-
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…
- ACT
- Advice
- Apply
- Careers
- College Admissions
- College Financial Planning
- College List Building
- College prep
- College Sports
- Community College
- COVID-19
- Curated Articles
- Family Journeys
- Federal Loans
- Finance
- Financial Aid Appeals
- Find Scholarships
- Gift Ideas
- High School Academics & Activities
- ICYMI
- Learn
- Merit Scholarships
- Military
- News
- Paying Off Loans
- Plan
- SAT
- SAT Prep
- Season
- Standardized Testing
- Student & Parent Loans
- Student Athletes
- Survive
- Test Taking
- Uncategorized
- Vocational schools
- What You Need to Know
-
AdviceDear Roadie, My Son Struggles in AP Courses. Is The Stress Worth It for College?
Dear Roadie, My son wants to load up on AP classes his senior year because he thinks it will impress colleges, but I think it’s too much. He hasn’t passed two of the AP tests he’s taken already, which means no college credit, and he’s struggled to keep up with the coursework on most of…
-
EssaysHow to Write a College Essay That Works
Millions of high school students apply for college each year, and many have to write at least one college application essay — often several. While writing essays isn’t everyone’s favorite pastime, you can succeed with the right approach. Here’s a guide on how to write effective essays for college applications. How Do I Write a…
-
AdviceDear Roadie, My College-Bound Daughter Is Upset About Leaving Our Senior Dog Behind. What Can I Do?
Dear Roadie, My daughter is getting ready to go away to college and she’s extremely upset about leaving our senior dog behind. She’ll be a plane ride away. What can I do to make it better, so she doesn’t start college so melancholy and stressed? — This Is Ruff Dear “This Is Ruff,” I’m a…
-
High School Academics & ActivitiesOnline AP Courses: How to Choose and Succeed
Thousands of high school students take online Advanced Placement (AP) classes each year. These college-level courses offer deeper learning and the chance to earn college credits while studying from home or anywhere else. This guide covers how to find good online AP classes, the pros and cons, and tips for success. What Are Online AP…
-
AdviceHere’s Why Taking out Huge College Loans Isn’t Worth It
Parents, it’s always better to choose the best school you can afford and not take on any significant amount of debt. Even if you can afford nothing, choosing among the best options that come close enough is the most strategic approach you can take to paying for college. The colleges won’t tell you that. The…
-
Federal LoansFederal Student Loan Interest Rates 2024 – 2025
The interest rates for federal student loans for the academic year 2024-25 have seen a significant increase of over one percentage point. These rates, which are fixed for the duration of the loan, are applicable to loans disbursed from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. The adjustment in rates is derived from the high…
-
AdviceDear Roadie, My Son Insists on Borrowing $200K For a School We Can’t Afford. Did I Fail Him as a Parent?
Dear Roadie, My child committed to a school we cannot afford. He’ll be in debt for potentially $200,000. We fought him tooth and nail and told him that he needed to stay in state or do community college. He received some merit from schools nearby but didn’t want to go to them. He’s applied for…
-
College Financial PlanningHow to Use a 529 Plan Strategically
Saving money in a 529 plan for college expenses puts you ahead of the game. However, you need to know how to use the money the right way. You can avoid costly mistakes by understanding its effects on financial aid and how to mitigate them. How a 529 Plan Works A 529 plan allows parents,…
-
Advice9 Things to Do After Getting Accepted to a College
The road to college has its share of obstacles, but what happens after you’ve been accepted to a college and made your final decision? If you’re not so sure, you’re not alone. Many families come out of the application process bewildered about what comes next. Here’s a peek at some of the most appropriate next…
-
AdviceDear Roadie, My Son Feels Torn About The College Protests. What Should I Say?
Dear Roadie, I’m the mother of a college sophomore. My son told me he has friends who are actively protesting the war in Gaza, but he seemed torn about the subject overall. I confess that I have been a little confused about what’s right in this terrible situation. Kids today get their news from TikTok,…
-
AdviceDoes Waiting Until the Last Minute to Commit Help You Secure More Aid?
We are officially on our fifth of six kids applying to and going to college. The oldest three have already earned their bachelor’s degrees (two of them debt-free, the oldest with $10,000 in Stafford Loans. The fourth left college for the workforce and got his own apartment when his small liberal arts school closed. Now…
-
AdviceDear Roadie: Should I Tell My Daughter Not to Bother Applying to Unaffordable Dream Schools?
Dear Roadie, We just returned from visiting a few colleges and I’m feeling deflated. My daughter is a high-stat student involved in lots of extracurricular activities. She likes many highly competitive schools that are need-meet only and do not award merit aid. Should I tell her not to bother applying and pursue her dreams even…
-
Merit ScholarshipsAre ‘No Essay’ College Scholarships a Student’s Dream Come True?
Editor’s Note: Monica Matthews is the author of “How to Win College Scholarships.” She helped her son win over $100,000 in scholarships and now shares her expertise with other parents and their students. It turns out that some students don’t absolutely love writing essays for scholarship applications. Shocking, right? Well, we have your answer: no-essay…
-
AdviceDear Roadie: My Son Told Me to Butt Out, Then Got Rejected by His Top Colleges. What Now?
Dear Roadie, My excellent, motivated student wouldn’t let me anywhere near the application process. He insisted he had it handled, so I stepped aside. He got into some of his safeties, a couple of target schools that are way too far and expensive, and was rejected from schools he wanted to attend. He’s devastated and…
-
AdviceDear Roadie: Should I Drug-Test My Son to Ensure He’s Not Wasting His College Tuition?
Dear Roadie, My son will be attending a school that costs $80,000 per year. Am I crazy for wanting him to take a drug test a couple of times per year? We’re investing a lot of money and I want to ensure he doesn’t get off track and party too much. He’s always been a…
-
AdviceHow Much College Can You Really Afford? Take These 3 Simple Steps For The Answer
After sending four kids to college with a fifth on the way there soon, I’ve learned a thing or two about making college affordable. Here, I cut through the noise and provide the three most important things for parents and students to know about affording college from a mom who’s been there — five times!…
-
AdviceDear Roadie: Should I Move to a Different State for Free Tuition?
Dear Roadie, We are considering moving to New Mexico for my daughter’s final high school years as I’ve read in-state residents receive free tuition at state schools. She is homeschooled, I have a remote job I intend to stay in, and the idea of traveling to another state for a year and renting out our…
-
Family JourneysParents Spill The Tea About Why They REALLY Want to Send Their Child to College
We asked parents in our Paying for College 101 Facebook Group, “What is the most important thing that you want your child to get, or become, because of college?” Many parents responded, and their answers ranged from the obvious to the downright surprising. The Ability to Get a Job Was #1 “I wanted mine to…
