At first glance, Billy Beane’s fourth Moneyball rule wouldn’t seem a good fit for the college application process: “Know exactly who you want and go after him (Never mind who they say they want to trade).” After all, it doesn’t seem likely that many students will convince colleges to change admission requirements or how much financial aid offered simply based on their determination to attend a specific school.
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Moneyball College Admission Rules: A College is not a Guarantee
If you’re looking for data for your own Moneyball college admission search, check out the sample spreadsheet in the DIY College Search Spreadsheet class for free.
In Moneyball, Michael Lewis lists five rules that Billy Beane uses when shopping for baseball players just before the trading deadline. It’s important to remember that these aren’t just any players.
Moneyball College Admissions Rules: Ignore the Status Quo
Last week I talked about taking a Moneyball approach to the college admissions process. The idea being that as in Major League Baseball, the college admissions market is not operating efficiently resulting in some players/schools being significantly undervalued where others are way over-priced.
The Moneyball Approach to College Rankings and Admissions
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Have you seen the movie “Moneyball” or read the book by Michael Lewis? The story is about how the Oakland A’s baseball club managed to come up with winning seasons despite being one of the poorest teams in professional baseball. “Moneyball” refers to the strategy of identifying players used by the Oakland A’s general manager, Billy Beane.
What does Moneyball have to do with college admissions?
College Search Spreadsheet Questions
I’m taking a break from my 50-50 highlights this week. I’ve been thinking about doing a class on how to use the DIY College Search Spreadsheet and wanted to get some feedback. I’m trying to figure out what questions people have when using the spreadsheet so that the class will be focusing on the stuff people want to know.
Public Universities and Out-of-State Students
Part of the college experience is leaving home, meeting new people, discovering new places, and hopefully learning a little just from the experiencing something different. However, there are two major factors that determine how likely this is to happen. One, how far away students are willing to travel to college and two, if a student attends a state institution.
Comparison of Top 11 College Search Engines: The Final Results
(This is part 9 of Comparison of Top 11 College Search Engines)
After reviewing all eleven college search engines’ ability to search on various categories (you have been paying close attention, haven’t you?), you should realize that it’s nearly impossible to compare the results. There simply isn’t enough consistency between the websites in how they allow users to define their searches. But that isn’t keeping me from trying.
Comparison of Top 11 College Search Engines: Searching for Colleges by Majors
(This is part 8 of Comparison of Top 11 College Search Engines)
When we were visiting colleges with my son, one small liberal arts college pulled the parents aside for a discussion of the Liberal Arts and gainful employment. I don’t think the session was actually called that but it was definitely the idea behind the session. Will my child be able to get a job if she majors in the Liberal Arts?
Comparison of Top 11 College Search Engines: College Acceptance Rates
Will I get in? If you just listen to the media starting at the beginning of April, you would think that the answer to this question for most college applicants is no. All you hear about is the ever decreasing admittance rates at some of the most highly competitive colleges and universities in the country. What possible chance does your kid have in getting in?