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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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AdviceAdmitted Students Day: What Smart Families Ask (And What They Don’t)
Admitted Students Day feels different from a regular campus tour. This isn’t about “Could I get in?” — it’s about “Should I go?” You’ve already seen the glossy brochures. You’ve read the website. Now it’s time to dig deeper. We asked parents what questions have actually helped them make a decision at Admitted Student events…
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AdviceHow to Adjust Your College Plan When the World Feels Uncertain
You’ve spent months researching schools, comparing financial aid offers, and building a college budget. Then the world shifts. Gas prices climb. The job market softens. News cycles bring fresh anxiety. And suddenly, some of the assumptions behind your college plan don’t feel as solid as they did. You’re not alone. Families across the country are…
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AdviceIs Admitted Students Day Worth It? What Parents Say After Attending
Once college acceptance letters arrive, many schools invite admitted students to a special event—often called Admitted Students Day or Accepted Students Day. These programs are designed to help families make their final decision before the May 1 commitment deadline. But if you’ve already toured the campus, is it really necessary to go back? Based on…
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AdviceWhy We Stopped Chasing Merit Scholarships—and Focused on “Meets Full Need” Colleges Instead
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 two graduates of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (our state flagship school), a current freshman at Barnard College in NYC, and a high school sophomore. Which means—before I’m ready—we’ll be doing…
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ACTIf I Could Do It Over: Hard-Won College Planning Advice From Parents Who’ve Been There
When it comes to college planning, hindsight really is 20/20. I went back to the parents in Paying for College 101 (PFC101) and asked a simple question: What do you know now that you wish you knew before this process started? The response was overwhelming. Hundreds of parents chimed in with lessons learned the hard…
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AdviceWe Had Triplets — and Paid $0 in Tuition. Here’s How
This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. If you spend any time reading about college admissions online, it’s easy to feel like everyone else has it figured out. Perfect GPAs. Star athletes. Ivy League acceptances. Families who seem to have been saving for…
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College AdmissionsHow I Found a College My Daughter Loved—and We Could Actually Afford
This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. I’m a single mother in California who never went to college, but I’ve worked hard my entire life. I bought a home young. Then my industry—print—collapsed almost overnight. I had a midlife career meltdown while raising…
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AdviceShould AI Factor Into Choosing a College Major?
Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just reshaping technology; it’s reshaping the job market, the classroom, and the very skills employers value. As students think about majors and career paths, many are asking, Should AI influence what I choose to study? The short answer is yes, but not in the way many people assume.In recent years, AI…
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AdviceHow We’ve Afforded College for 5 (Out of 6) Kids — Without Parent Loans
Family photo courtesy of Sabrina Malone Editor’s Note: This originally appeared as a post in our private Facebook group, Paying For College 101. Can anyone relate to the feeling of “We might be able to swing one or two — but definitely not six?” (Yeah. Me, too.) Yet, somehow, we have been able to swing…
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College Financial PlanningColleges Offering Free Tuition Based on Family Income (2026)
A growing number of colleges now guarantee free tuition to families below a set income level, with no loans and no separate application beyond the FAFSA. Income cutoffs range from $60,000 to $200,000 depending on the school, and some programs cover the full cost of attendance for lower-income families. The threshold has climbed sharply. Harvard,…
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Standardized testsAchieving a Good Score on the SAT: How the Test Works and Tips for Success
The SAT, or Scholastic Aptitude Test, is a standardized test administered by the College Board. U.S. colleges widely use it as one piece of their admissions processes, along with GPA, course rigor, letters of recommendation, essays, special talents like athletics and music, and other factors. Achieving a good score on the SAT can make you…
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AdviceDear Roadie: Are Sororities and Fraternities Really Worth It or Just Expensive “Buy-Your-Friends” Clubs?
Dear Roadie, My daughter is considering rushing a sorority, and I’m conflicted. On one hand, everyone talks about sisterhood, networking, and belonging. On the other hand, I hear about hefty dues, social pressure, and a system that feels exclusive. Are sororities actually worth it anymore, or are they just pricey popularity contests? — Skeptical (and…
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College Financial PlanningHow to Get Merit Scholarships for College: The Institutional Strategy
About the author: Debbie Schwartz founded Road2College in 2014 to help families navigate the realities of paying for college. She previously worked in finance at Vanguard, Fidelity, and Accenture, and holds an MBA from MIT Sloan. Many families spend countless hours chasing private scholarships, but national studies show that nearly 90 percent of all grant…
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AdviceDear Roadie: My Teen Wants to Be a Teacher — Is It Still Worth It?
Dear Roadie, My daughter has dreamed of being a teacher since she was old enough to line up her stuffed animals and give them spelling tests. But I keep hearing how tough the profession has become — low pay, burnout, shortages, politicized classrooms. As parents, we want to support our kids’ passions, but we also…
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ApplyWhat You’ll Pay for College Is Largely Set Before the Offers Arrive
The biggest factor in what families ultimately pay for college isn’t an unpredictable financial-aid formula. It’s the composition of a student’s college list, which can drive wide swings in the final price. Students with multiple acceptances typically saw a $23,000 annual difference between their least and most expensive options, according to a new Road2College analysis…
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CareersWhat Does It Mean That a BS in Nursing Is No Longer Considered a “Professional” Degree?
If you — or a student you know — are studying nursing, 2025’s policy shake-up from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has changed the rules in a big way. Under a new definition of “professional degree,” nursing programs have been removed from that category — a shift that could reshape how future nurses pay…
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Apply179 Good Small Colleges With High Acceptance Rates (and Generous Merit Aid)
Editor’s Note: Peter Pitts, a frequent Road2College contributor and small-college advocate, recently posted this in our Paying for College 101 Facebook group. We are republishing his insightful work here to broaden the audience. Here’s another list of colleges from the Small College Guy to add to your search, especially now that November 1 has passed.…
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ApplyThe Rise of Direct Admissions: A New Era of College Access
A growing number of states and institutions are flipping the script on college admissions with a radical new approach: direct admissions. Unlike traditional college applications, where students must initiate the process — completing forms, writing essays, and paying fees — direct admissions turns that model on its head. Students simply upload their transcripts onto a…
