College Admission & Higher
Education
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Various Commentaries College Visits / Campus Tours
Early Decision/Action Affirmative Action
Standardized Testing For Parents
10 Antidotes for
College-Application Anxiety: The
author addresses some of the stressors and misconceptions often associated with
the college search process. (Jay
Matthews,
Relax, It’s Only College: The author talks about ways to reduce the
anxiety and stress often associated with standardized tests and the college
search and application process. (The
Online College Applications Soar: College and university admission
representatives are encouraging prospective students to apply online versus the
traditional method of paper. Read why
this trend is increasing and what benefits students may have by applying
online.
(Robert
Tomsho, The Wall Street Journal, January 29, 2006)
(A Generation at Risk) - Colleges,
Universities Seek a Few Good Men:
College and university officials across the country are seeing a decline
in male enrollment on their campuses.
This article addresses why this is happening and what we can do as a
nation to reverse this trend. (Michael
Gurian,
Senior Year is Still High Gear – If You
Cruise You Lose: Today’s seniors
have found that senior year is not as carefree and stress free as it once
was. The competitive college admission
process is causing many seniors to continue studying and work through their
“senioritis” well into their last semester of high school. (Aline Mendelson,
Wanted:
CEO, no Ivy required: Many of
the very successful companies mentioned in Fortune Magazine are now seeking
CEO’s that did not graduate from Ivy league schools…read why. (USA Today, date unknown)
Survival of the Fittest: What does it take to “survive” at a large,
public university? Apparently it takes
quite a bit of motivation and self-discipline.
With 25% of freshmen not returning for their sophomore year at large
universities, what steps should students and administrators take to improve
student retention and success at these institutions? (The New York Times,
Confessions of a Prep School
Counselor: The author looks at
books about college admission – and at the unexamined prejudices fueling the
“elite” college admissions frenzy. (The
Atlantic Monthly, September 2001)
Students’ Show of Interest Affecting College
Entry: Article highlights how demonstrated level of
interest is playing a bigger role in the admission process. (Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service,
College Crunch: Even “A” students sometimes
have to settle for their B-list schools as the swelling ranks of boomer kid’s
jockey for limited spots on campus. (The
Fighting “Senioritis”: Colleges and
high schools are trying harder to treat an age-old ailment. (The Chronicle of
Higher Education,
National Association for College Admission
Counseling Approves Adding Single-Choice Early Action Option: New “early”
option for high school seniors will provide a third early application plan to
consider when applying to colleges. Official wording of SCEA plan will be
determined at NACAC’s national conference in September 2005. (NACAC Press Release,
529 Plans’ Fees, Sales Face New Scrutiny; Managers of
529 Prepaid Plans face accusations that they are using questionable tactics to
assess fees and market their plans. (Marcy Gordon, The Associated Press,
Pushing the Envelope: Financial-Assistance Companies Mail Enticing
Offers, but Educators Question Whether They Deliver: Parents and students should be aware that
various companies claiming to offer financial assistance services are simply
scams (especially those with fees). The
point of the article: Do NOT pay for any
scholarship search assistance. (The
Chronicle of Higher Education,
College Visits /
Campus
Surviving the College Tour: A parent shares some tips to ensure you (and
your student) get the most of your college tour. The author also shares stories of experiences
he and his daughter encountered during their tour of some well known
Checking Out a
Campus is an Increasingly Popular Ritual:
More and more families are taking road trips to visit colleges. Read about why families should invest the
time and money to explore colleges during the college search process. (Nahal
Toosi, Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service,
Here’s How to Get the Most Out
of Your College Tour: College admission
officers and experts give tips on how to spend your time wisely when touring
colleges. (Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service,
UF Takes ‘One Florida’ to
Heart: The end of affirmative action
in the state of
A New Legacy on Being Born on Campus: It’s the changing way in which colleges
accept students regardless of parent’s connection. With college applications on the rise and the
changing policies revolving around college admission and affirmative action,
legacy preference in the admission process is quickly diminishing. (Bonnie
Miller Rubin, The
The Legacy of Legacies: Should legacies be given preferential
treatment in the college admission process?
Not according to President Bush, who himself benefited from being a
legacy at Yale. The author examines this
often discussed topic. (The New York
Times,
The Electronic Low Down on Colleges: The author discusses how the college search
process has changed and highlights some websites and resources that she feels
can be helpful to students and parents.
(The New York Times,
Ah, College is Wasted
on the Young:
Columnist Susan Reimer shares her thoughts and observations after
dropping her daughter off at college, including an obvious lack of enthusiasm
about beginning the college experience from today’s youth. (Baltimore Sun, August 4, 2004)
Parents Must Step in Before Kids
Drop Out: Columnist Susan Reimer
writes about the growing trend in young people dropping out of college. Mrs. Reimer draws attention to the fact that a
large number of her daughter’s classmates who come from educated families in
middle-class neighborhoods are themselves not succeeding away from home. (
Off to College? The Changing Parent/Student Relationship:
Margo E. Bane Woodacre and Steffany Bane, the mother-daughter authors of Doors
Open from Both Sides, provide alternating viewpoints and tips for parents
and their college-bound student as they enter a new phase of their parent/child
relationship. (NACAC website, May 19, 2005)
Tips
for Parents: Dos and Don’ts for Helping Your Child Through College Admission:
Want to know how to best help your child without getting overly involved? Read
what the experts suggest. (NACAC
website,
Over-involved Parents Hurt
Themselves, Too: Article discusses the results of a study on how parent’s
self-worth is often linked to their child’s success on the field or in the
classroom, and the negative effects this has on parents. (The
A Nation of Wimps: Parents are going to ludicrous lengths to take the
bumps out of life for their children. However, parental hyper concern has the
net effect of making kids more fragile; that may be why they're breaking down
in record numbers. (Psychology Today Magazine, November 2004)
Ready or Not, Empty Nest is in Her Future; Orlando
Sentinel columnist, Tammy Carter, discusses the happy and sad feelings
associated with her daughter finally becoming a high school senior. (
Help Not Wanted; Parents are more involved than
ever in the admissions process, but they can do more harm then good. (The Chronicle of Higher Education,
College Parents ‘Out of Control’ -
Aggressive tactics may hurt student’s shot at admission; MIT Admission Director warns parents to back
off when it comes to lobbying admission offices on behalf of their child. (