Archive for the ‘Choosing a College’ Category

Private College Vs. Public College-Factors to Consider

Thursday, April 5th, 2012

Want to find the right college?  If you are like most students, the quest to find the right college is at the top of your list.  After all, you will be spending at least four years at your choice, and you will also be spending a considerable amount of money as well.  This makes taking the time to properly research your college choice time that is very well spent.

One of the single biggest choices you will have to make is the decision between a private college and a public one.  That decision may have been made for you already due to cost factors.  The simple, but highly unfortunate, fact is that college costs are simply soaring and doing so at a rate that is far outstrips the pace of inflation.  Going to college is becoming increasingly expensive and is putting more and more students under increasing levels of debt.  This means that the first choice you will need to make is whether or not you want to take on this new, higher level of college debt.

With some private colleges now demanding in the neighborhood of $50,000 just for tuition alone, it is necessary to ask yourself, “just how much extra benefit will I gain from a far more expensive private college?”  Many students are beginning to ask that question in earnest.  However, there may be direct federal student loans and financial aid and grants available that could dramatically alter the financial picture for you.

Are you planning on attending graduate or professional school?  If so, then realize that you will be attending college for many more years than your undergraduate peers.  This means that you have no choice but to think long term about your student loan debt!  If you are planning on being in college for six, seven or even ten years, then you might want to “go cheap” for your undergraduate education.

Ultimately, you will have to decide as to whether or not you are actually getting your money’s worth.  This answer is, of course, completely dependent on your own situation, what you plan on studying, whether or not you plan on going on to graduate school and your chosen career path. The bottom line is that you shouldn’t necessary select an expensive private college or university just because you got in.  Your pick needs to reflect your needs.

The value for your money and how well the given university or college will help your career goals need to be paramount in your decision.  Other factors such as “X school has a great football team” should mean little to you unless you are playing on the team and are getting a scholarship.

Picking a college or university can be hard, but there are ways to make the process a bit easier.  One of the first steps is to evaluate what factors are truly important and what factors are not.  Once you have accomplished this, you are set to make a great decision that you are far less likely to regret.

How Swayed Should You Be By Amenities at a Given College or University?

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

Many factors go into selecting a college or university, and the process can be very confusing as a result.  It is no wonder that many students are left wanting to know how to survive college.  Most savvy students invest a good amount of time into researching important topics such as financial aid for college tuition and private loans for college, but there are, of course, other factors to consider.  You need to keep in mind that like no other time before colleges and universities are businesses, and that is exactly how many institutions see themselves.  They want your money and they want as many people as possible to be dying to go to their respective institutions.  Your job is to decide what is important to you.

The purpose of attending a college or university is to receive a great education that will teach you more than a skill. but will also teach you how to think in a critical and logical fashion.  That should be the number one goal of any educational institution.  However, increasingly many universities and colleges are becoming obsessed with what “perks” they can offer to entice a student to sign up and attend their university.

What you should be looking for out of a university or college isn’t who has the best waterslide or rock climbing wall, but who has the best reputation, who puts the most focus on education and who has the best job support and other services for its students.  Other considerations such as a “world class gym” or other such amenities should not be high on your list.  If they are, you might be attending college for the wrong reasons.

This does not mean that you shouldn’t be concerned about what a given university or college offers you in other regards.  The quality of your life while attending a university or college is, of course, important.  The purpose of this article is to simply highlight the fact that you shouldn’t be swayed by amenities that you don’t need or would not use.  Further, every dollar that is spent on amenities could have potentially been applied toward providing better education for students and programs for assisting graduates.  You and your parents should take these factors into consideration and you will likely make a better choice in the end.

When you are visiting different colleges if all the tour guides want to talk about is amenities, you should strongly consider other colleges or universities.  A college or university should be obsessed with proving to you that they will provide you with a great education and future opportunities, not non-stop, fun, fun, fun!  If all you hear is how much fun a university is to attend, that is a big red flag.

What Should You Do with a Bad College Roommate?

Saturday, March 24th, 2012

Part of knowing how to survive college and make the most out of your dorm life experience is having a good or at least a working relationship with your roommate.  You are likely spending a good deal of time thinking about college, and may even be wondering how to find a college roommate.  If you are living in the dorms, then your roommate will be selected for you.  Yet, it is important that you don’t just live with the bad results of a random matching process.  If you are feeling as though you just can’t live with your roommate, realize that there are steps you can take.  Now, let’s take a look at a few of the ways that you can deal with your bad roommate situation.

Few things can be quite as painful as having a bad roommate whether you are in college or are living in your first apartment or even your tenth apartment.  In short, a bad roommate can sour your entire life!  Step one in dealing with a problematic roommate is to see if your problems can be resolved.  If you pause to think about the problems and the conflict at the heart of those problems you may find a solution.  Sometimes good communication can smooth over poor relationships and start things heading in another direction, yet this doesn’t always work.  If you first make attempts to resolve your conflict points with your roommate and are met with no success then you may have to consider getting the university involved.

Before you begin discussing your issues with university or college officials, it is usually prudent that you’ve first discussed your problems with your roommate.  The reason for this is that the officials are likely to ask, perhaps even as their first question, “Have you discussed this with Roommate X?”  If you answer “no,” they may conclude that you haven’t tried hard enough to resolve the conflict, and this could put you in a bad light.  However, if you are able to detail and outline your attempts to resolve the situation, you look mature, capable and reasonable.

Are there exceptions to this rule?  In short, most definitely.  If you fear that your roommate is dangerous or may lash out at you in some damaging way, then you are better off going straight to your university or college officials.

Visiting your college advisor so that he or she can help guide you towards your next step may ultimately be your only move.  Once this process begins, it is best that you work with college officials to resolve the situation quickly and find you another room or roommate if at all possible.  No matter how the situation works out, try and stay calm and keep from making an enemy for life!  Situations of this kind can be heated.  Remember that your goal is to get a new room or a new roommate and not to teach your roommate a life lesson or to change his or her personality.  The important thing in this situation is to quickly get the roommate issue resolved so you can get back to focusing on academics.

Juggling Different Potential College Majors, How to Decide

Monday, March 19th, 2012

There is no doubt that so very much goes into the entire college process.  You can be forgiven if you find it all a bit overwhelming.  The process is multilayered and, as a result, it is more than a little confusing.  In addition to all of your research on how to find scholarships and take SAT practice tests online, you have to think about college majors.  However, don’t worry if you haven’t already selected a major, and certainly don’t panic if you haven’t selected one when you arrive at college.  Let’s take a closer look at how you can successfully juggle your different college options.

Take a Class

The most obvious, but often most helpful, step in selecting a college major is to take a class or two in a given subject.  The reason is that you may soon discover that you hate a given area of study or that you love it.  Either way, you will have more information regarding which direction you should head.

Learn More About Your College Major Career Paths

Take the time to do a little research regarding different college majors and what job and career opportunities will result from those majors.  This is a prudent step.  One of the key issues that you need to be thinking about is the potential for career growth and job openings.

If your research shows that the job prospects for your a given major are pretty dire, then you may have an answer.  However, it is important to note that more than once jobs that were suppose to accompany a given field never did materialize.  On these occasions, people were left worrying about what they should do.  This fact underscores the importance of having a degree that is potentially diverse.  If you have a degree that can be applied or used in many different ways, you may have less to worry about where job security is concerned.  Diversification isn’t just for stocks!

Talk to People in Your Potential Different Careers

Taking the time to chat with people who are already working in your field is always a very good idea.  Why?  You can learn a tremendous amount from people who are already hard at work in careers you are considering.  A few minutes with someone that is already out in the field can be worth hours or days of research.  Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should let them pick your career for you.  For example, if you want to be an architect, ask if you can speak to one.

If you are not having any luck, ask people at your college or university if they can lend a hand.  Remember that college professors, deans and other facility love it when students show forethought, initiative and planning.  More than likely, you’ll get some help that you can use.

Picking your major is complicated, and trying to decide between two, three or more conflicting options can be nothing short of maddening.  Don’t give up.  Instead talk to people, gather information and work to find a path that will bring you not only money but also happiness.

What the Experts Have to Tell You About Selecting a College

Saturday, March 10th, 2012

Selecting the perfect college can be complicated.  The sooner you begin researching and thinking about you college decision, the better off you will likely be.  You may have read books on everything from financial aid for college tuition and private loans for college to test prep tutoring and college dorm life, but at the top of your college reading materials should be the guides that give you a better idea about what college is right for you.  Remember, however, that your time is limited, and that means finding the best books are key.  Let’s take a look at couple of available options and see how they stack up!

Students’ Guide to College: The Definitive Guide to America’s Top 100 Schools Written by the Real Experts, the Students Who Attended Them by Jordan Goldman and Colleen Buyers

Isn’t a book like this one outdated almost as soon as it is published?  Secondly, it is also important to note that these rankings are very arbitrary and a bit more ridiculous than it might seem at first glance.  After all, who are the people that really make the decision as to what are the “top schools” or the “top” anything.  You can see the problem.

Another issue with Students’ Guide to College: The Definitive Guide to America’s Top 100 Schools Written by the Real Experts, the Students Who Attended Them is that it by its very nature, it ignores career paths.  A given school may not be ranked in the top 100 per se, but it may have a great department that is ranked near the top and is respected in its field.  This does matter, especially if you are a student or the parent of a student that isn’t likely to get into a top school.  Or perhaps you just can’t afford to pay the ridiculous prices that many top schools are now requesting.

It would be easy to dismiss this book outright, but that would be a mistake.  Despite its flaws, it does have something to offer prospective college students.  There are lots of college guides on the market, and while this doesn’t go straight to the top of the list it is, nonetheless, a worthy entry, especially for those who dream of attending a top-ranked school.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to College Survival by Laurie Rozakis

Try and ignore the fact that a “complete idiot” should probably not bother with college and just go along with the Complete Idiot’s Guide on this one.  This isn’t a bad book; however, it lacks the punch and weight of many other college guidebooks.  The competition in this area is just too intense for this book to come out on top.  When contrasted against its competitors, it seems pretty average and perfunctory at best.  The Complete Idiot’s Guide to College Survival by Laurie Rozakis does cover some territory that other books might ignore, but it’s just not enough.  Further, many readers will likely feel as though the book is just a bit to fluffy to be highly effective.

Ultimately, there are many “guidebooks” on this topic, and one has to be careful as to how much weight to put into any of them.  The real point of this article isn’t that one guidebook is better than another, but that you shouldn’t treat any of these kind of books as a de facto bible designed to tell you which college or university that you should select.

Finding the right college or university for you is based on a variety of factors and you as a person.  In the end, you might have to use guidebooks like the two we examined here just to cover the basics, as your personal situation will obviously be more complex than what can be put in a guidebook.  Remembering this factor will increase the chances of getting into a college or university where you will be happy and this will, in turn, increase your chances of success.

6 Ways to Improve Your Letters of Recommendation

Sunday, February 26th, 2012

The constant discussion of grades and SAT scores and how they relates to getting into college may leave many students feeling as though letters of recommendation are an afterthought.  Yet, this isn’t exactly the case, as recommendations can, in fact, be tremendously important.  Good letters of recommendation, or even one glowing letter of recommendation, can be enough to push you past someone else and earn you a place in a university or college of your choice.  So before you spend too much time trying to determine what to take to college or how to find a college roommate, first focus on the basics.  One of these basics is getting the best letters of recommendation possible!

You want your teachers to be impressed and write great letters of recommendation for you, but there is a catch.  If you’ve spent all of your time in their class and never impressed them in any way, then you will have a tough time getting a glowing recommendation.  They may not even know your name!

The sooner you can begin impressing teachers, the better off you may be.  Sure, spending your time impressing teachers may not make you extremely popular in many schools, but you need to ask yourself, do I really care?  Your present is in high school, but your future is in college.

Here are some ways to impress teachers so that you stand out when it comes time for a letter of recommendation.

1) Do more work that is required of you.  Teachers truly notice it when you do extra work beyond what they assign you.  A good place to put this strategy into action is on a paper or other similar project.

2) Have extracurricular activities and make sure that your teacher knows about those activities.

3) Ask your teachers for their advice on college, the college application process and related issues.  If you can do this a year or more before it’s time to start applying for college, you can be sure that they will realize you are serious about college.  They will remember this when it comes time to write you a glowing letter of recommendation.

4) Get good grades.  Of course, nothing impresses like getting an “A” in a teacher’s class.  More than anything else that you do, they will remember giving you that coveted A.

5) Be on the lookout.  You should always be on the lookout for ways that you can demonstrate to a teacher that you are bright and eager.  This does not mean that you should try and answer every question asked in class.  But being proactive, alert and consistently prepared for class is something that most teachers notice.

6) Ask your teachers how you can improve your performance or what weak points you may have in a given subject.  Don’t be afraid to let them know that you are preparing for college.  Once again, letting your teachers know that you are thinking about college, preferably well before its time to send in applications, will impress them.

In the end, there is no “magic solution” that will help you get an amazing recommendation.  This article isn’t a guide to a guaranteed great letter of recommendation.  Instead our intent is to give you some pointers designed to increase your chances of landing that great letter.  Remember, with some effort and patience, you will likely have success.

Getting the Acceptance Letter You’ve Always Wanted

Friday, February 24th, 2012

Determining how to get that acceptance letter in the mail isn’t the easiest task in the world, but it isn’t impossible either.  With dedication, hard work and planning, you can likely get into one of your college or university choices, especially if you throw a wide enough net.  The college admissions process can be tricky, and this is one of the reasons there is college counseling services, college admissions assistance and test prep tutoring.  There are also many good resources that you can turn to that will help guide you towards a better understanding of the college admissions process.  In this article, we will look at a couple of the books you may wish to consider.

Pick One-College Admissions: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step by Robin Mamlet

College guidebooks fall into many different categories, but the best usually pull on the expertise of people who have worked in the field and understand how the process works.  It isn’t fair to say that these books give “inside information,” as they usually don’t, but they do give as sizable amount of information on issues that you might glance over or ignore when considering schools.

This book is all about “picking the brains” of admissions officers.  Most students and parents probably feel as though the entire college admissions process is confusing and a little esoteric.  College Admissions: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step by Robin Mamlet does a solid job in demystifying the process.

Unlike many books, the nature of the advice in College Admissions is of such a comprehensive fashion that parents might want to consider reading this one early in their child’s high school career.  There are many tips that can only be used if plotted out years in advance.  If you are a planner and want to get into a great school, you should read this one.

Pick Two-How to Write Your College Application Essay by Kenneth Nourse

How to Write Your College Application Essay by Kenneth Nourse is a good book, but (and yes there is a but), it is very boring, perhaps distractingly so.  Yet, with that stated, author Kenneth Nourse knows his “stuff” and does a great job instructing students in the ins and outs of writing a good college application essay.  Here is the one drawback to choosing this book over other options; How to Write Your College Application Essay doesn’t really adequately cover how to make your essay shine above the rest.  It will be up to you to determine how to make yourself stand out to admissions officers when they are reading different admissions essays.

One of the best tricks for helping you stand out to a college admissions officer is to be memorable in a good way.  This means investing the time to think about how you are distinctive and why you are likely to be a good, or even great, graduate down the road.  If you have big plans, then consider sharing some of those plans in your admissions letter.  More importantly, outline some of the steps that you have taken or will be taking to make those dreams and goals into reality.  Being able to show and point to how you are goal oriented, driven and organized may achieve the goal of assisting you to stand out from the crowd.

Looking at Your College Picks from a Different Perspective

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012

A great deal of work can go into deciding what kind of college or university you should select.  This is an area where people feel completely comfortable giving you advice… and a lot of it!  If you treat the process of selecting a college or university seriously, the odds are good that you will make the right decision.  With that stated, however, you also want to take in information from many sources and consider a variety of options.  Let’s take a look at two books that might change your perspective on the kind of college or university that is a good pick for you.  If you think that the only way to select a college is to find a college by major or select a college based on college dorm life, these books may just change your mind.

Cool Colleges by Donald Asher

Cool Colleges: For the Hyper-Intelligent, Self-Directed, Late Blooming and Just Plain Different by Donald Asher isn’t aiming to please everyone and be for everyone.  The title makes this just about as clear as it could be.  If you are thinking that the “cool” colleges in this book can’t actually be that “cool”- then think again.

Author Donald Asher has hit a real home run.  The colleges that he discusses in this book are indeed quite, quite cool.  What is particularly impressive is the diversity of the colleges covered.  Everything from schools that don’t give grades to totally free schools to same sex schools are covered.

If you are a student that is looking for a different type of college experience, you really do need to pick up this book.  Viewed from this perspective, Cool Colleges is highly recommended.  Parents of students who are uninterested in college and talking about “not bothering” could benefit tremendously from reading this one!

Here is what makes Cool Colleges highly unique; it is an interesting read even for those who have no interest in attending college.  This book has the very rare distinction of being a good read for those without any stake in getting into college.  You might not think its a page turner, but there are just too many quirky and interesting facts in it to not find Cool Colleges at least slightly entertaining.

Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges by Loren Pope

Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges by Loren Pope is thought provoking.  After reading this book, you might feel less motivated to attend certain expensive schools and turn more in favor of other options.  If you think that feeling this way is impossible, wait until you’ve finished this book.

There is no doubt that author Pope is very serious regarding her mission to change the way that people see higher education.  Now, if you are obsessed with going to a big name school so that you have all the prestige that comes with the “name,” well, you should probably avoid reading this book, as it might depress you a little.  However, for everyone else, this is an interesting read.  In fact, everyone who wants to get the most out of their educational experience will like reading this book.

How to Deal with Rejection Letters

Sunday, February 19th, 2012

Rejection of any kind isn’t easy or fun, but it sure is memorable!  This is how you may feel if you receive a rejection letter from the college or university of your dreams.  The bad news is that for most students there is a possibility that such an event could occur.  The good news is that there are steps you can take to deal with rejection letters, and that is exactly what we are going to explore in this article.

So let’s say you’ve invested a great deal of time in looking for a college and avoided giving up, turning to your parents and saying, “Find a college for me,” only to receive a rejection letter, now what?  The first thing is to rewind the clock a little bit.

If possible you should apply to many different colleges and universities.  This will give you some protection against being devastated by a given rejection.  You’ve invested considerable time investigating financial aid for college tuition and SAT practice test online, so why not spend the time to find numerous colleges that fit your criteria?  Just because you think you’re a “shoe-in” for a given college or university, doesn’t mean that it’s true.

There are many different reasons why you might get edged out.  The college admissions process is notoriously esoteric and political.  In fact, the process has lead to lawsuits in the past.  Keep in mind that a “sure thing” is likely only a sure thing if you are applying to a college or university that is far below what your grades and SAT score would warrant.  If the schools you are applying to are very competitive, you will want to apply to many backup schools. (Just don’t let these colleges and universities know that they are your “backup schools!”)

Now what do you do if you didn’t apply to enough schools or you are so truly dedicated to your top pick that nothing else will do?  First, keep in mind that there are lots of other universities and colleges out there, and the odds are you can find another one that you’ll enjoy attending.  Second, remember that you can always transfer to a new school.  This happens with considerable frequency, and there is no reason that you can’t do this as well.

If you feel as though you worked very hard on your college applications, did your best on the SAT, and then you didn’t get in, this experience can be pretty devastating.  However, this does happen all the time, and so you have to let it go and focus on the universities or colleges that you did get into.

Transferring to the school you wanted to attend in a couple of years is an option.  Until then, focus on getting the best grades possible and building a fantastic case for why you should be allowed to transfer to the university or college that was your real first choice.  Until that day happens, sit back enjoy the ride and appreciate the fact that you will meet people, make friends and have experiences that you would never have otherwise made or had.  It’s not the end of the world.

How to Keep From Waiting to the Last Minute to Apply to College

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

The process of applying for college is enough to make just about anyone’s head truly spin.  If you decide to wait until the last moment, you will likely regret it.  Tasks that would have seemed easy all of a sudden seem complex, hard and puzzling when you have little time.  Further, the less time you have to prepare, the more stress you will feel, and the poorer your decisions may ultimately be.  The question you need to keep in mind is, “How do I keep from waiting until the last moment to apply to college?”

Organization is a big deal in college admissions process.  This is why some people turn to college counseling services and look for college admissions assistance.  Before you worry about how to survive college, first make sure that you get there!  You can reduce your stress level by thinking ahead.  You might even have to take some drastic steps in order to make sure that you begin prepping early to meet your deadlines.

Motivation is important, and one helpful tip for getting motivated isn’t to focus on the work at hand when it comes to applying to different colleges and universities.  Instead focus on the fact that the more colleges and universities that you apply to the more options you will have.  This could lead to far better results.  By applying to many colleges and universities and doing so early, you may have a better time and more fun than you otherwise would have experienced.  Focus on the potential fun that you might have in the future by investing the time to get your applications in.

If you are still unmotivated, realize that not everyone has the opportunity to go to college.  In the United States, only about half of students apply (and of that half less than twenty percent eventually graduate!).  Going to college and graduating is still a significant accomplishment.  Only a few decades ago, the graduation rate for college was less than ten percent!

Now if all of that isn’t enough to get you properly motivated, then you might have to consider other options, such as having your friends or family, yes, bug you.  If your parents know your deadlines and you tell them that they must help you make sure that you meet those deadlines, then odds are you will meet more of your deadlines than you otherwise would have.  Of course, it is important that you realize that you won’t be able to rely on your parents in this fashion forever.

Considering the importance of getting into college and meeting your deadlines, it is in your best interest to work to stay on target.  It is necessary to understand that you will have no choice but to make temporary sacrifices so that you can get all of your college applications in on time.  Don’t let all the hard work you put into the college admissions process be for nothing simply because you forgot something as basic as a deadline.