DIY College Rankings Blog Post – Page 72 – Do It Yourself College Rankings

Looking for a list of colleges that…?

03/12/202112/22/2017 by Michelle Kretzschmar

Woman looking for college lists on compuster

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If you’re planning to create a college list, take a look at some existing lists before starting. It’s possible that you’ll find a couple that can save you a lot of time. If nothing else, a quick perusal might generate some new ideas or bring up some issues you hadn’t considered. Best of all-most of the lists are free.

This is will be an on-going project so be sure to check back for updates.

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Colleges that Meet 100% of Need
Colleges Sponsoring National Merit Scholarships
State Flagship Listing
Colleges with Free Application Fees
Listing of Public Ivies
50-50 Colleges Cheatsheet
Colleges with a 20% Acceptance Rate or Lower

DIY College Rankings College Lists for Sale

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Financial Aid for International Students

Unfinished college applications dragging down your holiday good cheer?

02/28/202112/17/2017 by Michelle Kretzschmar

A bulldog wearing a red and white Santa hat lies on the floor against a white background, bringing good cheer to the holiday season.

ShareTweetFlipEmailPin0 SharesDon’t miss the upcoming Facebook Live Session “Denied/Deferred in the Early Decision Round: Now What?“ and learn the next steps to take to get past the rejection. Evelyn Alexander, Certified Educational Planner and founder of Magellan College Counseling, will provide you with the information you need to help your teen refocus her efforts to … Read more

50-50 Highlights: Best Financial Bets for Public Universities

02/28/202112/14/2017 by Michelle Kretzschmar

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graduate holding money represent public colleges best financial bets A 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.

Do More Rich Kids Get Into Harvard Because They’re Smarter?

02/28/202112/07/2017 by Michelle Kretzschmar

little kid with backpack in front of blackboard representing wealth advantage in college admissions

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Why am I asking the question? It started with a college list. I decided to create a list of colleges that have an acceptance rate of 20% or lower. The idea is that I would use it as a sample for other lists I’m creating and hoping to sell. See, most students won’t get into the most competitive schools so I’m not really losing anything by giving away such a list. A total of 43 schools made the list.

50-50 Highlights: Public Universities with Highest Percentage of PLUS Loans by State

05/26/202311/30/2017 by Michelle Kretzschmar

Piggy Bank on a calculator representing Public Universities with Highest Percentage of PLUS Loans by State

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With all the talk about student debt, it’s easy to miss the PLUS loan numbers. PLUS loans are federal loans taken out by parents on the student’s behalf. The really scary thing about PLUS loans is that parents can borrow up to the full amount of tuition. Furthermore, eligibility for PLUS loans isn’t based on ability to repay the loan but rather your credit history. Just think about it, even with a great credit history, a bank won’t loan you money for $250,000 house without some evidence that you can make the payments. The government will.

Must Reads about the Odds of Playing College Sports and Receiving Athletic Scholarships

05/03/202211/29/2017 by Michelle Kretzschmar

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Just a casual browsing of my blog would reveal that I’m not anti-athlete. When my son wanted to play baseball in college, I spent a lot of time educating myself about the college baseball recruiting process and shared the information here. However, there’s a big difference between playing college sports and receiving an athletic scholarship.

130 Best Colleges for Work-Study

02/28/202111/28/2017 by Michelle Kretzschmar

Two women sit across from a man at a desk in an office setting, holding documents and appearing deeply engaged in discussion about a college work-study program.

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One reason why students should complete the FAFSA even if they don’t think they’ll qualify for financial aid is because of the possibility of college work-study jobs. Work-study jobs require completion of the FAFSA and even if your EFC keeps you from receiving any federal grants, you could land a nice work-study job depending on which college you go to.

Demonstrated Interest is NOT the Secret to Getting Into Any College

05/06/202211/14/2017 by Michelle Kretzschmar

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.

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Last 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.

Must Read Book on Paying for College: The Financial Aid Handbook

05/06/202211/02/2017 by Michelle Kretzschmar

dog reading a book representing reading The Financial Aid Handbook

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With the availability of more free information on the internet than we know what to do with, the suggestion of reading a book to understand a topic may seem, well, old-fashion. But it’s precisely because of the information overload spawned by the internet that books can be a great investment. A good book will present you with the information you need to know in a meaningful way without any distractions. That has value. And for those looking for such value, I want to recommend The Financial Aid Handbook by Carol Stack and Ruth Vedvik.

If you only read one book to understand the intersection of finding and paying for a college, this is it. Carol Stack and Ruth Vedvik have taken their experience as college admission directors and created an essential guide that will take families through a cost based college search. And best of all, it’s written for students.