As if the college application and admissions process wasn't confusing and stressful enough! 

This year, the folks at Common App, home of the applications to nearly 500 colleges and universities, is changing things up, with the advent of Common App 4.0. 

Those of you who have been following The College Whisperer™ already know that there are new essay prompts, and gone is that mainstay of the personal statement, "A topic of your choice." 

There is also a 650 word limit on that essay, to be stric...
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If there is a single question The College Whisperer™ is asked most about the college application process, it is, "Where do I begin?"

Our typical response is, "At the beginning, of course!" ;-)

Seriously, though, getting started down that long and winding road to college admissions, as it is with many things in life, is often the most difficult part of the journey.

So, what will follow below is a basic (very basic, as in, just to give you a push) primer -- a "To Do" list, if you will -- to set ...
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Katie of Syosset, NY writes:

I've seen a few ads for intensive, not to mention, expensive, college application events, promising, among other things, a completed Common Application and a fully prepared "suite of essays" in just 4 days. One such "boot camp," held up in Boston, charges $14,000, not including room and board. Is it worth the big bucks?

The College Whisperer™ responds:

Well, let's see. The earth was created in 6 days, so we suppose that creating a winning admissions strategy, no ...
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While the folks in Congress have done absolutely nothing to stop the interest rates on subsidized student loans from doubling (yes, we said DOUBLING, from 3.4% to 6.8% on July 1), students can help themselves reduce, and even eliminate student debt by diligently searching and applying for college scholarships.

Start while you're still in high school (there are even college scholarships that high school freshman can qualify for), and continue throughout your college career (after all, that tuit...
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