of each student. Our college advising company works with domestic and international students. Let us help you make the best decisions in choosing, getting into, and paying for college.

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