Western Edition | Southern Edition | MidWest Edition | Archive | Sponsoring |      October 30, 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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Big Picture

Shut Out of Higher Education
New York Times  - Oct 27, 2014
The United States set out 40 years ago to ensure that people who qualified academically for higher education would not be turned away for financial reasons and would have access to college degrees that allowed them to move up on the social ladder....
An intriguing way to remake the college admissions process
Washington Post  - Oct 27, 2014
Every year high school seniors across the country apply to college in what can only be described for most as a nerve-wracking and even soul-draining experience. ...
The Case Against Senior Year
Vox  - Oct 26, 2014
Some rural school districts in Oregon are experimenting with "13th grade" — keeping students in the school system in high schools even as they attend their first year of college....
Federal Administration Plans to Launch College Ratings System
NPR.org - State Impact Ohio  - Oct 28, 2014
Next fall, incoming college freshmen will have a new way to measure their schools. That’s when the federal government plans to release its first ratings report for U.S. colleges and universities....
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College Admissions Process/Strategies

On College: There's still plenty of time to start working on admissions
San Jose Mercury News  - Oct 27, 2014
While many students, especially in areas where college admissions preparation starts pretty quickly after birth, begin to think about and work on their applications well before they start their senior year, the reality is that college applications are not even a consideration...
Save Your Pennies: The Cost to Apply to College Adds Up
Huffington Post  - Oct 27, 2014
High school students and their families getting ready to apply for college are probably most focused on the cost of attending, but they also should be aware of the hefty costs associated with just applying to college...
College Admissions: School Specific Research Up
GoLocalPDX College Admissions  - Oct 29, 2014
If you are a junior, at this point in time you might have a list of 20–30 colleges that seem interesting based on general criteria like size, location, and available programs. How do you do research to narrow that list...
4 Types of Students Who Should Consider International Universities
US News  - Oct 28, 2014
Thousands of students study abroad, but far fewer individuals consider earning their entire degree by attending college or university full time in another country. Doing so can unlock many unanticipated benefits, and it may lead you to finding your ideal school. ...
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Early

What you need to know about early college application deadlines
Spokane College Examiner  - Oct 28, 2014
Roam any senior halls in area high schools and it is highly likely that you will see some stressed college seniors this week. The first round of early college applications is right around the corner – November first – and there are a few things to keep in mind for students applying under an early deadline....
Beat the application stress — an early decision survival guide
USA Today  - Oct 23, 2014
With just one week left before most Early Decision and Early Action college applications are due, it’s easy for tension to build up between high school seniors and their parents. Having worked over 20 years in college admissions — on the Douglass College admission committee....
When Does It Make Sense for You to Apply Early Action or Early Decision to College?
Huffington Post  - Oct 23, 2014
Most high school students and their parents focus on the advantages that early applications offer them, often not realizing that colleges benefit the most from early appications. Here are some of the reasons colleges like Early Decision (ED) that explain something about why they offer it and also whether or not you should apply early....
Archives - Early
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Essays

How to fight writer’s block on college essay
Charlotte Observer  - Oct 27, 2014
We should all sympathize with high school seniors right now. Besides juggling all of the traditional teenage stuff, they’re being asked – in their words, not mine – to write the most important essay of their life. And it isn’t just one essay. Depending on the colleges a student is applying...
Simple Truths About the College Essay
TeenLife Blog  - Oct 27, 2014
The basic rules for writing a stellar college essay vary little from the general guidelines for producing any strong piece of written work: be authentic, tell a story that is personal and compelling, and diligently edit, revise, and polish your product.....
9 essay writing tips to ‘wow’ college admissions officers
USA Today  - Oct 28, 2014
You’ve taken the tests, requested the recommendations, completed the common app, and now it’s finally time to refocus on what you’ve been putting off: the essay. ...
THE 13 PAINFUL STAGES OF WRITING A COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ESSAY
Bustle  - Oct 28, 2014
With college application season right around the corner, the pressure is on for many students to shell out a killer admissions essay. Thankfully, the Internet is here to help. There’s no shortage of articles offering up advice on how to write a perfect essay...
Is This Successful Ivy League Essay Any Good?
The College Solution Blog  - Oct 28, 2014
I’ve been meaning to write about the hubbub around the high school student who got accepted into all eight Ivy League schools last April. It was an amazing and well-deserved accomplishment for Kwasi Enin, a 17-year-old from Long Island, New York, ...

Archives - Essays
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Visiting/Interviews

How to Nail Your College Interview
Her Campus  - Oct 29, 2014
After countless hours of SAT and ACT prep courses, endless drafts of personal essays and tackling the monster that is the Common App, you think you have it all down when it comes to the college admissions process....
12 key ways to make a college fair work for you
DC College Admissions Examiner  - Oct 27, 2014
With the availability of virtual college fairs or other internet conferencing opportunities, it can be tempting to take a pass on the crowds and skip attending the annual gathering of colleges at the local community or convention center....
Virtual college tours are a great alternative to an actual college visit
Bay Area College Admissions Examiner  - Oct 27, 2014
Most college counselors encourage college bound students to visit the colleges they are considering. However, when students are looking at colleges all over the country, the cost of visiting can really add up. In addition to the physical cost such as airfare, gas, and hotels....
Archives - Visiting/Interviews
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SATs & ACTs

Another College Expense: Preparing for the SAT and ACT
New York Times  - Oct 28, 2014
With all the hand-wringing over the price of higher education and the growing burden of student debt, it’s easy to overlook the substantial cost of simply preparing to apply to college......
SAT, ACT Test Prep: Answers to common questions
WRAL - Oct 27, 2014
Brown shares some answers to commonly asked questions about the SAT and ACT. Here's a good opportunity for parents who haven't had to sharpen a No. 2 pencil for years ... even decades ... to bone up on these important tests. Read more at http://www.wral.com/sat-act-test-prep-answers-to-common-questions/14112647/#OwDiFF04XWGKJCqM.99......
State Initiatives Widen Reach of ACT, SAT Tests
EdWeek (registration required) - Oct 28, 2014
Nevada and Missouri next spring will join a rapidly growing number of states that are shelling out money for every 11th grader in public high school to take the ACT or SAT college-entrance exams.......
Archives - SATs & ACTs
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Gap Year

Why Taking a Gap Year Can Be Beneficial for Your Teen
TeenLife Blog  - Oct 27, 2014
An ever-increasing amount of teens are taking a break from education between high school and college, and this can bring about understandable concern for some parents.....
How to best present a gap year on your college application
USA Today - College  - Oct 28, 2014
A gap year occurs when a student takes an academic year off between high school graduation and his or her first year of college. Common reasons for taking time off before college include volunteer opportunities.....
Archives - Gap Year
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Counselors

HSCW Counselors' Corners
How to Get Juniors on the Right Path to College
Post - Oct 30, 2014

Fall of junior year is a crucial time in the college selection process. Junior parents see senior parents in hysterics, so they go home and ask their student about their college plans. ..... More
Vemma's army of young recruits
Aljazeera America - Oct 20, 2014
TEMPE, Ariz. — The odds were stacked against the waifish 19-year-old from Phoenix. Born to Vietnamese emigrants, Lena Nguyen was pregnant at 14, bounced around four high schools and multiple part-time jobs and grappled with decreasing self-esteem in the face of her parents’ growing disapproval.....
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Parents

'Helicopter Parents' Can Greatly Hinder Their Child's Social Life
Science World Report  - Oct 21, 2014
It's only natural for parents to want to provide the best love and support for their children. Yet some may take this farther than others.....
Let's Admit It: Every Parent Needs a College Plan
Huffington Post  - Oct 28, 2014
As the weather turns crisp in New England and back-to-school routines finally feel settled, a new 'to-do' has appeared on our family's list. It is the kind of activity fraught with tense moments, periods of euphoria and more than a few tears shed. No, it's a not a One Direction concert: it's the dreaded college admission process for my daughter....
Parents And College Planning: Kiplinger Explains Unfamiliar Options
Benzinga  - Oct 27, 2014
With the continual rise of higher education costs and the number of Americans with student loan debt at astronomical levels, questions about saving for the next generation's college career also grow in number. ....
Archives - Parents
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FinAid/Scholarships

Don’t Bother Appealing a Financial Aid Award if…
TIME Magazine  - Oct 27, 2014
Sometimes it doesn't make any sense to ask a college for more money. An expert explains what those times are. I’m often approached by families who want me to help them request more mo ney from a particular college. About a third of the time, I turn them down.....
Colleges Find Micro Grants Keep Some Students From Dropping Out
Wall Street Journal  - Oct 29, 2014
When a group of Northeast Ohio colleges teamed up to help more local residents get their degree, they found that many students were in danger of not graduating because they were short just a few hundred dollars for class fees, books and even repairs to cars they relied on to get to campus....
Kaarme Banner Ad
Archives - Financial Aid & Scholarships
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Northeast

Delaware’s making progress with college, career initiatives
Delaware Online  - Oct 25, 2014
Our collective responsibility is to make sure that every child in this state has the opportunity for a good career. To do this for each student, we need to provide both applied learning opportunities and access to rigorous academics. In Delaware today, we need to do more for our young people to be prepared for college and careers. ....
State Predicts Shortage Of College Grads, Calls For More Funding
WBUR.org  - Oct 28, 2014
BOSTON — A report released Tuesday by the state’s Department of Higher Education predicts that Massachusetts will face a shortage of degree-holding workers, and calls on lawmakers to invest more into public institutions.....
OUR VIEW: Career & Technical diploma a giant step for New York state
Utica Observer Dispatch  - Oct 28, 2014
BOSTON — A report released Tuesday by the state’s Department of Higher Education predicts that Massachusetts will face a shortage of degree-holding workers, and calls on lawmakers to invest more into public institutions.....
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Teen Dating Violence

New survey finds teen dating abuse, ranging from violence to taunts, is pervasive
US News  - Oct 23, 2014
NEW YORK (AP) — From violence to verbal taunts, abusive dating behavior is pervasive among America's adolescents, according to a new, federally funded survey. It says a majority of boys and girls who date describe themselves as both victims and perpetrators....
When Dating Becomes Deadly: Know the Signs of Teen Dating Violence
Chicago Defender - Oct 29, 2014
In a tragic case of teen dating violence in Romeoville, Illinois, on February 13, 2014, 15-year-old Briana Valle’s 23-year-old ex-boyfriend shot her and her mother, Alicia F. Guerrero. At a time when Ms. Guerrero should have been celebrating her daughter’s plans for her future,....
 
 
Online College Fair - CollegeWeekLive

Contents

Big Pic
Process
Early
Essays
Visits
SATs & ACTs
Gap Year
Counsel
Parents
FinAid
Northeast
Dating

Sponsors

TheNewSchool
NYC_Poly
Dean_College
TeenLife
Richmond_London</a
Bay_State_College
CPA
St_Vincent
WIT
AllCollege_Essays
Hollins</a
Dedham Savings

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