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	GETTING READY FOR COLLEGE	Featured Institutions

	Surviving SAT, ACT May Depend on Giving Time, Studying By Kellie Houx There are no quick fixes or magic pills to getting a great score on the Scholastic Assessment or American College tests, but heeding an expert might go a long way to improving those scores. Also seeking fun ways to accelerate learning SAT and ACT vocabulary might help. Continued... Help That College-Bound Student Find a Major By Fritz Grupe After students are accepted to college, the next question should be about what they will major in? Failure to find the right answer to this question has many financial implications. Continued... Why Colleges Love ‘B’ Students By Tamra B. Orr Numbers, numbers, numbers. Have you noticed how much of our lives seem to center on them? Most of us can rattle off our home phone and cell phone numbers as easily as our names. We can list our Social Security number in our sleep. There are some other numbers in your life, however, that you might take longer to remember: your GPA and perhaps your ACT or SAT test scores. You might be one of the many young people who truly believe that if you do not have excellent grades and shining test scores you can just forget about getting into a good college. It’s time to let that rumor go the same way as dinosaurs. Continued... FINDING YOUR NICHE ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS By Mary Sallee YIKES! Is it already time to start thinking of your next life – that is, the one you are going to experience on a college campus? Are you worried about whether or not you can meet the challenges? Do you think about how you can get involved in campus activities or what your college friends will be like? Here are some tips for making the transition easier so you can find your own niche on your college campus. Continued... College Admission Essays: What’s the Best Approach? By Carol DelPropost, Ohio Wesleyan University So, you’ve done your research on colleges and maybe you have already visited a handful of campuses. After considering size, location, opportunities and other variables, you have narrowed your choices to a select few. Now it is time to apply, and that means writing the college application essay. Don’t underestimate its value – it is a great vehicle for showing who you are! Continued... TALKING TO YOUR PARENTS WHEN IT COMES TO COLLEGE By Risa Lewak You need to accept certain things in life: Britney Spears is crazy, Mounds is a very underrated candy bar and you will fight with your parents about college. In fact, if you don’t get into arguments with them about college, I suggest re-examining your relationship. Parents are more involved in their children’s college application process than ever before. This creates more tension between children and parents over everything from where to apply to what color socks to wear to the college interview. Continued... REINVENTING YOURSELF A Fresh Start, New Opportunities and New Experiences By Bill Sommers You are probably in the midst of your high school experience or maybe in your senior year. I am sure you are part of a social network of friends, and have a teacher, coach or staff member who serves as your mentor. You probably are involved in co-curricular activities like band, drama, sports or student organizations. I would guess you have also been challenged over the years with tough choices, and have made some good decisions and some not so good. Guess what? New opportunities await when you make the transition from high school to college. Continued... GET THE EXTRA EDGE By Elaina Loveland Extracurricular activities aren’t just “extra” anymore in getting accepted to the college of your choice. Today, college admissions officers read thousands of college application essays from prospective students. Years ago, good grades, solid SAT scores and a quality writing sample were often enough to gain admission to many colleges and universities, even the most prestigious institutions. But now competition has stiffened, and a student’s initiative and leadership ability can set them apart from other applicants. One of the best ways to demonstrate this is by highlighting your participation in extracurricular activities. Continued... DIVERSITY MATTERS Why Colleges Seek to Diversify Their Student Bodies By Sally P. Springer, PhD College applicants naturally focus their attention on their own chances of admission to the colleges that most interest them. They see their grades, test scores, extracurricular activities, recommendations and essays as key to determining whether or not they will be admitted. Colleges, on the other hand, take a different perspective on the admissions process. While they admit individual students based on their records and accomplishments, of course, their final goal is to craft an entire incoming class that is well-rounded and meets certain institutional objectives. Continued... COMING TO AMERICA A personal inspirational story By Ayan Hussein The life that I have been through inspires me to do better today and tomorrow. Before I came to America three years ago, I used to go to sleep hungry and walk barefoot because my mother could not afford anything. Even so, when I came to America, I had to leave a place I’d called home all of my life. I had to say goodbye to my old life and to friends, come to a new place and start all over again. Upon coming, I found out that my father, whom I had missed for two years, was homeless. Continued... TEST-TAKING MYTHS DEMYSTIFIED By Sandra Choron They plague us from grade school on up, and if you haven’t had enough of them in school, know that each day of your life, no matter what you pursue, you will be tested—by co-workers, by your bosses, by those who will consider using your services. But these tests, thankfully, will take a different form. For the time being, your college test scores are of the greatest concern. But what do they really say about you and your future? These myths—and their realities—should give you some comfort. Continued... SMALL, MEDIUM OR LARGE College Is Not A One-Size-Fits All Decision By Veronica Toney Choosing a place to pursue higher education is the first major life decision many people make. With so many choices out there, this can be quite a daunting task. However, picking the right school comes down to answering three questions: What do I want to be when I grow up? What is my favorite class in high school? What type of learner am I? Continued... TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN Letters of Recommendation By Barb DiAlberto It is pointless to send letters of recommendation that don’t say something personal about you. You can get letters of recommendation from a teacher, guidance counselor, principal or assistant principal, someone you work for, someone you volunteer for, family friend, neighbor, etc. Basically, you should get a letter from an adult who likes you a lot, who will say wonderful things about you, and is not your parent or someone in your family. Continued... PICKING A MAJOR What's Stopping Your Decision? By Fritz Grupe MyMajors.com The thick envelope arrived! You were accepted at Big Deal U. You even have your finances set. Do you know the answer to the next question: What’s your major? Many students are uncertain about this—up to 80 percent of all incoming first-year students. That’s a lot of indecision. Continued... WHAT'S UP WITH THE HIGH COST OF COLLEGE Answer the following question: College costs so much because? A) The high cost of gasoline and other fuel B) The rise in health care costs C) Wages have fallen reducing the amount of income tax collected. States have less money to subsidize higher education. D) Supply and demand E) All of the above Continued... 17 THINGS I WISH I KNEW... By Harlan Cohen - www.TheNakedRoommate.com Until you attend college, it’s impossible to know what college is going to be like, feel like and smell like (yes, it can have a smell). The college Web sites and brochures are helpful, but they only tell part of the story. The rest of it can be revealed by living it. Since your story is yet to be written, the next best thing is hearing from people who are living and breathing it. The following 17 tips are based on the experiences of current and recent college students breathing and living it. Continued... COLLEGE PREP: IMMUNIZATION UPDATE By Russell G. Robertson, MD Bet you thought that by now shots were an event associated with childhood visits to the doctor. Surprisingly, it’s really good news that a few immunizations before you head off to college will keep you healthy and give your parents a few less things to worry about while you are away. Many of you are understandably excited about the prospect of dorm life and all that it entails, but one of the risks is that diseases spread much more rapidly among individuals living in close proximity to one another. So it makes sense to determine what those illnesses are and to prevent them, especially if the consequences are potentially serious. Continued... DO'S & DON'TS FOR THE COLLEGE BOUND By Cheryl Rilly It’s never too early to make sure you’re on the right track to get into the college of your choice. Here are a few “do’s and don’ts” to help you on your way. Continued... MONTHLY PLANNER FOR JUNIORS February Make plans to visit some of the colleges you’re interested in this semester. Make necessary arrangements with the colleges. Take notes and pictures to record your impressions. Continued... WHAT HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS & SENIORS SHOULD BE DOING By Barbara DiAlberto JUNIORS Guidance counselor. Discuss your college plans and make sure you are on the right track. Continued... THE EARLY APPLICATION CONTROVERSY By Sally P. Springer, Ph.D. Last September, Harvard University surprised a lot of people when it announced that it was going to make its admissions process “fairer” by eliminating its early admissions plan starting with the high school graduating class of 2008. Continued... THE JOURNEY FOR A LIFETIME By Bill Sommers, Dean of Enrollment Services - Colorado Mountain College Has anyone ever asked you, “What are you going to be when you grow up?” It is not an easy question to answer. My guess is some of you have been thinking about this and are at the point of knowing which colleges or universities offer a degree that will lead to your desired career. Continued... FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS By Brooke Pearl Dream big. Reach for the stars. Never give up. These are all words of inspiration every child and teenager has heard at least once growing up. But what or who gives them that inspiration to dream big, and how do they figure out what that dream is? Does it come from a pep talk from Mom, a pat on the back from a best friend or an A+ on a math test? For popular author Kevin Carroll, his inspiration sprouted from his favorite toy as a child—a red rubber ball, which led him to ultimate success. Continued... CHOOSING A COLLEGE By Carol Christen, Career Strategist and author of What Color is Your Parachute? for Teens As a high school junior or senior, you probably consider yourself a savvy consumer. When you buy something, you check out different stores for a bargain with the best features. You and your friends share tales of getting a good deal on recent purchases. Do you know that a bachelor’s degree can cost from $50,000 to over $100,000? A college education is likely to be the most expensive product you’ve ever bought. To choose a college that’s right for you, applying your consumer smarts becomes extremely important. To make a good decision, you need to know: Continued... HOME SWEET DORM By Amanda Manning College provides enough life adjustments as it is. Moving from your well-lived-in room at home to a concrete-block, four-wall room, more lovingly referred to as a dorm room, shouldn't be one of them. Fortunately, there are easy ways to make this seemingly stark space warm with at least some of the comforts of home. Continued... DEALING WITH DISAPPOINTMENT By Sally Stringer While many students find themselves excited by the task of choosing a college once their acceptances are in, others find themselves disappointed. Students who are admitted only to one or two colleges they never really liked, but denied or put on a waiting list by those they really wanted to attend, may not be excited by any of the choices. It isn’t fun to be told “no” by a school you are really enthusiastic about, and when several such colleges say “no,” it is even harder. Continued... GETTING READY FOR COLLEGE - BACKPACK ESSENTIALS By Polly Berent You’ve been getting ready for college for a couple of years now. The hard parts – SAT’s, applications, essays, interviews, financial aid forms – are over. Finally your acceptance letter arrives! Suddenly you realize you really will be heading to campus in the fall. How will you know what all to take with you? Continued... CLICK WITH YOUR COLLEGE CHOICE By John A. Scarffe Three San Diego residents decided to attend three different schools in New York, Texas and in state. A Florida university attracts a Lawrence, Kansas, resident, while two other Kansas residents stay in state. One chooses a school for athletics, another for academics, but for all of these students, something clicked between them and the faculty, coaches, staff or environment of their final choice. Continued... TWO YOUNG PROS SHARE THE SECRET FOR COLLEGE SUCCESS By Brooke Pearl Why are millions of graduates struggling to find a fulfilling career? This is the question 23-year-old Andrew Hewitt and 24-year-old Luc d’Abadie set out to answer in hopes of inspiring students to pursue careers with a purpose. Continued... GETTING REAL ABOUT COLLEGE LIFE By Annie Fox, M.Ed When you leave for college, you’ll say goodbye to all you’ve ever known (at least until Thanksgiving break). Throughout your college career, you’re going to face many challenges. It’s normal and good to feel a certain level of stress when dealing with new situations—it keeps you alert, aware and on your toes. But when you’re at college, especially during the first weeks and months, you’ll want to be in control of stress, otherwise you can start feeling weighed down and overwhelmed. Continued... KEYS TO COLLEGE CONTENTMENT: FIT AND VALUE By Dr. Wendy B. Libby, president of Stephens College The college selection process finds many parents and students wrangling with student-teacher ratios, diversity percentages, sticker prices and number of volumes in the campus library. What does it all mean? And does it guarantee you’ll be happy and successful there? Continued... CAMPUS VISIT CHECKLIST By Bill Cross Would you buy a new car without taking it for a test drive? Or buy a CD at a garage sale without checking for scratches? Likewise, you should not commit four (or more) years and tens of thousands of dollars to a college or university without trying it on for size. Once you have narrowed your list down to about three schools, plan on spending at least a full day at each one, so you can make the most informed decision of your life. Continued... VALUE-CENTERED EDUCATION Catholic Colleges set the stage for excellence By Brian Lynch, Executive Director, National Catholic College Admission Association Enthusiastic, compassionate, value-centered and committed to excellence. These terms appear over and over to describe experiences at Catholic colleges and universities across the United States. Whether you are just beginning to think about college or are putting the final touches on an application, Catholic colleges and universities play an important role in shaping today's students into tomorrow's leaders. Continued.. BE A CHAMPION; ENROLL AT A WOMEN'S COLLEGE Dr. Wendy B. Libby, president of Stephens College What do Madeleine Albright (first female Secretary of State), Katharine Hepburn (four-time Academy Award winner and leading screen legend of the 20th century) and Paula Zahn (CNN news anchor and accomplished cellist) have in common? It’s no coincidence that these successful women all attended a women’s college. Wellesley, Bryn Mawr and Stephens, respectively. Many women don’t actively seek to attend a single-sex institution, but overwhelmingly, those who attend or who have graduated from one are deeply aware of their benefits, ranging from the social and emotional to the intellectual and professional. They become champions of the women’s college experience. Continued...

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