Does CAPlus really work?
I am often asked, “Does CAPlus really work? What is a typical client’s experience with CAPlus?” While each client’s situation is different and results vary depending on whether the clients follow our advice, I thought it would be useful to describe in detail a recent senior’s final college decision.
This particular prospect read about CAPlus in the New York Times several years ago and filed the article for further reference. When his son was a junior, he contacted CAPlus and engaged our services to assist his family throughout the process.
The student had a strong high school GPA of 4.0, an ACT score of 31, and was interested in running track at college. When they came to us, the student had decided that he would like to attend Calvin College. His decision was based on preliminary discussions with the college and track coach, plus a family history of attendance.
The family owns a business, and when we evaluated their financial situation, we recommended that they submit a FAFSA. We also recommended that the student retake the ACT exam. His new score was a 33.
We created a CAPlus Personalized Needs Analysis Report for the family and recommended that the student apply to Spring Arbor, Westminster, and Alma in addition to Calvin. This would give him a chance to see how competitive their financial aid awards were. The family applied to all four colleges and visited each one, making sure to talk to the track coach at each school.
As the family received acceptance letters and financial aid package letters from the colleges, it became apparent that both Calvin College and Spring Arbor truly wanted this student. CAPlus helped the parents write appeal letters to both colleges, which the family mailed. Calvin responded to the letter with an additional $2,000 per year in scholarships, and Spring Arbor offered an additional $4,000 per year in scholarships.
The student eventually chose Spring Arbor, saving a total of $41,420 over four years compared to the original Calvin College financial aid package.
About Paul Celuch
Paul Celuch has 30 plus years of sales and marketing experience with IBM, Burroughs, MCI, and various telecommunications companies. He also operated his own Lanier office products distributorship.
