Special

(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 fall, one must read.

The EFC Chart: Understand How Much You’ll Pay for College

If I had only one post people read from my website, I would pick this one. In the past I would direct people to the EFC quick reference chart done by Troy Onink. However, it hasn’t been updated since 2017. The chart I’ve created doesn’t have the same level of income categories as Troy’s. However, it does demonstrate how much savings will affect your EFC.

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(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 twelfth day of Christmas, DIY College Rankings wrote to me:

The twelve most viewed Frequently Asked Questions for the year.

What is a Tier 1 school? (university or college)

If my EFC is 0 does that mean I can go to college for free?

What is a flagship university?

What is a likely letter?

Do I have to be accepted to a college to apply for financial aid?

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(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 tenth day of Christmas, DIY College Rankings wrote to me:

Ten ways to contribute to student debt.

10 Avoidable Financial Mistakes Parents Make When Planning for College

If you don’t have the money talk, your student may never apply to the colleges that would provide the needed scholarships. So you take out loans instead.

The 10 Worst Colleges – Do It Yourself College Rankings

 Prioritizing rankings over affordability is a good way to contribute to student debt.

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(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 ninth day of Christmas, DIY College Rankings wrote to me:

Nine ways to improve your opportunities.

9 Resources for Creating Your Own Softball or Baseball Recruiting Video

If you have a video camera, a video stand, and a basic editing program, you can create your own video that will be perfectly fine for college baseball or softball recruiting.

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(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 eighth day of Christmas, DIY College Rankings wrote to me:

Eight college admissions money tips.

8 Things Parents Must Know About Paying for College

Am I repeating myself? Maybe. But that’s pretty much the point of the website. So once again, the most competitive colleges offer few, if any, academic scholarships.

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(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 sixth day of Christmas, DIY College Rankings wrote to me:

Six ways to make things better.

6 Tips for Making a Better College Search List

The college search list should contain at least 20 schools, more if you have the time to research them. A good search list will include colleges that you haven’t considered or heard of before you started creating the search list.

6 Things High School Baseball Players Must Have on Their Athletic Profile

Regardless of what format you choose, your athletic profile must include the following six elements.

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(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 fifth day of Christmas, DIY College Rankings wrote to me:

Five things to know.

5 Financial Aid Strategies Parents of Sophomores Need to Know Before the Spring Semester

Yeah, I know it’s cutting it close for this one to be useful, but still worth a read.

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(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 fourth day of Christmas, DIY College Rankings wrote to me:

How to search and what to avoid.

4 Easy Steps to Find 254 Colleges for Potential Merit Scholarships

An average net price of over $30,000 suggests that regardless of the amount of aid being awarded, the school is still likely to be expensive.

4 College Recruiting Mistakes to Avoid When You’re the Best Player on Your Team

It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that you can judge your ability because you have played other teams and haven’t seen anyone as good as you.

4 Reasons People Don’t Pick Affordable Colleges

Attending affordable colleges comes with some trade-offs that not all families are willing to make.

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