The ASU Barrett Essay Prompts for admission into the 2023-2024 school year are listed here.
The ASU Barrett essay prompts are the same as the previous year.
Remember to send us your essays for review and feedback!
From ASU Barrett's website:
The Barrett application essay allows you to address our admissions committee in your own voice. We have a deep interest in knowing why you are considering Barrett, The Honors College, and your essay will let us better see you as a future scholar in our honors community.
The essay will also contribute to our assessment of your ability to write effectively, a key skill for success in the honors curriculum.
Keep the following in mind:
Your essay should closely examine your ideas about your education and about the Barrett experience
Your essay may take creative and intellectual risks, but be sure to address and integrate all elements of the prompt
Your essay should give the admissions committee insight into how you think, how you reason, and what you value
With an essay of approximately 300 - 500 words, reply to *one* of the following prompts. Your response may be critical or creative.
Prompt 1 Discuss how a specific piece of art (painting, literature, photograph, etc.) or popular culture (song, comic book, etc.) helped you realize something new about yourself or the world. What was that realization, and how did the piece of art or pop culture bring about this change in your thinking? Do not simply describe the piece of art or pop culture; instead, focus on its effect on you and how it makes you a good fit for the Barrett Honors College experience.
Prompt 2 Tell us about a habit or way of thinking that others would recognize as “uniquely you.” This is something you value and would hesitate to give up because it is a distinct part of who you are or what makes you different - why is it so? Be sure to share how this aspect of your identity makes you a good fit for the Barrett Honors College experience.
You will upload the essay as a PDF (strongly preferred) or Word document to your Barrett application. Indicate at the top of your essay which prompt you are addressing.
BONUS TIPS:
Follow the instructions. Save your essay as a PDF then upload the PDF. Take special note of the bullet points. Because ASU Barrett posted these bullet points, it IS IMPORTANT. Submitting your ASU Barrett application well before deadlines increases your chances of admission into the Barrett honors program.
I am so excited that in-person college fairs are BACK!
Location: Date: Sunday, October 23 Time: 11:00am - 3:00pm MST (Arizona time) Location: Phoenix Convention Center 100 N 3rd St, Phoenix , AZ 85004
The purpose of the college fair is two things
Get information about the college and the college programs which will help you decide if you will apply and attend the college
Develop Rapport with the recruiter because it will be the recruiter or the recruiter and a panel that make admission decisions. If they know you and like you the probability of admission goes up.
Remember to take some notes as you visit each college.
print out the sign-in form or save it to your phone to make it easy for college recruiters to get your contact information.
the following colleges will be in attendance at the Phoenix 2022 Fall College Fair
Alaska Pacific University Augustana College Azusa Pacific University Babson College Binghamton University (SUNY) Biola University California Baptist University California Lutheran University Carroll University Clemson University Colorado Mesa University Colorado School of Mines Columbia College Chicago Cornish College of the Arts Creighton University DigiPen Institute of Technology Drake University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Fort Lewis College Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering Fresno Pacific University Hawaii Pacific University Hofstra University Hope International University Houston Baptist University Humboldt State University Iowa State University John Cabot University Knox College Lafayette College Life Pacific University Life University Loyola Marymount University Loyola University Chicago Macalester College Marist College Michigan State University Minot State University Montana State University Morgan State University New Mexico Tech Northern Arizona University Norwich University Oregon State University/OSU-Cascades Pace University Pacific Lutheran University Pacific University Oregon Penn State University Prescott College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Richmond, The American International University in London Rocky Mountain College Saint Louis University Saint Mary's College of California Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Samford University Santa Clara University Savannah College of Art and Design Scripps College Seattle University Seton Hall University Simmons University Southeastern University Southern Oregon University Southern Utah University St. Mary's University Temple University Texas A&M University-College Station The Catholic University of America The George Washington University The University of Alabama The University of Arizona The University of Manchester The University of Tampa Trinity College Dublin Tulane University University of Advancing Technology University of California-Davis University of California-Irvine University of California-Riverside University of Colorado Boulder University of Colorado Colorado Springs University of Connecticut University of La Verne University of Maryland Eastern Shore University of Missouri University of Northern Colorado University of Oregon University of Pittsburgh University of Portland University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of Tennessee-Knoxville University of the Pacific University of Toledo University of Utah University of Wyoming Utah State University Vanguard University of Southern California Virginia Tech Wabash College Washington State University Weber State University Wentworth Institute of Technology Western Michigan University Western Washington University Westminster College Whitworth University Willamette University Woodbury University
Is the federal government going to forgive student loans or extend the pause?
The short answer is that it is currently unknown as of August 1, 2022.
When I hear anything, I will let you know.
The following is an article from the Wallstreet Journal.
Biden Administration Is Ready To Implement Mass Student Loan Forgiveness, As Decision Could Come Any Day
Adam S. Minsky Senior Contributor
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 28: U.S. President Joe Biden gestures as he delivers remarks on the Inflation ...
The Education Department is reportedly prepared to swiftly implement mass student loan forgiveness — if President Biden decides to approve such an initiative. But so far, Biden has remained undecided. Here’s where things stand.
As first reported by POLITICO, the Education Department has created systems and procedures to move quickly in implementing a broad student loan forgiveness initiative, if and when Biden gives the word. This includes a contingency if Biden imposes income restrictions on student loan forgiveness eligibility, which officials have suggested could be part of any such initiative. Here are some key elements:
Some borrowers whose income information is already on file with the Education Department may be able to get student loan forgiveness automatically, potentially within months of any announcement.
Borrowers who don’t have their income information on file with the Department may be able to quickly self-certify their income on a simple application form, with the Department doing a small number of audits to verify borrowers’ information.
The Education Department is prepared to implement federal student loan forgiveness for nearly any kind of federal loan, including Graduate PLUS loans, commercially-held FFEL loans, and Parent PLUS loans, if Biden approves such broad relief. It’s unclear if Direct loan consolidation would be necessary to qualify.
For borrowers who have loan balances left over following the application of student loan forgiveness, the Department may be able to re-amortize the loan based on the remaining reduced balance, leading to lower monthly payments for some borrowers on Standard, Extended, or Graduated repayment plans.
Of course, none of these details are final — they are plans contingent on President Biden deciding to use executive action to enact broad student loan forgiveness. And the White House has repeatedly said that he has not yet made a final decision.
Biden pledged to support $10,000 in student loan forgiveness for every borrower during his 2020 campaign for president, but he has hedged on using executive action (rather than Congressional legislation) to implement it. Biden has seemingly warmed to the idea in recent months, but he has delayed a final decision. He recently told reporters he would decide before the end of August.
Advocates had been pushing Biden to cancel a larger amount of student debt, and many progressive Democrats had hoped Biden would cancel $50,000 or more for every borrower, with universal eligibility and no income caps. Advocates have warned that imposing eligibility rules could lead to bureaucratic delays, errors, and complications.
But Biden has bristled at universal student loan cancellation. Recent reports suggest that he would be more comfortable with $10,000 in student loan forgiveness, limited to borrowers earning $125,000 per year or less.
Mass student loan forgiveness isn’t the only major student loan decision on Biden’s plate. The ongoing student loan pause — which has suspended payments and interest on most federal student loans for over two years — is set to end in four weeks. Speculation is growing that he will extend the payment pause, but no decision has yet been announced.
Biden will also need to decide whether to extend other expiring student loan relief initiatives, including the popular but under-utilized Limited PSLF Waiver, and a broad IDR Account Adjustment that may dramatically accelerate student loan forgiveness for millions of borrowers.
Biden May Extend Student Loan Pause Into Next Year And Is Considering Other Relief, Including Loan Forgiveness
Do you want to know the best strategies to pay for college and reduce the amount owed for college? Should you consider taking a federal student loan? Give us a call and learn our proprietary strategies. 1-888-237-2087 x2
Comments Off on Is the federal government going to forgive student loans or extend the pause?
Federal Educational Loan pause extended again (December 22, 2021)
It's almost like Forest Gump saying, "The federal government extended the Educational Loan pause, AGAIN."
The COVID-19 emergency relief for federal student loans was supposed to end Jan. 31, 2022, however the federal government extended the loan pause through May 1, 2022.
Here is what this means.
If your student is a current freshman college student 2021-2022, no interest and no payments are required. Then after May 1, the loans may come due. And I say “may” because there is a possibility the federal government may extend the pause even beyond May 1, 2022. There is even talk of some federal educational loan forgiveness. Nothing is set or signed regarding federal educational loan forgiveness. I will keep my eyes and ears open and let you know if/when any new information comes out.
For current college students and graduated college students with federal educational loans, no interest and no payments are required until May 1, 2022.
This is a nice Christmas gift for those who have federal educational loans including the federal student loans and federal parent PLUS loan. No payments and no interest during this pause period.
It might be prudent to take out these federal student loans. Each family and each student needs to be looked at individually to create the best aid package strategy.
Do you need help with creating a college financial aid plan with or without student loans, please give us a call 1-888-237-2087 x2
Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. And when you get an extension on the federal educational loans, you take it.
NEW FAFSA CHANGES ARE COMING FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR 2023-2024
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will undergo significant revisions soon, and college financial advisors and their families need to be aware of these changes. Congress passed these new laws in their 2021 pandemic relief appropriations bill, which will begin in the 2023-2024 (for current high school sophomores) school year. The intent is to improve the student’s financial aid predictability in the future.
Here’s a summary of these FAFSA changes:
FAFSA SIMPLIFICATION
The biggest change is the simplification of the FAFSA application form. The current 2021-2022 FAFSA form has 106 questions. Under the new laws, the FAFSA will be reduced to 36 questions.
The Department of Education intends to simplify the financial aid application by correlating it with the IRS’s income tax regulations. The FAFSA income questions will be transferred directly from the family’s tax returns to make it easier to complete the FAFSA. Many families already use the federal Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) when they file the current online FAFSA.
The FAFSA simplification Act of 2021 can be found here on page 1,956
ELIMINATION OF THE EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION (EFC)
The new FAFSA rules will also eliminate the phrase Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the financial aid application. The EFC determines how much money a family can expect to pay for one year of college. The new law will replace the EFC with a new term – Student Aid Index (SAI).
The Student Aid Index (SAI) will become an "eligibility index" for distributing financial aid, not the dollar amount a family can pay for college expenses (EFC).
The SAI would determine the student eligibility for all Title IV student aid, EXCEPT the maximum and minimum Pell Grant awards. Pell Grants will now be based instead on the number of parents in the student household and the family income as a percentage of the federal poverty level for the student's household size. This Pell Grant change will create a look-up table that families can use to anticipate future Pell Grant eligibility far in advance of applying to college.
MULTIPLE CHILDREN IN COLLEGE
The new SAI formula will no longer give households with multiple children in college a significant break on their financial aid eligibility. Currently, parents who have more than one child in college at the same time have their EFC cut by almost 50% for each child. The new formula eliminates this calculation.
INCOME PROTECTION ALLOWANCE
The SAI formula also removes the state and other tax income exclusion and increases the parental income protection allowance (IPA). The IPA now includes only the number of members in the family household. However, it will increase by about 20%. The student income protection allowance, which is $6,970 in 2021-2022, will be about 30% higher in 2023-2024. This change reduces the SAI significantly for dependent students.
ASSETS
The income threshold for determining whether an applicant is exempt from reporting assets (the simplified financial aid formula) will increase $10,000 from $49,999 to $59,999. The SAI formula also eliminates the family farm and small business asset exclusions. This new ruling means that families would have to report the net value of any business or farm they own if they did not qualify for the $59,999 simplified formula that excludes assets from consideration.
DIVORCED AND SEPARATED FAMILIES
Currently, the divorced/separated parent that the student lives with more than 50% of the school year is the parent that files the FAFSA application form. If the FAFSA is filed on Oct. 1, 2022, for the 2023-2024 school year, you’d look back and see who the child lived with in the year 2021. A typical financial aid strategy would be for the student to live with the parent who makes the least amount of income during 2021. However, under the new FAFSA rules, the parent who claims the child on the tax return (provides the most financial support to the child) will complete the FAFSA.
Also, child support received would be moved from untaxed income and added to parental assets.
GRANDPARENT GIVING
The FAFSA overhaul will make it easy for grandparents or others outside of the immediate family to pay for college costs without jeopardizing the family’s financial aid. This FAFSA change will ignore whether grandparents or others have given money to a child to pay for college costs. The FAFSA will no longer ask this question.
When grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, or others outside the immediate family help with college costs, the money is currently treated as the child’s untaxed income, which is assessed at up to 50% by the EFC formula. In other words, distributions from a grandparent-owned 529 will no longer count as income for the child (current FAFSA question 44i).
CONCLUSION ABOUT THE FAFSA
The FAFSA and CSS Profile are very complex financial aid applications, and parents across the country continue to pay for college without understanding these complicated aid forms. Helping your clients understand these new, upcoming FAFSA changes will help them avoid costly mistakes and put the student in the right college for the lowest possible cost.
Give us a call 1-888-237-2087 x2, servicing families in Arizona and across the United States and around the world.
Comments Off on The New Student Aid Index, what, where, why
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, Physician Assistant PA positions are expected to grow 31% through 2029, a rate well above almost any other medical profession. Traditionally, these programs take 2-3 years to complete as a graduate student, however, accelerated dual degree programs allow students to begin their Physician’s Assistant coursework after just three years of undergraduate coursework, knocking off a full year of study.
If you applied or will apply to any of the Arizona state colleges, ASU, U of A or NAU, the full-ride Flinn Foundation Scholarships application is open.
Please answer each question with no more than 140 characters.
What will be the title of your autobiography?
If you were given five minutes to present to your peers on a topic about which you're an expert, what topic would you choose?
If you could model your career on that of any Arizonan, who would it be?
The Flinn Foundation invests in four areas: biosciences, education, civic leadership, and arts and culture. What is another area that deserves investment to improve the quality of life in Arizona to benefit future generations?
If you advance to the interview stage, what one question would you like us to ask you?
Essays
Copy and paste your response to each essay into the adjacent box. We encourage you to save your work in a separate document in the event you experience technical difficulties.
Tell us your story.
300-word maximum
The Flinn Scholars Program encourages student leaders to remain in Arizona and contribute to their university and civic communities. How would awarding the scholarship to you make Arizona stronger in the long term?
300-word maximum
"The measure of intelligence is the ability to change” —Albert Einstein. What is the most significant change you’ve experienced in high school?
300-word maximum
Is there any other information that reviewers should know about?
Federal Educational Student Loans, Parent PLUS Loan UPDATE
The federal government just announced an extension to the currently deferred federal student loans.
“Federal student loan repayment suspension and 0% interest rate have been extended through at least January, 31 2022.”
Back in March 2020, the federal government began providing temporary relief on ED-owned federal student loans: suspension of loan payments, stopped collections on defaulted loans, and set a 0% interest rate.
Basically, this means, if you have a federal student loan, no interest will accumulate during the deferral period and the current interest rate is temporarily set to zero % and no payments are required during the relief period.
If your student is starting college in the next few weeks or continuing college this fall 2021, accepting the federal student loans might be something to consider.
Here is my reasoning on this.
The maximum amount of federal educational loans that a college freshman will be offered is $5500. Within this, two loans could be offered, the Federal Subsidized Loan and the Federal Unsubsidized Loan.
Under normal conditions, both loans are deferred, meaning no payment is required during the deferral period. Typically, these loans are deferred for 4 1/2 years. The thought is, the student takes 4 years to graduate college, then takes six months to find a job, then payments for these loans begin.
During this deferral period, no interest will accumulate for the Federal Subsidized Loan. Interest will accumulate during the deferral period for the Unsubsidized loan.
With this current moratorium, the unsubsidized loan acts like the subsidized loan and no interest will be added to the loan during this temporary pause.
If you had the money to pay for college and did not need any of these loans, it might be something to consider accepting these loans, at least temporarily. Then on February 1, 2022, pay off the loan when the moratorium expires. During the next 5-6 months, keep the money that you were going to pay for college in an interest-bearing account. Pay the loan off and keep the interest.
Loans that are currently in this temporary pause are: Federal Student Subsidized Loans, Federal Student Unsubsidized Loans, Federal Parent PLUS Loan, Graduate PLUS Loan.
If you have questions on any of these federal student loans or would like to discuss some strategic planning to get into college, get scholarships and grants and or plan on how to best pay for college, or if you should or should not take out student loans, please contact me. 1-888-237-2087 x2.
Comments Off on Federal Student Loans & Parent PLUS Loan UPDATE
As the rapidly changing college admission process evolves, parents seek the most up-to-date comprehensive professional college consulting company, AZCollegePlanning.com.
Our full-service program is unlike anything else you’ll find in Arizona, or anywhere in the country for that matter. Our innovative, experienced, and passionate professionals are committed to helping you achieve your college dreams successfully — without going broke or drowning in debt.
The United States has over 4,000 colleges and universities. Finding the perfect school and program for your child can be a daunting task. We can help. It starts with:
Personalized Career Assessments, One on One College Counseling, Utilizing Technology, and Classroom Plus. Each meeting and class are carefully designed to help your student navigate the college admission process.
The United States has over 4,000 colleges and universities. Finding the perfect school and program for your child can be a daunting task. We can help. It starts with:
Personalized Career Assessments: Our college planning counselors help to evaluate your child’s interests, hobbies, skills, goals, and more to help guide to the right career path for your child.
One On One College Counseling: Our highly trained and dedicated college planning counselors will help narrow down the schools that have the majors your child is most interested in and show your child the necessary steps to accomplish in order to earn admission and scholarships to top colleges across the US.
Utilizing Technology: Going well beyond Naviance, our proprietary program gives you the most accurate picture of how you match up against your college competition using a variety of tools, software and personal expertise.
Classroom Plus Each class is enhanced with One-On-One meetings to give your student the edge against the competition. AZCollegePlanning.com teaches several classes including an application and essay class, resume class, test prep class and more. Each class is carefully designed to help your student navigate the college admission process.
Students have the option to meet in person face to face at our North Scottsdale location or via virtual meetings.
When you know how to play the college admissions game and know the rules, you can set yourself up for success.
We have successfully coached student to beat the competition resulting in admission and superior scholarships to top colleges across the United States.
Discover how to attend a private out-of-state college for less than an in-state college. Since our inception in August 2007, AZCollegePlanning.com has helped students earn incredible scholarship and admission at top colleges throughout the country with our proprietary admission strategies.
