College 101
College 101 Index
Define My Interests
Choose a College
Explore My Options
Generating Your Big List
- Introduction to Generating the Big List
- Start with a Blank Slate
- What the Heck is Out There?
- What About International Colleges?
- What's in a Name?
- What You Want, What You Need, What to Consider When Choosing Colleges
- Biggest Myths
- Is a Top College Worth Your Ca$h?
- What's a "Good School," Anyway?
- Top 10 Schools with Mascots Related to Weather
Prepare My Application
Building Your Resume
Standardized Testing
Applying to College
Get Organized
Filling Out the Application
College Essay
- Who's Reading Your College Essay
- The Four Most Common Types of College Essays and How to Approach Them
- Brainstorming and Outlining Your Essay
- Writing Your Essay
- Editing Your Essay
- Eleven Essay Mistakes to Avoid Like the Plague
- Essay vs. the Rest of the Application
- Examples of Awesome Personal Statements
- Advice from Current Students: Essay Specific
- College Essay Lab
Get to Know Your Counselor
Recommendation Letters
- Everything You Need to Know About Recommendation Letters
- How Important are Recommendation Letters?
- Who to Ask, When to Ask, and How to Ask for a Recommendation Letter
- What Makes a Good Recommendation Letter (and what makes a crummy one)
- Recommendation Letter Request Template
- How to Thank Your Recommenders
College Essay Examples
Checklists by Grade
Preparing for the Interview
Special Cases: What if I'm a...
Receive Financial Aid
Costs of College
- The Real Costs of College
- College is Freakin' Expensive
- Three Financial Aid Myths
- Why Rising Tuition Costs Matter...Even to the One Percent
- Why Your College Is Going Broke
- Colleges and Cash Flow: How Schools Pay for Themselves
- Bankruptcy and You
- Private vs. Public vs. Community College Costs
- 11 Ways (Besides Bank Robbery) to Pay for College
Available Loans and Grants
- The Flavors of Financial Aid
- Money You'll Work For
- The FAFSA
- Four Entities You Can Ask for Money
- College Loans
- Grants
- Federal Work Study
- Alternative Aid: What Your Aid Officer Won't Tell You
- How Long Will I Be Paying off These Shmooping Loans?
- The Student Loan Crisis: Fact or Fiction?
- ISAs: The Student Loan Killer?
- Why Student Loan Debt Is Terrifying
- Grants vs. Loans vs. Scholarships
- ISAs Demystified: 9 Facts about Income Share Agreements
Scholarships
- Types of Scholarships
- AFA Teens Video Contest
- AFSA High School Scholarship
- AIFS Study Abroad Scholarships
- AMVETS National Americanism Essay Contest
- AXA Achievement Scholarship
- Abbott and Fenner Scholarship
- Academic Competitiveness Grant
- American Institute of CPAs Minority Scholarship
- American Legion Scholarships
- American Massage Therapy Association Scholarship
- American Psychological Association Scholarships
- The American Red Cross Navin Narayan College Scholarship
- Ayn Rand Essay Contest
- Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
- Best Buy @15 Scholarship Program
- Boren Scholarship
- Bridgestone Safety Scholars Video Contest
- Buick Achievers Scholarship Program
- Castle Ink's Green Scholarship
- Chegg Scholarship
- Coca-Cola All-State Community College Academic Team
- Coca-Cola Scholars
- Collegiate Inventors Competition
- Critical Systems Inc. Breakthrough Technology Scholarship
- The Davis-Putter Scholarship
- Debt.ca International Student Loans Scholarship
- Discus Awards
- Distinguished Young Women Scholarship Competition
- Elks Most Valuable Student Scholarships
- FRA Americanism Essay Contest
- Frame My Future Scholarship Contest
- Future Care Scholars
- Future Dentist Scholarship Fund
- Gates Millennium Scholars
- Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship
- Girls Going Places Award
- The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
- Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Association Uncommon Student Program
- Horatio Alger Association Scholarship Program
- IP Video Contest
- Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
- JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest
- The Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship
- James Beard Foundation Scholarships
- Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship
- Joe Foss Video and Essay Scholarship Contests
- Kohl's Cares Scholarship
- The Kor Memorial Scholarship
- Medical Goods, Inc. Minority Nursing Student Scholarship
- Microsoft Scholarships
- NACME Scholarships
- NASA Education Scholarship Program
- NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund Writing Contest
- National Association of Black Journalists Scholarship
- National Health Services Corps
- National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship Program
- National Merit Scholarship
- National Peace Essay Contest
- National Restaurant Association Scholarship
- National SMART Grant
- Northrup Grumman Engineering Scholars
- Platt Family Scholarship Prize Essay Contest
- Scholarship for Women Studying Information Security
- QuestBridge College Match Scholarships
- Regeneron Science Talent Search
- Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship
- Ron Brown Scholar Program
- Roothbert Fund Scholarship
- The Ryan and Jamie Smith Essay Contest
- Scholarship America
- ScholarshipPoints.com Scholarships
- Share Your Story
- Shaw-Worth Memorial Scholarship
- Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund
- The Siemens Competition in Math, Science, & Technology
- Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarships
- The Steven S. Kang Young Artist and Scholars Fund
- Stuck at Prom Scholarship
- TEACH Grant
- Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund
- UNCF Scholarship Program
- Unigo.com Scholarships
- USLO Minority Student Entrepreneur Scholarship
- Voice of Democracy Audio Essay Competition
- Walmart Corporate Scholarships
- William Randolph Hearst Foundation U.S. Senate Youth Scholarship Program
- WorldStudio Foundation Scholarship
- Xerox Technical Minority Scholarship
- Zinch Favorite Word Scholarship
- Zinch March Madnezz Scholarship
Get Ready for College
Preparing for College
- Checklist: Preparing for College
- Why You Need to Friend Network (Geeks of a Feather Flock Together)
- Why Your Relationship with Your Professor Matters So much
- Choosing a Major When You Get to College
- Leveraging the Career Planning and Placement Center
- Biggest Myths
- How to deal with (and not be) a horror-story roommate
- Things I Wish I Knew at 21
- Involving Your Parents
- Creative Things to Wear Under Your Graduation Robe
- Top 6 College Sweethearts
- Top 6 Plays You Wish Were on Your Shakespeare 101 Syllabus
- 9 Books That Will Prepare You For Dining Hall Food
Be Smart With Your Money
- 10 Things to Do Before Buying a Used Car
- 10 Ways to Save Money on Your Car
- Introduction to Auto Insurance
- The Truth About Your Car - Its Real Cost
- How To Find That First Job
- Where to Park Your Paycheck
- The Truth About Your Paycheck
- 24 Ways to Save Money in College
- Personal Equity and You: Don't Be Broke Forever
- Make Bank at College: Be a Resident Assistant
- How to eat like a poor college student
- On-campus jobs
- 5 More Ways to Save Dough in College
Rejection Therapy