You applied, you got in, you packed your car and you’re all ready to go off to college. But what about tuition? What about books? And you can’t forget room and board. You’ve sent in your FAFSA form and received a small scholarship, but it still seems like the college price tag might be more than you can bargained for. Where do you go from here?
College Fund photo by djukami
Last week I attended the RMACAC conference in Colorado Springs and attended a presentation given from college admissions insiders from three different selective colleges across the country. Jared Cash, Associate Dean of Admissions, Bates College; Todd Rinehart, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Director of Admission, University of Denver; and Abby Noel, Assistant Director of Admission, Vanderbilt University shared some inside information about how they determine who is accepted or denied admission to their colleges. This is what I found out……..
Photo of the University of Denver by Velotech
Planning to attend college in the fall? Thinking of going back to school? Check out this kick a@$ list of links from some of the best college-related blogs in the biz.
Brought to you by myUsearch, the Honest College Matchmaker, I present you with……..
THE CARNIVAL OF COLLEGE ADMISSION
Photo of noise makers by Ann-Dabney
It’s probably the most frequent question asked across college campuses or by anyone you know when you’re starting college. It’s also a topic that’s been debated over and over — does your major really matter? (more…)
Your son or daughter is a senior. They’ve sent in their college applications- maybe they’ve even been accepted to their dream university. So, what next? Before you and your child start shopping for their new dorm bedding, there are a few things they should know before venturing into Big Bad College Land. Here are a few lessons they might find helpful.
Photo by Alicia Nijdam.
By now you have probably scoured the internet for scholarships and sent in your CSS Profile and FAFSA in order to apply for financial aid. Still searching for ways to pay for college? Roll up your sleeves, get ambitious, and keep an open mind as you consider these 5 creative ways to pay for college. College is expensive. If you want to graduate without the burdens of being deep in debt, consider some of these options.
Photo by jtyerse
Ever felt overwhelmed when you come home from school only to find yet another college brochure in your mailbox? By the end of your senior year, you’ll probably have a stack of college brochures tall enough to poke through the stratosphere. Let’s be honest–choosing a college is no easy task, and some of these brochures only complicate matters. Right now you might still be trying to figure out: How will I pay for school? Do schools have my major? What do I want to study? Do I want a small school or a large university? Concerns like these are valid, and with over 4,000 colleges and universities to chose from, how will you ever decide? And you thought some of the SAT questions were hard! Relax–this month’s post will help point you in the right direction. In no time, you’ll know how to select the college that’s right for you. Here are my ABCs for choosing a college. (more…)
The time has come. As we reach the final days before application deadlines, you may be looking at your to-do stack unsure why all this is necessary. Why can’t I just throw out these forms and become a wise mountain hermit? you wonder. Those of you who can answer that question and choose to continue pursuing a college education, you may instead be asking, Just how many of these applications should I really be doing? I offer you a few considerations:
photo by telsky
Not unlike a winding trail, the pathway to college can take a variety of twists and turns. Somewhere along the path, students reach a fork in the road: should I attend a community college and then transfer to a four-year college or should I start at a four-year college? Historically, community colleges have been viewed primarily for low income students or students with less academic potential. But over the past twenty years, a growing number of students have started down the higher education pathway at a community college. With famous individuals such as Robin Williams, Walt Disney and Clint Eastwood who attended community colleges, the stigma associated with community colleges is starting to fade.
Photo by Randy Levine
During this time of economic volatility, we are all beginning to realize that life as we know it will forever be different. But that doesn’t change the ever-present questions on the mind of most high school seniors: What are my college options? What colleges should I apply to? Do I want my parents to foot the bill for an expensive education?
So what exactly should you do to gain access to the best college opportunities during this uncertain time?
When I interviewed my fellow Yale freshman suitemates about tips for getting into the Ivy League, they agreed that the admission process is often more about luck than strategy. While it’s important to keep this in mind if your heart is set on an Ivy League school, there are things you can do to improve your chances of admission. I asked my suitemates what they thought was most important for people to keep in mind when applying for college. Here’s what they had to say.
Today, we have a guest blogger, Linda P. Taylor, author of “Insider Secrets to Scoring Scholarships”. The following is a short excerpt from her book:
Good news, there is nearly $1.6 BILLION in scholarships available each year. So finding the $5,000 to $50,000 per year you need for college should be easy if you just knew the “secret” of where to look, right? Sorry, no. Bad news is, there are 4 “dirty little secrets” that no one shares about scholarships. If you don’t know how these will 4 secrets will impact your cost of college, you may be wasting your time looking for scholarships. Once you know the truth, you will focus your efforts where you have the chance for REAL success.
Although I think the myUsearch blog is the best blog in the world (duh), I read several other blogs on a regular basis and many of them are quite good. I’ve decided to put together a list of my favorite blogs that I thought you might enjoy as well. Note: I’ve read through so many blogs, it’s possible I’ve forgotten to mention some of the best. If any of your favorite blogs aren’t mentioned, please leave a comment.
If you are like I was, you’re probably worried about gaining the dreaded freshman 15. Gaining a little weight is totally normal and as I mentioned in an earlier post, gaining a few pounds may be totally worth it. However, gaining 50 lbs. is not. So what is the best way to curb your college weight gain? EXERCISE.
Photo by SSCusp
(this pic is ridiculous, but I couldn’t resist)
Welcome to your senior year. It’s an exciting time full of change and celebration. Many people have probably told you how unimportant your senior year is. For example, they maybe told you that your grades don’t matter one iota, although usually you should do better in the first semester than the second. Or maybe they told you that colleges will not look at your grades from senior year because they already have accepted you based on your 9th-11th years. Well, my young, goal-oriented high schooler, THESE ARE LIES. Your senior year counts. Not only does your senior year count towards your high school graduation, it counts towards the trend that you have worked so hard to set over the past three years and that you promised you would continue to achieve when you applied to college. (more…)
You don’t have to own a hybrid or live on organic food to be a green student. Going green is all about making small changes in your life that will benefit both you and the environment. And this can be done by reducing your carbon footprint.
Your carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases that are produced by all of your everyday activities, and it is measured in units of carbon dioxide. Your activities can include everything from driving a car to brushing your teeth, so just by reducing the amount of greenhouse gas-producing activities you do every day, you can help preserve the environment.
So what can you do as a college student to be more green and eco-conscious? Here are 11 steps you can take:
Photo by Velcr0
Textbooks are expensive. Everyone knows this. A recent survey stated that the average student pays between $700 and $1000 per year for textbooks. Paying hundreds of dollars for a single textbook is bad enough, but when a student has to buy several books, it adds a big chunk of money to pay- in addition to tuition, residence fees and other mounting costs. To save some money, students can buy used textbooks from other students and sometimes from the college’s bookstore. However, the modern way of dealing with textbook prices is to head online. The following links will hopefully help you on your quest to save money.
Photo by wohnai.
Because Top 10 lists may be the most popular thing this side of Tiger Woods, I think it’s appropriate that I use one to explain what I’ve learned over the past year from the stressful college admissions process.
