A wise application is a search and application cycle that centers value over prestige. We borrow this concept from the world-changing investment philosophy of Warren Buffet, who advises that investors rely on actual value, not market "hype.” Buffet famously notes that the horizon for a great investment is "forever.” At wisecollegechoices.com, we apply that same philosophy to college choice. The horizon for your college education is the length of your life.

Today, securing that lifelong value requires confronting the financial reality of higher education head-on. The present higher ed. funding crisis has resulted as more and more institutions scramble for revenues that balance diminished public money with the upward demands of their own students, insisting on gainful employment upon graduation with lower overall debt. Thus colleges and universities seek new students with the best “fit” both academically and financially. 

Our commitment is to find the best school for you based on a confluence of factors, requiring our absolute commitment to fair institutional assistance for a fair price. Putting “merit aid" awards front and center is essential to a wise value. The operative word on price is "fair," not "cheap" —it means identifying distinguished institutions that recognize and financially reward your unique academic profile.

To counteract the obfuscation and opacity of modern college admissions, we prioritize your choice and agency. Instead of simply building an application list, we will collaborate to create a strategic portfolio of application choices. Built around my personal experiences navigating the intense shifts of the last four application cycles, your portfolio mitigates the baffling variations in admissions we now identify across the country. We analyze localized admissions patterns, based on regional similarities, and we discover how enrollment goals are coordinated among peer institutions. We leverage these regionally revealed realities on your behalf. (Take a look at our case studies for specific information regarding these concepts in practice.)

Our overall approach demands we assess exit data associated with your choices, rather than the entrance data that primarily drives selectivity and prestige. In other words, which schools actually prepare students for a meaningful career and civic life at a fair price. We also rely on Jeffery Selingo's concept of "buyers"—schools that must actively recruit an incoming class rather than simply select one. Because financial aid and cost-of-attendance math is often misleading, positioning targeted "buyers" in your portfolio ensures you are applying where you are genuinely desired, as so often proven by the merit offers that accompany your acceptance letters.

Author Frank Bruni writes, "It's not where you go [to college] but how you go.” Wisecollegechoices.com wants to guide you to become a consumer of the academic life of your chosen school, not a consumer of its amenities.

Let's get started!

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Richard C. Jones
Founder, wisecollegechoices.com