Planning and Preparing for College

The whole process for finding, selecting, and paying for college can be a complicated and stressful exercise.  But with some planning, good advice, and a little help form you friends it can be much more manageable.

What I plan to do here is provide a listing of proven useful resources - from governmental agencies, private non-profit organizations, and schools - that can offer valuable advice.  This resource page will be changing from time to time as we discover new sources.  And I encourage all of our readers who find valuable resources not listed here to share them in the comments section below.

Of course, you can always receive advice and support from your child's Guidance Counselor.  Student Services has also produced a comprehensive College Planning Guide.

Websites with excellent advice

The College Board is a free site with information and advice regarding planning for college, finding and selecting the best schools, the application process,  financing, and more.  There's a specific Parents resource page.  You can create an account (free and not required) which will allow you to save search results and other convenient information.

The Petersons site provides extensive information on college search, selection, application process, and financing.  The site also offers planning timelines, advice on preparing the essay, and many more practical tips.  SAT and ACT test prep is another service they offer.  Like College Board, you can create and account to save information, but it is not required.

My College Options is a free college planning service, offering assistance to students, parents, high schools, counselors, and teachers nationwide. It is designed to assist high school students in exploring a wide range of post-secondary opportunities, with special emphasis on the college search process. Students complete a personal college planning profile online which results in a list of candidate colleges from over 5,000 accredited post-secondary institutions across the nation that match the students’ individual needs and interests.  Account set up is optional, but recommended.

Financing an Education

The sites listed above do have information and references related to financing post-secondary education.  However, the resources listed below are primarily concerned with the financial aspects, with added information about planning, applying, etc.

The Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority, or MEFA, is a not-for-profit quasi-public entity serving students and families in Massachusetts.  MEFA’s mission is to increase access and college affordability across the Commonwealth through low-cost financing alternatives, college savings programs and educational financing expertise on planning, saving and paying for higher education.

The US Department of Education also maintains a site with information on financing education, with an emphasis on federal loans and grants, of course.  You'll find information on Pell grants, guaranteed loans, work-study programs and much more.  Check out their resource page.

You'll find a link to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, at both MEFA and US Ed