Get Into College and Afford It

When I was in high school, I wish I knew how to get into college and be able to pay for it. When I was a junior, I started getting mailers from colleges and universities every single day. I had two milkcrates filled with information I knew I could never get through, and when it came time to pick schools and apply, I had no clue where to start. I visited several campuses, but ended up only applying to one college. Luckily, I got in. But I got no money! I didn't understand why.

This past spring - over ten years later - I tried to help my sister and cousin with the process. I quickly found I still didn't know where the heck to begin, and with questions about everything from applications to essays to financial aid, I started doing some research for answers.

I came across MyCollegeCalendar.org. At first, I thought it was going to be like all the other non-helpful college "help" sites; create a profile - boy or girl, activities, GPA, blah, blah, blah... "And we'll get you into college!" (By the way, those sites don't work!) But it wasn't like the others at all. First off, it was 100% FREE. MyCollegeCalendar.org had answers to all my questions. Everything we needed to know, literally, was laid out for us. They have a calendar format that tells you what you need to do, when you should do it and how you should do it. (They also lay it out for you in task-list style, if you like that approach better. We liked being able to see it all in front of us on a calendar.) And when we ran into some roadblocks - which at times we did - they have message boards and blogs to help answer your questions, and they actually answer the message board postings! They also tell you when to apply for college in order to secure maximum financial aid (scholarships and grants - FREE MONEY!) But, unfortunately, early-application and admission is in the fall of a student's senior year, and we were already in the spring. So, if you're reading this - I hope at least one or two people stumble across it - APPLY EARLY!!!

Needless to say, I wish this was around when I was thinking about going to college. As I said, I didn't know what the heck I was doing, I applied to one school, and I got no money... After starting late, last spring, both my sister and cousin got into the school they wanted to go to, and they both still managed to get themeslves on the financial aid map (though barely). If we'd known about early-application, both their schools said, with their college resumes, their GPAs and the essays they wrote, they would have both received significant scholarships. But all the major money was already given away!!! Oh well, at least they're on campus now, buying books, starting classes, meeting new people... and, oh yeah, on their way to a higher education!