Hey there readers!

I hope everyone is having a good start to second semester. As I reviewed my previous blogs, I realized how hard and frustrating it can be to have to search through lots of different items to find the one thing you are looking for, so I'm going to try to make your life a little bit easier.

People today have a huge resource that was not available many years ago. Yes, I'm talking about the internet. The internet has become such a large part of today's society that almost everything you do in your day to day life has something to do with the internet or a computer. Cars now have computers in them; there are even some cars in other countries that can drive themselves! When you go to the library, instead of using a card catalog like our parents and grandparents did, we search for books on the library's computer. You can even order take out online now! Some people argue that technology has become more of a hindrance than an aid, but one thing I do know is that it makes college planning and preparation a whole lot easier.

When I went to register for my SATs I did it online at www.sat.collegeboard.com. On this web page you can register for your test, see your scores, and even receive questions to practice with. I also registered for my ACTs online at www.act.org. On this website you can also send your scores to colleges, and take practice tests.  Another popular website is for the Common Application, found at www.commonapp.org. As some of you may know the common application is a college application that you only have to fill out once and then you can send it to the colleges you want to apply to. The common app is a great tool to make applying for college a lot easier and less stressful. One thing to keep in mind is that not all colleges accept the common application. In order to know what colleges accept the common app you can go to the website and click on the tab that says “member colleges and universities”. There you will find a list of all colleges that accept the common app.

Another website I used was www.fastweb.com to search for scholarships. On Fastweb you make a profile with a little bit of information about yourself, your academics, and after-school activities. The website then matches you with scholarships that may apply to you so that you don't have to search through the thousands available. On Fastweb, you can link to the website where you actually apply for the scholarship (if the application is online). An added bonus is that you can enter what you want to study in college and what colleges you are thinking about attending and those colleges will send you information via e-mail and/or mail so you don't have to call the college and ask for the information.

And finally, every high school senior will have to fill out a FASFA for financial aid. The FASFA is just information you and your parents (unless you are filing as an independent student, then it’s just you) fill out to determine your need for financial aid and what grants you may be eligible for. You can fill out your FASFA online by going to www.fafsa.ed.gov.

I hope these few websites help you on the road to college, from applying for the SATs and/or ACTs to filling out your college application. I know they made my life a little easier when I was trying to get everything done. As always comments are welcome.  I am looking for some topics that may help you in your college process, so please let me know how I can help!

I’m off to surf some more,
Meryssa