Working on your Notre Dame application and stumped by the supplemental essays? We’re here to help! We’ll also be answering listener questions on college finance and admissions.

by Lauren DiProspero, former admissions officer at Columbia University

Did you discover a passion for medicine in junior or senior year of college – or you graduated and want a career change? Maybe you weren’t able to complete all pre-requisite courses or you need to improve your science GPA before applying to medical school. It can seem overwhelming to know where to start. The good news is that you have options! One option is a post-baccalaureate (post-bac) program. Post-bac programs come in many different formats but the two main categories are career changer and record enhancement.

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: Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, PA

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.

Just one person can make a difference. If this statement speaks to you, consider creating a video clip on the subject, and you could win money for college. The Christophers believe in making a positive difference in the world that we live in one person at a time, and are putting money behind that belief.

Scholarship: Video Contest for College Students

Guest post by Brittany Peterson, Senior Executive Function Coach at Beyond BookSmart

If you’re reading this, it’s likely because you’re taking online classes or supporting someone taking online classes. No matter the reason, my goal is to offer you ways to tackle projects and introduce tools you can use to get focused and conquer assignments.

Thinking about transferring colleges? If costs are a consideration, we have advice on how to start preparing financially for this transition. While many seniors have already submitted some or all of their college applications, many, many more are just getting started. We have tips on getting organized and planning ahead in order to maximize the time left before regular decision applications are due. In Office Hours this week? Supplements for Tufts and Harvard.

by Shannon Vasconcelos, former financial aid officer at Tufts University

In order to access financial aid for college, you can list up to 10 schools on your FAFSA (if you’re applying to more than 10 colleges, read our post How to Apply to More than 10 Schools on the FAFSA) to receive your family’s financial information. Upon receipt of your complete financial aid application, those colleges’ financial aid offices will determine your eligibility for any applicable federal, state, and institutional aid programs.

We are often asked if there is a particular order in which order a student should list colleges on the FAFSA in order to maximize financial aid or chances of admission. The good news for students is that, in most cases, it makes absolutely no difference in what order you list your schools: listing from first choice to last, in alphabetical order, or by favorite school color will not change your admissions or financial aid outcomes in any way.

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: Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA

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.

Most families need to borrow to one extent or another to finance the cost of college, but do you know what college financing tool is better than a loan? A scholarship! Check out this scholarship to help reduce the amount you need to borrow for college.

Scholarship: Better Than a Loan Scholarship

by Michelle Richardson, former Assistant Vice President at Chase Student Loans

Obtaining a medical degree can pave the way for adults to follow their dream of becoming a medical doctor. However, that dream can be shattered once the newly graduated medical doctor realizes that they are buried in educational loan debt. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the class of 2019 medical students’ median debt was $200,000, and about 18% of those graduates incurred $300,000 in premed and medical school educational loan debt combined.