College prep overload. If you’re a parent of a college-bound teen, you’ve got it . . . big time. The high schools bombard you with information (which is usually very little concrete advice). The colleges bombard your student with beautiful brochures and promises of academic success if you attend their college. You are bombarded with tough financial choices when choosing the colleges that make the final cut on your student’s list.

How do you sift through all that college information without losing your mind?

Find a handful of good sources and go to them for answers.

You’ll go crazy if you try to read, watch and listen to every source available on the college prep process. How do you find the good sources? Glad you asked! I’ve compiled a list of resources in just about every category pertaining to the college prep process, along with a list of Twitter accounts to follow and a list of 50+ college info websites. Follow them on twitter, subscribe to their blogs and look for them on Facebook and Pinterest. By doing so, you won’t miss a thing and the amount of information you receive just got smaller.

Use Pinterest to save information on boards.

Pinterest is a great place to save and catalog all the information you find for future reference. It’s simple and easy to use, especially if you already have an account. You can set up boards for scholarships, financial aid, college admissions, college prep, and test prep. Once you set up the boards, start pinning!

Create a filing system that works for you.

All the information you collect won’t always be online. Create some sort of filing system for relevant college information and be vigilant in keeping it organized. Piles of papers and brochures create clutter and frustration when you’re looking for that flyer from the school on college parent night or a financial aid seminar. If you use a smartphone, there are multiple apps to help with organizing and remembering dates and deadlines.

Toss out ALL information that doesn’t apply to you or your college-bound teen.

If it’s not pertinent, don’t keep it. If you get a brochure from a college that doesn’t interest your student and never will, toss it. It’s just taking up space and adding clutter. Once you’ve cataloged information, toss the hard copy if you can.