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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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ApplyIs This The Government Trifecta For College Admissions and Financial Aid?
Dear parents of college bound students: I think we’ve hit the tipping point for how much families and the government are willing to put up with the rising cost of college and the shrouded cloak of secrecy under which the college admissions process works. Are you aware that over the past month the government has…
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College Financial PlanningPaying for College: What’s a Divorced Parent to Do?
A Divorced Parent’s Story I’m a single parent. My ex-husband had no legal requirement to pay for college and did not contribute, outside of the joint savings we had in a Section 529 plan that existed before we separated. My son probably has about $45,000 in debt after college; he did work-study and had summer…
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College LifeCan The St. Paul’s School Case Impact Campus Culture?
I, like many other educators, have been watching the trial of Owen Labrie and its outcome. In addition to this graduate’s abhorrent behavior (although some have gone so far as to say, sadly, that it something akin to “boys will be boys”), much has become public about the sexual culture at St Paul’s School. And,…
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High school to collegeA Present to Your Child? Give Them the Gift of Failure
On one of the pages of the program I compiled for my son’s Bar Mitzvah many years ago, was a poem entitled, “ Children Are Like Kites.” The message took the rough edges of parenting and smoothed them over in a very easy to swallow way: Children run with you for a time; you control…
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FinanceNot All Private Student Loans are Created Equal: Shop Around
If you’ve managed to navigate the FAFSA and secure every scholarship possible, but still find yourself short on tuition funds, you may be considering a private student loan. Your first instinct is probably to reach out to Sallie Mae or Wells Fargo, but they are not the only lenders out there. In fact, smaller lenders tend…
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ApplyShould You Use The College Board Search Tool To Research Colleges?
In the spirit of a new college admissions cycle and for the benefit of both rising juniors and seniors this is the third review in our series of reviews of college search websites. Some have a plethora of worthwhile information which can really help a student create a thorough list of both academically and financially appropriate…
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ApplyShould You Use CollegeResultsOnline.Com To Research Colleges
In the spirit of a new college admissions cycle and for the benefit of both rising juniors and seniors we will be publishing a series of reviews of college search websites. Some have a plethora of worthwhile information which can really help a student create a thorough list of both academically and financially appropriate schools,…
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PlanTest Taking Tips To Improve Your Student’s SAT Scores
Hearing the word, “SAT” can sometimes strike fear in the hearts and minds of students all over America. Most of that fear comes from the fact that so much is riding on this exam. But the other part of the fear is that most students are just underwhelmed with their performance on their first practice…
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Freshman yearDorm Room Organization Ideas
College is an exciting time for young adults, especially those looking forward to having a space all their own. Many dorms, however, don’t provide much in the way of style or storage, so it’s up to the occupant to dress it up how they like. Luckily, creating a tasteful, organized dorm room can be simple…
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FinanceThe #1 Thing to Do When Researching Student Loans
College is the first major financial decision many young adults make; the amount a student borrows and the interest rate they agree to could impact their finances for the rest of your adult life. Student loans aren’t all bad though. They provide access to education for those who don’t have enough family savings or scholarships…
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FinanceIt’s FAFSA Time – Don’t Leave Money on the Table
Now is the time to start filling out the FAFSA. **ALL** high school seniors and their parents should be filling the FAFSA out. This application is used to determine eligibility for federal grants, loans and work-study funds from the federal government. In addition, many colleges and states use FAFSA information when determining eligibility for institutional and state financial aid…
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FinanceLearning From Someone Else’s College Savings Mistakes
Parent Story My husband Carl and I married late and had a child in our 40s. During our son’s first year, Carl and I sat down with a broker and opened a run-of-the-mill custodial college account (there were no 529s then) with $5,000. I’m the one who would do most of our college investing, but…
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Standardized testsTo Test Prep Or Not? That Is The Question
Does your child need test prep help for SAT and ACT college exams?
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ApplicationsCollege Applications – “Early” Is The New “Regular”
It is said that “the early bird catches the worm.” However, more often than not, the second mouse gets the cheese!” [Think about it…] As college-bound high school seniors seriously begin work on their college applications, two questions invariably arise: “What is the difference between ‘Early Decision’ and ‘Early Action,’ and should I apply to…
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ApplicationsShould You Hire a Private College Counselor?
As with so many things in life, when it comes to applying to college, knowledge is power. The more you know—about colleges, the application process, financial aid, etc.—the better off you’ll be in terms of finding schools that are a good fit, gaining admission, and making a well-informed decision about where to go. While some…
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AdviceHow Involved Should Parents Be in the College Application Process?
When it comes to the college application process, every parent wants to know how much help is too much help to provide their student. Parents have different viewpoints, as do college counselors. Here’s what we learned. One Parent’s Approach I vowed that I was never going to be a helicopter parent. I told my daughter…
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Academics7 College Prep Myths – Busted!
Editor’s Note: We first published this article in 2014, and its advice remains as necessary today as it did a decade ago. For six years, I worked as a high school counselor in St. Louis and Denver, helping students choose classes, encouraging them to participate in activities, and guiding them in becoming ready for college…
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College SavingsThe Ins and Outs of 529 Plans for College Savings
The 529 Savings Plan is a fund that got its name from the section of the tax code that governs it. This plan is helping thousands of Americans save thousands of dollars to pay for college; however, which plan to choose and whose name in which to place the fund can make a difference on…
