Posts filed under 'Schools'
Vanguard University (Costa Mesa, California) received one heck of a tip this month when campus lunchroom regular, Bruce Lindsay, left his entire estate to the struggling institution. For the past 70 years, Lindsay had been a fixture of the university, eating three meals a day at the school cafeteria while students and faculty surrounded him to talk and hear his tips on living a frugal life.
Having survived the Great Depression, Lindsay certainly knew what he was talking about and lived by his own advice. Up until his death, he enjoyed free coffees from the bank and free meals from Vanguard University after he was declared a student advocate by a former university president in the 80s.
Now, instead of helping out students by lending a much-needed ear, giving advice, and appealing to campus officials on their behalf, Lindsay’s legacy will be the estate, worth an estimated several million dollars, that he willed Vanguard University. The money will go towards paying off the school’s $42 million debt as long as officials honor Lindsay’s last request: that some of his money be put towards the creation of a new dining hall for Vanguard University.
– Genevieve M. Blaber
*Picture courtesy of The Los Angeles Times.
March 10th, 2009
You might not give retention rates a lot of thought when you’re thumbing through guide books, but for colleges around the country, it’s their bread and butter.
For the past 26 years, ACT, Inc. — yep, the non-profit org responsible for the test by the same name — has been surveying post-secondary institutions to see how many of their freshmen stick around for their second year. While the nationwide retention rate has never been at 100 percent, and probably never will be, the 2007-08 academic year saw a startling two percent drop down to 66 percent.
This may sound alarming at first, but as the ACT points out, the numbers don’t factor in students who chose to take a semester off or those who transferred to another post-secondary institution. Retention rates track how many students stayed at a particular school — which is a good thing to consider when you’re looking at colleges but a poor indicator of the college drop-out rate.
In fact, while many of the private institutions saw a dip in retention rates, two-year public colleges saw a slight increase leading some to speculate that the current economy may influence students to choose less expensive schools that allow them the ability to transfer to traditional four-year colleges after two years, or just settling for a two-year education which usually culminates in the awarding of an associate degree.
– Genevieve M. Blaber
January 22nd, 2009
There are a variety of different boarding schools out there. From junior boarding schools to college preparatory boarding schools to boarding schools for troubled teens, students and parents will find many different options within the boarding school field of interest. From time to time, CollegeBound spotlights one of these boarding schools to shed light on the variety of possibilities that exist. This week’s boarding school spotlight is on Fay School, which is located in Southborough, Mass.
There’s a lot that Fay has to offer its students, including a rigorous curriculum, course flexibility, a wealth of extracurriculars, and more. Jamie Ramsdell, director of admissions at Fay School, suggests students go see the boarding schools they are considering because each one is very different from the next. You can begin your research on the web, but you must go out there, visit, and ask questions.
So begin your research today by checking out Boarding School Spotlight: Fay School and good luck in your search!
-Amanda Fornecker
January 14th, 2009
You’ve probably used a barrage of excuses over the school years — whether it’s to explain your lateness to class or your poor performance on an exam. But what if you never had to worry about traffic or distracting noises, and could get an idea of how well you did on a test the very same day you take it?
That’s the exact scenario that college-bound teens in South Korea experience every year when the national college admissions test is administered in November. While some colleges in South Korea are making the effort to accept students based on more than their scores, the college-entrance test is still the biggest factor in whether South Korean students get accepted to their dream schools or their nightmare institutions, making the national exam day a force to be reckoned with. You’ll find roads curiously devoid of traffic (the South Korean stock market and many offices push back their start-times by an hour), the sky free of noisy air traffic (planes are not allowed to take off or land while students are taking the listening portions of their exam), and evening papers filled with the correct exam answers the same night of the test.
Although this is sure to do wonders for students’ punctuality, listening abilities, and peace of mind, there’s one exam staple that’s being hurt: excuses. After all, it’s hard to explain why you don’t have your admissions ticket when a police officer is ready to run to your house and get it for you.
– Genevieve M. Blaber
December 5th, 2008
Today, you can call us The CollegeBeatles Network because we just got featured in the Fab Four edition of the “Carnival of College Admissions.” Organized and hosted by Mark Montgomery, an independent college counselor, the carnival highlights some of the best in college-related blogs and articles from the last two weeks.
You can find the full-length carnival at GreatCollegeAdvice.com or, for a quick peek, check out some of our select hits from this edition:
- At Money Blue Book, you’ll find a great post about why college students need credit cards and how they should best go about their research before they sign the dotted line.
- Meanwhile, at myUsearch, Kate Scozzaro discusses the things she should have considered before she decided what college she would attend.
- And at the Financial Aid Blog, find out everything you need to know about 529 college savings plans and what they can do for you.
Make sure you stop by The Carnival of College Admissions and have a look at the other top blogs, as well as our own submission, when you have the chance. You may be surprised at all the new college info you’ll learn.
– Genevieve M. Blaber
November 12th, 2008
Recently Zac Bissonnette of “Wallet Pop” discussed the merits of attending a public college or public university instead of a pricier private alternative. We can’t argue with him. After all, we’ve long been proponents of choosing the right school to meet your academic needs and finances, and we’ve always reminded you that popular colleges and their rankings can be misleading.
In his post, Bissonnette also brings up the prospect of transferring to a private college after your second year, pointing out that it will save you much-needed funds while still netting you a big name on your degree. While it’s a great argument, he forgets to mention that most colleges have transfer rates that are considerably lower than their freshman acceptance rates — thanks to fewer open spots — and can be more competitive as a result.
That’s why, if you decide to go Bissonnette’s route, you should put your all into your classes. It’s also good to have a clear idea of what you want to major in — or have already made progress in your major — by the time you apply for transfer, as that will make you look like a stronger and more dedicated candidate.
For more info on transferring colleges and what it takes to make it happen, check out “Taming Transfer Turmoil.”
– Genevieve M. Blaber
November 6th, 2008
Join U.Got It? in welcoming our new guest blogger, Barbara Bellesi. She’s an expert from CampusCompare.com, who’ll be dropping by once in a while to share some thoughts on the process of choosing a college.
As a college-bound student, it seems as though everyone’s got advice for you. From your parents to your guidance counselor to even your dentist, people are lining up for their chance to weigh in on your college decision. Thanks to websites like CampusCompare, you’ve also got tons of college students clamoring for your attention, ready to share their points of view on college life. But here’s a question that you won’t find on the ACT or the SAT: should you pay attention to student reviews?
College reviews are not like movie reviews. You might still pay the 10 bucks for admission even after the movie you want to see gets panned by the critics. College, on the other hand, carries a much heftier price tag and you certainly don’t want buyers’ remorse. Therefore, it is perfectly acceptable—and advisable—to make student reviews part of your decision-making process.
Notice I said part. There should be many factors that determine your final college pick, and student reviews can be an integral part of the equation. Here are some ways that you can use reviews to your advantage:
1. Consider the source. Let’s say you read a scathing review from a student at University X who says her professors are the worst ever. Well, are they truly the worst, or is she saying that because she just failed half her midterms? We’ve all had terrible days and have sought opportunities to vent our feelings, which is what some college students are tempted to do on review sites. Remember that while many bad reviews are justifiable, there are some that come from having bad days.
2. Check for consistency. Did everyone who posted a review about a certain school rave about the cafeteria? Sounds like the food could be really good. What about social activities on campus? Is everyone saying that there’s nothing to do, or is it just one bored student? Remember, one review—negative or positive—does not make or break a school. A student complaining about dorm size at Harvard won’t bring down the reputation of that hallowed institution.
3. See for yourself. Reviews are merely opinions; therefore, in formulating your own ideas about a school, you should check out the features that are being reviewed. CampusCompare allows students to post reviews in more than a dozen categories—from academics and financial aid to campus safety and dorms—but don’t let that stop you from scheduling a campus visit. Take a class. Eat at the cafeteria. Hang out on the quad. See if you agree or disagree with the reviews.
Most of us care what other people think more than we’d like to admit. When it comes to choosing a college, that might not be such a bad thing after all. As long as you take other factors into consideration as well, hearing from actual college students is a smart move.
-Barbara Bellesi
October 15th, 2008
I just read an article in the LA Times about boarding schools, which certainly interested me.
It seems that the West Coast is a bit more leery of boarding schools and West coasters don’t necessarily think they are an appropriate place for students to learn. However, in recent years, there has been an increase in enrollments on the West Coast, as well as some additional boarding schools popping up in California.
It’s interesting that the number of boarding schools has been rising as of late. Could it possibly be the Harry Potter era, even though boarding schools have long been a fixture of many famous movies and novels ala Dead Poets Society and Goodbye Mr. Chips. This was the case for Kate Sim, who according to the article, was influenced by the J.K. Rowling series to attend the Webb Schools.
Yet, who knows the exact reason in the rise of boarding schools – religious, therapeutic, or college preparatory. Though boarding schools are not for every student, some students who never even considered the option may find they are a perfect candidate for attending boarding schools.
Before you make any concrete decisions, be sure to do lots of research on the boarding school topic first!
Good luck!
-Amanda Fornecker
October 14th, 2008
Once you get in to college, you probably think you’re done reviewing all the ridiculous education rankings. Not so for those looking ahead to grad school.
For law school and b-school hopefuls, however, the rankings review might not be as bad as you think.
The hot-off-the-press 2009 print and online editions of “Best 174 Law Schools” and “Best 296 Business Schools” may appear daunting at first glance. But The Princeton Review’s annual guidebooks are chock full of fun lists that are mostly based on student input. It’s kind of like having a grad school insider give you the scoop on what each school is really like. Each guidebook lists the top 10 schools in 11 categories.
So if you’re interested in the best business school for career prospects, you would click on Stanford University (Stanford, CA). Or if you want to be aware of the toughest law school to get into — the only ranking in the books based entirely on school-reported 
data — you would take note of Yale University (New Haven, CT).
Both books include lists of schools that are the toughest to get into and that present the best career prospects, best classroom experience, and most competitive students.
The b-school ranking categories also include best administered, best campus environment, best campus facilities, best professors, greatest opportunity for minority students, greatest opportunity for women, and most family friendly.
The law school categories also include best environment for minority students,
best quality of life, candidates for Center for American Progress Fellowships? (or, students lean to the left), candidates for Heritage Foundation Fellowships? (or, students lean to the right), most diverse faculty, most welcoming of older students, and professors rock (legally speaking).
Remember, the schools are ranked from their students’ perspective. So the guidebooks can serve as a sort of shorthand for you. Say you’re a minority student interested in Badabing U., but it didn’t make the list of the top 10 schools for minority students. That’s your cue to follow up with the school and get your questions answered directly.
It can be dangerous to take grad school rankings at face value. But if you take the guidebooks and online listings for what they really are — a guide — you’ll have a valuable tool to determine how various schools rate in the areas that matter most to you.
For those looking toward law school or b-school: Do you plan to review the rankings first?
-Robyn Tellefsen
October 8th, 2008
How would you like to get a college education completely tuition-free for your four-year degree? This is possible for all students who attend Berea College (Berea, KT), where every single student admitted gets a free ride. There is a catch, however. Students who are admitted are from low-income families and show exceptional need and promise for completion of academics.
Berea College is just like a regular college – you get a great education, you can participate in extracurriculars, and there is a staff that cares about your academic success. Students not only do all these things but they also work on campus (and get paid too!) at least 10 hours per week. Internships, co-ops, and study abroad opportunities abound. And there are more than 45 majors and minors from which students may choose.
Students are chosen based mainly on their family’s income to give students who may not be able to afford college at all, the chance to get a solid education. At Berea, they “don’t think your income should dictate your outcome.”
For more on Berea, see the article in the Times.
-Amanda Fornecker
July 21st, 2008
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