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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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ARCHIVES Something New - Something Old  

We have been asked more than once to have access to the archives. It sounds easy, but it required some thought on how to make it really useful. We are still working on it but here's what we have so far. Archives you will also see at the end of some of the topic sections a link to the archive for that topic. Let us know what you think. Thanks.

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Big Picture

Who Should Get Financial Aid?
New York Times - Room for Debate - Nov 6, 2013
It’s that time of year: College students are applying for financial aid, and wondering how they’ll make up the difference if grants, scholarships and loans don’t cover the tuition bill....
Why the College Application Process Needs an Upgrade
Huffington Post - Nov 5, 2013
What if you applied for a job and were told, "Sorry, your zip code, previous salary, and shoe size make you ineligible for this position?" You'd be angry, right? In many respects, a similar scenario plays out each year for tens of thousands of college applicants....
College Mentoring Program for At-Risk Students Shows Benefits
EdWeek - Nov 6, 2013
Low-income students who participated in an individualized coaching program that helped them navigate through the college-application process were more likely to enroll in selective colleges and four-year institutions, new research shows. ..
Student Sues Standardized Test Makers for Selling her Information
Washington Monthly - Nov 4, 2013
One student is suing America’s big standardized test organizations for selling student information. According to a piece at Inside Higher Ed: ..
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College Admissions Process/Strategies

How to Make Your Extracurriculars Look Best on Your College Applications
Her Campus - Nov 5, 2013
You’ve probably been told all throughout high school to get involved and participate in clubs and extracurriculars. For many college admissions officers, seeing that you’re really committed to your activities proves that you’re responsible and you can manage your time well....
How to Spot a Lousy Net Price Calculator
The College Solution - Nov 4, 2013
As I’ve mentioned in previous college blog posts, net price calculators allow you to obtain a personalized estimate of what a school will cost after deducting any scholarships and grants that your child might be receiving. ...
College Admissions: 4 Things To Do While Waiting For Early Admissions
GoLocalProv  - Nov 4, 2013
Many parents and students are anxiously awaiting the first round of college admission responses. Early action and early decision acceptances are usually returned around December 15, but some colleges will send them out sooner and some will go later. ...
COLLEGE CONNECTION: Putting your best self forward
wickedlocal.com - Nov 3, 2013
Cohasset — Whether it is a job interview or a new social situation, people generally want to make a good first impression. Applying to college is no exception. While students may attempt to awe the admission staff, knowing how best to do that is often overlooked and understated...
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Letters of Recommendation

7 tips for helping your school counselor write an amazing recommendation
DC College Admissions Examiner  - Nov 4, 2013
At this time of the year most seniors are so caught up in their essays that many of them forget about another important component of their college application: the letter of recommendation. ....
Archives - Letters of Recommendation
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College Essays

Robots or Aliens as Parents? Colleges Gauge Applicants’ Creativity
New York Times - Nov 3, 2013
As legions of high school seniors polish their college applications, plowing through predictable essay topics about their lives and goals, they might also run across something like this: “Tell us your favorite joke and try to explain the joke without ruining it.”....
What’s Happening In Your College Essay?
The College Solution Blog - Nov 1, 2013
Here’s one way to check if your college admissions essay it will engage your reader: See if something happened. If not, good chance it’s a snoozer....
The Perfect College Essay? Check Your Exaggeration, Drama And Self-Aggrandizing At The Door
Her Campus - Nov 1, 2013
When you apply to college, in addition to your grades and your activities, colleges want a glimpse into your life. Enter your personal statement, one of the most frustrating things about applying to college....
Archives - College Essays

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Visits/Interview

10 tips for preparing for the college interview
Charlotte Observer - Nov 5, 2013
The college interview: The anxiety-producing rite of passage for high school seniors has, for the most part, gone the way of the floppy disk. Due to multiple factors, including the personnel required to schedule and conduct the interviews, the infamous sweaty-palms interview is no longer de rigeur....
Archives - Campus Visits & Interviews
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SATs & ACTs

Why the PSAT is the Most Important Test for a High School Junior
Al.com - Nov 4, 2013
Your teen may earn $75,000 in scholarship money before their 18th birthday. Yes, you read correctly; $75,000 to be put towards continuing their education. ..
College test preparation creating more anxiety for students
WXYZ - Nov 4, 2013
(WXYZ) - The college admission process can be stressful for students. This is especially true for students who have to take the SAT and ACT tests. For many students test preparation takes over their life. Experts say it seems like the pressure to perform is greater than ever.. ..
What Students, Parents Should Know About Falling SAT Scores
US News - Nov 5, 2013
The College Board, the organization that develops and administers the SAT, recently released a series of statistics with worrying implications for students in pursuit of higher education....
Reducing SAT Anxiety and Stress
algonquin.patch - Nov 5, 2013
A parent remarked that his son had begun his SAT study with a combination of “zeal, anxiety, and stress”. Let me address the "Stressed and Anxious" aspect: ...
Archives - SATs & ACTs
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Gap Year

Learning from life: A 'gap year' between high school and college can help students
Deseret News - Nov 5, 2013
Samantha Krieg’s arrival in Florence, Italy began the worst day of her 18-year-old life — or that’s what she thought at the time. But now, Krieg appreciates her memories of not knowing how to get to her apartment, and being lost for hours in a foreign city where she couldn’t understand the language.r....
6 Reasons Every Student Should Consider Taking a Gap Year
Deseret News - Nov 5, 2013
Gap years are a relatively new phenomenon in the United States, compared to Britain or Australia, where it is almost common for students to take some time between high school graduation and college enrollment to focus on things other than academics.....
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Counselors

HSCW Counselors' Corners
Post - Nov 7, 2013
Ideal Gifts for That Special Counselor in Your Life
In case you missed it, your local drug store is stocking candy canes this week—and that puts them a couple of weeks behind the local big box store that’s had Christmas trees up since mid-October... More

Viewpoint on education: School counselor Robert Bardwell says time is now for nation to act against school violence
MassLive  - Nov 4, 2013
Here we go again. Two more senseless acts of violence in our schools, two days apart, one right here in Massachusetts. In case you missed it, here’s a recap.....

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Parents

The New Faces of College Admissions: Parents
New York Times  - Nov 3, 2013
MY DAUGHTER was in college. I had let go, just as the school had suggested. Then the email arrived, asking me to pitch in and join its “admission network.” I’d thought I was finished with school volunteer work!...
I Might Not Send My Kids to College
Huffington Post  - Nov 6, 2013
Recently, I was at dinner with a group of friends, several of whom were mothers. As is often the case, the conversation had turned to the education system. We were discussing testing and home schooling and teachers, when another friend..
Archives - Parents
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Social Media

How I Talk to My High-School Students About the Internet
The Atlantic - Nov 5, 2013
As a teacher, I believe it's my job to warn kids about the dangers of being online—and to show them the benefits. ...
How Many College Admissions Officers Check Applicants’ Facebook Profiles?
allfacebook.com - Nov 5, 2013
The percentage of college admissions officers who have visited applicants’ profiles on Facebook and other social networks reached an all-time high of 31 percent, according to a recent study by Kaplan Test Prep, ...
College admission officers check social media sites of applicants: Higher Education roundup
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Nov 1, 2013
CLEVELAND, Ohio - More college admissions officers are checking applicants on Google and Facebook but savvy students are hiding or removing incriminating information, according to Kaplan Test Prep, a company that provides standardized test preparation products for students. ...
Using Social Media to Improve Admissions Odds
College Admissions Examiner - Nov 5, 2013
The terms “College Admissions” and “Social Media” are typically linked for one threatening reason: be careful what you post, because colleges may be watching you. But if colleges are watching you, doesn’t that represent an opportunity? ...
Students Becoming More Mindful of Their Online Behavior
U.S. News University - Nov 3, 2013
The types of concerns students have during the college admissions process have changed dramatically over the past decade. This has a lot to do with the fact that popular websites like Facebook and Twitter simply did not exist back then....
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Midwest

Illinois, ACT differ on college-readiness figures
Chicago Tribune  - Nov 3, 2013
Less than three months ago, ACT reported that just a quarter of Illinois' 2013 graduates were considered ready for key freshman classes, based on scores on the testing giant's college entrance exam.....
Voters across Ohio approve about 60 percent of school issues; Columbus levy soundly rejected
The Republic  - Nov 6, 2013
CINCINNATI — Some 60 percent of Ohio school funding issues on this week's local ballots were approved, although voters in the capital city soundly rejected a proposed tax hike.....
Michigan Works To Match Dropouts With Degrees Already Earned
NPR.org - Nov 6, 2013
There's a nationwide search underway to find former students who don't know they've already done all or most of the work needed to earn a credential that might help them land a better-paying job.....
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Bullying

Are Parents To Blame For Raising Bullies?
WDDE  - Nov 4, 2013
Should parents be punished for their children's bullying crimes? One New York student thinks so. She's taking her aggressors and their parents to court, and she's not the only one who favors such action...
If a 6’5, 312-pound Miami Dolphin can be bullied…
Washington Post  - Nov 6, 2013
Jonathan Martin, the 6-foot-5-inch, 312-pound Miami Dolphin offensive lineman who left the NFL team because he was being bullied by at least one other player, has done a favor for school kids everywhere...
 
 
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Contents

Big Pic
Proces/Strat
Letters
Essays
Visits
SATs & ACTs
Gap Year
Counsel
Parents
Facebook
Midwest
Bullying

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