Sometimes it seems as if everyone wants to go to an Ivy League school. With such popularity comes increased selectivity, so students often look for some kind of edge that will help them get in. However, when it comes to getting into college, it’s not just about what you’ve done — it’s also about what you haven’t done. If you have your eyes set on the Ivy League, or any college for that matter, make sure to avoid the following five mistakes.
There’s a common misconception that you have no control over college recommendation letters. You ask people to write them for you, and then you tiptoe away and hope for the best, right? No, wrong! You have more control over the process than you think.The first step is to understand that there are three different kinds of recommendation letters, and that they should each accomplish something different for you. Let’s take a closer look.
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Today we have a guest post by Jennifer Cohen, President and Chief Word-Nerd at Word-Nerd.com, a great resource for SAT and PSAT vocabulary prep.
500 word college essays are the bane of high school seniors everywhere. You’re expected to make yourself sound brilliant, athletic, interesting and downright cool without coming across as pompous or silly. Add in the 500-word length limit many colleges impose, and the task escalates from challenging to daunting. You may be tempted to give up and send in a picture of you and your dog instead (everyone loves pictures of dogs, right?), but don’t throw in the towel yet! Here are a few tips to get you started:
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With the competition to get into the most selective US colleges being what it is, many people are looking for that “edge” that will get them into their dream school. Some families see hiring a consultant as that “edge”, but the truth is that while a consultant may be able to guide you through the process, it takes more than that to get into a top US college. (more…)
Today we have a guest post from Jennifer Cohen, President and Chief Word-Nerd at Word-Nerd.com SAT Vocabulary Prep.
College entrance exams require a great investment of time, effort and money, so choosing which one to take is no small task. The SAT and ACT are similar in some ways, but very different in others. Rumors tend to make their way through high schools regarding the difficulty and desirability of one test over the other. Here’s some straightforward information to set the record straight.
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”:
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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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