An unprecedented coalition of diverse public and private colleges and universities is coming together to improve the college admission application process for all students. The Coalition is developing a free platform of online tools to streamline the experience of applying to college. The initial iteration of the platform will be available to freshmen, sophomores, and juniors in high school beginning in April 2016. [read more]
Looking for scholarships to help pay for college? Tired of having to give up so much personal information just to access the databases? Try www.goodcall.com, an organization that rates scholarships for you – and does not require any information.
40 years ago the US Congress passed the Gender Equity in Education Act also known as Title IX. Although most people think of Title IX in terms of equal athletic opportunities, the law covers all aspects of a school’s educational experience including the way sexual assault and harassment charges are handled on the college campus. Federal investigators are now examining more than 250 cases that remain unresolved. Since 2011 only 19% of the cases reported on college campuses have been resolved. [Read more]
On January 1, 2016 Texas joined thirty five other states known as “open carry” states. Many parents have questions about how this affects life on the college campus, especially life inside the dorms. The Attorney General of Texas has issued a statement citing the legality of prohibiting guns on public institutions of higher learning. [read more]
The CollegeBoard has released the findings of a study that investigated the cost of a college education in the United States. The study considered several factors: tuition, books, fees, housing – including food. The report noted that college prices have been rising more rapidly than the prices of other goods and services over the last three decades and that “the increasing economic inequality in the United States over recent decades has exacerbated the difficulty in paying for college for many students, in addition to straining federal, state, and institutional budgets.”
The Chronicle of Higher Education posts a timely article discussing the affects of the US Government shutdown on the higher education system. All but a handful of colleges and universities receive some sort of federal funding in the form of student financial aid, research grants, federal training programs, etc. Grant proposals are due this week for the next round of research funding and much is on the line. Many of the largest institutions in this country are heavily funded by federal research grants. Another area of concern is access to databases and other technical information housed on government sites. As of this writing the Bureau of Economic Analysis is inaccessible via the internet, posting a shut down for lack of government funding. Although the Chronicle’s article discusses possibilities that affect the fiscal viability of colleges and universities, it does not address the very real ramifications of inaccessibility to information–a very real and present danger.
The Common Application will open on August 1 for the new cycle of 2014 college applications. Many students are trying to get a head start on the application essays prior that date. It is a great idea to at least start the brainstorming portion of the essay writing process; however, students should not feel as though they need to have everything completed before the start of the senior year. But where to start? What is the college looking for? Ted Spencer, Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director at The University of Michigan, Undergraduate Admissions, says that “the most important thing is to hear the student’s voice. We’re looking for a story.” In interview after interview with college admissions directors, the idea is the same. They want to know who you are, what will you bring to their community. They are not interested in a typical English class essay; they want a story — your story.
As graduating seniors head off to college this fall, they will receive all kinds of advice from well-meaning loved ones. Who should the new college freshman listen to? One of the best pieces of advice is offered from perfect strangers at the New York Times in an article entitled 7 Things Graduating Seniors Should Know About College, written by Lynn Jacobs and Jeremy Hyman.
The National Association of College Admissions Counseling [NACAC] keeps a running list of colleges and universities with spaces available for admission, for financial aid, and for housing for both freshmen and for transfer students. This sight will be active through June 28 on the NACAC website. This list, composed of approximately 72% private and 28% public institutions, is significantly lower that the number available last year and the lowest in the history of the survey.
It is June and time to ask for those letters of recommendation if you have not already done so. Here are some tips from USA Today College.