Don Betterton - Articles

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When it comes to having a wide range of knowledge about the entire college-going process, there are few people with more experience and knowledge than Don Betterton. Don served as the director of financial aid at Princeton University for 30 years. During that time, he was the architect of Princeton’s innovative no-loan program and gained recognition a national leader in his profession. His range of knowledge is extensive, including all aspects of both need-based and merit aid. During Don’s time at Princeton, undergraduate financial aid/scholarship awards increased from an aggregate $3.4 million in 1973-74 to $65 million in 2005-06. Don has written two books (and numerous articles) on financial aid and has given many in-person presentations to groups both large and small. He has been recognized for his accomplishments in various ways. He was a trustee of the College Board, chaired the policy committee for an association of the country's most selective colleges, and was recently named to the College Scholarship Service Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions to the aid profession. As an expert on enrollment management (the interplay of admissions and financial aid), Don has been a consultant to more than 30 colleges. He also served on Princeton's admission committee and is familiar with college admissions from policy level discussions to the evaluation of student credentials. Don has done individual and group counseling sessions on how a student should prepare both inside and outside the classroom for admission to a selective college. For his leadership of the financial aid office, as well as his service to the Princeton University as a whole, Don has received the Alumni Council Award for Service and the Bressler Award for outstanding support of Princeton athletics. He is also an honorary member of the Classes of 1960 and 2005. Actively involved in Princeton soccer for many years, Don was head coach of the men’s freshman and junior varsity teams, started the women’s program, and for the last 18 years has been an assistant coach of the men’s varsity squad. Don is a magna cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College, where he was a regional All-American in soccer. He received a M.A. from Rutgers in 1974. Before arriving at Princeton, he served on active duty as a Naval Aviator, eventually retiring with the rank of Captain. Don is currently a Certified College Planner. For more information on his private consulting services, you can visit www.bettertoncollegeplanning.com.

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SAT Sentence Completion Questions: When to Guess ?
n this prepcast, I’ll discuss sentence completion SAT questions. Ultimately, if you started early and developed a great vocabulary, you’ll be in great shape answering questions on this section of the test. If you’re a little late developing your vocabulary and the SAT test is in two weeks, don’t panic! I’ll discuss how you can still prepare and the overall strategy on when to guess. If you’re new to ePrep, I encourage you to visit our earlier series on SAT vocabulary: Read
By: Don Betterton | 12/12/2006 | Education
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College Financial Aid Pre-high School Activities: Saving - the 12 Things you Need to Know
Welcome to the first installment of ePrep’s coverage of college financial aid. I am excited to introduce Don Betterton as the site’s most recent guest expert. Don was the director of financial aid at Princeton University for thirty (30) years. During his time at Princeton, aid awards increased from $3.4 million in 1973-74 to $65 million in 2005-06. In this video, Don discusses the simple things you can do now, while your children are young, to help make paying for college easier when they are older and ready to enroll. Read
By: Don Betterton | 12/12/2006 | Education