University of Chicago To End Loans For Low Income Students

The University of Chicago is joining a select list of about 20 colleges and universities that have eliminated student loans for low income students. According to a Chicago Tribune article today, the University received a $100 million donation from an anonymous donor who graduated from Chicago in the early 1980's. The money will be used to provide full scholarships to approximately 800 of Chicago's 4,400 undergraduates. Qualifying students will have family incomes of under $60,000 a year. Another 400 students who have family incomes of under $75,000 a year will have roughly half of their loans replaced with grants.

Despite Rising Cost, Most Believe College A Necessity

The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on higher education, today released a study examining public attitudes about higher education. The study included random surveys of 1,001 Americans, focus groups at five locations, and interviews with corproate and legislative leaders.

The study found that although there is widespread concern about rising college costs among parents, especially among minority parents, most still view higher education in a positive light. Eighty-seven percent of those surveyed said they believe that a college education improved future employment opportunities, and 67 percent said they believe college is worth the money despite the cost. In general, those surveyed also expressed greater satisfaction with the quality of higher education than they did with public high schools, although 48 percent of those surveyed said they think their state public university system needs to be overhauled.

Sixty percent of those surveyed believe that college costs hit the middle class the hardest, but 86 percent still have faith that anyone who wants to attend college can find a way to work out the financial side of the equation. Parents do worry about college costs, but most were optimistic that they would find a way to help their children attend if they so desired.

10 Financial Aid Resources To Use Now

The summer months are when most rising seniors and their families start to take college planning seriously. Many will finish up college visits and begin finalizing their college lists. Some students will even be motivated enough to start working on their application essays. As you focus on choosing colleges, however, don't forget one of the most important parts of planning for college: Financial planning. The more you learn now about the process of applying for financial aid, the better you will be able to shape your college list to minimize financial surprises next April.

Here are 10 financial aid resources that students and parents should check out now, rather than later:

1. Begin with the granddaddy of all financial aid sites, the U.S. Department of Education's Student Aid Portal. Here, you'll find links to everything you need to know about federal financial aid programs, as well as links to other helpful sites and publications.

2. Get an estimate of your eligibilty for federal financial aid and your family's Estimated Financial Contributions (EFC) from the new Federal Financial Aid Forecaster. I would recommend using this calculator before others that are available online as it is the most accurate and up-to-date. However, keep in mind that each college will have their own methodology for awarding institutional financial aid, so it is important to ask every college about factors that might also be weighed in your final financial aid offer.

3. Watch the free video, Start Here, Go Further With Federal Student Aid. This is another government resource that walks students and parents through the application process. Although deadlines for filing for financial aid are still months away, getting an overview of what will be involved now will insure that you'll be ready with everything you need to file your financial aid paperwork.

4. Find out what financial help may be available from your state government. Many states offer grants to students if they meet certain eligibility standards. Contact your State Department of Education or search for a link to your State's programs in the Schools In the USA database.

5. After you've learned the basics of government aid programas, the next stop should be the College Board's Paying For College site. Although the site has tons of great information on paying for college, the reason to check this site now is that the College Board administers the CSS PROFILE. The PROFILE is the extra financial aid application required by many colleges and universities that asks additional questions about family assets and income so that colleges can apply their own institutional methodology in determining financial aid awards. You can find a list of colleges and universities that require the PROFILE here, as well as a brief overview of how the PROFILE may factor into your financial aid eligibility.

6. You can learn some techniques for legally maximizing your family's financial aid eligibility and get tips on financial aid planning at FinAid.com. One caution: for access to parts of this site, registration is required.

7. Because most financial aid packages will contain student loans, it is a good idea to evaluate how student debt might affect your college choices. A great site for calculating the implications of future loan payments for different student loan amounts is the Mapping Your Future site. In particular, look at the Loan/Salary calculators in the left hand column – they will help you calculate how much taking different amounts of student loans will mean in terms of payments after you graduate, and the salary you will need in order to afford those loans.

8. Find out some of the behind-the-scenes skinny on financial aid by reading 10 Things Financial Aid Officers Won't Tell You from Smartmoney.com.

9. As you draw up your college list, it's important to understand that many colleges give the best financial aid to the most desirable students. Adjusting your list accordingly may avoid financial surprises next spring. For an excellent overview of how colleges use preferrential financial aid packaging, start with this honest article written by the staff at Muhlenberg College. A good companion piece is a classic article on financial aid leveraging from the Atlantic Monthly, The Best Class Money Can Buy. However, do not let either of these articles scare you! Knowing how and why colleges make the decisions they do is your best way to eliminate surprises and get the best possible financial aid package and merit awards. Armed with this information, the next step is to understand the process, and make sure you get all of the money you are entitled to!

10. Finally, although you won't be receiving financial aid offers from colleges for many months, now is a good time to start learning how to compare financial aid packages from different colleges. The website Financialaidletter.com is a great place to examine some actual fiancial aid letters, get smart on financial aid jargon, and learn which questions to ask colleges about financial aid. : www.financialaidletter.com All financial aid offers are not created equally. In order to determine which college has really offered you the most realistic financial aid offer, you need to understand how to decode the jargon in financial aid letters. This site is a great place to read some actual financial aid letters, get smart on financial aid jargon, and find out which questions to ask colleges.

News for Prospective Language Majors

If you're a prospective foreign language major, or plan to take foreign language courses in college, a report from the Modern Language Association (MLA) being issued today is worth reading before you begin your college search. The MLA proposal calls on colleges to revamp the way foreign languages are taught at the undergraduate level. Most colleges today, the report notes, use a two-tiered approach to foreign language education, starting first with basic language skills and then moving on to literary study in the language. Instead, the MLA calls on colleges to move away from the focus on literature and place more emphasis on the study of the history, economics, culture and linguistics of the societies that speak each language. Rather than trying to create students with the same competence in the language as a native speaker, the report suggests that foreign language programs should strive to help students develop the skills necessary to "function as informed and capable interlocutors with educated native speakers in the target language." Finally, the report notes that at most colleges introductory language courses are currently taught not by tenured faculty, but by adjunct faculty. The report calls on colleges to increase their use of tenure-track faculty in introductory courses, and suggests that adjuncts have greater input into the overall curriculum.

What Are the Best Colleges For My Major?

One of the most common questions I am asked is "What are the best colleges for my intended major?" I've been asked this by prospective majors in just about every subject imaginable. My reply is always the same: You are asking the wrong question. The real question students and parents should be asking at the start of their college search is not which programs are "best" but, rather, "what are the elements of a strong program in the particular major?"

It's a subtle but important difference because without an understanding of what matters in a major department or program, it's almost impossible to compare and evaluate individual departments and the differences between programs at different colleges and universities.

So, how do you start educating yourself about what to look for in a specific department or program? One place to start are the College Board's major profiles. Each profile offers a quick overview of the major, along with some suggestions of questions that prospective students should ask colleges about the program in that major.

Next, seek out trade and professional associations related to the major. Many associations have put together helpful information about what to look for in programs and departments to help students develop their own list of questions to ask as you research individual schools. For example, the American Society of Engineering Education has put together a good overview of what prospective engineering students should look for and consider when looking at engineering programs. There is even a link to a database of detailed descriptions of individual engineering programs. Other trade organizations have organized task forces on education in the field, and their work can provide key insights into the type of curriculum to look for in individual programs. For example, the Association for Computing Machinery has put together a report with detailed recommendations for what the undergraduate curriculum for computer science, software engineering, and computer engineering educational programs should include.

Other professional organizations are responsible for accrediting programs in specific fields. Reading the requirements for accreditation, and examining the programs of accredited members, can help prospective students get a clearer understanding of both the differences and similarities in various programs. For example, reviewing the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications standards for accreditation will give prospective journalism students an overview of the coursework and focus important for a strong journalism program. Students who are interested in colleges and universities that are not accredited can also use this information to determine if those programs will meet accepted industry standards.
Many trade and professional associations also welcome direct questions from students, and some even offer mentorship programs that can hook you up with someone who has first-hand experience with education in the field.

To find trade and professional associations, try a Google search using the name of the major or career you are interested in with the word "association." Gale's Association Encyclopedia , available in many libraries, is another good way to hunt down relevant associations. For accrediting agencies, start with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Postsecondary Education accreditation database.

Google can also be used to turn up relevant articles on websites about what to look for in specific programs. For example, a website called the Philosophical Gourmet, which is written by a professor of philosophy, has a good article about what to look for in an undergraduate philosophy department. Trade and business publications often discuss education in the field as well. However, one caveat: be sure to consider who is writing the article, and what qualifications the person has to discuss education in the field.

If your plan is to go on to graduate school in the field of study, look for information about what graduate programs look for or expect in terms of preparation and undergraduate coursework. Try looking at the admissions websites of selected graduate programs, as well as for information geared to helping undergraduates prepare. For example, prospective pre-med students can get an overview of what is required for medical school admissions on a website for pre-med majors maintained by Amherst College.

Don't be shy about contacting faculty in selected departments to ask about what you should be looking for as you evaluate programs. Ask them about the features that they feel make their school's program particularly strong, and the curriculum and facilities that are important for undergraduates in the field. People who have already majored in the field, or who work in careers related to the major, can be other good sources of insight.

It may seem like a great deal of work to do this sort of research upfront, but the best way to evaluate and compare colleges and universities is to be an informed consumer.

One last thought: Majors can and often do change. Therefore, while it makes sense to understand which questions to ask colleges about their programs in specific majors, you should not make the decision to attend a college simply because of the strength of a particular major. Make sure you have considered what else you want and need from your college experience beyond a strong department in a particular major. That way, if you change your mind, you won't be stuck at a school where the only attraction for you is a major you're no longer interested in pursuing.

Help Your Child Prepare for College Application Stress

There was an interesting article in the Philadelphia Inquirer earlier this week. The headline says it all: "The year that puts students to the test. As the scramble to get into college intensifies, is it any wonder that juniors feel overwhelmed?" In the article, juniors at Philadelphia high schools discuss their fear and anxiety over their upcoming college application process, and it's not a pretty picture.

In my last post here, I talked about ways parents can relieve their stress over their children's college application journey. Today, I'd like to talk a bit about the most important thing a parent can do to help their child through the admissions process, which is help your child manage all of the stress and anxiety that comes with putting themselves out there to be judged by colleges and universities. That process actually begins now before your child has even finalized his or her college list.

Katherine Dahisgaard, PhD., of NYU Child Study Center, has put together a terrific list of suggestions for helping your teen cope with the stress of applying to college. While acknowledging that stress is an inevitable part of the process, Dahisgaard believes that applying to college is also a key opportunity for students to learn the coping skills and tools they'll need throughout their life.

Dahisgaard suggests that parents find a calm moment before the fall frenzy begins to ask their child, "How can I help you best?" Does your child want you to give hands-on help or take a more distanced yet supportive role? I talk a great deal here about the importance of finding the right matches between students and colleges, but Dahisgaard has hit upon something that is just as important: Parental involvement in the process should also match up with the individual child. Some students are very independent and highly motivated. They don't need (and may not want) their parents hovering over every step they take through college applications. Other students tend to have a hard time getting started with projects, or may welcome more help and support from their parents. Parents who ignore their child's individual personality style can inadvertently end up adding more stress in the guise of trying to help.

Some of the other advice Dahisgaard gives to parents about helping their children through the process: Remain relentlessly calm and optimistic. Don't let your child's anxiety become your own. Keep your child's expectations realistic, and, most of all, "Maintain your sense of humor. Laughter and good times together make any experience bearable."

As a parent myself, I know that it's not always as easy as Dahisgaard makes it sound, especially when the clock is ticking down to the application deadline. However, every parent staring down the long, dark tunnel of college applications should tack a copy of her suggestions to the refrigerator for the times ahead.


Related Links:

- Helping Teenagers with Stress from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

- Managing Stress Depends on Learning Foucs and Control

The Parent's Guide To College Admissions Stress

It's a rite of passage. Every year, as parents of seniors get out the cameras to snap pictures at high school graduations, the parents of juniors start ratcheting up their worry about how they'll shepard their kids through the college admissions process. To kick off the 2007-2008 admissions season for parents properly, therefore, I thought I'd repeat some advice I gave last year to parents about handling the stress of college admissions.

Feeling anxious? Stressed? A little teary-eyed? Welcome to the roller coaster ride of watching your child apply to college! Even the calmest parent can expect to say at least one (or all!) of the following statements at some point during the process, but here's some advice on how to make the journey less harrowing.

“My child doesn’t seem interested in looking at colleges.”

For the majority of high school students, college is a fuzzy concept. Sure, they know that eventually high school will end, but right now hanging out with friends and studying for next week’s big test are more pressing concerns. If your child isn’t exactly chomping at the bit to hop in the car and take a nationwide tour of college campuses, don’t despair. Start slowly. Buy a few college guidebooks and leave them lying around in conspicuous places. Order a few college videos*, pop some popcorn, and have some fun watching them together. Find out when local college fairs are scheduled, and offer to drive your child and a few of his or her friends. Do a few quick drive-bys of colleges that are located along your vacation route. Keep things low key, and eventually, most kids will start getting interested.

* Good sources of low cost college videos: Videc.com, Collegiate Choice Videos, and, increasingly, the colleges themselves.

“My child will be devastated if he doesn’t get into his top choice college.”

Disappointment is, unfortunately, often a part of life. While we’d all like to protect our children from disappointment, the most important gift any parent can give to their child during the college application process is a strong faith in their child’s resiliency and ability to cope in the face of disappointing news. Will your child be sad and let down if a thin envelope instead of a fat one shows up in the mailbox? Of course. But, most students recover quickly. If you’ve made it clear from the beginning that, if things do not turn out as planned they will not only survive but thrive somewhere else, they’ll be able to move on faster, and start thriving sooner.

“My child could never be happy at a college that no one has ever heard of.”

The name recognition of a particular college actually has almost zero correlation with the chance that any individual student will be happy and successful there. Instead, what matters is the fit between the student’s learning and social styles and the college’s academic and social environment. There are over 2,600 four-year colleges and universities in the U.S., and most people probably can only name a handful of them. Yet, not only are there happy and successful students at every single college, there are dozens of schools where your child can find a satisfying and happy home. Don’t limit your child’s options by focusing on a nebulous measure like name recognition.

“My child will make the wrong college choice.”

It’s very hard to watch our children struggling with such a major decision, and almost impossible not to worry about the outcome. However, ultimately, parents do have to step back and trust their child’s judgment about where to apply and where to attend. The decision, after all, is the first key step into adulthood. Keep in mind that even decisions that don’t work out can be reversed. About a third of students will end up graduating from a college different than the one they started at as freshmen. There is no shame in transferring if the first college your child chooses doesn’t work out.

"My neighbor/boss/relative says that my child is applying to the wrong colleges."

We all like assurance that we're headed in the right direction, but try to resist the urge to ask everyone from your co-workers to the mailman about your child's college list. The more opinions thrown in the pot, the less likely it is that you and your child will focus on the only two opinions that really matter: your child's and your own. And, the more people who know about your child's plans, the more you'll worry about the eventual outcome because, let's face it, no one likes to tell people that their child has been rejected. So, when you're asked where your child is applying, just smile, shrug, and say, "Oh, John's interested in several colleges. We'll have to see how it turns out." Then immediately change the subject. Encourage your child to do the same.

“My child is so special and talented that any college will be glad to have her.”

When it comes to college admissions, there are no guarantees. Valedictorians, students with perfect SAT scores, and students with special talents sometimes get rejected just like less impressive applicants. Therefore, it’s wise to make a realistic assessment of both your child’s strengths and weaknesses, and help your child develop a well-rounded college list. No one – no matter how perfect or remarkable they may seem – should apply solely to schools that reject 90% or more of applicants!

“My child’s application essay is horrible.”

Many parents get squeamish when they read their child’s application essays. After all, they sound so…well, like a 17-year or 18-year old wrote them! And, that’s just the point: Colleges want to read essays that sound like your child, not an adult. So, although it may be hard not to get out your red pen and totally rewrite your child’s essay for them, try to resist. Don’t worry too much about whether the topic they’ve chosen is “right.” As long as the essay is not obscene, easily misinterpreted, or likely to upset a reader, most essay topics work just fine.

“My child has worked so hard. She deserves to get into a top college.”
“My child is so smart. He deserves to get into a top college.”

Sorry. There is no such thing as an entitlement when it comes to college admissions. The truth is there are thousands, perhaps millions, of deserving students dashing off applications as we speak. College admissions officers work hard to try to make the best match between their institutions and applicants, but there isn’t room for every applicant, so tough choices must often be made. All students (and parents) can do is apply to a realistic mix of colleges, prepare the best possible application, and let the process work out as it does.

“My child will be rejected everywhere.”

While there are occasional stories of top students finding themselves denied everywhere, most students who have developed a thoughtful and realistic list of colleges, and treated each application seriously, end up with solid choices come April. Even if the worst happens, it is not the end of the world. Every spring, there are hundreds of colleges that still have openings for the fall and will take a look at a last minute application or two. And, a gap year can give students a much-needed chance to reassess where they would fit in best, and to re-apply with an even better application.

“My child will never finish his application on time.”

Parents have plenty of experience filling in applications for everything from jobs to credit cards. Why, they wonder, is it taking my kid so darned long to fill out his college applications? Most students work at their own speed when it comes to getting a handle on college applications. They may be uncertain how to begin, or they may be temporarily stalled by sheer panic at the monumental task of typing in their social security number. Eventually, most students get down to work and get their applications out on time (granted, sometimes moments before the deadline, but still, on time).

“My child can’t possibly apply to college without my help.”

Yes, and no. Most students really do benefit from parental support and guidance as they traverse the rocky road of college applications. However, parents need to be careful that they are guiding, not pushing the process. Suggesting colleges to your child, helping your child set up a calendar of application deadlines, and arranging college visits are examples of guiding. Insisting that your child write their college essay your way, choosing your child's college list yourself, or contacting admissions officers about your child's application, are examples of pushing. Ultimately, this is your child’s first step to adulthood, and you must let them take that first step in their own way, as hard as that may seem at times.

More Colleges Join US News Rankings Mutiny

According to an article in today's Inside HigherEd, 15 additional colleges have now joined the rebellion against the U.S. News & World Report college rankings. They join 13 colleges that already agreed to stop participating a few weeks ago.

Will this growing mutiny have any effect on the U.S. News & World Report rankings? It's extremely unlikely, unless some of the "elite" schools join in. Obviously, however, colleges that rank high have no real incentive to join the boycott, unless, of course, its out of concern for how the rankings are affecting the frenzy surrounding college admissions - and, ultimately, students - today.

Jewish Student College Planning Resources

If you're a Jewish student looking for insight into college planning, the publishers of Reform Judiasm magazine will be issuing the second annual Jewish Insider's Guide to College this fall. The guide, produced in partnership with Hillel, will include lists of the top 60 colleges and universities for Jewish students, as well as information on college admissions and financing. The cost for orders of 1-9 copies will be $1.10 each. Orders should be made by July 1 directly to this address: Reform Judiasm magazine, 633 Third Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10017-6778. Phone 212-650-4242 or email rjmagazine@urj.org for additional information.

Another excellent resource for Jewish students available online is Hillel's Guide to Jewish Life on Campus, which features a searchable database of colleges and universities so that students can search for information on Hillel, Kosher kitchens, and other support programs for Jewish students.

More on US News Ranking Mutiny

As many who read this blog regularly know, I'm not a huge fan of published ranking systems. While it can be interesting to see who ends up at the top of the list, no ranking can tell an individual student whether a particular college will be a match for his or her particular needs. Unfortunately, some families end up using rankings to decide if colleges are worth applying to or not, instead of focusing on developing their own criteria for finding the best fit.

College presidents and admissions people have other qualms about rankings, in particular the U.S. News and World Reports Best College Rankings. Last month, a group of college presidents decided to take a stand against the U.S. News rankings and they invited other colleges to follow suit. Today, in the Los Angeles Times, one of those college presidents, Patricia MCGuire, president of Trinity University in Washington, D.C., has written a well-thought out Op Ed piece in the Los Angeles Times about the reasons why she decided to join in the mutiny against the U.S. News rankings.

McGuire's issues with the rankings focus in on the peer assessment section of the rankings, which account for 25 percent of a college's ranking score. McGuire notes that, as a college president, she's asked by U.S. News to assess the educational quality of over 180 institutions. "Most of what I know about these schools is through anecdotes, news stories and rumors," McGuire writes. "Should I score an institution poorly because I've heard that it has money woes? Should faculty unrest influence my vote?"

McGuire also believes that rankings are actually pushing up the cost of college by forcing schools who want to raise in the rankings to push up financial expenditures in the areas measured by the rankings, regardless of whether it makes good business sense to do so. And, finally, she claims that the rankings also encourage colleges to avoid admitting more low income students because they might drive down retention and admissions data used in compiling the rankings.

Advice On College Loans

Although it's probably too late for many of this year's college seniors, there's a helpful article on college loans from Associated Press education writer Justin Pope that next year's seniors and their parents may want to read. In it, Pope covers the basics of borrowing for college, from Federal Stafford loans to private loan sources. Families who are planning ahead may also want to review my list of college financing questions that every family should ask themselves as they start drawing up a college list.

Start Your College Search Here

If you're just getting started with your college search, a great place to start is the College Board website. The same folks that make those nasty SAT and AP exams have pulled together an exceptional group of resources and tools to help students and parents navigate the college planning and admissions maze.

Begin by reading the many articles on college planning. Not sure whether you'd prefer a small or a large college, or whether you'd like a school in a rural or urban location? Want to understand the difference between a research university and a liberal arts college? Curious about how colleges will look at your admissions profile? What do you need to know about financial aid? You'll find answers to these and many other questions.

Next, check out the College Matchmaker. Although there are many sites with college search engines, I particularly like the College Board's because it doesn't give false expectations about your chances of getting into any particular college. After the Matchmaker returns a list of college suggestions for you based on your individual preferences, click on the college links to get a good overview about each school's majors, special programs, financial aid, and admissions criteria. You can even click on a link on each profile to get a local map of the college, which is handy if you're planning college visits this summer.

Once you've narrowed down a few options, the College Board has a great way to compare up to three colleges side-by-side.

Finally, don't forget to check out the majors and careers profiles. Both are good places to begin thinking about the academic questions you'll need to ask individual colleges before you firm up your list.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute to Go SAT Optional

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has announced that it will become the first nationally-ranked science and engineering university to make submitting standardized test scores optional. Students who decide not to submit test scores will be asked to submit research papers, science projects or other indicators of academic achievement. The new policy will take effect for the class applying for fall, 2008.

"By instituting an SAT-optional admissions policy, WPI is taking bold action to attract a broader range of young people, including those from underrepresented communities, who we believe can succeed at the unviersity and contribute their talents to solving problems around the world," said WPI president Dennis Berkey in announcing the move.

Getting The Most Out Of College Websites

When visiting a college website, most prospective students usually head straight for the link marked "admissions." Smart college shoppers, however, don't stop there. While the admissions section of a college's website obviously contains vital information that every prospective student needs to know, if you overlook the rest of the college's website you risk missing the bigger picture of how each school views itself, and what campus academic and social life is really like. In short, you'll miss important insights that may tell you if a school is a good fit for you, and what the school is looking for as it makes admissions decisions.

Here are seven stops beyond the admissions page that every prospective student (and their parents) should look for on every college website. You may not be able to find all of these on all college websites, but using this as a template for college research will help you track down as much information as possible.

1. The college's mission statement. A college's mission statement can often provide insights into the subtle differences between colleges. Claremont McKenna College for example describes its mission as educating "its students for thoughtful and product lives and responsible leadership in business, government and the professions...The College pursues this mission by providing a liberal arts education that emphasizes economics and political science..." Contrast Claremont McKenna's mission with Earlham College's which reads, in part: "The mission of Earlham College...is to provide the highest quality undergraduate education in the liberal arts...shaped by the distinctive perspectives of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)...The teacher learning-process at Earlham is shaped by a view of education as a process of awakening the 'teacher within,'so that our students will become lifelong learners...At Earlham College this education is carried on with a concern for the world in which we live and for improving human society. Therefore, Earlham stresses global education, peaceful resolution of conflict, equality of persons, and high moral standards of personal conduct." Now, consider the type of characteristics the admissions committees of these two schools might find most attractive.

2. The college's strategic plan. Like the mission statement, an institution's strategic plan can tell you a great deal about how a college views its place in the world, both now and in the future. What initiatives does the university value enough to place in the strategic plan? How do they plan to reach the objectives of the strategic plan? When available, the strategic plan can provide important clues as to how the school might be hoping to change its admissions profile in the future. In reading strategic plans, think how you might be able to fit with the school's future vision.

3. The Common Data Set. Colleges provide information about their admissions and academic programs to publishers through the Common Data Set Initiative. Guidebook and other publishers use the information provided to profile and report on individual colleges. However, the information on the actual Common Data Set itself tells you much more than any guidebook or published ranking system provides. You'll find information about student enrollments, class sizes, faculty, and, yes, admissions data on the most recent enrolled class. Unfortunately, few colleges provide a link to their full Common Data Set on their admissions website (Stanford is one of the few which does), so you'll need to do a search on the overall website to find it. If it doesn't turn up in a search, look for "institutional research." Still can't find it? Consider asking admissions if you could receive a copy.

4. The student newspaper. Student newspapers are terrific places to look for the truth about life on campus. Most are available online, and can be found by searching for the term "student newspaper" on the college's website. You can also find links to many college student newspapers at Newslink. Don't just read the current issue. Look through past issues in the archives. What are students talking about? What are the major issues on campus? What types of activities seem to be offered on campus?

5. Distribution and graduation requirements. Do a search for "graduation requirements," "distribution requirements, or "general education requirements." What does the college require of its students? Do all students have to take a standard group of required classes (core requirement)? What are those core classes? Or, does the school have distribution requirements that mean you'll be taking a certain number of classes in say science, the arts, and social sciences. What types of classes will meet those requirements? For example, if you hate math, does a "quantitative analysis" requirement mean another year of calculus, or can it be fulfilled by taking a more generalized class in say the social sciences that uses math but isn't actually a math class?

6. Academic department websites. Don't just look at the descriptions of majors offered on the admissions website. Dig deeper. Click on the "academics" link and go to the web sites of several departments. Sure, check out the department you might be interested in majoring in, but remember you will only be taking about a third of your classes in that department. So, also look at the web pages of the departments you'll probably have to take classes in. At each department site, look first for overview information: What is the general approach or philosophy of the department to study in this area? What type of resources does the department have available (i.e., research facilities, department libraries, etc.) Next, read through some of the course descriptions. How are the courses described? Do they sound pretty straight forward and traditional or are there unusual courses with titles like "Poetry for Physicists" and "The Art of the Tea Pot"? (Both by the way are two actual courses at real colleges.) Are there any interdisciplinary courses that cut across departmental or subject lines? Next, check out the faculty of several departments. Where did they do their doctoral work? What are their special interests? What have they published or accomplished professionally? Finally, look to see if the department web page in your potential major(s) has any information about what its graduates have done after graduation.

7. Registration and course schedules. Course catalogs can be deceptive. They often list courses that are only offered every other semester, or even every other year. They also don't tell you much about how difficult it is to get into individual classes. To get a fuller picture, do a search for "registration" or "course schedule." Many schools now have online registration and list details about which courses are offered in a typical semester. If you can find the online course list, look at the information for several semesters and several departments to see how many classes are actually offered in a typical semester, how large course sections are, and whether they keep a wait list. Often, online course schedules will be available for several past semesters so you can get an even better sense of how available classes are. While you're looking at registration information, look for details about how registration is handled. Do all students register at the same time, or do seniors get first preference? Is registration done online? Do students need to get special permission to enroll in some classes?

Still Looking for A College?

If you're still not quite satisfied with your college choice for next fall, you might want to check out the list of colleges below. According to Ron Killion, the Executive Director of The Common Application, all of these schools are still accepting applications for the fall. Hurry, though, as the Common Application system will be shutting down for this year on June 3.

Albertson College of Idaho
Albion College
Pacific, University of the


Rolling Admission
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Adelphi University
Albright College
Arcadia University
Baldwin-Wallace College
Belmont University
Bethany College
Birmingham-Southern College
Bradley University
Burlington College
Cazenovia College
Chatham College
Concordia College - New York
Converse College
Creighton University
Doane College
Dominican University of California
Elizabethtown College
Elmira College
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Findlay, University of
Green Mountain College
Gustavus Adolphus College
Hendrix College
Hiram College
Hofstra University
Illinois Wesleyan University
La Roche College
La Salle University
La Verne, University of
Lawrence Technological University
Lesley College
Loyola University New Orleans
Luther College
Maine, University of
Maine, University of (Farmington)
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
Millsaps College
Mount Saint Vincent, College of
Naropa University
New England College
Nichols College
Northland College
Notre Dame de Namur University
Oglethorpe University
Pace University
Presbyterian College
Prescott College
Queens University of Charlotte
Redlands, University of
Regis College (Massachusetts)
Regis University (Colorado)
Rider University
Ripon College
Sacred Heart University
Saint Anselm College
Saint Benedict, College of, & Saint John's University
Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Saint Leo University
Saint Mary's College (Indiana)
Saint Peter's College
Saint Vincent College
Salem College (North Carolina)
Salve Regina University
Santa Fe, College of
Seton Hall University
Seton Hill University
Southern Maine, University of
Southern New Hampshire University
Spring Hill College
Tampa, University of
Tulsa, University of
Utica College
Valparaiso University
Westminster College (Missouri)
Widener University
Wilson College

Additionally, in the next few days, the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) will begin listing other colleges that still have openings for the fall in it's Annual Space Availability Survey. Every year, there are some excellent colleges that make the list. Click on the link above to access it after May 5.

To Find the Right College, Look Deeper

To find the right college, look deeper. That's the message George Bridges, president of Whitman College, wants students to absorb from an article he wrote that appears in today's Seattle Times. Although Bridges is talking to this year's seniors about making their final college choice, the points he raises in this article are also excellent advice for next year's seniors who are just getting started with the college admissions process.

"My advice to students and families faced with the choice of an undergraduate college is to look beyond the hype, the numerical indices, the loud boasts of academic predigree," writes Bridges. "Follow your intuition as much as your calculations...Of the nearly 3,000 accredited baccalaureate schools in the United States, most make good on their offer of an excellent education. In the end, it is the interior makeup of the student that will determine, in large measure, the quality of his educational experience."

While guidebooks and rankings can be a starting point for college research, Bridges suggests they won't answer the questions that students really need to ask. Those questions begin within, by thinking about the types of academic and social environments would be most comfortable and productive for the individual student. The truth that often gets lost in the rankings and guidebooks is that college choices are individual choices. There is no college or university that will be right for every student, and no student who will be right for every college. Building your college search around that one truth is more likely to bring you to the right school for you.

Many thanks to AdmissionsAdvice Discussion Forum poster, WADad for bringing this excellent article to my attention.

I've talked here before about how the media often selectively overlooks important facts when reporting on the current state of college admissions. Telling students that there is plenty of room in the nation's colleges for everyone who wants to attend and that most students get into one of their top choices apparently doesn't sell newspapers. Feeding the hysteria about college admissions like Chicken Little squacking about the sky falling apparently does.

Last week, in article in The Prospect Kevin Carey, an education researcher at the policy think tank Education Sector, added a voice of reason. Carey points out that, while it is true that the number of college age students applying to college is growing, the number of spaces in elite colleges is also growing at nearly the identical rate. Carey notes that media reports tend to focus on increasing applications reported at individual colleges, "creating a false sense that admissions standards are getting tighter."

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, the evidence actually suggests that the average number of applications being sent on on a per applicant basis may not even be growing as much as the media reports.

Today, I was pleased to see Washington Post education writer Jay Matthews admitting Carey has a point. In an article, Why It Is NOT Harder to Get Into Top Colleges, Matthews notes that Carey's article "may render obsolete one of our most beloved newsroom traditions -- the college angst story."

Wise college shoppers look beyond hype -- whether it comes from a college itself, the media, or just the neighbor down the street. Instead, they focus on looking for the story that only story that matters: The match between individual students and individual colleges. Don't let "Chicken Little" stories push you away from that goal.