Let’s talk about how to create a better college list. The traditional method would be to use a college search spreadsheet template like the one I offer on my Resources page, start listing “known” colleges and then add to the list by using one of the big college search websites. Read more…
College outside the U.S. – Is it cheaper for American students? The answer is, sometimes. There are many important considerations though. I will go through those as well as some of the best countries to look at if your student wants to explore getting an affordable college degree outside the Read more…
Public colleges can offer great deals compared to private colleges. When you are a college search family “caught in the middle” who won’t qualify for need-based aid, but don’t have enough to pay full price at an expensive school for four years, take a look at the public college options, Read more…
College search parents, this is for you. I often see posts in college search parent groups about not doing everything for your student and people griping about students who are overly “coddled”. My opinion is that you must match your approach with your student. Now, I never advocate going to Read more…
In the college search process, when do GPA and test scores matter most? I believe there are two places where GPA and ACT or SAT scores matter most – determining the student’s college list and qualifying for merit scholarships. Overall in college admissions, the better your student’s GPA and test Read more…
There are specific new year college search steps for high school juniors. If you are the parent of a high school Junior, it’s currently the start of the second semester of Junior year. This is a crucial time in the college search process. For many Juniors, especially those with a Read more…
Can you ask a college for more scholarship money? Most often, the answer is “Yes, it never hurts to ask.” When it comes to asking for more scholarship money, there seem to be three different types of colleges: Colleges that do not accept requests for more financial aid Colleges that Read more…
There are many ways to avoid choosing a college you can’t afford, but it does take some work. First, let’s take a look at why some families do choose a college they can’t afford. Why (Would You) Choose a College You Can’t Afford? Prestige – We all struggle with this Read more…
Finding your deals is the point in the Upside Down College Search process where you determine colleges that are likely to meet the criteria you have defined and will be a good deal for your family. Over the past several weeks, I have covered the steps to defining your criteria: What Read more…
What does your student “need” in a college? Now is the time to separate “wants” and “needs”. This is the third article in the series that breaks down the Upside Down College Search concept I first introduced in “A Better Way to Search for Colleges: The Upside Down College Search“. Read more…