The College Solutions Blog

February 13, 2009

I’m in the midst  of organizing my family’s taxes, which is one reason why I haven’t been as faithful to my blog. I’ve got my receipts, 1099 forms, statements from financial institutions and other documents scattered all over my oak dining room table. When my husband, son and I eat at night all this stuff gets pushed to the side...

February 10, 2009

If you want to be scared straight about college costs, read a Forbes Magazine article entitled The Great College Hoax.The piece argues that graduates who believe that a college degree will start them off on a yellow brick road that leads to greater salaries and a $1 million lifetime advantage over the poor souls who never make it past high...

February 9, 2009

Believe it or not, a handful of colleges charge less tuiton than a bag of theater popcorn. Actually, they are free.The New York Times wrote about one of the schools, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, in today’s edition. Not surprisingly, students submitting 2009 early decision applications to the school, which is an amazing place for...

February 8, 2009

Have you ever heard of a college prereading an application? Probably not, but in this scary economic climate, prereads could become commonplace. I learned about prereads last week when I was reporting on a package of stories for a national media outlet on various financial aid strategies. When the articles are published in a month, I’ll provide the links from...

February 5, 2009

The University of California Board of Regents is expected today to approve the most sweeping admission changes to admissions in at least a decade at the nine UC campuses for undergraduates. The new requirements will allow 40% more high school graduates to be eligible for admission to the UC system. Many high school students are going to be relieved to...

February 3, 2009

When I think back to my dorm days at the University of Missouri, what I remember most vividly is getting scalded in the shower. I lived in Johnston Hall, which was named after a woman Latin professor when it was built right after World War II. The girls’ dorm was known for being centrally located and for its decrepit plumbing....

February 1, 2009

Now here’s something you haven’t heard reported in the news media this year: Many colleges and universities are slashing prices even further than they have in the past. Private schools, in particular, are worried that kids are crossing expensive schools off their lists because of the recession and the stock market implosion. Most parents assume that private schools are in...

January 30, 2009

I want to share part of the conversation that I had today with Barmak Nassirian, an official with the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. I am doing research for some stories on college so I called Barmak because he is one of the truly thoughtful and compassionate financial aid experts in the higher ed world. Barmak noted...

January 29, 2009

A few days ago, I wrote a blog about how college admission officers are increasingly turning to new media when marketing to teenagers. But teenagers are going to be more interested in how schools are using these new tools to snoop on them. An ambitious study conducted at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, suggests that admissions stalking isn’t pervasive. At...

January 26, 2009

Ever thought about heading North for college? Getting a bachelor’s degree in Canada could save you money. And there are plenty of other reasons why you might want to attend a school there. Here’s a link to a piece written by a dad, who is happy to report that he saved a ton of cash by following this advice with...