Resources
Plain-English college planning guidance for families — written by Dr. Mohamed Abouzahra, free and open to everyone. No login required.
Choosing colleges
How to choose a college: a data-first guide to building your list
Five steps built on public data: how to read published admissions profiles, estimate real costs, check completion data, and build a balanced list.
Read the guide
September 9, 2026
Student success
College completion: what to check before choosing a school
What completion and retention data can — and can’t — tell you about a college, and practical ways students organize support once they arrive.
Read the guide
September 9, 2026
California · CADAA
The California Dream Act Application (CADAA): a plain-English guide for families
Who files CADAA instead of FAFSA, what AB 540 really requires, what aid it unlocks, and an honest answer on privacy. Free, no account. También disponible en español.
Read the guide
August 12, 2026
Admissions data
I analyzed 268 colleges' Common Data Sets. Here's what they publicly admit matters in admissions.
Rigor beats test scores, most colleges skip interviews, and the ED "advantage" is smaller than the headlines — what colleges themselves report, with every number verifiable.
Read the guide
August 9, 2026
FAFSA
Who counts as a "contributor" on the 2027–28 FAFSA?
Divorced, remarried, or filing separately? Who must participate in the FAFSA is one of the most-missed steps — and getting it wrong delays aid.
Read the guide
August 6, 2026
Paying for college
Merit aid vs. net price: why the sticker price is almost never what you pay
Families cross great schools off the list over a number almost nobody pays. How to compare colleges by what YOUR family would actually pay.
Read the guide
August 6, 2026
Not sure where to start?
The free 2-minute FAFSA Readiness Check tells your family exactly what to do first — no account, no Social Security number, no financial amounts requested.
Take the FAFSA Readiness Check