Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Register for the October 9th SAT by September 10th

Monday, September 6th, 2010

Remember to register by September 10th to take the SAT on October 9th.  Late registration is also available through September 24th.  You can sign up online at www.collegeboard.com.

Register for the June 12th ACT by May 7th

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

Remember to register by May 7th to take the ACT on June 12th. Late registration is also available through May 21st. You can sign up online at www.actstudent.org.

Applications to elite universities rise

Monday, April 12th, 2010

New York Times writer Jacques Steinberg reports “applications to elite private colleges rose again this academic year, despite the economic constraints on many families.  As a result, admission rates often fell to record lows. Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Cornell, Stanford, MIT, and Duke each reported sharp increases in applications this year compared with last year.”

Is the ACT or SAT better for you?

Monday, April 5th, 2010

Columnist for the Charlotte Observer Lee Bierer gives tips on which test to take and test strategies for both.

“SAT fits student who …

  • Did well on the PSAT with little or no prep work.
  • Is a strong reader with a good vocabulary.
  • Has good recall for historical or literature examples for the essay.
  • Possesses strong deductive reasoning and is test-savvy.
  • Is focused and good at puzzles.
  • Has ear for languages; easily identifies sentence errors.
  • Is a bright underachiever.

“ACT fits student who …

  • Did well on the PLAN (the PSAT for the ACT).
  • Earned a PSAT score that is inconsistent with grades and effort.
  • Reads fast but is not so strong in vocabulary.
  • Knows grammar and punctuation.
  • Performs well academically but is likely to experience test anxiety.
  • Is a “book-smart overachiever” but not the best test-taker.
  • Is great at writing argumentative essays about everyday issues.
  • Works quickly – more questions and less time, but less reasoning required.”

Register for the April 10th ACT by March 5th

Monday, March 1st, 2010

Remember to register by March 5th to take the ACT on April 10th. Late registration is also available through March 19th. You can sign up online at www.actstudent.org.

College gender gap

Monday, February 15th, 2010

A study by the American Council on Education found that the college gender gap of 57% women to 43% men, while troubling, remains stable reports writer Mary Beth Marklein of USA Today.

UC Regents adopt changes to freshman eligibility

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

The University of California Office of the President reports on the adopted proposal “to change freshman admission to give more high-achieving students the change to apply to UC and receive a full review of their applications.  The new rules will take effect for the fall 2012 entering class.”

Different from the current policy are the following:

  • Two SAT Subject Tests will no longer be required for admissions. However, the Subject Tests may be recommended for certain majors. As well, students will be allowed to submit scores for the consideration of their application if they choose to do so.
  • 11 of the 15 “a-g” courses must be completed by the end of the applicant’s junior year. Currently, only those applicants in the top 4% of their high school class are required to do so.
  • Students guaranteed admission based on their high school class rank will grow from the current 4% to 9%.
  • Fewer students statewide will receive an admission guarantee. The current admission guarantee applies to the top 12.5% of graduates. This will decrease to the top 10% statewide.  However, all students who qualify with at least 3.0 GPA, who have completed the required UC “a-g” courses, and who have taken the ACT with Writing or SAT Reasoning Test, will be entitled to a comprehensive review of their entire application whether or not they are in the top 10% statewide.

Register for February 6th ACT by January 5th

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

Remember to register by January 5th to take the ACT on February 6th. Late registration is also available through January 15th. You can sign up online at www.actstudent.org.

Spending more time with your kids

Monday, July 27th, 2009

Daniel Hamermesh of the New York Times shares thoughts on the findings that parents are spending more time with their children than parents did in the 1990’s and makes note of the theory that the increased competition to selective colleges is spurring parents on.

Changes in the financial aid form

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

Syndicated columnist Dear Babs writes about changes in the federal financial aid form.  FAFSA has announced changes to make the form easier and more accessible, most notably cutting down the size from 30 pages to 10 pages.