StudentAid.gov, part of the U.S. Dept. of Education, created a playlist of videos to explain the FAFSA. The 2024-25 version is significantly different from previous years, but it’s still the basis for all federal aid to college students: student loans, grants, and work-study. Make sure you know all the pros and cons before deciding that you (or your child) won’t

Florida Polytechnic and Florida Southern Two small colleges in one Florida town–Lakeland–are as dissimilar as the U.S. Naval Academy and St. John’s College in Annapolis: Florida Polytechnic University and Florida Southern College. Florida Polytechnic opened in 2012, becoming the twelfth institution in the Florida public university system; Florida Southern is a private, loosely Methodist-affiliated, liberal arts college established in 1883,

Check out Brennan Barnard’s great article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brennanbarnard/2023/01/15/2023-top-college-admission-resources/?sh=163c9e34543a He has some of the same resources that I recommend. A few books: The Fiske Guide to Colleges Ethan Sawyer’s College Essay Essentials: https://www.collegeessayguy.com/book Ron Lieber’s The Price You Pay for College https://ronlieber.com/books/the-price-you-pay-for-college/ Brennan Barnard and Rick Clark’s The Truth About College Admissions. https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/12249/truth-about-college-admission Frank Bruni’s Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll

You know you’re in West Virginia when the posted speed limit is higher than what you can get up to before the next curve. Though Shepherdstown, WV, lies along the Potomac River with Maryland on the other shore, the college town is quintessential West-by-God-Virginia, popping out from the fields after yet another hairpin curve. Almost heaven. (Disclaimer: My father’s family

Elon University has made some changes in the five years since my daughter graduated from this beautiful, student-centered campus. Elon means “oak tree” in Hebrew, and important ceremonies take place under mature oak trees. At matriculation, each new Elon student is given an acorn; at commencement, each graduate leaves with an oak sapling. I love the symbolism! Set on over

Worcester Polytechnic Institute Karen A. Hott, June 2022 I visited WPI in April and attended an IECA webinar with Patrick Deane of WPI in June. On campus, the deep-red brick buildings are punctuated by newer ones, like the recreation center and Unity Hall, a shiny new building that connects the upper and lower parts of this hilly campus. Unity Hall

Jacksonville University raised its profile by focusing on the student experience and investing in leadership. President Tim Cost assembled an impressive team of leaders, from the dynamic provost, Dr. Christine Sapienza, to the country’s youngest athletic director of the year, Alex Ricker-Gilbert. I met these and other JU leaders during an independent educational consultants (IECs) visit May 9 and 10,

A Friendly Rhode Trip How you get treated when you arrive on campus at the busiest time of the year tells you a lot about a place. The University of Rhode Island treated me, a single counselor, like someone special. April 20 is a busy time at any campus: High school students on spring break are touring. College seniors are

Washington College, in Chestertown, Maryland, on the scenic Chester River, makes full use of its history and its location on a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. Recent land purchases along the waterfront have expanded its footprint and facilities, including a revamped boathouse and the new Semans-Griswold Environmental Hall, which reclaimed a site that was once storage for petroleum and chemicals.

Rick Clark is the admissions director at Georgia Tech, a selective university that has become more selective each year. He wants kids to know that they should not fear the process of getting into college. Most colleges accept most applicants, so think of abundance rather than scarcity. Here’s his March 8, 2022, blog that was triggered by an email he