Like many seniors this year, you put in the extra time and effort to get your applications perfected before Early Action deadlines. This is no small feat, and you should be enormously proud of yourself. But, like many of your peers, you may have opened your admission decision email over the last few weeks to read: DEFERRED.

One of the questions families always ask me is: “Why is college so expensive?” Here’s a quick overview on some history and how financial aid and loans factor in – and some good news for families who are feeling stressed out.