Western Edition | Southern Edition | MidWest Edition | Archive | Sponsoring |      February 28, 2013
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This weekly email searches main media outlets finding stories that may be of interest to high school counselors, college admission officers and related organizations, with links to the original stories. It is published by de facto, inc., publishers of other e-newsletters.
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Summer Resource Guide - 2013

We are introducing a new section - to connect counselors and parents to a host of enrichment programs available over this upcoming summer. Check it out
NE Summer Resource Guide

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College Big Picture

Only Half of First-Time College Students Graduate in 6 Years
New York Times - Economix Blog  - Feb 26, 2013
A new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center digs deeper into these graduation rates. It finds that of the 1.9 million students enrolled for the first time in all degree-granting institutions in fall 2006, just over half of them (54.1 percent) had graduated within six years...
The Real War on Higher Education
Washinton Monthly  - Feb 22, 2013
I've written before about rhetoric of some conservative politicians with regard to college. Rick Santorum has said that he believes “the left” uses universities to indoctrinate young people for the purpose of “holding and maintaining power.” ...
When community college beats getting a bachelor's
MSN Money  - Feb 26, 2013
For many middle-wage jobs, the cheaper 2-year associates degree makes more financial sense than spending 4 years in classrooms....
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College Admissions Process/Strategies

The Truth About Need-Aware Admissions
Huffington Post - Feb 26, 2013
Now is the time for high school juniors to begin developing a well-balanced list of target, reach, and likely schools to apply to this fall, and one of the most significant, and often times limiting, factors that families and students consider when deciding where to apply is cost.....
Grade pointless? Most colleges don't care about GPAs
USA Today  - Feb 27, 2013
Parents and their high school students are fascinated by the grade point average and what it means in college admissions, but the truth is that a number of colleges and universities are not all that interested....
Good Grades And College Aid: The Wake Up Story
Forbes - Feb 22, 2013
Just because your child is a good student doesn't mean her good grades will translate into college aid. This kind of financial aid is called academic merit aid, and few colleges offer it based just on grades and test scores alone. ....
The Art of Applying: The Role of Artistic Talent in the College Process
The Choate News - Feb 22, 2013
The college admissions process, which is just beginning for the class of 2014, is a complicated and stressful moment of passage for many. For an artist, the difficult choice of where to attend college may mean choosing between a liberal arts school and a conservatory or whether or to submit arts supplements. . ....
The Pros and Cons of Honors Colleges
The College Solution Blog - Feb 22, 2013
After I published my last post on honors colleges, I heard from Stuart Nachbar, who produces amazingly in-depth profiles of primarily state universities at his website EducatedQuest, which I'd urge you to visit regularly. Stuart wrote a great piece on the pros and cons of honors college, which I'm sharing with you today:...
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High School Seniors

Seniors, Start Thinking about Return Visits to the College
True Admission Blog  - Feb 21, 2013
on your list. You will most likely be accepted at several of those schools. Once you have an acceptance in hand, the view from the middle of campus may look and feel different.....
College Admissions: How To Keep Your HS Senior Out of Trouble
GoLOcal Prov - Feb 25, 2013
It's an insidious and highly contagious disease. No one really talks about it, and the American Psychological Association doesn't recognize it, but nevertheless, it exists. It affects only a small subset of society, high school seniors....
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Visiting

Countdown to College: The importance of visiting colleges over spring break
Charlotte Observer  - Feb 26, 2013
Spring break is right around the corner. If you have a high school junior, that means hopefully you'll be breaking out the atlas and planning to see at least a few college campuses....
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Essays

Is It A Parent's Right To Read Their Kid's College Essay?
Huffington Post  - Feb 18, 2013
About six months ago, an unspeakable evil entered our house -- the college essay process. Until then, we'd always been a fairly typical family, neither sensational or completely unremarkable. Just typical, with three kids, a dog, a cat and a fish named Nini. But that was before the Essay. Oh, the Essay....

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SATs & ACTs

Juniors: Create a Testing Plan
True Admission Blog  - Feb 26, 2013
Second semester of junior year in high school means testing. In addition to the SAT (upcoming on March 9 and May 4) and the ACT (on April 13 and June 8), students may be taking AP exams and SAT Subject Tests this spring....
SAT exam to be redesigned
Washington Post  - Feb 26, 2013
The famed SAT college admissions exam will undergo a thorough redesign by the College Board, which is calling it an “ambitious effort” to “better meet” the needs of students and schools.....
Low ACT Scores? What Now?
About.com  - Feb 26, 2013
There's so much hype surrounding a few of the country's most selective colleges that many applicants feel they need a 35 or 36 composite score on the ACT to get into a good college. The reality is quite different.....
A New SAT
Inside Higher Ed  - Feb 27, 2013
The College Board is planning to redesign the SAT, although the process is not expected to be speedy and the precise nature of the changes has not been determined.....
SAT or ACT?
Issaquah Press  - Feb 26, 2013
As spring rolls around, juniors start to think about college and with that, they start asking themselves questions about standardized tests, specifically the SAT and ACT. Almost every college accepts scores from either test, so the choice really comes down to personal preference. How do you decide?....
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Counselors

HSCW Counselors' Corners
Post - Feb 28, 2013
When Student Trust is Compromised
The craziness that comes with college notifications in March has been matched by a different kind of madness in February. The Daily Pennsylvanian reports a former admissions officer at The University of Pennsylvania posted portions of applicants’ essays to her Facebook page. ... More

Adding Counselors Will Make Schools Safer
Hartford Courant  - Feb 22, 2013
As a high school counselor and coach in West Hartford, I recently testified before our state legislators on how best to support Connecticut schools after the December tragedy in Newtown....
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FinAid/Scholarships

Experts: Start Early In Your Search For College Scholarships
CBS Local NY  - Feb 25, 2013
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — There is a new mantra when it comes to scoring collegescholarships – it's never too early. As CBS 2's Kristine Johnson reported, thousands of college dollars are given away each year – even to toddlers – and the competition isn't as stiff as you might think....
FAFSA Tips to Help Nontraditional Students Pay for College
US News & World Report  - Feb 26, 2013
Pursuing a college degree after a hiatus from academia can be intimidating, and students often face hurdles before they set foot on campu....
Many students use college aid for unnecessary items
USA Today  - Feb 27, 2013
CHERRY HILL, N.J. -- Each year, billions of dollars in financial aid funds are released by federal and state agencies to college students nationwide....
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Student Athletes

After the Cheering Stops
Edutopia  - Feb 26, 2013
I grew up loving basketball, and Alan Seiden was the best high school basketball player I've ever seen. He was also my neighbor and a classmate at Jamaica High School in New York City.....
Dear College Presidents: Break The NCAA's Vise Grip On Athletes
NPR.org  - Feb 27, 2013
But I have a similar quest. I seek one prominent college president to say to her trustees or to the other presidents in his conference: "The NCAA is a sham and disgrace. Let's get out of it."....
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Vocational Education

Vocational education provides opportunities for job placement
Examiner  - Feb 26, 2013
With the economy still recovering from the 2008 financial crisis, vocational education will be an important component of the recovery process. Vocational education sometimes referred to as Career and Technical Education (CTE) or Vocational Education....
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Parents

Parents - Do you know how you will pay for college?
Denver College Admissions Examiner - Feb 26, 2013
As high school seniors begin receiving college acceptance letters from schools they have applied to, parents are forced to face the reality of how they will pay for college.....
Parents Are Robbing Retirement for College
CNBC  - Feb 26, 2013
Paying for your child's education is a laudable goal, but may not be realistic for some parents who could wind up jeopardizing their own financial future in order to help put their sons and daughters through college....
Parents Saving Less for College, Survey Finds
EdWeek  - Feb 26, 2013
A new national survey finds families are overwhelmed and saving less for college than they were two years ago....
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Northeast

Massachusetts professors protest high-stakes standardized tests
Washington Post  - Feb 22, 2013
A coalition of more than 130 Massachusetts professors and researchers from some 20 schools — including Harvard, Tufts, Boston and Brandeis universities — signed a new public statement that urges officials to stop overusing high-stakes standardized tests to assess students, teachers and schools.....
Alternatives to Four Years at College
NJ-1015  - Feb 27, 2013
For many families, not surprisingly, putting a child through four years of college can only be a fantasy. The rising costs of attending a four-year school, and the mounting debt that follows graduation, have forced different routes on students looking to succeed. There are other options in New Jerse.....
Financial-aid rally delivers message: Mass. students suffering
Lowell Sun  - Feb 27, 2013
BOSTON -- More than 100 college students lobbied legislators for additional funding for financial aid Tuesday, with help from Gov. Deval Patrick who spoke for his budget plan, which would provide an additional $112 million for financial aid....
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Teen Dating Violence

1 In 3 Teens Fall Victim To Dating Violence, How You Can Spot The Signs
WUSA  - Feb 22, 2013
You may hear this and think, that's something that happens to other people, but know this: The next time you see three teens, odds are one of them will be beaten, verbally or sexually abused or even killed as a result of a dating relationship......
Know the signs of teen dating violence
Herald Review  - Feb 22, 2013
For young teenagers, first dates can be exciting and fun as well as scary and stressful. The prospect of first love that can come with close friendships is always the dream. But what if those young hearts just starting to explore the world of dating and love encounter disrespect and abuse.....

 
 

Contents

Big Pic
Proces/Strat
HS Seniors
Visits
Essays
SATs & ACTs
Counsel
FinAid
Athletes
Voc Ed
Northeast
Teen Dating

Sponsors

Dean_College
Lesley
philographica
Limrick
CPA
AllCollege_Essays
Pine_Manor_College
Bay_State_College
UMaine
St_Vincent
Hollins</a
Dedham Savings
NYC_Poly
WIT

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