It’s finally time to start applying to college! You have everything you need to start—transcripts, personal essays, FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), personal information, and video submissions. Once you begin submitting all the needed documents, you are stopped by a page asking for your banking information or a credit card. Colleges often charge you to apply to their programs. College application fees can vary, anywhere from $10 to $100, depending on where you apply. Though this may not seem like a lot, these fees start to add up if you apply to multiple programs and colleges. Not to mention, you have likely already paid to take the ACT or SAT, courses to take those tests, and trips to those colleges. All the fees can intimidate a student from a low-income family, but these costs do not have to be a barrier to access. Many colleges offer waived fees to students for low-income families, and colleges often offer deals through emails and at certain times of the year.

This article explores prestigious summer programs for high school students interested in STEM.

The last hurrah is finally here! After four years of planning and preparation, you've finally hit the milestone of senior year. With this chapter about to close, you'll spend this year looking toward the next chapter of your life: college!

This article explores some of the top precollege summer programs in STEM - helping you find the perfect fit for your interests and goals.

When you apply for colleges, you usually have a pretty good idea of how to respond to a college letter of acceptance or rejection. However, you may find out that your application is "waitlisted." What does that mean for your college plan? Should you be concerned?

If you have been selected for verification, chances are that you didn't do anything wrong and just need to complete a few steps to get your financial aid back on track.

In a December, 2021, blog, Jenny Rickard, President and CEO of Common App, stated that its goal is to create “a college admissions process that sparks joy rather than anxiety.” For those students applying to the most highly selective colleges, and for those whose financial aid awards will ultimately determine if, or where, they matriculate, that goal, while admirable, is probably not attainable. An analogy, perhaps, would be to suggest that students and alumni of a lower-seeded NCAA March Madness basketball team could, prior to and during the game, watch with no anxiety – only joy. Highly unlikely! Whether the Common App goal, joy rather than anxiety, is relevant for all students is debatable, but it could be more broadly defined to include a second cohort: colleges’ Enrollment staffs.

With early application and regular decision deadlines fast approaching, students may feel overwhelmed with the task of writing their essays. At SAGE Scholars, we're here to help prepare the next generation of prospective students for success. During this critical time in students' lives, college essays will be among the essential facets of their applications. Though high stakes, this aspect of the application is also open to the most creativity and personalization. Essays are a chance for students to explain their passions and dreams—while also exploring what makes them who they are. Below, you'll discover some helpful essay writing tips that can separate your application from the rest of the pack!

With so many media outlets covering the negative consequences of social media on students’ admission into college—i.e., admission rescinded for inappropriate content— we’re looking at how students might use these inevitable social media checks to their benefit for admissions committees.

Setting yourself up for success requires thoughtful and strategic long-term planning. We have put together four tips to help you figure out how to maximize your time while setting yourself up for an eye-catching college application.