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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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High School Academics & ActivitiesCertification Classes for Teens, High Schoolers
Certification classes offer teenagers an opportunity to learn a marketable skill in specialized fields. They help prepare students for a job or their college studies. From art and design to business and technology, there is something for everyone. Many companies, including Microsoft and Adobe, offer programs, and many of them are even free. What’s the…
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College LifeHow College Can Offer the Best Opportunities for Networking
You’ve helped your child research colleges, gain admission to their dream schools, and even figured out a way to pay for it all. However, their work has only just begun. After all, for many the point of attending college is to help lead a successful life, and that means securing a great job after graduation. …
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ApplicationsBest-Selling College Guides
Looking for the best college guides? Review this list based on comprehensiveness, accuracy, and ease of use.
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College Financial PlanningAvoid Loans With These College Cost-Cutting Tips
This article is primarily for people who have high school seniors headed to college next year. I wish I’d known all this when my first child was applying. Hopefully, I can pay it forward and save others money (and a little aggravation too). If affording your child’s college education is going to be an issue…
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College Financial PlanningJunior Year – 11th Grade College Planning Checklist
The content from this article has been moved to this new link.
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ApplicationsNeed Blind Colleges: Expanding Access to Education
Need-blind colleges are educational institutions that offer equal opportunities to students, regardless of their financial situation. These colleges focus on a student’s abilities and potential rather than their ability to pay for tuition. In this article, we will explore what need-blind colleges are and how they benefit students. What Does “Need-Blind” Mean for College Admissions?…
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College LifeA Message to Students Who Feel Like Giving Up on College
Sometimes, it takes a village. This is a photo I snapped of the moment after my mom saw her first grandchild in his college graduation regalia. His commencement ceremony isn’t until the spring, but he tried on his cap and gown for her. Aside from being a sweet little moment, there’s a backstory that may…
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College Financial PlanningThe Price You Pay for College: Why It’s so Difficult to Predict Merit Scholarships
This article is adapted from “The Price You Pay for College: An Entirely New Road Map for the Biggest Financial Decision Your Family Will Ever Make,” by Ron Lieber. Reprinted here with permission of Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers You want some merit aid, and that’s understandable. But here’s what you probably don’t realize:…
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College Financial PlanningHow to Get Students Motivated to Apply for Scholarships
On top of homework, extracurriculars, internships, or jobs, and the stress of deadlines, chores, and fitting in social activities, it’s no wonder some students are unmotivated to finish college applications and meet scholarship deadlines. Some parents have found creative ways to incentivize their children to do the extra work without fighting or nagging. Scholarship Application…
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High School Academics & ActivitiesSummer Programs for High School Students
Summer programs for high school students offer opportunities ranging from local college classes to programs around the world. As college admissions grow increasingly competitive, both in regards to who gets admitted and who gets merit aid, it is important for your child to find ways to set themselves apart. Pre-college programs allow students time to…
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CostsMom Shares Lessons Learned From Son’s College Search
We recently asked a member of our Paying for College 101 Facebook group to share her approach to finding the right college for her son, and the resulting lessons she learned. Here’s what she said (edited for clarity and length): The Biggest Surprise? How fungible the sticker price of college is: I now have a…
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College Financial PlanningBig (and Not So Big) Changes Coming to a FAFSA Near You
Whether you’re the type to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in a weekend or take it to your financial advisor, this one document determines how much aid your child gets from the government, and how much need-based aid they are likely to get from their college. Recently, Congress voted to update…
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College Financial PlanningRead This Before Your High School Senior Commits to a College
You might be losing sleep worrying about how to afford your child’s higher education. Here’s some timely advice if you have a high school senior who is about to commit or has already sent in their enrollment deposit at a college. It’s not too late to take some fiscally prudent and wise actions if their…
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College Financial PlanningCan You Find Ivy League Quality at Non-Ivy-League Schools?
Along with my “my son, the doctor,” or “my daughter, the lawyer,” many American parents dream of boasting, “our kid, the Ivy Leaguer.” Harvard’s one dream. Reality offers others. An Ivy League education, while academically rigorous and prestigious, isn’t for everyone. First, highly competitive admissions mean numerous rejections, even among valedictorians. The reigning Ivy, Harvard,…
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College LifeUnderstanding Academic Dismissal: Definition, Causes, and Implications
Wondering about academic dismissal? Learn about its definition, causes, and consequences. Find out why students face dismissal, how to prevent it, and strategies for bouncing back from this challenging situation. Gain valuable insights into academic dismissal and take proactive steps towards academic success. Advice about an academic dismissal is something parents don’t want (or plan) to…
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ApplicationsHolistic Admissions: Your Child Is More Than Their Grades and Test Scores
What Are Holistic Admissions? Applying to college can be one of the most stressful times of your child’s life, and likely yours as well. From test scores to deciding what courses to take junior and senior year, it is very clear that academics matter greatly. However, academics are not everything. Increasingly, colleges and universities are…
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High School Academics & ActivitiesHigh School Classes to Teach Teens Life Skills
High school is an important part of any teenager’s development. Outside of school, it’s a time when teens get their first feelings of independence, whether it’s being able to drive, having romantic relationships, getting a job, or simply hanging out on their own with friends. These experiences are crucial to forming positive social and emotional…
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High School Academics & ActivitiesHow Colleges Calculate Your High School GPA
The movement for colleges toward being test-optional has gained momentum over the last ten years. With COVID-19 changing the high school experience during the past few years, the trend is increasing. When so many senior year activities were put on hold, college admissions placed even more emphasis on other college readiness indicators such as the…
