Should You Retake the ACT and the SAT?

A college counselor answers a concerned parents question about his daughter who is a HS Senior.
Here is his answer: http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/08/smith/

US News Best College List Is Out

US News is out with their Best College List for 2011. This is an annual list with tons of useful information and it can be accessed here: http://bit.ly/d4qMMp

Choosing College Roommates

Choosing College Roommates are no longer random. Many websites facilitate the process. Today's New York Times examines this phenomenon here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/nyregion/22roommates.html

Stephen Colbert on ‘How to Ace the SAT’

Stephen Colbert on ‘How to Ace the SAT’

College Admissions Criteria

Preliminary statements from various college admission officers confirm several things: That the incoming fall freshman class (the class of 2014) will be most qualified ever! Simply, this means that on average, accepted applicants had the highest G.P.A.'s and the highest SAT and ACT scores in the history of most schools. Unfortunately, a consequence of this phenomenon is lower acceptance rates.

Acceptances and Appeals of Financial Aid

Today's NY Times has an interesting article regarding the growing number of students who are accepted to a university yet cannot afford to attend. For an inside look on a person who reads these appeals click the following link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/education/30aid.html

Applications Rise Admission Rates Fall

According to the NY Times, applications to selective colleges are up while admissions rates are falling. This confirms what many believe--that it is harder to get into the elite colleges. The full article can be found by clicking this link:
http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/applications

College Fair

There is a college fair at the Nassau Coliseum next Sunday October 4, 2009. For more information click here: http://www.nacacnet.org/EventsTraining/CollegeFairs/ncf/Fall/Pages/09FLIs.aspx

Time To Start Applying to College

H.S. Seniors, the summer is officially over! This fall will be overwhelming if you do not start organizing. Please read this article which includes a check list and timetable for all that must be done. http://ow.ly/opPX

Don't Be Nervous, Be Excited!

Parents and students this is the anxious season! Especially those starting off for college for the first time. Don't be nervous, be excited! Students, this is a new experience, one that will mold the adult you will become. Enjoy this time. Move in squads, parents offices, school officials, upperclassmen are all there to help navigate any uncertainty. Use them as valuable resources. They know what they are doing!

Web Site Which Helps With Dorm Life

There is a new website which aids in dorm design, and since move in day is just a few weeks away for many, click here: http://www.designyourdorm.com/

Its Back to School Before You Know It!

Watching the financial news this morning, I saw the CEO of Staples ring the opening bell at the stock market, in honor of back to school. Back to school? Yes! Its never too early to start planning, especially for incoming college freshmen. The downtown in the economy has forced retailers to lower their inventories, which means lower prices for everyone. Carefully examine brochures, coupons and promotions.

Yesterday, I was able to purchase two 500 page reams of copy paper for 2 cents! That is not a misprint.

Hidden Gem Colleges to Consider

There are many hidden gems--excellent colleges which are under the radar either because students do not consider them or nobody has heard of them. Here is a list of 20 hidden gems from about.com Click this link: http://collegeapps.about.com/od/collegerankings/tp/spotlight2009.htm?nl=1

New SAT Study Guide 2nd Edtion

The long awaited Official SAT Study Guide 2nd Edition will be released on July 21, 2009. This will be the first update by the Collegeboard since the SAT changed its format in March 2005. Amazon is taking pre orders of this book which is a must for High School Seniors planning on taking the SAT in October 2009. Pre-order the book by clicking on the link in the margin to your left.

Write Your College Application Essay This Summer

Use the extra time this summer to sit down and plan a great college application essay. I just wrote an article on how to go about this most important task. Please click on the link and read:
http://ezinearticles.com/?id=2528455

College Planning Network

For all parents of college bound children interested in obtaining great information about:
1. which schools to apply to;
2. how to fill out all those financial aid forms; and
3. how to get the best financial aid package

Click on this link: http://www.collegeplanningnet.com/index.htm

Colleges Getting Creative To Save Money

The NY Times has an intersting article about how colleges are using their creativity to save costs in this tough economic period. Click on this link: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/education/19college.html

How Not To Get Into College

The December 24, 2008 Wall Street Journal has an excellent column on the pitfalls to avoid in a college application. The main points are obvious--use common sense, proofread everything, pay close attention to detail, be yourself and keep your parents involvement to a minimum. Remember, its your college application not your parents. For a link to the article, click here: http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=40586852709&h=8wgoK&u=2Nea_

Pay Attention to Details With College Applications

Tis the season for College applications. It is time to pay attention to details. Every school has deadlines--for completed applications with recommendations, test scores and essays. Don't wait until the last minute to ask for recommendations. Don't wait for the last minute to tell your college advisor you need a transcript sent to a particular school. Make sure when you write an essay about how much you love the University of Pennsylvania and that you are a big fan of its founder William Penn--only to find out later that UPenn was founded by Benjamin Franklin!!!!!! Get your facts straight. Laziness with the old word processor will get you in trouble with admissions departments.

5 Tips For Applying to College in a Recession

Many families of High School Seniors are nervous. They are nervous because they don't know how they will pay for college. The economy has changed drastically in the past month. Many did not properly plan for this financial "rainy day" Those that did plan have seen the value of 529 college funds plummet if those assets were tied to the stock market. At the same time, college costs relentlessly increase faster than the rate of inflation. I have written a common sense article titled 5 Tips For Applying to College in a Recession. Click on the title of this post and you will be directed to the article. The time for decisive action is now.