This process is a war, and you don't go to war unarmed. What follows is not a "helpful list of links." This is your arsenal. These are the tools, weapons, and intelligence sources you will use to fight and win a spot at a U.S. university with a fat stack of financial aid. Use them wisely. Don't trust anything blindly. Verify everything.

The Official Gatekeepers: Know Your Enemy

These are the official websites. You have to use them. There is no way around it. Know them, bookmark them, and understand their purpose.

• College Board: collegeboard.org (The mothership for the SAT, AP Exams, and the dreaded CSS Profile. You will spend a lot of time here.)
• ACT: act.org (The other big test. Pick one, master it.)
• The English Tests (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo): TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo. (Prove you can speak English. The Duolingo test is cheapest and fastest. Do that one unless a college specifically forbids it.)
• The Application Portals (Common App, Scoir, etc.): Common App, Scoir. (This is where you'll actually submit your applications. Get familiar with their interfaces early.)

College Intel: How to Spy on Schools

Don't rely on marketing bullshit. You need to be a detective and find the real data. Here's how.

• The #1 Source: The College's Own Website. This is ground zero. Go to the "Admissions" and "Financial Aid" sections. Look for the "International Students" link. This is where they tell you what they want and what they offer. Read it. Every word.
• The Secret Weapon: Common Data Set (CDS). This is the holy grail of college data. Google "[College Name] Common Data Set". It's a boring-ass spreadsheet, but it contains pure gold. Section H6, "Financial Aid for Non-resident Aliens," tells you exactly how many international students got aid and how much they got. This is the most honest data you will ever find. Use it to see if a college is actually generous or just pretending to be.
• The Noise (Niche, US News Rankings, etc.): Niche.com and other ranking sites are like movie trailers. They give you a flashy, entertaining overview but often hide the ugly truth. Use them for initial discovery, but NEVER for making final decisions. Student reviews are biased. Rankings are mostly bullshit. The CDS is the truth.

The Money Trail: Following the Dollars

• The College's Financial Aid Website: I'm saying it again. This is the primary source. It tells you which forms to use (CSS or ISFAA) and, most importantly, the DEADLINES.
• CSS Profile: cssprofile.collegeboard.org (The financial colonoscopy. You know the drill.)
• EducationUSA: educationusa.state.gov (The official U.S. government advising body. They have centers in Bangladesh. They can be a good, reliable source of basic information and workshops. They won't write your essays for you, but they can point you in the right direction.)

The Digital Trenches: Online Forums (A Double-Edged Sword)

Welcome to the jungle. These places can be incredibly helpful or incredibly toxic. Go in with a specific question, find your answer, and get out. Do not live there. Do not compare yourself to the neurotic geniuses you'll find.

• Reddit:
  • r/IntltoUSA: Your main battleground. This is where other international students share their pain, their successes, and their strategies. You can find real, raw experiences here. But remember, it's all anecdotal. One person's miracle is another's rejection.
  • r/ApplyingToCollege: Mostly for American kids, but good for general advice and seeing what you're up against.
• College Confidential: The original nightmare forum. It's full of hyper-competitive students and their even more competitive parents. Avoid it unless you have a very, very specific question you can't answer anywhere else. It's a factory of anxiety.

Sharpening Your Weapons: Test Prep

• Khan Academy: khanacademy.org. It's the official SAT prep. It's free. It's all you need. If you can't get a high score with this, a $1000 prep course won't save you. Grind it.
• Official Practice Tests: The only practice tests that matter are the official ones from the test-makers themselves (College Board, ACT, ETS). Don't waste your time on third-party tests that are often inaccurate.

Home Turf Advantage: Local Resources

• Your School Counselors/Teachers: They write your recommendations and send your transcripts. They are critical. Treat them with respect. Give them your information early. Make their job easy, and they will write better letters for you.
• Alumni Networks: Find people from your school or city who are studying in the U.S. Use LinkedIn. Use Facebook. Find them and ask them for 15 minutes of their time. Their real-world advice is more valuable than any website.
• Local Counseling Services: BEWARE. 95% of them are sharks who will take your parents' money and give you generic, useless advice. A good counselor is rare. A bad one is dangerous. Vet them ruthlessly. Ask for a list of past students they've helped get into top schools *with full financial aid*. If they can't provide it, run.

Disclaimer: This is a warzone. The landscape changes. Links break. Policies shift. Trust no one. Verify everything on the official college website. Your future is your responsibility.