Michelle Kretzschmar 
(I’m taking a break from regular blogging and newsletters during the holidays. Hope you enjoy the DIY College Rankings version of the 12 Days of Christmas.)
On the second day of Christmas, DIY College Rankings wrote to me:
Two lists worth taking the time to review before creating your college list if you want to save money.
20 Schools to Avoid if You’re Making a List of Affordable Colleges
There isn’t a lot of evidence to show that these schools are going to meet students financial aid need.
Starting sometime in December of each year, you’ll see various College Confidential Boards, test prep websites, select parent support groups, and occasional independent college counselors start posting the minimum PSAT scores required by state to qualify as a National Merit Semi-Finalist. Depending on the venue, there will be some wailing of the unfairness of the system that allows students outside New York and Massachusetts to qualify with “much” lower scores. From the angst level, you would imagine National Merit Status confers students with full-rides and automatic admissions to the colleges of their choice.
It doesn’t.
(I’m taking a break from regular blogging and newsletters during the holidays. Hope you enjoy the DIY College Rankings version of the 12 Days of Christmas.)
On the first day of Christmas, DIY College Rankings wrote to me:
In case you missed it this past year, one must read.
The Must Read Chart for all Parents Thinking about Paying for College
Unfortunately, with the passing of Troy Onink, this table hasn’t been updated. However, I think it still gets the point across since prices have only increased. I’m not sure which is more shocking to families, their EFC or the fact that many state flagship universities are costing over $25,000.
You do not have to pay for a professional skills video for college baseball recruiting. If you have a video camera (or smartphone), a video stand, and a basic editing program, you can create your own baseball recruiting video that will be perfectly fine for college recruiting.
There are plenty of websites offering information on how to create such videos. After reviewing a few of them, you’ll find that there are some common elements that should be included in every video. The websites below provide a good overview of what is available for baseball and softball. If you only want to read one website, GoBigRecruiting is the one to visit. It offers detailed video guidelines for both Softball and Baseball.
Portland, Oregon
3,223 (1,935 undergraduates)
Does College Size Matter?
As families approach the college planning process, there’s one thing they need to do before anything else and that is have “the talk.” I know, parents have been putting it off because it can be embarrassing. Who wants to discuss such potentially intimate details with their teenagers? Besides, you’re pretty sure the school counselors have covered the topic so there’s no point in having to suffer through the rolling eyes and general awkwardness if you don’t have to.
Well, I’m telling you right now that you have to because “the talk” I’m referring to isn’t the “birds and the bees” but something just as important, “The College Money Talk.”
If big-time college sports are an important consideration for your college list, you’ll need to take a look at the Southeast Conference (SEC) schools. If I have to tell you why you should consider SEC schools for big-time sports, then we are definitely working with different definitions or you have been living under a rock since sometime in the last century. SEC schools claim 43 national football championships, 21 basketball championships, 13 College World Series, and 20 gymnastics championships among many others. Yet, the 14 universities that make up the SEC Conference, actually have a lot to offer other than sports.
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
4,680 (2,351 undergraduates)
Does College Size Matter?
