The College Solutions Blog

Valuable insights from Lynn O’Shaughnessy
a nationally recognized college expert.

Graduate degrees
August 16, 2019

Saying No to a Dream College: A Success Story

Should you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to send your child to his or her dream college? My answer to that dream college question has always been a resounding NO! Some of the universities that U.S. News & World Report loves to gush over now cost $300,000 or higher. And that’s for a SINGLE bachelor’s degree. If you’re really...
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Featured image for “A Young Alum from Georgetown Weighs In”
March 4, 2015

A Young Alum from Georgetown Weighs In

In my last post, I urged parents, who are stressed about how their kids are going to get into the most elite schools, (these are mostly affluent families) to ditch this toxic worry. If you missed the post here it is: Stop Fixating On These Colleges I had a young alum from one of those elite schools write a thoughtful...
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Featured image for “A Look at America’s Newest PhD’s”
December 7, 2012

A Look at America’s Newest PhD’s

I hear from a lot of parents who assume that their children will eventually go on to graduate school. And that’s hardly surprising since Americans who earn a master’s degree or a doctorate typically earn more in their lifetimes than the rest of us. For those who dream that their children will someday earn a PhD, I want to direct...
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Featured image for “The Dangers of Being Taught by Part Timers”
November 26, 2012

The Dangers of Being Taught by Part Timers

When your teenagers reach college, who will be teaching them? Chances are excellent that many of your children’s professors will be part-timers or full-time professors without any chance of getting tenured. The number of adjunct professors on college campuses has soared in the past decade. Today only thirty percent of college professors have tenure or are on the tenure track....
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October 10, 2012

Surprise: Where Harvard Law Students Got Their Undergrad Degrees

Today I’m passing along a fascinating list that comes from Harvard Law School. The list you see below includes the 261 colleges and universities where members of the Class of 2013 law school students come from. Michelle Kretzschmur, the creator of Do-It-Yourself College Rankings sent me the link to the list because she knows how strongly I believe that students...
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June 15, 2012

Three Degrees of College Prestige

Today I am happy to share with you a thoughtful post that David Montesano, one of my favorite independent college college consultants, wrote about college rankings. Montesano is the owner of College Match Educational Consultants, which has offices in the San Francisco Bay area, Seattle and elsewhere. Three Degrees of College Prestige In an era where a sour economy is...
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May 8, 2012

Finding the Success Rates for Law, Medical, MBA and Grad Programs

I’m answering a question today from a reader, who is interested in locating MBA placement rates. The advice is also pertinent to those wondering if a particular school will give a child a boost when applying to graduate school and other professional degree programs. Is there any info out there on colleges with a good track record for MBA admissions...
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May 8, 2012

Finding the Success Rates for Law, Medical, MBA and Grad Programs

I’m answering a question today from a reader, who is interested in locating MBA placement rates. The advice is also pertinent to those wondering if a particular school will give a child a boost when applying to graduate school and other professional degree programs. Is there any info out there on colleges with a good track record for MBA admissions...
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February 8, 2012

Rushing to Get a Graduate Degree

I’ve met a lot of college students who assume that they must slog their way through graduate school to enjoy a successful and lucrative career. What is troubling, however, is how little information young adults know about what is involved in earning a graduate degree that can be expensive and a huge time commitment. No one should pursue a graduate...
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November 7, 2011

Job and Grad School Placement Rates at Colleges: Good Luck Finding Them

When you’re looking at colleges and universities wouldn’t you like to know if their students found jobs after graduating? Wouldn’t you like to know what kind of success students at a particular school enjoyed in getting into graduate school? Duh. Of course, you would. Believe it or not, federal law requires colleges and universities to disclose job and graduate school...
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