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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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AdviceShould Your College Student Only Consider the Best Paying Majors?
This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. Considering how expensive college is these days, students often wonder if they should choose a major that comes with a big salary. A member of our PFC 101 community says it’s the right way to…
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ApplyColleges with High Acceptance Rates
When you’re helping your child decide where to apply for college, it’s good to make a varied list of potential schools. Including a few universities with high acceptance rates can help your child feel confident they will have options to choose from, regardless of their GPA or standardized test scores. Why Do Some Colleges Have…
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AdvicePaying for College with Credit Cards: What You Should Know
When the tuition bill comes due, your college will offer your student a few options. If there’s a balance after loans, grants, and scholarships, you may be tempted to pay with a credit card. Here’s what parents in our Paying for College 101 Facebook group had to say about using “plastic” to foot the bill. …
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ACTHow I Fought to Remove Compulsory Test Scores on Transcripts
Compulsory test scores on transcripts can hurt students who apply test-optional. Here’s how one parent fought to get the scores removed.
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AdviceTeen Jobs May Come With a Bonus: Scholarships
This story was originally published in our Paying for College 101 (PFC 101) group. It has been edited for clarity and flow. “Definitely check around to see if your kid has any local opportunities like this. Good luck!” – Julia R. Getting a part-time job is a rite of passage for many high school students.…
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AdviceMy Daughter Chose to Study Overseas — and We Couldn’t Be Happier
This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. Now that my daughter is off to school and a lot of my questions and concerns about her decision to study overseas have been resolved, I wanted to share our experience applying to college abroad.…
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AdviceYour College Student May Need Help After Graduation. Are You Prepared?
This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. Here’s yet another parenting lesson that I learned the hard way. New Grads Have New Challenges Let’s say that your kid gets through college in four years, graduates with honors, gets an advanced degree, and…
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AdviceHow to Pay for College Without Parents
This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 (PFC101) Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. Paying for college and navigating the financial aid process can be daunting, especially for students who are planning to do it on their own. A member of our PFC 101 community asked parents: Here…
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AdviceTop Questions to Ask Your Student Before Making the Ultimate College Decision
A father asks his son, and suggests all students, answer these questions before making their college decision.
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Advice10 Reasons to Consider Smaller Schools With High Acceptance Rates
A version of this story was first published in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community and on U3k4college.com. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. By V. Peter Pitts, M.A. Parents, I would like to propose a slightly different approach to the college application process: Consider smaller schools with high acceptance rates. My idea…
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AdviceParents Share What They Got Right and Wrong During Junior Year of High School
Follow these tips during junior year of high school for the best college admissions results!
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AdviceHow to Pick a College That Loves You Back
This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. I’m the mom of a high school senior headed to nursing school in the fall. About one year ago, I saw posts and comments about how important it is to love the school that loves…
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FinanceSaid Yes to a College? You’ve Still Got College Financial Planning to Do.
We did it! My high school senior said yes to the right school for him. With this milestone behind us, we can now look forward to the post-acceptance stage of college financial planning. That’s the stage after you’ve received your financial-aid package but before your student begins classes. As it turns out, there are still…
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AdviceScholarship Renewal Tips and Truths
This story was first shared in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. When I was overseeing the academic recovery program at a nationally ranked HBCU, one-third of the students in the program were scholarship students. To help future college-bound students, I’d like to share some advice about…
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AdviceWhat to Look Out for on College Tours
This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. Now that my daughter is in college, I wanted to share some of my thoughts about what families should look for while on a college tour. Check Out the Dorms Make sure you look carefully…
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AdviceTips and Tricks to Make the Most of Your College Tours
This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. After doing a few college drive-bys and tours on our own, our first official college tours began. Here are some of the lessons we learned, so you can make the most of your college tours.…
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AdviceA Parent Shares Real-Life Tips on How to Get Into College
This story was originally published in our Paying for College 101 (PFC 101) group. It has been edited for clarity and flow. I joined the Paying for College 101 (PFC 101) group early in my daughter’s sophomore year of high school for tips on how to get into college. The education I received from others…
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SATAn Expert Shares How Your Student Can Improve Their SAT Score
This post was originally published in our Paying for College 101 (PFC 101) group. It has been edited for clarity and flow. SAT scores are out. To all the parents of seniors, I hope your children reached their goal scores and are proud of all they accomplished. To parents of juniors, your children now have…
