Tuesday, July 30, 2013

What?! Stanford is Number 1, Princeton Number 3, Harvard Number 8?

"NEW YORK, July 24 (Reuters) - California schools bested East Coast universities in Forbes' annual ranking of top U.S. colleges on Wednesday, with Stanford University and Pomona College capturing the top two spots.

"Stanford, a research and teaching university in Northern California's Silicon Valley, ranked No. 1, jumping from third place last year after scoring high marks for retention rates and high graduate starting salaries. It has 19,945 students and annual costs are $58,846.

"Princeton University in New Jersey, which was No. 1 last year, slipped to third place, followed by Yale University in Connecticut in fourth place and Columbia University in New York City at No. 5." READ MORE

Monday, July 29, 2013

Families Rejecting Top School Because of Cost


While tuition, room and board have always been considerations in deciding which college to attend, the exponential rise in costs is preventing a slew of talented people from attending America’s top universities.   A study released this week by Sallie Mae found that 67 percent of families eliminated colleges based on cost, up from 56 percent of students in 2009.

Read more ...

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Stanford U. Staff on College Admissions Consultants

A startling statistic from Huffington Post: 'In 2013, 26 percent of all college applicants -- three times as many as in 2003, hired a "private admissions consultant" or an "independent educational consultant (IEC)" to assist with their college applications.' READ MORE...

If this seems like a luxury that's beyond your means, please consider: I give discounts to military families and low-income families with verification. 

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Mocking #YOLO and Tufts' Trendy New College Essay Admissions Prompts

It was only a matter of time before someone did a send up of Tufts' new #YOLO prompt for the college application essay section. I mean, YOLO. I might also mean, "What does #YOLO mean to you?" Reading this list, you might mistake it for real at first, but probably not by the time to get to this mock-prompt:

 • You have been tasked with naming a celebrity baby, but you can't use a name that has been registered in the United States since 1945, colors, or food items (even organic ones). What do you name the baby and why?

Enjoy!


Countdown to Aug. 1st for Common App Essays & Supplements

What to do between now and August 1st and beyond - my latest article on Huffington Post's College page.

Friday, July 19, 2013

A Thought or Two on How to Pick a School

I just came across this advice from students on the Columbia University website. If it's useful to you as you consider where to apply to college, take it to heart and pass it on.

Advice from Students

I would advise students going through the college application process to trust themselves. I remember when I was applying to schools that everyone had a strong opinion: my parents' friends, my teachers, even my hairdresser. Ultimately, you know best what is right for you. Listen to what people are saying, but if you have a gut feeling that you know what you want, it's okay to ignore everyone else and follow your dreams.”
It is important to find the college that best suits you, academically and socially. You should try and figure out what you are looking for, and what different schools have to offer (size, setting, majors available, student-faculty ratio, emphasis given to undergraduate education, and so forth). Although it seems daunting trying to find your home for the next four years, anywhere you go there will be some positives and negatives, it’s all about finding the place that has the most positives for you.”

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Kooky College Application Essay Questions from Tufts, University Chicago, Brandeis, Amherst & Notre Dame

Who says college admissions offices don't have a sense of humor? This year, everyone's a comedian. Take a look at this lively list of "The 15 Most Ridiculous College Application Questions" just published in BUSINESS INSIDER. It's hard to pick a favorite, but I get a kick out of Notre Dame's "You have 150 words. Take a risk." What would your risk be?