Ben Kaplan’s background

• Won ~24 scholarships totaling $90,000, enabling Harvard admission.
• First scholarship call: “Congratulations, you’ve just won $15,000 from Discover Card.”
• Authored How to Go to College Almost for Free and new book Scholars and Dollars.

Exploring breadth and depth

“Try a lot of things” to discover interests, then go deeper in passions.

College fit matters most

• “Are you part of something bigger than yourself?”
• Seek a community that feels like home and challenges you just enough.

Setting a positive milestone

• Treat admissions as your first chance to take ownership of your future.
• Make small action steps, seek advice, and build momentum.

"Professional judgment” in financial aid

• Financial aid officers can adjust inputs (e.g., average income over 3 years) for special circumstances.
• Document high medical expenses or variable income to swing aid by $50,000.

Effective scholarship searching

• Use free databases like Scholaroo (scholaroo.com).
• Check your and neighboring schools’ career center listings.
• Don’t neglect small, local scholarships—they boost credibility for larger awards.

Leveraging applications

• Recycle college essays for merit-based scholarships.
• A holistic approach maximizes effort and results.

Manage scholarship outreach

Create a throwaway email to avoid inbox clutter.

Key resources

Scholars and Dollars (available on Amazon).

Websites: scholaroo.com and learnipity.com (courses, essay feedback, toolkits).

Connect with Shellee Howard:

Website

YouTube

Instagram

LinkedIn

Email: shellee@collegereadyplan.com

Connect with Michelle Pardue:

Email: pardue5@verizon.net