Murray & Associates: The National Center For College Costs

Murray & Associates has created many publications to assist students and parents with a variety of college preparation issues. For more information on any of the topics below, click on the corresponding link to open a PDF version of our publication on the related topic. (Note: A PDF viewer, like Adobe Acrobat, must be installed on your computer for viewing.)

college costs, including the college costs estimator program:

College Costs Estimator Forms

dependent student College Costs Estimator
independent student College Costs Estimator(only an option for students meeting certain criteria)
Spanish version of the dependent student College Costs Estimator
College Costs Estimator tip sheet (also available in Spanish)

Websites to use for free scholarship searches
Tips on where students can look for local scholarship opportunities
Key financial aid terms
Financial Aid: What is it and Where Does it Come From? Indiana - Illinois
Undergraduate loans for college
Insights on Investing: college savings strategies
Graduate school financial aid

the college selection process:

8 Steps to successful college selection (also available in Spanish)
The most common college selection criteria (also available in Spanish)
A Timeline with tips for use throughout high school years (also available in Spanish)

The College Admission Process:

SAT and ACT overview including test dates for 2008-2009 & SAT and ACT test preparation websites
Things to think about when approaching interviews (for college admission, scholarships and jobs)
Questions to ask when taking a college tour - coming soon
Tips for writing a persuasive personal statement or essay including:
- Sample Common Application essay questions
- Questions to ask yourself in search of a possible topic
- A form you can use as a coversheet to get feedback on your essay draft