College-bound Seniors

The most helpful resource will be the practice redesigned SAT tests from the College Board and the Khan Academy.

Applying for financial aid and choosing a college in the United States is still much too complicated, but some long-overdue reforms are finally underway, and in the nick of time.

Change is coming, and even if it is imperfect and incomplete, it is definitely welcome.

29 Great Colleges for B Students and How to Get In: Generally, the better your grades, the more college options you'll have. However, some students are under the false impression that you need to get straight A's to get into a wonderful college. Students stress and worry that a few B's will sentence them to an inferior university.
Fortunately, you don't have to worry that getting B's will prevent you from going to a good school. There are a number of excellent colleges that admit B students.

Where are your chances of admission highest among the best public universities?

On her DIY blog, Michelle Kretzschmar emphasizes colleges that accept at least 50% of applicants and graduate at least 50% in four years at a private college or five years at a public university or an engineering program. But in this list she looks at more selective colleges, but still from the perspective of net cost to the student.

Consider an education abroad: Top Places for American Students to get a Bachelor’s Degree Overseas.

Two IECA members, Jeff Levy and Jennie Kent, annually compile and update stats on Early Decision (binding) and Early Action admission programs, which they share with colleagues. The chart reveals whether an admissions advantage is conveyed to students ready to commit to having their applications reviewed before regular cycle deadlines.

Each year, the requirements and recommendations around SAT Subject Tests (SAT II’s for the many still using the old College Board name) grow more diverse. The general trend is toward more flexible requirements, and no school has recently tightened requirements. Still, the most competitive colleges skew toward the “required” end of the spectrum.

The 50 Best Private Colleges for Merit Aid: if your family makes too much to qualify for need-based aid but you still want help with college costs, consider these schools, all of which land in the top half of MONEY's rankings, and have merit aid budgets. Their average merit grant is at least $6,000 a year, and at least 20% of undergraduates are awarded one. Typically, your odds for merit aid are best at schools where your grades and test scores put you in the top 25% of the applicants pool.

The SAT essay writing exercise has been transformed from an opinion piece into an exercise in textual analysis and critical thinking; this is similar to exercises on certain AP exams. Students will be asked to read a short (600-700-word) persuasive passage and write an essay response that explains how the author develops and supports an argument. On the ACT’s revamped essay, students will get 40 minutes to analyze and respond to three distinct perspectives on a topic that concerns a broad, national issue.