Colleges Still Accepting Applications For Fall '09

Some colleges and universities are still accepting applications for Fall 2009. Colorado State University has on its web site that it is still accepting applications on a space-available basis until July 1, 2009. More info can be found at: http://admissions.colostate.edu/FutureFreshmen/

Hispanic Scholarships for '09-'10

Two Hispanic Scholarships are still accepting applications for 2009-10 yr ($2,500-5,000 each)! The deadline is fast approaching. http://tinyurl.com/npb7fp

Understanding Data in College Guidebooks

When you read college guidebooks or look on web sites of colleges and universities, test score data is given and referred to in the 25th and 75th percentile. How do you know where your test scores fit in? Here's an explanation by Allen Grove, About.com: http://collegeapps.about.com/od/theact/a/act-score-explanation.htm

Start Saving for College

Article from the Wall Street Journal on what college will cost in 18 years by Stacey L. Bradford...

If there's one thing parents think they should save for, it's their children's college education. In 18 years, a degree from a public school will cost around $200,000 and a private university will run closer to $400,000, according to the College Board, which administers the SAT standardized college admissions test.......http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124492913145812745.html

Juniors: Start Your College Planning Now

If you have just finished your junior year in high school now is the time to put together a list of colleges and/or universities that you would like to apply to. To find the schools that are the best fit for you ask yourself what your preferences are: do you want a large or small school; a city, suburb or rural location; close to home or far away; any religious preferences; specific academic subjects, etc.
College guidebooks are a good place to start to learn about each school, but then the best thing to do is visit, go on a tour of the campus, so you can see it first-hand.
If you spend the summer planning what schools to apply to, when fall rolls around you'll be all ready to start your applications.
A college adviser can help you narrow down the schools that are the best fit for you: http://acollegeforyou.com/

Stay Home & Get A Job

Some Admissions Officers Encourage More Free Time during the Summer

Written by: Heather Zimar
Published: 07/16/2008

Some admissions officers are encouraging students to take more time for personal growth in the summer, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The growing trend toward pre-college achievement, including college prep camps and enrichment programs, has surged in recent years, leaving college admissions officers and child psychologists to question whether the intensity is good for students, the Inquirer reported. In a recent paper, three Harvard officials are recommending that youth “bring summer back.”

“We have no evidence in Harvard admissions decisions over time that shows a consistent favorable judgment on packaged summer programs,” Marilyn McGrath, Harvard’s director of admissions, told the Inquirer. “You could just be a lifeguard, or spend a whole month reading Dostoyevsky, or visit your grandparents. All of those things are so rich in human terms.”

Eric J. Furda, dean of admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, said he encourages “horizon-broadening,” but students also need to learn to relax. “People shouldn’t feel that this is another box they need to check- ‘Summer experience, check, I did that, now how does it look on my application?’” Furda told the Inquirer. He said he looks for motivation, and what a student gets out of a program and how he or she articulates it.

There are many opportunities across the country for summer enrichment programs and college prep camps. Julian Krinsky camps, for example, include internships, a model United Nations program and a pre-college program at Princeton. Entry fees range from $1,000 a week to more than $12,000 for a residential student staying eight weeks, the Inquirer reported.

Eileen Bazelon, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, said students need to balance achievement and time to explore. “Is it just a means to an end as opposed to, God forbid, learning something? It needs to be done in the right context, like taking general college chemistry to see if you’re really interested in science, not just to pad your resume.”

Furda recommends summer enrichment activities such as getting a summer job, making a reading list, checking out local science exhibits, or learning about art.

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Philadelphia Inquirer
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/education/20080713_Not-fun_in_the_summertime_is_no_hit_with_college_officials.html

Arizona State's Party Ranking Drops

A once-mighty reputation at Arizona State University, one sustained with pride and perseverance by generations of students, has seen its sterling status tarnished. ASU this week was ranked 17th among institutions of higher learning that party hard.

It is a sharp and severe tumble for a college that long has been among the elite. No less a reputable publication than Playboy named ASU the nation's No. 1 party school as recently as 2002, continuing a tradition that began in 1987 with that journal's inaugural ranking.

Complete article at:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2008/07/31/20080731asuparty0731.html

For college admissions advice go to: http://www.acollegeforyou.com