Whenever I browse higher education headlines, I see articles with titles like “10 Tips for Picking a Low-Cost College,” or “7 Reasons Why You CAN Afford College,” or “23 Creative Ways to Fund Junior’s Tuition,” etc. Now that the costs of college attendance are so high and the payoffs so uncertain, we’re seeing an uptick in such sensationalized lists.

I suppose that there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. I enjoy a good list as much as the next person. But they can be overplayed. The Onion satirizes this fad with its recent effort, “Tips For Paying For College.” My favorite “tip” from the list: “Avoid inflated tuition prices by attending college during off-peak season.”