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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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ApplicationsWhy Does Applying for College Cost Money? What You Need to Know
When you start helping your child apply for college, it quickly becomes clear that you could be looking at spending hundreds of dollars just to give your kid a chance to be accepted into university. In fact, “Why does applying for college cost money?” was the subject of a question recently addressed in our Facebook…
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ApplyHelping vs. Helicoptering: Parents And The College Admissions Process
Many parents of high school students want to help their child through the College Admissions Process. They recognize that applying to college is not what it was 20 or 25 years ago. Costs are far greater, the stakes are too high, and the process itself is far more complicated. Here is some parent-sourced advice on…
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ApplyHow to Talk to College Admissions and Financial Aid Officers
A few years ago, a school counselor I worked with received a call from an exasperated admissions officer. The purpose of the call? To inform the counselor that repeated calls from a mother were seriously jeopardizing her son’s application. College admissions representatives are passionate about helping students, and are patient… except when that patience is…
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ApplyYes, Average Students Do Succeed in College
“Average Students Do Succeed in College” is a rarely seen, though quite accurate, headline. In the midst of college admission mania and the hype surrounding Top Name Colleges, it is easy to see why a high school student deemed to have an “average” record can feel overlooked. What Is the Meaning of an Average Student?…
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ApplySigns of College Admissions Stress and How to Help
Laura’s daughter, a senior in a magnet program at a suburban public high school, is struggling far more with the college application process than her two older siblings did. This concerns Laura, who is worried what the effects of this type of stress might be on her daughter and other students like her. Laura wonders…
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SurviveHow Often Do College Students Talk to Their Parents?
There is no doubt about it that once your child leaves for college, the amount of day-to-day (or hour-to-hour) contact you have with them changes. Being miles, and sometimes miles and miles away can put a strain on a relationship. And then there is the issue of knowing how much “checking in” is too much…or…
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ApplicationsUnderstanding the Different Types of College Admission Deadlines
By the time a student has made the final decision about which schools to apply to, you would think they were home-free. But, unfortunately, that’s not the case. Not only do you have to determine WHERE to apply, but also WHEN to apply… Early Decision I and II? Early Action? Priority Deadlines? What does it…
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College List BuildingIs Your College List Balanced with Financial Safety, Match, and Reach Schools?
Is creating a college list driving you crazy? You’ve done the college visits. You’ve seen the rankings. You’ve even looked into degree programs and talked to your child’s high school guidance counselor. You may even have it categorized into schools that are easy for your student to get admitted to, those that are a “good…
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Financial aidYour CSS Profile Questions Answered
Realizing that you need to submit the CSS Profile along with the FAFSA for your student’s financial aid application can be a bit intimidating. Fortunately, although the CSS is long and detailed, it’s also pretty straightforward. Many CSS Profile questions can be answered by hovering over the question mark near each question. This gives further…
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EssaysDon’t Second Guess Your Student’s College Essay Ideas
Holly Bennetts, president of the Michigan Association for College Admission Counseling, sees countless students break down in her office because a trusted adult in their life said a personal statement for their college application wasn’t good enough. “The student takes that as ‘I’m not good enough,’” said Bennetts, a high school counselor Mercy High School…
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College List BuildingWhat Is Dual Enrollment?
As a parent, you want to set your student up for success in high school, college, and beyond. While it is true that many students already have a lot on their plates, and what they do have is enough for them to handle, there are others who search for more challenges. Dual enrollment can be…
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ScholarshipsUnderstanding the Difference Between Full-Ride and Full-Tuition Scholarships
A full-ride or full-tuition college scholarship is every parent’s dream and something that many students wonder if they are eligible to apply for and win, but these types of awards don’t just magically appear and are often misunderstood. It is important to know the difference between full-ride and full-tuition scholarships when searching for schools and…
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Standardized testsHow to Prep for the PSAT
Many families understand that the PSAT is a preparation exam for the SAT, so they don’t think preparing for it is needed. However, many of the parents in our Paying for College 101 Facebook group say quite the opposite. Preparing for the PSAT by using free resources, exam books, and even paid tutoring can pay…
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Finance5 Things to Consider When Discussing College Costs with Your Teen
The cost of college, and who is paying for it, can be one of the most difficult conversations to have with a teenager. Why? To start, money simply isn’t a topic of discussion in many families. Secondly, there can be a wild disparity between what a teenager thinks is a reasonable cost and amount of…
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Federal LoansBorrowing Student Loans For College? What You Need To Know
A student loan may not always be part of the picture when planning for college, however for many families, borrowing student loans for college is the reality. If this is the case, hopefully a lot of soul-searching and research enters into the decision if you go the loan route. Being an educated consumer and knowing…
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FinanceThe Lowdown on Scholarships Without Essays
Between school and college applications your student is already doing a LOT of writing. Unfortunately, when they apply for scholarships it seems like more essays are required. As a result, you may start looking for scholarships without essays. The problem is that not all of these no-essay scholarships are legitimate, and many of them put…
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College Financial PlanningKnow These Financial Strategies to Pay for College
Paying for college is one of the most complicated financial decisions you’ll ever make. It’s also a very emotional process, so it’s not surprising that many parents feel overwhelmed and lost as they prepare to send their child to college.Fortunately, there are financial strategies you can take that will make things easier. Here are some…
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Merit ScholarshipsHow to Find Merit Scholarships
My father recently found and showed me a tuition bill he had saved from when I went to college. At that time (30 years ago), the tuition, room and board for a selective private school was a little over $12,000. This year, the same college costs $73,836!! This isn’t news if you’re a parent with…
