Creating Your College List

Some of you who have found my website will be at the very beginning of the college search process.  You will be looking for help on where to start.  I provide articles and resources to help with that, but I don’t expect that you will stop there.  There is so much information out on the web to help.  The problem is, it can get very overwhelming very fast.

I have found a new resource that I would like to recommend for creating your college list (or helping to create your child’s college list).  Michelle Kretzschmar of DIYCollegeRankings has recently published an eBook titled, “Creating College Lists: Your Guide to Using College Websites to Pay Less for a Better Education.”  I read it and found it to be a great guide for the parent and or student new to creating college lists.  As of the writing of this post, the eBook is only $2.99 through Amazon.

Michelle walks you step by step through what information is most valuable on college websites and how to find it.  Having searched hundreds of websites while creating college lists for my own daughters and to find scholarships for my Full Scholarship List, I know how hard it can be to find what you are looking for on college websites.  Following Michelle’s guidance will save you time and frustration.

Michelle encourages looking beyond schools that are ranked highly on college ranking lists and build your own list based on what’s really important to you.  She states, “If you want to get the best possible education at the best possible price, you need to be prepared to set aside some of the preferences that students [traditionally] use to create their college lists that can dramatically affect the number and quality of their choices.”

She talks through two options for creating your college list – having a blank slate and having some schools in mind.  These options require different approaches.  For the student who already has some schools in mind, she provides tips for finding similar schools.

Michelle digs deeper than the articles found on the web with advice on creating your college list.  She will explain things like why you should seek out the college newspaper to help you decide if a college is a good fit.

Creating College Lists: Your Guide to Using College Websites to Pay Less for a Better Education is a very quick read and is filled with links to take you straight to sources for more information.  I highly recommend downloading a copy to kick off your college search.

Full Disclosure: I do not receive any type of compensation for recommending this book or sending you to Amazon to purchase it.  I am not a member of Amazon’s affiliate program and therefore receive no type of payments from Amazon.  I consider Michelle Kretzschmar to be a trusted resource and authority for providing college search advice and I am always happy to recommend her content to my readers.