Archive for the ‘Choosing a College’ Category

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Two Books With Great Titles About Transitioning From High School to College

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

If you’ve ever been tempted to ask tell someone “Find a college for me, so I don’t have to think about it!” you are not alone.  Millions of high-school student apply to college every year, and the process can be bewildering.  Whether its worrying about finding the best SAT practice test online, how to find scholarships or just how to survive college, transitioning from high-school to college can at times be daunting.  Yet, with a little bit of research, you can take some of the sting out of this process.  Let’s take a look at a couple of books that can help make the process of going from high-school to college a bit easier.

Crazy U: One Dad’s Crash Course in Getting His Kid Into College by Andrew Ferguson

Crazy U was a very clever title.  This title immediately makes you think that this book is going to be all about the crazy fun that people have while at college.  Well, that isn’t exactly what this book is all about.  On the contrary, Crazy U is all about a dad working to get his kid into college.  Here is why this is a good book and a worthwhile investment; author Andrew Ferguson does a good job of reminding parents how intense, stressful and, to be blunt, ridiculous the entire transition from high school to college actually is in the modern academic system.  Having a book that takes you by the hand and helps you through this highly irritating and frustrating process is worth the asking price and the time invested in reading it.

Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer: How to Survive the College Admissions Process Without Losing Your Mind by Risa Lewak

Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer: How to Survive the College Admissions Process Without Losing Your Mind by Risa Lewak is a good book and it also has a very amusing title.  However, this offering it doesn’t measure up in terms of information or value to Crazy U by Andrew Ferguson.  Both are good books, but Crazy U is better.  Now with that stated, that doesn’t mean that you couldn’t benefit from reading both.

Don’t Stalk the Admissions Officer does a very good job of attempting to dissect the college admissions process.  It should also be stated that this book is more geared towards than Crazy U as well.  Lewak understands the process of getting into college as she was involved in the process “from the other side.”  As a result, she has a wealth of insight and tips in the process.

Overall, there are an abundance of insightful tips and you will definitely feel as though you have a better handle on what to do and expect where applying for college is concerned.  Parents and students looking to understand the process better will like that this book is easy to read, clearly laid out and gives many straightforward answer instead of stating repeatedly, “it depend,” which is so common in books in this genre.

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Community Colleges – A Great Option to Consider

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

One of the single most important parts of the transition from high school to college is being prepared.  Clearly, you should work hard to find financial aid for college tuition and direction federal student loans; however, if you are unable to afford college or your grades didn’t allow you to get into any local colleges or universities, don’t panic.  It is important to remember that you still have options for receiving an education.

Millions of people have successfully used the community college system.  You can attend community college to receive further education and even transfer to a four-year college or university later on.

Here are two good books on the topic of community colleges.

Community College by Susan H. Stafford

Okay, you didn’t get into the college of your dreams or you just can’t afford to go.  That doesn’t mean that you should just give up on your dream of getting a college degree.  College graduates earn far more over the course of their lifetime than those with just high-school diplomas.  This book is valuable in that it gets students and parents thinking about community college, which stands out as an important often overlooked resource.

Going to a community college can save you a staggering amount of money, and this book has most of what you need to know to begin the community college process.  There are many misconceptions regarding community college, and Community College by Susan H. Stafford is rather effective at clearing some of them up.  Another reason this book is a winner is that it doesn’t just state, “go to a community college” but instead gives you concrete reasons to do so.  This is done by showing how community colleges can tie into creating new career and earning opportunities.

If you think that your college dreams are over, then pick this book up.  It will remind you that you can, in fact, return to college at any age with very little money.

The Community College Guide: The Essential Reference from Application to Graduation by Joshua Halberstam and Debra Gonsher

The Community College Guide: The Essential Reference from Application to Graduation by Joshua Halberstam and Debra Gonsher takes a slightly different approach to community college than other books.  Halberstam and Gonsher’s approach goes beyond making the solid case for community college and gets directly into the “nuts and bolts,” such as transcripts and financial aid concerns.

Anyone considering community college will find this helpful; however, you will definitely skip over some sections.  At times the handholding might seem excessive, but ultimately there is no denying that this book is worth the effort, just be prepared to do some serious skipping and skimming.  Any book that makes a case for the value and worth of the community college system is one that is worth reading and supporting.

Both of these books can help outline the community college experience and what it has to offer.  Remember that you should be able to find a community college in your area.  In addition, you will also find many dedicated people at your local community college that are eager to help guide you, so seek them out and ask for help!

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How Do You Handle College Advice When You Don’t Agree?

Saturday, January 14th, 2012

When it comes to your college career and your career goals, more than likely there are many people wanting to give you advice and lots of it.  Quite often people will put pressure on you to follow their advice, whether its friends or family.  If they can’t recognize that their advice is useless or even downright bad, what are you do to in such a situation?  What do you do when college advice goes beyond financial aid and grants or how to find scholarships and instead dives deeper into your decision making process?

Dealing with a pushy relative who wants to give you college advice can be quite tricky.  Few of us actually state, “Hi there, find a college for me,” but the fact is that family members will try to tell you what to do and even pick out your college for you.  If you have someone trying to make this decision for you, here are a few tips for handling the situation.

Tip One-Show Why Your College Pick is Better

The first option is to prove that your college selection is better than what they have in mind.  For example, you can demonstrate that your preferred school is higher ranked in a particular program than the one your relative is suggesting.  Keep in mind that stating, “But my school is a better party school,” isn’t likely to work very well. Don’t try that one!

Tip Two-Apply to Many Different Colleges

Whatever you do, never apply to just one or two schools, as this can leave you without a school altogether.  Further, by applying to several universities and colleges, you will give yourself some wiggle room as you will be able to state, “But I did get into…”

You Can Always Ignore the Advice

Ignoring a relative’s advice on college is a lot easier if he or she is not paying for attendance.  If your parents are paying for your college and they are expecting you to attend a given school but you hate their idea, you are in a tough situation.  However, there is still hope.  After the first year, you can explain to them in more detail why the school isn’t right for you.  At that time, you can transfer to another program.

Remember that People Want to Help

You have to be the one who lives your life, and that means you need to make your own decisions about where you will go to college and what you will major in at college.  With that stated, however, try and remember that the people who are giving you advice about college only want the best for you.

In the end, take in the advice and listen carefully to the logic behind it, as this is very important.  If the logic is sound and based on facts, then it is worthwhile.  However if the college advice you receive is really just someone’s opinion then that is a different story.  Ultimately, you want to be happy with your college experience.  Finding that happiness might just mean ignoring the advice that you’ve been given.

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Finding A Mentor

Monday, January 2nd, 2012

You may have never considered finding a mentor, but it can be a very worthwhile and valuable experience.  All of the issues that you are currently worried about regarding trying to find the right college can be brought into greater clarity if you can find the right individual to assist you.  But how does one go about finding a mentor to help with college?

If you are successful in finding a good mentor, you will be able to gain the assistance of someone that can help you even beyond how to survive college.  A great mentor will be able to help you with your career as well.  The first step in finding this resource is to take a mental inventory of the accomplished people that you know.

You might discover that you already know someone that is accomplished and that you think would be a solid mentor.  The main thing that you want to look for is someone whose opinion you respect that you believe will give you advice you can trust.

Since we are specifically discussing how to get into college, it is best that you find a mentor that has personally gone through this process.  After all, you want good advice specifically on how to survive college, financial aid and grants, how to find scholarships and other college related topics.

As you take inventory of the people that you know or have access to, consider if there is one or two people that stand out.  In fact, it may be possible to have several people mentor you in different ways.  This is more common than you might think, as it is a very practical approach and option.

If you are having trouble finding a mentor, reach out to friends and family.  For example, you might have a friend who has a parent that is a doctor, college professor, or who has an MBA or a range of other valuable academic experience.  This presents an opportunity to get some experienced advice. Since you want to find the right college, experienced advice is a must.

Ultimately, there are lots of options for finding a mentor.  In addition to asking your friends and relatives if they know someone, you can always ask your teachers and school facility.  Two great people to talk to are your school principal and vice principal.  They will appreciate your enthusiasm. Most likely, they have also attended graduate school.  The odds are that they may know someone (perhaps a retired associate) that would be willing to mentor you.  You never know what might happen if you find a mentor that is a retired school superintendent or principal with thirty-five years of experience!

Quite often people will surprise you in their willingness to help.  Remember that your own preconceived ideas about what is and is not possible may influence your outcomes.  If you believe that finding a mentor that will help you through the process of getting into college is impossible, then you are making your search harder.  Be optimistic!  People generally appreciate it when young people show initiative and indicate that they are taking something seriously, especially anything education related.  You can use this fact to your advantage.

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8 Reasons to Consider Out-of-State Colleges and Universities

Saturday, December 31st, 2011

While parents may prefer that their High School graduate consider in-state colleges and universities, it is not unusual for students to push for an out-of-state experience. High-schoolers considering colleges often find out-of-state options alluring, to be able to spread their wings, especially if their college of choice holds the lure of prestige. Before restricting your sights on in-state schools, consider these possible benefits of an out-of-state college experience.

Specialized Programs
An out-of-state school may be a good thing to consider if the school specializes in a degree program not offered at a college near home. Some degrees – for example Zoology, Nuclear Physics, Veterinary Medicine, Contemporary Music, Nutritional Science, or Women’s Studies – are less commonly offered across the board.

Lower Tuition Costs
The cost for attending some out-of-state colleges may actually be less than an in-state college. For example, a California resident attending the University of California at Santa Barbara costs around $30,000. That same student may attend the University of Arkansas for around $26,000, Purdue University in Indiana for around $28,000, or the University of Kansas for around $23,000.

Greater Independence
Attending a school that is too far away to visit home regularly will require you to develop greater independence, life skills, and self-reliance. If you’re solely responsible for remembering schedules, making and keeping appointments, shopping, healthy eating, laundry, budgeting and bill paying, this gives you an excellent crash course toward confident adulthood.

Out-of-State Scholarships
In these very tight financial times some colleges are having difficulty keeping enrollment up and they may be offering more scholarship opportunities to out-of-state students. Some examples of this are Portland State in Portland, Oregon which offers scholarships to students from several of the western states entering degree programs that are not available to them in their home state. Michigan State offers scholarships to out-of-state pre-med students. Some colleges have scholarships for which all out-of-state incoming freshmen are considered. If money is an issue for you, this is definitely worth considering.

Finding The Right Campus Vibe
In some cases, the college environment may be a good reason for considering an out-of-state college. If a student has grown up in a town of 20,000 persons, enrolling them in a college with a student body of 30,000 may be too overwhelming (or it might be just what you want for a total change of lifestyle!). See what options suit your preferences in your home state and compare them with colleges in other states that offer the environment and opportunities that you want.

New Cultural Experiences
An out-of-state college may offer the student a new cultural experience. There are marked differences in the lifestyles of people from Southern California and Fayetteville, Arkansas, or people from New York City and Phoenix Arizona. A different area of the country will afford you the opportunity to experience new foods, different geography, and perhaps a climate change. Seeing snow for the first time is just as exciting for a Hawaiian student in Massachusetts as going to the beach in February for a New Englander studying in Florida.

Career Prospects
Your career choice may play a role in the decision to consider an out-of-state college, if you already know what path you want to take. With some occupations, the college where the degree was earned can be extremely important. Institutions like Harvard Law, John Hopkins Medical, or MIT for math and sciences may significantly impact job opportunity, but it’s also important to remember it’s what you do with your experience, regardless of where you study.

Employment While In College
If you will need to hold a part-time job, and that is increasingly an issue, consider the employment opportunities in the area near the college. Some states have been more heavily impacted by the down-turn in the economy, so part-time job opportunities may be more plentiful in another state.

College is a big step for the High School graduate and for mom and dad. Choosing the right college is a significant undertaking, with many things to be considered, but ultimately you want to find a place where you’ll feel happy, be able to pursue the academic and extracurricular activities that you’re interested in, and feel comfortable. When doing your college search, don’t ignore out-of-state options. Even if you pick one as your wildcard choice to apply, you never know, it might end up being your favorite!

Author Bio: Tal Baron writes for Smart Meetings, a corporate events guide for planning Boston conferences.

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3 Things to Consider During Your Campus Visit

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

Picking a college can be complicated, and there are many steps to the process.  Find the right college and your college experience will be far more rewarding.  All the work that you invested in researching financial aid for college tuition, pre college summer programs, college counseling services and all the rest will seem like time well spent if you find the right college.  A major part of selecting the right college should be a campus visit.

Your concepts and notions about what a college may be like could differ greatly from the reality of the situation.  Selecting a college without first visiting the campus could be a decision that you might regret.  A college might look great on paper, but when you visit in person you may find that aspects of college environment, such as college dorm life, may vary too dramatically from what you want out of your overall experience.  It is difficult to perform well when you are not happy.  This is why selecting the right college is so important to your eventual success both in college and in life.

1. Do You Feel Safe?

During your college visit, you need to take many different factors into consideration.  The first consideration is whether or not the environment is a safe one.  In this regard, it is important to look at the environment around the school and try and gather some insight into how safe the campus is and how well it is policed.  A sad reality is that many college campuses are seen by criminal elements as target areas.  Your physical safety needs to be at the top of your list.

2. Do You Like the Overall Feel of the School?

Another important factor is how comfortable you feel at a given university or college.  If you visit five colleges and one has a “weird vibe” to it, then don’t ignore that feeling.  The simple fact is that if you don’t feel comfortable, you should pick a different institution.

3. Are the People Friendly?

Whether or not people are friendly is an important issue for many students.  Every university or college comes with a different vibe, and this will radiate out through the student body as well.  So when you visit a college campus, simply sit back and try to evaluate how happy your fellow students seem.  If everyone seems miserable, you have a key piece of information.

Don’t hesitate to ask around.  You should ask a variety of students about how they feel about the college or university in general.  If most people have positive feelings, that is a great sign!

Perhaps most importantly, you should not base your entire decision on what university officials or tour guides have to tell you.  Their job is to only paint the university or college in the best possible light.  Making the best decision for you means taking in a variety of information before selecting your college of choice.

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Being Cautious With Your Social Networking Profile

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

The odds are that you are involved in social networking in some way or another.  There is no doubt that social networking is a revolution in communication and has a wide range of benefits.  Yet, for students looking to get into college, social networking has some issues that you need to consider.

Some colleges and universities are using the information that you post on social networking pages to determine whether or not you should attend their schools.  Now you might be tempted to think this is unfair.  However, keep this fact in mind… if you post something in a public place, well, it’s public!

There is no way you can keep a university, college or prospective employer from looking at this information.  In a perfect world, people might say, “Your facebook profile is personal, and we only care about your professional life.” But, in reality, this will not happen.  This is why you have no choice but to stop and think carefully about all the public statements that you make in public forums and social networking sites.

College admissions counseling can be a demanding field.  The admissions officers that you are working with might see like robots to you, but you need to remember that often they are worried about losing their jobs if they make a mistake.  If they admit a student who turns out to make the school look bad or cause problems, it does reflect upon them.  As a result, they have to be cautious.

Admissions officers may look at your “online life” as part of the process of determining who you are and what you are like.  This is information that was not available just a few years ago, but today it’s easy to find.  Thanks to search engines like Google, almost anyone can find such information quickly and easily.

If you know that you already have embarrassing information online, realize that you are definitely not alone.  It is important to do want you can to remove any information that may reflect badly on you.  For example, if you have a blog dedicated to how much you dislike education in all forms, you should probably get rid of that!  You get the idea.

In general, start paying closer attention to what you post online, and have a good explanation for anything silly you posted online, as you never know when you might need to explain yourself.  Finally, be proactive and work to post positive accomplishments online.  Consider starting a blog designed to promote a charity that needs your help, for example.

Just because there may be some embarrassing things about you online doesn’t mean that your dreams of getting into a great college or university are “finished.”  By investing some time in working to fix your mistakes, you can smooth over much of what you did in the past.  For most people, this process will really only take a few hours, but the results can be very positive in the long run.

You’ve likely spent a lot of time doing SAT practice tests online, looking into financial aid for college tuition and maybe even college admissions counseling.  Considering all the time you are investing, why not spend a little time thinking about your online presence?

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5 Courses For Video Game Degrees

Monday, December 5th, 2011

If you are looking to go into the world of video games on a professional level, there are many degrees out there.  However, there are also lots of courses that can help you make your dream come true.  Below are just a few of the classes you may come across in the search for a video game degree.
1.    Video Game Software – There is a software for just about everything, including video game design.  Learning it is a must for anyone looking to go into the field.  Just a few of the more popular choices include DARKBasic, Game Editor, and Game Maker.
2.    3D – Because more and more games are being built on three dimensional models, it is crucial to know as much as you can.  3D classes can teach everything from game design to modeling and even modding.  There are also courses for 2D.
3.    Mobile Games – If your preference is creating and designing games for mobile devices, there are classes for that.  There are even courses that can teach you how to make games specifically for the iPhone or iPad.  The courses can also teach you how to use software specifically designed to design games for the Apple devices.
4.    Animation – Because video games can be sophisticated cartoons, animation is also a common class offered when getting a video game degree.  This is doubly so for those going into the design or graphics aspect of gaming.
5.    Programming – Another must for video game design is programming.  Whether it be Java or C++, programming is a necessary component of video games and often has to be taken at several levels to get a degree.

Check out online video game degree options in our search tool.

This article was submitted my Sara McDowell. She owns the site Video Game Design Degree and is an avid Gamer.

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What You Should Wear To A College Interview?

Monday, November 21st, 2011

Choosing an outfit for your college interviews is not just about knowing what to wear, but it is also about what not to wear.  The fact is that no matter what you wear, you are conveying a message.  Either consciously or subconsciously this message will influence the opinion of the representative who is conducting the interview.

People Do Judge One Another By Clothing Choices

You might not like the fact that people of all ages judge you by your choice of clothing, but the simple fact is that they do.  Research indicates that people form their opinions quickly and a good deal of what they decide is based on how you look.  Yes, this might be unfair, but it is usually the reality of the situation.  When you walk into an admissions office, you have little to no idea about the background of the people that you will be meeting, what their view on life are, and/or what their political views may be.  Due to this factor, you might want to play it on the safe side.  For example, if you have tattoos up and down your arm, you might want to consider wearing long sleeves!

The simple fact is that when you walk into an admissions office, you could literally be meeting anyone.  You may meet someone that you think is great and you wish could be your friend or you may meet someone that you truly dislike and hope to never see again.  For this reason, it is important that you select clothing that is fairly neutral and run of the mill, even if you hate doing it.  Remember this is not the costume you will be putting on for the rest of your life, but only for the day of your interview.  This is one occasion where you are most definitely dressing for someone else and not yourself.

Are There Exceptions to the Rule?

There are perhaps a few exceptions to these clothing rules.  For example, if you are applying to an art school, a design academy or a similar program in the arts you likely have more flexibility.  The odds are that if you are interested in being a fashion designer, you don’t have to be quite as conservative for your interview.  However, with that stated, it still could be in your best interest to side with caution and try to lean towards the neutral end of the clothing spectrum.

It probably isn’t a bad idea to ask people you trust for a little advice when it comes time to determining your wardrobe choices.  They might just have some good ideas and pointers you hadn’t thought about.

Don’t Stress Too Much About Your Clothing Choices

Ultimately, your grades, SAT scores, letters of recommendation and how you present yourself will play a far greater role than how you dress.  Yet, playing it safe on interview day is likely your best bet.  You just don’t know who you will meet and where they are coming from.  You want your to tell people that you are taking getting into college seriously, and if you show up in an outfit that would generally be looked at as odd, you may actually undermine what could otherwise be a strong application.  Playing it safe with your wardrobe selection for a few hours really won’t kill you… it just maybe irritate you a bit.

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How Far In Advance Should You Know Your Major?

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

You may have parents who were kind enough to tell you what your major was going to be before you were born.  Now that is a tricky situation indeed, but for those of you whose college destiny hasn’t be predetermined and prearranged, there are decisions to be made.  In this article, we will explore how far in advance you should be thinking about your major.

The costs of a college education are rising dramatically faster than inflation.  This means that being able to afford a college education is no longer as easy as it once was.  In fact, college graduation rates appear to be going down, not up, for the first time in decades.  While this is a complex topic, it is also tied into the issue of knowing your major.

There is no doubt it can be very difficult to decide what you want your major to be at the age of 17 or 18.  In short, it is actually pretty unfair.  For many students, the cold hard truth is that deciding your major may come down to being a financial decision.

The “financial wrinkle” in deciding your major means that it is worth the time you will invest to closely decide what career path and degree program is right for you.  The odds are excellent that you will have ample advice and perhaps even considerable pressure from your parents and others.  If they are paying for your college, this could prove to be another wrinkle in your equation.  Yet, ultimately it is your life, and you will have to live with the decisions.  So, if you just know you are going to strongly dislike a given career, this is something that you must consider in advance!

Clearly, the sooner you can decide on a major, the better off you will be.  Once you are in college, you may change your mind.  But there are some ways that you can safeguard against this happening and keep from spending a fortune in the process.  Focusing on general requirements while taking one or two classes in your major is a good idea.  The chances are good that if you are destined to truly hate a given major, you will know it or at least have a strong suspicion after a couple of classes.

Picking a major is tricky… and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!  Deciding upon a major can, in many cases, be deciding upon a career.  That is a pretty serious responsibility with a lot of pressure.  Deciding that you are on the wrong path early in college can be just as important as picking the right major to begin with.

Your most important question isn’t how far in advance you should be selecting your major.  Instead, you should be figuring out how to take the steps necessary to make sure that you are selecting a major that will lead to a successful career and long term happiness.  In the end, keep this fact in mind; experts believe that in the future, people will be switching careers numerous times over the course of their lives.  So even if you do make a mistake, there may still be hope.

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Posted in Choosing a College, Choosing a Major, College Applications, College Classes, College Life | 2 Comments »

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