Road2College Blog

College List Building
UC 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…

September 13, 2026

College Life
December 30, 2022

Supporting College Student Mental Health

Taking care of your mental health is always important, especially in college. More students are struggling with anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation than ever before. According to the College Confidence Index, a July 2022 survey by GradGuard and College Pulse, 91% of college students have experienced feelings of anxiety or stress, and 81% have trouble…
Advice
December 27, 2022

The Most Extreme Things Parents Have Done to Pay for School

Comments in this story were first published in our Paying for College 101 (PFC 101) Facebook community. They’ve been edited for clarity and flow. It’s no secret that college can be expensive these days. That’s why parents are often looking for additional ways to pay for school. Some parents refinance their houses to help pay…
Family Journeys
December 8, 2022

College Choices Are Easier When Your Student Knows the Budget

This story was originally published in our Paying for College 101 (PFC 101) group. It has been edited for clarity and flow. The member’s name has been omitted for privacy. My daughter started college in August and I wanted to share what worked for us during the college search process. About Us I’m a single…
Finance
November 17, 2022

Financial Aid and More: How to Pay for College With No Money

For many families, saving up enough money to cover the entire cost of their children’s higher education just isn’t possible. Often, paying for college comes down to a combination of financial aid, scholarships, and loans, but there are some persistent misconceptions about these options. If you’re wondering how to pay for college with no money,…
Family Journeys
November 14, 2022

Our Full-Tuition Scholarship Journey

This post was originally published in our Paying for College 101 (PFC 101) group. It has been edited for clarity and flow. Note that all prices given are from 2022. Background Here is the story of my daughter’s college journey. It began with a road trip to visit schools in our region last summer. She…
Advice
November 11, 2022

High School Is Stressful: A Mom Expresses Concern and Our Community Responds

A Stressed Mom Speaks Out (A version of this story was first published anonymously by a mom in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow.) Can I just come in here and be a little real? I’m tired on behalf of my kids and want them to be…
Family Journeys
November 10, 2022

How to Choose a College: A Grandmother Tells All

This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. Two years ago, we went through the insanity that is today’s college admissions process with our grandson. There were countless hours of essay writing and emotional hills and valleys from September until May. At times…
Standardized Testing
November 9, 2022

SAT and ACT Prep: Your Guide to the Best Free Resources

SAT and ACT prep doesn’t have to be expensive; in fact, many of the best resources are free. Below, I’ve outlined some strategies and linked free tools that can help you use your time most effectively. In order to make expert instruction more easily accessible to all students, I’m also launching a free monthly class…
Careers
November 8, 2022

Interesting College Majors

Comments in this story were first published in our Paying for College 101 (PFC 101) Facebook community. They’ve been edited for clarity and flow. Choosing a college major is a significant milestone. And while many students end up with traditional majors such as accounting, English, and political science, others explore less traditional options. PFC 101…
College Admissions
November 7, 2022

PROOF POINTS: Why elite colleges won’t give up legacy admissions

This story about legacy admissions was written by Jill Barshay and produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter. Elite colleges and universities say they want to diversify their student bodies, and yet they continue to favor white students with certain credentials and…
Financial aid
November 7, 2022

FAFSA Corrections: How to Make Changes to Your FAFSA Form

If you made a mistake when submitting the FAFSA, contact your school’s financial aid office and let them know. They know all the rules and regulations and will tell you what steps to take to make FAFSA corrections. Correcting errors on the FAFSA will help you to avoid missing out on federal grants, loans, and…
College Admissions
November 2, 2022

A Community Member Shares HBCU Scholarship and College Application Tips

This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. My daughter is now a freshman at a top ten Historically Black College and University (HBCU). She didn’t look into HBCUs outside of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T) and Howard University…
High school to college
October 27, 2022

Academic Burnout: How a Mom Helped Her Son Through a Difficult Time

This anonymous post originally ran in our Paying For College 101 group. It really struck a chord. We’ve edited the story for clarity and flow. Last June, I wrote about my son who was an honor’s student in high school, a gifted musician, and a talented stage actor. When it came time to apply to…
College Admissions
October 25, 2022

PROOF POINTS: Colleges that ditched test scores for admissions find it’s harder to be fair in choosing students, researcher says

This story about test optional admissions was written by Jill Barshay and produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter. Diversifying the student body remains an elusive goal. One college admissions officer at a large public university described how test-optional admissions had spurred more…
Apply
October 14, 2022

Engineering Colleges: My Son’s Admissions Journey

This story was originally published in our Paying for College 101 (PFC 101) group. It has been edited for clarity and flow. My son attended a fairly well-ranked public high school in California and graduated in 2021. Here is his college admissions journey. Background To help provide some perspective, my son had a 4.0 unweighted/4.93…
Family Journeys
October 4, 2022

Choosing a College: Henry’s Story

This story was originally published in our Paying for College 101 (PFC 101) group. It has been edited for clarity and flow. Read to the end for a 2026 update on Henry, four years after he picked the college he wanted to attend! Hello parents! Several people messaged me after my son Henry posted about…
Survive
September 21, 2022

What I Wish I Knew Before College

This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 (PFC 101) Group. It has been edited for clarity and flow. Hello, everyone! I’m a college admissions coach, test-prep expert, and undergraduate student currently studying Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University. I’ve compiled a list of things I wish I knew before college. These…
Survive
September 13, 2022

Self-Care for Teenagers

Today’s teens face increased pressure in all aspects of their lives — from trying to “keep up” with their peers academically and socially to thinking about their future during uncertain times. Most parents try to strike a balance between easing everyday stress and encouraging their children to move forward with their hopes and dreams. This…