Yesterday, The CollegeBound Network had one of the most entertaining hours in the history of our #collegebound Twitter chat (cohosted by the great people at Parliament Tutors, by the way). The topic was the SAT vs. ACT debate, and we had more than a few laughs.

How can test prep be so entertaining, you ask? Well, when you get a great conversation going and add some slap-happy people to the mix (it is a short holiday week, after all!), mirth and mayhem ensue!

Our good Twitter friend @akilbello started the trend of funny analogies. You won’t find these on the SAT or ACT, but they are a reminder that you need to keep your sense of humor as you study for entrance exams. Enjoy!

More laughs from @akilbello:

SAT is to ACT as McDonalds is to Burger King
ACT Science is to Science as Chicken McNuggets are to Chicken
SAT is to college admissions as gold fronts are to dating

From @MEFATweets

Tests are to grades as hamburger is to Angus Deluxe Bacon & Cheese

We got in on the act with this one:

Bad test taker is to SAT as Nicki Minaj is to walking in high heels. (AMAs reference)

… and we added a few more today.

Skipping breakfast is to taking SAT as empty gas tank is to road trip.
Oxygen is to survival as #2 pencils are to answer grid.
Taking the ACT is to taking the SAT as annoying is to annoying.

Yes, these tests are a necessary evil of the admissions process. It helps to laugh about it, though, so add your own fun analogy below. Better yet, join us next Monday at 4pm ET as we tackle a new college-bound topic!

–Barbara Bellesi

One of the things we love about college is that when it comes to style, you can be yourself. But on college campuses this fall, some students are getting attention for their unstylish garb. It’s not just students’ gossiping, but enraged football fans complaining about some of these fashion faux pas. That’s because certain college football players are wearing new Nike and Under Armour uniforms with questionable color combinations and non-traditional designs.

In their defense, these players have no choice – it’s the decision of the school to have them wear the new jerseys, pants and helmets, sometimes for one game, but possibly throughout the entire season.

The buzz about these college football uniforms is bringing even more attention to longtime college football powerhouses and nationally ranked teams. Boise State (a rare all-white look), Georgia (some said they looked like Power Rangers), and Oklahoma State (especially the all gray ensemble) are among the schools whose new uniforms caused negative comments from fans. Others, like Navy, Army, and LSU have avoided the same type of outrage.

Whether people love the uniforms or hate them for being so ugly, we love that the furor over football fashion is giving more attention to schools like Maryland, which isn’t  known for their football programs. Some thought Maryland’s odd garb (see photo above), with the helmets and jerseys split down the middle to reflect the state flag, looked like the colorful attire of the knights at Medieval Times – the joust-filled dinner venue. The uniforms – seen during a nationally televised game in early September – was just one of 32 different combinations from Under Armour, and more than a few spectators got dizzy looking at them.

Of course, one would hope that you’re not going to choose a school based on a football uniform or even how fashionable students are on campus. But consider the fuss over football uniforms as just one more way to learn about more schools and college life.

What do you think? Offensively ugly or much ado about nothing?

–Lori Johnston

We’ve had some very wet weather in the New York this week, and I have to say I’m very glad to be tucked away in my office instead of trekking across a soggy campus. It was never fun for me to do so when I was a student, and I can’t imagine it’s a barrel of monkeys now. However, college girls have one thing that I didn’t have: RAIN BOOTS.

When I was in college, if you walked around in the rain with anything else but an umbrella and maybe one of those pullover windbreakers, you’d most likely get ribbed by everyone, including the professors. But now, wearing knee-high boots is not only a practical thing to do, but it’s also really cool. And with so many designs to choose from, you have a good chance of picking one that is uniquely suited to your style and personality. Take a look at some of these (all available at Target, by the way):

The Biker Boot

What it says about you: You can be edgy AND have dry feet.
Who wears it best?: Theatre majors

The Camouflage Boot

What it says about you: You’re ready for anything, though you can always hide in a trench if necessary.
Who wears it best?: Student athletes

The Hello Kitty Boot

What it says about you: You are as girly as they come.
Who wears it best?: Cute sorority girls

The Urban Boot

What it says about you: You really, really, really heart NYC.
Who wears it best?: Anyone but a New Yorker

The Old-School Boot

What it says about you: You enjoy letting your inner child out to play in the puddles.
Who wears it best?: Elementary education majors

The Fire-Engine Red Boot

What it says about you: You are confident and have lots of friends, who are now able to spot you from across campus.
Who wears it best?: Club presidents

The Argyle Boot

What it says about you: You are preppy and don’t care who knows it.
Who wears it best?: Spectators at college polo or crew meet, preferably wearing a string of pearls and a sweater tied around the shoulders.

The Plain Black Boot

What it says about you: You are practical, and this boot will coordinate with every outfit you own.
Who wears it best?: Accounting majors

What do you think? Leave a comment if you agree with my choices or would prefer to give this post the, uh, boot.

–Barbara Bellesi

Can you remember when you read your first Harry Potter book? What about when you saw the first movie with Daniel Radcliffe, who was such a cute little kid when he took on role of the famous wizard? It might seem like Harry Potter has been with you almost your entire life – through elementary school, middle school, and high school. The first book came out in 1997 and the first film in 2001.

Now that the last movie – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – is out at theaters, it’s the end of an era for Harry Potter. It’s a bittersweet moment for a lot of Harry Potter fans, and that may include you, too!

This final Harry Potter chapter in film is getting a ton of attention with publications like Entertainment Weekly looking back at great Potter moments and how the film’s stars have all grown up. Radcliffe is on Broadway, for example, and we’ve written often about Emma Watson’s (or Hermione’s) college pursuits.

When the first part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out last year, we had fun imagining how Potter and his friends would stand out in the college admissions process. And while the series’ finale (spoiler alert!) doesn’t have Harry, Hermione, Ron, or other Hogwarts students heading off a special wizard university, the end of Harry Potter could add to your feeling that it’s the end of an era for you, too, as you finish high school.

Rupert Grint’s (aka Ron Weasley) recent comment to Larry King on CNN shows that he and other cast members feel the same way. He says: “It was kind of like the last day of school, and I remember packing up my dressing room and putting all these kind of odd birthday cards and toys that I’d kind of collected over the years …  It was quite a big kind of shock, really, kind of, leaving it behind.”

As you say goodbye to Harry Potter, savor the impact the book series and films might have had on your childhood.

Maybe those hefty books encouraged you to read more. Maybe you formed friendships with other Potter fans, who also stood in line – wearing broken glasses, wizard-like cloaks, and a fake lightning-bolt-shaped scar on your heads – for the midnight showings of the movies. Maybe it helped you and your parents find something to enjoy together throughout your school years.

And as you head off to college, you’ll savor those memories, but now it’s time for the next era of your life, just as the stars are moving onto a new chapter in their careers. And if you get nostalgic during fall semester, don’t worry – Rowling’s Pottermore site is set to launch in October!

–Lori Johnston

During the summertime gap between high school and college, you don’t need to completely stop learning. Avoid having brain freeze in the fall by finding ways to educate yourself this summer as you work, vacation with family, and hang out at home. Need some ideas? Here are five ways college students recommend to keep learning during the summer:

1. Brush up on skills at work

Even if you’re in a restaurant job or washing cars or mowing yards, use the time at work to improve your skills, from math to learning about different management styles by watching your bosses. Babysitting is a great way to better your communication skills, too!

2. Read a book

If your fall syllabus (typically available online) for American literature, history, or another course already lists the required reading, get a jump start on one of those books. Or download on your Kindle or check out from the library a biography of someone successful in a career field of interest to you, and get the inside scoop about that profession. Want to read something lighter? Then go for the latest beach read–reading IS reading, after all. Reading books or magazines will improve your comprehension skills, so it won’t feel so weird once fall comes to pick up a book again.

3. Travel abroad

If you’re heading to another country with your parents or friends, or maybe were lucky enough to get a graduation present to Europe or another beautiful location, embrace learning about the world, too. Bringing back your knowledge of sights, history, languages, and different cultures can help you as you enter college. A global perspective is beneficial in classes ranging from political science to business.

4. Help others

During the college application process, you saw how schools sought students who were involved in the community. Now that you’ve been accepted, don’t make volunteering part of the past. Continue to volunteer or get involved in a new organization. Understanding the challenges facing people in our society today is knowledge that you can bring into possible class discussions this fall–and at the very least, you’ll impress your professor.

5. Learn online

Signing up for an online course will help you knock out one of the required first-year classes and give you a head start in your college education. You’ll learn not only the course material, but you’ll also learn what it takes to motivate yourself. And that could be the greatest lesson you learn this summer – how to get motivated, without your parents, to study and complete college assignments when so many things serve as distractions.

How are you learning and still enjoying the summer?

–Lori Johnston

If you’re spending your summer scooping  ice cream, keeping a close watch on kids at a pool, or lathering on the bug spray for another nightly campfire as a camp counselor, consider yourself in A-list company, as all these jobs have been filled by celebrities before they got their big breaks. After all, before they were pulling in the big bucks, stars and musicians had to find ways to make money during the summer, too. So whose footsteps are you following in this summer, before heading back to high school or college?

John Krasinski: “The Office” cutie went off to camp when he was a teenager, serving as a counselor at Camp Chickami in Massachusetts. He told Access Hollywood: “I had a summer job that I loved. I was like 16 and I was somehow given the responsibility of the 13-year-olds. So we were just a couple years apart from probably hanging out and I had to be like ‘no don’t do that.’ And then I’d go do it. It was this weird, bizarre thing where I probably could have been beaten up by half of them and it was a really fun. It was a fun summer.”

Tina Fey: No joke – the Emmy award-winning actress and Sarah Palin look-a-like worked at a swim club’s snack bar as a teen.

Gwen Stefani: Stefani served up Dilly Bars, soft-serve cones (my favorite is chocolate-covered!) and more while working for Dairy Queen. When her brother Eric formed No Doubt with other Dairy Queen workers, she joined as another vocalist, People reported. We’re thinking her success calls for a special summertime Blizzard in the fashionable singer’s honor!

Mick Jagger: The Rolling Stones front man also got into the frozen treat business. He sold ice cream from a cart. We guess it was memorable – a couple of years ago, he reportedly offered to buy a vintage ice cream van, but the owner turned him down.

Sean Connery: Before he was 007, the debonair actor was in a life-saving role as a lifeguard, his bio says.

So if you’re getting ready to head to work today, think of these future celebrities heading to camp or dishing out ice cream. Are you one of them? Dish up what you’re doing this summer in our comments section below.

–Lori Johnston

Apparently, a college degree from a great school doesn’t always guarantee that you’ll say the right thing at the right time–especially when faced with your teen heartthrob at a concert.

CBN’s VP of Content and Social Media, Gina LaGuardia-Schrecker, is one of the most focused individuals I know. In my humble opinion, there’s very little that this New York University alumna can’t take in stride. In fact, I’ve heard her speak to some major players in the industry about our websites, saying things like, “With robust content across our infrastructure, we can leverage high yields on future investments using real-time paradigms,” or something equally intimidating as that.

Yes, very little can disturb Gina’s Zen-like aura; that is, of course, until she got up close and personal with the person in this photo:

Yup, that’s the one and only Donnie Wahlberg. Gina had RIDONCULOUS seats at the recent NKOTBSB concert that she attended with her seven-year old daughter, who turned out to be the more mature of the two at one point–and there’s video proof of it, too. (But you need to friend her on Facebook to see it.)

You see, as Donnie made his way through the crowd towards Gina, she turned into a screaming banshee, punctuated by shrieks of “He touched my hand! He touched my hand!”

How’s that higher ed experience helping you now, Gi?

I kid, I kid. So what if she melted like butter under Donnie’s gaze? So what if her young daughter felt compelled to say, “Here, Mommy, switch seats with me so you can get closer”? At CBN, we’ll be the first to tell you that a college degree brings with it no guarantees of anything besides a tuition bill, so being articulate at a NKOTBSB concert certainly won’t be a given. But we’ll also tell you that with a good amount of hard work, it can bring you closer to your dream career, a phrase that Gina herself has often used about her position as a writer and editor.

Gina is back to work and much more verbal today, though I do hear some residual titters of her laughter throughout the office. And it’s only Monday…

–Barbara Bellesi

While I can certainly appreciate beauty, it surprises some people that actor Bradley Cooper doesn’t really do much for me. Sure, his smile is spectacular, his hair is incredible, and those eyes … But honestly, this star of The Hangover and The Hangover II doesn’t rank high on my list of favorite leading men.

Until now.

Just watch a few seconds of this clip and you’ll see what I mean:

Mon dieu! Hollywood trivia buff that I am, how did I not know that Bradley Cooper speaks French fluently? That’s hot.

(Guys, are you listening? Women think foreign languages are hot.)

As Monsieur Cooper tells the interviewer, he learned it during his undergraduate years at Georgetown University, when he lived with a family in Aix-en-Provence, France and was immersed in the language.

There are a million reasons that you should study abroad in college (I didn’t, and I regret it), but probably the top one is that you can much more easily learn a foreign language. Sure, you can study a textbook or Rosetta Stone yourself into submission, but there’s nothing like living in a foreign land and having no choice but to use the native language.

It bears noting that after graduating Georgetown with a degree in English, Cooper went on to earn his MFA in acting at the Actor’s Studio in New York City. The rest is cinematic history.

I never truly disagreed with my girlfriends who believe Cooper is devastatingly handsome, but he didn’t get my pulse racing until now. His intelligence puts him at the top of my hot Hollywood hunks list. And given the fact that I also have a B.A. in English (from Wagner College), an MFA (in creative writing from Emerson College), and speak French (sorta kinda), I believe Bradley Cooper is actually my soul mate, but he just doesn’t know it yet.

Je t’aime, Bradley. Leave me a comment with your number and I’ll give you a call.

–Barbara Bellesi