From Cappex report:

In this report, Cappex analyzed the college searches that students completed on their website to come up with how preferences changed over a student’s high school career.

Some questions to get the conversation started:

• Compare Top 20 colleges from freshmen year to Top 20 from senior year. What’s changed?
  • Lots of name brand schools listed in Freshmen year; more state schools in senior year as decision day approached.
  • California state schools over-represented in senior year (accounts for about 13% of college students)
  • How many from freshmen year persist on senior year top 20 list?
  • Which school rose the most? Which dropped the most or off the list?
• Why do you think the list of colleges changes over time? Did your list change from freshman to senior year?
• How do you think many students hear about specific colleges before they even are decision-making mode?

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.