Archive for January, 2008
College Sophomores: Don’t Get Lost
CA Public Universities: More Students Fewer Spots, Finding a Way
Before you begin yelling “the sky is falling on California Public Universities” please remember that getting a college education is more important than ever. The next few years will present high school graduates with sunami-like challenges to achieving that goal. But perservere they must, needing parent and family support more than ever.……
With threatened state budget cuts, the California public universities are being forced to reduce the available spots for incoming students despite record numbers of applications. 504,832 applications were sent to California State Universities, an increase of 11 percent. This year University of California applications increased 9 percent. And the competition is not just at the high profile campuses–Cal State Monterey Bay had a 38% hike in applications received this year.
Historically, the UC system has accepted “eligible” students to at least one campus, but Executive Vice President Wyatt Humes said that given the grim budget situation, administrators can’t promise the tradition will continue.
For this year’s seniors all there is to do is wait and begin to explore alternatives for next year “just in case”. Now is the time to complete all financial aid applications. The right aid package might make the private school on your list more of a possible than a dream. Community Colleges are much more affordable, but are suffering from the same state budget cuts making it harder and harder to get the required classes to qualify to apply to four year universities.
So support the college dreams of those high schoolers in your lives. Help them believe that somehow they will “find a way” to have that college education we all know is so important.
Online College Matchmaking for who?
QUICK FIX (Wall Street Journal 1/29/08)
The Right College Match
By SUZANNE BARLYN
January 29, 2008; Page D1
Problem: Finding colleges compatible with your child’s interests and academic performance.
Solution: Create a profile on Cappex (www.cappex.com), a free Web-based “matchmaking” service that pairs students with colleges looking for specific types of candidates. Cappex also helps facilitate introductions between colleges and students by forwarding student profiles to admissions offices. Hone in on schools using factors such as cost and location at College MatchMaker, an online service from the College Board (http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/adv_typeofschool.jsp). Or generate a list of your child’s personal top schools using the ranking feature on Admish, an online college admissions community (www.admish.com/?q=the_best_college_for_me) with personal ranking criteria students choose from a master list.
Caveat: A Web site isn’t a substitute for a visit to a college, where prospective students can see for themselves whether the school is a good fit.
…………my thoughts.
It seems these online matchmaking services are multiplying at dizzying rates. College MatchMaker has been around many years, but CAPPEX ?? why did WSJ pick this one? I decided to check out who was behind it. I contacted WSJ freelance reporter who immediately forwarded me to a PR firm in Chicago (her contact) who forwarded me to the head of marketing for CAPPEX. As it turns out the CAPPEX founder was the founder of FastWeb (financial aid site now sold). My best guess is that the CAPPEX college match service is the bait to get student data (which CAPPEX students are free to release or not release) to financial institutions and colleges. Dont be confused, I dont think it necessarily bad that students are courted by financial institutions and colleges. It is however, important to be aware that the college match may very well be driven from the college’s and financial institution’s perspective, rather than the student’s. To avoid guilt by association, I do not believe College MatchMaker falls in this category.
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