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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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Financial Aid AppealsHow My Average Student Got a Full Ride to College
College admissions mania and all the buzz that surrounds college ranking lists contribute to the myth that average students should expect to get lost in the shuffle. But here’s some encouraging good news if you know and love (or happen to be) a fair-to-middling student… I’d like to share a story with you about my…
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College Financial PlanningWhen Planning for College Avoid These Seven Pitfalls
As a psychologist, I see many teens immersed in the college planning process. Unfortunately, the sequence of events that unfolds typically follows this well-worn path: anticipation and excitement; taking the plunge with applications, and then, ultimately, disappointment resulting from rejections or lack of financial aid. Why does this discouraging outcome repeatedly occur? Why don’t schools…
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College Financial PlanningCollege Prep and Motivating Teenagers – Like Mixing Oil & Water?
As most parents know, trying to motivate a teenager to do something they don’t want to do can feel like banging your head against a wall. It’s one of the basic frustrations of parenting teens. So how do you get a teenager motivated to do SAT and/or ACT test prep work when they have so many other…
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ApplicationsWhat the Pros Know: Which Type of College Consultant Can Help?
Have you noticed how many college consultants there are in the college admissions and finance area? It’s great because you can get almost any kind of help with college you need, but it can also be overwhelming to sort through. Knowing what each type of college consultant can provide you with and when you might…
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EssaysUse the Secrets of Screenwriting to Write Your College Essay
It may sound like a broken record, but encouraging students to start writing college essays early will give them time to reflect on their essays and revise (which they will do many times). We asked Ethan Sawyer, the College Essay Guy, to share his approach to helping students find their best story and tell it…
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ApplicationsWhat Parents Are Really Saying About Gap Year And Deferment Possibilities
There have been numerous articles in national publications predicting that as a result of COVID-19, up to 20% of incoming college freshmen may either be taking a gap year this fall, or postponing going to college altogether. This news isn’t consistent with what we’ve heard from parents in our Paying for College 101 Facebook group…
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COVID-19Professor Makes Her Case for a Virtual Fall Semester
As a US college professor currently witnessing higher-education institutions try to figure out plans for the fall in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, I am surprised and worried by debates that sound more like curricular discussions on in-person vs. online instruction than planning on how to best deal with the continued health threat. Pressured…
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COVID-19Are College Arts Programs at Risk?
Some courses of study are all about collaboration. For students enrolled in the arts, working in teams is not only about creating things together, but critiquing and evaluating each other’s work, then presenting it to an audience. So what happens if, as a result of COVID-19, artists can no longer accomplish these things? Will their…
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College Financial PlanningNYU Merit Scholarships
Finding individual college merit scholarship information can take a lot of time. Instead, we’ve gathered the statistics you need to know about NYU’s merit scholarships, at a quick glance. Before diving in, make sure to review The Ultimate Guide to Merit Scholarships. NYU’s Merit Scholarships Statistics NYU awards very few merit scholarships. All applicants are…
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COVID-19College News Stories Making Headlines
It’s a time of great change for higher education. From school reopening plans and questions about liability to acceptance dates, deferment rates, and the hidden costs of laying off and furloughing staff, here are some of the stories making headlines. College News Stories The Vice President Talks to School Leaders Recently, Vice President Mike Pence,…
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College LifeGoing to College Abroad? What You Need to Know
Has your child ever considered going to college abroad? Imagine Spring Break in Paris or Rome, without running into horrible credit card debt. Or studying only what is important, without having to get up for an 8am Statistics class. Or knowing that your university experience is truly unique and prepares you for a globalizing economy.…
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College Financial PlanningFunding College When You Have a FAFSA Score of Zero
There’s a whole subset of would-be college students who do not qualify for financial aid based on the FAFSA, but still cannot afford college without help. Most often, this situation arises when you are young and not considered an independent student, forcing you to use your parents’ income as a basis for your financial calculations.…
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Student & Parent LoansWhat to Do When Your College Student Wants to Drop Out
There are many reasons why a college student may want to drop out of school. To help you better understand what they may be going through, we’ve put together some information and advice, including how to help your child as they weigh their options moving forward. Dropping Out: It’s Not So Uncommon NPR reports that…
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COVID-19How the Pandemic is Causing Colleges to Change Their Spending
Colleges, like people, have radically changed their spending since the pandemic began. Expenses that were once the norm have given way to new, unexpected costs. How will it all shake out? Like everything else about the pandemic, that remains to be seen. But here are some steps schools have taken, as well as suggestions about…
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High School Academics & ActivitiesColleges Say They Want Students With Passion, But What Does That Mean?
Sit in on any college information session and you will invariably hear the admissions representative say they are looking for students with passion. Not only that, they want to know what that passion is. What does “passion” mean to them, exactly? And how, on earth, can you possibly express this on your application? What Colleges…
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COVID-19College Without Sports: Will it Ever Be the Same?
COVID-19 has changed how schools approach every aspect of the campus experience. For students who are sports fans, the inability to attend games and be a part of the joy, pride, and enthusiasm of collegial sports has them thinking twice about attending college where sports are a selling point. And for student athletes, their future…
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Financial Aid AppealsWhen Should You Write a Financial Aid Appeal Letter?
You received the financial award letter for your student, but you’re disappointed. It’s nowhere near what you wanted – or needed. What do you do? In some cases, writing an appeal letter can make a difference. The school may reconsider your award and give you more money. It may not be everything you ask for,…
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High School Academics & ActivitiesHow to Find a Summer Job and Possibly Work From Home
If you’re a college student or have a son or daughter who is, it’s not too early to search for job opportunities available this summer. From paid to unpaid, remote to local, we’ve rounded up some ideas to help. Help With a Summer Job Search Internships Paid/Unpaid 1. Zooniverse Enjoy science, literature, space, animals? From…
