How to Go to College Almost for Free

Ben Kaplan

1 Great resource if you are starting early
I am a Certified College Planner and recommend this book especially for high school freshmen and sophomores. With the elite schools costing over $200,000 for 4 years, a student's family needs to tap all sources of college funding. This book is a well written guide that helps by 'holding your hand' through the process of finding and winning private scholarships. Anyone can have a stash of college money at the ready when they begin college. Ben Kaplan shows you how.

2 From A-Z, a battle plan for getting scholarships
When I saw the title of this book, I began salivating uncontrollably. Imagine, having someone else pay to send your kids to college. That may have been an overreaction. Surely anyone else that has college-bound kids should sympathize.

The book is well organized and written on a level that will not challenge a high school student. However, there are tips for a wider audience including the very young, older returning students, graduate students, and students that fit into special groups.

Clearly, the competition for scholarships can be intense, but with a logical game plan engaged in consistently, an applicant's effectiveness can be increased. The one consistent theme in the book is that a steady approach will lead to success.

I will take issue with a combination of techniques mentioned in the book. Kaplan suggests that students get their recommendations in electronic format so that they can print them out as needed. He also suggests that you solicit "small" changes to recommendation letters to make them "great" letters. I feel this may present many an ethical challenge to some applicants. To be clear, he does not suggest manufacturing recommendation letters.

He also provides access to his companion web site to add extra punch to the process.

In the final analysis, it is hard to argue with his success, and Kaplan was very successful on his own behalf. He interviewed many of the people involved as applicant and administrators and their tips appear in the book.

3 Not bad...It's a pretty good book.
Well, umm...This is a pretty good book with some good advice. The best part of the book is probably the first chapter, in which Ben Kaplan does a good job explaining the differences between the types of sources of funding for college students. Some of the other tips he gives on searching for scholarships are pretty good too. And he really seems like a great guy- he's really professional and sweet and funny, plus he's good-looking. Hmm, I wonder if he's still single. (You can just sense the "however" coming, can't you?)

However, a lot of the advice he gives is just common sense. Such as: be sure to apply for a large number of scholarships instead of just a few; construct one essay and adjust it slightly for several scholarship essays; don't pay for an online scholarship service, ask your teachers for help. There are a few innovative "Guerrilla Tactics" he points out, though, such as you can go to a high school/college other than your own and look on their scholarship database. I guess I'm just giving the whole book away here, aren't I? My point is, you don't necessarily need to read this book to help you find good scholarships. You can just go to a good online schol search engine, such as FastWeb or Mach 25, which are 100 percent free. FastWeb is especially good b/c it features articles that contain much of the same advice that is found in this book. Don't forget to fill out the FAFSA every year, which is also free.

So it would be best to save the 19.99 that you would have spent on this book (or 7.95 if you're buying it used, etc.) and just do scholarship research on your own and be sure to get crackin.

4 Could I give it TEN stars?
This is really a great strategy book. It helps you get your thoughts in order, takes the mystery out of financial aid and puts it in your hands where you feel like you have more control. I went ahead and applied for financial aid for my community college...and I got awarded "money"! :O I can pay for the summer semester without having to work!...

Every night I read through this book, I make notes in pencil, I put yellow sticky notes on the most important pages for myself. Tonight I went to an office store and bought some materials for organizing my financial aid plans for the future. I am really MOTIVATED!

This book is worth every penny. As they say: If you think going to college is expensive, try ignorance! LOL! I am planning on going all way - Ph.D or Psy.D. The book has many pages in it, but it's light-speed reading, not intimidating in the least, and is frequently illustrated with humourous cartoons. I recommend it to anyone interested in empowering themselves better in seeking financial aid, no matter what your socio-economic status. ;)

5 Could I give it TEN stars?
This is really a great strategy book. It helps you get your thoughts in order, takes the mystery out of financial aid and puts it in your hands where you feel like you have more control. I went ahead and applied for financial aid for my community college...and I got awarded $2600! :O I can pay for the summer semester without having to work!

I currently go to school full-time and work part-time at $7hr. But now, I have money for tuition, books, and other school expenses -and - I have been awarded $900 in work-study. None of these are loans! I can't believe it!!

6 too much fat
This book has some good information but you have to wade through the fat to get at it. It may be written mainly for aspiring college students, but I feel it is not complete enough or deep enough for parents. There are many other better books out there on the subject (notably Fiancial Aid for Dummies and Discounts and Deals at the Nations best 360 colleges).

7 Will Get Your Kids Scholarships
Hello everyone,

I just wanted to write in and recommend this book. It is great for those parents who want the best for their kids and who want to help them take some initiative with scholarships. This book helped get my son off the couch, and he's already won several scholarships. Now that's what I call a gift for parents! :)

8 Step by Step Instructions
As a parent who has been frustrated by the headache that is college financial aid, this book was a breath of fresh air. It lays it all out for you, step by step. Goes over the big picture, how to search for scholarships, how to strategize, how to fill out all the forms, how to get great recommendation letters...pretty much everything. It was terrific for my son, who is a sophomore in college, but would also be very useful for parents with younger kids.

9 Informative Book
Okay, who doesn't need money for college? I'm currently a sophomore at NYU and I wouldn't be here if I wasn't able to win college scholarships. I treated it seriously and read virtually every book on the subject. The $25,000+ in scholarships I won really changed my life. Let me say that 'How to Go to College Almost for Free' is really, really good. Informative, clear, and actually funny. This book has become pretty much the "bible" for scholarship seekers.

10 College Education: Almost Free, Totally Free
I got this book and went through it. It was great. I didn't know how many opportunities were available for my kids. I recommend "How To Go To College..." by Benjamin R. Kaplan if you are interested in an ALMOST FREE college education. I also recommend that you read "West Point: Character, Leadership,.." by Norman Thomas Remick if you are interested in a TOTALLY FREE college education.

11 College Education: Almost Free, Totally Free
I got this book and went through it. It was great. I didn't know how many opportunities were available for my kids. I recommend "How To Go To College..." by Benjamin R. Kaplan if you are interested in an ALMOST FREE college education. I also recommend that you read "West Point: Character, Leadership,.." by Norman Thomas Remick if you are interested in a TOTALLY FREE college education.

12 THE ONLY SCHOLARSHIP TEXTBOOK
I've used this book for over a year now in my financial seminars. We use 8 or so books as textbooks in the class I teach, and this one is always an audience favorite. This new edition of the book is even better than the first edition. If you already own the first edition, I suggest also adding this new edition to your library. It contains lots of new information, tips, resources, and strategies. You (and your pocketbook) will thank me!

13 The only scholarship book you need.
I'm a college student who doesn't qaulify for a lot of financial aid from my school, so I've basically seen every type of scholarship book out there. I can tell you that "How to Go to College Almost for Free" is the ONLY scholarship book you need to get. The book has everything you need, including how to find scholarships, how to fill out winning applications, and how to avoid the common pitfalls. Before I got this book I thought I was going to have to take a term off from school to earn money. But after following its step by step instructions, I won 4 scholarships in a matter of months and not only paid for my tuition but had money left over to cover my books and fees.

14 Outstanding
I have bought most of the scholarship and financial aid books out there and this is the best one I have encountered. It's comprehensive, yet not overwhelming. Full of information, yet easy to read. If I were a counselor or principal (instead of a mom), I would get a copy of this book for all my students.

15 score one for those who aren't at the top of their class!
who would have thought that a student with a 2.1 gpa could have won a scholarship but that's exactly what i did. i guarantee i wouldn't have won if my mom didn't get me this book. do yourself a favor and read it.

16 Five Stars For Sure
Everything about this book is great. The information, writing, artwork, everything. The chapters on finding scholarships and writing killer essays alone are worth many times the cover price. My counselor recommended it to me, and I have recommended it to many other people also.

17 Totally Helpful
Really helpful book. Tons of information my counselor never told me. One of the best purchases I have made. Do yourself a favor and get this book.

18 Totally Free Is Better
Like another reviewer, I read this book and gave it to my children in order of age, starting from the top down. I was amazed they went through it. And it's not even Harry Potter. It was for sure very helpful in getting them to understand they can get into something they enjoy that is what we can afford. And, if you have kids who are somewhat patriotic, check out West Point. It's totally free. Infact, students get paid! But, it's not for everyone. If you're interested in finding out whether it may be for your kids, I suggest the book "West Point" by Norman Thomas Remick to find out what it's really all about (you'll be surprised it's not just about Army officers). It's America's best kept secret in education. Definitely get "How To Go To College Almost Free", then supplement it with "West Point".

19 Totally Free Is Better
Like another reviewer, I read this book and gave it to my children in order of age, starting from the top down. I was amazed they went through it. And it's not even Harry Potter. It was for sure very helpful in getting them to understand they can get into something they enjoy that is what we can afford. And, if you have kids who are somewhat patriotic, check out West Point. It's totally free. Infact, students get paid! But, it's not for everyone. If you're interested in finding out whether it may be for your kids, I suggest the book "West Point" by Norman Thomas Remick to find out what it's really all about (you'll be surprised it's not just about Army officers). It's America's best kept secret in education. Definitely get "How To Go To College Almost Free", then supplement it with "West Point".

20 Cool Book
I'm not much for writing book reviews, but this book was so good that I decided to do so anyway. The author has really done a comprehensive treatment of the subject of college scholarships. This is the scholarship book to get.

21 Great Whatever Your Interest
One of the things I like most about this book is that the author shows you how to capitalize on your interests and talents no matter what they might be. For the artist, scientist, athlete, all-around student, etc., the author shows you how to do simple things that help turn these abilities into scholarship possibilities. My son is an artist (painter), and it's already helped him expand upon his interests (he now helps teach painting to little kids as community service) to help him appeal better to scholarship judges and committees. He really enjoys teaching the kids and that's just something he never would have thought to do if he hadn't read the book. I especially suggest reading Chapter 7 on "Content Strategies".

22 New Edition Even Better
I owned the first edition of the book and it was so incredibly helpful that I decided to get the new edition as soon as it came out. It was hard to top the first edition of How To Go To College Almost For Free, but the new edition does just that. I really can't recommend this book enough. Get it.

23 Guide isn't geared toward those in the Arts
How to Go To College Almost for Free is a self absored autobiogrpahy of a young man with great grades, great writing skills, parents that supported his goals and a timeline of how he made $90,000 through his application for scholarships that he won through essays and contest. Hooray for him.

But those wanting a career in the arts will find this book worthless. He has the nerve to tell the artist how they need to get involved in more activities so they won't seem so one-sided in just their talent. What Benjamin R. Kaplan needs to realize is that those wanting to be a professional in Musical Theater, Theater, Dance, Art or anyother artistic endevour needs to practice and focus on their craft because this is what they will be auditioning with to receive their acceptance into the school of their choice and their financial aid packet with grants and scholarships.They are not going to receive a merit scholarship unless they have talent.

It's true, the artist may not have time to write essays and do the things Benjamin R. Kaplan did, but that's okay. The Artist will find a way to go to college through a different avenue.Also they give you two e-mail address if you have questions and tried them both and nver did receive a reply. Bottom line is this book is no different then anyother scholarship information book. Stay away from it, especially if your an artist.

24 Is there anything higher than 5 stars?
this book is really, really, really good. i'm certain you'll get a lot out of it too. i read it after my guidance counselor told me about it and boy am i glad i did. i've already one several scholarships in my community, and like the author says i'm going to keep applying. get this book and start applying too!

25 Wow
Love this book. My daughter is in High School and after reading this book I would encourage every owner of a Jr. High student to read this book now. Think of the interest you will save and can instead invest in the family camping trips! Yeah!

26 This book is just what I needed
This book has been so helpful. Much, much better than a bunch of other scholarship books I bought on amazon. I liked it so much I have purchased several copies to give as gifts to friends and relatives. I suggest getting a copy for yourself.

27 Terrific Information and Very Well Written
I heard the author on the radio and decided to get the book, and boy am I glad I did. It really puts all this scholarship information right at my fingertips. Why didn't my counselor tell me about all of this good stuff? The book has tons of information on every aspect of the topic, and is actually quite fun to read (the author has a sense of humor). You definitely want to get this book.

28 Recommended all the way
I have found this book to be of enormous help in finding and winning scholarships. What separates it from any other book out there is that it doesn't just offer common sense tips, but really takes you step by step through all the insider stuff. I recommend this book all the way.

29 Awesome book!
If you want to go to college and can only get one book, GET THIS BOOK. It's super informative and a great read too. Two thumbs way up!

30 Only get this if you are in High School or less
If you have finished high school, I wouldn't suggest you get this book. It is mainly aimed for students who are just about to start a life in high school and have their lives ahead. It talks about what students can do to improve their grades and participate in activities so that they would have something to write in their scholarship applications. Furthermore, it also promotes ideas in ways you can get recommendation letters. In high school, there are a lot of ways to do that, but when you have already graduated from HS, it is very limited. The book does have a few good pointers, which is why I made it a 2 star, but you have probably haver heard it before. It's just said in another way. I can only wish that there was a place I could have borrowed this book. It wasn't worth my money being spent on. Maybe if it had cost me 3-5 bucks, then we're talking.

31 Recommended
As a parent of three kids approaching college age I need all the help I can get. This book was helpful to say this least. I read it myself and gave it to my kids to read it too. The fact that all of us got a lot out of it says a lot. I suggest this book for parents as well as students.

32 Comprehensive
The author did a really good job with this book. Very complete chapters on how to find scholarships and equally complete chapters on how you fill out essays, forms, etc. Really good information and especially good examples. I give it five stars.

33 You can do better than this book
Talk about a self-absorbed author who calls himself the "scholarship coach." After many applications sent out based on his techniques, I haven't won any money for college. He had the great grades and activities to get into Harvard, so he thinks that he has learned the "secrets" that other less-stellar students can copy. To sum up how I feel about this book, I returned my copy and thankfully got my money back.

34 Every chapter is great
Two thumbs way up! The book is well thought out and well organized. Every chapter is great, especially chapter 3 ("Show Me the Money!"), chapter 5 ("Painting Your Own Portrait"), and Chapter 8 ("Essay Excellence"). Why don't they teach you this stuff in school? Until they do, this book is far and away your best source.

35 meant to be
by chance i saw this book on tv a few months ago at just the moment in my life when i needed to get money for college. i got the book even though i rarely get these kind of books and boy am i glad i did. i've won several community scholarships already and even one that was state-wide. if you are reading this review then maybe it is meant to be for you too.

36 Completely useless and condescending
As a senior with ok grades applying to college, I found this book completely useless. The author assumes that you have a background at least as good as his, and constantly peppers his book with annoying "you can do it" encouragement. The fact is that if you are applying to Harvard, which is his alma mater (which the author shamelessly advertises on the front cover), you don't need this book. If you are simply a hard working student with good but not great grades, don't waste twenty bucks (like I did) on what amounts to a self-congratulating biography.

37 Really Useful Book
I found this book to be extremely usefull... What I like about it is that it approaches the subject matter very comprehensively, while not causing you to fall asleep after a few pages. Believe it or not, a book about scholarships was actually fun to read. In my opinion, if you are want to pursue college scholarships, this is the book to start out with.

38 highly recommended
I saw the author on TV and he had a lot of good information and then I got the book and it was excellent. I can't believe no one in my school told me all of these pointers before, and i'm just glad I found about it now. I'm don't have great grades or anything, but what I liked about the book is it showed me how to make myself stand out in other ways and with other things I do. It is definitely a good reference for someone with an average record, but who needs help making their scholarship apps get noticed.

39 FRIEND RECOMMENDED BOOK
A friend of mine suggested I get this book (it helped him get scholarships), so I got a copy and it was totally worth it. What makes this book different is that it has easy-to-follow instructions for how to do everything involved, instead of just having pages of addresses. It gets you pretty excited to get your own college money and all of the examples are good motivation. I think it is an outstanding book.

40 How to win a scholarship olny if you're a genius
I found this book completely useless. I tried all of his strategies, and I won absolutely nothing. And it's not like I am a bad student-I have a 3.7, got a 29 on my ACT and an 1170 on my SAT, have tons of community service and extracurriculars, and take AP classes and I still won absolutely nothing using his methods. The only logical way he suggests avoiding costs is taking AP tests, but he failed to mention that those cost $100 each to take and do not guarantee credit. This book might be useful if you are just starting high school and have no self confidence. The constant "you can do it" made the book that much worse.

41 An Amazing Book!
I think this book is really, really, really great. Prior to getting it, I had spent hours of work on my scholarship search with nothing to show for it. Then I read the book and figured out why I hadn't won any scholarships. Going back through my applications after reading the book, I have discovered so many easy things that could have given me huge advantages. I rewrote some of my essays and recently, I won my first scholarship award! Now I am giving the book as a gift to some of my other friends/cousins too.

42 Well done!
I can attest to the fact that How to Go to College Almost For Free is a well-written book that really delivers. I began reading with tons of questions, and by the end all my questions were answered. The book is easy to use, with interesting graphics, attractive layout, and helpful features like chapter summaries and excerpts from the author's winning scholarship entries. I recommend it for any student serious about scholarships.

43 PUT THIS ON YOUR BOOKSHELF!
OKAY, SO YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOME MONEY FOR COLLEGE? OUT OF ALL THE BOOKS ON COLLEGE AND FINANCIAL AID I OWN THIS IS EASILY THE MOST USEFUL. THIS BOOK IS JUST MUCH MORE PRACTICAL BECAUSE IT COMES FROM AN ACTUAL STUDENT, AND NOT SOME BALDING COLLEGE ADMINISTRATOR OR "EXPERT" PH.D. THE BOOK IS KINDA LIKE HAVING AN OLDER BROTHER OR SISTER THERE TO SHOW YOU THE ROPES, AND SO UNLESS YOU HAVE A RELATIVE WHO IS A COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP GENIUS, YOU WANT TO DEFINITELY GET THIS BOOK.

44 $16,000 in scholarships and climbing!
This book helped me win $16,000 in scholarships, and the scholarship winnings continue to build. Yeah, I probably could have won some of these scholarships without reading the book, but the book made everything so much simpler and showed me exactly what I needed to do. The essay section itself is worth many times the cover price as it helped me turn unsuccessful scholarship essays into ones that seem to be getting results. That section was also really useful for writing college essays and school papers as well. Overall, you can't go wrong by getting this book.

45 Perfect for Seniors
I can't say enough good things about this book. What I like best about it is that its useful no matter how much time you have left until a scholarship application is due. As a high school senior, I have some applications due in a couple weeks, some due in a couple months, and others I'll apply for when I'm in college. The author shows you how to package you application in a short amount of time for those coming deadlines, expand upon what you've done for those medium-term deadlines, and employ "content strategies" to position yourself for those long-term applications. This book is a really, really good starting point for any student serious about winning scholarships.

46 Excellent for high school freshmen/ Useless for seniors
The good points include how much the author repeats over and over, "yes, it is possible" and plenty of "you can do it", like a good motivating coach.

However, that's about all the good points in this book. Although he stresses that it is not too late to get scholarships, it is not so for high school seniors. This is an excellent book for the underclassmen, but for seniors, the year is nearly over, and like me, it's nearly impossible to earn that much money to pay off ALL four years. Furthermore, it must be known that the author was a very well-rounded, talented student who had the credentials to make it to Harvard anyway, even without the scholarships. He mentions that he was an excellent journalist, Science Bowl participant, and a whole plethora of accomplishments. But if you are a senior, it's too late to fix up your resume.

Unlike the huge scholarship books at the bookstore, this one is pretty thin. There's a short appendix that has a list of scholarships, so this is NOT a scholarship reference.

Overall, this is more like a personal memoir of the author who just kept winning and winning. If you're likely to get intimidated by such an over-accomplished, this book may actually reduce your self-esteem. But be brave; besides, the repetitious you-can-do-it might change your mind about scholarships, which I am guessing was the purpose of the author.

47 Wow! I really believe I can win now!
This book is literally the best resourse for scholarships. Period. I'm a high school freshman, and I got this book to start a quest for keeping my financial stabibility. I've read pretty much the whole thing in no time and I'm ready to apply the strategies and tactics to my scholarship quest.

Now, I really can't tell you if this book WILL suceed in paying for most of my college tuition but, frankly, I realize it is really up to me. If I am ready to put in the time, if YOU are ready to put in the time, I am sure either you OR I could win, with or without the book. But, this book will surely make it a lot easier. It has strategies of how to win as well as a fair selection of scholarships to begin applying to. Enough to keep you busy for a very, very long time. Even if these aren't enough, it offers suggestion of how you can find more scholarships you're eligible for. Supposedly, the author is also putting together a companion book with many more scholarships, though it's not out yet. All and all, I highly recommend you get this book. It won't win the scholarships for you, but, with a little preserverence, it will certainly assist you win the contests yourself!

48 Great Content
This book is full of all this extra material that has been really helpful to my kids. It includes a great section on time management, some actions to take for improving your grades, and an interesting intermission on how all students can create opportunities for themselves. In that sense, it's sort of a self-help/motivational guide in addition to being a how to win scholarships book--the kind of book that parents should give their kids for the simple reason of helping them get off the couch and engaged in their lives.

49 Widely Applicable
This book is designed to help people win college scholarships, but I found it useful far beyond that one task. The essay section is full of great advice and easy to follow steps for all of your school writing assignments. The section on acing interviews I've referred to again and again for college admission and job interviews. The book basically shows you how to effectively promote yourself, and those lessons combined with examples from the author's life has really made a big difference to me in general.

50 Disappointing book
There is a lot of hype about this book. Personally, I don't see what all the fuss is about. The book's only useful section is its very, very meager list of possible scholarships. (Plenty more can be found in other books). If you really think you can go to college "almost" for free with this book, you are dead wrong. Unless "almost" free means taking a few hundred bucks off. His idea of slashing off 25% of your tuition is to max out on AP courses and pass their tests (extremely difficult tests), which he calls "easy". Who does he think he is? If we all had the skills and grades that he has, we'd all be ending up with $90,000 scholarships.

51 Great Book
There is a lot of fantastic information packed into these 300 odd pages. I have already begun my quest for free cash with Kaplan's strategies as my guide. What I liked most about this book is the straight forward approach and practical advice that can only come from real experience. Kaplan has truly done for scholarships what those 2 other Harvard graduates (Jim Good and Lisa Lee) did in helping me get into college (Get Into Any College: Secrets Of Harvard Students) and I think this shows how much superior advice from actual students is over that from so-called "experts." Maybe the highest complement is that all of this praise for these Harvard authors comes from me - a student at archrival Yale!

52 Book has both style and substance
Besides being a well-written, well-designed book that is extremely easy to read, this book takes a very detailed look at the entire process of applying for scholarships. Everthing is covered from strategy tips on "hidden judging criteria" to specific guidance on extracurricular activity lists, essays, recommendation letters, and interviews. It's a comprehensive book written in a engaging way that I would recommend to anyone.

53 Five Stars All The Way
I am a student and an artist and this book has been of tremendous help to me in paying for college. First of all, I didn't realize that there are all of these scholarships for artists, and that these scholarships don't even want you to submit your grades or test scores--just samples of your artwork. Second, there are a ton of general scholarship programs that everyone can apply for, no matter what their interests. This book opened up a world of possibilities to me I didn't know existed, and for that I am very grateful.

54 Great examples of winning essays and applications
I highly recommend this book because of all the examples taken from Mr. Kaplan's winning scholarship appications. Without seeing those specific examples and reading about the thought process that went into them, I would have made a ton of application mistakes without even realizing it. But after seeing the examples, I really understood what Mr. Kaplan means by painting your own portrait, and showing who you are, not just what you've done. The library of winning essays and applications alone (including many examples from scholarship winners other than Mr. Kaplan) makes this book well worth the cover price.

55 This book is awesome
I was skeptical at the beginning (my mom got the book for me), thinking that scholarships were only for Ivy League, student government types. Since I haven't gotten particularly good grades or test scores, I didn't think I had a chance. But what I like about this book is how it showed me exactly how to take my record, build upon it strategically, and make my scholarship applications something that really gets noticed. I thought I had no hope of winning scholarships, but I've already won two scholarships, and I'm hoping more are on the way! This book totally saved the day!

56 What about the run-of-the-mill kid?
Mr. Kaplan does a good job at describing the methods that worked for him, and certainly communicated the persistance that is necessary to garner awards of the level he received. However, the real secrets aren't really articulated, just hinted: first, have the grades, test scores and recommendations which qualify for Harvard admission. Second, be a ranked athlete. Third, lead, as editor, a high-school newspaper which has national-level recognition. Fourth, have remarkable writing skills.

It's clear to me that superlative skills such as his are prerequisites for the types of awards he received. Most of us need a practical guide for the 'pretty good student, pretty good athlete, all-around-good-kid'. Is there any help for us?

57 Perfect Book For Parents and Students
For the sake of your college bound child, don't say that you 'almost' read this book--your child could be missing an important lifetime opportunity for higher education! Take advantage of Mr. Kaplan's research and personal experience, written in a highly readable format that both you and your child will navigate with confidence. The book is simply a great reference tool that my daughter refers to regularly in her scholarship search and preparation.

58 Do not get this book if you are a grad student
I have been researching ways to find grad school scholarship money, and this book was not helpful. The author did give some helpful tips, but they were mainly common sense strategies. This book is aimed mainly for high school students, so I do not suggest buying it if you are looking for money for grad school.

59 Great, user-friendly guide!
I first read about Mr. Kaplan's book in the New York Times and USA Today. The articles correctly identified Mr. Kaplan as America's Leading Authority on winning scholarships. Kudos for a well written guide to financing college--a must buy for any high school student looking to get ahead.

60 Get This Book
This book is totally useful. It's definitely NOT one of those books that you put on your shelf, and never look at again. I refer to it all the time when filling out scholarship applications because it shows me exactly how to put myself in the best light for scholarship judging, and has lots of examples that help me figure out what to write about and emphasize. Get this book, and you won't be disappointed!

61 Worth Every Penny
Ditto to the other reviews. This book is definitely worth every penny--and more. It's extremely informative, and is simply the kind of book you can't afford not to have. Me and my daughter have been working through all the examples, and the book is written in such a straightforward and relaxed way that it's actually fun to read. You can tell that the author has experienced first-hand everything he writes about. The book also has an excellent section on how parents can help their children with scholarships.

62 A Must-Have Book
I got this book and a few others off Amazon a few weeks ago, and this book was clearly the best. It wasn't even close. The other books on scholarships I bought didn't offer much advice beyond common sense. But this book is full of strategies, tactics, tips, and advice that is really useful. Plus, the book's scholarship directory gave me bunches of scholarships to apply for right away (none of those obscure scholarships no one can apply for). How To Go To College Almost For Free should be on the shelf of any prospective college student.

63 A Terrific Resource
How To Go To College Almost For Free is really a terrific book. I had no idea that so many college scholarships are out there, let alone how to win them. The book is especially well organized. It's like you're learning a sport, and the author takes you through the "rules" of the game, the key strategies, and the details of how the game is played by scholarship winners. It also has tons of examples from actual winning entries. I totally recommend it!