'Tis also the season for my regular, always much anticipated, blog post on submitting your application materials successfully.  If you follow any of the other admission blogs (no reason you would, since you’ve discovered this one, other than morbid curiosity) you’ll see post after post complaining about all the mail us poor overworked admissions officers receive this time of year as application ...

Sorry to be gone for an extended absence. My only excuse is the INCREDIBLE volume of applications Mason is receiving which has me buried. A couple of things seem to stay the same year after year: Applicants continue to use very embarrassing email addresses. And yes, we pass them around the office. We have a contest for the most offensive, funniest, ...

Admit-Deny: Some schools will admit marginal students, but not award them any financial aid. Very few schools use admit-deny, because studies have shown that lack of sufficient financial aid is a key factor in the performance of marginal students. Associate Degree: A degree which is granted to a student who has completed a two-year program (64-66 credits) and is equivalent to ...

Graduate school requires a lot of hard work, a lot of time and a lot more money. So it's important to consider these issues when deciding whether or not to pursue a graduate degree, and just what level of degree you want to attain. General Definitions A general master's degree can either be a Master of Arts (MA) or Master of ...

Talk To Your Counselor. Between the books in the counselor’s office, and the knowledge in your counselor’s head, he or she will be a virtual treasure trove of information. Take advantage of the opportunities you have to work with a counselor to make plans for your future. Many counselors know more than any one book or website, and they are ...

It's a long and bumpy road. It's a challenging road. It's definitely wide open for you to travel. Getting through the college application process involves a lot of time and effort, but the results can generate a significant investment in you. Use these tips to get moving on the path to college success. Rule #1 Adhere to the NACAC (National Association ...

When it comes to selecting and getting into a college, guidance counselors are invaluable. But they can't help you unless they know what you're looking for. Help them give the guidance you need by following these tips from counselors across the country. Visit early and often. Get to know your counselor during your freshman year. Check back with them at least ...

During my senior year of high school, I was very thorough in my college search. There were many important factors for me to consider when choosing a college: location, cost, size and enrollment, professor/student ratio, resources, opportunities to study abroad and athletics, just to name a few. I looked at everything from public universities, to technical schools, to private institutions with ...

A college admissions interview doesn’t have to be a nerve-wracking experience. You’ll make the best impression if you’re relaxed. Get comfortable with some typical interview questions before you sit down for a face-to-face with the admissions interviewer and ease your anxiety. Practice what to say to these common interview questions. 1. Why Do You Want to Attend this School? Colleges look ...

What should you consider as you make the big decision on where to go? We asked high school and college students what they looked for in a college. Academic Programs "The thing I found most important in selecting a college was the types of programs available for my major. Were they accredited? Was the school known for their program in that ...

You've written the college essay, signed the application and sealed the envelope, all before the deadline. Now, you'll spend the next four months wondering if you'll be accepted to the college you love, or if you'll need to rely on your safety school. Fortunately, many schools permit students to apply for "early decision" or "early action." Both options allow students to ...

As if waiting for admissions decisions while colleges spam you with “holiday greetings” that are really application deadline reminders wasn’t enough to dampen your festive spirit, along comes a new Scrooge. College Prowler is a company that claims to offer inside information on colleges, while mostly selling stuff, although they only list about 250 of the 4,000 or so institutions out ...

Want to try something new? Really new? That list of majors in the course catalog isn’t static. As technology advances and business evolves, fields of study that weren’t imagined or that may have been limited to a few specialized classes emerge as full-blown majors. Check out these 10 fields of study that hardly existed a decade ago. 1. New Media Online ...

As a homeschooled student, your trek to college has taken you off the beaten path. But even if you don't have the "typical" credentials colleges are looking for, you can still impress admissions counselors with a dazzling—and unique—application. Keep a Portfolio and a Logbook Without a transcript, it's hard for colleges to know about your academic background. So prepare a portfolio—a ...

Traveling wouldn't be interesting if every trip went smoothly. Just hope one of these disasters that other FastWeb users shared with us doesn't strike your next trip. *** Rachel hadn't seen her mom in two months, and was looking forward to a weekend at home when a hurricane appeared in the forecast. She thought she'd make it back to school before ...

In case I have insufficiently vented about this topic, the winter holidays are inconveniently located in the middle of our application deadline season. While I realize most of you have visions of sugarplum-coated dreidels dancing in your heads, or something like that, your guidance counselors are working desperately to get that last recommendation letter out that you accidentally forgot to request ...

One of the most important parts of your college application isn't written by you: the letter of recommendation. But that doesn't mean you're off the hook. Get the best recommendation you can to make a winning impression. Get Organized Organization is the key to making sure your recommendations get where they need to go on time. Make a chart of your ...

Many students spend so much energy deciding on college majors that they sometimes overlook a related – and sometimes equally important – question: What minor, if any, should you choose? As with so many career issues you'll face during the college years, there is no straightforward correct answer. Insofar as prospective employers are concerned, it all depends. But one thing is ...

Every few years there’s a new series of books on dating that discourage you from showing any interest whatsoever in the person you want to date.  You probably know how that works -- don’t be the first to call, don’t act too excited to go out, NEVER be the first to admit you like the other person, never buy them a really ...

Sometimes traveling halfway across the country to check out all the campuses on your college list isn't possible. You can still learn your way around the quad and see what dorm rooms really look like with online college tours. in Ithaca, New York, offers slide shows, video tours, audio clips and commentaries from students on topics ranging from academics to social ...