Built for you
Whatever your situation, there's a starting point.
The standard college-admissions playbook assumes a 17-year-old with college-educated parents at a traditional high school. Most of America isn't that. These are the pages we built for the rest of us.
Identity
First in your family to go to college →
FAFSA in plain English, what Pell actually is, and the eight questions first-gen students ask us most.
Foster youth — aging out, in care, or alumni →
Auto-independent FAFSA status, the Education Training Voucher ($5K/yr), Guardian Scholars programs, year-round housing.
LGBTQ+ — including hiding from family →
Campus Pride Index 5-star schools, gender-inclusive housing, chosen-name policies, Point Foundation scholarships.
Undocumented, DACA, or mixed-status →
State alternatives to FAFSA (TASFA, CADAA, NJ Alt App, etc.), schools that meet 100% need regardless of citizenship.
Pregnant or parenting →
First-year residency waivers, CCAMPIS on-campus childcare, dependent care in your COA, Title IX rights.
Native / Indigenous — TCU or mainstream →
Tribal college comparison, tribal scholarship stacking, the 1862 vs 1994 land-grant distinction.
International — applying from abroad →
A-levels / IB / gaokao conversion, the need-blind short list, F-1 visa timeline, merit-for-internationals filters.
Academic track
Pre-med track →
BS/MD programs, the $300K debt question, NHSC + IHS service scholarships, URM in medicine.
Recruited athlete — NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA →
NCAA eligibility, NIL by state, walk-on math, what to ask a coach in your first conversation.
Arts — audition or portfolio →
BFA vs BA, audition windows (Dec 1, Jan 5), portfolio specs by discipline, conservatory vs university.
Homeschooled →
Transcript format, test policies for homeschoolers, schools known for being homeschool-friendly.
Community college / transfer →
The transfer playbook, the 43% credit-loss reality, AZTransfer / ADT / state articulation, month-by-month timeline.
Support need
Disability — DSO + accommodations →
Evaluating Disability Services Offices, IEP → 504 transition, schools with strong disability support.
Neurodivergent — autism, ADHD, dyslexia, EF →
Programs built for ND students (Landmark, Beacon, REACH), 'calm and scannable is how you get to college.'
Custody, dependency override, special FAFSA →
Professional Judgment process, incarcerated-parent rules, grandparent-raised, divorced-parent custody.
If you're the parent
Missing a situation we should build for? Email hello@kidtocollege.com and we'll add it to the editorial calendar.