» Publishers, Monetize your RSS feeds with FeedShow: More infos (Show/Hide Ads)
I recently published some ideas on how to spend your summer so that you impress college admissions officers and build your resume. For the flip side of the equation, here are 10 ways to waste your summer. You'll find some great advice for wearing out your couch cushions and damaging your skin at a young age.
How to Squander Your Summer originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Monday, May 20th, 2013 at 11:27:58.
If you're planning to attend a selective college, you shouldn't think of summer as a time to kick back and do nothing. Successful college applicants tend to do something productive during the summer. Come up with a plan that will challenge you, develop your skills, and contribute to your educational and career goals. Some great options include
- Work -- try to find a job that is intellectually challenging or develops your leadership skills
- Travel -- learn about different cultures and improve your language skills
- Classes -- get ahead in math or a language, or earn credit from a community college
- College Visits -- narrow down your options
The Best Summer Plans for High School Students originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Sunday, May 19th, 2013 at 09:30:33.
A college degree is often touted as the ticket to a better job and a lifetime of financial security. At the same time, the college admissions process often seems to privilege those who are already privileged. Fortunately, students from underrepresented groups and students who are the first from their families to go to college have an advocate in a relatively new initiative, College Greenlight. Raul Alvarez at College Greenlight recently shared with me a list of scholarships specifically geared towards first-generation and underrepresented students. Be sure to check out the opportunities for college funds, and act quickly -- many of these scholarships expire soon: 26 Scholarships for First-Generation and Underrepresented Students.
New England has some of the most prestigious, selective and historic colleges and universities in the country. To see if your grades and standardized test scores are on target for some of the region's top schools, check out these graphs of GPA, SAT and ACT score data: Amherst | Babson | Bates | Bentley | Boston College | Bowdoin | Brandeis | Brown | Coast Guard | Colby | Connecticut | Dartmouth | Harvard | Holy Cross | MIT | Middlebury | Olin | RISD | Smith | Trinity | Tufts | Wellesley | Wesleyan | Williams | Yale
GPA, SAT and ACT Data for Top New England Colleges originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Tuesday, May 14th, 2013 at 18:26:14.
The only thing harder than getting into a selective college is coming up with the money to pay for your education. Many of the country's most elite schools now have a total price tag around $60,000 a year.
June isn't a time when most students are thinking about applications. The majority of seniors are done with their college searches, and most juniors are still working on coming up with a short list of schools. But don't be complacent -- there are billions of dollars out there to help you fund your college education, but you can't win the money if you don't apply. These 22 scholarships with June deadlines range in value from $200 to $25,000. Entry requirements vary from writing an analytical essay to making a prom outfit out of Duct Tape. Look through the options to see which scholarships match your interests.
More Scholarship Articles:
- 37 Scholarships with May Deadlines
- 25 Scholarships Worth $5,000 or More
- 23 Unusual Scholarships
- Learn to Identify Scholarship Scams
22 Scholarships with June Deadlines originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Monday, May 13th, 2013 at 12:38:11.
Rising high school juniors have an important year coming up. Junior year is the last for which colleges will see a year's worth of grades, and ideally those grades will be as good as (if not better than) freshman or sophomore year. Your application will look best if your grades are trending upwards, not down.
Junior year is also a time for advanced placement courses, the PSAT, a first run at the SAT or ACT, and deeper involvement in extracurricular activities. It will be early in senior year when you apply to college, so you can't put off strengthening your credentials until your final year of high school.
These 10 tips for junior year college preparation can help keep you on track as you gear up for college applications.
More College Preparation Articles
Junior Year College Preparation originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Saturday, May 11th, 2013 at 13:51:42.
With the cost of college continuing to outpace the growth of the economy, the number of students going to community college has gone up significantly in recent years. The logic is simple -- a student can save tens of thousands of dollars by spending two years in community college and then transferring to a four-year college. Indeed, there are many good reasons to go to community college, and community colleges make higher education accessible to millions of people who would otherwise have difficulty furthering their educations.
However, you need to be deliberate and careful if you plan to transfer from community college to a four-year college. If all of your credits don't transfer or if you've chosen community college classes that don't fulfill major requirements at the four-year college, you may find that you need more than four years to complete your bachelor's degree. If this happens, your cost savings suddenly disappear.
To learn more, be sure to read the article on the possible hidden costs of community college. If you've had a frustrating experience transferring from a community college to a four-year school, please share your experiences with other readers.
The Hidden Costs of Community College originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Thursday, May 9th, 2013 at 19:40:30.
With about 36,000 students, California State University Long Beach (CSULB) is the second largest of the Cal State campuses, and the university has an enviable location just south of Los Angeles and near the Pacific Ocean. Students at CSULB have a huge range of academic options offered through the university's eight colleges.
CSULB
Photo by Marisa Benjamin
Related Reading:
University of Texas at Austin
Silly Jilly / Flickr
Some of the other schools on my list of the top 13 Texas colleges may be less familiar. The colleges on the list were chosen based on a variety of factors including academic reputation, curricular innovations, first-year retention rates, graduation rates, financial aid and student engagement.
If there's a Texas college that you'd like to see on the list, share your recommendation below.
Compare Top Texas Colleges: SAT Scores | ACT Scores
More Top Picks by State:
- Top California Colleges
- Top Florida Colleges
- Top Illinois Colleges
- Top New York Colleges
- Top Ohio Colleges
Top Texas Colleges and Universities originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Tuesday, May 7th, 2013 at 10:15:28.
Much of your college interview will be devoted to answering questions. Before you set foot in the interview room, be sure you have answers to these 12 common interview questions. If you want to be extra prepared, also practice these 20 more college interview questions.
However, nearly all interviewers will also give you an opportunity to ask questions about their college. The interview isn't just for the interviewer to learn about you. It is also an opportunity for you to learn more about the college. When you get a turn to ask questions, remember that you are still being evaluated. Before the interview, you'll want to plan what questions you want to ask, and you'll need to research the college well to come up with intelligent questions. For guidance, read this article on good and bad questions to ask during a college interview.
Good and Bad Questions to Ask During Your College Interview originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Monday, May 6th, 2013 at 23:53:17.
From tiny liberal arts colleges to large state universities, Virginia has some excellent options for higher education. Nearly all of the state's best schools have holistic admissions, so the admissions folks will be looking for more than good grades and standardized test scores. Challenging high school courses, a well written essay, interesting extracurricular activities and positive letters of recommendation are all important pieces of the admissions equation.
That said, the empirical part of your application is still remarkably important. To see if you numbers are in line for Virginia's top colleges and universities, check out these graphs of GPA, SAT and ACT data for accepted, waitlisted, and rejected students: Christopher Newport University | College of William & Mary | George Mason University | Hampden-Sydney College | Hollins University | James Madison University | Longwood University | Randolph College | Randolph-Macon College | Roanoke College | Sweet Briar College | University of Mary Washington | University of Richmond | University of Virginia | Virginia Military Institute | Virginia Tech | Washington and Lee University
GPA, SAT and ACT Data for Top Virginia Colleges originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Sunday, May 5th, 2013 at 15:00:39.
From giant Ohio State to little Kenyon College, Ohio has some great private universities, public universities, and liberal arts colleges. The schools on my list of the top Ohio colleges and universities were chosen for a variety of factors including academic strengths, curricular innovations, first-year retention rates, four- and six-year graduation rates, financial aid and student engagement.
The College of Wooster
JesseLegg / Flickr
Rankings are far from an objective science, and many less selective and prestigious schools are also excellent. Is there a college or university that you think should be on the list of top Ohio colleges? If so, make your recommendation below.
Compare top Ohio colleges and universities: SAT scores | ACT scores
Top Ohio Colleges and Universities originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Sunday, May 5th, 2013 at 13:00:45.
There's a lot more to Ohio State than exciting Division I basketball and football. The Ohio State University in Columbus made my list of the country's best public universities in the United States, and its Moritz College of Law and Fisher College of Business are both highly regarded. The Ohio State campus features historic buildings, attractive green spaces, state-of-the-art research facilities, impressive athletic facilities, and a new student union.
Ohio State
ksr8s / Flickr
Also explore these other articles featuring Ohio State:
- Ohio State University Profile
- GPA, SAT and ACT Graph for Ohio State Admissions
- Big Ten Conference
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Association of American Universities
All About The Ohio State University originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Sunday, May 5th, 2013 at 09:30:20.
The NACAC Space Availability Survey results are now available for students hoping to go to college in the fall of 2013. So if you received a stack of waitlist or rejection letters, or you're not happy with your options, realize that a lot of colleges are still looking for a few good students. The list isn't as long as it was in 2012, but you'll still find a wide range of options. As of Friday afternoon, May 3rd, 225 colleges were still looking for qualified freshmen or promising transfer students. See the complete survey results on the NACAC website. It's sortable by state.
Don't conclude that only second-rate schools will still be looking for students at this late date. While it is true that you won't find Yale or Amherst on the list, there are many excellent colleges that will still welcome new applications for the fall. The reasons can be many: the applicant pool may have been too small or of low quality; the yield may have been lower than predicted; or the school may simply wish to keep the doors open in case an outstanding applicant comes along.
I looked through the complete list this afternoon, and I found some of my favorite colleges there. Be sure to check out NACAC's complete list, but below is a sampling of my top picks. Click the school's name to learn more about the school and see admissions data:
- Arcadia University
- Arizona State University
- Colorado State University
- Eckerd College
- Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach
- Florida Institute of Technology
- Goshen College
- Hofstra University
- Juniata College
- Le Moyne College
- Loyola Marymount University (transfer only)
- Marquette University
- Meredith College
- Mills College
- Montana State University
- Moravian College
- Morehouse College
- New College of Florida
- Oglethorpe University
- Ohio Northern University
- Pacific Lutheran University
- Polytechnic Institute of NYU
- St. Catherine University
- Stetson University
- University of Arizona
- University of Florida (transfer only)
- University of Iowa
- University of Maryland
- University of San Francisco
- Valparaiso University
- Washington & Jefferson College
- Xavier University
- NACAC's Complete List
Rejected? Transfering? These 225 Colleges Still Have Space Available originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Thursday, May 2nd, 2013 at 20:11:09.
Every year, the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) conducts a space availability survey to learn what colleges still have spaces available for new students after the May 1st decision deadline has passed. Most colleges will report their status by today, and the space availability survey will become available this evening, May 2nd at 8 p.m. In recent years, well over 200 four-year colleges have reported openings in May.
So if you've found yourself in the unenviable position of having no college acceptance letters, if you've come to the college admissions process late, or if you're hoping to transfer over the summer, then you'll want to check back soon to see what colleges and universities are still looking for students. The list typically contains some excellent options.
2013 College Space Availability Results Coming Tonight originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Thursday, May 2nd, 2013 at 14:25:28.
The whole college admissions process has led up to today. For most accepted applicants, May 1st represents the final opportunity to accept or reject an offer of admission. For students who were lucky enough to receive more than one acceptance letter, the decision is often a difficult one. Should you go where you feel most comfortable? Should you choose the school with the greatest name recognition? Or perhaps the college that offered the best financial aid?
| In the poll to the left, let us know what factor mattered most when you made your decision. If you chose a college for a reason not listed, please share your decision-making process by using the comment link below. |
It's May 1st - Decision Time! originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Wednesday, May 1st, 2013 at 13:19:38.
There's so much hype surrounding a few of the country's most selective colleges that many applicants feel they need a 35 or 36 composite score on the ACT to get into a good college. The reality is quite different. If you're on track to graduate from high school and you've completed a core curriculum, you'll be able to find a good college that wants you. If you have high grades and strong extracurricular involvement, you'll find you have hundreds of excellent options even if your ACT scores aren't what you had hoped for.
For one, you can explore the roughly 850 colleges that do not require ACT or SAT scores. You can also browse through the college profiles to find interesting colleges where your ACT scores are within the range of many matriculated students. And, of course, strengths in other areas can help make up for less-than-ideal ACT scores. Learn more in this article on low ACT scores.
Low ACT Scores? What Now? originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 19:22:27.
For those of you who took the ACT on April 13th, scores are available today on the ACT website. If you took the ACT Plus Writing, you can expect the score on the writing section to appear about two weeks later. (Each essay gets evaluated by two trained readers, so essay scoring is a much more time-intensive process than the multiple choice section.)
If you find that you are unhappy with your scores, don't panic. There are now about 850 test-optional colleges, and even at schools that require the SAT or ACT, the exam is just one part of the application. Most selective colleges have holistic admissions, so the admissions folks will also be looking for a winning essay, meaningful extracurricular activities, demonstration of your interest, and good letters of recommendation. Most important of all is a strong academic record.
If you'll be applying to colleges in the fall, you still have lots of time to beef up your test-taking skills and retake the exam. Retaking the exam doesn't always result in a better score, but students with a disciplined study strategy will often see improvement (read more: When should I take the ACT?)
If you're wondering what your ACT numbers mean, read this overview of ACT scores. To see how your scores measure up to the middle 50% of matriculated students at different colleges, check out these comparison charts:
- ACT scores for the Ivy League
- ACT scores for top universities
- ACT scores for top liberal arts colleges
- ACT scores for top public universities
- ACT scores for top Catholic colleges and universities
- ACT scores for colleges in: California | Florida | Georgia | Illinois | Indiana | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Missouri | New York | North Carolina | Ohio | Pennsylvania | Tennessee | Texas | Virginia | Washington | more states
- More ACT Comparison Charts
- GPA, SAT and ACT Score Graphs
- Convert ACT Scores to SAT Scores
- Overview of Kaplan ACT Test Prep Options
ACT Scores from the April 13th Exam Available Today! originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Monday, April 29th, 2013 at 08:07:04.
May Day is fast approaching, the date by which most colleges require students to make a decision about whether or not they will accept an offer of admission. Some students, for financial or personal reasons, don't feel ready to make such an important decision yet. This leads many students to "double deposit." That is, they send a check and a promise to attend to more than one school.
The practice has consequences other than the obvious throwing away of several hundred dollars. For one, colleges rely on deposits to predict the size of the incoming class. When double-depositers make the deposit numbers an unreliable measure, colleges are forced to create large waitlists in case they miss their enrollment targets. In short, double-depositing is a headache for colleges, and worse yet, it keeps thousands of students around the country in waitlist limbo.
The practice is also unethical -- the double depositer has promised to attend two different schools (or more) when that is clearly impossible. If caught, the student could find an offer of admission rescinded by a college. Many schools would rather enroll an honest student on a waitlist than a double-dealer who has submitted false information.
Double Depositing -- It Does Have Consequences originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Sunday, April 28th, 2013 at 11:23:31.
The whole college admissions process has led up to the next few days. For most accepted applicants, May 1st represents the final opportunity to accept or reject an offer of admission. For students who were lucky enough to receive more than one acceptance letter, the decision is often a difficult one. Should you go where you feel most comfortable? Should you choose the school with the greatest name recognition? Or perhaps the college that offered the best financial aid?
| In the poll to the left, let us know what factor mattered most when you made your decision. If you chose a college for a reason not listed, please share your decision-making process by using the comment link below. |
College Decision Time is Fast Approaching originally appeared on About.com College Admissions: U.S. on Sunday, April 28th, 2013 at 11:08:38.