When creating their preferred list of colleges, many students are looking for schools that will include the “big city” experience. New York is the obvious choice. However, students shouldn’t overlook the nation’s 7th largest city, Philadelphia, just a 90 minute train ride to the south. Surely it can provide the requested “big city” experience at … Read more
Going to college in Boston isn’t just for high school valedictorians, those with 10 AP classes on their transcripts, or those with test scores in the 90th percentile or higher. It’s only natural that you would assume so with names like Harvard, MIT, Tufts, Boston College, Wellesley, Northeastern, and Brandies dominating the higher education neighborhood. … Read more
When students think about going to college in New York City, NYU and Columbia are usually the first colleges that come to mind. And then maybe Vassar and Fordham will be mentioned. Someone might think about the City Colleges. But for too many students, going to college in New York City is pretty much limited … Read more
Why you shouldn’t expect scholarships from the most competitive colleges.
The point of the 50-50 schools list is to identify colleges and universities that most students can get into while meeting a minimum standard for college graduation. However, just because a school is academically accessible doesn’t mean that students can afford to attend. Some of the most expensive colleges make the list. Like colleges and … Read more
Recently I was on an online forum where a student was trying to figure out whether to apply to Duke or Washington University in Saint Louis. And, of course, there was discussion of his chances of getting in. The student had outstanding academic credentials, including a 34 ACT score. I pointed out that while that … Read more
What, you say you’ve never seen a tuition coupon? Just because nobody has ever actually held one in her hands doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. You know how you start getting coupons for movers and home stores when you change your address? Or after you visit a website online, you start getting discount offers from … Read more
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 … Read more
The idea behind listing 50-50 colleges is that they offer most high school students a reasonable chance of admissions with an equally reasonable chance of graduation. As I’ve mentioned before, the most expensive college is the one you don’t graduate from. And while depressing, a 50% graduation rate is actually a fairly high standard. Out … Read more
