For Colleges & Universities
For Colleges & Universities

Hilary Cairns

Hilary Cairns is a graduate of SUNY New Paltz and has a BA in English/Creative Writing. She's an established freelance writer who also has a hand in marketing, social media, and editing for various businesses across the United States.
Student determining how much financial aid she is eligible for.
questions & answers

What should I do if my financial situation changes for college?

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on March 3, 2026
Key takeaways: Job loss, reduced earnings, divorce, health concerns, and other problems and emergencies can impact a family’s finances, affecting their ability to pay for college. If you feel your FAFSA and financial aid offer doesn’t reflect your current financial situation, you can request an aid adjustment. Colleges’ aid adjustment procedures vary, but gather relevant …
Use active voice when writing your college application essay.
college applications

College App Essay Tip: Use the Active Voice

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on December 22, 2022
Are you struggling with how to write your college application essay? Don’t worry! Many do. Quite a few students have to brainstorm to determine just what they want to write about and once they settle on a topic, the problem lies in HOW to write it. A major tip is to use the active voice. …
loan forgiveness
student loans

The Difference Between Discharging a Loan and Loan Forgiveness

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on March 24, 2025
When it comes time to repay your student loans, you may be curious about the ways to either discharge (or cancel) or forgive your loan. While discharging and forgiving are both ways of “canceling” loans, they are, in fact, different from one another. Discharging a Loan It is quite difficult to get a loan discharged …
Male student studying at desk.
ACT & SAT

How to Have The Ideal ACT / SAT Practice Test Session

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on December 22, 2022
Taking a practice test of the ACT or SAT before the real deal can truly give you insight into how the test works in real time. Studying is great and all, but if you’re not using your time wisely and leaving space to review your work, you could run into trouble. Here are some ways …
Here's one of our ACT/SAT reading tips
ACT & SAT

ACT / SAT Reading Section Tip: Read The Questions First

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on December 22, 2022
Wondering how you can do better on the reading section in either the ACT or SAT? Here’s one of our ACT / SAT reading tips: read the questions first. Skip the passage almost entirely and read the questions first. Read At Least the First Sentence While you’ll want to skip to the questions first, make …
A college interview can be very stressful, so knowing what to expect ahead of time can a lot
questions & answers

What Happens During a College Interview?

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on December 22, 2022
While a majority of colleges don’t request an interview, some schools do make it part of the application process—even if it’s optional, leaving it out could hurt your chances. Knowing what to expect ahead of time can make a college interview a bit less stressful. The Basics of a College Interview There are few colleges …

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