The Insider: College Admissions Advice from the Experts

Last week the US Department of Education unveiled the College Scorecard, an interactive tool designed to help families compare the affordability and value of one college against another.  Some look at the move, first introduced in President Obama’s State of the Union address, as a positive step towards college finance transparency.  Others see this device as well intended, but too limited in scope to actually help families make informed choices about college cost. Here’s what experts on College Coach’s Admission and Finance Teams have to say:

At a recent family gathering, a good friend pulled me aside to ask a question about the University of California system.  Having read that UC Berkeley admitted a record number of non-California residents, she wanted to know whether or not the UCs remained a viable option for her own children who would be applying to college in California as in-state students.  Resisting the urge to playfully remind her that her oldest was only five, I started addressing one of the biggest questions college admissions consultants are often asked: