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Answers to what students and parents ask me most — scholarships, testing, majors, and paying for all of it.

Scholarships · October 28, 2025

Scholarship Myths

Most people are badly misinformed about who qualifies for scholarships — and stand a far better chance than they think.

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Student Debt · October 5, 2025

Student Loan Debt Is Strangling Gen X

Free-flowing student loans promised upward mobility. For a lot of borrowers they delivered decades of payments instead.

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Applications · October 11, 2024

20 Tips for Filling Out Scholarship Applications

Small things that decide big awards — from the email address you use to the greeting you open with.

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Senior Year · August 29, 2024

Senior Year Stress: What Students Say and Do About It

What seniors actually find most stressful about the college search, and the advice they'd give the class behind them.

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Testing · August 1, 2021

ACT, SAT, CLT: Which Test Should You Take?

Most colleges require entrance exams again, and your score is often tied straight to your aid package. Here's how the three compare.

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Planning · February 26, 2020

Pros and Cons of Taking a Gap Year

Between 30,000 and 40,000 American students take a year off before college. Whether it helps depends entirely on the plan.

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Scholarships · October 23, 2019

More of My Favorite Scholarship Websites

More of the sites I keep coming back to when I'm hunting for scholarship money on the road.

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Essays · March 6, 2019

The Scholarship Essay Mistake to Avoid at All Costs

One mistake shows up in scholarship essays over and over, and it costs students real money.

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Scholarships · March 6, 2019

Athletic or Academic Scholarship — Which Is Better?

My brother had 53 full-ride athletic offers and academic offers to match. Which kind is actually worth more?

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Scholarships · November 12, 2018

My Favorite Scholarship and College Help Websites

The scholarship and college-planning sites I recommend most often, and what each one is actually good for.

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