A totally normal (but totally frustrating!) part of getting ready for college is college application stress. Statistics show that 76% of students feel high levels of stress about the college application process…so if you’re feeling overwhelmed by college applications, you aren’t alone!

The good news is that there are steps you can take to prepare for the college application process, including having some stress management tactics at the ready. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know for effective college application stress management, including:

• Answering the question, “Why are college applications so stressful?”
• Explaining four reasons why college applications are so stressful
• Providing a college application schedule to help manage stress
• Listing five tips for managing stress during college application season

Let’s get started!

Do you have colleges you're interested in but don't have the time or money to visit the campuses in person? Look into virtual college tours! More and more colleges are now offering them (we have the whole list!), and they're a great way to get a feel for what a particular school is like without leaving home. But how do virtual college visits work? What questions should you ask? And how do you know if they're the right choice for you? Keep reading to find out.

Did you get a provisional offer of admission from your dream college? What does provisional admission mean, and what do you need to do next? And have you been accepted or not? Provisional admission can be confusing for students and parents to navigate, but we're here to explain the process as well as the steps you need to take to get that official admissions letter.

What are all the International Baccalaureate (IB) courses available to take? Here, we give you the complete list of all Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL) IB classes.

Every IB school is different, so your own school might not offer all the IB courses below. However, these are all the classes the IB has created a curriculum and test for. There are in total 57 classes (counting HL and SL separately). I have categorized them by the categories that the IB defines as the six subject groups.

As a former IB student, I highly recommend the IB Diploma Programme. I believe I was far better prepared for college than my non-IB counterparts because I'd been prepared to think critically and globally. If you are a parent or a student interested in enrolling in an IB Diploma Programme, this article is for you.

I've compiled a list of all the IB Diploma Programme schools in the United States and arranged them by state.

Did you know that there are a couple different paths to becoming a doctor in the United States? While the most traditional route involves earning a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree , you can also become a practicing doctor by earning a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree. Like an MD, a DO degree qualifies you to become a practicing physician in the U.S. 

One big perk to earning a DO degree is that lots of schools offer BS/DO programs. A BS/DO program allows you to earn your bachelor’s degree AND have a guaranteed seat in med school once you graduate. Plus, you might even be able to graduate one to two years faster than traditional undergrad students…which means you could start practicing medicine more quickly! If you’re planning to become a doctor, there’s a lot you should know about DO/BS programs and how they can benefit you, so below we’ll tell you:

• What a BS/DO program is
• How a BS/DO program differs from a BS/MD program 
• What the differences are between traditional, accelerated, and combined BS/DO programs
• Which universities offer the best BS/DO programs 

Ready? Let's dig in!

The Florida Bright Futures scholarships are great funding options for Florida residents who want to stay in the state for college or vocational school. All four awards are easily renewable, which means you could significantly cut your college expenses for several years.

You might think there’s some complicated paperwork involved in submitting the Florida Bright Futures scholarship application. As it turns out, much of the process is streamlined and automated —you actually don’t have to jump through too many hoops to apply. The eligibility requirements are a bit of a different story, but once you meet those, the application process should be pretty easy.

In this post, we'll briefly explain about eligibility requirements before moving on to the application timeline. We end with tips and strategies you can use to submit the best possible Bright Futures application.

The Florida Bright Futures scholarship programs are great resources for Florida students who plan on staying in-state for college. To date, the Bright Futures program has helped over 950,000 Florida students go to college!

As with any scholarship program, though, there's a lot of information to process about the awards. Just sifting through all the eligibility requirements and award limitations can be overwhelming, never mind figuring out how to actually submit an application.

In this guide, we've compiled all the information you need about the Bright Futures scholarships. We'll talk about the different award programs, their eligibility requirements, the application process, and strategies to help you win your own.

The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship programs are awesome education funding options for Florida state residents—if you can get through the application process, that is. The scholarships offered are particularly nitpicky and tedious about their eligibility requirements: the official handbook outlining these criteria is its own 14-page book chapter. (Luckily, we've created an overview for you in a different, much shorter post.)

Not to worry! We've outlined all the eligibility criteria for Florida Bright Futures Scholarships (general and specific, for each scholarship, with every single exception or special circumstance) in a way that’s a bit easier to get through.

We've also included information about when to expect notification about your eligibility. Once you’re considered eligible, you’re one (big) step closer to winning a Bright Futures Scholarship. After you’ve processed all this information, we'll get to the good stuff—how to increase your chances of winning your own Bright Futures award.

When are the upcoming SSAT test dates? How often is this test administered? Students hoping to attend private schools often need to take the SSAT, and since this test is only given a few times a year, it's important to know the upcoming SSAT test dates so you can register early enough to ensure you get a spot.

In this guide, we provide you with a chart of the upcoming SSAT test dates, which makes it easy to see when you can take the test and when you need to register for it. We also give tips on test fees, explain what to expect on test day, and offer advice on when you should take the SSAT.

McDonald's offers several scholarships for college-bound seniors, all with different awards and eligibility requirements. Because there's so much variability among awards, applying for a McDonald's scholarship can seem daunting. Ultimately, though, it's worth it to apply—since 1985, McDonald's has given out over $65 million in scholarships. Wouldn't it be great to get a small piece of that?

I'll walk you through the four different types of scholarship awards that McDonald's offers, in addition to offering tips and strategies to optimize your chances of winning your own award.

The most recent edition of the College Board's official SAT prep book is The Official Digital SAT Study Guide. What's the book like? Is it helpful? In this review, I'll break down the strengths and weaknesses of this newest edition of the official guide, discuss how students feel about it, and tell you whether it's ultimately worth buying.

Do you want to be a lawyer? In the United States, you need to graduate from a 4-year college and then go to law school if you want to practice law.

What is the best way to prepare for law school? What should you be doing in your undergraduate years to make yourself the most competitive applicant? In this article, we'll tell you about the best pre-law majors and explain what you need to do to get into the law school of your dreams.

We know that homework can be a real drag. It’s time-consuming, and can be difficult to complete all on your own. So, what can you do if you’re struggling?

You might try looking online or in the app store! If you’ve already looked around you probably know that there are tons of homework sites for students and homework apps out there that all say they can help you improve your grades and pass your classes. But, can you trust them? And what are the best apps for homework help?

Below, we answer these questions and more about homework help apps–free and paid. We’ll go over: 

• The basics of homework help apps
• The cost of homework help apps
• The five best apps for homework help
• The pros and cons of using apps that help you with homework 
• The line between “learning” and “cheating” when using apps that help you with homework
• Tips for getting the most out of homework sites for students 

So let’s jump in!

The decision to attend college is a big one. Getting a college degree takes time: at least four years for most people. Getting a college degree also costs money: tens of thousands of dollars for most people. You might be asking yourself, "Is it worth it? Should I go to college?"

In this article, I'll explain the benefits of going to college and detail some of the potential drawbacks. Furthermore, I'll give you all the information you need to decide whether or not you should pursue a college degree.