Photo Credit: http://www.btylerellis.com/2012/06/18/alone-on-a-crowded-street/

The UC’s confirm a record number of applicants: freshman, transfer, out of state and international. Perhaps it is a first attempt to prepare high school seniors that being admitted even at UC Merced with applications up 14% will be more difficult than in the recent past.

For the complete story see UC press release:

Move over traditional MBA that requires two years of experience before enrollment. Check out the hiring rates of graduates with Masters in Management or Masters in International Finance.

Complete story in Forbes.

UC Merced opened 11 years ago. Over the intervening 11 applications have increased annually with no significant capacity has been added to the UC system—simple math, lower acceptance rates. Compounding the problem for California residents is the UC’s express commitment to increase the number of out-of-state and/or international students. The line to get on the UC bus is getting longer for California residents while the number of seats on the bus is shrinking.

For more information…

Graduation. UC Merced.

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” Ernest Hemingway. Though he never applied to college, he shows great insight into the creation of the “Nobel Prize” college essay.

FOR COMPLETE STORY SEE:

New York Times Challenges Admissions Rates

“…it’s in their best interests to seem as selective as possible.”

The foremost goal of the overwhelming majority of college admissions staff is to boost the number of applicants with no meaningful knowledge of the applicant.

Finally, an article that exposes the danger of over-reliance on reported admissions rates offering further support for a balanced list focused primarily on colleges for whom you are an “accomplished student”, a good fit.

Harvard is not right for every student, neither is Ohio Wesleyan. So look beyond the admissions numbers and zip code to the faculty, students and program. Research, not the college PR machine, is your best ally in this process.

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For more information hear what the experts say.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-warikoo-supreme-court-affirmative-action-20130620,0,3023260.story

Oxford’s criteria is very distinct from most American universities. Which students will be most successful in their area of study. They don’t care if the student plays the violin or was the star basketball player. We all know brilliant students that this might be the perfect criteria for them. Thinking more broadly, this article’s discussion highlights an important aspect of the application process: KNOW the criteria of the schools where you are applying. All colleges and universities publish their Admission Criteria (which we applicants typically look only at the GPA and SAT…check out other factors considered and how much they are considered). But MORE important, look to each school’s Mission/Vision statements. If you reflect their Mission you will have a much greated chance of acceptance.

And so it begins… Over the next 2 wks, >11,000 college faculty and AP teachers from the U.S. and abroad will convene to score AP exams.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-usc-ucla-recruit-20130518,0,725550.story

Wow. UCLA may have beaten USC in football, but this is a big “steal” for the Trojans. UC President assured the UC Regents “that the system as a whole isn’t suffering from a brain drain.” Kiplinger rates public universities: 2010 the University of Washington (10) was rated above all UC’s. 2013 UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine were above Univ of Washington (17)…perhaps there is nothing to worry about.