My goal is to make this crazy complicated process a little less crazy and complicated. I believe that doing a lot of research and understanding how each part of the process works will lead to better outcomes and less stress. With that in mind, and knowing that part of what makes people so overwhelmed is the sheer volume of information out there about applying to college, I’ve curated a short selection of links I think are most helpful and easy-to-use.
FOR THE WRITING PROCESS
I work with www.collegeessayguy.com and highly recommend the website as a one-stop smorgasbord for all things college application/essay-related. You’ll find a ton of free resources as well as access to a variety of pay-what-you-can webinars that can help students and families with so many of the questions that come up while thinking about and applying to college.
FOR FINANCIAL AID
Financial aid is complicated and messy. Before even starting to develop a college list, you and your family should sit down and think about how you’re going to pay for college—which will then help you focus in on schools that will fit your family’s budget. Better not to include unaffordable schools on your list than to apply and hope for the best (spoiler: the latter approach mostly leads to heartache). However, don’t assume that a high sticker price means that’s what you’ll pay. Instead, learn about how financial aid works, what it might mean for you and your family, and then do the research to determine the schools that are a financial fit.
Start here: https://www.scoir.com/blog/fafsa-css-profile-a-straightforward-guide
Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) calculator: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/calculate-your-cost/expected-family-contribution/efc-calculator
Net Price Calculator for Highly Selective Schools: https://myintuition.org/schools/
FOR COLLEGE LIST RESEARCH
There are literally thousands of colleges and universities to choose from, yet so many students choose only from the 20-30 they’ve heard of (which also tend to be the most highly rejective colleges). In order to create a well-balanced list, start by taking the “Qualities That Will Make a College Right For You” survey that you’ll find here: https://schoolbuff.com/worksheets/, then use what you learn to filter your college search using the sites below:
https://www.collegexpress.com/
https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/
https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/