What deadlines are commonly missed?

Priority scholarship/honors dates, portfolio or audition deadlines, housing deposits, and testing cutoffs linked to merit review.

How often should we update the plan?

Review monthly to refresh NPCs, scores, achievements, and calendar items as colleges release new dates.

Don’t Forget This Crucial Step in the College Planning Process

Q: What is the crucial step most families miss?

Creating a written College Planning Playbook that sets four-year budget guardrails, timelines, merit deadlines, a test plan, an aid strategy, and clear roles.

Q: Why does a written plan matter so much?

It prevents missed deadlines, last-minute testing, list drift, and budget surprises—improving admissions outcomes and reducing costs.

Q: What belongs in a College Planning Playbook?

A four-year affordability target, standardized NPC results, FAFSA/CSS dates, scholarship/merit deadlines, testing schedule, activity/portfolio goals, and visit/interview plans.

Q: How do we set the four-year affordability target?

Combine cash flow, savings, and modest federal student loans if appropriate; project four years with inflation and include non-tuition costs.

Q: How does the playbook shape our college list?

It ensures every college is admissible and affordable by including true financial safeties, merit-friendly matches, and carefully chosen aspirational options.

Q: Where do Net Price Calculators fit in?

Save standardized NPC runs for each school and compare four-year totals, modeling scenarios with and without test scores.

Q: How should testing be handled?

Select a primary test, use diagnostics, schedule 1–2 official dates, and align score reporting with scholarship timelines.

Q: What about majors and program requirements?

Include prerequisite maps and any portfolio/clinical/audition requirements so scheduling supports on-time graduation.

Q: How do we track demonstrated interest?

Log info sessions, tours, interviews, and contacts; some colleges weigh interest in decisions and scholarships.

June 27, 2025

Mike Dusombre, CLTC, CRPC

Don’t Forget This Crucial Step in the College Planning Process

When families think of college planning, they often jump straight to applications, test prep, or school visits. But there’s one vital step many skip: building a financial strategy before building the college list.

Why Financial Planning Should Come First
Choosing schools without knowing what you can afford—or what those schools typically offer in aid—is like shopping without a budget. You risk falling in love with a school that will put you in a financial hole.

Instead, reverse the process. Look at schools that meet your academic and career goals and offer generous aid for families like yours.

Don’t Forget This Crucial Step in the College Planning Process

Start With These Essentials:

Determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) or Student Aid Index (SAI)
Learn how merit aid works and which schools offer it
Consider how different assets and income affect aid eligibility
Estimate 4-year cost—not just one year—and compare by net price

Why Most Families Miss This
Unfortunately, most families don’t even start this process until fall of senior year—long after the aid window starts to close.

With some basic planning, you can avoid overpaying and keep your student’s options open.

Contact Us Today:
Want help building a smarter, financially sound college list?
📞 Call us at 770-662-8510
📅 Schedule a free consultation: Book with Mike
Or visit our Contact Page: https://diversifiedcollegeplanning.com/contact-us/

FAQs: Don’t Forget This Crucial Step in the College Planning Process

What is the “crucial step” most families miss?

Creating a written College Planning Playbook: a single document that sets your four-year budget guardrails, application/testing timeline, scholarship deadlines, college list strategy, and roles/responsibilities. It turns scattered tasks into a clear plan you can follow.

Why does a written plan matter so much?

Because deadlines and dollars drive outcomes. A written plan prevents missed merit deadlines, last-minute testing, list drift, and budget surprises—saving time and money.

What belongs in a College Planning Playbook?

A four-year affordability target, NPC summaries, FAFSA/CSS dates, scholarship/merit priority deadlines, testing plan, activity/portfolio goals, visit/interview strategy, and a communications calendar for each college.

How do we set the four-year affordability target?

Start with a comfortable annual budget (cash flow + savings + modest federal student loan if appropriate). Project four years with inflation and include housing, travel, books, and personal costs.

How does the playbook shape our college list?

It ensures every school is both admissible and affordable: at least two true financial safeties, several merit-friendly matches, and a few aspirational options that still publish meaningful aid.

Where do Net Price Calculators fit in?

Run standardized NPCs for each school and save the results in your playbook. Model with/without test scores and compare four-year totals, not just year one.

What deadlines do families most often miss?

Priority scholarship and honors deadlines (often earlier than admission), audition/portfolio dates, housing deposits, and testing cutoffs for merit review.

How should testing be handled inside the plan?

Pick one primary test (SAT or ACT), schedule diagnostics, select 1–2 official test dates, and align score-report timing with scholarship deadlines.

What about majors and program requirements?

Include prerequisite maps (e.g., nursing, engineering, arts), portfolio or audition needs, and licensure/clinical timelines so course choices and visits support on-time graduation.

How do we track demonstrated interest?

Log info sessions, tours, interviews, and counselor outreach. Some colleges weigh interest in decisions and scholarships—your playbook keeps proof organized.

How do we keep the plan from becoming stale?

Review monthly. Update NPCs with new income/assets, record test score changes, add new achievements, and refresh the calendar as colleges release dates.

How does Diversified College Planning help with this step?

We build the playbook with you: four-year budget, merit-aligned list, deadline calendar, testing and visit strategy, and templates for award comparisons and appeals—so you execute with confidence.

Don’t Forget This Crucial Step in the College Planning Process

FAQs: Don’t Forget This Crucial Step in the College Planning Process

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