Rating: 
Summary: Not bad...It's a pretty good book.
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: $16,000 in scholarships and climbing!
Review: This book helped me win $16,000 in scholarships, and the scholarship winnings continue to build. Yeah, I probably could have won some of these scholarships without reading the book, but the book made everything so much simpler and showed me exactly what I needed to do. The essay section itself is worth many times the cover price as it helped me turn unsuccessful scholarship essays into ones that seem to be getting results. That section was also really useful for writing college essays and school papers as well. Overall, you can't go wrong by getting this book.
Rating:
Summary: From A-Z, a battle plan for getting scholarships
Review: When I saw the title of this book, I began salivating uncontrollably. Imagine, having someone else pay to send your kids to college. That may have been an overreaction. Surely anyone else that has college-bound kids should sympathize. The book is well organized and written on a level that will not challenge a high school student. However, there are tips for a wider audience including the very young, older returning students, graduate students, and students that fit into special groups. Clearly, the competition for scholarships can be intense, but with a logical game plan engaged in consistently, an applicant's effectiveness can be increased. The one consistent theme in the book is that a steady approach will lead to success. I will take issue with a combination of techniques mentioned in the book. Kaplan suggests that students get their recommendations in electronic format so that they can print them out as needed. He also suggests that you solicit "small" changes to recommendation letters to make them "great" letters. I feel this may present many an ethical challenge to some applicants. To be clear, he does not suggest manufacturing recommendation letters. He also provides access to his companion web site to add extra punch to the process. In the final analysis, it is hard to argue with his success, and Kaplan was very successful on his own behalf. He interviewed many of the people involved as applicant and administrators and their tips appear in the book.
Rating:
Summary: A Must-Have Book
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Could I give it TEN stars?
Review: This is really a great strategy book. It helps you get your thoughts in order, takes the mystery out of financial aid and puts it in your hands where you feel like you have more control. I went ahead and applied for financial aid for my community college...and I got awarded "money"! :O I can pay for the summer semester without having to work!... Every night I read through this book, I make notes in pencil, I put yellow sticky notes on the most important pages for myself. Tonight I went to an office store and bought some materials for organizing my financial aid plans for the future. I am really MOTIVATED! This book is worth every penny. As they say: If you think going to college is expensive, try ignorance! LOL! I am planning on going all way - Ph.D or Psy.D. The book has many pages in it, but it's light-speed reading, not intimidating in the least, and is frequently illustrated with humourous cartoons. I recommend it to anyone interested in empowering themselves better in seeking financial aid, no matter what your socio-economic status. ;)
Rating: 
Summary: too much fat
Review: This book has some good information but you have to wade through the fat to get at it. It may be written mainly for aspiring college students, but I feel it is not complete enough or deep enough for parents. There are many other better books out there on the subject (notably Fiancial Aid for Dummies and Discounts and Deals at the Nations best 360 colleges).
Rating:
Summary: Will Get Your Kids Scholarships
Review: Hello everyone, I just wanted to write in and recommend this book. It is great for those parents who want the best for their kids and who want to help them take some initiative with scholarships. This book helped get my son off the couch, and he's already won several scholarships. Now that's what I call a gift for parents! :)
Rating:
Summary: Step by Step Instructions
Review: As a parent who has been frustrated by the headache that is college financial aid, this book was a breath of fresh air. It lays it all out for you, step by step. Goes over the big picture, how to search for scholarships, how to strategize, how to fill out all the forms, how to get great recommendation letters...pretty much everything. It was terrific for my son, who is a sophomore in college, but would also be very useful for parents with younger kids.
Rating:
Summary: Informative Book
Review: Okay, who doesn't need money for college? I'm currently a sophomore at NYU and I wouldn't be here if I wasn't able to win college scholarships. I treated it seriously and read virtually every book on the subject. The $25,000+ in scholarships I won really changed my life. Let me say that 'How to Go to College Almost for Free' is really, really good. Informative, clear, and actually funny. This book has become pretty much the "bible" for scholarship seekers.
Rating:
Summary: College Education: Almost Free, Totally Free
Review: I got this book and went through it. It was great. I didn't know how many opportunities were available for my kids. I recommend "How To Go To College..." by Benjamin R. Kaplan if you are interested in an ALMOST FREE college education. I also recommend that you read "West Point: Character, Leadership,.." by Norman Thomas Remick if you are interested in a TOTALLY FREE college education.
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