Tag: college admissions


Costs aren’t rising at private colleges

Posted on October 28th, 2013

Despite the recent hype over rising college costs, the net price of a private college education has remained the same over the past decade, according to a new study from The College Board published in the New York Times.

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“College isn’t for us”

Posted on October 23rd, 2013

"As a 13-year-old he had already accepted the idea that higher education simply wasn’t for low-income blacks and Latinos of South Central Los Angeles. That struck me as weird. At my school the goal of receiving a college education was the norm. " -- Skylar Myers

For wealthy students who attend quality high schools where attending college is the norm, their only struggle is choosing which college to go to. But for poor students, college isn’t even in the picture. Why don’t low-income students go to college? Despite steps that have been made to increase access to higher education for low-income students, […]

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6 tips for winning college scholarships

Posted on October 16th, 2013

Don’t be like Ron. If you’re a high school senior and you haven’t started searching and applying for scholarships yet, you’re already behind.

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Standardized test scores are declining. What should be done?

Posted on October 4th, 2013

Everyone dreads taking the SAT or ACT, but they’re a necessary evil in the college admissions process. Like it or not, colleges use standardized tests scores to determine whether or not a student will succeed in college–and often, to determine how much financial aid to give that student.

But if standardized test scores are an indication of college readiness, fewer students are prepared to enter college than in the past.

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Plan for college early to maximize financial aid

Posted on September 30th, 2013

This video from Reuters TV offers a year-by-year plan for high school students and their parents to help them prepare for college. It includes some great tips on saving for college and how to get the most financial aid possible.

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8 tips for taking out student loans

Posted on September 26th, 2013

Are you planning on taking out student loans to pay for college? It’s important to have a plan in place before taking on too much student debt. Remember, unlike other forms of debt, student loans can’t be discharged if you declare bankruptcy.

When choosing a college, it’s important to keep future student debt in mind. Forbes advises that students should keep college debt below their expected first year’s salary. While this may seem impossible given the rising cost of college, it demonstrates the need to be diligent in your college search to find a school that offers significant financial aid while providing a quality education.

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Score high on your SAT, apply to college for free

Posted on September 25th, 2013

Want to apply to college, but worried about all those application fees adding up? The College Board wants to help you.

If you got a high score on your SAT or PSAT, you may soon be receiving a package that will make it free to apply to 6 colleges of your choice, the New York Times reports. The College Board is sending fee waivers to about 28,000 seniors who scored in the top 15 percent of test takers and whose family is in the bottom quarter of income distribution.

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Survey says colleges aren’t preparing graduates for jobs

Posted on September 24th, 2013

"Nearly 90 percent of the public thinks the U.S. higher-education system needs to change for the nation to maintain a globally competitive workforce." -- Hechinger Report

Are colleges adequately preparing graduates to enter the workforce? Why are so many college graduates unemployed? Is online education as effective as traditional in-person classes? A new survey from Northeastern University attempts to answer those questions and more. College graduates not ready for a career The study revealed that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the higher […]

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Do graduates’ salaries matter when choosing a college?

Posted on September 23rd, 2013

With college graduates entering a still-shaky economy, graduates’ salaries are becoming an increasingly important metric in the college ranking game. But is there too much of a focus on future pay and not enough on the quality of education colleges offer?

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Local colleges get some love in annual college rankings

Posted on September 10th, 2013

Today, U.S. News released its famous annual list of America’s Best Colleges for 2014. Some publications have criticized the famous annual U.S. News & World Report rankings of America’s top colleges for putting too much emphasis on prestige and not enough on affordability, but these rankings are still widely respected and cited.

The overall rankings are broken down into 4 categories: National Universities, National Liberal Arts Colleges, Regional Universities, and Regional Colleges. Princeton University takes home the top ranking for National Universities, while Williams College grabbed the top spot in the Liberal Arts College rankings.

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