The college admission process may have recently wrapped up for high school seniors, but, for underclassmen, the fun is just beginning. With nearly 4,000 colleges to choose from in the United States, how can a high school student even begin narrowing down their options?

With next fall’s plans pretty a giant question mark, many families are trying to understand what online study versus on-campus study will do to their costs. We’ll share what you need to know about funding an online education. In other segments, we’ll offer some standardized testing advice as test dates are cancelled and more colleges opt to go test optional in the coming year. Finally, we’ll revisit computer science, this time with Rick Bischoff of Case Western offering the college perspective.

by Lauren Randle, former admissions officer at Georgetown University

It’s been a tough few months, but you weathered it, and the school year is finally wrapping up. For the juniors, you might be feeling exhausted from all that the last semester brought and the ways you’ve had to adapt. My sincerest hope for you is that you’re able to return to school next fall and resume the things that make a high school experience: activities, close friendships, traditions. I want you to have that time to enjoy as a senior with as little stress as possible.

There are over 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. And while the media tends to focus on just a handful of schools, we at College Coach encourage students to think outside the box during their college selection process and explore a wide range of colleges. As such, we are highlighting a new college each week in our School Spotlight series. Check out the college below, along with the other posts in our series, and you may just stumble upon your dream school!

School Spotlight: Georgetown University
Washington, DC

There is a scholarship (or many scholarships) out there for everyone. Every student has some skill, interest, experience, or characteristic that may make them an attractive candidate for one scholarship or another. And while we often refer to scholarships as “free money,” scholarships don’t actually come for free. It takes work to thoughtfully consider your strengths and research the scholarships that might be most appropriate for you. While the effort that goes into finding and winning scholarships may be akin to a part-time job, we at College Coach want to make your job a little easier. This on-going scholarship series highlights a new scholarship each week. Check out the below, along with the other posts in the series, and you may discover a funding resource that will make covering that college bill a little (or a lot!) easier.

Does your town or city have a garden club? You may not even have to be a member or the dependent of a member to qualify for a scholarship from the organization. The Elmhurst Garden Club (IL) offers money to Illinois residents who are interested in horticultural education, conservation, or landscape design.

Scholarship: The Elmhurst Garden Club Scholarship

by Ian Fisher, former admissions officer at Reed College

Last week, the Common App announced it will add a short COVID-19-themed essay question for students applying to college this fall. This came as little surprise to those of us at Bright Horizons College Coach, where one of our more prescient educators even had a dream about this addition, way back on April 10. We have long anticipated that colleges would offer a way for students to express how this global pandemic has upended the ordinary parts of their lives, and the question below will give them an opportunity to do exactly that:

by Lauren DiProspero, former admissions officer at Columbia University

As I spend time speaking with families, I notice that many are missing the cultural experiences they had before stay-at-home policies were established. Some love museums, no matter how small and quirky. Some miss the popcorn at their local movie theater. Some are yearning to learn new things at lectures. And, honestly, many didn’t have regular access to these experiences within their community before this.

This episode is all for the underclassmen, from mapping out a plan for your high school coursework to understanding the what and why of participating in extracurricular activities throughout your secondary school years. Finally, we have some financial advice for parents of ninth and tenth graders to follow as they prepare to pay for college in a few years.

In a time of increasing concerns about environmental sustainability, many students are passionate about protecting natural resources and actively engaging in environmental sustainability efforts. For most students this is a strong conviction that shapes their lifestyle and extracurricular activities and, for some, it will develop into an academic and career calling. Many parents I speak to are concerned and unsure of how a student can turn a passion for sustainability into a career, but do not fret—there are lots of options!

There are over 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. And while the media tends to focus on just a handful of schools, we at College Coach encourage students to think outside the box during their college selection process and explore a wide range of colleges. As such, we are highlighting a new college each week in our School Spotlight series. Check out the college below, along with the other posts in our series, and you may just stumble upon your dream school!

School Spotlight: Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, NC