Resources to Save You from
College Admissions Madness

...with a bonus Thank-You Note Checklist (you’re welcome).

You can print this out and place it under your child’s nose a week (or the night or an hour) before a college interview. I’m a parent too, so I’ve added a Thank-You Note Checklist for Students hoping that the directive to write a note after the interview will seem like a “suggestion” from me instead of nagging from you. The book includes more such student checklists, but hopefully, this will help you get started.

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...will calculate for you, so you don’t have to do math!

You can use this tool to compare college costs either before your child applies or after notifications roll in. Erika and I have added some dummy numbers to show you how it's done. Substitute your own numbers into the calculator. I’m going to throw in Erika’s Fruit Crisp recipe for comfort in case you have either math anxiety (like I do) or stress about the formidable cost of college (don't we all).

...includes checklists and tabs for everything.

Wait until you see all of the bells and whistles Debbie included on her impeccable spreadsheet. You'll see some categories that were important to Debbie's family, but you can add and substitute your own. Debbie doesn’t mess around when it comes to organizing. If you want to see something truly dazzling, you should see Debbie’s vegetable garden and kitchen. I’ll share some of her recipes for baked goods in my CPR Newsletter, so you can use them to help smooth out college visit road trips with your teenager.

...and how you can avoid many of them.

The process of applying to college can cost thousands of dollars before you pay one penny of tuition. I’ve broken down for you the many hidden expenses you’ll encounter, and I've provided advice for cheaper or free options.

...to organize like a Luddite.

Here’s the simple form offered in College Admissions Cracked, only in a downloadable format. You can print it out, and there's space to fill in all the essential information about each college with an old-fashioned pencil! I've included info for one fictional college, as an example. PSA: If you’re a tech-type, you may prefer Debbie’s Dazzling College Planning Spreadsheet.

..to keep track of all the details.

When it’s time for your child to submit college applications, it can be a daunting process to organize all the requirements. Here’s a downloadable version of the checklist I offer in College Admissions Cracked. You can check everything off without feeling like you’re defacing a book (if you care about such things).

...to College Admissions-Related Resources.

Download this list for easy access to some of the websites I recommend in College Admissions Cracked.