When we were in high school, we were taught to look up to the kid who sacrificed everything to get straight A's, whose parents forced them into extravagant music lessons and then got into the Ivy League. While many of us still strive for that, it's important to consider whether that is, in fact, a good idea. Many college freshmen, having prepared for a very demanding major in high school, realize that they can't compete with others at their schools with higher aptitude. Others are forced to transfer, or even fail out, having arrived at a school either with the wrong ideas about what they wanted to do, or being a fish out of water in a sea of geniuses. And yet, this is what many, if not most, intelligent high school students and their parents reach for.

Download The Key to College: Extracurriculars and Doing What You Love

Liam Burns will be the new head of the National Union of Students.

The next leader of Britain's student movement will be Liam Burns, the current president of NUS Scotland.

Download Liam Burns will be the new head of the National Union of Students.

With most of the country covered in snow, your college search may have taken a turn. If you’re a fair-weather kind of student, you should consider some of the hottest college campuses in the country…literally.

Download Warm Winter College Choices

The first thing to consider is any advanced placement credits you might have earned based on your scores on your AP or SAT II Exams. If you placed out of any introductory-level classes that are relevant to your major or preprofessional program, go ahead and take them off the list"but only after you confirm with the registrar's office that you have indeed waived out of the requirement. The last thing you want to do is proceed on a mistaken assumption for four years, only to discover the problem during senior year when the registrar won't let you graduate because you're missing a core course that you thought you had satisfied with AP credits.


Download Choosing Your Freshman Year Classes

Education requirements, typical duties and responsibilities, and certifications for medical secretaries are provided for a career that is expected to grow by 27 percent.

Download Medical Secretary Education and Career Outlook

It will help you in your college career to develop good study habits. The first thing you need to do is take responsibility for your actions. You are the only one who can decide your priorities and how to use your time and resources.

Download Good Study Habits

The point of having a Coverdell ESA is to enable you to pay for some or all of your student's qualified educational expenses with a combination of money you've saved (on which you previously paid income tax) and the earnings on your savings, on which you've paid no tax.

Download Coverdell Education Savings Accounts: Taking Distributions

Although nearly every college student wants a scholarship to help pay tuition, only about 50 percent of college students are expected to receive free money in 2011 and 2012. And the shortage of scholarships is expected to be especially severe in 2011 and 2012.

Download 6 Steps to Beating the Shortage of Financial Aid

High school is a busy time, filled with plenty of activities, leaving little time to study. In order to optimize this time, incorporate these high school study skills...

Download Study Skills for High School

Certainly, a good education can be expensive, and MBA programs can be particularly costly. However, numerous financial aid options exist, including federal grants, federal guaranteed loans, private scholarships, and private student loans. Usually, a combination of these financial aid options is needed to complete an MBA degree.

Download Financial Aid for MBA Students