Tag Archives: college news

admissions, college news, college planning, parenting

Try Harder–Is This the Message We Want to Convey?

try harder

There’s a new documentary on PBS called “Try Harder!”. It chronicles the lives of some students at Lowell High School, a prestigious high school in California with predominantly Asian students. Their goal–get into the Ivies or the UC colleges. Why? Because according to them, anything else communicates failure.

I was struck by one young man who said, “If I don’t get into one of these schools, I won’t make a difference in the world or be successful.” How sad. What type of message are we conveying to our students? Try Harder.

Continue reading Try Harder–Is This the Message We Want to Convey? →
in the news

Top 5 Must-Read Articles for Parents of the College-Bound

 

must-read articlesOften as I scour the web I find articles I want to share with my parent readers. Apart from tweeting about them and pinning them, this week I would like to highlight them on my blog in hopes that you will examine them further and gather some helpful information.

Following are five must-read articles for parents of the college-bound.

1. On education policy and what Obama left unsaid in the State of the Union

The Washington Post Education section found two things missing from the State of the Union address this year. The first was any rhetoric about fixing the One Child Left Behind law and the second was related to colleges raising tuition prices.

On higher education, Obama in his 2012 and 2013 addresses warned colleges that they must act to contain rising tuition.

In 2012, he said: “We can’t just keep subsidizing skyrocketing tuition. We’ll run out of money. States also need to do their part, by making higher education a higher priority in their budgets. And colleges and universities have to do their part by working to keep costs down.”

In 2013, the president said: “But taxpayers can’t keep on subsidizing higher and higher and higher costs for higher education. Colleges must do their part to keep costs down, and it’s our job to make sure that they do. So, tonight, I ask Congress to change the Higher Education Act so that affordability and value are included in determining which colleges receive certain types of federal aid.”

This year, the language was much less pointed.

Read More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/on-education-policy-and-what-obama-left-unsaid-in-the-state-of-the-union/2014/01/30/f48a5288-89c3-11e3-916e-e01534b1e132_story.html

2. Many colleges are misleading students about financial aid requirements

A prominent House Democrat, Rep. Elijah Cummings, said that some universities are requiring students to complete additional forms besides the FAFSA to be eligible for financial aid.

. . . more than 100 colleges and universities, including some in the nation’s capital, are providing students with unclear or potentially misleading information about what forms they must submit to apply for federal financial aid.

Often colleges require students to submit additional forms — which carry a fee — to qualify for grants from the institutions themselves or from other entities.

But too often, Cummings said, universities fail to spell out clearly what is required for which type of aid. He said that failure can leave students with the false impression that FAFSA is not the only application needed for federal aid.

“Congress banned this practice in 1992 because it creates undue hurdles for students seeking federal student aid,”

Read More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/congressman-many-colleges-are-misleading-students-about-financial-aid-requirements/2014/02/03/c5bcf13a-8d16-11e3-833c-33098f9e5267_story.html

3. Community College enrollment drops

Surprisingly, as the economy begins to rebound, community college enrollment is dropping. Many believe community college is considered a low-cost alternative to university expense.

Nationally, community college leaders are worried that falling enrollment will squeeze their revenue. Some, like their counterparts at four-year colleges, are searching for “enrollment management” strategies to bolster their bottom line.

“These enrollment drops are of great concern as colleges try to balance their budgets,” David Baime, senior vice president for government relations at the American Association of Community Colleges. “I have talked to a number of presidents who are making difficult decisions.”

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/data-on-community-college-enrollment-drop/2014/01/23/6ac258a4-8435-11e3-8099-9181471f7aaf_story.html

4. How colleges define merit aid

A group of college presidents went to the White House Thursday to talk about new efforts to attract more low-income students to higher education, admissions leaders gathered here and talked about how they define merit.

When colleges say “merit aid,” in this context, they mean “a student or family with sufficient means to pay for college education but they want to get a good deal and they want bragging rights,” she said. “So-called merit aid is awarded neither because the student has earned it nor because we are meeting the objectives of our colleges.”

Read more:  http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/01/17/admissions-leaders-gather-and-consider-how-define-merit

5. High school follows you

A new study suggests that high school grades have a greater effect on college grades than you might think. A poor high school student is more likely to struggle in college.

The study by the National Bureau of Economic Research examines the college grades of students admitted to the University of Texas at Austin through the “10 percent program” in which the top students at every Texas high school have been guaranteed admission (although the percentage has been reduced somewhat since the plan was created).

The study found that the quality of high school is a key predictor of grades in college, not only in freshman year, but continuing into the sophomore and junior years as well.

Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/01/27/study-finds-impact-attending-poor-high-school-follows-one-college

college news, college planning, parenting

In the News: Violence on college campuses


A few weeks ago, a disgruntled professor shot and killed several of her colleagues at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Another shooting occurred at Northern Illinois University between students, where two years ago five students were killed and dozens more wounded. And who could forget the tragedy at Virginia Tech where 32 faculty and students lost their lives at the hands of a shooter during classes.

As a parent of a college-bound teen, you want to be assured that your child will be safe when you send them off to college. And while you have no control over random acts of violence, you can know what systems the prospective colleges have in place to deal with these type of unexpected tragedies. According to a former FBI consultant, parents should visit the campus security office and ask this one question:

What systems do you have in place to protect my child in the event of an emergency such as the Virginia Tech shooting?

It’s important to insist on a detailed answer. Shortly after the Virginia Tech shootings, the American Council on Education published a list of questions school leaders should ask themsleves. Parents should expect answers to these questions when discussing this issue with campus security:

  • Has the school done a full assessment of potential catastrophic risks, and does it have plans in place to address these risks?
  • Does the school have an appropriate emergency team in place? Do team members regularly participate in emergency preparedness exercises?
  • Does the school have multiple means to communicate with students, faculty, and visitors in the event of an immediate, ongoing emergency situation? Do plans exist to direct people to a safe location?
  • What communication and coordination networks exist among campus security leadership, local law enforcement, political officials, first responders, and health officials, both on an ongoing basis and in case of emergency? Is there a specific integrated emergency response plan? Do all the agencies who might be involved in emergency run drills on campus to prepare?
  • Is the training of campus security personnel appropriate to potential risks?

Before sending your child off to college, do your homework. Make sure that if something bad does happen, the incident and the students get the attention they deserve. If you know the plan and have assurance that the college has implemented specific procedures to facilitate it, you will worry less and sleep better at night.

admissions, college guidance, college news, college planning, extracurricular activities, financial aid, scholarships, social networks, test prep, Uncategorized

50 College Info Websites

25 Comments

 

1. ParentsCountdowntoCollegeCoach.com–You will find the MOST information here on our blog: college guidance, college planning, college coaching, and college news. Come here first to find the latest and best tools to help you navigate the college maze.

2. UniversityParent.com–A site where parents can ask questions, gather information, and download and view college guides and campus newsletters.

3. Fastweb.com–An extensive scholarship search website with a massive database of scholarships, along with articles and helps designed specifically for parents.

4. Zinch.com–A free service for students and parents where students can showcase themselves, connect with colleges, and search for scholarships.

5. Cappex.com–A site created for students to help them simplify their college search, create a profile and search for scholarships.

6. MeritAid.com–The place to go to find merit scholarships and academic scholarships from colleges across the country.

7. SmartCollegeVisit.com–Created to provide information about college visits, help parents and students plan, and view personal accounts from both parents and students.

8. MyCollegeCalendar.org–Interactive college admissions counseling program designed for both high school students and their parents.

9. Scholarships.com–An extensive scholarship search engine that helps you search and schedule alerts for deadlines.

10. MyUSearch.com–An excellent blog with tips for parents and students about college; also provides college matching and scholarship searches.

11. FindTuition.com–Help finding money to pay for college, along with articles related to college financing.

12. EntrepreneurEdu.org–This is an excellent resource for students who are interested in colleges who offer entrepreneurial programs.

13. TutorsForTestPrep.com–An SAT expert and coach offering tips to help your college-bound teen improve their SAT/ACT scores.

14. Bookrenter.com–Rent college textbooks and save up to 75% over purchasing them new.

15. TheCollegeSolutionBlog.com–An excellent resource for college-bound teens and their parents: admissions, testing, and financial aid.

16. UniversityLanguage.com/blog–Great blog articles about everything related to college admissions geared toward students.

17. CollegeWeekLive.com–A virtual college fair that sponsors free LIVE events with archived presentations, student chats, and college booths.

18. BetterGrads.org–A network of college student peer advisers and a resource filled website presenting honest accounts of the college experience geared toward high school students.

19. Youniversitytv.com–Learn about colleges by watching video tours, chat with students on campus forums, post questions and get answers.

20. NYTimes-TheChoiceBlog–Demystifying college admissions and financial aid by providing articles and Q&A by experts in the field.

21. GreatCollegeAdvice.com/blog–An excellent resource about the college admissions process providing expert advice helping students map their college journey.

22. USNews.com/Education–The education channel of U.S. News and World Reports providing the latest news and information related to college.

23. Fafsa.ed.gov–The official government website for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

24. CommonApp.org–The common application site used by 400 colleges and universities across the country.

25. PrincetonReview.com–The best value colleges list for public and private institutions across the country.

26. NCSASports.org–The college recruiting site for athletes.

27. FairTest.org–The site for the National Center for fair and open testing providing information about colleges who do not use the SAT/ACT for admissions decisions.

28. SallieMae.com/plan–A FREE education investment planner that will help determine college costs, compare college costs, and provides information about student loan repayments.

29. UPromise.com–UPromise partners return a portion of eligible purchase money back to you. Those earnings accumulate in your Upromise account until you decide to use it to invest in a 529 plan, help pay down eligible student loans or assist with college expenses—all tax-free!

30. SavingForCollege.com–Everything you need to know about financing a college education.

31. CollegeBoard.com–It’s here you’ll find the CSS Profile application (required by many private colleges), register for the SAT, and read articles about planning for college.

32. CollegeBasics.com–An excellent resource for information about college essays, college applications and high school resumes.

33. InsideHigherEd.com/blogs–Several different blogs related to higher education.

34. CollegeXpress.com–A search site that groups colleges in categories and provides college “hot” lists (i.e. top college for late bloomers, colleges for students needing a second chance)

35. ECampus.com–Find textbooks, sell textbooks, search for college supplies and college apparel all on this one site.

36. TheRealCollegeGuide.com–Four blogs about college life: the dorm, lifestyle, academics and heath and fitness.

37. DesignYourDorm.com–A free online, interactive resource for designing and organizing your college-bound teen’s dorm room.

38. CollegeAdmissionsPartners.com/blog–An expert blog dedicated to helping students find the right college.

39. GradeFund.com—Students invite their friends and family to sponsor their drive for good grades. Sponsors choose grade levels and sponsorship amounts for each grade (as low as $5) to help students raise money for their college education.

40. CollegeParentCentral.com–A blog created to give parents useful information about college and the college admissions process.

41. Number2.com–Free online test prep (SAT/ACT) with vocabulary exercises and help.

42. VolunteerMatch.org–Find local volunteer opportunities for your college-bound teen and teach them about the importance of giving back to their community with the added bonus of adding that service to their high school resume.

43. KnowHow2Go.com–A college planning site for college-bound students providing helps and aids from middle school to senior year: interactive and fun!

44. BeRecruited.com–If you have a teen that’s a student athlete, they can create an online profile here and help colleges and coaches find them and be recruited.

45. FinAid.org–An excellent resource for the answers to all your questions regarding college financial aid.

46. TheCampusBuzz.com–An online clearinghouse for national college news; find all the college news in one place!

47. BigFuture.collegeboard.org–A planning tool to help parents and students get ready for college.

48. CollegeFocus.com/colleges–A virtual clearinghouse of blogs related to college life, parenting, college searches, etc.

49. Word-nerd.com–An PSAT/SAT vocabulary prep tool.

50. YourCollegeKid.com–A site with parent forums and other college prep tools.