DIY College Rankings Blog Post – Page 90 – Do It Yourself College Rankings

FAQ: What is financial aid gapping?

02/10/201712/12/2015 by Michelle Kretzschmar

Student in front of college asking What is financial aid gapping?

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A financial aid gap occurs when a college’s financial aid award for a student doesn’t meet the student’s financial need as defined by the college. This unmet need is referred to as the gap.

Gapping became a verb as some colleges have earned a reputation for failing to meet student need, especially students admitted with qualifications placing them in the middle to bottom of the class. Students in the bottom quarter of a class in terms of qualification are always at risk of being gapped with the exception of the most competitive institutions that meet 100% of need.

FAQ: Do I Need to Take Both the SAT and ACT?

12/17/202012/12/2015 by Michelle Kretzschmar

A woman stands on a college campus pathway next to a building. A sticky note graphic reads, "College FAQ: Should you take both the SAT and ACT?

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No. All four-year colleges accept both tests. Both the SAT and ACT provide concordance tables to “translate” scores from one test to another.

However, there are reasons why you might want to take both the SAT and ACT. Even with the proposed changes to the SAT in 2016, the tests will not be the same. Therefore, if you do poorly on one, you might do better on the other.

50-50 Highlights: Liberal Arts Colleges Ranked by Median Earnings

07/26/201612/10/2015 by Michelle Kretzschmar

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Stacks of money representing liberal arts colleges ranked by salary Evaluating Liberal Arts Colleges by how much graduates make is antithetical to the concept of a liberal arts education in so many ways. But given the fact that 100 Liberal Arts Colleges now cost more than $50,000, I don’t care how much aid the students are receiving, families have every right to know what kind of pay-off the student can expect. This doesn’t mean that families don’t appreciate the value of a liberal arts education. It’s just recognition that there will bills and loans to repay after graduation.

How Much Do Colleges Spend on D2 Baseball Programs?

02/28/202112/09/2015 by Michelle Kretzschmar

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As is the case for most sports, Division 2 is the smallest for baseball in the NCAA. According to the Office of Postsecondary Education, in 2013 there were 260 D2 baseball programs in 43 states including Puerto Rico. Pennsylvania had the most with 20, followed by California with 16. Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, New York tied for third with 14 programs each.

What The Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success Really Means

06/20/201912/08/2015 by Michelle Kretzschmar

A dog jumping over an obstacle in an agility course on a grassy field. Text overlay reads: "What The Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success Really Means.

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Last September a group of 80 colleges announced a new college application designed to improve access, affordability, and success. They actually call themselves the Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success. But for some reason, the counselors who work with high school students, both private and school-based, don’t seem impressed with the new option. Maybe because the Coalition apparently hasn’t even piloted the application yet or listed any committed Community Based Organizations?

50-50 Highlights: Colleges in the Economist’s Top 100 College Rankings

03/01/202112/03/2015 by Michelle Kretzschmar

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During last fall’s college rankings frenzy, I missed the Economist’s first ever contribution to the college rankings. Having taken some time to look over the list and methodology, I think they have something meaningful to contribute to comparing colleges. Like Money Magazine’s Rankings, the Economist is looking at the financial results of a college education. Unlike Money which focuses on the Return On Investment, the Economist’s college rankings are focused on the school effect.

Are College Baseball Players Happy?

05/31/202312/02/2015 by Michelle Kretzschmar

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(The data is from 2010 but I think is still valuable today.)

Do you know what you’re in for if you end up playing college baseball? Sure, you’ve talked to the coach multiple times and have done your overnight with the player. And you probably know about being able to do three things in college, study, play ball, and party but athletes only get to pick two. But do you really think you know what it’s going to be like?

What’s Important to College Baseball Coaches

02/11/202011/25/2015 by Michelle Kretzschmar

Three baseball players, seen from behind, walk together. These athletes, important to college baseball coaches, wear different jerseys: the left in red, the middle in blue, and the right in black with the number 30 on the back.

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So why is a college baseball coach more likely to lose interest in a high school prospect, showing poor attitude at a game where the coach is watching or a poor high school season? If you said poor high school season, you’re wrong. Which would have a greater negative effect on the recruiting coach, seeing a game where the player had a poor performance or low grades? Obviously poor performance, right? Wrong. It’s low grades.

50-50 Highlights: Doctoral/Research Universities Ranked by Students’ Salaries

03/01/202111/19/2015 by Michelle Kretzschmar

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This fall’s college rankings have made earnings and return on investment a more prominent consideration when selecting a college. And with the ever increasing cost of college, this is a very reasonable reaction. However, ranking colleges by some form of graduates’ salaries has its own set of problems. Teachers simply don’t make as much as engineers or investment bankers but we need teachers. Incomes are higher in areas with higher costs of living. And these are just some of the obvious issues of ranking universities by graduates’ salaries. But this shouldn’t stop you from using the available information–just understand its limitations.