The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price »

Lynn O’Shaughnessy has been a professional journalist for three decades. She is a former Los Angeles Times reporter and syndicated columnist, and a financial journalist. Her previous books include Unofficial Guide to Investing, Investing Bible, and Retirement Bible. She has contributed to such publications as BusinessWeek, Money Magazine, USA Today, Chronicle of Philanthropy, AARP The Magazine, Wealth Manager Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s Retirement Report, Bottom Line Personal, and Consumer Reports MoneyAdviser. She is a graduate of the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri in Columbia.

“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

Foreword     xv
Introduction     xix
Capturing Financial Aid     1
Where Is the {dollar}{dollar}{dollar}?     2
Looking for Cash in the Right Places     5
Using Financial Aid Tools     9
Financial Aid in the Real World     13
A Peek Inside a Financial Aid Office     17
Winning the Financial Aid Lottery     20
Maximizing Financial Aid     25
Maximizing Financial Aid, Part II     30
Appealing the Verdict     34
Capturing Tuition Discounts     39
The Race for Cash     40
The Inside Scoop on Merit Money     44
Academic Freebies     49
Creating a Buzz     53
Playing the Gender Card     59
Finding Great Academic Fits     63
The Hidden Truth     64
The Knock Against U.S. News & World Report     67
The Rankings Antidote     71
Research Made Easy     77
Grading Academic Departments     83
Grading Academic Departments, Part II     91
The Value of Undergraduate Research     97
Grading Professors     101
Overlooked Academic Choices     105
Stop Hyperventilating     106
The Allure of Liberal Arts Colleges     109
What Makes Public Liberal Arts Colleges Special     114
Teaching Versus Research     118
Learning in a Crowd     121
Exploring Community Colleges     127
Considering a Community College     128
Why Community Colleges Are Popular     130
Is Your Local Community College Any Good?     134
Getting Credit for Your Work     139
College Admissions Nuts & Bolts     143
Knowing When to Do What     144
Grading College Counselors     150
Ditching the SAT     156
Writing Your Way into College     162
Visiting Campuses     167
Acing the College Interview     170
Getting In at the Last Minute     173
College Diversity     175
Diversity Blueprint     176
Economizing for College     183
Shrinking the College Tab     184
Shrinking the College Tab, Part II     188
Freebies and Best Buys     191
Capturing Private Scholarships     196
Navigating the Student Loan Maze     201
The Student Loan Fiasco      202
Student Loan Primer     206
Disappearing Discounts     211
Private Loan Perils     213
Default Debacles     218
Maximizing College Accounts     221
A 529 Primer     222
College Investing Cheat Sheet     228
The Perils of Cashing Out College Accounts     233
Grading Financial Advisers     237
The Folks Back Home     243
Parents Behaving Badly     244
Getting Grandma to Help     250
The College Solution Chest Sheet     253
Resource Guide     259
Index     267