The correct order is: (1) The application is first (2) followed by essays, which should be attached to application unless there are specific instructions to contrary; (3) Next is resume, which should be stapled together, but not to application or essays; (4) The special essay(s) follow and should be paper clipped to resume as opposed to being stapled to it. Attach a large paper clip to all of above to ensure everything stays in proper order, and then send entire package overnight or 2nd day with a signature guarantee. Whew!

If by any chance you’re planning to submit application electronically, consider this very carefully before you click submit key. You may accidentally send application before it’s completed, or send it with errors. What will you do then, and how will you get a copy for your records?

I’m a firm believer in Murphy’s Law, that if anything can go wrong, it will. No, that’s not pessimism, it’s realism. The transmission could get garbled, arrive incomplete or disappear from face of earth, all without your knowledge. The application could arrive with your name on “address” line, and all rest of your information pushed down, out of place, never to be processed!

As I said in a previous article, despite claims that all of these bugs have been exterminated, if it were my student, I’d mail it. Any risk is too much of a risk that application will not be received, be received with errors and inconsistencies, or be received incomplete. In any case, if anything goes wrong, anything at all, whatever excuse is, it will not be acceptable to school and an otherwise qualified applicant will be called out on strikes before they even get up to bat! Don’t let this happen to you!

Mark Twain once said, “No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while legislature is in session,” and never have truer words been spoken!

On June 6, 2001, President Bush signed HR 2014 into law. This created The Tuition and Fees Deduction, based on Senator Charles E. Schumer's (D-NY) Make College Affordable Act. However, Congress presented and President signed a watered down version of Senator's proposal and consequently, it doesn't work for families who need it most!

Senator Schumer had been tirelessly championing legislation that would allow families, including independent students, to deduct a portion of their college expenses on their taxes. The Senator’s Make College Affordable Act, as originally proposed, would have given millions of American families opportunity to deduct up to $12,000 per year from their total incomes to help reduce rising costs of college tuition and related expenses. Unfortunately, and to detriment of untold numbers of taxpayers with students in college, Tuition and Fees Deduction allows a mere deduction of $3,000 for tax years 2002-2003, and $4,000 for tax years 2004-2005. The Deduction sunsets after 2005.

To many families, an annual eight or nine thousand dollars could mean difference of being forced to settle for a local community college as opposed to sending their student to a state school. Arguably, America’s future rests with its educated youth, and this is no way to treat those who will hold fate of our country in their hands.