Resource Library

See below for helpful links to a wide variety of topics for families of college-bound students.

What are you looking for today? Click on one of the following topics

College Information
College Applications
Financial Topics

Careers
Testing Information

At The Core’s Media Coverage
At The Core’s Resources
Books We Love

College Information Websites

College Scorecard – a searchable list of college data released by the U.S. Department of Education

College Navigator – National Center for Education Statistics helpful info for your college search

Affordability & Transparency Center – U.S. Department of Education’s searchable database of colleges and their costs

The College Board’s College Search Resources – Wealth of information to help begin your college search

SmartScholar – Choosing the right college: A guide – A collection of helpful articles and websites

Fair Test College List – Colleges that do NOT use ACT or SAT test scores for admission

CollegeData.com – TONS of information here! Everything from “College Match” tool to scholarship information to admissions preparation

Campus Visit Tips from The College Board – A good starting point for planning those college visits

College Scoops – App providing interactive virtual tours of college campuses sourced from actual college students. Also, check out Scoops library of blog posts.

Ohio Association for College Admission Counseling (OACAC) College Fairs – Excellent college fairs held each year including one in Columbus, OH

Ohio College2Careers (Ohio C2C) program – Provides services to college students with physical, intellectual, sensory, and mental health disabilities.

CTCL (Colleges That Change Lives) – Unique list of colleges you may not have considered

Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) – This page includes a listing as well as a program finder.

Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD) – Includes undergraduate and graduate art and design schools

National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) College Fairs

LD Advisory – Website with tons of info for students with learning differences

College Info Geek – Site for college students with tips to be successful when you’ve left home

College Results Online – Has 4 year graduation statistics by college

The College You Go To May Not Matter As Much As You Think – An excerpt from “Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be” by Frank Bruni

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College Application Websites

Common Application – Online application used by over 1,000 colleges

Common App Member Colleges
Where you can find the requirements grid – Participating universities and their requirements
Common Application Essay Prompts
Common App YouTube page – includes how-to videos
Sample Common Application, version from 2022-23 – Refer to this paper copy to see what information is required on the Common App

Common Black College Application – Students can use this application to apply to all 61 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU); pay only one-time fee of $20

Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success – 80 universities and colleges coalition

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Financial Topics

FSA ID creation – Login needed to file the FAFSA

Free Application for Federal Student Aid – FAFSA application required for determining need based aid and for federal student loans

CSS Profile Application – Alternative financial aid application required by some colleges (especially Ivy League)

Edmit College Financial Health Center – Click “find college data”

Free College Money Report™ from Capstone Wealth Partners – answers to 3 critical things every family needs to know before entering the college funding maze.

Nerd Wallet Budget Worksheet – Help future graduates understand how a budget works

Sample Grid Merit Scholarship – Miami University’s merit scholarship page

Full-Tuition and Full-Ride Merit Scholarship list from My Kid’s College Choice

MyCAP planning software from College Aid Pro

Private Student Loan Resources – Private loans are ALWAYS the last resort and should be used to cover small gaps in funding (watch our Smart Money Moves webinar for guidance); however, we have two resources for you: LendEDU and Student Loan Hero.

Tuition Reciprocity Agreements (regional):

LimeConnect Scholarship Opportunities for students with disabilities

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Career Information Websites

Occupational Outlook Handbook – Published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics

Job Shadow – Extensive list of interviews with career people in different fields

JobHero – Resume samples by job title – Lots of great career-related information

College Info Geek – Lots of great articles on more than just careers…study tips, paying off student loans, and landing your dream job

Career One Stop Video Library – Hundreds of videos and information about a long list of careers

LimeConnect – Various support programs for those with disabilities.

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At The Core’s Media Coverage

We’ve been very grateful to receive media coverage about At The Core and Guided Self Assessment.

Interested in hosting Beth Probst as an expert speaker?

Good Day Columbus on Fox 28

Beth Probst had the opportunity to sit down with Shawn Ireland and Cameron Fontana of Good Day Columbus to talk about teens, their summers, and how to make the most of them. Can you guess what Cameron’s college major was? Click to watch the video.

Beth Probst chatted with Good Day Columbus about some great organizational plans for the upcoming school year for your high school freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior. Click to watch the video.

Fox 19 Now News with Jessica Brown

Jessica Brown and Beth sat down for a talk about testing, what colleges are looking for, our student’s social media accounts, and high school experiences. Click to watch the video.

WBNS 10TV Featured News Piece with Tracy Townsend

Tracy Townsend and 10TV take a look at how families can prepare for college and what they need to be thinking about to be successful. Click to watch the video.

610 WTVN

What Matters with Mindy and Mikaela 800x480

Beth Probst had the exciting opportunity to be a guest on the What Matters Show hosted by Mindy Drayer and Mikaela Hunt. They chatted about things teens can do over the summer to get the most from their break. (Making phone calls?!)

Click to listen to their conversation:

Morning Show with Joel Riley Interview

Beth Probst talks with Joel Riley of 610 WTVN’s Morning Show about college costs, the Common App, and the application process today as well as information about Guided Self Assessment.

How At The Core can prevent wasting precious tuition dollars

Beth Probst was interviewed by Carrie Ghose of Columbus Business First and they discussed how At The Core was born and how our process works.

How At The Core is driving change in the college selection process in Ohio

Beth Probst was interviewed for Wedgewood Life magazine, and she talked about how At The Core can help college-bound families.

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At The Core’s Resources

At The Core’s Social Media:

At The Core’s Services:

Guided Self Assessment
Our flagship service helping students discover and identify their strengths, values, traits, and skills to make decisions about their future college major and career with confidence and clarity. Read more and book your free (no-obligation) family meeting.
Private Consultations
When families have questions about their specific situation, our Private Consultations can give them the answers they need to be prepared for what lies ahead. Frequent topics include: ACT/SAT testing plans, high school course selection, college visit preparation, getting ready for college, and much more. Choose between a Private Consultation for juniors and younger and a Senior Private Consultation for 12th graders applying to college. Get the details.
Public Speaking
Beth Probst, Founder and CEO of At The Core, is available to speak at your next event. Thousands have heard Beth share her wisdom about common sense high school, college, and career planning. Learn more.

At The Core’s Programming:

Upcoming Programming & Events (start here)
Tune in to our latest high school, college, and career planning educational webinars and events.
Smart Money Moves for the College-Bound (Grades 6 & up)
Don’t pay a penny more for college than you absolutely have to! In Smart Money Moves for the College-Bound™, our partner and friend Joe Messinger, CFP®, of Capstone Wealth Partners works with families to help demystify the college funding process. He’s widely recognized as an expert in college planning. (Not a sales pitch! Just good, much needed info.)
Looking Ahead: Planning for Success in High School and Beyond (Grade 8/Rising 9)
If you are the parent of an 8th grader (rising 9th grader), Looking Ahead™: Planning for Success in High School and Beyond is the one event you won’t want to miss. We cover a ton in a FREE interactive forum (including things school districts don’t have time for) including: how to plan out all 4 years, options like AP/IB/dual enrollment/honors/career tech/electives, graduation requirements, self assessment, how to make a plan for success on the ACT/SAT, how parents can support their students, and more.
Heads Up! Equipping Students for What’s Next (Grades 7, 8, 9)
Heads Up™: Equipping Students for What’s Next is a fun, activity-centered workshop to get the kids started thinking about self assessment (who am I and what do I like to do) and career exploration (how do I match what I know with what I could do in the future). Great first steps for students this age!
College and Career Coffee Chats (Grades 6-10)
Today’s career-technical education is not the same as the “vo-tech” we knew when we went to school. Today’s students dive into hands-on labs, learn high tech skills, & earn college credit and career certifications. Even if your student never decides to attend a CTE school, you need to hear about what they are doing today at one of our free coffee chats.
College Application Workshop (Summer before senior year)
Our wildly popular College Application Workshops get rising seniors ready to apply to college at the beginning of their senior year. Take advantage of the more relaxed summer time to get a jump start on all the tasks ahead. Students will enjoy their senior year knowing they have a firm grasp on what’s ahead.
Getting Ready for College (for rising college freshmen)
This workshop was designed with the goal of fostering adult discussions between parent and student as you learn together about what to expect at college (academics, safety, communication, finances, and more) and what you can be doing this summer to prepare.
Lunch and Learn Presentations
Bring our high school, college, and career planning program to your place of work (or other gathering). Your friends and co-workers will thank you.