I was happy to see that the”expert” confirmed the extended timeline I use with my clients through middle school and high school giving the students time to reflect and focus their time in secondary school experience ultimately identifying colleges based on that personal reflection, online research and no less than 14 official visits. Make sure to give your college bound student the time to reflect and consider options…bad college options in the spring of senior come from rushed decisions and last-minute applications.

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/17/5429249/top-10-college-bound-student-questions.html

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/05/15/career-services-it-now-exists-must-die-new-report-argues

As your students compare colleges it is easy to overlook a careful review of the career center as that seems such a distant part of their college experience. Not true. Given the sluggish economy, college students need an energized, focused career center that has a plan to engage all students, not just those few who walk in the door senior year.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-college-one-class-20121004,0,4815212.story

“At Pasadena City College, nearly 4,000 students who are seeking a degree or to transfer are taking a single class this fall. About 63% are taking less than 12 units and are considered part time. The school has slashed 10% of its classes to save money.”

Day after day we are barraged with facts and figures on how our California Master Plan for post-secondary education is broken. At the community college level, students just quietly forget their dreams and walk away. At UC’s and Cal States, students either can’t get in or incur thousands more in debt as a 4 year degree takes 6 years. Tough time to be a young American.

As reported in the L.A.Times, many California high school students are either not going to college or going somewhere other than California public universities: 22% in 2007 to 19% in 2010. Interesting is that UC’s are increasing their out-of-state freshmen as well. BE WARY. The L.A.Times article focuses in part on increase of Californians at Univ. of Arizona and ASU. Higher education in Arizona is in as bad or worse shape than California–professors laid off, classes cut, tuition hikes. Don’t cross the border to any public school unless you can find credible evidence that undergraduates can get their classes and graduate in four years. The Western Undergraduate Exchange is a great program with regards to western public universities. But also consider private schools in the midwest (not as pricey as west or east coast addresses). Many are offering generous scholarships and DO graduate their students in four years. Compare TOTAL cost and make your decisions.

http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/degrees.asp

No surprise engineers hold top six spots. Economics is first non-science/math major. Finance is 9 below Economics. International Business is first business major other than finance. Philosophy rates higher than Marketing and Communications, Environmental Science and business. Health and education majors fall near the bottom of the list.  SO WHAT TO DO IF YOU AREN’T AN ENGINEER, SCIENTIST OR MATH WHIZ? Take enough math and science courses so that you can “talk their language” and then be their business, financial, marketing or legal advisor. Be the person that translates inventions into dollars.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303772904577333680574993686.html

The Wall Street Journal reported on April 10, 2012 in a print article, Colleges Tough Waiting Game, and more recently online at link above how unlikely it is for students to be admitted from a waiting list. 2011 Princeton admitted 19 of 1248 on waiting list and Stanford admitted 13 of 1078 on waiting list. Some may argue that it is different at non-Ivy league schools. I do not agree. Though your chances may be better at less competitive schools they are NOT good. I advise students to embrace the school that has accepted you, that is most likely your best fit for two reasons:  you decided to apply, and they decided to accept you.

Mid 50% SAT and ACT ranges. Cristiana Quinn.

This is a statistic published in most college guide books and online. While the numbers are real, they are misleading for the nation’s top colleges. You need to keep in mind that last year at Princeton, 37% of the entering freshmen seats went to minority students, 17% to athletes, 13% to legacy applicants and 11% to international students. Not published are the number of spots that were given to the children of faculty or staff, VIP development candidates (non-legacy, high wealth individuals) and performing/visual arts students. Those groups all tend to have lower SAT ranges, and If you don’t fall into one of those categories, then your SATs better be in the top 25% range at Princeton and elite colleges.

www.collegeadvisoronline.com

If what Ms. Quinn reports is accurate, then at Princeton for those of you who are not minorities, athletes, legacy applicants or international then 22% of spots are yours to fight for.

As with other aspects of the college search, find the athletic recruiting and institutional practices that give your student a relative advantage. Ask admissions and coaches to explain how applications of athletes are processed. Check out the article below and you will see Dartmouth’s take on the Ivy League. Note private scholarships with specific criteria are available for athletes at these schools.

Quoting from the first installment of an article in the Dartmouth college paper:

Ivy League institutions offer only need-based financial aid and do not grant any athletic scholarships, making it unique among athletic conferences. Ivy League athletes must also meet certain academic standards in order to be considered for admission.

http://thedartmouth.com/2012/03/05/news/athletics

Cal State system plans to fine CSUN $7M for not cutting enrollment as ordered. In Northridge’s defense many of the “over enrollment” students were on leave or part-time and “got their life plans going, and this creates a bump in the road.” (Stevens, a director of counselling at CSUN). It should be noted that if you are not a full-time student (get 3-4 classes) then you lose financial aid, housing, athletic eligibility and day care for children to name a few consequences. MORE than a bump in the road to some! The Director of Financial Aid quoted in the Los Angeles Time article: “They’re (students) doing what they’re supposed to do but the rug keeps getting pulled from under them.” Can they take time off and get a job? Not likely in this economy. Are we making a backroom choice WHO gets a college education and who DOESN’T? Life is choices, but let’s get it out in the public. And for those who cannot take the college path, lets offer options other than for-profit trade schools that cost more than CSUN.

articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/28/local/la-me-csun-20120128

A Student Success Task force approved the following for Community College students:

“Under the new plan, all students will be expected to set up an education plan to move quickly toward an associate’s degree or vocational certificate. If they linger too long or take too many classes unrelated to their goal, they lose registration priority.