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Signature College Counseling

Signature works as a team with you, charting the path to reach your educational and career goals. W

09/30/2026

🎓 Can you negotiate your college financial aid package? Sometimes, yes.

If a college has offered your student less financial aid than another comparable school, there may be an opportunity to ask for additional merit or need based funding. But successful negotiation requires more than simply asking for more money. Families need to compare offers based on net cost, understand what each college may be willing to provide, and be prepared to show documentation supporting their request.

🖇️ Read Liz’s blog, “Can You Negotiate Financial Aid Package?” to learn how families can approach this process and what to consider before contacting a college.

You may be able to negotiate a better financial aid package. It really depends on the school and your position in the applicant pool. You will never get taken away what you have already been awarded, so there is no downside to trying to negotiate. Can You Negotiate a Financial Aid Package?

09/29/2026

🎓 How do you know when a college is actually the right fit?

That’s where expert guidance can change the college search.

Liz helps students and parents look beyond the obvious choices, ask the right questions, understand what truly matters to the student, and build a college list around their individual goals and fit.

Simon’s journey is a great example of what that personalized process can uncover.

🖇️ Read Simon’s Case Study to see how his college journey unfolded and how Liz helped guide him toward his best fit.

See how the right college counselors can help you find where you belong. Learn more about the Signature College Counseling process.

09/27/2026

🎓 Think you know what your family can afford for college? Think again. 👀

Financial aid isn’t calculated by simply looking at your paycheck.

Income, assets, household size, the student’s financial information and other factors can all play a role in determining your Student Aid Index, which colleges use when assessing financial need.

And here’s the part families really need to understand:

What a college calculates your family can contribute may not be what your family actually feels it can afford.

That’s why understanding the numbers before building your college list matters.

✦ Know what factors can affect your aid
✦ Understand your potential financial need
✦ Build a college list with financial fit in mind

🖇️ Read Liz’s full blog to understand how financial aid is calculated and why financial planning belongs at the beginning of the college search, not the end.

Need help making sense of the financial side of college? Connect with Liz at Signature College Counseling.

📧 [email protected]
📞 845.551.6946

One of the questions on top of everyone’s mind is, “How much financial aid can I get for college?” The answer is a very personal one that takes into account income and assets. Here is how it is calculated.

09/27/2026

🎓 COLLEGE PROFILE | GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

There’s a difference between knowing about a college and knowing what it feels like to be there.

Liz doesn’t build college lists from rankings and websites alone. She tours campuses, researches the academics, looks at the surrounding community, and pays attention to the things that don’t always show up in a college brochure.

That firsthand perspective is what helps her ask the bigger question:

Could I actually picture THIS student here?

At George Mason University, that might mean picturing a student on a sprawling 677 acre campus in Fairfax, VA, while knowing Washington, D.C. is just 20 miles away. It might mean a student who wants access to research, internships and real world experiences while still wanting a traditional campus environment. Or a student who hasn't quite figured out their major yet and wants room to explore among dozens of undergraduate programs.

And that's the point of the college search.

Not “Is this a good college?”

But...

“Is this a good college for YOU?”

Because the right college needs to make sense on paper and feel like a place where your student can see themselves living, learning, growing and becoming who they're supposed to become.

👇 Students: Could you picture yourself at George Mason? What would you want to know before adding it to your list?

Parents: Could you picture your child here? What matters most to you when you're deciding whether a college is truly a fit?

And if you're starting your own college search, follow along. Liz is taking you with her, one campus at a time.

George Mason University: 23,066 undergraduates, 16:1 student to faculty ratio, 69% acceptance rate, Mid 50% SAT 520-630, ACT 23-29

09/26/2026

“What’s your major going to be?”

If that question makes you want to disappear into your hoodie… you’re not alone. 😂

Being undecided isn’t necessarily a problem. In fact, it can give students more time to explore, discover their strengths and make a more informed choice.

But there’s a catch: some majors and colleges require you to make that decision earlier.

🎓 That’s where strategy matters.

🖇️ Read Liz’s full blog to understand the pros and cons of applying undecided, and connect with Signature College Counseling to figure out what makes sense for your student.

Description Tag: Wondering if you should apply to college as an undecided major? Here are some pros and cons of doing so.Pros and Cons of Applying to College as an Undecided Major

09/21/2026

🎓 What if your student’s many interests are actually clues to the college that could be right for them?

Amelia loved psychology, linguistics, writing, music and the arts. The challenge wasn’t a lack of options. It was figuring out how all those interests could come together in one college experience.

That’s where Liz’s guidance came in.

✦ Identifying what truly mattered to Amelia
✦ Finding the common threads in her interests
✦ Building a college list around her academic and personal fit

That process ultimately led Amelia to Boston College, where she could pursue psychology while continuing to engage with music and the arts.

🖇️ Read Amelia’s full Case Study to see how Liz helped turn a complicated college search into a clearer path forward.

What could happen when your student’s college search starts with who they are, not just where they can get in?

Work with college consultants that provide trusted guidance for college-bound students. We work with students through the Hudson County, NJ area.

09/11/2026

🎓 How much financial aid should you actually expect?

There is no one number.

Financial aid can vary dramatically depending on your family’s financial situation, the college, and how your student fits within that school’s applicant pool. And understanding your potential costs before building your college list can make a huge difference.

🖇️ Read Liz’s blog to understand how financial aid is determined, when you can expect to know your award, and why financial fit should be part of your college search from the start.

The amount of financial aid will differ depending on the student, the generosity of the college, and the family’s financial standing referred to as the Expected Family Contribution. Don’t expect to receive 100% of financial need.

09/10/2026

🎓 That “Additional Information” box on the Common App… should you actually use it?

Maybe. Maybe not.

It can give admissions officers important context about grades, circumstances, challenges, or experiences that your application cannot fully explain.
But there’s a catch: this section is not for everyone.

Read Liz’s blog to find out when Additional Information can strengthen your application, when to leave it blank, and why using it just because it’s there could backfire.

🖇️ Read the full blog and make every part of your Common App work strategically for you.

Additional Information on Common App: Additional Information on Common App: What is it Used for Anyway? Info from Signature College Counseling

08/24/2026

College Spotlight | The Cooper Union

Small. Creative. Rigorous. Right in the heart of NYC.

The Cooper Union brings together just three undergraduate schools: Architecture, Art + Engineering—with a shared emphasis on creativity, technical skill, collaboration and ideas that can actually make an impact.

And here’s one of the things that makes Cooper especially interesting: its location is part of the experience. Students are studying in downtown Manhattan, surrounded by the culture, architecture, people and opportunities of New York City.

✨ A peek at something else that makes Cooper stand out: every admitted undergraduate receives a half-tuition scholarship, with additional need- and merit-based aid available to eligible students.

So, could this be your kind of college?

👇 Tell us!
Are you looking at The Cooper Union?
Would you want to study Art, Architecture or Engineering there?
And if you went to Cooper, or know someone who did, we want to hear from you!

Cooper Union: Located on the edge of the East Village in Manhattan, Cooper Union may be small, given the number of students they have, but the city...

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