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College Solution, The: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price
- By Lynn O'Shaughnessy
- Published Jun 6, 2008 by FT Press.
Book
- Sorry, this book is no longer in print.
About
Features
Reading this book can save families thousands, while revealing academic opportunities they never would have imagined.
- First complete college guide for the 99% of American students who aren't headed for the Ivy League!
- Learn how you can go to a private college for the cost of public and surprising discounts on great public colleges and universities!
- By Lynn O'Shaughnessy, one of the nation's most respected personal finance journalists and author of Retirement Bible!
Description
- Copyright 2008
- Edition: 1st
- Book
- ISBN-10: 0-13-236570-7
- ISBN-13: 978-0-13-236570-3
“The College Solution helps readers look beyond over-hyped admission rankings to discover schools that offer a quality education at affordable prices. Taking the guesswork out of saving and finding money for college, this is a practical and insightful must-have guide for every parent!”
—Jaye J. Fenderson, Seventeen’s College Columnist and Author, Seventeen’s Guide to Getting into College
“This book is a must read in an era of rising tuition and falling admission rates. O’Shaughnessy offers good advice with blessed clarity and brevity.”
—Jay Mathews, Washington Post Education Writer and Columnist
“I would recommend any parent of a college-bound student read The College Solution.”
—Kal Chany, Author, The Princeton Review’s Paying for College Without Going Broke
“The College Solution goes beyond other guidebooks in providing an abundance of information about how to afford college, in addition to how to approach the selection process by putting the student first.”
—Martha “Marty” O’Connell, Executive Director, Colleges That Change Lives
“Lynn O’Shaughnessy always focuses on what’s in the consumer’s best interest, telling families how to save money and avoid making costly mistakes.”
—Mark Kantrowitz, Publisher, FinAid.org and Author, FastWeb College Gold
“An antidote to the hype and hysteria about getting in and paying for college! O’Shaughnessy has produced an excellent overview that demystifies the college planning process for students and families.”
—Barmak Nassirian, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
For millions of families, the college planning experience has become extremely stressful. And, unless your child is an elite student in the academic top 1%, most books on the subject won’t help you.
Now, however, there’s a college guide for everyone. In The College Solution, top personal finance journalist Lynn O’Shaughnessy presents an easy-to-use roadmap to finding the right college program (not just the most hyped) and dramatically reducing the cost of college, too.
Forget the rankings! Discover what really matters: the quality and value of the programs your child wants and deserves.
O’Shaughnessy uncovers “industry secrets” on how colleges actually parcel out financial aid—and how even “average” students can maximize their share. Learn how to send your kids to expensive private schools for virtually the cost of an in-state public college...and how promising students can pay significantly less than the “sticker price” even at the best state universities.
No other book offers this much practical guidance on choosing a college...and no other book will save you as much money!
• Secrets your school’s guidance counselor doesn’t know yet
The surprising ways colleges have changed how they do business
• Get every dime of financial aid that’s out there for you
Be a “fly on the wall” inside the college financial aid office
• U.S. News & World Report: clueless about your child
Beyond one-size-fits-all rankings: finding the right program for your teenager
• The best bargains in higher education
Overlooked academic choices that just might be perfect for you
Sample Content
Online Sample Chapters
The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price
The College Solution: Where Is the $$$?
Sample Pages
Table of Contents
Foreword xv
Introduction xix
PART I: Capturing Financial Aid 1
Chapter 1: Where Is the $$$? 2
Chapter 2: Looking for Cash in the Right Places 5
Chapter 3: Using Financial Aid Tools 9
Chapter 4: Financial Aid in the Real World 13
Chapter 5: A Peek Inside a Financial Aid Office 17
Chapter 6: Winning the Financial Aid Lottery 20
Chapter 7: Maximizing Financial Aid 25
Chapter 8: Maximizing Financial Aid, Part II 30
Chapter 9: Appealing the Verdict 34
PART II: Capturing Tuition Discounts 39
Chapter 10: The Race for Cash 40
Chapter 11: The Inside Scoop on Merit Money 44
Chapter 12: Academic Freebies 49
Chapter 13: Creating a Buzz 53
Chapter 14: Playing the Gender Card 59
PART III: Finding Great Academic Fits 63
Chapter 15: The Hidden Truth 64
Chapter 16: The Knock Against U S News & World Report 67
Chapter 17: The Rankings Antidote 71
Chapter 18: Research Made Easy 77
Chapter 19: Grading Academic Departments 83
Chapter 20: Grading Academic Departments, Part II 91
Chapter 21: The Value of Undergraduate Research 97
Chapter 22: Grading Professors 101
PART IV: Overlooked Academic Choices 105
Chapter 23: Stop Hyperventilating 106
Chapter 24: The Allure of Liberal Arts Colleges 109
Chapter 25: What Makes Public Liberal Arts
Colleges Special 114
Chapter 26: Teaching Versus Research 118
Chapter 27: Learning in a Crowd 121
PART V: Exploring Community Colleges 127
Chapter 28: Considering a Community College 128
Chapter 29: Why Community Colleges Are Popular 130
Chapter 30: Is Your Local Community College Any Good? 134
Chapter 31: Getting Credit for Your Work 139
PART VI: College Admissions Nuts & Bolts 143
Chapter 32: Knowing When to Do What 144
Chapter 33: Grading College Counselors 150
Chapter 34: Ditching the SAT 156
Chapter 35: Writing Your Way into College 162
Chapter 36: Visiting Campuses 167
Chapter 37: Acing the College Interview 170
Chapter 38: Getting In at the Last Minute 173
PART VII: College Diversity 175
Chapter 39: Diversity Blueprint 176
PART VIII: Economizing for College 183
Chapter 40: Shrinking the College Tab 184
Chapter 41: Shrinking the College Tab, Part II 188
Chapter 42: Freebies and Best Buys 191
Chapter 43: Capturing Private Scholarships 196
PART IX: Navigating the Student Loan Maze 201
Chapter 44: The Student Loan Fiasco 202
Chapter 45: Student Loan Primer 206
Chapter 46: Disappearing Discounts 211
Chapter 47: Private Loan Perils 213
Chapter 48: Default Debacles 218
PART X: Maximizing College Accounts 221
Chapter 49: A 529 Primer 222
Chapter 50: College Investing Cheat Sheet 228
Chapter 51: The Perils of Cashing Out College
Accounts 233
Chapter 52: Grading Financial Advisers 237
PART XI: The Folks Back Home 243
Chapter 53: Parents Behaving Badly 244
Chapter 54: Getting Grandma to Help 250
Appendix: The College Solution Cheat Sheet 253
Resource Guide 259
Index 267