"Freshman Churn"

There's a downside to the mania of pushing to get into a name brand college at any cost - the name brand college may not be the right school for you. So says a Philadelphia article Many Freshmen Rethink their College Choices about freshmen who transfer quickly to another school. While most freshmen transfer because their college choices turn out not to be what they had expected, others transfer trying to escape personal problems or issues. "Early reactors are often as much what's going on inside of you as what's going on with the school," says the editor of Insidehighered.com in the article. All the more reason to begin the college search with a clear picture of who you are, what you need and want out of your college experience, and realistic expectations about all colleges, even the name brand ones. "We look for the schools before we really ask students to take a deep look at themselves," agrees one high school guidance counselor.

Careers in Biological Science

If you are thinking about majoring in biological sciences in college, you can find out more about career options and educational programs at the American Institute of Biological Sciences Careers page While the page itself provides an excellent overview of biological science careers, the links at the bottom of the page lead to information about internship opportunities, scholarships, and other useful resources. Overall, a very good site for prospective bio. majors.

Environmental Science Programs

If you're interested in majoring in environmental sciences, environmental engineering, earth sciences or related fields such as meterological sciences, geography, geology and forestry, The Environmental Education Directory is a site you can not afford to miss.
Here you'll find a wealth of resources and links to make your college search easier and more effective. Open the site, and you'll see a searchable database of over 2,000 programs offered in environmental science and related fields. (Tip: to get the most out of your search, be sure to specify that you are looking for college departments and programs). Click on scholarships and you'll turn up many scholarships and grants specifically aimed at students in these fields. The career section links you to excellent career information that can help you figure out if these fields are the right ones for you. If you're interested in environmental science or related fields, this site is an invaluable college search tool.

Understanding the College Admissions Process

Elain Harlan, an Admisisons Representative at the University of Missouri-Rolla has written an excellent and highly useful guide, The College Process Ms. Harlan walks students and parents through every step of applying to college, from high school course selection to standardized tests and financial aid. She includes a very useful description of how to prepare a student activity sheet as well as tips for making senior year less stressful. I highly recommend this free site, especially for juniors just beginning the process.

Understanding the Admissions Marketplace

"The admissions process is also a market process," says Robert Zemsky, Director of the University of Pennsylvania Institute for Research on Higher Education. By understanding how the admissions marketplace works, Zemsky says, students and parents can better target their place within it. Zemsky has written an excellent article, A New Way to Look at Colleges which explains the laws of supply and demand as they relate to college decisions. The article also provides an excellent discussion of how different factors come into play for students and their families, and how to gather the information needed to make a well-informed decision.

Juniors: Seeing Is Believing

If you're a junior, now's the time to start thinking about campus visits. No need to rush out and buy plane tickets immediately, however, as there are plenty of great ways to get a peek at what college campuses across the country look like without leaving home.

You can find links to thousands of online virtual campus tours at these two sites:
Ecampustours.com and Campustours.com. For the most part, these two sites hook you up with links to the admissions website tours of individual colleges, which range from still pictures to interactive maps and videos. It is a good place to browse, however. Don't forget, however, that nearly every college offers some sort of virtual tour on their website --- look for the link under admissions.

If you'd like to see tours of various campuses without signing online, there are several companies which offer DVD's and videotape tours. Videc.com offers free, professionally produced DVD's and video's of about 20 different schools, mainly in the south. The video's produced by Collegiatechoice.com are not flashy. Two guidance counselors from New Jersey travelled to hundreds of campuses across the country and simply videotaped the actual admissions walking tour on each campus. They are a bit out of date in some cases, perhaps 2-4 years old, and the production is not of professional quality, but they do a good job of giving you an overview of what the campus looks like and what you would hear if you took an admissions tour. A newer source of DVD's about various colleges is The U. The U's DVD's are professionally produced video's, hosted by popular TV actor and actresses, complete with music and snazzy graphics.

The pictures on most college websites don't tell you much about what the campus looks like in action. What do students wear? Is the quad filled with people or pretty empty most of the day? What's the weather like in February? One solution: check to see if the college or university has a live webcam. Although some webcams are focused on things like building construction, others can give you a fun look at the action on a particular area of campus. Some even give you a close enough view to really feel like you're there. For example,The University of Rochester webcam allows you to zoom in on a central flagpole and watch students passing by - it's close enough to get a good sense of how people dress, what they look like, and how busy that particular area is like. (Click on "flagpole, hi mom" for the close up view). Other schools with great webcams include Whitman College, Towson State, UC Berkeley, and the University of Redlands.

It's easy to find out whether a school you're interested in has a webcam: just do a search for "webcam" on the school's website. Or, you can find links to many campus webcams at Leonardsworlds.com. While webcams aren't a substitute for a real

Finally, many colleges will be bringing themselves to you over the next few months through college fairs and presentations. Keep an eye out for College Fairs in your area --- The National Associaton of College Admissions Counselors National College Fair is the largest, and is held in locations across the country, but there are many others as well.

Savvy Tips to Cut College Costs

Whether you're a senior finishing up applications, or a junior just starting your college hunt, the key to keeping college costs under control is simple: Plan ahead.
According to a new article in the Christian Science Monitor, Four ways to save big on the cost of college, students and their families need to be pro-active as well. For example, the article suggests students not sit around waiting for scholarships to fall into their laps, but beat the bushes to find scholarship opportunities. And, don't wait to do your taxes this year if you're the parent of a college-bound senior. Get them done now so you can use the data to complete and file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)as early as possible. When it comes to financial aid, the early bird often gets the worm.

2006 Early Decision Numbers For Ivy League, MIT, Stanford

As more students rush to apply through early decision, is the supposed "boost" of doing so lessening? This year's Early Decision and Single Choice Early Action numbers for the Ivy League, as well as Stanford and MIT, provide interesting clues but no firm answer.

The number of applicants applying through early admissions options at these schools increased at all of these schools except Harvard this year. Perhaps as a direct result of the increased number of applications, early admit rates fell more than 1 percent at Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, the University of Pennsylvania, and Princeton. Still, even with the drops in early admission rates at these schools, it is likely that applying early still gave applicants an admissions edge, although it is too early to say for sure how much of an edge. The exception may be at MIT. Last year, the acceptance rate for those applying early was lower than those applying in the regular decision round. Overall, however, if the numbers of students applying early to the most selective schools continues to rise as it has over the past several years, it is also quite possible that the supposed "boost" from applying early will continue to lessen as more students vie for fewer early admissions spots. Of course, that presumes that these schools will continue to fill less than 50 percent of their freshman class through early admissions.

The tables below compare this year's Early Decision and Single Choice Early Action numbers, with last year's (2005) overall admissions data. This year's data was compiled from press releases, news articles, and other sources.
Brown University

2006 Early Decision Admissions:
Number of Applicants: 2,538
Number Admitted: 583
Early Decision Acceptance Rate:23.0%

2005 Early Decision Admissions:
Number of ED Applicants: 2,046
Number Admitted ED: 567
Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 27.7%
Percentage of freshman class admitted through Early Decision: 38%
Overall acceptance rate: 17%

Columbia University

2006 Early Decision Admissions:
Number of ED Applicants: 2,275
Number Admitted ED: 582
Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 25.6%

2005 Early Decision Admissions:
Number of ED Applicants: 2,157
Number Admitted ED: 587
Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 27.2%
Percentage of freshman class admitted through Early Decision: 42%
Overall acceptance rate:13%


Cornell University

2006 Early Decision Admissions:
Number of ED Applicants: 2,836
Number Admitted ED: 1,106
Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 39.0%

2005 Early Decision Admissions:
Number of ED Applicants: 2,570
Number Admitted: 1,067
Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 41.5%
Percentage of freshman class admitted through Early Decision: Not Available
Overall Acceptance Rate: 29%



Dartmouth

2006 Early Decision Admissions:
Number of ED Applicants: 1,321
Number Admitted ED: 398
Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 30.1%

2005 Admissions:
Number of ED Applicants: 1,180
Number Admitted ED: 397
Early Decision Acceptance Rate: 33.6%
Percentage of freshman class admitted through ED: 35%
Overall acceptance rate:19%

Harvard University

2006 Single Choice Early Action (SCEA) Admissions:
Number of SCEA applicants: 3,872
Number admitted SCEA: 804
SCEA Acceptance Rate: 20.8%

2005 Single Choice Early Action (SCEA) Admissions:
Number of SCEA applicants: 4,212
Number admitted SCEA: 892
SCEA Acceptance Rate: 21.2%
Percentage of freshman class admitted through SCEA: 50%
Overall Acceptance Rate:11%

University of Pennsylvania

2006 Early Decision Admissions:
Number of ED applicants: 4,148
Number admitted ED: 1,180
ED Acceptance rate: 28.4%

2005 Early Decision Admissions:
Number of ED Applicants: 3,420
Number admitted ED: 1,169
ED Acceptance Rate: 34.2%
Percentage of freshman class admitted through Early Decision:46%
Overall acceptance rate: 21%


Princeton 2,236

2006 Early Decision Admissions:
Number of ED applicants: 2,236
Number admitted ED: 599
ED Acceptance Rate: 26.8%

2005 Early Decision Admissions:
Number of ED applicants: 2,039
Number admitted ED: 593
ED Acceptance Rate: 29.1%
Percentage of freshman class admitted through Early Decision:46%
Overall admission rate:13%

Yale University

2006 Single Choice Early Action (SCEA) Admissions:
Number SCEA applicants: 4,084
Number admitted SCEA: 722
SCEA Admissions rate: 17.7%

2005 SCEA Admissions:
Number SCEA applications: 3,933
Number Admitted SCEA: 704
SCEA Admissions rate: 17.9%
Percentage of freshman class admitted through Early Decision: 49%
Overall acceptance rate: 10%

Stanford University

2006 Single Choice Early Action (SCEA) Admissions:
Number of SCEA applicants: 4,502
Number admitted SCEA: 853
SCEA acceptance rate: 18.9%

2005 SCEA Admissions:

Number of SCEA applicants: 4,321
Number admitted SCEA: 857
SCEA acceptance rate: 19.8%
Percentage of freshman class admitted through Early Decision:43%
Overall acceptance rate: 13%

Massachussetts Institute of Technology

2006 Early Decision Admissions:
Number of ED applicants: 3,098
Number accepted ED: 377
ED Acceptance rate: 12.2%

2005 Early Decision Admissions:
Number of ED applicants: 2,799
Number accepted ED: 379
ED Acceptance rate: 13.5%
Percentage of freshman class admitted through ED: 32%
Overall acceptance rate: 16%

Colleges for B/C Students

If you don't have a perfect 4.0 in high school, are you doomed to community college?
No, says a new list compiled by U.S. News & World Reports, A+ Schools for B Students. The list highlights many great schools - from national universities to liberal arts colleges and master's universities - that accept a fair number of students with 3.0 to 3.5 high school GPAs. While accessing the list of names is free, if you fall in this GPA range or lower, it is worth the $15 or so to subscribe to the premium online version of the U.S. News College database to get access to the full details of the list and each school. Doing so also lets you custom rank the list by the given criteria, so you can, for instance, look up which schools accept the highest percentages of applicants who have GPA's under 3.0 (these are good possibilities for "C" students).

A few of the national doctoral universities that made the list: Pennsylvania State, Syracuse U, Purdue, Ohio State, Miami-U of Ohio, Rutgers, the University of Delaware, Fordham, the University of Connecticutt, Indiana U, Michigan State, Southern Methodist U, Baylor, Clemson, Temple. (NOTE: Keep in mind that admission to certain programs and schools within these universities may be more selective, thus requiring a higher GPA).

A few of the liberal arts colleges making the list: Sewannee-University of the South, Sarah Larence, Hendrix College, Lawrence U, the College of Wooster, Earlham, Ursinis College, Gustavus Adolphus, Beloit, Hobart & William Smith, Goucher College, St. LAwrence U, Willamette, and Drew University.

A few of the Master's level universities making the list: Simmons College (MA), Alfred U, Bryant U,Rollins, Regis U (Colorado), University of Redlands, Dominican U (Il), St. Mary's College of California.

Essay Advice from Admissions Officers

Ever wonder how admissions officers view those pesky college essays? A recent article in the Greensboro, North Carolina News-Record, Admissions Essays 101, asked admissions officers from Wake Forest University, UNC-Chapel Hill, Guilford College and Elon University just that question. Good advice if you're still tackling your essays for this year, or are a junior planning ahead for next year. By the way, I have provided similar links in the past, so do a search in the archives for the word "essay" to find more resources.

Scholarships for African-American Students

African-American students looking for merit scholarships should check out the scholarship resource list
maintained by the HBCUconnect.com website. The list includes many scholarships geared to specific fields of interest, as well as scholarships limited to minority students, and those specifically earmarked for use at HBCU's (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). While browsing the site, you may also want to check out HBCUconnect.com's own scholarship program for African-American students.

Guidance Resource Hompage

Every now and then I stumble upon a college-related website that is worth its cyber weight in gold. the Guidance Resource Hompage is just such a website, and it should be bookmarked on every college hunter's computer. Started and maintained by Martha Wiseman, a retired high school guidance counselor, the Guidance Resource Homepage has hundreds of internet links related to the college search process, financial aid, and other subjects of interest to high school students and their parents. Of particular interest is one of the best list of links to college planning resources for high school athletes interested in learning more about college sports recruiting and athletic scholarships. Students with learning disabilities, and their parents, will also find a wealth of informative websites under the special education section. There's even a great list of websites with resources that can help you improve your study skills!

How Many Extracurriculars Should You Have?

I'm often asked by students which extracurricular activities are "best" for getting into college. Another frequent question is "how many extracurriculars do I need to get into college? Most students are surprised by my answers: Do what you love and really care about, and do it over an extended period of time, and the number and type of extracurricular activities won't matter.

Simply put, colleges aren't looking for long lists of club memberships - they're looking for students who show passion and dedication, something that is difficult to show if you're busy running from club meeting to club meeting.

Also keep in mind that colleges look at academic achievement first and foremost according to a new article on the role extracurriculars play in the admissions process,
Activities adding pressure to college admissions . After that, extracurriculars do come into play but as one admissions director notes in the article, quantity doesn't matter as much as quality. "Some [students] have 17 different activities and are committed to all of them and that is great but we'd rather see two, three or four that they have really committed to over time. We are looking for students who have been involved appropriately. The quality of the experience is more important than the number."

So, follow your passions and pursue what truly interests you rather than seeking some magic formula for finding the "right" extracurriculars.

Help With Fin. Aid Forms on College Goal Sunday

Struggling with the FAFSA? Get help on College Goal Sunday, an annual program sponsored by the NationalAsscation of Student Financial Aid Adminstrators that gives parents and students hands on help preparing their financial aid paperwork. This year's programs are coming up this month in many locations across the country - click on the link above to get more information and find a site near you.

Warning: No Need to Accept College Scholarships with Early Deadline

Some students have reported receiving letters from their rolling admissions and Early action schools offering a merit scholarship with a caveat saying that they must accept the scholarship and send in their agreement to attend that school, before the May 1 Candidate's Reply Date.

The truth is that you are not obligated to to reply to ANY school before May 1. If schools offer you a scholarship that is contingent on agreeing to attend before that date, you have, under National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) guidelines, the right to request an extension of the scholarship offer to May 1.

You can cite National Association of College Admissions Counselor (NACAC )rules when doing this and give the following link as evidence:

http://www.nacacnet.org/NR/rdonlyres/AFFAECF7-52FC-4E33-A829-6D5E7CE3BAE8/0/policy_student_rights.pdf

Again, colleges that request commitments for admission offers or financial offers prior to May 1 MUST offer candidates the opportunity to request (in writing) the opportunity to postpone their decision until May 1, even if they say initially that the offer is only good if attendance is accepted before then. If any school balks, report them to the NACAC.