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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

College admissions madness may ease: study
Washington Post - Mar 26, 2013
acceptance season is underway, with schools now sending out e-mails and letters to students across the country about whether they have been admitted or rejected. A new study says that the madness may ease over the next decade as the number of high school graduates drops....
Dumbed-Down Math and Other Perils of Online College
Bloomberg - Mar 26, 2013
But the U.S. university system is a national crown jewel, one of few remaining advantages we have over our economic competitors. We should carefully consider the quality of the MOOCs before eviscerating this sector for some short-sighted gain. Rather than giving more young Americans a quicker path to a college degree, we might end up dumbing down the value of that piece of paper.....
On College: Numbers show that a degree pays off
San Jose Mercury News - Mar 26, 2013
There has been quite a bit of talk recently about the value of a college education. With decreasing salaries and increasing tuition, people are asking whether going to college makes sense financially. While there will always be exceptions to the rule, the numbers prove that a college education pays off in the short and long term....
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College Admissions Process/Strategies

A Look Inside the Admission Conclave
New York Times - The Choice  - Mar 25, 2013
The Vatican is not the only institution undergoing a deep process of discernment and debate this month. Seniors from high schools across the country are waiting anxiously for the white smoke to billow up from the rooftops of college admission offices....
Should You Cold Call A College Admissions Office?
HerCampus  - Mar 25, 2013
No matter where you are in the college admissions process, chances are you're already sick of it. It's a stressful waiting game and you can't help but wonder if there's anything else you can do to get that acceptance letter. ...
Gauge 6 Factors to Find the Right College Fit
US News  - Mar 21, 2013
Planning to enroll in college soon? There are a lot of decisions to make when it comes to finding the college or university that suits you best. Before you make up your mind about where you'll get your degree, make sure you take the following things into consideration...
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Waiting & Deciding/Rejection

College Admissions: How To Keep From Choosing The Wrong College
GoLocalProv College Admissions  - Mar 18, 2013
April 1 is just one week away, and most college acceptances will soon be received by anxious high school seniors. Often, students and parents have a difficult time making a decision. While a "gut feeling"¯ ...
Tip Sheet: If You Are Accepted, Rejected or Deferred
New York Times - The Choice  - Mar 27, 2013
The Choice has gathered expert advice over the years about this crucial moment of the admission process: when students open their (virtual) envelopes and discover whether they have been accepted, rejected or wait-listed. In this post, we offer a sampling of the tips we have collected ....
Making Your Final College Choice
LA College Admissions Examiner  - Mar 25, 2013
The waiting is almost over as admission notices get sent out now and within the next few weeks. Making an informed and correct college choice is crucial. Here are things to keep in mind. ...
High School Seniors: Deciding on One College From All of Your Choices
Huffington Post  - Mar 22, 2013
By the middle of April, all of your college acceptances will be in. I hope you are pleased with the outcome. If you have been accepted to your preferred college, then your decision is easy; done deal! Sometimes, though, that doesn't happen and you must choose one college from a number of less favored options....
My Successful Letter of Appeal to UC Berkeley
Huffington Post  - Mar 25, 2013
UC Berkeley was my dream school. In fact, as a student at a large public high school in the East Bay, as the son and grandson of alumni, and as a young person interested in politics, the University of California, Berkeley, was one of the few schools I knew...
Surviving March Madness
DC College Prep Examiner - Mar 25, 2013
More than ever before, the process of rolling out admissions decisions seems to be going on forever. Starting in early December and relentlessly continuing through the end of March, the lines between early and regular or deferred and waitlisted have definitely become blurred.....
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Counselors

HSCW Counselors' Corners
Post - Mar 28, 2013
Helping Students with Admissions Decisions—A Couple of Things to Avoid
The last few college decisions are coming out this week, so your office will soon be filled with all kinds of students who have received all kinds of news. As you try and meet these very different needs, here are a few responses you may want to hold off on, at least for now.…... More

20 Twitter Accounts Every College Counselor Should Follow
collegexpress blog - Mar 22, 2013
recently spotted the word "ubiquitous" on a list of the most overused/obnoxious words in the English language, a distinction which I find unfortunate because "ubiquitous" is one of my favorite words¯...
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Campus Visits

How to Plan a College Visit Road Trip Over Spring Break
Charlotte Observer - Mar 25, 2013
The traditional campus visit is right up there with blind dates and job interviews as great examples of the famous adage "You never get a second chance to make a first impression."¯...
Juniors: Questions to Ask on a College Visit
Tru Admissions Blog - Mar 27, 2013
When visiting a college, admission officers are the best resources for answers to specific questions about the application process, a college’s mission and future plans, and most aspects of daily life on campus— academics, housing¯...
Go mobile on your college visits
USA Today - Mar 26, 2013
If your spring break or summer vacation plans include visiting college campuses, you don’t have to wait until you set foot on campus to start your visit. You can visit college before you leave home with just a smartphone in hand.¯...
Top 10 questions to ask on college visits: Part 2
Long Island College Prep Examiner - Mar 25, 2013
While a college application is all about the student showing what he can do for the school, college visits should be about finding out what the college can do for the student. The "collegecation" (family vacay plus college visit) is a fun part of college prep that helps students decide if it is in their best interest to apply and attend....

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FinAid/Scholarship/Paying

5 steps for evaluating a financial aid letter
CBS News MoneyWatch - Mar 25, 2013
Financial aid awards frequently leave families stumped. That's by design, because obfuscation benefits colleges and universities. If parents and students can't decipher a financial aid letter, or don't know how to detect what's missing in an award, they are less likely to know when they've received a lousy offer....
Part 4: Answers to Your Questions About Paying for College
New York Times - The Choice - Mar 21, 2013
College Savings Plan - Q:I've heard advice that parents shouldn't have savings accounts for college expenses. When considering financial aid, colleges will look first at those accounts to calculate parental contributions...
Part 5: Answers to Your Questions About Paying for College
A Financial Aid Letter That Gets It Right
The College Solution Blog - Mar 27, 2013
Many colleges do a horrible job of presenting their financial aid awards in an easy-to-understand way. As I’ve been explaining in my last two posts, I believe this is largely intentional:...
New Efforts Introduced to Manage Student Loans
ED Week - Mar 27, 2013
Right now, college seniors may be more tuned into passing their final courses and getting a job than paying off their student loans. But when they are ready to think about how to manage that looming debt...
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Parents

Parent Trap: What to Know Before Taking a College Loan
Wall Street Journal - Mar 24, 2013
Generally, parents shouldn't borrow more than they can reasonably repay in 10 years, or before they retire, whichever is sooner, says Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of financial-aid website FinAid.org. ¯...
Listen, Listen, Listen: Practical Advice from Psychologist Michael Thompson on Motivating Juniors to Focus on College
True Admissions Blog - Mar 26, 2013
With all the developmental observations and warnings from my previous post in mind, here are eight suggestions for motivating your high school junior to focus on the college process. ¯...
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March Madness

The NCAA Sweet 16 - A College Admissions Comparison
About.com - Mar 26, 2013
But how do these final sixteen universities measure up on the college admissions front? Below are a few stats for each of the teams with links to further information. I've listed the schools from the highest to lowest four-year graduation rates, a number that is more meaningful than acceptance rates.....
College Sports Spending: The Real March Madness?
TIME - Mar 21, 2013
Who pays the bills for college sports? At most public institutions, it's students and taxpayers. And in an era of rising tuition costs, and economic uncertainty, it's starting to tick them off....
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West

California voters split on Jerry Brown school plans
Los Angeles Times - Mar 23, 2013
SACRAMENTO — California voters have yet to strongly embrace Gov. Jerry Brown's controversial plan to shift money from rich schools to poor ones, an ominous sign as he works to win support for the idea from skeptical lawmakers and the state's powerful teachers unions.....
Education leaders will not ask for veto of school grading bill
The Salt Lake Tribune - Mar 20, 2013
The governor is receiving significant pressure to veto a school grading bill, but the state school board is one group that won’t be joining the fight....
What's at stake as community colleges face budget cuts?
California Watch - Mar 27, 2013
A new report by the Public Policy Institute of California examines how nearly $1.5 billion in budget cuts in recent years has limited access to the state’s community college system.....
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Bullying

Can Books Solve the Bullying Problem?
Atlantic Wire - Mar 27, 2013
Last year, it was futuristic dystopias. This year, it's ... bullying. (Maybe these two topics are more alike than one would think at first glance.) In the New York Times today, Leslie Kaufman takes on the new proliferation of books about bullying...
 
 

Contents

Big Pic
Proces/Strat
Waiting
Counsel
Visits
Paying
Parents
March Mad
West
Bullying

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