The Foreign Service Journal, December 2016

84 DECEMBER 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT Do It Yourself College Rankings College admissions expert Michelle Kretzschmar has an unusual approach to college admissions, including ways to calculate the most affordable colleges, as well as those that admit more than 50 percent of their applicants. Her site, filled with charts and data, and her blog, is worth a look. www.diycollegerankings.com/ Books Although there are books that claim to give you an edge in finding scholar- ships, the most up-to-date information on scholarships is available free on the internet through websites like the ones above. However, for those who like to get their information in book form, here are a few recommendations to supplement (not replace) your internet research. The Financial Aid Handbook: Getting the Education You Want for the Price You Can Afford, Carol Stack and Ruth Vedvik (The Career Press, Inc., 2011). This is an excellent overview of the entire financial aid process, of which scholarships are just one part. For clear There are also very specific, often downright odd scholarships. explanations of the FAFSA and the CSS Profile, and a knowledgeable discussion of some strategies for getting an afford- able education, this book can’t be beat. Confessions of a Scholarship Winner, Kristina Ellis (Worthy Publishing, 2013). While the author offers mostly com- mon-sense advice about earning scholar- ships through plain old hard work, her story is inspirational and might be just the thing to get you motivated. When her widowed mother told her there would be no money for college, Ms. Ellis grew determined to earn all the money she would need to completely pay for four years of college—and she accomplished that goal. n