The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price |  | Author: Lynn O'Shaughnessy
Publisher: FT Press
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $11.95
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Seller: allnewbooks
Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 24090
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Pages: 304
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9
ISBN: 0132365707
Dewey Decimal Number: 378.73
EAN: 9780132365703
ASIN: 0132365707
Publication Date: June 16, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
"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, WashingtonPost 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, FastWebCollegeGold "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
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 13
Positioning Yourself for College March 16, 2009
Kristine I. Hintz (Basking Ridge, NJ)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am a career coach for students and young people seeking admission to college, graduate schools and the workforce. My practice focuses on students learning how to optimally position themselves. I ask the question, "What unique strengths do you have to offer that this college needs?"
Lynn O'Shaughnessy has taken this question to a new level. I help my students understand that a key to college acceptance is communication of how their unique strengths can fill a school's gaps (i.e., academic talent, diversity, athletic or artistic abilities). This book adds the financial element to that equation. A student's ability to fill a college's gaps not only drives acceptance, but influences a college's financial generosity as well. This is a simple, intuitive concept that not many families recognize.
As families push their high schoolers to "stretch" themselves to apply to prestigious "reach" colleges, they are overlooking great educational opportunities. If you get into Ivy U by the skin of your teeth, and you feel like they are almost doing you a favor by letting you squeak in, you are unlikely to get any financial incentives for going there. But if you are bringing something special to Under Ivy U, and they really want you for the contributions you can make (i.e., freshman stats, sports, arts, academic potential), they might feel a little more like you are doing them a favor, and they'll be willing to offer you a financial incentive to do so.
Simple, isn't it? Thank you, Ms. O'Shaughnessy, for pointing out such a clear and brilliant principle. I suggest your book to all my students, and will continue to do so!
-Kris Hintz, wwww.positionu4college.com
 kinda whiney February 4, 2009
P. J. Anderson (Los Angeles, CA)
5 out of 10 found this review helpful
The book has a lot of good information, but the author spends several chapters whining about her personal view that too much grant money goes to "merit" awards [i.e. where the student has worked hard to get good grades, do well in athletics, etc., and is rewarded for his/her hard work with grant money], and not enough to "need-based" awards [like every kid should get a free ride to the most expensive schools, or something]. The author should just stick to facts, figures and helpful websites.
What Every Parent Should Know About Choosing and Paying For College... All In One Book! January 26, 2009
J. Penner (Los Gatos, CA USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
As a college counselor and parent, I have read just about every college admissions book on the market. This book was recommended on a college admissions blog- it wasn't available at the local library so I took a risk and bought it sight unseen. I read it in one sitting, and now recommend it to all my clients, friends, and coworkers.
What makes this book so unique is how very practical the information is. Lynn offers tips on getting merit aid (do you know about a college's Common Data Set?) and I learned so many valuable insights.
This is a book that parents and counselors will reference again and again- I find myself pulling it out frequently as my youngest child moves through the admissions process.
This comprehensive, easy to read book has made me feel empowered and knowledgeable- I highly recommend it!
Best College Advice Book Ever January 26, 2009
J. Lasko (El Dorado Hills, CA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is the best college advice book I have ever found in my 12 years working in a high school career center. It is easy to read and the author has included great web resources to help students figure out how to find their best college fit. The College Solution is also a tremendous resource for learning how to fund a college education. I recommend this book to students and parents whenever I have a chance.
Highly Recommended! November 23, 2008
Daria Doering (San Diego, CA USA)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book really is unique and the best. I have looked at many college books, and this is the only one that addressed my concerns about whether kids who have money in their name can get financial aid, and whether there is any hope for parents "in the middle" who may have too much money to qualify for financial aid, and too little to pay for private colleges. The answers are much more hopeful than I had thought, and O'Shaughnessy even provides the "formulas" colleges use; something I had tried in absolute vain to find. Other things I found out (wish I'd had this book many years ago) were that retirement funds are not counted against you at all, so that's another reason to sock away the maximum amount; and that you should be spending that money in your kids' names for certain of their expenses, in other words spending down their accounts, so they'll get better financial aid packages (and you can then repay what you spent). Highly recommended!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 13
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