Over the last few years there have been a few alarming trends that we in the profession have noticed when working with students and their families through their college search and selection process. What are these trends? Well … Here are a few to get the conversation started.
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Most students have heard somewhere that their extracurricular activities are important when it comes to applying and getting into college. What they may not have heard are the reasons why. Consequently, some students mistakenly believe that when it comes to extracurricular activities, the more you do, the better your chances of admission to college. But that’s not really what colleges are looking for……
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Today we have a guest post by Breana Orland, a writer for Student Grants. Breana also gives advice on the pursuit of higher education and career options for young adults.
Good grades alone can’t get you into college, but a well-rounded character can. Unfortunately good grades tell a lot about someone’s character. It takes hard work and sacrifice to do well at any level in life; be it high school or while climbing the corporate ladder. The good thing, however, is that your personal character can also be revealed through many other means. Here are a few ways you can market yourself to the admissions board without a stellar GPA.
Today we have a guest post from Josef Katz from Straighterline, a company that offers a new way to complete your required college courses online with convenient and affordable online college courses that you can take on your own schedule.
“Do you really think that in 20 years, somebody is going to put on their backpack, drive a half hour to the University of Minnesota from the suburbs, haul their Keister across campus, and listen to some boring person drone on about Econ 101 or . . . is there another way to deliver the service other than a one-size-fits-all monopoly provider that says, `show up at 9:00 o’clock on Wednesday morning for Econ 101?’ Can’t I just pull that down on my iPhone of iPad whenever the heck I feel like it, from wherever I feel like? And instead of instead of paying thousands of dollars, can I pay $199 for iCollege instead of $.99 cents for iTunes?”
- Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty interviewed on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, June 10, 2010. CLICK HERE to see the interview.
Today we have a guest post from Jennifer Cohen, President and Chief Word-Nerd at Word-Nerd.com SAT Vocabulary Prep.
Summer is the ideal time to study for the SAT! Your time is your own (at least it’s a lot more your own than it is during the school year). During the summer, you should still spend a lot of your time relaxing, but a couple of hours of SAT prep each week shouldn’t be overly taxing. The keys to making the most of the summer are:
Today we have a guest post from Jennifer Cohen, the President and Chief Word-Nerd at Word-Nerd.com SAT Vocabulary Prep.
If you hang around online college admission forums, this particular question seems to come up often. There’s no doubt that the SAT and other college entrance exams have become big business. Students are bombarded with advertisements constantly – I’ve even heard that sales people from prep companies lurk outside of SAT test centers to catch students coming out of the exam! The abundance of classes can make it seem like every college bound student is taking them. Students may find themselves begging their parents to shell out hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars for these classes. The good news is that motivated students can absolutely do their college entrance exam prep at home with a minimum of expense.
Today we have a guest post from Jennifer Cohen, the President and Chief Word-Nerd at Word-Nerd.com SAT Vocabulary Prep.
Summer is the ideal time to focus on getting ready for college entrance exams, like the SAT. You’re free from school, homework assignments and extracurriculars that demand most of your time during nine months of the year. During those three months of summer, you should still spend a lot of your time relaxing and recharging for the school year ahead, but a couple of hours of SAT prep each week shouldn’t cut into your loafing schedule too much! The keys to making the most of the summer are:
Today we have a guest post from Karen Stabiner, the author of GETTING IN.
According to the people who market products, we are what we eat, the labels we wear, the cars we drive, the zip code we live in or want to live in, the cell phone model we prefer — and more and more, the college we dream of attending. That last “we” includes both parents and applicants, who can get swept away in the college admissions sweepstakes and lose sight of schools that might be a better fit.
Today we have a guest post from Melissa Joy Kong, Editor-in-Chief, Studentbranding.com
Getting into your dream college is more challenging than ever. Competition is fierce, and you will be in a selection pool with many other qualified high school students for the same spot at your ideal school.
So how do you stand out amongst all of the other college applicants?
Today we have a guest post from Dr. Jon Reider, former Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Stanford University from 1985-2000, and Kate Balingit from www.iAdmissions.com, a unique network of former admissions officers specializing in affordable, online college counseling.
At this moment, seniors across the county are either ecstatically celebrating the coveted Big Envelope of Acceptance, or miserably decrying the dreaded Postcard of Rejection. There are, however, a handful those who are dealing with the nebulous middle ground- the waitlist letter from their dream college- and this purgatory can in many ways be worse than rejection. In reality, few of these waitlisters will eventually be admitted, but all will certainly spend many sleepless nights anxiously wondering if there’s anything they can do to improve their inherently small odds.
So Dr. Jon Reider, former Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Stanford University, has recommended few steps to take if you have been waitlisted from your absolute dream college:
Today we have a guest post from Jennifer Cohen, the President and Chief Word-Nerd at Word-Nerd.com SAT Vocabulary Prep.
Learning vocabulary often doesn’t come easy, and most students prepping for the SAT need at least some vocabulary review. This is especially true for those hoping to score high and apply to the most competitive schools. Thankfully, vocabulary prep does not have to be painful. Here are five ways to make sure you know what “adroit” means on test day:
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Today we have a guest post from Emily Holleman. Emily Holleman is a Content Developer at Knewton, where she helps students rock their SAT prep.
Over the course of your junior and senior years, you’ll be bombarded by a seemingly endless stream of questions—Where do you want to go to college? How many schools should you apply to? What classes/activities/sports/volunteer work/color-scheme will look best on your application? Even, which test you should take: the ACT or the SAT or (heaven forbid) BOTH? This is one decision you shouldn’t stress too much about. The truth is, most students do about the same on both tests—and the majority of colleges now accept scores from either test.
Here’s a breakdown of the differences between the two to help you decide which test is right for you:
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You’ve done everything you were supposed to do: you have applied; you have been admitted to at least one great college/university; you have always dotted every “i” and crossed every “t”. And now you want your rightful rest. You think you have earned it, right? I’m sure you’re not considering anything unreasonable, miss a few days of school here, a few homework assignments there, sleep a little in class, stop reading the literature . . . I know where you’re coming from. Trust me. I do. This is what I have to say about the dreaded (and all too familiar) “senioritis”:
Senioritis photo by SPCbrass
Today we have a guest post from Jennifer Cohen, the President and Chief Word-Nerd at Word-Nerd.com SAT Vocabulary Prep.
The SAT can strike fear in the hearts of parents and students alike. Knowing that one test can have a major affect on your future can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be a source of dread. With the right preparation, you can score well. Here are a few general tips for getting on track with the SAT:
Today we have a guest post from Ryan Krug over at Mindfish.com. Ryan Krug, a Stanford grad who rocked the SAT when he applied to college, is the co-founder of Mindfish.com, a test prep site that offers expert advice, forums and an SAT Quest game to help students master the SAT and boost their chances for college admissions.
Although the standardized test process is fraught with challenges for many student and parents, it can be a smooth journey if approached in the right way. The following are several of the most common test prep blunders to avoid.
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Does this scenario sound familiar? You get home from school and grab the mail out of the mailbox in front of your home to bring inside. It’s the usual junk mail, catalog or two, bill for your Mom or Dad. But then you notice something different. Something addressed to you!
Let’s be honest. You are probably only used to getting a card from Grandma on your birthday and maybe a cell phone bill (but you probably get that online). Something addressed to you that isn’t one of those two things must demand your attention, right?
The next day you get home … and there are 2 things addressed to you. The next day 5. The day after 10. What are these wonderful pieces of mail I am talking about? Well if you are a high school junior or senior you know … I’m talking about the mounds and mounds of brochures from colleges that you are probably getting on a daily basis.
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One of the things I have noticed students admitted to college starting to ask is, “How many students are admitted to my major?” or “How many students do you accept each year?”. While valid questions, these answers need to be placed in the right context.
What many students may or may not realize is that the landscape of applying to colleges have changed. The University of New Haven is not alone in an increase in the number of applicants to the school. While we have seen a tremendous surge in applications over the last 3 years … many universities have seen a steady increase in applications as well.
Now that the majority of college application deadlines have come and gone, there are some students whose lights seem a bit brighter, and others, a bit more dim. So how do you make sure you are one of those bright students who beat the college application clock? Here are a few tips to help you make your college application deadlines.
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The year-round cycle of college entrance exams is truly impressive. Just last week I learned that there are some schools which are now utilizing the SAT college entrance exam writing section as the gauge for freshman composition courses. I’m not referring to large publics. No. On this list were some very small private universities and colleges. Why are we being told that the writing section of the SAT or the ACT college entrance exam doesn’t matter when it so clearly does? What should the students focus on in order to gain their best admission opportunity when it comes to these college entrance exams? And how far should a student go to make the exam convey who they want to be, as opposed to just who they are?
While it’s important to take time for yourself during the holidays so you can go back to school refreshed, it is also a great time to get a jump start on some things that may help you get into college. Here are a few suggestions of ways you can use the time to improve your chances of being admitted to the colleges you may be considering.
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