Get ready for the REAL College:

Your first kiss in the Quad. Doing your own laundry. Throwing up really early Saturday morning after an awesome party. What existentialists put in their coffee. Getting your first C. Is Law School spelled "Laugh School"? Will I wear anything under my graduation robe?

Can't wait? Start looking into College 101 to get yourself there.

Define My Interests

Recommended Articles Just For You

• Deciding What I Want to Do
• Skills
• 16 High School Student Rockstars

• Interests
• Advice from Current Students: Passion

Choose a College

Recommended Articles Just For You

• High School Diploma...Are You Sure?
• Reality Check: Bio of a High-School Graduate
• Biggest Myths
• Are You Sure?

• Don’t Be a Cliché If You’re Gonna Do This
• Careers for High School Graduates
• High School Diploma vs. Post-Secondary Education
• Get Prepared for the GED

More

Explore My Options

High School Graduate

• High School Diploma...Are You Sure?
• Don’t Be a Cliché If You’re Gonna Do This
• Reality Check: Bio of a High-School Graduate
• Careers for High School Graduates
• Biggest Myths
• High School Diploma vs. Post-Secondary Education

Community College

• Are You Sure?
• What is Community College?
• The Associate's Degree
• Don’t Be a Cliché: If You’re Going to Do This…
• Checklist: Steps to Get Into Community College
• Transferring to a Four-Year College
• Biggest Myths
• Community College vs. Four-Year College

Four-Year College

• Biggest Myths
• Top 10 College Dropouts

GED

• Are You Sure?
• Get Prepared for the GED
• Checklist: Steps for Taking the GED
• Don't be a Cliché If You're Going To Do This
• Are You Really Sure?
• Careers for GED Holders
• Biggest Myths
• High School Diploma vs. GED

Vocational Training

• What's a Vocation and How Do I Train?
• Types of Vocational Training
• Checklist: Is Vocational Training Right For Me?
• Technical Schools
• Apprenticeships
• Don't be a Cliché If You're Going To Do This
• Reality Check: Bio of a Vocational Worker
• Biggest Myths
• Job vs. Career vs. Vocation

Gap Year

• What's a Gap Year?
• Checklist: What to Expect From a Gap Year
• Don't Be a Cliché If You're Gonna Do This...
• Deferring College for a Gap Year
• Find Your Perfect Gap Year Experience
• Reality Check: Biography of a Gap Year Participant
• Packing List for Travelers
• Biggest Myths
• Program vs. Self-Structured

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

Visiting Colleges

• Introduction to Visiting Colleges
• Checklist: Preparing for College Visits
• What to See, Do, and Ask During College Visits
• Nine Ways To Get Yourself Labeled A Shmuck By Your Dream School
• What to Do If You Can’t Visit Schools
• College Fairs
• Biggest Myths

Narrowing Down the List

• How Many Schools is Too Many?
• Target vs. Reach vs. Safety
• Top Deciding Factors in Choosing a College
• Best Colleges to Attend to Become a Criminal

Prepare My Application

Recommended Articles Just For You

• Five Steps to College Admissions Gold
• Brag Sheet Template
• The College-Prep Transcript
• Beef Up Your Transcript, Even If You’re a Vegetarian

• Introduction to the Resume/Brag Sheet
• Advice From Current Students: Becoming a Good Applicant
• How Important Are Good Grades?
• IB Diploma

More

Building Your Resume

• Five Steps to College Admissions Gold
• Introduction to the Resume/Brag Sheet
• Brag Sheet Template
• Advice From Current Students: Becoming a Good Applicant

Grades/Transcript

• The College-Prep Transcript
• How Important Are Good Grades?
• Beef Up Your Transcript, Even If You’re a Vegetarian
• IB Diploma
• Financial Benefits of AP Classes
• AP vs. Honors vs. IB

Extracurricular Activities

• How to Spend Your Summer Vacation
• The Enormous List of Summer Camps
• A Manageable College-Bound Reading List
• Another Enormous List of Competitions
• Six Reasons Why A Part-Time Job Can Help You Get Into Your Dream School
• 6 Books Every Aspiring College Athlete Should Read

Standardized Testing

AP Essay Examples

• AP English Literature and Composition
• AP United States History

Applying to College

Recommended Articles Just For You

• Get Your Ducks in a Row
• Advice From Current Students: The Application Process
• Your Counselor
• 16 Questions to Ask Your Counselor

• Checklist: Preparing to Apply to College
• Top 5 Reasons Your Dream School Won't Return Your Calls
• What Your Counselor Won't Do For You
• School Counselor vs. Private Counselor

More

Get Organized

• Get Your Ducks in a Row
• Checklist: Preparing to Apply to College
• Advice From Current Students: The Application Process
• Top 5 Reasons Your Dream School Won't Return Your Calls

Get to Know Your Counselor

• Your Counselor
• What Your Counselor Won't Do For You
• 16 Questions to Ask Your Counselor
• School Counselor vs. Private Counselor

Checklists by Grade

• Middle School
• Freshman
• Sophomore
• Junior
• Senior

Filling Out the Application

• The Common Application
• Twelve Simple Things You Need To Know
• Eleven Application Mistakes to Avoid
• Biggest Myths
• Early Decision vs. Early Action vs. Regular Decision vs. Rolling Admission

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

Preparing for the Interview

• How Important is the Interview?
• College Interview Do's and Don'ts

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

College Essay Examples

No one special

• Common App 1: Background and Identity
• Common App 2: Failure and Success
• Common App 3: Challenging Beliefs
• Common App 4: Problem-Solving
• Common App 5: Accomplishment or Event
• What matters to you, and why?

Athlete

• Common App 1: Background and Identity
• Common App 2: Failure and Success
• What matters to you, and why?

Special Skills

• Common App 1: Background and Identity
• Common App 4: Problem-Solving
• Common App 5: Accomplishment or Event

Physical Hardship

• Common App 1: Background and Identity
• What matters to you, and why?

Minority

• Common App 1: Background and Identity
• Common App 3: Challenging Beliefs
• Common App 5: Accomplishment or Event

Emotional Hardship

• What matters to you, and why?

International Student

• What matters to you, and why?

Non-Traditional Age

• What matters to you, and why?

Special Cases: What if I'm a...

Athlete

• Getting Recruited
• Everything You Need to Know About Marketing Yourself
• Checklist for Marketing Yourself
• Right Fit Mentality for Athletes
• Seven Myths about the Recruiting Process
• NCAA vs. Division I, II, and III
• A Day in the Life of a College Athlete
• A Checklist of Dont's
• Recruiting Emails
• Recruiting Email Template
• Top 10 Athletes from the Ivy Leagues

Aspiring Military Recruit

• All About Military Recruiting
• Checklist: Military Recruiting

Student with Special Needs

• Diagnosed Learning Difficulties
• Checklist: Diagnosed Learning Difficulties

International Student

• International Student Admissions
• Checklist for International Students
• Advice from Other International Students

Artist

• Art Schools
• Art School Options

Other Special Cases

• Why'd You Have to Go and Make Things So Complicated?

College Admissions Is a Crapshoot

Applying to Grad School

Receive Financial Aid

Recommended Articles Just For You

• The Real Costs of College
• Three Financial Aid Myths
• Why Your College Is Going Broke
• Bankruptcy and You

• College is Freakin' Expensive
• Why Rising Tuition Costs Matter...Even to the One Percent
• Colleges and Cash Flow: How Schools Pay for Themselves
• Private vs. Public vs. Community College Costs

More

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

Apply for Financial Aid

• Meet Financial Aid Deadlines
• Hacking the FAFSA
• What You Need to Apply for Financial Aid
• National Merit Scholarships
• Financial Aid Links
• Biggest Myths

Creative Ways of Financing College

• New Ways to Finance Your College Education...Without Selling Your Soul
• Investment Options: How to grow your money for college
• Weird Ways to Get Cash for College
• Yet More Ways to Save Pennies in College

Get Ready for College

Recommended Articles Just For You

• Checklist: Preparing for College
• Why Your Relationship with Your Professor Matters So much
• Leveraging the Career Planning and Placement Center
• How to deal with (and not be) a horror-story roommate

• Why You Need to Friend Network (Geeks of a Feather Flock Together)
• Choosing a Major When You Get to College
• Biggest Myths
• Things I Wish I Knew at 21

More

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

Rejection Therapy

• Rejection Therapy Letter

Careers

• All About Careers
• Is the English Major for Suckers?
• 5 Career Paths for the Wannabe Rich
• Money is the Root of All Evil, Man: 5 Career Paths for Modern Bohemians
• Your Portfolio Sucks, Bro: 5 Worst Majors for Your Personal Equity
• 6 Careers to Keep Debt Collectors off Your Back

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