I’m sharing an email that I received from an anxious dad in North Carolina, who asked me for advice about an early decision application. I ran this post last year, but it will be just as helpful today for those contemplating applying to colleges via early decision. Here is what the dad wrote: Dilemma from [...]
Taking a Chance on an Early Decision
on October 15, 2012 in Admission practices, Admissions, Applying, College Costs, Money
Net Price Calculator Hanky Panky
on October 5, 2012 in College Costs, Financial aid, Money, Scholarships, Student Loans
I’d love to hear from parents who have tried using the net price calculators that nearly every college and university must post on their websites. Have you had good experiences or have the net price calculators tried to trick you into believing that a school is going to be affordable? I’ll mention why I am [...]
Case Study: What 66 Schools Would Cost This Family
on August 15, 2012 in Admission practices, Admissions, Applying, Evaluating Schools, Financial aid, Money, Research, Scholarships
As I’ve said many times, students shouldn’t be applying to colleges unless they have a good idea of what those institutions will cost them. It’s easy to obtain these formerly elusive cost figures now that schools have installed net price calculators on their web sites. Today I’m sharing the results from a mom (Lynne) who [...]
A Wealthy Mom’s College Questions
on July 12, 2012 in Admissions, Applying, College Life, Financial aid, Money, Parents, Scholarships
I am sharing an email that I got this week from a wealthy single mom, who is anticipating her college costs for her twins. I comment on her situation below and I’d love to hear from you too. If you have any advice, please share it in the comment box below. Mom’s Email: Lynn, I [...]
Hope for the 3.4 GPA Student!
on July 3, 2012 in Admission practices, Admissions, Applying
Yesterday I wrote a post about a teenager with a 3.4 GPA who failed to capture a scholarship from any of the schools where he applied. This is hard to do when you consider that two-thirds of college student don’t pay the sticker price for college. If you missed yesterday’s post, here it is: Getting [...]
A College with 942 Different Prices
on March 30, 2012 in College Costs, College Savings, Money
College price tags are meaningless. If you’ve spent much time on my college blog you already appreciate that these numbers don’t mean anything, but most families don’t. About two thirds of students attending state and private schools receive scholarships or grants and the number rises to about 88% at private institutions, which have to offer [...]
Subscribe to Newsletter
Join Lynn's newsletter and be among the first to know what's going on in the college world.
Enter your email address below to get started:
- Deadbeat Parents Who Won’t Help Pay for College February 27, 2012
- Getting Financial Aid As an Independent Student January 15, 2010
- Avoiding 10 Common FAFSA Mistakes December 30, 2011
- What’s Wrong With College Dream Lists April 4, 2012
- An Email from a Disillusioned Mom March 22, 2012
- Should a Kid Borrow $80,000 for a Brand Name University? April 19, 2012
- 30 Liberal Arts Colleges In or Near Cities July 18, 2010
- My Take on the College Board’s BigFuture March 20, 2012
- Ending College Stonewalling on Grad Salaries May 16, 2013
- College Options for Musical and Artistic Students May 13, 2013
- A 53% Discount Off a College Sticker Price May 10, 2013
- 8 Things to Know About Attending State Universities Outside Your Borders May 8, 2013
- Should Students Attend a State University Beyond Their Borders? May 6, 2013
- The Odds of a Full-Ride Athletic Scholarship May 3, 2013
- The realities of athletic scholarships May 1, 2013
- Measuring a School’s ROI with College Reality Check April 29, 2013
-
Selina Carter: I would like to add a little gem I found in Leesbu...
-
Stuart: The problem is that too much of the focus is on sa...
-
Steve: Thanks for the reply Lynn. A very informative site...
-
Lynn O'Shaughnessy: Congratulations Annette. Your son definitely beat ...
-
Lynn O'Shaughnessy: Thanks for your comments Stuart. Actually there is...
-
Stuart: I agree with your closing points. Having worked wi...
-
Leigh Moore: Lynn, I don't think I exaggerate when I say that e...
-
Annette: I winced while reading the above post which skewer...
Twitter Updates
Follow @collegeblogs on Twitter





