The Social Networking Age Meets College Admissions

The Social Networking Age Meets College Admissions

College Admissions Meets The Social Networking Age

Welcome to the social networking age. Now, Facebook and Myspace are as much a part of a person’s social circle as friends at school and around the neighborhood. Social networking provides a way for people to connect with classmates, work associates, family members and friends as well as exchange news and ideas, post work, meet people, blog, post photos and videos and do just about anything. As far as education is concerned, this provides a new, wonderful way for a scholarship committee to get to know the people that are the prospective winners of college scholarships a little better.

Recently, univeristies began using some of the different social networking tools and the Internet for college promotion and recruiting. Students are already able to do a university and college search on the internet to get more information about schools and read through their web pages. College admissions requirements and recruiting information is posted online on school sites and others as well. A number of universities and colleges now offer and ask that admissions applications and test scores be submitted on the internet to simplify the process of applying. Social networking is also easing the process for college admissions screening and recruiting through electronic submittal.

Not long ago, students had to primarily lean on good test scores and GPAs in order to get noticed by admissions boards. Athletes relied a great deal on college recruitment efforts, but those who lived in urban areas had a much better chance of being noticed than those in rural areas. Athletes now can send highlight videos using the web to coaches and college recruiting officers anywhere in the world. Athletes in places that aren’t recruited much or don’t receive a lot of attention from admissions officers can make themselves noticeable through the Internet and social networking.

New online services are getting prospective students and universities in a way that in the past wasn’t really an option. The pinnacle of graduation for almost any high school senior is getting accepted into college. Students and prospective students have more resources and tools than ever before via social networking so they can create connections with and promote themselves to universities and colleges. While SAT/ACT test scores and GPAs still remain the primary criteria, students that have lower grades and test scores have the opportunity to feature other things are talented in. College admissions requirements and criteria is being slowly broadened to include students’ creativity, talents, work experience, jobs, special interests, experiences, activities as well as additional determining factors. These factors have been an influence in college recruitment, but internet services make it easier than ever for students to showcase thier aptitude and colleges and universities have the opportunity to distinguish and appreciate them easily. Athletes that participate in baseball, soccer, softball, hockey, volleyball, football, cheer, basketball, track, swimming and others can send in highlight videos with the internet that can be easily issued to recruiting offices, coaches and admissions offices. Recruiting tools and resources can be accessed and used using the internet.

Potential students benefit from social networking by developing peer networks and relationships. Students can share information and passions with others that have common expertise and pursuits and then improve and develop them. Several clubs, organizations, and groups exist in social network groups that bring students and prospective students together from all over. Prospective students and previous students are able to make inquiries and give advice to help students facing college admissions.

Students can now connect themselves with colleges and universities around the country through their entire experience in high school. No longer do college searches require visiting college campuses, but students and prospective students can access information and college admissions from the comfort of their own home. Students get the opportunity to present to admissions officers the type of person they are, the things they have accomplished and what their goals and aspirations are.

Author’s Bio:Mr. Richard Lorence is an free lance writer. Zinch is one of the first sites on the internet that’s really pushing to connect potential students in high school directly with admissions officers and recruitment officers in a way that’s never previoulsy been done before, with social networking. The new targeted college search should transform the whole college admissions process.

The Online Way of Earning College Degrees

The Online Way of Earning College Degrees

A bachelor degree holds the keys to higher studies as well as lucrative job. Every high school graduate dreams to earn a bachelor degree from an accredited school. Students know that only accredited bachelor degree can fulfill their dreams. Looking at the seats available for students in the existing accredited colleges and the number of bachelor degree aspirants, it does not seem possible for colleges to award each aspirant a degree. The federal government has to increase the infrastructure of existing universities or create more universities so that the students can earn a bachelor degree. It may take some years till then students have to satisfy with their high school degrees.

Establishing online universities for awarding degrees such as Bachelor of Business Administration, Law, Computer Engineering, Medical, Accounts, Economics and Graphic Designing is the only way left for the government. The accredited online colleges are quickly taking place of the traditional universities. Students can earn an online college degree from a number of online universities available on internet. They can use their favorite search engine for searching an online college. But verifying the accreditation status of an online college is not an easy task. Students have to visit the concerned government department for verifying whether an online college degree is accredited or not.

Students can visit an online directory such as DegreeAuthority.com. A directory contains the addresses of leading accredited online colleges. You need not to go for verifying an accredited online university such as Everest College, Salem University, Westwood College, Devry University and ITT Technical Institute if it is listed in a directory. Students can find out thousands of online college degree courses such as Nursing, Electrical Engineering, Bachelors of Architecture (B.Arch.), Bachelors of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) and Master of Business Administration (MBA). Apart from these facilities students can also apply for student loans through degreeauthority.com and other such directories.

The online colleges enroll students in various online college degree courses throughout the year. Their liberal policy allows students with low GPA to earn an online college degree in their aspired fields. An online college uses chatting software for teaching students. The classes are organized online and students can ask questions to teachers through chatting. Students are at liberty to attend online classes and can attend them whenever they feel free. It gives them enough time to understand a subject better.

The online college degree has several advantages over a traditional degree. Students can earn an online college degree in much less time period than a traditional degree. The online colleges do not stipulate any time frame for earning a degree. Students can earn an online college degree in less than two years. The online colleges offer most cost effective courses to students. It helps them in garnering funds. Students can even take student loans and can repay loan installments by working. Applying for online scholarships is the best way to garner funds for online college fees.

Although online college degrees are beneficial for everyone but working persons can get maximum advantage of an online college degree. They need not to take long leaves from their office or quit job to earn a degree. Physically challenged students can also earn online college degrees with the comfort of their home. Nursing students can get practical experience by working in a hospital besides earning their online college degree.

The Hidden Cost of College

The Hidden Cost of College

If you were asked how many years it takes to earn a Bachelor’s Degree from college, you would probably say 4 years right? Unfortunately, if you go by the averages, you’d be off by 2 years. Those 2 extra years can cost you thousands of dollars.

It’s No Longer “4-Year College”

According to a study by the U.S. Department of Education, the average time it takes to earn a Bachelor’s Degree is now 6.2 years. Only 36% of those who begin public 4 year college graduate in 4 years!

Why is it taking longer? Research shows that there are a handful of key reasons:

Just Enough to Get By

Many students view college as an entitlement. They go to college not because they see value in it, but because it’s what is expected. As a result, these students do just enough to get by. Without the motivation, direction, or focus, they take longer to graduate or ultimately, drop out.

Not Prepared

Many students simply aren’t prepared for the academic challenge of college. Without planning early in their high school years, they opt out of the more challenging classes that would have prepared them for college. As a result, when they reach college, they need remedial courses to catch up.

“I’ll Decide Later”

Some students don’t take the time to think through what they’ll do after they graduate. Without some idea of their interests and aspirations, they find it easier to postpone decisions about their future. College becomes a comfortable place to hangout until they decide.

Transfers

Studies have shown that students who transfer from one college to another (even once), typically take longer to graduate.

Changing Majors

It is not at all unusual for college students to change their majors. But the further a student is into their college experience, the greater impact changing majors can have on meeting graduation requirements.

Working Their Way Through College

With today’s high cost of college, many students are having to work their way through school. Juggling the demands of both school and a job can delay graduation.

The Cost of Delayed Graduation

Based on data from The College Board’s 2006-07 Annual Survey of Colleges, if a student takes 6 years to graduate, the cost difference could be anywhere from ,000 to ,000 more than planned! The data shows that the average cost of attending a 4-year college including tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies is:

Public In-State:

4 Years: ,428

6 Years: ,142

Difference: ,714

4-Year Public Out-of-State:

4 Years: 5,216

6 Years: 7,824

Difference: ,608

4-Year Private College:

4 Years: 3,204

6 Years: 9,806

Difference: ,602

Don’t Pay More Than You Have To

Many factors such as financial aid will determine what you’ll actually pay for college. But why spend any more money than you have to? If you focus on the things that you can control to insure on-time graduation, college doesn’t have to be a 6 year journey.

Step 1:
Increase Self-Knowledge. The more a student knows about his/her own interests, strengths, and aspirations, the easier it is to focus and direct one’s educational path.

Step 2:
Plan Ahead. By taking advanced placement classes in high school, students accomplish two things. First, they increase their chances of getting accepted to the college of their choice. And second, they can actually “place out” of college level classes which can accelerate earning a degree.

Step 3:
Get Guidance. College is a big investment. Don’t struggle by yourself! Save time and money by getting advice from a career consultant trained in education and career guidance. Expert guidance can replace guesswork with a planned approach to deciding which college to attend, what to major in, and how to align an education with best-fit career options.

An Argument for Paying College Athletes

An Argument for Paying College Athletes

For quite some time now, there has been a big debate about whether or not college athletes should be paid. Some people believe that a scholarship should be payment enough. After all, a scholarship can be easily worth ,000 – ,000 or more per year, plus a career after college that can be worth a million dollars over a lifetime. Additionally, student athletes receive all kinds of perks while they are in college, like staying at fancy hotels, being seen on national tv, and all of the notoriety that goes with being a stare athlete. Its hard to put a price tag on all of that.

However, considering the fact that certain college sports generate millions of dollars for college athletic programs, many people believe the athletes are being used. If the average football scholarship is worth ,000 per year, yet the university gains ,000 per year in revenue per scholarship player (please note that this figure is just an estimate – the actual number may actually be higher), the university will profit ,000 per year, per scholarship player, or 0,000 over a four year period.

It is very difficult to put a numeric value on exactly how much an athlete is worth to a college. A star quarterback will not only help sell tickets, but will bring in plenty of merchandise sales as well. The NCCA won’t allow the universities to sell a college football jersey with a player’s name on it, but they will sell the jersey with the player’s number on it, which is easily recognizable in local, and sometimes national markets. The major colleges earn enormous sums of money on this kind of merchandise alone, yet the student athlete who’s number is being used to sell merchandise will not see one dime of the profits. To say that the student athlete isn’t being exploited in this situation is an understatement.

It goes way beyond that. College athletic programs rake in millions from television and advertising contracts. They also bring in millions of dollars of donations from sports boosters. Yes, salaries need to be paid to athletic directors and coaches, not to mention travel and other costs for the student athletes, and it is great that major college football and basketball programs help fund non-revenue athletic programs. However, the fact of the matter is that, compared to the amount of revenue that student athletes generate for their colleges, what they receive in return is very small.

Here’s where it gets really interesting. An athlete can be “disciplined” for selling their tickets to a fan on game day, yet how much money do the directors of the NCAA earn as a result of the efforts of the student athletes? The reality is that the college athletes quite literally pay for a large portion of the salaries of every person employed by the NCAA. If an executive from the NCAA is able to drive a Mercedes, he can thank a star quarterback or running back for that, and perhaps even several walk ons.

So here is the point: if the NCAA, coaches, and athletic directors can earn huge sums of money from the student athletes, shouldn’t student athletes have a piece of the pie too? This isn’t to say that college athletes should get paid large amounts of money, but it would definitely be nice if their scholarships would pay them a little extra to go out for pizza every once and a while, or buy some nice clothes – just a little extra spending cash as a way of saying “thanks” for their efforts.

If for some reason college athletes could be paid, that opens up a whole new can of worms. All of the athletes on a football team with 125 players work very hard in practice, but only 11can start on offense and defense – do you only pay the starters?. Additionally, if you were to pay more to the star quarterback than you do for an “ok” receiver, you are going to run into a lot of other problems. Having said this, the first thing you want to avoid with paying college athletes is student athletes squabbling how much money they earn or should earn, which happens frequently in the NFL.

The second thing you want to avoid is an uneven playing field. While some colleges at the division I level could afford to pay athletes, many simply don’t bring in enough revenue. If a student athlete knows he can earn more at USC than he will if he plays for his state university, then the playing field becomes more uneven than it already is. Athletes would almost always choose the “money schools” over other colleges. Technically, this happens today more than people realize, because colleges with the most tradition, best coaches, and the best records are usually the colleges with the most money…but, if one college could afford to pay more to athletes than other colleges, the playing field would be even more uneven.

If you are going to start paying athletes, all of the athletes need to be paid the same amount of money, and all of the colleges would need to have the same amount of money to pay their athletes with, which could be pre-determined by the NCAA. Even if this amount was a small amount like ,000 PER YEAR, per player (which totals (5,000 per year for a college football team with 125 players), paid every month during the school year, it would be a lot more fair to the student athletes…and most colleges at the Division I level could certainly afford it. For the few colleges that couldn’t afford it, the NCAA could always put up the extra money out of the millions it generates from the bowl game. Another alternative would be to cut the salaries of every executive of the NCAA who has gotten rich off of NCAA athletics by 25%– and give the difference to the athletes…

Most of this article focused on college football programs. The revenues that are generated from basketball programs are even more staggering, considering that the teams, are smaller, the travel expenses are less expensive, and that fewer scholarships need to be handed out, making the profits that the NCAA earns from college basketball programs even more staggering.

Money for School and College for Free

Money for School and College for Free

It’s graduation day and you feel a sense of relief knowing you will never have to take another final again. You’re ready to fully experience life, independence and travel the world. Unfortunately for many, the average college graduates are leaving school buried in debt. There are ways you can avoid the student debt that plagues so many recent graduates.

Earning a college degree will help you command a higher salary; however it may take some time to benefit from the higher salary while you’re trying to pay of your student loan debt. There are several ways you can earn a college degree while avoiding the student debt that plagues so many graduates.

College grants offer students that qualify money for college that does not need to be paid back. College grants are need based money, meaning they are awarded based on financial need.

The federal government is supplies the majority of the grant money for college students. You’ll find the list below will give you the most popular need based grants available to students.

1) Pell Grant

2) Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG)

3) SMART Grants

4) Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP)

5) Academic Competitiveness Grants

In addition to federal student grants there are also a wide variety of state grants available as well. Be sure to visit your college’s financial aid office to see what type of grant money is available to students in your state. While you’re there be sure to meet with your financial aid counselor and fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The FAFSA application will determine if you qualify for need based college grant money. Be sure to fill out this form completely and note any recent change to your financial situation. If your past doesn’t reflect your current financial situation let them know. There may be a recent change that affects your finances like divorce, unemployment, or major medical issues, that may make you eligible for need based grant money.

Scholarships and grants differ in that scholarship money is not so much need-based as it is merit-based, meaning they are awarded based on your personal accomplishments or background.

Scholarship money is available for almost anyone that seeks money for college. Whether you have good grades or bad, whether you’re an athlete or bookworm, president of the ethics club or social wallflower – there are scholarships available for you. It doesn’t matter where you are in life now either. There are scholarships available for people that are getting ready to graduate high school, in college now, or an adult looking to go back to school.

Merit-based scholarships are scholarships are based on your personal qualities and achievements. Being athletic, artistic, academic, involved with your community, or have hobbies – there are a wide variety of scholarship money available for you.

Let’s examine your scholarship potential by examining different types of students. Of course, if you were class president, were head cheerleader, have a 4.3 GPA, and actively participate in non-profit organizations – there will be a lot of scholarship money available for you. If you’re a student who scored decent on tests, have a 2.7 to 3.3 GPA, and participate in a sport, there are going to be a fair amount of scholarship money for you as well.

Now, if you’re coming out of high school with a 2.2 GPA and are on MySpace all day, scholarships will be harder to find, but they’re out there. You can increase the chances of getting a scholarship by taking some simple steps before you begin the scholarship application process. Volunteer for a non-profit organization; get involved in extra-curricular activities and you may get your share of free scholarship money for college.

Scholarships are awarded for a wide variety of reasons. There are location specific scholarships, national scholarships and ones that are awarded by the college that you are attending. College specific scholarships may include academic, athletic and/or departmental awards. There are many other organizations that give students scholarship money for college. These include private corporations, unions, religious organizations, non-profits organizations, chambers of commerce and a wide variety of other organizations.

The most financially beneficial options to receive money for school come from college scholarships and college grants. Both offer you ways to receive free money for school that does not need to be paid back. However if you need additional money to pay for school there are other options.

Student loans offer you another resource to pay for school. You have two loan options.

1) Subsidized loans. These loans provide money to students based on need. Subsidized loans give students a break on the interest rate and payment terms. For example, the interest may not begin until after you graduate. If you’re going to get a loan for school, a subsidized loan is your best bet. Federal Perkins Loans and Federal Stafford Loans are two of the subsidized loans that may help you to finance your college education.

2) Unsubsidized loans. If you don’t have luck qualifying for subsidized loans or not enough money to cover your financial need, check into unsubsidized loans. With these loans you are paying the full interest amount, typically right after you graduate. Unsubsidized loans should be your last resort when trying to finance your schooling.

There are also alternative programs that can help you pay for college. Here are a few examples below.

1) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program, in which you are able to go to school now with the promise of serving in the military later.

2) The Peace Corps and Americorps also allow college students to go to school now and work for their organizations later.

3) Work-study programs offered by some colleges allow you to work part-time to help pay for school.

4) HOPE scholarship tax credit that allows you to pay a reduced amount of taxes.

5) Lifetime Learning tax credit is an excellent opportunity for people to pay discounted taxes.

If you feel you cannot afford college, or are already in school and see the debt starting to pile up – winning scholarship or grant money may help you out. You’ll feel great knowing your graduating and don’t have student debt tying you down. You’ll have everything you need to live the life you pictured.

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What Should High School Athletes Look for When Choosing Their College

What Should High School Athletes Look for When Choosing Their College

As a former college sports coach i was often amazed at how little research some student-athletes did when it came to selecting their school. College can be some of the best years of your life and if you get it wrong they can also provide you with some bad experiences.

I know that most athletes are controlled by the “money factor” when it comes to choosing schools but you should still understand the various types of schools on offer and which one is best for you.

If you are thinking about playing a sport in college then you will need to complete some thorough research into the various types of colleges available to you. Below you will find some of your options.

The normal term for obtaining a bachelor’s degree at a U.S. college or university is four years in length. Some students can finish in less than four years and some may take longer. Some students want to fast track their degrees by taking summer school classes.

When you are pursuing a bachelor’s degree you will first participate in the schools’ required classes during your freshmen year and then will likely be required to declare a major by the end of your sophomore year. In order to graduate you will be required to study a certain number of hours and complete several other school criteria such as obtaining cultural credits. Check your school as these will vary.

When you graduate you will likely be awarded one of the following two most common degrees in a Bachelor of Science Degree or a Bachelor of Arts Degree. At a community college you will receive an Associates Degree.

You will attend one of the following types of schools when trying to obtain a Bachelors Degree. All vary in their structure, cost and requirements. Therefore it is important to understand their differences when selecting your school.

It often comes down to a personal preference when choosing your school. Various factors such as location, costs, size of the school, its sports programs, facilities, reputation, friends will all play a role in your decision making process.

The first thing to know about private schools is that they are likely to be more expensive than other schools. Costs can often go past the ,000 mark which is just out of reach for many students and parents. The private schools are not controlled by government agencies as are public schools. As a result they receive less financial support in the form of government funding. Private universities are structured differently in the way that they are run by private groups and also supported through private funds.

Public Schools are governed and subsidized by the state they are located in and often have the word “state” in their name. For example, North Carolina State University or Florida State University. These public schools are often more popular with in-state residents as they provide a lot of financial assistance and are a lot cheaper than their private school alternative.

If you are an out-of-state student then you will pay higher fees as your taxes have not contributed to that particular states funding. However, it may still be a cheaper alternative than attending a private school in your state. Many of the state schools have great academic reputations and sporting programs so follow your list when selecting a school.

Religious Affiliated Schools – in the U.S. system of equal rights and your right to choose; you can still decide attend one of these religious affiliated schools and still maintain your right to be of a different religion. Although some schools will require you to attend some of their religious programs for cultural credits. These schools are often privately funded so that they do not have to be governed by the state and can still make their own independent choices about how the school exists.

Liberal Arts Schools strive to provide students with a broad education that aims to develop all aspects of a person and expose them to a wide variety of topics, life experiences and social experiences. They are trying to develop a “well-rounded” student by having them participate is a wide range of classes. Along with the specific classes in your major you are also likely to take classes that can range from history, religion, music, arts and geography to name a few.

Most liberal arts colleges will be smaller private schools where the majority of students (often over 75 %) live on campus. One major benefit is that you will find yourself in a class of less than 40 students which has obvious benefits. The teacher is more likely to know your name and be there to assist you on a more personal level.

Community Colleges award a student an associates degree or technical degree. These institutions are often two years and are sometimes referred to as Junior Colleges. You will hear about many athletes attending a junior college prior to attending a four year school. This is also a good way to prepare yourself and then transfer to for a four year program. Community colleges have increased in popularity due to their ability to work with students busy schedules and needs.

Ivy Leagues Schools are well known for their high academic standards and are very difficult to get into. Only a small percentage of applicants will be accepted into an Ivy League school and you will find that each college and university will set their own admissions criteria so look into each school individually and you will see which ones you have more of a chance of getting into. Go for the schools that put more emphasis on the areas that you are strong in.

Some of the Ivy League schools include: Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, Brown, Penn and Dartmouth.

Diversity in College – Many colleges will strive to be schools that value diversity amongst its student population. Colleges aim for a balance between males and females as well as students from a variety of different backgrounds including ethnic, religious, sexual, racial and international identities.

A college campus will be comprised of many diverse groups and most schools strive to achieve a balance when selecting students.

You will find that many of the athletes are from different countries. Most of these athletes are only able to pay for the costs of college because they receive aid in the form of an athletic scholarship.

Whether you are an International athlete or a local athlete in the USA; there are many factors that you will need to take into account before selecting your college. Most often this will be dictated by where you are able to get enough scholarship money to help pay for the high costs of college. Some of the key factors you need to look at include location of the school, the costs, availability of financial aid, weather, size of school, do they have your field of study, quality of facilities, do they have a dedicated tennis coach or just a part-time coach.

You will also want to check out the standard of players currently on the team, budget given to the tennis team, housing facilities, the campus, graduation rates and reputation of both the athletic department and the college.

As an athlete you would love to get a lot of “Free” money from the school in the form of grants and scholarships to help pay for the costs of going to college. However, you can fill the gap by applying for one of the many federal loans or even looking into private loans.

There are many options when it comes to paying for college so don’t let money get in the way of playing a sport in college. This is just one key points to ask the financial aid office at your potential college of choice.

Why You Should Consider a Community College First

Why You Should Consider a Community College First

Let’s face it. Community colleges don’t get the respect they deserve: They’re short in comparison to the tall ivy league colleges; they won’t ever make prom king or queen; and a community college will never be able to fit into its skinny jeans. So why should you still consider a community college first?

* For starters, community colleges are cheaper. Local taxpayers partly fund them, so students can get a cost-effective education, a higher paying job and contribute back into the community.

* Many community colleges have “rolling admissions.” What does that mean? That means you can be admitted and register during any semester. They even take last-minute admissions, assuming your paperwork is in order.

* Many community colleges also offer remedial courses like pre-algebra, English writing and grammar if a potential student has been out of school for a long time, or who didn’t make the honor roll in high school. Many universities and four-year public or private colleges don’t offer remedial courses.

* Didn’t take the SAT or ACT? No problem! You don’t need them to get into most community colleges. Their standards aren’t as rigorous as private or ivy-league colleges because most of them have an open-door policy. As long as you can produce a high-school diploma or GED, you’re in.

* If you’re an older student, you’ll be in good company because many older adults attend community colleges because of their flexible schedules like night and weekend classes.

* Smaller class sizes are a plus at most community colleges. Each student can get the attention that he or she deserves.

* Community colleges are convenient. Most people have them near their homes, so they are easy to get to and are very accessible.

* The educational quality at a community college is comparable to a private college or university. Professors have to meet certain standards to become professors in the first place. In fact, some professors are professionals themselves, still in the business of their craft, and teach part-time.

* As an incentive, many community colleges have daycare facilities on the premises for students with children because many students are commuter students; they live at home and not in the dorms.

* Community colleges have a variety of degree offerings, not just a few obscure majors that no one has ever heard of. They have to keep up with the times, adding and eliminating skills to prepare students for the workplace.

* Sports are available at some community colleges too, so they can work on team spirit. Athletic teams–football or basketball–and even Olympic-size swimming pools, like at the community college I went to, are at these colleges.

If you’re still skittish about going to a community college first, don’t be. Many successful people start out at such colleges. Also, if you decide to transfer to a four-year college afterwards, the name of the college where you received your bachelor’s degree will be reflected on your diploma.

Granted, a community college might not have the bells and whistles of the ivy’s, but ask yourself, ‘What am I really paying for?’

 

 

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Students Making Difficult College Choices

Students Making Difficult College Choices

Most students have come to expect an annual rise in tuition.  The cost of a college education can increase from 3.5 percent to 6.0 percent.  Increasing cost of energy and the struggle to compete with colleges that have large endowments is putting colleges out of reach for certain students.  Colleges are obligated to increase their level of security.  Parents expect a safe environment for students who are in urban and rural communities.  Many colleges are offering a wide range of transportation options for students.  Some colleges are establishing contracts with transportation companies who will manage on-campus buses and schedules.  Students can feel safe traveling from the main campus to local residents in their community.

                                     

The changing economy is putting new demands on college budgets. Students are applying to five colleges to increase their chances of getting admitted and to identify the least expensive college.  Colleges are facing challenges in terms of reaching their enrollment goals because students are not making a firm decision right away.  Students need to have options when they consider the cost of earning a four year degree.  Students must consider the cost of travel to colleges that are far away.  This can lead to an inability to travel home frequently.

 

Colleges are obligated to meet the requirements of the accrediting agencies that approve their curriculum. Some college presidents are increasing the number of professors and research activities to ensure that their college is reaccredited.  Additional research can require millions of dollars in an institution’s resources.  Students will not enroll in a college that is not accredited.  Also, outstanding professors will not aspire to work in a college that is not highly regarded in various aspects of a colleges’ curriculum.  

 

Colleges are offering online courses to students who need an alternative education choice.  The students can benefit by eliminating the cost of traveling to the campus for a three hour course.  Some students enjoy the online courses because they can meet people who are in locations around the world.  The online courses are unique because they can be delivered at the time of the instruction and it can also be recorded for later student viewing.  Colleges gain an advantage because they can offer online courses of professors who are on sabbatical.  More online courses can be expected within the next five years.  As these courses expand they can reach the international audiences of students, instructors and researchers.  The possibilities for international exchanges of information are limitless.

 

College stability is essential to the competitive edge that the United States maintains in its workforce.  We are faced with the possibility of closing colleges who cannot keep up with their enrollment goals.  This is particularly worrisome for colleges that do not have large endowments.  College administrators must come up with a new paradigm regarding how they will work.  For example due to the recent oil crises several colleges created a four day work week.  College employees worked ten hours each day and did not work on Friday.  Difficult college budget challenges should inspire innovative approaches to educate future generations of leaders.

 

College Admission Criteria – What Top Colleges are Look For?

College Admission Criteria – What Top Colleges are Look For?

Education is one of the most important investments in your life because it will affect your future career. If you are at your senior year in high school, it probably the right time to think about college, and the type of subject your are interested to major in which directly related to the type of career you plan to go for once your enter the workplace. In order to successfully enter into your college of choice, you need to know exactly what these colleges are looking for so that you can prepare yourself to maximize your chances of making in to your top choice college.

Generally, colleges have very similar admission criteria, which means what is acceptable to one college is most likely will be acceptable by most other colleges. These common criteria include:

1. Your High School Grades

If you want to enter into your top choice college, you don’t thinking about taking it easy during your high school senior year because your grades will have great impact on your success or failure in making in to a college. Over 90% of colleges weight heavily on grades when deciding whether to accept an applicant. Hence, you need to put huge efforts to get good grades in order to meet the acceptance criteria of most colleges.

2. Admission Tests

The same “A” does not weight equally in different schools, an A in your high school may only worth a B in another school. For this reason, admission test results are used by many colleges to measure the applicants’ grades. Two of the most highly used admissions tests in United State are the SATs and the ACTs, about 88% of colleges are putting huge emphasis on the SATs and ACTs scores. Hence, it’s worth to take up these tests and work hard to get good scores.

3. The Overall High School Graduation Rank

How good your school is performing is one of the consideration factors for college admission. However you can’t directly control the overall performance of our school graduation rank. The graduation rank is measured by average mean grade point which is calculated based on the students’ grades in your high school class. All you can do is play your role as students who score high grades which will contribute to the school’s overall graduation rank. About 28% of schools emphasis strongly on the graduation rank while others count in the factor moderately.

4. College Application Essay Writing

Essay writing is part of admission requirements. Although it does not weight as important as your GPA and admission test, but recently more and more top tier colleges have been placing more attention to the well-written essay. The key purpose of a college application essay is to find out how the applicant writes and thinks. Moreover, writing is an essential part of college life. If you are good in writing essay, then you can be at the advantage over those applicants who are week in writing essay. If you are not so good in writing, then you have to try your best to write in a manner that perfectly showcases who you are.

Summary

In order to assure you will enter your top choice college, you may want to review the above tips and prepare your college applications based on the criteria accepted by most top colleges.

How to Face College Rejection

How to Face College Rejection

You have spent all your time and efforts to prepare the college application. You have sent out the college application form attached with all the requirement documents. You are confidence that your selected college will accept your application because you have met all the admission criteria. But, sometimes thing does not happen as what we expected. When you receive the letter from the college, you thought it should be the acceptance letter, but unfortunately the letter informs you that you have not been accepted. So, what are you supposed to do now? How are you going to face the college rejection?

When you apply the college, you have set your mind and your heart to make commitment to this school, but now you have been rejected by it. At the moment you received this bad news, your spirits must be broken and have no clue on how to proceed in your next step. But, don’t let this panic moment drag for too long because college rejection does not means the end of the world, there is something that you can do to turn around the situation.

You should not give up and accept the college rejection. If this is the college you are planning to spend your college life with, then don’t give the 2nd chance of being accepted by making an appeal to the college decision. You need to tell the college in your appeal letter why they should accept you. Therefore, before you make the appeal, try to think back what are the mistakes you have made during the application preparation, there must be an oversight of some kind that result in the rejection. Or, there are extraneous circumstances surrounding your application that need extra clarification. List down the key points that you think the college should re-consider your application; then write a well written appeal letter to college’s admission department. You may need to make a few appeals and the college may keep rejecting you, try a few time before you give up.

When you apply for college admission, you should always apply for multiple colleges, so that you still have options if the appeals process to your favorite college doesn’t work. You can always accept the offer from the other college and then transfer to your favorite college after two years. Or, you have choose to study general education at a community college that located near your home while build up your college credit and polish your transfer to apply for any transfer to you top choice college later.

Summary

College rejection isn’t fatal and can happen to any application. You should react positively and try your best to rebound from rejection to end up exactly where you want to be.

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