When selecting a college, it is critical to know the school’s graduation rate.  These are measured in 4-, 5-, and 6-year rates of graduation.  The benchmark is 6 years, believe it or not (that’s a lot of fraternity parties!), but of course you’ll want to know the 4-year rate as well.  The longer your child […]

I want to switch gears for a second to issue a very serious warning about bogus financial aid services.  When it gets ‘down-to-the-wire’ for paying the college bill,  many students and their families will fall prey to ‘private’ scholarship scams.  It happens every year – In fact, the Federal Trade Commission estimates that parents lose more than […]

Newly elected California Governor Jerry Brown has proposed a $1.4 billion cut in funding for public higher education in that state. This draconian measure is part of an effort to address a $28 billion budget shortfall. The University of California system would face a $500 million reduction, severely affecting resources at what is considered one […]

Now that the Class of 2015’s college applications are in, it’s time to give you the run-down on what has become a multi-year, highly commoditized and stressful process.  Especially for the parents.    As one Dean of Admissions at a top college told Jill (my office manager and better half) at a dinner the other night, “It’s […]