What We Do
As you've either already discovered, or are finding out now, college presents a wide variety of challenges to both students and parents. From choosing the right school to finding and getting the most appropriate financial aid, the choices you make in the next two years will have an impact on everyone involved for years to come.
Here are the ways TheCollegeStore.net can help you plot your own roadmap for success.
From finding the right college, then finding help to pay for it, we've done the footwork for you.
FINDING THE RIGHT COLLEGE
Researching colleges: With over 3000 colleges and universities in the United States, picking the right one can be a challenge. We help you cut through much of the fluff that passes for college rankings and help you find the most accurate and comprehensive information available.
Evaluating the choices: We help you build a formula for that is specific to your goals and needs. The best ranking in the world doesn't matter if the school doesn't offer your major or if you can't afford to attend. We help you define a set of criteria that will let you evaluate schools by how well they fit your needs so that you have the best opportunity for success.
Choosing the schools to which you will apply: Once you've used your personalized evaluation model to rank schools based on your needs, we'll help you decide where you have the best chance of success. From that list you can decide which, and how many schools to which you should actually apply.
Test Prep: "Achievements Tests" are the most important (and feared) tests that a college-bound student faces because they can figure heavily in the acceptance to the college of their choice. Whether these tests demonstrate true aptitude for college success is the subject of much debate. However, many students who have achieved high scores have had the privilege of advanced tutoring from the services of a costly, private test preparation firm. We will acquaint you with the college "Achievement Tests", inform you of biases that are inherent in the SAT and provide you with the means to analyze your strengths and weaknesses using a diagnostic worksheet.
Successfully navigating the application and admission process: The typical admissions process is far more than just filling out a simple application form. Beyond the forms are typically everything from test scores to letters of recommendation to transcripts. We help you organize your application process so that you are getting the most out of your efforts whether you are applying to one school or twenty.
Enrolling and preparing to go to college: Going to college is far from just attending classes in a different building. From living on campus vs. living off to "Do I need a car?" to when does orientation start. We help you with a checklist of things that will help you hit the ground running once you get to school.
PAYING FOR IT
Gathering the necessary documents: Documentation is the key to financing college. From demonstrating your income to your assets to your test scores, getting the necessary reference documents together is the first step in plotting your college financing course. We will help you figure out what you need, how many copies you need of each and what to do with them.
Estimating your needs: Tuition is only one part of the cost associated with going to college. There are a myriad of other things from housing to food to books to transportation, not to mention entertainment and sports. Our workbook will help you get a firm idea of what your expenses are going to be over your college career.
Evaluating your resources: Once you have estimated what your costs will be you will need to figure out how you are going to pay for them. The first answer to that question is by measuring what you can contribute. We help you evaluate what you can bring on your own from both current and future resources.
Applying for financial aid: Financial aid often fills the gap between your expected costs and expected contributions. With the federal and state governments, college financial aid offices and thousands of scholarship organizations each looking for different documents, it can be a nightmare making sure the right documents get to the right place on time. We help you set up a checklist that makes certain that you will submit your forms to the right place. And that you'll do so on time.
Evaluating the various financial aid offerings and choosing the most appropriate one(s). Ideally you will find yourself in the position of having more financial aid offers than you require. We will help you evaluate which offers are the best choices for you both in the short run and, if applicable , after you've graduated.