Beyond Rankings: The Data Colleges Quietly Publish (and How Parents Can Use It)

The clues to how colleges make admissions decisions are hiding in plain sight. Here’s how to uncover them.

Helping your teen research colleges can feel like trying to unlock a mystery. How do you find current stats on admissions rates, enrolled student demographics, financial aid awards, and more?

The good news is, colleges actually publish many of the answers, hidden in plain sight through a little-known resource called the Common Data Set (CDS).

Few families have even heard of it. Fewer still know how to use it.

Yes, it’s dense. But inside, you’ll find insights that can dramatically change how you think about college lists, admissions odds, and what schools truly value.

Join Paul Kanarek, Co-Founder of The Princeton Review and former CEO of Collegewise, for a lively, parent-friendly session where he’ll show you how to decode the CDS and use it to make smarter, more strategic decisions for your teen.

You'll learn:

• What the Common Data Set actually is (and why colleges may not advertise it).
• How to identify the metrics that matter and stop getting distracted by the rest.
• How to spot what colleges truly value in applicants, without guessing or relying on rankings.
• Practical ways to use CDS data when helping to shape your teen’s decisions.
  
  

Why this matters for your family:

When you discover what really counts, you can help guide your teen toward schools that fit their strengths and improve their chances of admission.