March Madness by Cost of Attendance

The annual NCAA basketball tourney will soon tip off. And so begins the scramble to fill out brackets and predict a winner. 

But instead of picking winners based on rankings or records, what if you picked winners based on the Cost of Attendance (COA)? 

Thanks to the folks at Columbia Threadneedle Investments--with whom I have no individual connection nor experience doing business with--you can do just that. 

Check out the March Madness bracket based on COA they put together here. 

Fun and games aside, understanding COA is a key step in college planning. Yes, COA is rising and has risen dramatically over the years. But so has merit aid, particularly aid tied to academic achievement like GPA and test scores. 

So as you diligently fill out your bracket for March Madness, be sure to apply that same diligence to your GPA and test scores. 

And if you need help with your GPA or test scores, contact CROSSWALK. We offer tutoring in all academic subjects as well as small group and private test prep for the SAT and ACT.