Support for Younger Students
Financial Planning
Getting Ready Academically
-
How important are grades for college applications?
-
What courses does my child need to take to get in to college?
-
Where can my child get their PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, or PSAT 8/9 scores?
-
When will my child's score be available?
-
What do the PSAT/NMSQT scores mean?
-
If my child opts in to Student Search Service, will colleges get their PSAT/NMSQT scores?
-
Can a student take the PSAT/NMSQT in ninth grade?
-
How are the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT related?
-
What score does my child need to get on the PSAT/NMSQT Math Test to do well on the SAT?
-
How does a student qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program?
-
Who can take an AP course?
-
Can students take an AP Exam without enrolling in the course?
-
What are my child's options if an AP course isn't offered at their school?
-
Can students who are homeschooled take AP Exams?
Extracurricular Activities
Finding Colleges That Fit
-
Should I let my child apply to a college I don't think we can afford?
-
Is there an easy way to compare financial aid packages?
-
What are the benefits of small colleges?
-
What are the benefits of big colleges?
-
What are the benefits of community or two-year colleges?
-
When's the best time to visit a college?
The College Application Process
-
How many colleges should my child apply to?
-
How many safety schools and reach schools should students apply to?
-
When should my child start working on college applications?
-
Should we wait to apply to colleges until after we've completed the FAFSA?
-
What can my child do over the summer to get ready to apply to college?
-
Should we use an online or a paper application?
-
What are the Coalition, Common, and Universal college applications?
-
Should my child send additional material with their college applications?
-
Is it OK to use the same material on different applications?
-
Should my child apply early?
-
What's the difference between early action and early decision?
-
What if my child doesn't want to go to a school that accepted them early decision?
-
How do I know if a college gives college credit or course placement for AP scores?
-
What resources do you recommend to first-generation college students planning for college?
Exploring Majors and Careers
Getting In to College
-
Do colleges mostly care about GPA and test scores when making admission decisions?
-
What's the most important part of the application?
-
How do colleges use a student's GPA when making admission decisions?
-
Is there a specific number of AP courses that colleges look for?
-
Is it better to get a B in an AP class than an A in a lower-level class?
-
What happens if a student submits the SAT Essay to a school that doesn't require it?
-
If my child takes both the SAT and the ACT, which score should they send to colleges?
-
Can colleges see if a student takes the SAT more than once?
-
My child's grades/test scores aren't very high. How can they strengthen their applications?
-
How do we request letters of recommendation?
-
Do admission officers accept letters from religious mentors or extracurricular instructors for homeschooled students?
-
Is participating in a lot of activities important?
-
Will it hurt my child's chances of getting in if they're the first student from their school to apply to a college?
-
My child has a learning disability. Should we disclose that when applying to college?
-
Do admission officers look at the financial aid information of applicants?
Getting Financial Aid
-
How much is tuition?
-
What other expenses besides tuition will my child have?
-
What will college really cost us?
-
Do net price calculators include room and board and living expenses?
-
Does a student get a paycheck for work-study or does the money go directly for tuition?
-
Does a student apply for financial aid every year?
-
Do outside scholarships affect other financial aid awards?
-
Should my child apply to a college if we think they won't get enough financial aid?
-
Will applying for financial aid hurt my child's chances of being admitted?
-
When should we fill out the FAFSA and how do we start?
-
We filled out the FAFSA and applied to colleges. When will we find out how much aid we'll get?
-
What should we do if our financial circumstances change after we submit the FAFSA?
-
What's in a typical financial aid offer letter?
-
After we get an offer of financial aid, can we negotiate?
-
How should we get in touch with the financial aid office?
-
How many scholarships can students have at one time?
-
When should students start applying for outside scholarships?
-
Are there websites where you can search for scholarships?
-
What are the qualities of an effective scholarship application?
-
Are there any scholarship opportunities for students after they're in college?
-
Should we pay for a scholarship search?
SAT
-
How many times can a student take the SAT, and when should they take it?
-
Does it matter to colleges how many times a student takes the SAT?
-
How is the SAT Essay scored?
-
What's the best way for students to prepare for the SAT?
-
When should students start using Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy?
-
How do you link College Board and Khan Academy accounts?
-
Is Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy really as good as expensive test-prep?
-
Can students use Official SAT Practice at Khan Academy to prepare for the SAT Essay?
-
Can my child take the SAT with accommodations?
-
Can students outside the U.S. take the SAT?
-
Can students outside the U.S. use Official SAT Practice?
-
If my child signed up for the SAT without the essay, can they add it?
-
Can my child choose which scores to send to colleges?
-
Which scores will colleges look at if my child took the SAT more than once?
-
What do colleges look for in an SAT score?
-
To qualify for more scholarships, when should students take the SAT?
-
How is the SAT different from the ACT?