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What Colleges Look for in Admitting Students

May 26

Posted by College editor in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Colleges look at many different factors in deciding which students to admit. To complicate matters these factors, and the weight given to each, differs from school to school. However, in general terms, colleges are looking for students who have the academic ability to succeed at their school. They begin that process by looking at the courses taken in high school, the grades received, the student’s standing relative to their classmates, and their test scores. Once they have determined that a particular student could succeed academically, many schools will look at a variety of other factors. Some of the other factors are discussed below.

In general terms, larger state schools tend to rely more on grades and test scores. The smaller the school and the more selective the school, the more factors are generally considered in deciding whether to admit a particular student. To determine what factors for admission are looked at by any particular school you should ask an admission counselor from that school.

Academic Achievement Reviewed

Your transcript

The colleges will look at the level of difficulty of the courses you took and the grades received in those courses. They will also be looking to see if you challenged yourself by taking advantage of the AP and accelerated courses that are available.

Class rank

The colleges will review your GPA and where you rank in your class

Standardized Test Scores

SAT I, SAT II and ACT. How well did you do on the standardized tests compared to the average candidate to that school.

Teacher and counselor recommendations

Most schools have forms that they ask your teachers and counselor to complete. These forms provide specific information about strengths, accomplishments, areas of improvement and recommendations

Achievements/Awards/Scholarships

What academic awards have you received.

Academic interest (major)

Some schools have a reputation in a particular area of study. At such schools, it may be easier to gain admission if you are planning on studying a major for which they are not known.

Personal Achievement Reviewed

The list of factors a particular college is looking for in a student in a particular year varies widely. Listed below are some other factors that may be considered:

Extracurricular activities

The college will be looking at the amount of time you spent in your activities and whether you held a leadership role. The more time involved and the greater the involvement (i.e. captain of a team), the more impressive your activities will look. Remember that colleges are not looking for the well-rounded student; they are looking for a well-rounded first year class.

Character traits

What traits do you possess that reflects on your leadership, fellowship, inspiration, discipline or determination?

Interview

The interview can give put a face to your application and might highlight a special talent or problem in your record.

Recommendations

What sort of person and student do your teachers and counselor think you are?

Summer experiences

What have you done in the summer and how has that influenced your life/perspective? Donâ??t worry if you havenâ??t had any great experience during the summer. Most schools are impressed by someone working during the summer to save money for school. It reflects a certain level of maturity to be able to hold a job.

Other Considerations

The list of factors a particular college is looking for in a student in a particular year varies widely. Listed below are some other factors that may be considered:

Gender

Many schools try to achieve as close to a 50-50 balance between men and women as possible. Depending on the school, this may give one sex or the other an advantage if the school needs more men or more women.

Family background, race or ethnicity

Students who are the first in their family to go to college are often given additional consideration. This is also true if you are of an ethnic background that school seeks for diversity.

Residence

Schools are often looking for geographical diversity in their students.

Special talents

If you are particularly talented in some area (art, music, writing, athletics, etc.) you may be given more consideration.

Area of interest

If you have a particular interest that is very unusual and to which you have devoted a great deal of time, you may get additional consideration.

Legacy status

Many schools give preference if one of your parents or siblings has previously attended the college to which you are applying.

Financial need

Some schools make admission decisions based on whether you are seeking financial aid or not.

Disciplinary issues

If you have been disciplined by your school, the colleges will look closely at what occurred.

Todd Johnson
http://www.articlesbase.com/college-and-university-articles/what-colleges-look-for-in-admitting-students-116516.html

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Private Student Loans From Nextstudent Help Students Stay On Course to Pay for College

May 26

Posted by College editor in College Tuition | No Comments

FINAL inFormal Article
10/26/06
586 words

Private Student Loans from NextStudent Help Students Stay on Course to Pay for College

Although the cost of college is increasing, a college education still is a good investment. Most often those who choose to go the college route in the end will fare better in the job market and typically will receive better salaries than those who opt out of college.

There are numerous scholarships and grants available to college students. By researching the many scholarships and grants, students can find the “free money” that is out there to help fund their college education.

Private Student Loans Can Save the Day

There are times when private student loans are necessary because borrowers have exhausted the funds available through federal student loans. It never is a bad time to apply for private student loans (http://www.nextstudent.com/private_loans/private_loans.asp) , as they are available any time during the year and have no application deadline.

With private student loans, student borrowers can pay for the entire cost of their education, less financial aid received, which includes tuition, fees, housing costs and supplies. It is easy to apply and preapproval is complete within minutes. There are no application fees and the loans are credit-based and unsecured. Even though borrowers may apply without a co-signer, more private student loans are approved by NextStudent when a qualified co-signer is named.

Students in a pinch need not worry, as the loans go direct to the borrower. In addition, repayment on the loans can start as much as six months following graduation, or when a student is enrolled less than half time at college.

NextStudent’s Student Loan Options

Oftentimes, “free money” is not enough to cover the full cost of an education. This is when student loans (http://www.nextstudent.com/) step in to help save the day. NextStudent offers a wide variety of student loan options to help make student and parent borrowers’ lives easier. From federal Stafford Loans to PLUS loans (https://www.nextstudent.com/plus_loans/apply-online/apply-online.asp) Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students, NextStudent has the loan to best suit each individual borrower’s needs.

Student Loan Amounts and Eligibility

Private student loan borrowers can receive as much as $40,000 annually, or the calculated attendance cost (lesser amount). The available maximum for the program is $130,000.

Student borrowers must be enrolled at college at least half time in order to participate in NextStudent’s Private Student Loan Program. Other requirements include being enrolled at a school approved by the Education Resources Institute in either a degree or certificate program. All NextStudent private loans are guaranteed by TERI, which is a nonprofit organization. The loans also can be available to international students and students taking distance learning courses.

NextStudent, federal lender code 834051, is dedicated to helping students and their families find affordable ways to pay for college. NextStudent offers one-on-one education finance counseling and has a portfolio of highly competitive education finance products and services including a free online scholarship search engine, federally guaranteed parent and student loans, private student loans, both federal and private student loan consolidation (http://www.nextstudent.com/consolidation_loans/consolidation_loans.asp) programs, and college savings plans.

The NextStudent Scholarship Search Engine, one of the nation’s oldest and largest scholarship search engines, is updated daily, available free of charge, completely private and represents 2.4 million scholarships worth $3.4 billion.

For more information about NextStudent and its student loan programs, please visit the company’s Web site at http://www.nextstudent.com/.

Jeff Mictabor
http://www.articlesbase.com/college-and-university-articles/private-student-loans-from-nextstudent-help-students-stay-on-course-to-pay-for-college-69018.html

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How to Find Great College Scholarships

May 26

Posted by College editor in College Scholarships | 5 Comments

If you have looked at the sky rocketing costs of college these days and do not have the comfort of a college scholarship in your back pocket, you are probably taking Tylenol by the case. There is tuition, which if it is based by the credit hour, would lead you to believe that colleges are actually wealthy financial institutions. There are books, which again appears to be one of the biggest rackets going based on outrageous costs. And then you need to consider living expenses, such as a dorm or apartment, and eating and transportation. And after you have considered all of that, you will still need some spending money.

All in all, it appears to cost more than the gross national output of most third world nations at the end of four years. And with todayâ??s pressures and activities, it is almost more than a full load to actually complete the degree requirements so that you can actually graduate in just four years. Studies are showing that most students today are taking five years, just for an undergraduate degree.

The answer to this, which a very surprising number and high percentage of people have not yet figured out, is a college scholarship. Most people think that a scholarship is only awarded to the top football jock or the class valedictorian or the outstanding musician who always sits in first chair. But the reality of the situation is that college scholarships are routinely awarded to students based on virtually no other criteria other than that they applied for it!

While students who can also demonstrate or document a financial need for a scholarship are generally given a higher priority, this is not always the case. You need to remember that this is a tax write-off for the companies and corporations who are offering many of these scholarships, and while most of them would like to see you study in a field of work that they endorse, the bigger motivation for them is to get the tax write-off as well as having their company appear in a good light from a public relations standpoint. In other words, you would think highly of a company who awarded you a full ride scholarship, even if your field of study was computer engineering and their product offering was baby blankets.

One of the things that is of critical importance when you fill out an application for a college scholarship is to complete every single piece of information that is requested on the application form. Do not omit anything and be brutally honest about it. One of the quickest ways to get disqualified for a college scholarship that you may have otherwise been awarded is for the sponsor to find out that you have lied or stretched the truth on the application form.

Regardless of how many scholarships you apply for, one of the sources of funding for your college education should be the FAFSA financial aid form. These are readily available at the collegeâ??s admissions office, and they can also provide guidance to you in filling it out if you need help.

Do not allow a lack of funding to prevent you from getting a good college education. The number of available college scholarships rises every year, and many even go unawarded simply because nobody applied for them!

Jon Arnold
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/how-to-find-great-college-scholarships-113457.html

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Computer Courses: Do We Really Need Them?

May 26

Posted by College editor in College Courses | 6 Comments

For Seniors This Does Compute

Probably the most prevalent, and perhaps least costly of any training anywhere are computer courses. In fact, computer courses are about the most important courses offered, as they provide skills needed for personal as well as business acumen.

Community colleges, senior centers, community centers, non-profit organizations, high schools, colleges, universities and private for-profit firms all offer computer courses. Many retails and office supply stores, as well as e-merchants, offer computer courses by e-book, POD (print on demand), Web-based training and CD or DVD.

For seniors especially the choice in computer courses is diverse, plentiful and generally low cost. One of the perks of growing old is the right to become part of what is fast becoming a commonplace college affiliated organization – Creative Retirement centers. These are typically cropping up on the campuses of community colleges and state universities and offer computer courses, discounts on standard college courses, senior computer centers, events, trips and get togethers such as meetings, dances and dinners.

The impetus behind these creative retirement facilities and organizations and their computer centers and computer courses was the University of North Carolina and its Asheville campus. The home of the Center for Creative Retirement, UNC Ashville each Memorial Weekend hosts a weekend get-together for seniors or about-to-be-retirees, with a look at the various facilities and housing available locally, the various courses including computer courses offered at the UNC campus club, and a tour of the local area.

The College for Seniors is a program of the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement, established in 1988. With full access to the resources of the University of North Carolina at Asheville, College for Seniors members keep mentally and physically fit through participation in classes and possibly even teaching a class or two.

College for Seniors draws from members’ experiences and professional expertise as well as from the UNCA faculty to offer four terms each year. Courses range from Chaucer to computers, foreign affairs to opera, yoga to history. Held on the UNCA campus and at community locations, courses are non-credit, with no tests or grades, open to all interested adults. Members collaborate with staff to teach, learn, design curricula and arrange special events. Educational travel opportunities are available. Term-renewable registration entitles members to as many courses as schedules permit.

All College for Seniors students are required to be members of the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement. This membership allows participation in all Center for Creative Retirement programs and provides a UNCA parking permit, a UNCA identification card, and UNCA library privileges. There are no age limits for College for Seniors courses or Center for Creative Retirement membership.

Examples of computer courses offered as part of College for Seniors include a basic Getting Started with Computers course, Advanced Home Computer, Basic e-mail and Internet access, MS Word training, Excel Spreadsheet basics, and Power Point basics. The only prerequisites for the more advanced of these computer courses are knowledge of the keyboard and mouse, and comfort with the use of both. A basic knowledge of either Windows or Macintosh jargon and menu bar items such as filing, editing, viewing and inserting functions. You should also know commands such as copying, cutting and pasting, and standard and formatting toolbars.

For the beginning computer courses, you don’t even need these rudimentary understandings, though. The computer starter course assumed you’ve never used a computer before, and teaches the senior student how to navigate around the Internet, and how to conduct searches. Windows applications are taught as well in these basic courses. Here the retirees learn how to use word processing to save files, and to create folders. They also learn the basics of sending and receiving e-mail.

Jason Roberts
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/computer-courses-do-we-really-need-them-71195.html

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5 Creative Ways to Help Pay For College

May 26

Posted by College editor in College Classes | 5 Comments

The cost of education is on the rise. States are spending less on higher education, forcing colleges and universities to pass the extra costs onto students. Tuition and fees have nearly doubled at some institutions, and there is no relief in sight. That’s the bad news. The good news is that there are several ways to help allay the rising cost of college. Here they are, in no particular order.

Accelerate Your Degree
Essentially, accelerating your degree means cramming a semester’s worth of material into a six-or eight week session. Many schools are now offering these accelerated sessions, and while classes can be intense, the benefits are that they allow you to take classes more quickly and thereby move up your graduation date. By accelerating your degree, you spend less time in college and can start your career sooner, which saves you time and money.

In addition to these accelerated sessions, you should also consider summer school or evening classes, which are often cheaper than regular classes and which also speed up the learning process.

Become a Transfer Student
One of the best kept secrets in higher education is that of transferring. The idea here is to earn as many credits as possible at a low-cost community college before transferring to a pricy, elite school prior to graduation. This way you can still get a diploma from a prestigious university but at a fraction of the price.

Furthermore, because community colleges are less competitive, you will be a better candidate for scholarships and other financial aid. What’s more, by attending your local community college, you can also reduce room-and-board costs by bunking at your parents house.

Go Where You’re Wanted
Conventional wisdom says you should go to school you want. But if you are trying to cut costs, maybe you should consider going to the schools that wants you. In other words, find the college or university that is dying to have you as a student, fire off an application, and then watch the discounts roll in. Star students get discounts on tuition as well as housing and other fees. The trick is to find the school that thinks you’re a star. Start by checking out the smaller, regional colleges in your area. Chances are you may be exactly the kind of student they’re looking for.

Apply For a Pell Grant
Every year, the U.S. Government provides millions of dollars worth of grants to help students finance their college education. A grant is an ideal way to help pay for college for two reasons: first, grants do not have to be paid back, and second, grants are awarded based on need. What this means is that depending on your financial need you can receive a federal grant or Pell Grant worth anywhere from $400 to $4000 dollars. Typically, Uncle Sam sends the money directly to your school of choice to apply directly to tuition. However, if your tuition is already paid for through scholarships or other financial aid, the money is dispersed directly to you to cover other expenses such as housing, books, and transportation.

To apply for a Pell Grant all you need to do is fill-out a Free Application For Federal Student Aid or FAFSA, which you can do online at fafsa.ed.gov . The application will take about an hour, but you will need your Social Security Number, driver’s license, income tax return, bank statements, and investment records.

Never Give Up On Scholarships
Many students think you need a 4.0 GPA to land big scholarships. But that’s not always the case. Even with strictly academic scholarships, you have a fighting chance so long as your grades make the cutoff, which may be as low as 2.75. What have you got to lose? Furthermore, there are plenty of non-academic scholarships you can apply for, including scholarships for athletics, military service, community service, and leadership.

Also, in addition to college or departmental scholarships, there are thousands of private organizations and religious organizations who also offer scholarships. And don’t forget about local or community-based awards. Although these scholarships are typically more modest, they are easier to win. What is best is that you can apply for (and receive) multiple scholarships, which means if you don’t land a big, ultra-competitive, academic scholarship you can still get the same amount of money through a combination of smaller, less-competitive scholarships.

When it comes to paying for college, the important thing to remember is that education is an investment. And like the old adage says, you’ve got to spend money to make money. That being said, there are ways to curb the amount you’ll have to spend to get a quality education. You just have to be creative.

Mahesh Mhatre
http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/5-creative-ways-to-help-pay-for-college-133732.html

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How to Impress College Admissions Officers

May 26

Posted by College editor in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

College admissions officers have the daunting task of sifting through hundreds (or in some cases thousands) of applications and choosing the applicants that meet the admission criteria. The process is not an exact science, but, for the most part, you can control your ability to be accepted.

Here are some suggestions for how to impress college admissions officers.

Achieve a high GPA

Most colleges have minimum GPA requirements for their applicants. If you want to make sure that you make the first cut, you have to have a solid GPA in high school. Particular focus is placed on your junior year, so do what you can to make your transcript sparkle.

Receive excellent grades in Advanced Placement (AP) courses

College admission officers want to see that you have challenged yourself. Packing your high school schedule with easy classes isnâ??t going to cut it. You need to take AP courses and excel in them. AP courses carry more weight on your GPA, so even if you get a B in an AP course, youâ??ll still earn four points toward your average.

Add some extracurricular activities to your schedule

Show interests outside of the classroom. Occupy your free time productively. Play sports, join a club or play an instrument. Get involved in something, and show dedication to it.

Volunteer, show responsibility and leadership skills.

Participate in your community. Volunteer at the hospital. Tout your participation in church activities. Illustrate that you have the ability to be a responsible, aware and hard working student.

Write a polished and well-argued personal essay.

Your personal essay is critical. If you want to impress admissions officers, you need to take your essay seriously. Pre-write like thereâ??s no tomorrow. Thoroughly address the topic in an engaging and logical manner. Make sure you have a clear point, and present it convincingly. You should also use the personal essay to explain any special hardships or adversities that you have overcome. Remember to stay enthusiastic and on message.

Include fabulous letters of recommendation.

Build relationships with your high school teachers, and ask the ones that care about you to craft enthusiastic letters praising your abilities. When you ask for a recommendation, if thereâ??s any hesitation on the part of the teacher, find someone else. You want your letters to be dramatic praises of your scholastic prowess

The best way to impress a college admissions officer is to have a well-rounded application. Turn in your materials in a timely fashion, and make sure everything is organized and complete. Donâ??t try any cutesy gimmicks, just stick to the facts. If youâ??ve taken care of business in high school, youâ??ll be able to shop around for the college of your choice.

Chris Stout
http://www.articlesbase.com/college-and-university-articles/how-to-impress-college-admissions-officers-84690.html

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