How to Go to College Almost for Free (Paperback)

~ Ben Kaplan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While still in high school, Ben Kaplan won more than two dozen merit-based scholarships amounting to more than $90,000 in funds for use at any school. After graduating from Harvard magna cum laude in 2001, he self-published How to Go to College Almost for Free: The Secrets of Winning Scholarship Money, selling more than 65,000 copies out of a custom tour bus dedicated to raising awareness about scholarships. Now reissued, his book offers advice on how to find and win money for college, delivered in an energetic and inspiring voice with broad appeal.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Kaplan parlayed intelligence, hard work, and creativity into $90,000 of scholarship money, then graduated from Harvard to write a book designed to help others negotiate their way to unencumbered college cash. His guide, self-published in 2000 by Waggle Dancer Press, is now available, totally revised and updated, in this trade paperback edition. Although loosely organized and sometimes repetitive, the book is filled with useful information, beginning with the happy news that merit awards aren't the sole province of gifted athletes and top students. There's also plenty on how scholarships affect college-aid packages, locating and applying for coveted cash, and even handling telephone interviews. Scattered throughout are references to awards and Web sites, including Kaplan's own. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Collins Reference; 2 edition (September 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060937653
• ISBN-13: 978-0060937652
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 6.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,775 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only scholarship book you need., April 28, 2002

By A Customer

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.

143 of 154 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad...It's a pretty good book., May 19, 2003

By	medlabtech - See all my reviews

This review is from: How To Go To College Almost For Free (Paperback)

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.

74 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Have Book, January 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: How To Go To College Almost For Free (Paperback)

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.