The College Solutions Blog

December 2, 2014

In my experience, high quality, independent test-prep firms produce some of the best college newsletters. One newsletter that I always make sure I read comes from Compass Education Group, which offers test prep in Northern and Southern California.  Today I am sharing a thought-provoking post that Matt Steiner, who is Compass Education’s marketing director, originally wrote for the test-prep firm’s...

November 25, 2014

I watched CNN’s new documentary, Ivory Tower, last week, which has prompted me to write a depressing post for Thanksgiving week. The documentary, which filmmaker Andrew Rossi created, highlights some of the key problems that makes it extremely difficult for many college students to obtain a good education and just as importantly, to pay for it. The documentary focuses on...

November 17, 2014

Today I am excited to share an online conversation that I recorded with Janine Robinson, a journalist, a consultant and the creator of EssayHell, which is a wonderful website for students who want to learn how to write a great college essay. I invite you to watch the YouTube video during which Janine and I discuss tips on creating winning...

November 10, 2014

If your child is in the midst of applying to colleges, do you have an excellent idea of what each school on your child’s list will cost you? If  you don’t, I strongly suggest that you temporarily halt the admission process and find out. Traditionally, parents couldn’t know what any college was going to cost until their child received his...

November 3, 2014

FAFSA season is fast approaching, which always brings questions about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. In my post today, I want to share advice about why you should submit the FAFSA and who should be completing the actual financial aid form. I also want to share the link to an excellent and free ebook that will likely answer...

October 20, 2014

Is your university need blind? I once saw a couple of  enthusiastic young admission reps from a pair of Catholic universities back East try to answer that question at a college conference. The reps were specifically asked whether their schools might reject some applicants if they required a lot of financial assistance. Both admission reps vigorously assured the counselor who asked...

October 14, 2014

In this video, I am interviewing Paula Bishop, a CPA from Bellevue, WA, who has helped countless families over the years with financial aid questions, as well as with filling out the financial aid forms. I spoke to Paula at a college conference in Indianapolis about how home equity impacts financial aid. Owning a primary home, regardless of how much...

October 13, 2014

 Another way to research a college or a university is to obtain its Common Data Set. The Common Data Set is a document that was created as a way for schools to address the voracious appetites for higher-ed data from collegiate publishers like US News & World Report and the College Board. Rather than answer every publisher’s annual questions on...

October 13, 2014

What happens when the financial aid or merit aid package that a student receives from a school is inadequate? Is it possible to extract more money from a college? This is a common question that parents ask who are disappointed by awards their children have received. One parent, for instance, told me that she was discouraged when her daughter received...

October 13, 2014

If you have a child in college, will you qualify for a federal tax credit or tax deduction? These are valuable tax benefits that can help you defray the rising cost of a college degree and yet some parents have no idea that they exist or whether they would qualify. Edvisor Network explains these tax benefits in plain English and...