If you’re ready to jump right in, you can skip reading this article and start using the free scholarship search tool. But, we suggest you take a moment to review the following tips about scholarships and grants, and then dive in.

Once you start using the free scholarship search tool, to begin with, you simply select from the menu that you’re a student seeking funding for your freshman year at college, then enter your zip code. They’ll then ask your age, what year you are in high school, and what your intended major is in college. This is one of the fun parts – because even if you’re not sure, just start typing something – anything – for your intended major, and up will pop a whole list of related areas of concentrated study.

Next, you’ll provide more information. This isn’t about being snoopy. How much information about yourself you choose to share is totally up to you – but you must remember that the key to finding free scholarships and grants is to paint as richly detailed a portrait of yourself as possible. For better or for worse, this is one those areas in life where your ethnicity matters. So sure, you can skip that portion on whatever grounds, if you like, but you’re possibly cheating yourself out of untold thousands of dollars earmarked for students of specific backgrounds.

So you’ll want to take your time and list everything: the Ivy League schools you’re considering attending (as well as any other colleges), your possible career paths, your GPA, your SAT/ACT score, the sports you currently play, and that’s pretty much it.

Again, just to remind you, this free scholarship search service is provided to you completely free of charge!

Once you’ve filled in all of that info, you’re instantly presented with a list of scholarships and grants, plus essay contests and other related opportunities for free money for college. Everything is neatly organized for you – and instead of wading through thousands of possible sources of free scholarships, you have a list tailored specifically for you – they even remind you of upcoming deadlines, and provide you with online entrance forms, or whatever other information you need to apply to each of the scholarships and programs.

It’ll take you about three minutes tops to get started, but just to give you a taste of what to expect, a typical high school student hoping to get into an Ivy League school will find anywhere from 20 to 50 selected scholarships, essay contests, etc., with values ranging from $1500 to $100,000.

Once you reach the page where these scholarships and grants are displayed, our advice is to hold off on clicking on any of the scholarships or filling out any applications. Why? Because you’ve only scratched the surface – there may be quite a number of other potential college scholarships available to you. How do you find those?

Easy. On the right side of the screen, you’ll see the words, “Complete Your Profile Now!” (You’ve seen similar messages on Facebook, etc. so you should be pretty familiar with the concept.) Right below it is the word “edit.” Click on it. Here’s your chance to fill out much, much more detail about your student activities, organizations you might belong to, hobbies, churches, you name it.

Also, it’s extremely important that you fill out the section on your parents. You’ll have a chance to enter information about where your parents went to school, what field they work in, organizations they belong to, etc. This section is critical for finding the best scholarships and grants. A vast number of scholarships are for children of people matching certain criteria.

And, one last very important note – we mentioned Facebook earlier. Here’s where this service is completely different. This profile you’re creating, with all of this personal information? It is not public. It is completely private and viewable only by you – so again, make sure you are as thorough as possible in filling out your profile.

Now, once you’ve taken time to do all of the above, you can finally go back to your list of scholarships and grants they’ve selected for you. Now start reading about all of them. Last tip: as you make your way through the list – remember they may be dozens of them – prioritize your reading by putting the list in order of upcoming deadlines. Read the ones you’ll need to act on fast first.

Good luck in your search for free money for college! Oh, and since you took the time to read this whole thing, we’ll give you the link once again so you don’t have to scroll back to the top. Now that you know everything you’ll need to begin your search, click here to begin your free college scholarship search.

What will you need for your dorm room? Posters, futons, the latest fashions. Don’t forget a reading light. A computer, the right software, a printer. What about picture frames? Blankets, towels, pencils, pens, a new toothbrush. Did you pack enough socks? What do you really need for your Freshman dorm room?

Here’s a handy checklist you can print and use. (Feel free to edit it and add some additional goodies before you show the list to your parents!) Our dorm guide is organized into the following sections of Dorm Essentials (click to jump ahead to that section):

• Dorm Grooming, Shower and Bath
• Dorm Dining, Snacks and Beverage
• Laundry (Yes, you have to do your own now)
• Storage and Closet Organizers (Dorm room space is always at a premium)
• Lighting
• Computer Hardware
• Computer Software
• Laptop, MP3 and Cell Phone Accessories
• Dorm Furniture
• Bedding
• Alarm Clocks (You’ll hate them, but you’ll need them)
• Luggage, Duffles and Trunks

Dorm Grooming, Shower and Bath
Make-up Organizer
Curling Iron
Shower Caddy
MP3 Shower Mirror
Soap Dish
Dorm Dining, Snacks and Beverage
Hot Plate
Dorm Refrigerator
Foreman Grill
Personal Blender
Mini Microwave
Laundry (Yes, you have to do your own now)
Retractable Clothesline
Laundry Bag
Iron
Clothes Hamper
Folding Ironing Board
Garment Steamer
Travel Steamer
Storage and Closet Organizers (Dorm room space is always at a premium)
Shoe Organizer
Under Bed Storage
Closet Organizer
Hangers
Clothing Organizer
Storage Kit
CD Carrier
Bike Rack
Lighting
Book Light
Computer Hardware
Laptop Computer
Flash Drive
Graphics Tablet
External Hard Drive
Printer
Computer Software
Adobe, Corel Student Suite, Microsoft Office, etc.
Laptop, MP3 and Cell Phone Accessories
Laptop Desk
Charging Station
Laptop Case
Laptop Backpack
iPod Lamp
Dorm Furniture
Comfy Dorm Furniture
Beanbag
Ottomans
Gaming Chair
Bedding
Down Pillows
NFL Comforter
Alarm Clocks (You’ll hate them, but you’ll need them)
Alarm Clock
Luggage, Duffles and Trunks
Duffle Bag
Travel Bag
Snowboard Case
Steamer Trunk
Small Trunk on Wheels

And don’t forget to pick up a copy of 100 Things Every College Freshman Ought to Know and College Unzipped.

Next SAT Test Date: Oct 10, 2009

Here we review the Top Ten SAT Test Prep books available for students hoping to get into Ivy League schools. SAT preparation can really be as simple as reading a good SAT study guide. But which one? And is an SAT test prep book the best choice for you?

SAT study guides and test prep books are a cost-effective alternative to SAT prep courses (like Kaplan test prep), but of course they lack the rigor of a classroom or one-on-one tutoring environment. As a general rule, if your initial SAT/ACT scores are on the low side, you’ll likely need SAT prep courses to get you into shape. Or, for more personalized instruction, you might be better off with an SAT tutor.

SAT study guides and test prep books are ideal for the student with good self-discipline and initially high test scores; with some extra self-directed study, you should be able to push yourself to even higher test scores.

Click on the left and right arrows below to scroll through our top-rated SAT test prep books. Click on a book to read up-to-the-minute reviews. Or read on for our thoughts about each title.

1. 11 Practice Tests for the SAT & PSAT, 2010 Edition

In terms of self-directed study, nothing beats an SAT practice test for developing the mental muscles to tackle SAT preparation. Make sure that whatever book you select has a minimum of two SAT practice tests. You should always begin your studies by taking a practice test, so you know your baseline score. That’s the best way to measure your growth as you continue with SAT test prep. Take the other practice test after you’ve finished with your SAT study guide to see how far you’ve come.

It’s for this reason that the Top Two SAT Test Prep Books on our list consist of nothing but practice tests. Since you’re reading this, we’re assuming you’re gearing up to get into an Ivy League School. We’re making an assumption that your basic skills and academics are pretty rock solid, and that you’re pretty much just angling for a perfect score. Although it’s sickening to state a cliche, it’s nonetheless true… practice makes perfect, and that’s why we think nothing could be more perfect than a book full of practice tests.

We prefer this one, as its detailed explanations for every answer are more thorough, and give you a better shot and understanding what mistakes (gasp!) you might have made. They also provide online score reports for analyzing your strengths and weaknesses.

2. Kaplan 12 Practice Tests for the SAT 2010

Pretty much the same as the previous book, this one has twelve practice SAT tests instead of eleven, and inside the book there’s also instructions for entering a contest to win $5000 to use for school. The explanations here aren’t quite as good as #1 above, but it’s still a great resource. Of course, it’s not the same as taking an actual Kaplan SAT course, which comes with solid guarantees of improving your score.

3. Barron’s SAT 2400: Aiming for the Perfect Score

Since we’re preparing this list specifically for students hoping to get into an Ivy League school, this book really deserves to be at #1 on the list – but we’re prejudiced in favor of practice tests. Still, this is the only book you’ll find that is focused not on improving your score, but on nailing a Perfect SAT Score. That chimera is indeed attainable, and this book sets out to show you how to get there.

Written just for high achievers, you won’t find the usual drills and advice here, but rather a focus on the hardest test questions, the most upper-level vocabulary, etc. This is a must read.

4. ACT or SAT?: Choosing the Right Exam For You

At the time of writing, almost all Ivy League schools let you submit either SAT or ACT scores. So which exam should you take? Before you dive into nailing a perfect SAT score, you might want to first consider whether your efforts might be better spent on the ACT. What’s the difference between the two? This book not only explains the subtle and not-so-subtle differences, but also features an assessment test to identify your strengths and weaknesses so you can determine which test you’re more likely to excel at. You’ll also find practice questions from both tests, so you can get a feel for both of them before you decide. This won’t stand in for an actual SAT/ACT study guide or test prep book, but it’s a great idea as a first read before you tackle any of the other books on this list.

5. The Official SAT Study Guide, 2nd edition

We always advise students to take private meetings with their high school teachers before tests. Who better to advise you on a test than the person who actually wrote the test. Following that same principle, as an overall SAT test prep book, there’s none better than the one created by the College Board themselves – the folks who make the SAT.

This is a big honking book. Over 1000 pages, with 10 practice tests. You won’t find the specialized advice for nailing a perfect score here, but you will find a book that covers every aspect of the test, from the folks who know best. They also have included in this edition three very recent actual SAT tests. You won’t find that anywhere else – and for that alone, this book is worth the price. Take the same SAT test that high school students took recently, and find out how you would have scored. That’s a pretty fair indication of how well you’ll do.

This book also handles the SAT essay especially well – with lots of practice essay topics, and annotated sample essays for you to review and learn from.

6. The Official Study Guide for All SAT Subject Tests

For the same reasons as #5 above, you should also definitely pick up this book by the College Board if you’re planning on taking any of the SAT Subject Tests. This book covers all 20 SAT Subject Test exams, including practice tests for all of them. You’ll even find two CDs specifically for practicing the foreign language SAT subject tests, if you intend to take those.

7. Cracking the SAT, 2010 Edition

Although this, at first glance, seems to be a very simplified book – it’s also quite shrewd – by boiling the test down to its basics. Smart kids will appreciate the no-nonsense approach. You can get through this one fast, without a lot of fuss. Its vocab word list is also an especially good one.

8. Kaplan SAT 2010 Edition: Strategies, Practice, and Review

This book tries to cover the same ground as the others, but a bit less successfully. Sure, there are four practice tests, and explanations, but they also include unnecessary fluff like, “Smart Break activities designed for students to take a fun break from studying while keeping their SAT skills sharp.” Really? You need to go out and buy a book to learn how to take a “fun break”? We think you can probably figure that one out on your own.

Don’t get us wrong. Taking a Kaplan SAT course is a fantastic investment in your future. But this book? It’s not the same as the course – not in any way, shape or form. You’re better off with one of the others.

9. Up Your Score: The Underground Guide to the SAT 2009-2010 Edition

If this weren’t being addressed specifically to you – a high-achieveing high school student looking to get into an Ivy League school – we’d recommend this book very highly. It’s easy to read, irreverent, conversational, accessible. But in our experience, if you’re a stellar student already, you should be writing a book like this, not reading one. You’ll probably hate this book, and find it cutesy and trying too hard. Like your grandma gettin’ down with a hip-hop album. (In fact, this book even comes with a free iPod download for learning vocabulary words – that’s pretty hip, huh? Forget about it.) For a future Ivy League student, this book isn’t for you.

10. How to Survive the SAT (and ACT) – by Hundreds of Happy College Students

Similarly, this book isn’t for you either. If you’re NOT intending to go to an Ivy League school – if you’re really terrified of the SAT, or you took it once and didn’t do so hot, then yes, maybe consider this book. It’s written from the point of view of students, and gives a peer perspective on how to approach the test. It’s very reassuring for students who are psyched out by standardized tests. But we’re assuming you’re not one of those students. If you are, pick this up. If you’re not, scroll back up to the top of this list.

While you’re buying books, you should also pick up a copy of College Unzipped. Written from the perspective of college students, it’s a true insider view of everything you’ll need to know to make the most of your first year in the Ivy League (or any other college).

And, final thought… Need some extra cash for buying SAT/ACT test prep books? What could be more ideal than getting rid of all your old high school textbooks? Sell all your used books to eCampus.com for top dollar. They also offer free online quotes and free shipping.

SAT preparation can now be tackled through online SAT test prep courses. You’ll find SAT practice tests, downloadable study guides, and incredible convenience. But are you self-directed enough to make the most of an online SAT preparation course?

Here we review a few of your options for online test prep. There’s a quite a lot of variety in terms of both pricing and services provided. But the one thing all online courses have in common is that they require a certain amount of self-direction. Unlike a tutor, who shows up at your door (or wherever you meet), or a local class where your parents will make sure you show up on time, online test prep means that you need to keep track of your own schedule and progress.

And – do we really have to say this? – you need the discipline to close your IM windows, your Facebook page, your Twitter page, and avoid all other computer-related multi-tasking distractions if you hope to learn something and really get a stellar score – one good enough to get into an Ivy League school. If you were in a traditional classroom, you could never get away with chatting with your friend the whole time while the teacher is speaking. But with an online class, you can absolutely “get away with” chatting online with your friend throughout each course. And if you do that, you just chucked your money (or your parents’ money) down the tube, as well as your opportunity to better your SAT score. So don’t do it. Really. Don’t. And if you can’t control yourself, then trust us – online test prep is not for you…

Ok, here are a few of the most popular current options for SAT Online Test Prep:

Note: prices are current as of the time of writing; check with the programs below to confirm pricing.

Kaplan Test Prep

Kaplan actually offers four different online SAT Test Prep programs. Two of them are nearly identical (Online Classroom and Online Small Group) and are actually conducted like traditional classes. In other words, you will have a set schedule of classes, a teacher, and the only difference between this and a regular classroom is that you can wear your pajamas and eat Twizzlers the whole time you’re taking part in the class. Their third program, called simply Kaplan Online SAT Test Prep is a self-directed program that you go through at your own pace, whenever you want, 24/7 – no teacher, no schedule. And their fourth is similar to that one, except it focuses only on the Essay portion of the SAT.

We’ll state up front that compared to Boston Test Prep (below), Kaplan’s courses are much more expensive. That said, Kaplan has a lot going for them – incredible track record, countless years of success in improving SAT scores, and, most significantly, the single most comprehensive and airtight guarantee you’ll find anywhere in the world of SAT test prep. This applies to all of their online courses, as well as their classroom courses.

The Kaplan SAT Test Prep Guarantee: If you’re not ready to take the test, you can study with Kaplan again for free.
If you’re not satisfied with your score gain – no matter how many points you improve – you can study with them again for free. And, if you don’t score higher, you can study with them again for free or get your money back. That’s a win win win anyway you slice it. So, yes, Kaplan costs more, but you can go into it knowing with 100% certainty that you are absolutely going to get your money’s worth – or – you get all of your money back.

Ok, now let’s take a closer look at each of Kaplan’s four options:

1. Kaplan SAT Live Online – Classroom Course

Price: Normally $1,049. Right now, they’re offering a special discounted price of $849!

This is the same as their normal classroom course; the only difference is that you get to telecommute. You do the whole thing right from home – or wherever you’ve decided to park your laptop. The program includes eight class sessions, each one being two and a half hours long. You’ll take four full-length SAT practice tests – and they’re fully proctored – just like the real SAT – you can’t beat that for an accurate simulation!

You also get all the study materials you’ll ever need, a lesson book, flashcards, online workshops and quizzes that you can visit and take whenever you feel like it.

The class is conducted using an online whiteboard. Just like sitting in a classroom, as you’ll see your teacher writing and drawing problem-solving techniques and tips.

Are you shy? Too shy to raise you hand in a traditional classroom and ask for personalized help? Worried that everyone else will laugh at your question? Well there’s another great benefit of taking the class online. You can IM your teacher! Right in the middle of class! That’s right – you can shoot a quick chat message privately to your teacher, and he or she will answer your question without any of the other students knowing about it. For some students, this itself is worth the price of admission.

Besides the whiteboard, you’ll be watching live streaming video (and audio) to take part in the classes.

2. Kaplan SAT Live Online – Small Group Tutoring

Price: Normally $1,649. Right now they’re offering a special discounted price of $1,449!

This program is exactly the same as the Classroom Course above in every respect. So why does it cost more? Because this one is limited to only 3-5 students max. In fact, if you have a couple of friends who live on the other side of town (or the other side of the country – or the planet), you can make your own class – and choose who your classmates are! That’s a pretty great idea, if you’ve really been wanting to study with a couple of buddies.

So there’s no need to go into any more detail here – just read what we’ve written about the Classroom Course. The extra cost means smaller class size, which translates to much, much, much more personalized instruction. The end result is almost exactly like having a private tutor right in your own living room (or, again, wherever you’ve decided to set up your laptop and a good WiFi signal).

3. Kaplan Online SAT Test Prep

Price: $399

This program, which costs much less, is also completely different. You have access to fantastic, high-quality materials and tools, but you don’t have a teacher. No schedule, no set times to log on – just go at your own pace. (This program is the equivalent of the Boston Test Prep program you’ll read about below.) You can take part in this program for as long as you’d like.

You start off with a Diagnostic Exam, and once you know your weak areas, you have access to dozens of interactive lessons to improve your skills in those areas. You’ll also have a chance to take four full-length SAT practice tests.

Although you won’t have a live teacher leading the classes, you do get an extra perk that you won’t find with Boston Prep: you can send in questions and get personalized help via e-mail. If you make good use of this feature, it’s a nice bridge between this and the more expensive and more personalized Kaplan Test Prep programs.

4. Kaplan SAT Essay Online

Price: $149

Like the other SAT Online Prep class from Kaplan, this one, too, is done on your own time, whenever you like, wherever you like, at your own pace. The difference is simply that you will only be working on the essay portion of the SAT. (Which, hopefully, you already figured out since the course is called SAT Essay Online.)

You’ll learn special skills tailored not to essay-writing in general, but to the SAT essay – focusing on the time constraints. You can take part in animated lessons, and learn special strategies. Your essays will be graded on the spot, which is a huge plus. And you’ll get insider tips on how your essay gets graded, what the graders look for, etc.

If the essay portion of the SAT has been giving you night sweats, this online course is absolutely worth the relatively small price tag.

Boston Test Prep

Boston Test Prep is the only company, as far as we’re aware, that only offers an online course – they don’t even have a classroom or textbook version. So this has been their area of specialization from the inception. As an added plus, their pricing is significantly lower than Kaplan’s. On the downside, although they do offer a generous guarantee (see below), it’s not nearly as comprehensive and enticing as Kaplan Test Prep’s.

They offer only one SAT Online program, so you don’t have to weigh your options – as you don’t have any! Your only choice is how long you’ll continue with their program. Their pricing is done on a per month basis, as follows:

Boston Test Prep Online SAT Program – 1 month: $59
Boston Test Prep Online SAT Program – 3 months: $129

However, they’re now offering a special promotion at even lower prices. Use this link and you’ll get your first month free! And then pay only $39 per month!

Now that’s a pretty sweet deal. But at a price that low, compared to Kaplan, can the program really be any good? Let’s take a look at what you’ll get:

When you begin, you’ll first take a diagnostic test. A practice SAT test. This will instantly be scored and analyzed and used to customize the rest of your preparation. If you’re already scoring off the charts on the Math portion, why waste your time doing math drills? Doesn’t make any sense! So instead, you’ll be honing only the skills you actually need to work on. That’s a tremendous time-saver, and let’s face it, studying for the SAT is no fun. So efficiency is a very, very good thing.

Next comes what they call “Build Your Brain.” This is where you’ll practice the needed skills by jumping back and forth – at your own discretion – between online narrated lessons in the areas where you need help, and online practice quizzes to drill you on these topics.

Once you feel you’ve accomplished something and improved your skills, you basically go back to the beginning and repeat the process. In other words, you take another practice test to see how you’ve bettered yourself (and your score). And then, armed with this new information, you come up with a new plan, and laser in on the areas where you still need help.

Throughout this process, one thing we really like is that they have a very easy to use three-tab navigation screen: Critical Reading, Writing, and Math – the three sections of the SAT. So you can easily hop to the area where YOU feel like working. As you’re working, your results and data in each section will be saved and your records will be maintained for the duration of your program.

Lastly, Boston Prep has one other feature that we think is awesome. Having to take an entire SAT practice test – including the areas where you already know you can nail the test – is a major drag, and a total waste of hours of your time. Instead of taking an entire generic SAT test, you can custom build your own practice test: YOU get to choose the number of questions and the areas where you wish to practice. You can even build your own practice test solely out of all the question (or question types) you’ve missed in the past. This is probably the single most powerful and helpful feature of the program.

The Boston SAT Test Prep Guarantee: If your SAT score doesn’t increase by at least 200 points, they will refund your money. As we mentioned earlier, this is a great guarantee, but can’t even begin to hold a candle to Kaplan’s guarantee, which is the most comprehensive and airtight in the industry. You’ll never find a guarantee like the one Kaplan extends to you. But still, this is decent, if you care about such things.

All in all, Boston Test Prep is a pretty sweet deal. Just remember, you won’t be receiving that special attention from a dedicated (online) teacher, as you would with the Kaplan Live Online SAT test prep program. It’s 100% up to you to stick to the program and work your tail off. And again, that’s the same approach you’ll need to take if you opt for the Kaplan SAT Online program (as opposed to the Live Online program).

A private SAT tutor will almost invariably give you the edge for getting into college, especially an Ivy League. The cost can be prohibitive for some parents, but others view a private SAT tutor as well-worth the investment if it means improving SAT scores and getting into an Ivy League school.

While a majority of SAT prep courses offer a guaranteed bump in your SAT score (or they continue giving you additional SAT preparation – there’s usually no “money back guarantee”), you’ll rarely find such an offer from an SAT tutor. If you’re looking for guaranteed success, SAT tutoring is not for you.

That said, a good SAT tutor will provide you with personalized insights you can’t possibly expect from SAT prep courses. SAT tutors typically know all the same tricks and trapdoors that will be explored in SAT prep courses, but after first administering a practice test, they’ll laser in on exactly the areas where you need to focus.

Underline the you. This is a more self-directed form of SAT preparation. The reason SAT tutors don’t make any guarantees is that they’re not going to sit there for five hours and run SAT vocabulary flash cards with you. You’re going to have to follow directions and put in the hours to make the most of SAT preparation.

Good SAT tutors have lots of tricks up their sleeve. They’ll show you a sneaky method for cutting corners on math problems, foregoing traditional algebra when simpler, faster methods suffice. But where SAT tutoring really shines – if, of course, you’re lucky enough to land a fantastic SAT tutor – is their ability to shift gears and offer additional approaches. Maybe that math trick didn’t work for you. Maybe you’re actually quite great and agile at setting up algebraic equations and you’d actually be better off approaching problems that way. Your SAT tutor will notice this, and point you in the right direction, allowing you to shave minutes off your time – which is often the key to making the most of time management during the actual test.

Lastly, we’ve mentioned the concept of a “good” SAT tutor several times now. This is important. After your first session, don’t expect to have fun. No one said SAT preparation will be a blast. And don’t worry about whether or not you think your SAT tutor is the coolest cat on the planet. Bottom line: did you learn something? Did you feel that he or she adapted to your learning style and gave you highly personalized instruction? Or was that first experience with SAT tutoring like listening to a broken record? Did you SAT tutor just go through the motions, reciting lines he or she has said a thousand times?

If that was your impression of your SAT tutor, definitely speak to your parents. There are plenty of wonderful SAT tutors in almost every city – you owe it to yourself, and to your chances of getting into an Ivy League school – to switch horses, and find yourself a new SAT tutor.

Please also visit our review of SAT test prep books.

College tuition isn’t merely outrageously expensive; it’s also on the rise. Tuition costs, on average, rise every year at approximately twice the rate of inflation. Ouch. How can you possibly ever save enough to afford an Ivy League college? The good news is that you have options. We’ve compiled some of the best solutions for paying for college:

Education Savings Accounts

Not financial aid in the traditional sense, these are savings and investment plans that you can create to start saving for tuition. Goes without saying that the sooner you open an account or fund, the more time you’ll have for your investment to grow.

• 529 plans also known as qualified tuition plans, are named for section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. You can invest long-term in mutual funds or pay future tuition costs at today’s prices. Important note: any money you withdraw from a 529 plan for purposes other than college expenses is taxed like income — and the earnings are usually subject to an additional 10% penalty tax. For more information, take a look at this IRS publication.
• Coverdell Education Savings Account, formerly known as education IRAs. A Coverdell can be used to pay for not just college, but elementary and secondary school as well. In order to participate, though, you’ll need an adjusted gross income of less than $110,000 ($220,000 if filing a joint return). And, just as with the 529 plan, be advised that anything you withdraw from an ESA for purposes other than education expenses is taxed like income — and the earnings are usually subject to an additional 10% penalty tax. For more information, take a look at this IRS publication.
• UGMAs/UTMAs. These custodial accounts are like trust funds, except you don’t need an attorney. The UTMA (Uniform Transfers to Minors Act) is an expansion of the UGMA (Uniform Gifts to Minors Act), and permits property other than cash or securities — such as art and real estate — to be considered gifts in most states. To set up an account, talk to your banker.

Financial Aid

This combination of loans, grants, scholarships and work-study is intended to bridge the gap between what you have saved and what you need.

• Loans. The U.S. government offers Stafford and Perkins student loans, and PLUS Loans for parents. These, as well as consolidation loans and private student loans, are also offered from secondary markets such as Sallie Mae. Loans usually have to be paid back with interest, and repayment often starts a set time after graduation. Visit the Department of Education for their complete guide to repaying loans.
• Scholarships/Grants. Thankfully, these don’t ever have to be paid back. All you have to do is qualify. And qualifying can sometimes be much easier than you think (playing the flute, ancestors from Scotland, almost anything and everything has a scholarship attached – trust us, you’ll be amazed!) Scholarships and grants break down into two types: merit-based (i.e. Physics or Football) and need-based (i.e. the Federal Pell Grant, which is determined by financial need factors). Grants and scholarships can come from the federal or state government, a high school, college or university, a business, an individual or even a nonprofit organization. Want to find the perfect scholarship for you? Use FastWeb’s free scholarship search to find information on more than 600,000 scholarships.
• Work-study. Another portion of your financial aid package might derive from the Federal Work Study Program, in which schools offer students jobs that allow them to earn up to a certain amount each year. You get paid just like a normal job. And as a bonus, it keeps you out of trouble!

Applying for Financial Aid

For government aid, including grants, loans and work-study, you are required to submit a FAFSA form. Also be sure to visit the FinAid website where you will find links to forms, deadlines and helpful tips for filling out all of your applications.

When are SAT prep courses right for you? Is Kaplan Test Prep a good fit for your ambitions and budget? What are the advantages of small group classes for practice SAT tests and SAT preparation? For SAT/ACT, a test prep course could be just the thing.

It’s not secret that SAT tests do not measure IQ, general knowledge, academic prowess or, for the most part, intelligence. SAT tests do, however, measure your skill at taking tests. A test test? As silly as it sounds, ultimately colleges want to know how good you are at following directions, coloring within the lines. It’s a test of gamesmanship, really. And so, if they’re going to make such a big deal about a game, you need to learn the rules.

A good SAT test prep course will show you the ropes. SAT/ACT and other standardized tests have been around for years now, and specialists in SAT preparation have analyzed patterns and come to some rather obvious conclusions about test-taking strategies that should give a boost to anyone’s score.

Typically you’ll first take an SAT practice test. This is an important measure of the type of SAT preparation you will require. Why? Because if, for example, you’re already scoring ridiculously high, you’re really not a great candidate for SAT prep courses. You’re probably better off taking another SAT practice test and figuring out for yourself where you can improve. A good SAT study guide should help you analyze your results. For example, maybe it’s really just a matter of boning up some of those dreaded SAT vocabulary words.

But, on the other hand, if your SAT scores are fairly average, there are some foolproof strategies that can boost your scores. For example, learning how the test is structured, and when you’re better off skipping questions entirely. Not just skipping if you can’t eliminate enough of the possible answers, but literally turning right past the question. In other words, without additional studying, and by doing less work, you’re actually guaranteed to raise your SAT score!

SAT prep courses are full of this type of insider’s knowledge. They’ll break down the math section into exactly the types of questions you need to know. You may be amazed that SAT preparation requires memorizing no formulas at all. Good SAT test prep will reveal the most common type of grammar errors you’re required to spot.

Just remember, SAT prep courses are not meant to teach you math, grammar, writing, or any other “useful” skills. Their goal is plain and simple: SAT preparation. It’s a skill you’ll need only once in your life. But boy, does it make a difference. (For almost all Ivy League schools, a stellar SAT/ACT score is de rigeur.)

For an alternative, you might also consider hiring an SAT tutor.

When finding money for college, you have several options: education savings account, 529 College Plan, Coverdell Savings Account, or a special college savings program. Saving for college is a necessity for everyone, but luckily you have some great and varied options.

Education Savings Account

A 529 college plan is named for section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. You can invest long-term in mutual funds or pay future tuition costs at today’s prices. Important note: any money you withdraw from a 529 college plan for purposes other than college expenses is taxed like income — and the earnings are usually subject to an additional 10% penalty tax. For more information, take a look at this IRS publication.

A Coverdell Savings Account can be used to pay for not just college, but elementary and secondary school as well. In order to participate, though, you’ll need an adjusted gross income of less than $110,000 ($220,000 if filing a joint return). And, just as with the 529 college plan, be advised that anything you withdraw from a Coverdell Savings Account for purposes other than education expenses is taxed like income — and the earnings are usually subject to an additional 10% penalty tax. For more information, take a look at this IRS publication.

College Savings Program

Several companies and organizations now offer educational savings plans as a way to earn enough money to pay for college. Special incentives allow you to put away college savings every time you use a credit card or make specific types of purchases. Can you really save enough to pay for college or afford an Ivy League education? Let’s take a look.

Of all the college savings programs, the one we prefer is Upromise. The reason we like it? It’s an effortless way for your entirely family to help save for college tuition, without any change in spending or shopping behaviors. Getting someone to change their spending and saving patterns is extremely difficult. Upromise solves this problem by creating a system in which you simply register your various grocery loyalty cards, credit cards, etc., and from that point forward, a portion of everything you spend is saved into an education savings account.

Does this mean you have to shop at special, out-of-the-way stores? Not at all. They’ve partnered with Target, Best Buy, the Apple Store, Sears, Home Depot, The Gap, and countless other retailers you likely already patronize. Same goes for grocery stores and drug stores. Odds are close to 100% of the places where you currently shop and dine are partners, so again, you don’t have to do anything different at all.

It’s not surprise that Upromise now has over 10 million members, all devoted to the philosophy that everyone should be able to afford a college education and attend the school of their dreams.

You’ve heard the expression, “It Takes a Village”? With this mind-set, you can more than double the amount of money you save for college tuition, simply by getting some of your friends and family members to help you save, too. Instead of asking your Aunt to kick in for tuition, ask her to do nothing other than register with Upromise. As she goes through her week, dining and shopping, you’ll be growing ever closer to the reality of affording the college of your choice.

Oh, one last thing while we’re on the topic of saving money for college. While you’re figuring out the big stuff – how to get money to pay for college – you should also take advantage of your student status as a ridiculously easy way to save money at all the places where you regularly shop, dine, go to movies, etc. It’s called the Student Advantage card, and it’s accepted at thousands of places – both big national chains and small regional joints near college campuses. Check it out. It won’t pay for college. But it’ll leave you with plenty of extra pizza money in your pocket…

What’s your GPA? What are your SAT scores? How many AP classes did you take? What are your extra-curriculars like? Have you won any awards? Do you play sports? The violin?

These are all rhetorical questions – but they’re the questions you need to ask yourself. Learn to see yourself the way the Ivy League admissions board will: one fact after another, numbers on a page. Your college admission essay is your ticket to opening their eyes and rounding our your college admission application by “spackling” all the bits that are missing from the collection of data implied by the list of questions above.

In other words, let’s say your academics are utterly lock-tight and brilliant. Why write a college admission essay that shows off how smart you are? They already know you’re the valedictorian of your high school, and that your GPA is in the double-digits. Do you really need your college admission essay to further indicate your braininess?

Not at all. In fact, try too hard, and you’ll come off as desperate, insecure, or pompous. Instead, why not let them see your funny side, your warm side, your spiritual side, your quirky side. Show them how human you are, how fallible, how open to new experiences. Because isn’t that what college is all about? New experiences? Let your college essay writing demonstrate how open-minded, flexible or even labile you are – and how utterly primed for what only an Ivy League education can provide.

On the other hand, perhaps you’re an amazing right guard, or sculptor, or soprano. You have great talents and skills, but unfortunately your grades and standardized test scores just don’t give enough indication of your intellectual fortitude. You can probably guess the approach we’d recommend for your college admission essay. In this case, the perfect entrance essay will be simply redolent of your intellectual prowess and aptitude. Err toward the side of erudite in your examples and your vocabulary as you tackle your college admission essay.

The above two cases are polar extremes, but meant to convey the basic philosophy of robust college essay writing. See yourself the way the Ivy League will see you, based solely on your transcript. Then see in your college admission essay the opportunity to complete the picture.

Please continue on for more specific advice for your college admission essay by reading our detailed analysis of College Essay Topics.

1. Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

We’ll expound on this one in greater detail than the others, for much of what applies to this college essay topic is in large part true for your other options. Excellent college essay writing should reveal to the admissions board who you are, where you’ve come from, what you’ve experienced, and, most of all, how you think. What does that mean – how you think? Ultimately, the college admission essay is an indicator of how you process life experiences, be they personal experiences or current events in the world around you or works of fiction. Do you just skim the surface and tell a good story? Or do you make profound connections between seemingly disparate things? Seeing interconnectedness, exploring rich meaning under the surface, and expressing these discoveries eloquently are the absolute harbingers of a perfect candidate for an Ivy League school.

In terms of this college essay topic, what matters most is not the inherent depth of the experience you choose to relate, but rather the profundity you ascribe to it. In other words, the death of a relative might seem extraordinarily profound (which it is, of course), but even the shallowest, least-educted individual can perceive the impact of such an event. A better choice would be something that to an ordinary student might seem utterly trivial.

Let’s say you found an iPod when you were in eighth grade and had to decide what to do about it. On the surface, not much meat on the bones as college essay topics go. But if it leads you to a contemplation of the rights of ownership, and thoughts of Karl Marx surface, not to mention Jean Valjean from Les Miserables, you might end up with a marvelous college admission essay.

Another example: let’s say you once went to a dermatologist to have a benign mole removed. Again, this isn’t leukemia, it isn’t a leg amputation. It’s a routine outpatient procedure that takes all of five minutes at most. But it’s all in how you spin it. If you approach your entrance essay by considering your very identity, your genetic makeup, and what it means to alter your personhood by means a scalpel, and all of the ramifications of altering your identity, again your college essay writing will be revealing you to be a student of incredible depth and perspicacity.

2. Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.

As college essay topics go, this entrance essay tends to be more challenging than the others. It will be difficult to sound original when talking about the war in Iraq or global warming. And it won’t be so easy to write a solid college admission essay on some random, picayune occurrence or issue. The best advice is to skip this topic.

3. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.

If you choose this college essay topic for your personal statement, you can follow pretty much the same advice. Again, avoid the obvious. Any idea how many students will write about Barack Obama this year? Or about Gandhi? Or their own grandmother? Or a teacher? Think outside the box for good college essay writing. It’s not who you write about, it’s how you write about him or her.

How audacious would it be to choose Ryan Seacrest?! Or an anonymous person you sat next to on a plane. No inherent meaningfulness in either of those two. But if you can succeed in making such an essay utterly sparkle with insight, you have gone above and beyond the Obama personal essays that will be churned out by the thousand.

4. Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.

This is a truly great topic for college application essays. Follow the exact same advice as with #3 above. In other words, don’t pick Hamlet or Gandhi or the Mona Lisa or Socrates or Holden Caulfield. For sharp, penetrating college essay writing, set yourself a challenge by picking Inspector Gadget or Napoleon Dynamite. No, there’s nothing inherently great about those characters, so if you can breathe meaningfulness into your college personal statement with them as topics, you’re as good as gold.

Are you confused or lacking confidence that you can pull off such a feat? We highly recommend The Tao of Pooh, a book that equated all of the rich philosophy of Taoism with the antics of Winnie the Pooh. This book, a quick read, is instant proof that this approach to college essay writing is absolutely doable.

5. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.

This college admission essay topic is almost identical to #1 above. The chief difference is that this topic forces you to draw a specific conclusion – namely, that because of this or that personal experience, you will be making the college campus a more robustly diverse institution of higher learning. We think that forcing your conclusion isn’t nearly as ideal as the options inherent in college essay topic #1. Furthermore, this essay topic more than any of the others causes you to run a high risk of sounding self-aggrandizing and pompous. We want the admission board to come to the conclusion that you’re amazing; we don’t want you to state this yourself. Best advice is to skip this one, too.

6. Topic of your choice.

There’s really no need for your application’s college essay topics to include this garbage pail choice, but there it is. Fact is, any personal statement you make is almost certainly going to fall into one of the five college essay topics listed above, so the choose-your-own topic is meaningless. If you feel that you need this one for your college admission essay, it’s a good sign that you didn’t fully understand the potential inherent in three of the five topics listed above. (Again, skip #2 and #5.)