50-50 Highlights: Best Financial Bets for Public Universities

graduate holding money represent public colleges best financial betsA few years ago I did a post on Best Financial Bets for 50-50 Public Universities. The idea is to create a list of public schools that accept at least 50% of students and have at least a 50% graduation rate and are likely to be affordable through either merit or need-based financial aid. I’ve decide to update the list using simpler criteria which increased the number of colleges on the list. Ultimately, I ended up with 66 50-50 public colleges as best financial bets. If you aren’t interested in the gory details of how I came up with the list, just skip to the end to see the entire list.

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Demonstrated Interest is NOT the Secret to Getting Into Any College

A group of six young people, three girls and three boys, walk together outdoors on a sunny day. They are smiling, holding books, and their demonstrated interest in the topics they discuss is evident. Trees and sunlight frame their cheerful conversation in the background.

Group of students representing demonstrated interestLast summer, Inside Higher Education published the findings of a paper by researchers that according to the article’s title,  revealed “Another Edge for the Wealthy.” According to the research, students who visited a college in person had a statistically significant advantage in gaining admissions to the college. And college visit companies across the country rejoiced.

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50-50 Highlights: Colleges with the Most Engineering Graduates

people studing engineering plans rerpesenting colleges with most engineers

Photo of engineers for most engineering graduatesStudents interested in majoring in engineering don’t have the luxury of waiting several semesters before starting work in their major. The demanding sequence of courses requires students to begin major requirements as freshman. Even starting as freshman, engineering majors often take more than four years to graduate.

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What You Need to Know About Studying Medicine and Law in Europe

female med student representing studying medicine in Europe

The following is a guest post by Kevin Newton who specializes in helping students apply to college in Europe. 

medical student representing studying medicine and law in EurporeFor many people, the chance to get a degree in three years by studying in Europe is already a considerable savings of time and money. However, for those students interested in a career in law or medicine, a European degree can mean even greater savings. This is because, unlike in the United States, there isn’t any separate  undergraduate degree requirement.

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Paying for College in Europe

A person with long hair in a blue jacket stands by the riverbank, contemplating how they might be paying for college in Europe while gazing at the Tower Bridge in London on a clear day.

student looking at London bridge representing paying for college in EuropeThe following is a guest post by Kevin Newton who specializes in helping students apply to college in Europe. 

For many people, the practicality of paying for a degree in Europe is a seemingly insurmountable hurdle. After all, since it is in Europe, surely it has to be more expensive, right? It is pretty well-known that American universities charge international students considerable sums of money to study stateside, so most expect the same for American students in Europe.

The truth is actually quite different. In many cases, studying in Europe is a much cheaper option that studying in the United States.

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Why You Only Need to Take APs that Matter When Applying to Colleges Abroad

Student studying in front of Eiffel tower representing requirements for applying to colleges abroad

student sitting in front of Eiffel tower rerpresenting requirements for applying to college abroadThe following is a guest post by Kevin Newton who specializes in helping students apply to college in Europe. 

While there are a number of advantages to pursuing a degree abroad,  “because it is no extra effort to apply” is definitely not one of them.  Although there is a small list of universities, mainly those in Scotland, that do accept the Common Application, for most applicants to European universities, applying will mean an entirely different process. Luckily, it is a bit less convoluted than many applications in the United States.

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Why You Should Consider Going to College Abroad to Get Your Degree

student showing passport representing reasons to consider going to college aborad and getting your degree

student showing passport representing reasons why you should going to college abroad to get your degreeThe following is a guest post by Kevin Newton who specializes in helping students apply to college in Europe. 


When it comes time to apply to colleges, casting a wide net can often be beneficial. The opportunity to move away from home allows students to grow in remarkable ways. Yet for the overwhelming majority of American college applicants, that net often reaches no further than the Atlantic and Pacific shores. This is limiting for a number of reasons. For many students, the opportunity to study for a degree in Europe is a life-changing event.

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50-50 Highlights: Colleges With the Most Visual and Performing Arts Majors

A group of Visual and Performing Arts majors in black leotards performing a synchronized contemporary dance routine in a studio setting.

dancers representing visual and performaing arts majorsAre there any good 50-50 schools for students majoring in the Visual and Performing Arts? Unfortunately, I can’t say since I don’t really know much about what defines a quality music program or which schools have the best reputation in theater or dance. Just from the little I’ve read, I suspect that the category is too broad to be meaningful to students seriously interested in one of the art disciplines.

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36 Best Bets for Test Optional Merit Aid

dollar signs on chalk board representing best options for test optional colleges merit aidThink because you’re a miserable test taker, you don’t have a chance at merit aid? Maybe not. If you’re willing to step away from the limelight of prestige and top 50 college rankings, you can find some excellent opportunities among the growing number of test optional colleges. With just a little digging into the data, I came up with 36 possible test optional colleges for merit aid.

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