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College List BuildingUC Berkeley Common Data Set
Sifting through a college’s Common Data Set can take a lot of time. Instead, we’ve gathered the most important information from UC Berkeley’s most recent Common Data Set to provide you with the information you need at a quick glance. This guide contains key information from UC Berkeley Common Data Set 2025-2026. Berkeley Common Data…
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AdviceOur Family’s Direct-Admit Nursing Program Journey
A parent shares how her student got into several direct-admit nursing programs that offered merit and financial aid.
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High school to collegeCollege Dorm Checklist: Full List and Advice for Parents of Incoming Freshmen
Moving into a college dorm is a significant milestone, representing the first step towards independence and the start of a new adventure. However, the transition can be overwhelming, especially if your student isn’t adequately prepared. Enter the all-important college dorm checklist. A college dorm checklist can help you stay organized and make sure you have…
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SurviveHigh School Transition to College: A Parent’s Guide
I remember the initial relief I felt after we placed the college deposit for our daughter, and the rush of anxiety that immediately followed about what came next. After two kids and six years as a college parent, plus four years of writing about it, I am telling you to relax. You don’t need to…
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AdviceA Mother’s Guide: Transforming College Admissions into Bonding Time
College applications can be a bonding time with your child! Read on to learn how we turned stress into success.
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ApplyEarly Decision Colleges: Read the Fine Print
Here’s what to know before committing to an Early Decision college.
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Advice10 Ways a Parent Can Help Their Student Prepare for College
As a parent, your involvement and support are invaluable in helping your high school child prepare for college. Here are 10 tips for success.
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College AdmissionsWhat Is a Good GPA? See How You Stack Up
Colleges and even employers use a student’s GPA to help determine aptitude. But defining a “good GPA” depends on different calculations – and how various colleges and employers view grade point averages. This guide explains how to calculate a GPA, how colleges use them for admissions and aid, and how to improve a GPA. What…
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AdviceAviation Schools Are Taking Off
For students interested in becoming pilots, the number of aviation schools have been growing at a rate of 2.3% per year between 2018 and 2023, which means opportunities abound. A parent in our Paying for College 101 Facebook Group recently requested recommendations for schools that offer aviation-related opportunities, and the community responded in spades. Hands-On…
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AdviceHow a Student With a 2.7 GPA Got Into 19 Colleges
You don’t have to have a high GPA to get into college and qualify for merit aid. One parent shares her student’s inspiring story.
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AdviceHow Students Should Spend the Summer Before Senior Year
With just one summer left before high-school students graduate, parents had ideas for how to best spend that time.
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AdviceThe Common Black College Application Lowers Costs and Stress
Parents dish about how the Common Black College Application makes it easy to apply to more schools and earn more scholarships.
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AdviceHow Students Can Earn Employee Scholarships for College
Find out how one student tapped into employee scholarships twice to help pay for college!
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ACTA Guide to When to Take the SAT and ACT
While many test-prep professionals publish suggestions for when to take the SAT and ACT, I’ve found that the right answer to when to take the tests really depends on the individual. It’s all about your student’s schedule, level of preparedness, and work style. Before you schedule standardized tests, go through this quick list of questions…
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AdviceFollow These Steps to Help Get Your Student Into Engineering School
This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 (PFC101) Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. In case anyone has a student trying to get into an engineering school, I thought I would share where we are and how we got here. Our oldest is looking for electrical engineering schools…
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AdviceCollege Tours: 6 Things to Pay Attention To
A recent discussion in our Paying for College 101 Facebook Community focused on what parents noticed on college tours that influenced their students’ college selection. Their honest input inspired us to create this list of things to watch for while traversing a campus. Share it with your student so the information is top of mind…
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AdviceShould Students Work in High School?
This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 (PFC101) Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. There are a number of benefits to working part-time while in high school, but juggling extracurricular activities, school work, and paid work can be tricky. A parent in our PFC101 community asked whether other…
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AdviceFERPA: Are Students Required to Share Their College Records With Parents?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, better known as FERPA, is a Federal law that “protects the privacy” of a student’s educational records. Once a student turns 18 they become an “eligible student” and the guardian of their own personal information. That information includes grades, financial and behavioral records, and more, though it may…
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AdviceTop 6 Campus Safety Tips to Share With Your College Student
Campus safety is a major consideration when choosing a college. While most students make it through their college years without incident, some will, unfortunately, become victims of campus crime. According to Clery Act Reports, an average of over 24,000 crime and safety incidents have been reported annually on college campuses since 2009. The best way…
