The Commuting Student Option

Although most people equate college life with living in an on-campus dorm, students and parents should not be too quick to rule out the possibility of commuting from home. Room and board costs of living on-campus can add an extra $8,000 to $10,000 a year in college costs, so it may make financial sense for some families to take a close look at local college options. Of course, there are costs involved with commuting too - transportation, gas, parking permits, food and utilities consumed by the student living at home - so the first step should be an evaluation of just how much savings can be expected. There are also other factors to weigh before making the decision about whether commuting is right for you.

Whether you're looking at a college down the street or a college on the other side of the country, the same rules to choosing a college apply: Focus on finding a good match for both your academic and social needs and desires. As you visit local colleges, ask the same questions you'd ask of any college, but also make sure to find out about how the school insures that commuting students are an integral part of campus life. Many colleges and universities have programs designed specifically to help commuters get the most out of college life. For example, Villanova University offers special learning communities aimed at connecting commuters with faculty and other commuting students. Duquesne University has set up a special "Commuter Affairs" office that provides counseling, social activities and other programs just for commuters. Duquesne's Commuter Assistant Program even connects commuting freshmen with a support network of commuting upperclassmen who serve as student advisors and help freshmen get involved with campus life. Some colleges, like the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford even offer special grants and scholarships for commuting students.

Beyond special programs for commuting students, be sure to ask about any restrictions about living on campus in the future if your plans change. Fairfield University in Connecticut, for instance, only lets students who start off as commuters but then decide to live on campus in subsequent years do so under "extenuating" circumstances. You should also ask pointed questions about the availability of financial aid and merit scholarships if you will be a commuting student at a primarily residential college. In some cases, schools may favor prospective on-campus students when awards are handed out.

If you do decide to commute, both students and parents may face unique issues. Parents may have to remind themselves to give their child new freedom, leading to unexpected conflict, according to a parent's guide for commuting students prepared by Cal State East Bay. Students will also have to put in a bit more effort to stay connected and take advantage of all aspects of campus life. However, students willing to make the extra effort can have a satisfying and fun college experience.

More Grandparents Helping Pay for College

When it comes to paying for college, more grandparents are stepping up to the plate, according to an article in today's New York Daily News (Note: Article is free for the next six days, after that available for purchase). Research conducted by Metlife Mature Market Institute and Zogby International show that more than half of American granparents contribute in some way to their grandchildren's education. Approximately 21% of grandparents had set up a college tuition fund for their grandchildren. Five percent are already paying for all or part of their grandchildren's college costs. Savings plans available to grandparents include 529 savings plans, Cloverdell education savings accounts, Uniform Gifts to Minors accounts, and Uniform Transfers to Minors accounts. However, financial planners warn that grandparents need to take care of their own financial future first before offering to help grandchildren. "There's no reason to sacrifice their limited retirement years for their grandchild's relatively long earning years. [The grandkids] have a lot longer to build their wealth," says one financial planner in the article.

The Real Deal on Financial Aid

Preferential packaging. It's a term most colleges would prefer to keep under their hats. In a nutshell, many colleges offer the most advantageous financial aid packages to their top applicants. Less desirable applicants, meanwhile, are offered financial aid packages that, while they technically "meet full need" are heavy on loans and work study and thin on grants. For obvious reasons, most colleges aren't thrilled about revealing that preferential packaging, also known as financial aid leveraging, exists and is widely used. That's why it was refreshing to stumble upon one college being open and honest about the process. Kudos to Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania for including an excellent explaination of preferential packaging on its website that provides sound and realistic advice students and parents need to consider when drawing up college lists. If you'd like to read more about preferential packaging and it's use in enrollment management, I'd also recommend that you read The Best Class Money Can Buy.

Ask Questions Now About Freshman Orientation

Although the start of your future freshman year in college may seem far off, one issue to consider when researching colleges is the effectiveness of the school's freshmen orientation and support programs. Researchers estimate that between 16 and 25 percent of college freshmen do not return for their sophomore year, and studies have shown that effective freshmen year programs can increase your chances of success, both in freshman year and beyond.

While almost all colleges and universities offer some sort of orientation program for incoming freshmen, programs vary widely. The first question to ask is when orientation will occur, and how long it will be. Many schools bring future freshmen to campus for a short orientation over the summer, while others have an extended orientation session right before the start of classes. Summer orientation sessions can be a great way to get a head start on picking classes and finding your way around campus, but they can add extra travel expenses so be sure to take that into account. Also ask whether there is an additional cost for attending orientation. A surprisingly large number of schools do charge extra if you'll be attending orientation, and sometimes the extra cost can be several hundred dollars.

Beyond timing and cost, find out exactly what will be covered during orientation. Is it basically going to be another tour of the campus, with a few rah-rah sessions thrown in, or does the school have a more extensive program of activities planned. Will there be a tour of the library, for example, or a chance to meet one-on-one with your future advisor? Will you sit in on a few sample classes, or perhaps actually get started with your freshman seminar class? Are there workshops or presentations on diversity, drinking, sexual awareness? Do any of the departments have special programs during orientation for students considering that major?

Don't overlook the social aspects, either. Some freshmen orientation programs are well-supervised and offer plenty of planned events to give you a chance meet your future classmates. Social time during other orientation programs can be more free-flowing, and some can be down right rowdy. Ask current students about their experiences during orientation, and plan accordingly.

Once formal orientation is over, what other support programs are in place to help freshmen through their first year? Does the school require all freshman to take a freshman seminar course? If so, what is it like, and what is its purpose? Do all freshmen take a class using the same syllabus, or do you have options to choose from? Who teaches the freshmen seminars? If a freshman seminar course is not required, is one available on an optional basis? How many freshmen participate?

What other programs does the school offer to help freshmen, both academically and socially? Some schools, for instance, assign freshmen to an upperclass "mentor" to help with the inevitable first year bumps. Are there special living-learning dorms set up just for freshmen? Academic help for struggling freshmen?

The best way to find out about freshmen orientation and support programs is to ask when you visit. Specifically, ask for a copy of last year's orientation agenda. Sometimes this information is also available on the college's website (do a search for "accepted students" or "freshmen orientation"). Another technique is to do a search of the online archives of the student newspaper to get an overview of what last year's session was like. Talk with current students about their experiences during your visit as well.

Some related links:

An article from the Tufts student newspaper about increasing scruntiny of race-based orientation programs


A brief article on outdoor orientation programs

An article on freshman orientation programs at Catholic colleges and universities

A description of orientation activities at California State East Bay

Article on various college programs from University Business

National Resource Center for the First Year Experience. Look under "resources" for links to specific college programs.

Policy Center on the First Year of College

The Reinvention Center at SUNY Stony Brook has a list of links to freshmen orientation programs at a number of universities.

Best of AdmissionsAdvice.com

I'll be out of town from June 23-June 28 and won't have access to a computer. While I'm away, however, I thought I'd point my readers towards some previous AdmissionsAdvice.com articles that you may have missed the first time around. If you're still working on your college list, these stories should give you some different ideas about where to look. Have a nice weekend!

1. Honors Colleges can help make a large university seem more personal for top students.

2. Colleges with Bonner Scholar programs offer merit scholarships for students committed to community service.

3. Some public schools feel very much like private colleges. Find themhere and here.

4. How do you find schools that offer merit scholarships to students with your test scores? Find some good tips here.

5. The age old question: How do you determine if a college or university has a good department in a particular subject? Get some pointers here and here.

Keep In Touch with College Admissions Blogs

Like the rest of the world, college admissions offices are discovering the benefits of blogging. If a college you're considering has a blog or blogs, it can be a useful source of information and insight, and even a handly place to ask questions. However, keep in mind that most of these blogs are designed as marketing tools so you won't necessarily hear the real unadulterated scoop about the school. For that, I suggest doing a search on Live Journal to see if there's an active student discussion group (Search Tip: search under "interest").

In any case, here are just a few of the admissions blogs I've been able to track down. Again, they can be very good sources of information - especially about the admissions process - but use them with a critical eye for marketing hype. To find out if a school you're interested in has an admissions blog, do a search on the school's website for "admissions blog" or "student blogs."

Blogs Written By Admissions Officers

University of Virginia

Johns Hopkins

Connecticut College

Case Western Reserve

Oregon State University

Olin College of Engineering

Albright College

Seton Hill University

Bryn Mawr

Stevens Institute of Technology

Gettysburg College

MIT (Note: MIT has several admissions blogs, each written by an admissions officer)

Colorado College (written by the College President)


Admissions Office Blogs Written By Students

University of San Francisco

University of Missouri

University of Central Florida

Westmont college

University of the Pacific

Loyola Marymount

Financial Aid Podcast

It can be hard to get a handle on the ever-changing landscape of financial aid and merit scholarships, but now there's a podcast (like an interview radio show)that can help keep you up-to-date. The Financial Aid Podcast uploads a new show every weekday morning covering everything from student loans to financial aid paperwork. Some schools have affiliated with the Podcast (most recently, UCSD and Ashland University) and are providing updates on their financial aid policies and availability through the system as well. You can listen on the Internet or download the show directly to your IPOD. The Financial Aid Podcast is a useful and information way to learn about and keep on top of financial aid matters.

Colleges Anxious To Recruit Applicants

There's interesting article on the MSNBC website today concerning the almost panicked efforts that some colleges are taking to recruit minority applicants. "No longer can institutions of higher education just sort of wait for students to get to their senior years and to apply," says the head of institute diversity at Rensselaer Polytech. "We are losing too many sutdents, not just minorities, but students in general, to other fields. They are not going into science. We have to catch up as an institution." The dean of student affairs at Skidmore College notes that the overall demographics of the country are shifting dramatically, and colleges are anxious to move their student bodies towards being a closer match with those demographics.

Higher Education: America's Most Overrated Product?

Marty Nemko, a former college professor and long time educational consultant, makes no bones about it: He believes that higher education is America's most overrated product. Nemko, who is also the author of several books on college admissions, including The All-In-One College Guide, says that students and parents need to read between the lines of the marketing hype colleges put out in order to get the most out of college and maximize their educational investment. I recently had the opportunity to ask Nemko some questions about his advice for students and parents, and here is what he had to say.

In your writing and speaking engagements, you've frequently referred to undergraduate education as "America's most overrated product." How did you come to that opinion and why is it important for families to understand your point of view?
 
My PhD is in the evaluation of education, my having been a consultant to 15 college presidents, my experience as a professor at four universities, counselor to hundreds of college- and graduate-school-bound students all combined to make abundantly clear that the value-added that college provides for the time and money is obscenely low. The improvement in freshman-to-senior reading, writing, and thinking skills, let alone mathematical reasoning skill is frighteningly poor. Yes, a college diploma, especially one from a designer-label college can open career doors, but fact is, the Ivy-caliber student who attends an inexpensive community college for the first two years and then transfers to an honors program at their in-state state university will usually get a BETTER education AND have more career doors open because they're big fish in little ponds and therefore get higher GPAs, leadership opportunities, the chance to work with professors, and, in turn get great recommendations for grad school or leads on good jobs. Meanwhile, the family--unless low income and especially low-income minority and getting a free ride--will have saved a fortune.
 
You were a college counselor for 18 years and helped hundreds of families through the admissions process. What would you say is the most important thing parents can do to help their children receive a quality college education?  

Have them focus on having a high school experience that allows them time to explore vocations and avocations--even if their grades are a bit lower or their courses a bit less rigorous. Then, when they get to college, stress that the key to a great college education is NOT where you go, it's what you do there. At college, make the extra effort to get the best professors. Resist the one-sided leftist brainwashing that colleges, especially prestigious colleges perpetrate. The purpose of a college education is to get you to see multiple sides of an issue. Alas, too many professors believe their job is to turn you into a liberal activist. Despite what they say, not all wisdom resides left of center. Students need to search out the few conservative professors for balance. Outside of class, get involved in things: the student newspaper, radio station, photography club, student government, etc. Go to the college's career center as a FRESHMAN.
 
What are the biggest mistakes you think students and parents make in the college search process? How can they avoid those mistakes? 

They believe it's worth killing yourself in high school to get into a prestigious college and worth the family's money to pay for it. 
 
In my view, the worst choices in the nation, for most kids, are the large, not that prestigious private colleges, for example, Syracuse, USC, Tulane, Villanova, Boston University, Boston College, NYU etc.
 
What are the top three questions that students and parents should ask about every college on their list? How can they find the answers? 

What percentage of ALL freshmen (no excluded groups) graduate in four years?
Can I see the results of your most recent student satisfaction survey?
Can I see the visiting team report from your latest accreditation visit?
Do you test the students as entering freshman and again as seniors to assess how much they've grown in writing, thinking, etc?
 
What do you feel is behind the recent spate of media hysteria regarding college admissions? Is it really as impossible to get into a good college as the media reports indicate? 

Only the designer-label 50 or so colleges (out of a total of 3500 colleges in the US are ridiculously difficult to get into for white and Asian students.  As the number of college graduates increases, and more jobs for college grads are offshored, parents are freaking out and figuring (wrongly) that they better spring for the money for a designer-label college or the student won't get a good job after graduation. Fact is, making the most of the college--ESPECIALLY a college less selective than the student otherwise could be admitted to, landing and making the most of SUBSTANTIVE summer internships at quality employers, and/or learning the art of entrepreneurship, will do more to ensure a student's econimic viability than an Ivy label on their diploma.

Addiitonal Links:

We Send TOO MANY Kids to College, USA Today Editorial by Marty Nemko

Why Your Kids Shouldn't Go to Harvard (even if they could get in)

Reforming Admissions, Part II

Last week, I wrote about a conference of college presidents to discuss admissions reform. While the meeting was private, Lloyd Thacker, the head of a non-profit organization pushing for changes in the way admissions are handled, has spoken to Inside Higher Ed aboutwhat was discussed during the meeting. As I said last week, the process of reforming admissions will not happen overnight (if, indeed, it ever does), but this is sounds like it was a positive step forward.

Transfers Have Slim Chances for Elites

If you're thinking that it might be smart to attend a less selective college for a year or two, get outstanding grades, and then try to transfer to a highly selective private university or college, you may want to rethink that plan. According to new research from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, transfer acceptances at the country's most elite private colleges have dropped significantly since 1984. That year, 10.5 percent of the students at elite private colleges had transferred from another school. In 2002, the number had dropped to just 5.7 percent. The figures are even more depressing for community college transfer hopefuls: according to the study fewer than 1 of every 1,000 students at elite private schools in 2002 started at a community college.

Related link: Closed Doors

Advice From a Successful Harvard Applicant

The best way to learn how to do something is to have someone who already knows how to do it lead the way. Ami Nash, who will be a freshman at Harvard next fall, has written an excellent article, Top Ten List of Things I Wish I Had Known About College Admissions that is jam-packed with good advice for future applicants.

Making Sense of College Admissions

Most would agree that the college admissions process is rapidly spinning out of control. Would a student-college match system like that used to match graduating medical students with residency programs help bring sense to the undergraduate admissions system? That's the proposal put forth in an excellent Opinion piece appearing today on Seattlepi.com. Scott Barnhart, is a parent, medical director, and University of Washington professor, and as I read his piece, I found myself nodding my head and shouting "right on!" Barnhart notes that "Students, parents and guidance counselors eager to find the best education are shot-gunning the college admissions process. Lost within the growing chaos is the ability to optimize the match or fit between students and colleges...Colleges, defining success as a low acceptance rate, foster such behavior." By the way, Barnhart isn't first - or only - voice calling for a national undergraduate admissions registry system similar to that used by hospitals and medical schools, and I, for one, think there is quite a bit of merit in such a system. However, I agree with Barnhart: Successfully insituting a system that is fair to students and colleges will require a sea change in the hyper-frenzy currently driving college choices and admissions decisions. Unfortunately, it is highly doubtful that students, parents and colleges will move towards that attitude change in the near future.

Find Answers on College View

Although somewhat cluttered with ads, and tricky to navigate, the College View website has useful information and tools helpful to both students and parents. Click on the links along the top of the page for advice articles on the college search and application process, many written by admissions professionals. There's a handy search feature which lets you develop a list of colleges that meet your criteria, although it doesn't attempt to break down the results into any estimate of your chances. There is also a very good
section for parents with additional articles on helping your child through the admissions process and the transition to college. I particularly like the attention to campus security in the parent's section, including a useful Campus safety audit that provides a list of questions to ask on campus visits in order to evaluate campus saftey. Overall, College View is worth a visit.

Northeastern Torch Scholars Program

Low income students who will be the first in their family to attend college may want to look into Northeastern University's Torch Scholars Program. The program is designed "to identify and provide full scholarships to highly motivated and ambitious first cgeneration and low income scholars...who would not typically qualify for admission into Northeastern by traditional measures but clearly exhibit attributes they can succeed in college..." To apply to the program, you must be nominated by your guidance counselor, be willing to undergo additional interviews and provide additional information, and attend a special summer-long program before the start of your freshman year. The program was launched this year - the first Torch Scholars will be freshmen in the fall. If you'd like an insider's view of what it's like to attend Northeastern, click here.

College Search Workshop at Allegheny

Allegheny College, a 2,100 student liberal arts college in Western Pennsylvania has long impressed me with the openess and fairness with which they share information about their admissions process. For the past several years, Allegheny has also run a free summer workshop to help students and parents understand the in's and out's of the college search and admissions process. Although held on Allegheny's scenic campus, the program is not Allegheny-specific, sharing lots of useful general information on finding the right school, what to expect from interviews, and financial aid basics. In fact, Allegheny even invites students and admissions counselors from other colleges to be part of the presentation. Those specifically interested in Allegheny can take an optional tour at the end of the day. If you'll be in the general area, you might want to check out the workshop, which will be held this year on July 8. Link: Charting the Course to College Workshop

Deep Springs College

Looking for a different college experience? How about living,working and studying on a cattle ranch deep in the California desert? Deep Springs College is one of a handful of Work Colleges across the country that combine academics with student employment. At Deep Springs, twenty-six students - all male - work side-by-side with faculty and resident scholars to create one of the most unique college experiences in the country. Deep Springs is a two year program, but don't make the mistake of thinking of it as your typical community college. Academics are tough, and well-respected by the four-year colleges, including many Ivy-league quality schools, where Deep Springs' students transfer. For a look at what daily life is like at Deep Springs, read Go West, Young Man.

How To Interpret Your SAT Scores

As spring SAT scores come in, many students and parents may be scratching their heads wondering just how to interpret them. If you're among them, you may want to read this easy-to-understand article, May SAT Scores Are Here - What Do they Mean?. The article breaks down the components of the SAT, discusses how colleges use SATs in the admissions process, and gives some good advice about deciding whether to re-take the SATs next fall.

Top Colleges for Minority Graduates

Which colleges award the most undergraduate degrees in biology to African-American students? Where do the most Asian students earn bachelor's degrees in English? Which schools graduate the most Hispanic business majors? Diverse magazine has just released updated data on minority undergraduate attainment. The charts show which schools graduate the most minorities overall, and then by type of minority (i.e., African-American, Asian, Hispanic). A nice feature is the information is further broken down by type of degree. Top college in terms of the number of degrees in biology awarded to African Americans? Temple University grants more undergraduate degrees to African-Americans than any other non-HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and University). Asians majoring in English? UCLA. Business degrees for Hispanics? Florida International University.

A new study from the Institute for the Study of Social Change, at the University of California at Berkeley, provides intriguing data showing why it may be important to consider minority graduation numbers. The study found that some minority students tend to do better at schools where there are higher numbers of other high-achieving minority students. The study's authors speculate that having a "critical mass" of minority students overwhelms cultural stereotypes about minority prepardness for college, which in turn levels the playing field for minority achievement. In short, the more minority students are surrounded with other successful, high-achieving minority students, the more likely they are to succeed.

Invest Time, Not Money to Help Your Child Through Admissions

I found it particularly ironic that the same day I wrote about a group of college presidents meeting to discuss reforms to the college admissions process, I came across another article, this time in Business Week,about parents paying thousands of dollars to hire private college admissions consultants to give their child an edge in admissions to highly selective schools.

First, a disclosure. As some of my readers know, I am often asked by students and parents for advice on their college lists and essays. I am happy to provide simple feedback free-of-charge and point people in the direction of useful resources. In fact, one of the reasons why I started AdmissionsAdvice.com is to connect students and parents to information and knowlege so they can make smart college choices on their own. However, although I don't publicize it much, I also work with a limited number of families seeking more in-depth, one-to-one assistance, and I have recently started charging a small fee for providing some of those services. Each family I help, however, still must make a commitment to helping their child through the admissions process and buy into the belief that there are no "magic keys" that will guarantee admission to any college.

Which brings me back to the idea of consultants who charge $8,000 for a weekend "college admissions boot camp" or plot out which activities students should pursue solely to beef up their chances of admission to a designer label college. Frankly, both ideas turn my stomach, because they imply that this is a game to be played, and that winning requires money and influence more than effort and common sense. Is it hard to get into some schools? Yes. However, the flipside to the 22% of applicants the article says use private counselors to get into private schools is that 78% of successful applicants do so through their own efforts, research, and merit. In other words, the vast majority of applicants are getting in without hired help. I'd like to believe that a good portion of them are getting help --- from parents willing to invest time and research into helping their children, not just buy them a designer college label.

So, the bottomline: You don't need to pay a stranger big bucks to help you or your child get successful admissions results. The information and resources you need are all out there and most are available free or at relatively low cost. What you do need, however, is a willingness to listen and learn, the ability to honestly evaluate your own or your child's strengths and weaknesses, and an open-mind about considering all of the excellent college options available, not just the name brand colleges. Perhaps the only way to end the admissions hysteria is if more families understand this, step up to the plate, and invest time and effort - not money - to helping their children through the process.

Reforming College Admissions

Last fall, I wrote a brief piece here about Lloyd Thacker, the high school guidance counselor who quit his job in order to launch the Education Conservancy, a non-profit foundation focused on reforming college admissions. Thacker also edited College Unranked, a collection of essays penned by college admissions officers and high school guidance counselors discussing the need to reduce the stress and anxiety of the college admissions feeding frenzy. While I applauded Thacker's work last fall, I was also dubious about whether his efforts would change anything. After all, many of the colleges that had joined his efforts were among the worst offenders in terms of the admissions arms race.

However, don't count Thacker out just yet. Today's edition of Inside Higher Ed reports that Thacker is scheduled to speak before a gathering of college presidents to the creation of an admissions code of ethics. "I think this is the right initiative at the right time," Douglas C. Bennett, Earlham College President is quoted as saying. "A lot of us feel like we are in a little bit of a swamp in the admissions world right now and we're trying to get to a place where there are ethical practices guiding admissions." Presidents from Amherst, Barnard, Bates, Grinnell, Pitzer, Reed, Swarthmore, Williams and Drew University are also scheduled to attend the conference. Among the topics the presidents are expected to cover: reducing the use of standardized testing in admissions, eliminating financial aid leveraging and limiting merit aid as recruitment tools, and limiting early decision.

While I'm pleased that Thacker has started to attract the attention and earnest efforts of college presidents, I must admit to remaining a bit skeptical about whether we'll ever see concrete steps taken by a majority of colleges to reduce the admissions frenzy. Still, this is a step in the right direction.

Related Links:

The Education of Lloyd Thacker, an in-depth look at Thacker's proposals from the Chronicle of Higher Education

A transcript of a live question and answer Internet broadcast with Thacker

Another Way In, A summary of Thacker's advice to applicants that appeared in the Boston Globe

Know the Drinking Culture of Colleges on Your List

Matthew Pearlstone was a high school academic superstar who seemed destined for more success when he headed off to Cornell last fall. Then, in March, during a visit with a friend at the University of Virginia, Pearlstone died of accidental alcohol poisoning. Pearlstone left behind dozens of online messages defending his drinking habits, according to an article that appeared after his death in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Pearlstone isn't alone. According to research conducted by Boston University's School of Public Health, an estimated 1,400 to 1,700 college students die from unintentional alcohol-related incidents each year, including accidental poisionings such as Pearlstone's, motor vehicle crashes and other alcohol-related accidents. The same study estimated that in addition to alcohol related deaths, 600,000 full-time 4-year college students were unintentionally injured under the influence of alcohol and another 600,000 were hit or assaulted by another student who had been drinking. Beyond those statistics, alcohol contributes to sexual abuse, unsafe sext, suicide attempts and academic problems on many college campuses, according to statistics collected by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)at the National Institute of Health.

Clearly, all students - even those who don't plan to drink - need to be informed about the drinking culture of the colleges and universities they're considering. What should you look for? In "A Call to Action: Changing the Culture of Drinking at U.S. Colleges", NIAAA researchers note that "Colleges and universities where excessive alcohol use is more likely to occur include schools where Greek systems dominate (i.e., fraternities, sororities), schools where athletic teams are prominent, and schools located in the Northeast." Another study has indicated that campuses with more women and minorities tend to have significantly lower rates of binge drinking.

Of course, those are broad studies that don't tell students about specific campus cultures. As with much of college planning, it pays to do your own research. First, get informed about the alcohol policies of colleges you're considering by searching the NIAAA's online database of college alcohol policies. Keep in mind that college alcohol policies only work if they're enforced, so when you visit, ask students, faculty and administrators about how seriously the school's policies are treated. Other ideas for researching the drinking culture on college campuses are highlighted in a NIAAA report "What Parents Need to Know About College Drinking and on the College Drinking Prevention website.

Among the questions to ask:

* Ask college administrators to outline in clear terms how they go about enforcing underage drinking.

* Investigate how readily available alcohol-free social events are on campus - and how well attended.

* Ask about the availability of substance-free dorms, and how tightly resident advisors and adults monitor non-substance free dorms for underage drinking.

* Find out whether classes are scheduled on Fridays. No classes on Friday may encourage students to get an early start to partying, leading to increased alcohol abuse problems.

* Ask about the number of liquor law violations and alcohol related injuries and deaths the campus has had in previous years.

* Consider the college's location and how it may affect the social atmosphere.

* Ask students how far from campus the nearest bars are, and how often they are frequented.

* Inquire about alcohol at fraternity and sorority parties and other functions.

In addition to asking questions directly, I recommend searching the online archives of the college's student newspaper (do a search at the school's website for "student newspaper") using search terms like "drinking," "alcohol," "parties" and "arrests." You can find some information about liquor law violations through the school's security statistics which all colleges are required to maintain. And, it is never a bad idea to walk around the campus on a weekend night just observing and listening.

Additional resources:

The Gordie Foundation, a website dedicated to the memory of Gordie Bailey, who was an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Colorado when he died of alcohol poisoning
as a result of a fraternity initiation ceremony for pledges on September 17, 2004.


The Sam Spady Foundation a website dedicated to the memory of Sam Spady, a sophomore who died of alcohol poisoning at Colorado State University last fall.

Both sites offer information and resources to help educate students and parents about the dangers of campus drinking, and are working to increase the enforcement of campus alcohol policies.

Insights Into College Admissions

Last week, I gave a link to a podcast interview with Amherst's director of admissions. Since then, an alert reader directed me to a series of articles in Business Week focusing on Amherst's efforts to attract more minority and low income students and Amherst's admissions process. A counterpoint to the Business Week story appeared in Amherst's student newspaper and is worth a read as well.

If you'd like to read several other interviews with the admissions deans of various colleges, Newsweek has a conducted a series of live webcasts where admissions deans answer questions. I've mentioned the interview with Yale's director of admissions here before, but Newsweek also has run similar webcasts with the admissions directors at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California system.

Alternatives To a Four-Year College Degree

It's often assumed that every student graduating from high school is best served by going on to a four year college. But, what if you'd like to consider some other options? Are you doomed to a lifetime of unemployment? Not necessarily. Three times as many jobs that don't require a bachelor's degree as those that do will be created between 2002 and 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In a report on the career opportunities for people who don't have a college degree, the BLS notes that many of these jobs will still require some training after high school, but not necessarily a four-year college degree.

In an article describing options for career training,You Can Go Your Own Way, author Christen Brownlee describes some of the options available to students who aren't sure a four-year college is for them: Community colleges, vocational training, the military, and apprenticeships, and profiles students who have taken these routes to successful and satisfying careers.

By-passing a four-year college degree on your road to a career does take careful planning, however. In addition to researching rising job opportunities at sites like CareerVoyages.com, you must carefully consider the skills and talents necessary to succeed and how to develop them. Start
by evaluating the skills you already have to offer by taking an online skills assessment test. Go to O*Net Online and click on "Skills Search," where you'll see a various list of skills you currently have or may be interested in developing. After you check all the skills that apply, you'll receive a list of occupations that use those skills. If you're not sure which jobs or careers might interest you, another excellent online assessment is the MyFuture.com Work Interests Test.

Once you've evaluated your skills and interests, and researched where you'd like to go, the next step is finding the training necessary to get there. Here are some links to help you get started:

Community College searchable database

Job Corps youth training programs

Guide to finding a technical or vocational college

State-by-State database of apprenticeship programs

Careers in the military

College Marketing "Brand Placement"

Sometimes, when I'm looking at the pictures in a college brochure, I get an eerie sense of deja vu. Haven't I seen the same group of neatly dressed students sitting happily in front of the flaming red maple tree somewhere before? And, I'm almost positive I've seen that smiling blonde boy walking across another campus quad. Not to mention the laughing group of attractive students - one Asian, one African American, one Hispanic, one Caucausion - sharing a joke in the student cafeteria. It all seems so...familiar. Oh, that's right. I've seen those same students - or ones who look remarkably like them - in brochures from other colleges.

The reason the students pictured in brochures from different colleges often look so similar boils down to one word: marketing. No college marketing staff wants to send the message that their school is filled with fat, slovenly, and unhappy students, so they work hard to make sure the images in those brochures send out the "right" message: Come here, and you'll be surrounded by perfect, happy people. Maybe you'll even start to look like them yourself. In short, college marketing tactics are not all that different than those used to sell toothpaste, luxury cars, or clothing.

So, how do colleges and universities decide on the marketing messages to send? There are some interesting insights into the behind the scenes marketing efforts at one school in an interesting article Penn State Wears Prada. Through marketing research, Penn State's marketing team has determined that potential applicants are most attracted to images of current Penn State students who are well dressed, have wide-set eyes and fuller faces, and are better looking than average. "These characteristics all translate well," says Penn State's director of marketing in the article. "This is a time of tremendous pressure and students are wanting to fit in. Students say these kids look like they are friendly - and they say they want to be around them."

After reading this article, you'll never look at those glossy college brochures quite the same way again. And, I think that's a good thing because smart college choices are made on more than just marketing hype.

Schools for Late-Bloomers

Are you bright, but haven't yet reached your full potential? Do you sometimes need - or like - a little extra encouragement to do your best? Did you get a slow start in high school but are now fired up with motivation? These colleges are ones where late-bloomers can fully blossom and do good things. In addition to quality academics, they have particularly supportive environments that help make sure every student shines. Suggested reading: Colleges that Change Lives, by Loren Pope.
(This list is not meant to be all-inclusive. Please feel free to add suggestions!)

Albion (MI)
Alma College (MI)
Allegheny College (PA)
Augustana College (IL)
Austin College (TX)
Beloit College (WI)
Birmingham Southern College (AL)
Clark University (MA)
Clarkson (NY)
College of Wooster (OH)
Dominican University of California (CA)
Gustavus Adolphus (MN)
Hanover (IN)
Hendrix (ARK)
Hiram (OH)
Hobart & William Smith (NY)
Hope (MI)
Juniata (PA)
Knox (IL)
Lawrence (WI)
Lenoir-Rhyne (NC)
McDaniel (MD)
Millsaps (MS)
Ripon (WI)
St. Mary's College of California
St. Mary's College of Maryland
St. Olaf College (MN)
St. Vincent's (PA)
Ursinis (PA)
Wells College (NY)
Whitworth (WA)
Willamette (OR)
Wittenberg (OH)
Wheaton (MA)

Study Out-of-State at Instate Prices

Paying in-state tuition at a public university is a good deal. However, what if your state's public universities don't offer the major you want, or you've always dreamed of going to college out-of-state? Are you doomed to paying expensive tuition? Not necessarily. Many states have reciprocity agreements with other states that allow students to attend a public institutions across state borders and pay less than the published "out of state student" tuition. In some cases, students actually pay the same to study out of state as they would in their own state's public university.

For example, say you live in Connecticut, and would like to major in Japanese. There's just one problem: the University of Connecticut doesn't offer a Japanese major. Through the New England Board of Higher Education's Tuition Break reciprocity agreement, you can major in Japanese at the University of Vermont, paying less than the published out-of-state tuition. Or, say you live in Michigan, but would rather attend a smaller institution than mega-universities like the University of Michigan or Michigan State University. Though the Midwest Student Exchange Program you can attend much smaller, liberal arts-focused Truman State University in Missouri and receive at 10% less than the published out of state tuition.

For the most part, these programs are not highly publicized, so students and parents need to do their homework to find out what is available. Two caveats to bear in mind: there are often limitations on the majors covered under reciprocity agreements, and many flagship universities are not eligible for reciprocity agreements. However, if you're looking for a bargain, and want to increase your options beyond your state's public system, reciprocity agreements are worth investigating.

Below is a list of the major reciprocity agreement programs, and the states covered.

Southeastern States (Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia): Academic Common Market

Midwestern States (Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and North Dakota):
Midwestern Higher Education Compact

New England States (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont): New England Board of Higher Education

Western States (Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming) Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

In addition, several states participate in smaller state-to-state exchange programs. Among them: Wisconsin and Minnesota, California and Nevada, and Indiana and Illinois.

Need Money for College? Try an Online Fundraiser

Roxanne Phen, a California teen, was thrilled when she was accepted to Claremont Mckenna College, her first choice school. There was just one little problem: raising the funds to make up the difference between the scholarships she's received and the cost of attending. Phen has come up with a different way to pay her college bills: she's launced EducatingRox.com. For $24, visitors to Phen's site can purchase a black T-shirt with the "Educating Rox" logo, as well as read her tips and thoughts on college admissions. Phen has sold about 16 of the shirts to date, mostly to friends and family, according to a local news article, but she has big plans for the site, asking visitors to email an LA news anchor for additional coverage. Stay tuned - I'll keep an eye on Phen and see how it goes.

College Students: Working Hard at More Than Homework

Seventy-eight percent of all students hold down a job while attending school, according to new research from the American Council on Education.
About 25 percent of full-time students work full time. Two-thirds of full time students who work say that their primary reason for working is to pay tuition, fees, and living expenses. The study notes that, while students who work 20 hours or less a week tend to have slightly higher GPAs than those who don't work at all, students who work more than 20 hours of work see their GPAs decline with as their number of hours working increases.

Colleges for Conventional Students

Would you rather wear kahki's and a polo shirt than torn jeans and a tee-shirt? Do your friends accuse you of being too conservative in your political views? Are you fairly traditional in terms of your lifestyle and life goals? Would you die before you'd dye your hair purple or get a nose ring? These colleges and universities tend to attract students who are relatively conventional in terms of dress, political views, or lifestyles. (Please note: this list is not all-inclusive. If you know of a school that fits the bill, please share!)

Auburn U (AL)
Baylor College (TX)
Bucknell (PA)
Colgate (NY)
Davidson (NC)
DePauw (IN)
Denison (OH)
Dickinson (PA)
Duke (NC)
Fairfield (CT)
Furman (SC)
Hillsdale (MI)
Hope College (MI)
Luther College (IA)
Notre Dame (IN)
Pepperdine (CA)
Princeton (CA)
University of Portland (OR)
Rhodes (TN)
St. Lawrence (NY)
Sewannee/University of the South (TN)
Stetson (FL)
University of Richmond (PA)
Vanderbilt (TN)
Villanova (PA)
Willamette (OR)
Wake Forest (NC)
Washington & Lee (VA)

Colleges for Creative Types

Are you boiling with creative urges? Is your day not complete unless you've expressed yourself in some way? Do you love being around people who are passionate about music, dance, theater, art or creative writing? If so, check out these colleges and universities where you're likely to find a large proportion of students who share your artistic spirit. (Please note: this list is not all-inclusive. If you know of a school that fits this category, please share!)

Bard (NY)
Barnard (NY)
Beloit (WI)
Bennington (VT)
Brown (RI)
Carnegie Mellon (PA)
Emerson (MA)
Goucher (MD)
Kenyon (OH)
Oberlin (OH)
Lawrence (WI)
New York University (NY)
Saint Olaf (MN)
Sarah Lawrence(NY)
Skidmore (NY)
State University of New York Purchase
Syracuse (NY)
University of California Los Angeles (CA)
University of Southern California (CA)
Vassar (NY)
Whitman (WA)
Yale (CT)

Hobart & William Smith Latest to Make SATs Optional

Many thanks to the alert AdmissionsAdvice.com reader who alerted me to Hobart and William Smith's announcement that they will make SATs optional starting in the fall.
An an article in the Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle quotes Bob Schaeffer, public education director of FairTest, an advocacy group critical of standardized testing, "as many as a dozen more" colleges are on the verge of going SAT optional over the summer. However, the College Board, which administers the SAT believes this is not a growing trend. "Only a handful of colleges and universities have done this," says a College Board spokesperson. Hmmm...the College Board might want to brush up on its math. There are approximately 2600 four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. At present, 731 of them have made submitting the SAT optional. By my reckoning that's 30% of colleges. Seems like a rather large "handful" to me.

College News: Harvard, UCLA, Antioch, Trinity

This is part of a regular feature aimed at bringing news about individual colleges and universities.

Engineering To Be Revamped at Harvard - Harvard has announced plans to create a new School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, adding 30 faculty members to the 70 already in the existing Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences which will be subsumed by the new school. Link: The Technology Mosaic

UCLA African-American Enrollment Drops - UCLA expects to enroll only 96 African American students in next fall's freshmen class of 4,852, a drop of 20 students over last year's freshmen class. Of the 96 African American freshmen who plan to enroll this year, 20 are recruited athletes. "Clearly we're going to have to meet this crisis by redoubling our [minority recruiting] efforts, which have not yielded the results we'd like to see," said Chancellor Albert Carnesale. Link: A Startling Statistic at UCLA

Antioch College Curriculum Changing - Antioch College, long known for its alternative experiential learning approach to education, is adapting to new realities with plans underway to change its curriculum approach. Freshmen are now placed in learning communities, groups that spend the year taking interdisciplinary courses. Antioch has also revamped its work experience program so that students now complete a co-op in the fall of their sophomore year, instead of their freshman year as before. Antioch administrators say the changes will allow students to graduate in four years, instead of five, while still taking advantage of cooperative learning opportunities. The college has been struggling with declining enrollment in the past several years and the changes are designed to reinvigorate Antioch's recruitment efforts. "The niche that we had in the market place, with experiential learning, had become commonplace," said Richard Jurasek, Antioch executive vice president. Link: Transformation at Antioch

Trinity College Budget Cuts Cutting Community Involvement - Trinity College (CT) is facing a possible $4.4 million budget shortfall. Trinity officials have announced plans to shelve or cut program funding from the college's nearly $100 million operating budget in the coming academic year. Among the cutbacks already being felt: programs that allowed students to volunteer in Hartford's urban community. Link:
Harsh Realities

Inside Amherst College Admissions

If you've always wanted to be the proverbial "fly on the wall" as admissions decisions at an elite college are made, here's your chance: a podcast on admissions at Amherst College that includes actual taped segments from an admissions meeting. The podcast, put together by John Merrow, education reporter for the News Hour with Jim Lehrer, includes an interview with Amherst director of admissions Tom Parker. Great information on how different factors are weighed by an admissions committee, and a "must listen" for anyone thinking about applying to a highly selective college.

Colleges for Social Students

Are you friendly and outgoing? Is your idea of a good time meeting new people or hanging out with a big bunch of friends? Do you get bored when you're alone for too long? Do you have trouble relating to folks that just want to stay in and play video games? If you like to be out and about, and enjoy people, here are some colleges that have particularly friendly student bodies and lots of opportunities for social interaction:

Allegheny College (PA)
Alma College (MI)
Arizona State University
Augustana College (IL)
University of California-Santa Barbara
Catawba College (NC)
Creighton University (NE)
Colby College (ME)
Dickinson College (PA)
Dartmouth (NH)
Denison University (OH)
Duke University (NC)
Eckerd College (FL)
Elon University (NC)
Gonzaga University (WA)
Knox College (IL)
Muhlenberg College (PA)
Otterbein College (OH)
University of Portland (OR)
Rice University (TX)
San Diego State University (CA)
University of South Carolina (SC)
Southwestern U (TX)
Susquehanna U (PA)
Texas Christian U - TCU (Texas)
Tulane University (LA)
University of Tulsa (OK)
Ursinis College (PA)
Washington University of St. Louis (MO)
Whitman College (WA)
University of Wisconsin
Wittenberg University (OH)
Yale University (CT)