How To Be A Smart College Consumer
Earlier this month, I attended the IECA Spring Conference in Boston. Along with over 400 of my independent educational consultant colleagues from near and far, I attended numerous professional development sessions. One of the highlights of these sessions was “Shifting Sands of College Admissions” presented by Edward Fiske, author of the popular Fiske Guide to Colleges. Mr. Fiske made a number of good points in his presentation, especially addressing the growing crisis of access to higher education as more minority and first...
read moreWhy Am I Here? 10 Reasons Why Attending a College Fair Is a Good Idea
There is no doubt that College Fairs are an excellent resource for students and parents as they prepare to embark on the college selection process in earnest. This spring, hundreds of representatives will visit local high schools for area College Nights/Fairs. Not sure if you should go? Consider these reasons why attending a College Fair is not only a good idea, but a must nowadays. 10 Reasons Why Attending a College Fair Is a Good Idea 1. In-person research College fairs are an excellent opportunity to do some in-person research. You will...
read moreA Different Kind of March Madness
As a college consultant, March Madness doesn’t just refer to the NCAA Basketball Tournament. For my seniors, the long winter wait to hear their admission decisions is March Madness. Although it is true that many students have already heard from the majority of the colleges they applied to, there are plenty still waiting – somewhat patiently – for the rest of the admission decisions to come in. If you are one of those students eagerly anticipating the April 1 notification date, I am sending you good vibes and a list of tips...
read moreA Growing Trend: Test Optional Colleges and Universities
If you are a junior, or live with one, you are probably very aware that the sheer mention of these three letters, A-C-T, can set off waves of panic in even the most laid-back student. It is understandable these days, thanks to the heightened selectivity of college admissions, why students (and parents) are caught in the frenzy of how best to prepare for college entrance tests. Many juniors choose to work with a tutor in order to learn test-taking strategies to improve their scores, especially if standardized testing is not a strength. But...
read moreObama Calls Attention to the Issue of College Affordability
President Obama’s speech on college affordability at the University of Michigan last week is certainly timely given the upcoming priority filing deadlines for the FAFSA. The gist of Obama’s ambitious tuition reform plan seems simple enough: provide more assistance to schools that keep costs down and slash aid to those that do not. Or is it that simple? In theory, colleges and universities would be clamoring to heed Obama’s call for action. But in practice, maybe not so much. State-supported universities who rely heavily on...
read moreThe University of Illinois Raises Tuition and Contemplates Common App Membership
Come next year, freshmen at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will spend $11,636 on tuition as the board voted this past week to increase tuition 4.8%. And for students who enroll in either of its two most competitive programs (business and engineering), the in-state tuition will rise to $16,556. With room and board ($9,688) and additional fees ($2,882) also taken into consideration, a minimum of $24,206 will be spent on an Illini education (and almost $30,000 for business and engineering students). Due to the state budget...
read moreCollege Application Readiness Tips for Seniors – Part II
Part II in a series on tips and trends for the upcoming college application season. (Be sure to read Part I for Tips #1-3). With the new school year upon us, here are some tips that you can do to jumpstart the college application process (if you haven’t started already). Tip #4: Write your résumé Think about your accomplishments both inside and outside of high school and start compiling a list. Arrange them in order of importance to you, not chronologically. Don’t worry if you seem top heavy in certain categories, i.e. all of your...
read moreCollege Application Readiness Tips for Seniors – Part I
With just a few weeks before the school year begins, what should rising seniors be doing in preparation for the 2011-12 college application season? Tip#1: Retake the ACT and/or SAT (including Subject tests) if necessary. If you’re not satisfied with your test scores, there’s still time to take them again. Also, some highly selective schools (Ivy League, Stanford, etc.) require SAT Subject Test scores in addition to the ACT. You can register online at http://act.org or http://www.collegeboard.org. Visit each college’s individual...
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