The College Admission & Finance Year in Review

Host Sally Ganga wraps up another pivotal admissions cycle with a two-part Year in Review episode, tackling the questions and trends families cared most about over the past year. In Segment 1, Sally is joined by finance expert Michelle Smoley to revisit the most common financial planning questions families asked throughout the admissions process. They break down whether applying Early Action or Early Decision has a financial impact, clarify when and why students should complete both the FAFSA and CSS Profile, and share practical strategies for finding and securing scholarships and grants—along with other key insights to help families plan wisely for college costs. In Segment 2, college coaches Zaragoza Guerra and Mary Sue Youn reflect on the admissions landscape and the biggest shifts they observed this year. The conversation explores why more students are submitting standardized test scores even as roughly 90% of colleges remain test-optional (or don't consider scores at all), what happens when decision season brings multiple denials due to a top‑heavy college list, and the growing popularity of Southern universities, especially SEC schools.