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Explore my work over the course of my writing career.

From financial aid to mental health in college, I tackle a variety of topics from the brand's voice and tone.

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Certificate vs Degree Programs

It may seem like your only paths after high school are to go to a traditional two- or four-year school or go straight into the workforce—but nope! Have you ever heard of certificate programs? It’s another option to get some professional credentials and land a job. Find out whether a certificate or degree program is the way to go for you.
Certificate programs allow you to take classes in narrow, focused fields—think computer programming, accounting, education, and more. At the end of your program...
Sallie Mae •

How to have the college talk with your family

College Prep Kitchen by Sallie was created to team up students and their families for the college talk—and there’s no better place to do that than in the kitchen. Now, it’s your turn! Haven’t talked about scholarships or the FAFSA® just yet? Where to go to school or what things to keep in mind when you decide? We’re giving you the ingredients to dish out the college convo from your own kitchen. Chat through your plan where you feel most comfortable—right in your own home. Cooking isn’t required,...
Sallie Mae •

How Much Financial Aid Can I Get for College?

Financial aid can vary depending on the type that you receive—grants, scholarships, and federal student loans have different average amounts.
In the 2022-23 academic year, College Board reported that full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate students received financial aid packages averaging $15,480 per student. That breaks down to $10,680 in grants, $3,860 in federal loans, $850 in education tax credits and deductions, and $90 in Federal Work-Study (FWS).footnote 1
College Board also found that...
Sallie Mae •

The top grants to pay off student loans

I’m sure you’ve heard of student loans and scholarships, but what about grants? Grants are an underrated way to pay for school, and the best part? They’re totally free. Just like scholarships, grants are free money for school that you don’t have to pay back. But while scholarships tend to be merit-based, grants tend to be need-based. Grants can be used during or after school to help pay down student loans. Keep reading to find out how grants can help you pay yours.
If there’s anything you take a...
Sallie Mae •

Discover’s exit from student loans: What you need to know

What Discover’s exit means for your student loan

Discover’s student loan business is changing. According to Discover’s website, “Discover will no longer accept new student loan applications after January 31, 2024. Applications received on or before January 31, 2024 will be processed as usual.” If you have a Discover student loan or were thinking about taking one out, don’t worry—we’ve got some answers to the questions you might have.

Why is Discover exiting the student loan business?

Discover
Sallie Mae •

Choose the Right College for You with These 5 Tips

Before you run to a school’s admissions site and look at the criteria for you to get in, start with the basics.

1. Talk to family members and friends who have been through the process before. They could have valuable insight into what you should look for in a school based on their college experiences.

2. Jot down all of your wants from a school. There’s nothing wrong with having a college wish list! Want a big campus feel? Need to be within an hour of your hometown? Love having D1 sports teams
Sallie Mae •

Early Action vs Early Decision

The pros and cons of early action
• You can apply early to any schools that have an early action deadline—there’s no limit
• You don’t have to commit to a school until May 1
• You have many options for schools with early action deadlines—over 450 schools have early action and/or early decision deadlines according to the College Board®
• You’ll have less time to prepare your application materials in order to meet the early deadline
• Your senior year grades and activities won’t be reflected in yo
Sallie Mae •

Top high school internships

You can start getting work experience now

Internships sound like just a college thing, but they’re not! You can start getting professional experience as a high school student with internships. Internships are positions designed to give students work experience and a chance to learn about a new career interest or field of study. Think this sounds like something you’re interested in? Keep reading for some pointers and a few great internship opportunities!

How to find internships in high school
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10 Things You Shouldn’t Forget When Choosing a School

Things to keep in mind when picking a school

You might know exactly what you’re looking for. Great food, good housing options, an even better cost—but is that all you want? There are so many elements of a school that people don’t think about until they’re on campus. Get ahead of the curve and think about these overlooked college aspects before Decision Day.

Here’s what you should keep in mind when picking your school

#1: First-year retention rates. You’ve spent so much time planning how you’l
Sallie Mae •

What is a gap year?

How to plan & pay for a gap year

Taking a gap year usually isn’t something you wake up and decide to start immediately—it takes time, planning, and money to support you through it.

Think about school. If you’ve been accepted into college, reach out to your school and talk to an admissions counselor about your deferral options for however much time you need.

Organize your time in chunks. What will you do in the summer months after graduating from high school? Work? Travel? Rest? What will you
Sallie Mae •

Online Colleges That Accept the FAFSA®

Get the financial aid you need for online school

Attending online college may feel different than going to a traditional school, but when it comes to financial aid, they’re often treated the same. See why you can submit the FAFSA®, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, to an online college and find out what popular online colleges accept the FAFSA®.

How to find out if the school you’re interested in accepts the FAFSA®

Your #1 takeaway should be that if the online school is accredited,
Sallie Mae •

How to get financial aid for community college

No matter what type of school you want to go to, you should always fill out the FAFSA®. The FAFSA® is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid—and is your ticket to tons of options for financial aid for school. Federal aid should always be your first choice when you’re looking for help to pay for school. The types of aid you can get from the FAFSA® are as follows:
• Grants: These are sums of money offered to you that you don’t have to pay back (the best kind of financial aid!). Grants are of
Sallie Mae •

Benefits of community college

As the ticket price of college is going up, more people are choosing community college. If you’re thinking about becoming a community college student, here are 7 pros you can look forward to.


#1: It can be more affordable

Community college is known for being cheaper than a traditional college, especially when it comes to tuition. College Board reported that the annual tuition for community college is about 1/3 the tuition for a four-year college.footnote 1 However, tuition isn’t the only thi
Sallie Mae •

Ways to spend your gap year

What to do during your gap year

Taking a gap year is your opportunity to spend time pursuing your passions, accomplishing goals, and setting yourself up for the future. They can take shape however you see fit—need ideas on what you should do during your gap year? Here are some ways you can spend your time.

Things to do during your gap year

A gap year is a great time to go on a trip you’ve always dreamed of going on. You could travel alone, join an adventure or exchange program, or spend time
Sallie Mae •

Living On-campus vs. Off-campus

Choosing where to live when going to school might seem like a no-brainer. All the movies and TV shows make college living look like the dream, whether students are in a killer dorm or in a super nice off-campus apartment. But what is it really like? Living on- or off-campus in reality has some perks and some not-so-perky sides, too. Check out some of the pros and cons here.

Being close to your classes and on-campus activities. When you live on campus, everything you need to do for the day could
Sallie Mae •

Going to College Far Away from Home

If you’re anything like me, you might want to get out of town for college—like, ASAP. Going to college 2,000 miles away from home and not knowing a single soul was exciting for me. It can seem daunting, but it can also feel like a fresh start. However, making the big move means that there are extra things to prepare for that you might not have to think about if you were staying local. If you’re planning on going to college far from home, here are some things you need to plan for.

Of course, the
Sallie Mae •

How to cope with being homesick at college

Homesickness is so universal—everyone deals with it at some point. Whether it’s missing family, friends, or your favorite local food spot, missing home is completely normal. I went to college 2,000 miles away from home, so I know a thing or two about it. But there are ways to turn your sadness into peace and growth. Here’s how to make homesickness a thing of the past at school.

Dropping everyone you knew from back home won’t make you feel better. Take the time to schedule regular phone and vide
Sallie Mae •

Trade school vs College

You may have already decided that you’re going to keep doing the school thing after high school—but what kind? A traditional college isn’t the only kind of school out there. Trade schools are a thing too! Before you decide what path is best for you, learn what the differences are between college and trade school.

First things first: what’s college and what’s trade school? The phrases are common enough, but not always talked about in depth. College refers to schools that offer academic degrees i
Sallie Mae •

College Application FAQs

It’s college application season! This can be an exciting time (and a confusing one, too!) for a lot of people. There’s a lot that goes into a college app. Whether you have it all figured out or need a few pointers, here’s the rundown on some college application FAQs.

What should I look for in a school?

You’ll want to go to a school that suits your academic needs and makes you happy, right? Here are some things to keep in mind when picking schools you think you’ll thrive at:
• Majors and minors
Sallie Mae •

Scholarship Guide

Once you’ve found the scholarships you want to apply for, make sure you keep track of all the requirements. Scholarships typically have certain things you need to do to be considered for the award—filling out short answer questions or an essay, getting a letter of recommendation, or submitting test scores are common. Try these tips to keep up with your to-dos.
• Start your applications ASAP. Giving yourself as much time as possible to apply will give you some wiggle room to get all your submissi
Sallie Mae •

Ways to manage mental health during midterms

Midterms are coming up, and it’s definitely a stressful time. It’s so important to prioritize your mental health always, but especially now—the question is, how? With studying, classes, work, and having a social life, it all can get super overwhelming. Here are a few things you can do to keep your mental health strong during midterms.

Be honest with yourself and what you need: how do you study? If you’ve never been the type of person who could cram for an exam the night before, you probably sho
Sallie Mae •

When is the FAFSA® due?

If you’re thinking about applying to college this year, listen up—you’ll want to know about this.

Before you crank out those college apps, one of the most important applications every college-bound person should fill out is the FAFSA® (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). What’s even more important than filing the FAFSA® is filing it on time. Punctuality is key with the FAFSA®. With new date changes for the 2024-2025 academic year, here are some things you should know about submitting the
Sallie Mae •

What’s the difference between a CSS Profile® and the FAFSA®?

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as FAFSA®, is the best way to get federal financial aid for school, but it’s not always the only application you should submit. Nearly 300 colleges, universities, and scholarships require the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile®footnote 1. Let’s lay out the similarities and differences between the two.

What is the CSS Profile®?

First things first, the CSS Profile® is an application created by the College Board. Familiar with the
Sallie Mae •

FAFSA® eligibility: Who qualifies for financial aid?

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, more commonly known as the FAFSA®, is one of the most important things you can submit for college (besides college applications, of course). The FAFSA® is how you can get federal financial aid, like grants, scholarships, and loans for school. Anyone can fill out the application, but there are eligibility requirements for students to get any money from it. I asked 20+ year financial aid expert Ed Recker about them.

Here’s how a student can be eligibl
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