In early June of this year, as my sophomore year of high school was drawing to a close, I realized several things. First, I was halfway through with high school, and had less than two years to make myself presentable to colleges. Second, I was coming up on my junior year, the hardest and most important year of my high school ...

When choosing a college, you need all the information you can get. But visiting each campus can be expensive. And who has time research hundreds of Web sites or call each school individually? That's where college fairs come in. "College fairs are a 'one-stop shopping' kind of experience," says Greg Ferguson, director of the National College Fairs program of the National ...

On July 31, the Common Application became available to students all over the country applying to college for the 2013 – 2014 school year. According to the Common Application website, the application was launched four hours ahead of schedule, and within 30 minutes, approximately 300 individuals had set up an account. The Common Application enables prospective students to fill out one ...

The essay: It's one of the most important parts of your college application, and it can be the hardest. But it doesn't have to be. Take a look at some of the most commonly asked essay questions and use them to prepare for your applications. Brainstorm ideas, do some research or create your own "stock" of application essays from the ...

Do you hover over your kids with anxious anticipation of fulfilling an unmet need? Your intentions may be honorable, but the behavior may earn you an unwanted moniker – helicopter parent. Helicopter parents are obsessed with their children and become over-involved in their lives. They overstep their bounds, cross the line and downright break the sound barrier of acceptable parental participation. ...

Sometimes I get a bee in my bonnet — the kind that just keeps flying around and refuses to land. When it comes to my intellectual interests, I can be compulsive and downright obsessive at times. Such was the case several weeks ago when I attended a four-year transfer fair at my community college. After talking with several representatives from the ...

When it came to applying for scholarships, my search always came to a screeching halt because I felt unqualified for any of the opportunities. The awards that promised "big money" were usually for students who devoted their entire lives to fellowships and community service. For someone who had focused more on getting a job and playing sports, community service was not ...

A personal account of how the student/parent relationship changes during the college application process The only time I have seen my mom so irate at my dad that she physically assaulted him was in December of my senior year.   My father had read an article stating that Harvard had rejected a high number of students who had perfect SAT scores.  My ...

A college degree is becoming more important for launching a career. But for some fields, you need more: more training, more specialized skills, more credentials. That's where professional school comes in. Earn an MBA, an JD or an MD to take your career to a higher degree. Business Preparation: An undergraduate degree in business is not necessary, but English and math ...

The SAT and ACT measure what you have learned over the course of many years. While no amount of cramming can turn a 200 into an 800, organized preparation can go a long way. With books, videos, software and prep courses, you have options for getting the help you need. Free Materials Start with the free publications available at your high ...

Chess has always impressed me as a game that challenges two players to use all of their cognitive capabilities to outwit, outsmart, and outstrategize their opponent. Chess is a thinking person’s game where skill, planning, strategy, and some degree of gamesmanship are paramount. When I advise student-athletes and their parents, I remind them regularly how their preparedness must be strong and their ...

Once you’ve spent time on a wait list, you might find yourself wishing instead for a flat out rejection from your top choice school. While there is hope that you’ll move off of the list and into the admitted pile, it’s a long, tedious process with no guarantees. A new report released by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) ...

We won't know if Chicago will be chosen for the 2016 Summer Olympics until October 2009, but that shouldn't stop you from exploring The Windy City as your choice for your college years. Start your day in Chicago's South Side and visit the University of Chicago. Count the gargoyles on your tour of this Gothic Revival-inspired campus but be sure to ...

Keeping in touch with your children is no easy thing. Rather, you have to have the latest tools on the technology market to combat the long distances and hectic schedules of your college kids. Fortunately, checking up on your child is easier than ever if you know what to buy: iPhone The iPhone isn’t just for the young…or the young at ...

When picking out a college, you need to choose the institution that's best for you. Size, location and price are important. But for many black students graduating from high school today, an even greater consideration is whether or not to attend a historically black college or university. Check out the pros and cons to decide if one of these schools ...

As the largest class of graduating high school seniors in America is completing college applications, a new study indicates their college plans are likely to change in response to the economic downturn.  The survey, conducted jointly by ApplyWise.com an online college admissions counseling service and Next Step Magazine, a publication for high school students and their parents, shows that 50% of ...

The holidays are about giving and sharing. In light of recent belt tightening, forget about hitting the mall to buy a sweater or a gift card.  The best gift you could give yourself and others is time. Time to enjoy the company of family and friends, time to spend cooking your favorite dishes with your parents, time to create long lasting ...

In 2005, studies showed that while only six percent of non-Hispanic students were likely to drop out of high school, that number was nearly 23% for Hispanic students. According to the ERIC Digest, “That third generation Latino youth perform not significantly better than their second generation Latino peers is very disconcerting. Since they have U.S. born parents, a much larger share ...

Unfortunately, brand names count. When employers decide whom to interview, seeing school names they recognize can be a plus. One way to add a better-known name to your resume is to complete a university extension certificate program. Many top colleges, such as Berkeley and Harvard, offer them. Harvard, for example, offers one-year programs in administration/management, public health, museum studies, publishing ...

Personally, I think it is reasonable to assume that most Americans can shamefully (or proudly, in some cases) admit that they have watched a teen flick. Whether the movie is Clueless, High School Musical, Mean Girls or Napoleon Dynamite, they all have that same cafeteria scene. The stock characters isolate themselves in their cliques at the lunch tables while appeasing their ...