It’s that time of year again… time for rising college grads to don caps and gowns and either get excited about or suffer through their commencement ceremonies. Determining which way the wind blows has a lot to do with the commencement speakers and how psyched you are to hear what they have to say. That doesn’t mean a no-name speaker can’t captivate student interest… but we’re guessing your anticipation level will be much higher for a celeb commencement speaker than a university prez. Just saying.

Without further ado, we present our roundup of the coolest (and most controversial) commencement speakers for 2012. [Read More]

Being on campus has its perks sometimes, even odd ones like a giant movie tour bus stopping by. And when that movie happens to be the brainchild of Sasha Baron Cohen (of Borat fame), there’s no telling what will happen. His new film, THE DICTATOR, began its College Bus Tour on May 1st, and will stop at 12 college campuses by 5/18. Stops include UCLA, San Diego State University, Arizona State U., U. of Arizona, U. of Texas, Austin, U. of Arkansas, U. of Oklahoma, Kansas State U., U. of Colorado, Boulder, UNLV, and U. of California, Irvine.

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Having a diverse study body is a focus for public and private schools across the U.S. On a college campus in my town, I recently walked by high schoolers on a campus tour, and the majority of the group was made up of Hispanic and black students.

New schools are taking their focus on minority populations to a whole new level. Ameritas College is opening in California in August 2012, and the school created its programs with Latino students – particularly working adults – in mind. It is providing low-cost degree programs, bilingual counselors, and flexible course schedules to help them get the education they need to find employment. [Read More]

Major U.S. and global events can be tied to learning in college, and even experiencing the action yourself. When you’re looking at schools or as you’re starting your college careers, the programs that schools offer for students to be involved in big events are definitely worth considering.

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With college decision day fast approaching (May 1), students who are fortunate enough to have more than one school to choose from may be feeling the pressure of narrowing their options down to one. How will you make your final college choice? Before committing to a college, ask yourself these five questions to figure out which school is the best fit for you. [Read More]

I often whipped out my credit card, actually my parents’ credit card, in college to buy everything from legit expenses like books to cute dresses and late-night pizza. It was supposed to only be for necessities, but that wasn’t always the case, and I heard from my parents when they got the bill.

Charging it up in college is a cause of major financial stress, though, for students. [Read More]

A look at some hot scholarship contests you can enter right now!

If you have the competitive spirit, you may be more interested in scholarship contests that pit you against other students, whether on the clock or in a race to finish a project, than an essay contest with less contact.

Traditional ones are singing competitions – ala “American Idol” – as well as beauty pageants and sporting events, even including skateboarding and bowling competitions.

But here’s a look at some of this year’s more unusual competitions… [Read More]

When you’re getting ready to sign up for college classes and there are a gazillion sections of the same course, how do you know which one to choose? Having some idea of what each professor is like can simplify the decision and save you from the nightmare of getting the tough-as-nails instructor. But where can you get access to such privileged information, especially as an incoming college frosh? [Read More]