(Updated 2023) The National Merit Scholarship® Program seems like a great opportunity for test savvy high school students and their families to make a substantial dent in college costs. Well, it really all depends. Much to the surprise of many families, being a National Merit® Finalist doesn’t mean a full-ride scholarship to the college of your choice.
Fredericksburg, Virginia (Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA CSA)
3,956 (3,660 undergraduates)
Does College Size Matter?
(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?
ShareTweetFlipEmailPin1414 Shares(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 eleventh day of Christmas, DIY College Rankings wrote to me: Eleven colleges to check out. The following were the 11 most popular 50-50 colleges on the … Read more
(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.
When the 99th Percentile isn’t Good Enough
Two 9s, just one 9, who cares? Anyway, I wrote this post in response to a student saying the a 34 ACT score as a minimum for getting into a super selective school was ridiculous. So I include some data as well as a list of “Dream” schools where such minimums exist.
(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.
(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 seventh day of Christmas, DIY College Rankings wrote to me:
Seven things you should know in college admissions.
7 Things You Need to Know When Looking for Private College Scholarships
Approximately 7 percent of undergraduate students received private scholarships, with an average value of $1,982.
Finding colleges you like and worrying about how you will pay for them later is a bad idea.
(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.
(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.
5 Rules About Paying for College That Most Parents Don’t Know
If you only have a limited amount of time to look for scholarships, your best bet is look for colleges that provide the most money.