Colleges that Meet 100% of Financial Need Depending on How You Define Need

money with a chain and lock representing colleges that meet 100% of need

(Updated for 2023) Probably the biggest shock families experience as they consider their college options is finding out how much they’re expected to pay for college. But I think a close second would be how few colleges are actually able to meet the family’s admittedly flawed calculated need. According to the Common Data Set and college … Read more

21 Schools to Avoid if You’re Making a List of Affordable Colleges

student thinking about which schools to include on her list of affordable colleges

In case you haven’t heard, some colleges are more likely to provide you institutional scholarships and grants than others. Some are more generous with merit aid while others give better need-based aid. And just as some colleges are known for their aid, there are those that are known for the lack of it and shouldn’t … Read more

126 Hardest Colleges to Get Into

woman rock climbing representing hardest colleges to get into

(See the list for 2022 at the end of the post.) What are the hardest colleges to get into? Anyone going through the college admissions process can’t help but ask the question at least once. It’s a lot like visiting a Parade of Homes that you know you’ll never afford or maybe like rubbernecking while … Read more

3 Types of Players that Don’t get Recruited by Colleges

player standing on base representing types of players that don't get recruited by colleges

There are a lot of athletes and their families that are expecting to play their sport in college. And far too many of them are actually counting on an athletic scholarship as part of their plan to pay for college. Yet, the truth is that most of these players won’t be recruited to play in college, … Read more

Find Colleges with the Most Merit Scholarships in 4 Easy Steps

person on stepping stones representing easy steps to finding colleges with the most merit scholarhsips

(For those looking for colleges with the most merit scholarships, I’m updating this post. Because I’ve updated the spreadsheet several times since I wrote this post, some of the numbers in the text won’t match the results in the graphics. You can see a video demonstration at the end of the post.)     If you’re … Read more

Parents: Don’t Ignore These 5 Numbers when Comparing Colleges

stacks of coins representing numbers to use when comparing colleges

Before parents sit back and let their kids drive the college application process, there are some numbers they need to understand when comparing colleges. Because while it’s true that it’s the student who is going to attend college, the colleges are pretty clear that they are going to turn to the parents to pay the … Read more