Apply Colleges

Posts Tagged ‘Colleges And Universities’

High school counselors spend an average of 23 minutes working with their college-bound students on the college search and planning process. Most high school counselors work with more than 350 students. Few high school counselors are able to visit colleges or attend national conferences because their schools do not have the budget for them to do so.

Applying to college can be a very stressful experience. The whole process has changed dramatically in the last twenty years. Most parents do not have the time or knowledge to serve as an effective college guide for their teenager. What’s a family to do? Many are turning to educational consultants for help. They have the expertise to assist college-bound students with the college search and application process. They also have the passion and the time.

Here are nine reasons why an educational consultant can make a difference for your college-bound student.

1. They are experts in the college admission process and visit colleges and universities extensively every year to determine the unique qualities in each school. They are not relying on what a book or college representative might say, but have a good look at a school from their own objective viewpoint.

2. They help students with the college search and are not just interested in brand name schools, but want to find colleges that fit your student’s academic and personal needs. Students need to look beyond the school names they are familiar with and consider colleges that may be less known “hidden gems.”

3. They do not have an emotional attachment to your child and this allows them to provide unbiased, professional advice. It is often difficult to be objective when you are working with your own child and this can lead to family frustration.

4. They get to know students on a personal basis which enables them to help students become stronger college applicants. They take the time to find out what is important to a student and what they are looking for in a college experience. This helps in the college search and throughout the application process.

5. They provide direction for students on their applications and essays. They read and review the applications and essays and offer suggestions to improve them if necessary. They set up a schedule so that students are adhering to application and scholarship deadlines set by both their high school and colleges.

6. They assist students and families in finding schools that are affordable. They also provide information on financial aid and scholarships. They know the colleges that are more generous with financial aid and scholarships and encourage students to include a few of these on their college list if they are the right fit.

7. They are not limited in the number of hours they can work with students. This allows them to be available when students need them, with the answers they need. College counseling is their job and they are not distracted by other responsibilities.

8. They want to help students find colleges that are committed to seeing their students graduate in four years, rather than the usual five, six or more. This can save parents a considerable amount of money. Most parents would be surprised to see the low four year graduation rate at many schools.

9. They are members of professional organizations like the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA) and attend state and national conferences to continue their professional development.

A college education is one of the most expensive investments a family will make. It should be obvious that more time and thought needs to go into the college search and admission process. Most educational consultants charge affordable fees and are very generous with their time. Many families believe that hiring an educational consultant is the best investment they have made. To find a list of qualified educational consultants in your state, go to http://www.hecaonline.org.

Recommended Reading

• College

Imagine you’re the third sibling in your family to enter college in your home state of Minnesota, and that each of your family members entered college four years apart. Believe it or not, you may spend twice as much on college as your eldest sibling. While consumer prices usually rise between one and four percent each year, many colleges have hiked tuition and fees at double or triple that rate.

True Sources of Hidden College Costs
While some critics have charged college administrators with overpaying faculty and with pursuing vanity real estate projects, the real reasons for spikes in college costs mirror changes in the broader economy. For instance:

•    Technology Upgrades. Although universities helped originate the Internet as we know it, college and university IT professionals have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade campus networks and to implement stronger data security measures.
•    Staff Compensation. Many colleges and universities offer extensive benefits packages to both faculty and staff. To absorb sudden spikes in the cost of health care, some schools have resorted to raising tuition.
•    State Budgets. Like government agencies, state colleges and universities must respond to lawmaker demands to freeze or reduce budgets. Administrators in hard-hit states like California and Minnesota have hiked tuition rates to replace state funding.
•    Energy Prices. Just as volatile energy costs caused grocery prices to rise, transportation expenses have forced campus dining facilities to buy more expensive ingredients.
•    Stock Declines. Stock market shortfalls have even hurt college sports programs. Stanford, Ohio State, and Florida State all announced athletic cutbacks due to dwindling alumni donations and stalled ticket sales.

How Rising College Costs Impact Enrollments
Sharp increases in tuition and college fees have forced many young Americans to rethink their higher education plans. Instead of moving away to school, many first-year students have started choosing colleges closer to home. By living with family members instead of in the dorms, students can avoid many of the extra expenses of a college education, such as rent, meal plan charges, and utilities. Government statistics also indicate that more students are choosing to attend school part-time, paying for tuition with a combination of student loans and income earned from entry level jobs.

Gaps Between Private and Public College Spending
Private school administrators are no longer immune to the effects of a troubled economy. Some of the largest private university endowments suffered capital losses of as much as fifty percent over the past two years. In most cases, private universities now find themselves in the same position as state schools forced to raise tuition to cover other funding shortfalls. Although experts predict that tuition should continue to rise, students at state-run schools can expect to enjoy greater value relative to students at many private colleges and universities.

Fighting College Tuition Sticker Shock
Although college costs aren’t likely to drop anytime soon, students and parents can still take a few simple steps to trim their own education budgets, including:

•    Interview the Career Office. Colleges and universities that have invested in strong alumni networks and job placement programs may help you land the kind of job that can help you repay student loans sooner.
•    Mix and Match. Many students now complete core undergraduate courses at community colleges or at state universities before finishing their degrees at private colleges. This strategy can cut college costs in half while resulting in the same diploma.
•    Rethink Work/Study. Career-oriented students can complete an associate’s degree online or at a less expensive school to qualify for an entry level job in their desired industries. Many employers offer tuition reimbursement programs to help students complete bachelor’s or master’s degrees.

Keeping college costs down may require rethinking the traditional higher learning experience. By focusing your search on colleges and universities with a track record of smart spending and proven job placement, you can get the best return on your education investment.

Recommended Reading

• College

I want to apply for college in California. (specially LA) I could major in Business management or Interior designing. What are the colleges and universities I should apply to?. Ia lso have to obtain my visa to go to US and they tend to reject it if you’re enrolling for a community college cause they say that international student do not study well in community colleges. (They prefer a university with four year education) :S.
Could you help? thanks.

Recommended Reading

• College

Colleges thrust into fight against online piracy
Starting this month, colleges and universities that don’t do enough to combat the illegal swapping of “Avatar” or Lady Gaga over their computer networks put themselves at risk of losing federal funding.

Read more on The Record and Herald News

Recommended Reading

• College

The research has been completed; the schools narrowed down to a select few. The process of enrolling in an online college is almost finished. The only thing left to do is actually apply to the school.

Even though online schools tend to stray from the traditional on-campus schools in terms of teaching methods and manner in which a student communicates with fellow students and faculty members, there is still the requirement of completing an application. No legitimate accrediting school will allow enrollment by check or money order alone.

A majority, if not all online colleges, allow students to apply online. After all, if the student is expected to attend class online, offering an online application only makes sense. Applications can vary from school to school. Some require some basic information while others may require an essay. Most traditional on-campus colleges and universities require at least one, if not two essays, and possibly an interview with an alumni or member of the admissions department. Rarely will the interview portion be required when applying for an online college or university, and an essay may or may not be part of the admissions process.

While the lack of interview seems like it speeds up the process of being admitted to the college of choice, this does allow the student only one chance to make a good impression. When completing the application, proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar are very important. For hand-written applications, neat presentable handwriting is vital, with few to know words crossed out or covered in correction fluid or correction tape.Whether it’s online or on paper, make sure the application is neat, thorough, and complete.

As for the essays, do not be afraid to ask someone to read your essay before submitting it. Simple spelling errors and grammatical errors could make or break the chance of being accepted to college. Not only are structural aspects important in the essay portion of the application, but making sure that thoughts are made clear, and that the body of the essay answers the essay topic, are crucial.

The other tip for writing a great college essay is to actually complete it in a word processing program that includes a spelling and grammar check. That way simple errors can be corrected as the essay is written. Once the essay is completed in the word processing software and reread (rereading the essay and application prior to final submission is crucial), it can be copied and pasted into the application.

Other things that may be required to send, either electronically or in the mail, are school transcripts, and at some schools, a resume. These transcripts could be from high school or even previous colleges or universities that you have attended. These will usually be requested during the application process either immediately after the electronic application has been sent.

The final portion of the application process is the most difficult… the waiting. It may take several days, possibly weeks to hear back from the school as to whether or not the application has been accepted and that enrollment in classes will begin shortly. If you are not accepted, do not be discouraged. Continue applying to other schools. Usually most students apply to several and then have ability to choose between at least two schools.

Recommended Reading

• College

Live updates: Kagan hearings
Kagan emphasizes that military recruiters had “full access” to students at Harvard. Harvard University – United States – Education – Massachusetts – Colleges and Universities

Read more on Washington Post

Recommended Reading

• College

Nowadays, there are many students who think of joining film school. British Columbia (BC) is considered one of the best places to learn the art of film making. It is very important for film institutes to know about the latest technology related to editing and animation. If you are planning to have a career in movies then join the best school. Here are a few tips which may help you in finding the right movie institute for your dream career.

In such schools you can learn everything about film making from lighting, organizing, acting, editing, directing etc. One biggest thing that you will learn in film making is how to work as a team. A film cannot be completed without team effort. If you are very serious of having a career in film making, then the best thing would be join a top movie institute and start learning all the techniques which will help you on your path. There are certain advantages of joining the top film institute.

-You have to watch movies everyday. As a part of your homework also, you have to watch films.
-One best thing is you will learn how to shoot, edit and direct. You can try your hands on all the equipments.
-Many of these institutes will have programs where you will be taken to festivals and you can learn various other things.
-Film students will be asked to do internship.
-Every week there will be panel discussions and other events where you will get a chance to meet best directors, writers, producers, designers where they will talk about what they know in film industry.

If you want to make it big in films, your first goal should be to get into the best film institutes. Every year, thousands of people apply in best film schools. But only a lucky few are selected. Here are a few tips that will help you in getting selected in one of the best film making schools.

Ways to get into best film school
-Most of the film colleges and universities want smartest students in their college. If you want to get selected, make sure you get good grades in high school and do best in SAT/ACT test to get selected.
-Practice the art of writing. Probably you may be asked to write why you want to join film school. Writing is considered one of the important parts in filmmaking. Most of the movie institute want best writers they can get. Make sure, your essay is entertaining to read and not boring.
-Certain movie institutes may ask you to submit a creative resume. In your resume you can include all your past experience that involves making short films, writing short stories and poems etc.

These are some of the factors which will help you in joining best film school.

Recommended Reading

• College

The Value of Social Networking from the Perspective of the University

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that the members of the graduating class of 2011 are more technologically savvy than most admissions and recruitment officers. After all, most freshman-age students in the US—young adults that were born around 1990—have been around computers all their lives.

Many college age students have been using social networking sites for some time now: Myspace with 130 million users, and Facebook with 12 million users. Towards the end of 2006, in an attempt to capitalize on the direct interaction with prospective students that these social networking portals offer, colleges and universities began launching marketing campaigns within these social networks. The results have been mixed.

In a cynical article entitled “Yada Yada Nada?” Robert Sevier makes a few interesting points that go against using social networking sites in order to market on behalf of higher education:

Observation # 1: It’s about quality, not quantity. Big numbers attract attention, but the reality is this: As a college or university, you are interested in only a very, very small percentage of that big number. The challenge, of course, is sifting out the small percentage of students and others that are interested in your message in a way that is effective and efficient. So far, no college has cracked the code.

Observation #3: Members are very wary of the encroachment of business into what they define as personal, literally “my,” space.

Observation #4: You cannot control content. Colleges love to control the content of their messages. However, on social networking sites they cannot. In fact, many social networks are fueled by member-created content in which members opine, respond, and react to the world around them.

Mr. Sevier’s points are valid, but the fact remains—and Sevier admits as much—that the amount of people that use social networking sites make “cracking the code”, or coming up with an appealing way to market to prospective students within these social networks, extremely appealing.

The Value of Social Networking from a Student’s Perspective

Last week, the New York Times ran an article that described how a soon-to-be NYU freshman—Monique Yin—created the Facebook group “NYU 2011” with a short description: “Join this group if you are attending NYU next fall.” As of last week, the group had over 650 members.

Monique isn’t alone in her endeavor, colleges and universities across the country have similar “2011” groups—larger schools even have more than one. From a student’s perspective , the benefits of social networking are obvious: students have the opportunity to meet other freshman before the first day of class, making the transition from high school to college less painful.

A Middle Ground?

The difficult part for colleges, as Sevier points out, is the fact that schools don’t have the ability to control the content that is displayed on these sites. To address this, some colleges have come up with their own social networking sites that allow them to access and change content. On the one hand, this may seem like a win-win for colleges and universities, but on the other hand, students tend to stay away from controlled sites.

At this point it still isn’t possible to determine how and when colleges and universities will “crack the code” to using social networking sites in order to market to prospective students. The fact that so many students use these sites, however, makes it certain that schools will keep on trying.

Want to learn more about Enrollment Management? Click here to sign up for the Innovation Ads Enrollment Management Whitepaper.

-Sources

Lombardi, Kate; “Make new Friends Online, and You Won’t Start College Friendless”; The New York Times; March 21, 2007

Sevier, Robert A, “Yada Yada Nada” University Business; March 2007

Recommended Reading

• College

News From 91.3 KUWS Private colleges in Wisconsin get hazardous materials audit
16 of the 20 independent colleges and universities in Wisconsin are finding old hazardous materials on their campuses. Mike Simonson reports. So they’re working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to voluntarily fix the problems.

Read more on BusinessNorth

Recommended Reading

• College

The best student credit cards can be compared at www.goodstudentcreditcard.com.  Responsible credit card use can lead to a lifetime of low-interest rate loan opportunities.  Notwithstanding their limited credit history and minimal income, good students enrolled in colleges and universities throughout the country are often given the valuable opportunity to receive credit and to start building a credit history.  This is an opportunity that should not be taken lightly, particularly in light of the widening credit crisis which has made it difficult for many working Americans with good credit records to receive new credit cards, auto loans and mortgages.  

Student credit cards issued by Discover, Chase and Capital One are tailored for student applicants.  Some of the features offered by these credit card issuers include:

•           No Annual Fee

•           0% Interest for a fixed period of time

•           Cashback Bonuses

•           $0 Fraud Liability Guarantee

During this period of economic instability, uncertainty in the stock market, illiquidity in the credit markets and the softening real estate market, one thing remains constant – students should be given an opportunity to build a credit history.  Responsibility is key.  If you can’t afford to buy it, you should consider saving until you can.  Credit cards are most beneficial when you can afford to pay your balance in full every month.  In these tough economic times, where credit is getting more difficult to come by, it is important to create a strong credit profile by establishing credit early and maintaining a consistent payment history.  Student credit cards issued by Discover, Chase and Capital One are tailored for student applicants. 

Visit www.goodstudentcreditcard.com to apply online in a few short minutes.

http://www.articlesbase.com/college-and-university-articles/apply-online-college-student-credit-cards-657981.html

Recommended Reading

• College