ALLISON DEEHAN, MHS 2008

Northeastern University, 2013

Business Administration, Accounting and Supply Chain Management concentrations

Where you financially prepared for college?

Not really. I ended up taking out a LOT of student loans.

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When you applied to MSF, did you already know what college you were planning to attend?  What was the name of the school?

Yes. Northeastern University

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How does the MSF scholarship help you prepare for college?

$4000 that I wouldn’t have to finance was a big help!

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Why did you want a MSF scholarship?

The MSF scholarship that I received was for women going into the medical field. I was originally on the Pre-Med undergrad track at NEU but transferred to business my sophomore year after attending a Myers-Briggs seminar about personalities and careers.

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Did you know anything about MSF before you applied for a scholarship?

Not really

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Did finances affect your choice of school or major?

Not really, but Northeastern did give me the best scholarship and grant money out of the schools I was accepted to.

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If you could not have afforded college, what other options did you have?

Fortunately, I come from a family with a long line of college graduates. I think college was always in the cards for me. My parents have excellent credit and co-signed all of my student loans for college.

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In addition to the MSF scholarship, what other types of financial aid or support did you use?

I received $12,000 per year from Northeastern as a merit scholarship. I received $3,000 per year from Northeastern as grant money. The $1,000 per year from my MSF scholarship, and the rest was financed through student loans. I graduated with around $75,000 in student loan debt.

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What is your plan for the future?

I graduated from Northeastern in May 2013. I currently work for EMC Corporation in Massachusetts as an analyst. I LOVE my job! I am also a part time MBA student concentrating in High Tech at Northeastern.

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What would you say to current MHS seniors who seek financial aid?

Look for grant and scholarship money! Student loans should be your last resort. I would recommend always having a cosigner with a great credit score (above 700) to ensure the best interest rates.

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What do you remember best about being at Montclair High School/Montclair?

I loved the freedom and general “adult” mentality at MHS, which I found out at college wasn’t the case for most other high schoolers.

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Please describe any volunteer/community service during high school?

I did a lot of work with the Michael J Fox Parkinson’s Foundation as my father has Parkinson’s Disease. I also helped to organize several blood drives at MHS.

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