For years parents have turned to the rankings of popular magazines like the U.S. News and World Report or Forbes to help them choose the best school for their child. While I would argue that a magazine’s rank list is not usually the best tool for making your final decision, it can be helpful as [...]

The arrival of college acceptance letters is right around the corner, and if you are like most parents of high school seniors, you probably expect to be significantly involved in your child’s college choice.
While it may be tempting to look immediately at the financial bottom line, it is important to keep in mind that choosing [...]

With college in session and senior year still building to that final climax of AP tests, senior prom, and graduation, spring is the ideal time to do college visits with your child. Getting a first-hand look at the school and experiencing campus life while students are on campus will help you both make informed decisions [...]

Its not often that your student gets a solid two to four weeks with no academic obligations. Here are a few ways your child can take advantage of that free time.
1. Apply for Scholarships
Scholarships are NOT just for high school seniors, so all high school and college students should take advantage of winter break to [...]

We’ve all heard of Harvard, Yale, Princeton–the “Ivy League” private schools reputed as offering unparalleled educational opportunities to their students. If you’re basing your college choices on name recognition alone, these colleges and universities are probably at the top of your list.  But what about their public counterparts, state schools like UCLA? Maybe the low [...]

Choosing the “wrong” college has long been a problem for students–one that too often means extra time and money spent on obtaining that coveted college degree. Now a new study from the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) indicates that 1 out of every 3 college students will transfer to another school–and that can spell [...]

As attached as your child is to the idea of attending UCLA, UT Austin or NYU, reality may be that a college on your student’s list may not actually be the right fit. Most schools look awfully  good on paper, but in order to make the right personal decision, your student needs to get exposed [...]

Since the U.S. News & World Report’s infamous and unreliable college ranking system appeared on the scene years ago, it seems everybody wants to get in on the college ranking game. Last autumn Forbes released its own ranking list, and many others have been quick to follow.
The problem?
None of these rankings has yet given a [...]

At a time when many colleges and universities are looking for ways to cut costs, student services may be hanging in the balance; but a new study suggests that those little “extras” may be more important than one might think.
Important Correlations
A report from the Cornell Higher Education Research Institute recently disclosed a correlation between student-based [...]

You may have noticed that for-profit colleges–those career or trade schools who you see advertised on television–do not get a lot of facetime here at the Pay for College Blog. I usually focus on traditional non-profit private and public colleges and universities, instead.
However, I recently came across a new debt report from FinAid.org’s Mark Kantrowitz, [...]