Why Take an AP Course?

Two reasons:

The Ivy League

"Winning admission to an elite school is imagined to be a golden passport to success; for bright students, failing to do so is seen as a major life setback."

Admission: UMaine Orono

Based on meetings at UMO and last year's admission stats for Cheverus. Information also obtained from conversations with admissions reps while at Cheverus interviewing senior applicants. (updated Feb 2013)

Admission: UCONN

UConn's admission standards are higher for out of state students. Here's what they said in October 2009 when a rep visited Cheverus:

Admission: Penn State

Penn State has a vast network of colleges all across the state. The most popular is the main campus, University Park.

Admission: Ivy League

Ivy League Admission Stats for Early Decision versus Regular Decision. Great info!

Admission: BC

Boston College has loads of info on their Admission pages. In the past, BC admitted Cheverus students with high SAT scores (700+), all honors and AP courses, and high GPA (3.9+).

links verified 11/2014

Earning power of college graduates

Forbes.com notes the following statistic:

"...college grads earn 45% more than high school grads."

Lying Applicants

"Admissions Police Bolster Efforts to Uncover Fraud"

Fascinating article on the efforts that some colleges undertake to discover lying and plagiarism on college applications! Here's a clip:

College Blogs

A Boston Globe article compares various student blogs, also run by the admissions office. The bottom line: Dartmouth's sounds too good to be true, while MIT does not edit their student's entries, even though the student is paid to keep a blog of their MIT life. Here's a clip of the article:

"Colleges that Change Lives"

I attended the Colleges That Change Lives College Fair on May 24, 2007 in Randolph, MA.

Space Available, even after May 1

Even if you decide late in senior year to attend college, there are places for you! Check out this site for a database of colleges that have space available even after the May 1 deposit date:

Women's Colleges

Why not consider a women's college? Too many girls dismiss the idea! Sure, it may not be the right match for everyone, but consider the benefits.

Summer Job?

Students often ask me: "what should I do this summer?" They worry that whatever they do will not look as good as what other applicants are doing. My experience is that colleges want you to do something over the summer besides sit by the pool, but colleges don't rank volunteer work over paid work, or overseas travel over a college course.

My Daily Reading

What do I read to stay up to date with the fast-paced and ever-changing world of college admissions?

Facebook

What's in Your Profile?

be careful what you put online!

Williams, Wesleyan & Amherst

5/3/07 information session Williams (MA), Wesleyan (CT) and Amherst (MA)

Parents & college essays

Great article with terrific advice from Bowdoin's Dean of Admissions, who says: "hands off, parents, but you do have a role to play."

Princeton Review's annual list; Forbes too

The anticipated "best colleges" lists, including party schools and sober schools, are here.

STEM and women

(STEM=Science, Tech, Engineering and Math majors and careers)

big changes for graduating seniors' parents

Sure, new high school graduates are in for some big changes when they enroll in college this fall. But what about their parents? How are they to behave after raising a wonderful son or daughter for 18 years? A well respected educator has some great advice about finding "the new normal".

http://brianharke.squarespace.com/articles/2011/4/11/parents-lost-in-the-college-transition.html

links verified 4/2013

deciding where to enroll

Seniors: 4 terrific things to consider when trying to decide where to enroll, from the perspective of 2 college professors

http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/09/jacobs-hyman/

links verified 4/2013

where the jobs are

top careers of the future: engineering, health, computers

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/education/edlife/edl-17conted-t.html?_r=1

(links verified 4/2013)

cost of college

wonder what colleges do with tuition? I hope it's for a great classroom experience! Check out the pie charts here:

http://www.campusgrotto.com/where-do-colleges-spend-their-money.html

links verified 4/2013