Guides – Page 2 – Do It Yourself College Rankings

11 Ways to Expand Your College Education Through Off-Campus Study and Exchanges

05/03/202204/02/2019 by Michelle Kretzschmar

college student waving goodbye representing Ways to Expand Your College Education Through Off-Campus Study and Exchanges

83 Shares

Most college students know that they can study abroad but fewer realize that there are opportunities for off-campus study without ever leaving the country. Why would you want to do that? Because such exchange programs allow you to explore academic subjects not normally available on your campus or to immerse yourself in one area for a semester. Off-campus study programs can help you establish contacts in distant cities for internships or job opportunities. They can provide you the chance to try something different without having to commit to four years at one campus.

5 Ways to Get Smart About the National Letter of Intent

05/31/202309/05/2018 by Michelle Kretzschmar

hand holding pen signing National Letter of Intent

Tweet60

Flip

Pin86

146 Shares

We’ve all seen the pictures in the local paper, high school seniors signing their National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play for a specific university or college. Sometimes there are proud parents in the pictures. Other times, you’ll see team colors or maybe a football. What you won’t see is a coach from the university the student is signing the NLI with.

Why? Because it’s not allowed under the rules.

5 Simple Ways to Get Smart About the SAT, ACT, and Test Prep

05/03/202201/31/2017 by Michelle Kretzschmar

testing score sheet representing what you need to know about college test prep

Tweet11

Flip

Pin172

183 Shares

If you’re planning on applying to college, you need to get smart about the SAT, ACT, and test prep. Why? Because understanding college admissions testing allows you to make the right choices about which college admission tests to take, how to prepare for them, or if you should even take the tests at all. And remember that students with test scores in upper quartile of freshman test scores are likely to receive more generous merit aid.

5 Reasons Why College Confidential is Slowly Killing You

05/03/202206/13/2016 by JJ Shaw

Flip

0 Shares

(The following is a guest post by JJ Shaw, an incoming freshman at Columbia College, and pretty much sums up why you should never visit the “chance me” forums at College Confidential.)

College Confidential is “the world’s largest college forum.” Except in this world, 2400s aren’t merely enough.

It has a long history of feeding the egocentric tendencies of high achieving seniors. It inflates the self-worth of some, all while crushing the confidence of otherwise perfectly capable college-bound students.

What You Need to Know About the DIY College Rankings College Profile

07/26/201611/12/2015 by Michelle Kretzschmar

Tweet3

Flip

Pin3

6 Shares

In each of my newsletters, I include a brief profile of a 50-50 college. For those new to my website, a 50-50 school is a college that accepts at least 49% of students and has at least a 49% graduation rate. I use the four-year rate for private schools and the five-year rate for public. You can download a complete list here.

I have also created profiles for over 350 of them so far and am gradually getting them all listed. You can find individual profiles here. With all of the college search websites available, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for you to wonder why I bother, or more importantly, why you should bother to look at them.

College Athletic Recruiting Reading Suggestions: Recruiting Services, High School Issues, and Scholarships

07/26/201605/06/2015 by Michelle Kretzschmar

Tweet6

Flip

Pin2

8 Shares

Five articles for those interested in the college athletic recruiting process. Three of them have practical information for families in the recruiting process. If you’re expecting something definitive, be prepared to be disappointed. As usual, so much depends on the individual situation. And there are two “big picture” reads just so that you have no illusions as to what sort of swamp you’re entering.

Moneyball College Admissions Rules: Ignore the Status Quo

07/26/201607/01/2014 by Michelle Kretzschmar

Tweet1

Flip

1 Shares

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.

Comparison of Top 11 College Search Engines: The Final Results

07/26/201605/27/2014 by Michelle Kretzschmar

Tweet8

Flip

Pin4

12 Shares

(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

07/26/201605/20/2014 by Michelle Kretzschmar

Tweet4

Flip

4 Shares

(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?