Posts Tagged ‘Online Tools’

Apple iPad: it’s ALL the Rage — Even in Higher Ed!

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Sleek 'n Shiny: the Apple iPad! If you think your high school textbooks are heavy now…just wait until college!  But, if Apple has its way, the sleek 1.5 lb Apple iPad tablet could end up changing the way you learn at college…and possibly save you a few bucks (and your back) in the process.

How?  With eBook capability built right into the multi- touch-sensitive device (and their own iBookstore)!  Almost 150,000 iPhone applications will cross-over from Day One – so you can use your favorite iPhone apps to help fill out your college applications or take a break with a little Plants vs. Zombies, without having to wait!

No drab gray here, the iPad is all about color – and interaction!  Touch highlighted words (like vocab or concepts) for more information.  Create bookmarks to pick up where you left off, browse a touch activated slideshow, and flip through images, charts, or diagrams.  Surf the web or watch an awesome college video lectureThink of the possibility!

Pick a social media network and chances are somebody, somewhere is talking about it – what they heard, what they read, what they hope to see — and who can blame them?  Even colleges share in the iPad enthusiasm!  The Abilene Christian University student newspaper, The Optimist, is the first college newspaper to declare their intention to be on the iPad –  or, at least, it will be when the Apple iPad (finally!) hits stores April 3, 2010.

Don’t forget about George Fox University!  GFU is offering incoming students a choice between a computer (as they have done for the past 20 years) or the new iPad tablet.  Great idea for GFU’s computer possessing freshmen – or for those planning to purchase eBook textbooks down the line – and hoping to save big in place of hefty college texts.

The 429978333803sleekness of the iPad tablet dazzled My College Guide so much…well, what could we do?  Offer up a chance to win an Apple iPad of your very own, of course!  Request college information and you will be automatically entered to win the sleek and shiny Apple iPad (it isn’t like you don’t need college information)!  The contest will end on June 1, 2010.

The FAFSA Wins a Makeover

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

FAFSA on your list?  Get 'er DONE!Procrastinating about completing your Free Application for Federal Student Aid?  Thanks to a bit of pruning by the Department of Education, the 2010 – 2011 FAFSA may not be as complicated as you think!  Yes, you read that right.

The shiny new version of the online 2010 – 2011 FAFSA is reportedly easier to use and navigate!  On web pages alone, the Department of Education boasts a 65% decrease in the number of webpages and omitted over 20 questions!  That’s big news for the millions of students that fill out the FAFSA each year.

A streamlined FAFSA means you can spend less time filling out the FAFSA and more time on other important things like choosing a college and applying for college scholarships.

Changes on the 2010 – 2011 FAFSA include:

Side Tabs. Clearly labeled sections on the left of each screen make it easy for parent (light blue) or student (dark blue) to quickly find and complete specifically labeled sections without a lot of guesswork.

Help Text. In previous versions of the FAFSA, the help text took up large sections, creating an online FAFSA as bulky as the paper version!  Now, the help pops up in the sidebar and changes as you move from section to section so you can easily find what you need without a lot of digging.

Assets? The new FAFSA no longer requires students with family incomes around $40,000 to claim assets, in the hopes that, in the future, families will tuck a little away for higher education for their children – without worrying about being potentially penalized for it later.

Data Sharing – Future data-sharing between the IRS and the Department of Education could make answering questions a snap – or at least a lot easier than it has been in the past.  Students filling out the 2009 – 2010 FAFSA for the Spring semester can take advantage of tax information right from the IRS.  It should make filling in the blanks a whole lot easier!

Non-Traditional?  Married? If you are at least 24 or married, the Department of Education has good news for you!  You no longer have to provide parental information – which means it might be easier for you to qualify for financial aid since your parent(s) information will no longer count against you.

What do you think?  Do the changes to the FAFSA make you feel more confident about tackling (and completing) the form?  Why or why not?

6 of the Greatest Online College Planning Tools

Monday, November 30th, 2009

computerYou use your computer for just about everything, from taking notes to sending instant messages to friends to buying the latest MP3s. So why hasn’t the college application process gotten with the program?

Filling out paper applications and forms can be tedious and confusing. But the truth is, you can do just about everything online these days if you know where to look. We’ve rounded up some of the best online tools to help you out with the college application process, from finding scholarships to learning what your odds are. If you’re ready to put down the pen and paper for good, click on over to these great sites.

College Planner

Undoubtedly, you’re familiar with Facebook—in fact, you’re probably logged in right now. It’s the perfect way to keep up with friends and relatives, share photos, and play FarmVille and the rest of your favorite online games. Now, thanks to a cool app called College Planner, you can even use Facebook to apply to college.

College Planner lets you research user reviews of schools, discover schools based on your interests, find out what schools your friends are planning to apply to, and discuss school choices with your friends. Best of all, you can apply to any school online without even leaving your Facebook page!

Peterson’s College Search

There are so many decisions that go into choosing the perfect school for you—so how can you narrow it down a little? With Peterson’s detailed search tool, it’s easy to find the perfect selection of schools.  You can view detailed profiles for thousands of colleges, and run searches based on criteria including location, majors, and cost to find the schools that fit your needs.

FastWeb

As your parents have probably told you time and again, college is really, really expensive. Most families can’t afford to pay anywhere near the full tuition prize, so scholarships can really come in handy. You may not realize that there are thousands of available scholarships out there, which can be put towards any college. Is your GPA a bit lackluster because you dedicate so many hours to volunteering at a soup kitchen? You could be the perfect candidate for Cappex.com’s $1,000 “A GPA Isn’t Everything” scholarship, which rewards students who’ve shown valuable skills outside of the classroom. Learn about all the other ways you could be eligible for free money by visiting the site.

FAFSA4caster

It can be tough to know where to set your sights if you don’t know which schools are realistically within your budget. Luckily, in addition the scholarships we just mentioned, many families are also eligible for significant financial aid from the U.S. government. If you’re a senior, you can fill out a FAFSA form to determine your financial aid eligibility, but in the meantime, you can predict your needs by filling out the FAFSA4caster, which will let you know how much aid you’re likely to receive before you start applying for schools. Ask your parents to fill out the form here.

What Are My Chances?

For each college you apply to, you’re likely to be up for an application fee of between $50 and $70. That’s no small change, so when it comes to filling out your applications, you’ll need to choose your schools wisely, and choose a few safe bets along with the long shots. If you’re not sure how your odds stack up for getting into your favorite schools, Campus Compare’s handy “What Are My Chances?” tool will take account of your GPA, test scores, and extracurricular activities to measure your chances at any college you select.