Free Ride -- or Full Ride -- scholarships, covering everything from tuition to room & board, one year or all four, are highly coveted, often written about, and, yes, as hard to come by as a winning lottery ticket.

Scour the web, searching for a "free ride to college," and aside from the ingenious ad of a car service offering students just that (imagine arriving at your dorm room in a stretch limo), you'll find a plethora (good SAT word) of contests, sweepstakes, and scholarship opportun...
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P.B. of Greenvale, NY writes:

I know that there are many variables in college admission decisions, including grades, test scores, extracurriculars, and, of course, the personal statement. That said, are there any websites where students/parents can plug in the "cut and dry" and, while far from absolute certainty, at least get an idea whether they are in the ballpark for admission at a particular college?

The College Whisperer responds:

As you so aptly acknowledge, with so many factors to b...
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Planning for college can be expensive. College Connection, Long Island's one-stop source for college planning, counseling and support, helps keep costs in check with its Referral Rewards Program. Earn credit toward FREE college counseling.

Now that the school year is underway, friends and classmates are starting to think about applying to college. Many have already started the process. Bravo!

At College Connection, we want to help you reduce the cost of college planning, while helping other stu...
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FAFSA versus CSS-Profile: The Battle of the Financial Aid Forms

Most people believe that FAFSA -- Free Application for Federal Student Aid -- is the end-all when it comes to looking for money for college.

Not so!

In fact, if you do nothing more than file your FAFSA online (which can be done on or after January 1, 2011), you're not likely to see a dime in scholarship and grant money, other than that which the school itself may provide (including work-study and loans) as part of your financial aid...
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S.K. of Jericho, NY writes:

My daughter, a high school senior with a 4.0+ GPA (weighted), nearly perfect SAT and ACT scores, and a resume of community service and extracurricular activities second to none, is in the process of applying to college. Hopefully (fingers crossed), she is Ivy bound. With the selection process so extremely complex and competitive, we reached out to a college coach who "specializes" in the Ivies, only to find, to our dismay, that she charges $950 per hour and upwards...
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Sure. The college admissions process is as shrouded in mystery as the road to college is full of twists, turns, detours, and, yes, the occasional pothole.

Still, there are some general observations that can be made about the process, and particulars that every college-bound student -- and his/her parents -- should be aware of.

Here are some thoughts -- and prudent pointers -- from the folks at Howstuffworks.com:

Introduction to How College Admissions Works

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Yes, The College Whisperer said, FREE -- as in gratis, no cost, complimentary, on the house. In other words, FREE!

What could possibly be offered for FREE, you ask?

College Planning Workshops, absolutely FREE for churches, temples, synagogues, religious and fraternal groups, and other not-for-profit (though you will, by attending a workshop) organizations.

From finding the perfect match of student to college to finding the money to pay for that match, we'll take you through the winding and seemi...
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"Play nice!"

Parents have been admonishing their children with this omage to civil obedience since the days of Cain and Abel. [Would that they had listened!]

Get along. Be respectful. At work. At play. In the home.

If it seems that civility, from the street corner to the world stage, has not been a presence since the Small World Pavilion opened at the 1965 World's Fair, you are not alone in such thought.

Indeed, Rutgers University, the flagship of the New Jersey State University system, recognizi...
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. . .It's The College Whisperer!

What: FREE College Planning Workshop

When: Monday, September 20
          7:00 PM to 8:30 PM

Where: West Hempstead Public Library
            500 Hempstead Avenue
            West Hempstead, Long Island, NY

Why: [Because we like you!] To give you the ins and outs, ups and downs, and everything in between on the college application process, college admissions, and financing that university degree.

Admission is FREE (to the College Planning Workshop, not necessarily to ...
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L.B. of North Merrick, NY writes:

There's a College Fair at the Nassau Coliseum on Sunday, October 3. Is it worth attending, for college-bound students and/or their parents?

The College Whisperer responds:

A definite maybe. ;-)

In days of old, long before the advent of the Internet and the coming of age of electronic media, other than visiting campus after campus (there were no virtual tours), and relying on snail mail for glossy brochures and, if you were lucky, a course bulletin or two, colleg...
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Two high school seniors, college bound. One from an affluent school district on Long Island. The other from a small town nestled in the foothills of the Adirondacks. Both with stellar academic records, sufficiently proficient SAT and ACT scores, exemplary extracurricular activities, and abundant community service.

What distinguishes these two students, one from the other, in the eyes of the all and powerful college admissions officer at XYZ University?

Demographics, yes. All things being equal ...
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A good friend to every parent of a college-bound student (and, by osmosis, every high school student hoping to get into and find a way to pay for college), James Boyle of College Parents of America opines on the upsides, downsides, and inside-outsides of so-called merit aid.

The College Whisperer shares this piece with his readers for their edification (good SAT word), enlightenment, and reading pleasure.

Examining the Merit of Merit Aid

On its surface, merit aid for college is an appe...

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As Jews the world over usher in the year 5771 (where does the time go?), The College Whisperer pauses to reflect, to refresh, and to wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

Next year in college!


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Love 'em or loathe 'em. Write 'em or misplace 'em. Everybody has lists.

"To Do" lists. "Shopping" lists. Long lists. Short lists. Lists of colleges to apply to (which, in The College Whisperer's experience, are usually much too long).

To the genre of lists, add InsideCollege.com, where lists, on the site that calls itself "the insider's guide to everything college," abound.

There's a Most Popular List list, which includes such eclectic topics as Colleges with No Tuition (hey, where did everybody...
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Not to date oneself, but The College Whisperer remembers vividly when college campus fare consisted of reconstituted plastic food substitute, served by lunch ladies wearing hair nets under see-through shower caps.

Those days are so over!

While not always a feast fit for the Galloping Gourmet, a trip to the campus dining hall is, more often than not, an enjoyable gastronomic experience.

Indeed, students look to the dining options the way their parents devoured the course catalog. Food on campus i...
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A safe and fun-filled Labor Day Weekend from The College Whisperer and the college planning pros at College Connection.

Enjoy the last three-day weekend of summer. Fire up the BBQ. And, alas, hit those books! ;~)


The views and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of The College Whisperer.
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Comments? Questions for The College Whisperer?
Write us at info@TheCollegeWhisperer.com

The ro...
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G.L. of Dix Hills, NY (via the University at Albany), writes:

Just came back from the campus bookstore. Shocked to see the prices for textbooks, even the used ones. Any advice on saving us impoverished students some bucks?

The College Whisperer responds:

Ahhh. The joys of spending too much for the obligatory texts (often written by the professors and read by only a select few).

The College Whisperer still has vivid memories of his eldest daughter's days as an undergrad. She'd pre-order textbooks ...
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M.K. of North Hills, NY writes:

My son, a high school senior, will be applying for admission to colleges this fall. He has several prestigious, and expensive, private colleges in mind. His father and I were thinking more along the lines of one of the university centers of our state university. Your thoughts?

The College Whisperer responds:

When it comes to public universities versus private colleges, it would seem we think alike, M.K.

Too many folks -- particularly impressionable students who thi...
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