Southern Edition | Western Edition | NE Edition | Archive | Sponsoring |           June 26, 2014
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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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SPACE AVAILABLE SECTION

Check out our Space Avaialble Section Below. Many great schools are still accepting applications for Fall 2014.
Check it out -- Space Available Section

HSCW Summer Break

HSCW Sponsor Blog - Ways To Keep in Touch
Post - June 26, 2014
Summer Break: Another school year has come to an end. I can always tell, not only year by the weather but by the ever increasing returned email saying, “XYZ High School is on Summer Break...
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Big Picture

Is a college degree still worth it? Study says yes
San Jose Mercury News  - Jun 24, 2014
NEW YORK -- Some comforting news for recent college graduates facing a tough job market and years of student loan payments: That college degree is still worth it.......
The Real Price Of College
NPR.org - Jun 25, 2014
On today's show, we visit beautiful Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. Price of one year at Lafayette: $55,688. Up 63 percent from the price a decade ago.....
The Solution to the Student-Loan ‘Crisis’? Depends on How You Define It
Chronicle of Higher Ed  - Jun 25, 2014
Student-loan debt is widely perceived to be a problem, even a crisis. Experts, advocates, and policy makers have been debating how to tackle it for years, and with the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act...
Tying Federal Aid to College Ratings
New York Times - OpEd  - Jun 25, 2014
College and university leaders have been up in arms since President Obama announced last year that the administration would soon deploy a rating system that evaluates schools based on factors like affordability, graduation rates, student earnings and how well institutions serve low-income students....
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College Admissions Process/Strategies

College Admissions Strategy
Huffington Post  - Jun 23, 2014
Here's how to stand out on your college apps and develop a strong college admissions strategy: Although a challenging curriculum, strong GPA and stellar test scores (for schools that require test scores) are essential, other sections of the college application are increasingly important...
How to use a brag sheet for teacher recommendations
The Prospect  - Jun 23, 2014
With the college application season looming for you rising high school seniors, many different things may be on your mind. While you might already be drafting your Common App essays, one item often forgotten is the recommendation letter your teachers will write for you....
7 Things Your College Counselor Won’t Tell You
GoLocalProv College Admissions  - Jun 23, 2014
Summer is a popular time for rising juniors and seniors to visit college campuses. With early action and early decision deadlines looming just around the corner, here are seven crucial things you should know about college admissions that you may not hear from your guidance counselor...
Even more ways to make the most of the summer before senior year
DC College Admissions Examiner  - Jun 25, 2014
For the college-bound, the months between junior and senior years are crucial for jumpstarting the application process. It’s also a great time for discovering new interests, adding to your resume, and otherwise positioning yourself for beginning the ultimate transition from high school senior to college freshman....
4 unique college application formats to consider
Tutoring Examiner  - Jun 16, 2014
What is the most important aspect of your college application? Distinguishing yourself. Certain students achieve this goal with high grades or test scores, others write remarkable personal statements or utilize networks and personal connections. But can your application format aid you in this goal?....
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Essay

It’s time for rising seniors to think about college essays
Charlotte Observer  - Jun 23, 2014
Summer is a great time to ponder deep thoughts, and right now rising seniors should be pondering their college essays. The essay is a student’s best opportunity to set themselves apart in the college application...
Video Essays for College Applications
Charlotte Observer  - Jun 23, 2014
In this multimedia age that we live in, it should come as no surprise that many colleges are now accepting video essays. With the mountain of applications colleges receive, the challenge is for students to find a way to stand out. ...

Archives - Essay
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Rising College Freshman

To join or not to join the Greek system on campus
San Jose Mercury News  - Jun 23, 2014
As my students have been diving deep into college research, questions about the Greek system and Greek life have been popping up more than in past years. Most high school students imagine sororities and fraternities to be filled with mean girls with pretty letters on their sweaters and boys running around doing keg stands instead of attending class.......
How to Cope With Post-Graduation Blues
Her Campus  - Jun 25, 2014
High school was the time of your life, and it can be intimidating to know that a whole new chapter is about to begin. However, there’s no reason to stress: high school can’t last forever, and there are bigger and better things waiting just around the corner! Coping with your post-graduation blues can be easy if you follow these four steps.....
5 things every freshman should know before their first college class
USA Today - College  - Jun 18, 2014
Alright future freshmen. The time has come where high school graduation is right around the corner and it’s time to close one chapter of your life and begin a brand new one. Yes, college is an incredibly fun experience. Especially when it’s your first time being away from home....
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SATs & ACTs

Sat/act prep classes: are they really worth it?
The Prospect  - Jun 25, 2014
Hampshire College has a reputation for doing things a little bit differently—for better or worse. The liberal-arts school in Amherst, Mass., doesn’t give traditional letter grades to students, opting instead for narrative evaluations. There are no off-the-shelf majors—kids design their own course of study...
College bans SAT from admissions process
MarketWatch  - Jun 21, 2014
Hampshire College has a reputation for doing things a little bit differently—for better or worse. The liberal-arts school in Amherst, Mass., doesn’t give traditional letter grades to students, opting instead for narrative evaluations. There are no off-the-shelf majors—kids design their own course of study...
Archives - SATs & ACTs
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Gap Year

Why Taking a 'Gap Year' Should Be a New College Admissions Requirement
Takepart - Jun 19, 2014
Google the words “gap year,” a term that barely existed in the national lexicon a decade ago, and you’ll get roughly 60 million results. They range from websites for a dozen or so programs as well as gap year fairs, at least one online guidebook, and testimonials from students who say it’s a rewarding, valuable experience. ..
Archives - Gap Year
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Counselors

HSCW Counselors' Corners
Post - June 26, 2014
Worried About Student Debt? Ask a Counselor It happens every year. No sooner does school let out, and counselors complete their extra couple of days/weeks/months of work, and the headlines fill with a story that directly impacts our work.... More
A few text messages can help students go to college
Vox - Jun 23, 2014
Each year, students who seem like they should be going to college — their transcripts look college-ready, they've applied and been accepted and even applied for financial aid — don't show up for class in the fall.....
CounselorToolbox

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Parents

Did Dad Change His Mind About Cornell?
TheCollegeSolutionBlog  - Jun 19, 2014
I want to thank everybody who weighed in on my last post: Dad: Should I Force My Son to Attend Cornell? I think everyone was in agreement (yeah!) that the young man, who enjoyed a great freshman year at Washington University in St. Louis, should NOT be forced to transfer to Cornell University..
Well Intended: Not obsessing about college admission
Westport-News  - Jun 19, 2014
My ex-husband sent me a list of recommended summer reading last week. All of the books were suggested by college admissions counselors and are aimed to get parents ready for the competitive and perplexing college admissions process. I deleted his message...
Science shows why helicopter parenting leads to unmotivated college-bound
Long Island College Prep Examiner  - Jun 19, 2014
The more parents hover over their children doing assignments and snow plough their children’s obstacles aside, the less likely their offspring are to self-motivate,. ..
Archives - Parents
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FinAid/Scholarships

There Is a Simpler Way for Students to Apply for Financial Aid
New York Times  - Jun 21, 2014
Any college student who wants a federal loan or Pell grant has to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. With well over 100 questions about income, assets and expenses, the Fafsa approaches the IRS Form 1040 in length,....
In 5 Tweets, a Glance at the Proposal to Trim the Fafsa
Chronicle of Higher Ed  - Jun 19, 2014
When news broke on Wednesday night that the hulking Free Application for Federal Student Aid might be in for some drastic cuts thanks to forthcoming legislation, Twitter’s higher-education wonks were quick to celebrate.....
5 Costly Financial Aid Mistakes Community College Students Make
US News  - Jun 24, 2014
Financial aid helps put college within reach for millions of students, but a few common mistakes and misconceptions can cost students thousands. Community college students, who are more likely to be first-generation students and less likely to have college counseling before enrolling, are more susceptible to these errors. ....
Archives - Financial Aid/Scholarships
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CTE

Rising college costs push students to technical schools
Detroit News  - Jun 23, 2014
While most high school students still plan to go the traditional route of attending four-year colleges and universities when they consider educational options after graduation, a significant number say they are open to the idea of attending community colleges and technical schools......
Archives - CTE
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Midwest

Education Roundtable Recommends Major Changes To Future Testing
NPR.org - StateImpact  - Jun 23, 2014
The Education Roundtable on Monday recommended major changes to next year’s ISTEP+ exam as part of a plan to maintain the state’s No Child Left Behind waiver, as well as major changes to a brand new test starting in 2015-2016...
Ohio Begins Training School Staff On Active Shooter Situations
WOSU  - Jun 25, 2014
The Ohio School Boards Association this summer begins training school principals and other staff how to respond to an active school shooter...
Missouri harms families with bungled school transfer policy
Kansas City Star  - Jun 25, 2014
Kansas City has so far managed to avoid most of the chaos surrounding Missouri’s debacle of a school transfer policy. For that we should all be forever grateful. Conflicting agendas and sheer ineptitude from Missouri and its legislature have created a tragedy in the St. Louis region. ..
Michigan spends $1B on charter schools but fails to hold them accountable
Detroit Free Press  - Jun 22, 2014
Michigan taxpayers pour nearly $1 billion a year into charter schools — but state laws regulating charters are among the nation’s weakest, and the state demands little accountability in how taxpayer dollars are spent and how well children are educated. ..
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Bullying

Cyberbullied Teens Can Connect
US News - Jun 24, 2014
The Web is where teens go to hang out and to socialize. It’s their virtual neighborhood, coffee shop or shopping mall. But it provides no respite from the bullies who walk their high school hallways. A survey released this month by computer security software company McAfee found that 87 percent of youth have witnessed cyberbullying. . ..
Bullying doesn't end just because it's summer
Detroit News - Jun 19, 2014
After one of the most brutal winters in memory, summer is finally here, which means time spent with family and friends outdoors at the beach, camping or at barbecues, among other popular activities. ..
 
 
Online College Fair - CollegeWeekLive

Contents

Big Pic
Process
Essay
Freshman
SATs & ACTs
Gap Year
Counsel
Parents
FinAid
CTE
Midwest
Bullying

Sponsors

CPA
St_Vincent
WIT
CMU
AllCollege_Essays
Graceland</a
space
Wartburg</a
Trinity</a
Cornell_College</a
LVC</a
Shimer
Shimer

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