When it comes to college, the most stressful thing you’re likely going to go through is figuring out how to pay for it. Filling out form after form, completing the FAFSA and CSS PROFILE, submitting tax returns, getting everything sent off and certified–it can be quite the experience.
What Should you Write on Your College Application Essays?
Ah, the dreaded essays. They cause sleepless nights, endless fretting, and constant stress. And that’s before you start writing them! Once you begin, it’s an endless stream of worries–are you writing about the right thing? Is this sentence structure correct? Did you say something that might keep you out of your dream school? Is someone […]
3 Freshman Tips: Planning for College
Applying to college can be an exciting, momentous, confusing, stressful, and intimidating time. Your whole future is a question mark, and the decisions you make can affect your happiness and earning potential later on in life. Many students assume that the college application process really starts junior year–and, in a way, they’re right. That’s when […]
Don’t be a Thesaurus Theodore in Your College Application Essays!
Writing the college application essay can be a pretty intimidating experience. The topics given are often broad (and sometimes not very interesting) and, if they don’t give you a topic, then it can be downright terrifying to write. You want to sound smart, and you also want to sound academically appealing. The problem with all […]
What are the Advantages of Applying to College Early?
Senior year looms. You have college applications on your mind–and you may be thinking about applying early. What you may not have on your mind, though, is a clear idea of what “applying early” really means: the differences between early action and early decision, when deadlines are, and what you should do to get yourself […]
Paying for College 201: A Break for Family-Owned Businesses
This is a guest post by Todd Rhine. By now, you have learned a significant amount about how you can properly position your assets to receive the maximum amount of financial aid legally possible. You have hopefully avoided putting too much money in the student’s name and you have moved your investments to the types […]
Do Colleges Use the Optional ACT Writing Test Score?
When it comes to the ACT, colleges come in two varieties: those that require or recommend that you take the optional ACT Writing Test, and those that say that the test is not needed. How is it used, and how will it affect how your ACT score is viewed?
How do I Cancel my ACT Score?
So you took the ACT, and you have a sinking feeling that you didn’t do as well as you wanted to. In fact, you’re so sure you didn’t well that you want to make sure no one ever sees your score other than you. You can’t travel back in time and tell your past self […]
How to Beat Senioritis and Make Your Last Year of High School Count
Ah, Senior Year. You’ve waited for it, pined for it, ached for it—and now it’s almost here! That last year before you go off to college; those last few months before you get to be on your own. Understandably, it will feel like it drags on forever. And ever. After a while, you may lose […]
Paying for College 101: What You Need to Know About 529s
This is a guest post by financial planner Todd Rhine. If you have been looking to save for college, you have probably heard of a 529. Simply defined, a 529 is a college savings plan that allows the owner to avoid Federal capital gains tax on the growth in savings when the funds are used […]