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USA Today reports that grades and scores matter most to admissions officers. (May 11, 2020)

Sun, 17 May 2020 05:07:25 GMT

An article in USA Today reports that the National Association for College Admissions Counseling survey shows that grades and courses are of considerable importance at about a 75 percent level, and the essay is of considerable importance at about a 25 percent level. The survey is at: ( https://www.nacacnet.org/globalassets/documents/publications/research/2019_soca/soca2019_ch3.pdf )

The Starter Guide noticed that test scores came in at about 46 percent in considerable importance. And activities were only at 6.4 percent of considerable importance. So, students, the moral of the story is to take as hard of classes as you can, get the best grades you can, and don't let activities ruin your grades. See the article at USAToday.com, "Let's return sanity to college admissions. Coronavirus pandemic gives us an opportunity," by Jeffrey Selingo, May 11, 2020.

Colleges buy student names from SAT to mail students an invitation to apply. But is it just to boost the college's number of application? (Nov. 6, 2019)

Sun, 17 May 2020 03:56:31 GMT

Colleges buy student names from SAT to mail students an invitation to apply. But is it just to boost the college's number of application? (Nov. 6, 2019)

The Wall Street Journal's Douglas Belkin reports how colleges buy students' names and scores for 47 cents from the SAT company. Then the colleges mail the students invitations to apply. But many students might just barely qualify, so students should look closely at each college's range of test scores before getting their hopes up. The colleges, as some in this article claim, may be all in competition to get as many students to apply, even if the student's chances are low. So, the Starter Guide website reminds you that the test score ranges for admitted applicants for colleges are listed in the U.S. governments College Scorecard for free. So, if you get a mailing, it doesn't necessarily mean your chances are any higher at all. Please double check your scores to each college's range. Now, test scores are only part of the process, so good grades in a lot of harder classes mean a lot too, so applying may still be justified. Just be aware that colleges send out a lot of mail. See "Universities Buy SAT-Takers' Names And Boost Exclusivity: For 47 cents, College Board will sell a student's data, feeding admissions frenzy," by Douglas Belkin, 11-6-2019, pg. A1 & A10, Wall Street Journal.

College Admissions Debates and Details from the Harvard Admissions Lawsuit (8-28-19)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Mon, 02 Sep 2019 20:00:50 GMT

This lengthy article by Jay Caspian Kang in the New York Times Magazine provides a lot of details about the debates about college admissions, showing how convoluted it can be. See, "Where Does Affirmative Action Leave Asian-Americans? A high-profile lawsuit against Harvard is forcing students and their families to choose sides, " 8-28-19,
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/28/magazine/affirmative-action-asian-american-harvard.html?fallback=...

Tips for Paying for College from NPR Radio (06-14-2019)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 03:43:36 GMT

This 30 minute presentation, (or read the transcript) has some great information, a sort of a summary of common sense things to do. A lot of what is says agrees with a lot of the things in the Starter Guide to College, so some things are redundant, if you've read the book. https://www.npr.org/2019/06/05/729907683/paying-for-college-what-to-know-before-you-go?utm_source=np...

Private Colleges Overall Are Lowering Tuition Prices, With Grants and Discounts (05/08/2019

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Fri, 10 May 2019 22:04:04 GMT

A study by the National Association of College and University Business Officers shows that nationwide, colleges are lowering their net tuition prices with more discounts and grants. see https://www.nacubo.org/research/2018/nacubo-tuition-discounting-study .

Trade Schools Are Better for Some Students Than 4-Year Degrees, Even When the Parents Don't Like It at First, 03-16-2019

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 10 Mar 2019 00:06:47 GMT

See "The Stigma of Choosing Trade School Over College: When college is held up as the one true path to success, parents—especially highly educated ones—might worry when their children opt for vocational school instead, " by Meg St-Esprit, The Atlantic. March 6, 2019. https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/03/choosing-trade-school-over-college/584275/

Girls: Be More Confident! Young women outwork young men in school, but then the men are more willing to take risks and show confidence. 2-7-2019

Sat, 23 Feb 2019 18:36:40 GMT

"Why Girls Beat Boys at School and Lose to Them at the Office: Hard work and discipline help girls outperform boys in class, but that advantage disappears in the work force. Is school the problem?" By Lisa Damour, New York Times, Feb. 7, 2019

In college, don't just pass the classes, get to know a professor and find mentors, 8-17-2018

Sat, 23 Feb 2019 18:36:36 GMT

Find mentors and go and talk with professors, not just pass the classes. See "How to Get the Most Out of College: They're privileged, pivotal years. Navigate them with as much care as you did the path that got you there," by Frank Bruni, Aug. 17, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/17/opinion/college-students.html

Here's some of the debate of admissions staff about whom to admit. 2-20-2019

Sat, 23 Feb 2019 18:36:33 GMT

This article shows some of the give and take that admissions officers discuss as they try to decide whom to admit. It's not a scientific process, but a process formed by people, who must come to conclusions and opinions about other people, which are the students who are applying. See, " 'Give these brown babies a shot': UNC defends its use of race in admissions," by Benjamin Wemund, Feb. 20, 2019, Politico. https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/20/unc-race-admissions-1162175

Degree holders on average earn more, but a lot of people don't finish to get the degree and then the costs may not be worth it. 9-29-2018

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 23:07:10 GMT

"Given the choice, I would much rather be a 22-year old college graduate with $30,000 in debt (roughly the national average among those who take out federal loans) than an 18-year-old who decides not to enroll in college at all. The direct financial rewards of a degree are enormous, and don’t even begin to capture the many other dimensions that attending college can positively impact one’s life," wrote Temple Univ. Economics Professor Douglas Webber, PhD, in his report, "Is College Worth It? Going Beyond Averages." for Third Way, 9-28-2018. A big problem, however, is that 6 out of 10 people don't finish to get the degree, and the degree itself is important to making more money, reported Webber.
https://www.thirdway.org/report/is-college-worth-it-going-beyond-averages

U.S. News Rankings changes ranking formula to reward colleges that have more low-income students. 9-10-2018

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 20:16:48 GMT

A new formula will be in place for the US News and World Report college rankings, so colleges with a better record in social mobility, helping low-income and working-class students, will get a slight nudge in the rankings, perhaps benefitting Univ. of California system colleges. From Morning Education by Politico, 9-10-2018.

Three NC colleges drop tuition and more students sign up. 9-09-2018

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 20:09:29 GMT

How does $5,000 a full year for out- of- state tuition sound? Like a very good deal. Check out Western Carolina Univ., UNC Pembroke and Elizabeth City State Univ. from These 3 NC colleges drastically dropped tuition. The result was like a ‘booster rocket.’ By Jane Stancill, The News & Observer. 9-9-2018 https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article218006465.html

A Lot More Students Can't Pay Back Loans, Especially from For-Profit Colleges (8-26-2018)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 05:24:53 GMT

Regarding student debt: The averages don't sound too bad ($6,600 is the average for one year and $22,000 for a degree) the default rates are climbing pretty fast. For profit colleges have the highest rates of students who are in default or, in other words, are in over their heads in debt and cannot pay back the loan on time, up to about 1 of 4 people. This is from official government statistics, as reported by the New York Times (see below). So, watch out with any student loan, but be especially careful at the for-profit colleges, which more students are in default at. Beware of for-profit colleges degrees that may not provide the jobs or paychecks based on their assurances only. Do your research on job openings, pay for beginning jobs and for certain find some graduates to talk to before you sign up. Just "being in school" isn't worth it if you have too much debt to pay back. See "The Student Debt Problem is Worse Than We Imagined," by Ben Miller, 8-26-18 in the New York Times,
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/25/opinion/sunday/student-debt-loan-default-college.html... .

Quiet students may be overlooked for selective admissions so they should highlight their accomplishments all the more. (08-5-2018)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 22:19:49 GMT

In the information that was provided by Harvard in the court cases about admissions, it looks as if students who were outgoing and more exuberant in interviews or meetings with admissions staff got noticed, while quieter students were disparaged in some of the comments from the admissions staff. That's what reporter Jonathan Zimmerman noticed in the article "One group that definately faces prejudice in college admissions," Aug. 5, 2018 in the Washington Post.
Zimmerman also points out that a lot of research shows that the quiet, introverted people in life are just as productive in results and in leadership, if not more so, than the talkative people. He points to Bill Gates as a quiet leader, one of the world's most successful. I point to Warren Buffet in my book. So being an introvert is normal and productive, but students who are that type of person should take steps to produce accomplishments, even if in a more private, quiet way, and highlight those accomplishments. Perhaps in face-to-face contact, go ahead and say "I'm more quietly determined than I am boisterous. I'm still going to accomplish great things."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/one-group-that-definitely-faces-prejudice-in-college-admissi...

Millennials are "generation cold reality"not generation snowflake, due to student debt and high housing costs.

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 14:49:07 GMT

From a letter to The Economist (12-3-2016), David Lambert writes from London, "Although we are on similar salaries to those of our parents when they were our age, we are paying in effect an extra tax of 9% on our earnings because of student-loan repayments. That, combined with the the rental market in London makes me significantly worse off than my parents' generation. They will also benefit from generous final-salary pension schemes that were available to them when they started work.
This is not generation snowflake, but generation cold reality." I note that higher housing costs aren't just in London, but across much of the United States as well.

Selective College Legacy Admits Remain High (7-12-2018)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 23:02:42 GMT

Fancy colleges say they want to let more working-class students in, but when alumni families get preference with "legacy" admits, then those working-class kids can't get in, unless some other wealthy students are left out. Admit rates for legacies can be double (Univ. of Virginia, Georgetown and Notre Dame) or even four times higher (Princeton). See "How Much Does Being a Legacy Help Your College Admissions Odds?" by Melissa Korn, Wall Street Journal, July 9, 2018.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/legacy-preferences-complicate-colleges-diversity-push-1531128601

California Kids, Take Note: In California, 3,000 More Local Students Accepted, Which Includes More Community College Transfers, to the University of California's Nine UC Colleges (7-12-2018).

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 21:44:47 GMT

The prestigious UC system added more California residents and that included more community college transfers. See, "UC lets in record number of state resident," by Teresa Watanbe, Los Angeles Times, pg 1, July 12, 2018.

Half of U.S. Bachelor's Degrees Have Community College Credits Involved: Yes, Half. So Don't Worry, Use the Community College.

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 01:01:40 GMT

As reported in the Wall Street Journal, 49% of U.S. bachelor's degrees awarded in 2016 had community college credits applied. On top of that, two-thirds of those were for 3 or more terms. That saves some serious money, as public community college credits cost only one-third as much as public regular colleges, in other words, only $100 per credit, for example, not $300 per credit. See "When It Pays to Start at a Community College," by Chana R. Schoenberger, Wall Street Journal, April, 9, 2017.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-it-pays-to-start-at-a-community-college-1491791813?mod=searchresul...

An update on how selective colleges admissions could be affected by affirmative action cases. (7-7-2018)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sat, 07 Jul 2018 22:27:57 GMT

This article shows current grade school enrollments by race, current college enrollments by race. It discussed Asians at Harvard, new Justice Department guidelines, and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio's effort to increase low-income student enrollment at the elite high schools.
National Public Radio, July 7, 2018,
https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/07/07/626500660/everything-that-s-going-on-with-race-ethnicity-...

Forget college: Use an apprenticeship to earn from $60,000 to $100,000. (7-7-2018)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sat, 07 Jul 2018 22:27:31 GMT

See the information at the end of the article on $60,000 jobs from apprenticeships, that do not require any college. These can lead to $100,000+ jobs with experience and time on the job. From the Washington Examiner, July 7, 2018
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/red-alert-politics/college-may-help-the-poor-but-apprenticeships-...

Private colleges cut their prices, but still fewer students are buying (4-30-2018)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sat, 07 Jul 2018 22:22:18 GMT

From the Wall Street Journal, "Private Colleges Dole Out Scholarships to Boost Enrollment, but It Isn’t Working

Tuition discount rates have risen to a record 49.9% for freshmen," by Melissa Korn, April 30, 2018

https://www.wsj.com/search/term.html?KEYWORDS=College%20Price%20Cuts%20Risk%20Backfiring

Is college really a credentials arms race? (Jan. 2018)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sat, 07 Jul 2018 22:19:11 GMT

Written by a PhD from Princeton. Beyond higher salary averages, is college just to prove you will work hard at boring stuff, thus signaling employers to hire you? Here's what Bryan Caplan writes: "Lest I be misinterpreted, I emphatically affirm that education confers some marketable skills, namely literacy and numeracy. Nonetheless, I believe that signaling accounts for at least half of college’s financial reward, and probably more."
From "The World Might Be Better Off Without College for Everyone." by Bryan Caplan, The Atlantic, Jan.-Feb., 2018 https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/01/whats-college-good-for/546590/

A Respected Educator Calls for More School Counselors, More Programs for First-Generation College Students, And For Getting Rid of Legacy Admissions (4-7-2018)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 22:48:49 GMT

See "How to Level the College Playing Field," by Harold O. Levy with Peg Tyre - in the New York Times, (4-7-2018 - https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/07/opinion/sunday/harold-levy-college.html

More Early-Admission Applicants are Getting Into the Ivies Than in the Past (3-29-18)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:43:35 GMT

From the Wall Street Journal, "In Many States, Students at Public Universities Foot Biggest Part of the Bill," (3-29-2018) https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-many-states-students-at-public-universities-foot-biggest-part-of-the...

McDonald's Offers $2,500 for College per Year, After 90 Days and 15 Hours a Week at Work (3-29-2018)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:43:11 GMT

McDonalds is ponying up some decent money, $2,500 per year for employees, and that's now after working for only 90 days at 15 hours a week. Supervisors can get $3,000 per year. Hey, that's something to work with. From CNNMoney (3-29-2018) : http://money.cnn.com/2018/03/29/pf/mcdonalds-tuition-benefit/index.html

Budget Cuts from Taxpayers to State Colleges Means Tuition Covers More State College Budgets in Half of the States for the First Time (3-29-18)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:42:51 GMT

U.S. Women on Average Earn: $61,000 with A Bachelor's Degree (2-27-18)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:41:23 GMT

Women Earn $43,000 with an Associate's Degree and $83,000 with a Masters Degree or HigherWomen Earn $43,000 with an Associate's Degree and $83,000 with a Masters Degree or Higher

These figures still lag behind men, as reported in Money Magazine: "Women Need One More Degree Than Men to Earn the Same Average Salary," (2-27-2018) http://time.com/money/5176517/gender-pay-gap-college-degrees/

Of All People with Student Loan Debt, More of Them, (14%) Owe More than $50,000 (2-22-2018)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:40:48 GMT

Higher Amounts Take A Lot Longer to Pay Off

From Money Magazine (2-22-2018) "A Shocking Number of Americans Now Owe at Least $50,000 in Student Debt—and Many Aren't Paying It Down" http://time.com/money/5169145/50000-dollars-student-debt-default/

Legacy Admissions Challenged as Unfair By First Generation Students Who Got In (2-14-2018)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:40:23 GMT

Campus groups of first-generation students at their own colleges are campaigning for the practice to end. From FoxNews.com and the Associated Press and see, "Students, alumni challenge legacy preference at top colleges," (2-14-2018) http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/02/14/students-alumni-challenge-legacy-preference-at-top-colleges.htm...

Women Outnumber Men at Oxford (1-26-2018)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:39:52 GMT

See NY Times, (1-26-2018) "Women Outnumber Men in Oxford’s Newest Class. It Only Took 1,000 Years," https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/26/world/europe/women-men-oxford.html?emc=edit_tnt_20180128&nlid...

Ramen Noodles and the Food Bank: Half of U.S. College Students Struggle on their Food Budget. Yes, Half. (1-14-2018)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:39:13 GMT

From The NY Times: It’s Hard to Study if You’re Hungry -(1-14-2018) https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/14/opinion/hunger-college-food-insecurity.html

Tricky FAFSA Items (12-19-2017)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:38:53 GMT

From the NY Times: (12-19-17) "The 8 Most Confusing Things About Fafsa," h ttps://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/19/opinion/fafsa-college-financial-aid.html

Failing Well: At Any College, Students Will Fail Sometimes (7-24-2017)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:37:22 GMT

A new program called Failing Well is added in order to lower stress to students. See NY Times (7-24-17) On Campus, Failure is on the Syllabus: https://nyti.ms/2tZsUnh

Working-Class Students Often Must Adjust to College Habits and Attitudes (7-11-2017)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:36:57 GMT

Columnist David Brooks looks at how working class students must adjust to habits and expectations of the college-educated classes. See NY Times, "How We Are Ruining America," (07-11-2017) https://nyti.ms/2v6BK3c

Princeton Might Aim to Enroll More Low-income Students (5-30-2017)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:36:33 GMT

Princeton has expressed interest in increasing its enrollment of lower-income students. See NY Times article "Princeton - Yes, Princeton - Takes On the Class Divide" 5-30-17 - https://nyti.ms/2ridjkI

State College Budget Cuts Mean Fewer Spots for Poorer Students (5-25-2017)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:36:09 GMT

Public Colleges have traditionally helped average students, but with budget cuts, the public colleges are offering more spots to students who can pay more. See NY Times "The Assault on Colleges - and the American Dream (5-25-2017) - https://nyti.ms/2rZPCL9

A Story of Rural Students Going Outside of Their Local Regions for College (5-21-17)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:31:26 GMT

One non-profit organization is helping rural students look beyond local colleges. See NY Times article "Bringing the Dream of an Elite College to Rural Students" 5-21-1017 - https://nyti.ms/2rHQO5v

Lower Costs Draw U.S. Students to Canada (5-19-2017)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:30:57 GMT

College students from the U.S. and around the world are heading to Canada to save money on college. See NY Times "Canadian Colleges See Surge of Foreign Students. It's Not Just Politics," (5-19-2017) https://nyti.ms/2ryFKaR

State Colleges Bring Upward Mobility: Graduates Make More than Their Parents (1-18-2017)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:30:28 GMT

Many public colleges are "impressive institutions" that bring many students upward economic mobility. These include NJ Inst. of Technology, The City Colleges of NY, Cal. State and U. of Calif. colleges (CS-Bakersfield, UC Irvine, Cal. Poly, CS-Long Beach & San Jose State) and Univ. of Texas branches such as UT-El Paso. The article has links to check most colleges around the country for upward mobility statistics. See NY Times, "America's Great Working-Class Colleges," (1-18-2017) . https://nyti.ms/2k1jaE4

Some Students Apply to Many Colleges, While Others Show More Interest in A Smaller Number of Colleges (11-15-2014)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 18:29:17 GMT

From NY Times (11-15, 2014) "Applications by the Dozen, as Anxious Seniors Hedge College Bets" https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/16/nyregion/applications-by-the-dozen-as-anxious-students-hedge-coll...

An Article on College Admissions 2014: Some Students Apply to Many Colleges, While Others Show More Interest in A Smaller Number of Colleges (11-15-2014)

183:710309463 (Jacob Seeger) — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 15:46:32 GMT

From NY Times (11-15, 2014) "Applications by the Dozen, as Anxious Seniors Hedge College Bets" https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/16/nyregion/applications-by-the-dozen-as-anxious-students-hedge-coll...