Western Edition | Southern Edition | MidWest Edition | Archive | Sponsoring |      March 19, 2015
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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

How to Survive the College Admissions Madness
New York Times - Sunday review  - Mar 13, 2015
HERE we go again. At Harvard, Emory, Bucknell and other schools around the country, there have been record numbers of applicants yearning for an elite degree. They'll get word in the next few weeks. Most will be turned down....
Why Many Smart, Low-Income Students Don't Apply To Elite Schools
NPR.org  - Mar 16, 2015
Right now, high school seniors across the country are trying hard not to think about what is - or isn't - coming in the mail. They're anxiously awaiting acceptance letters (or the opposite) from their top-choice colleges and universities. ....
The biggest problems with America's colleges
CBS News - MarketWatch  - Mar 13, 2015
In recent years parents, thinks tanks and politicians have complained mightily about the runaway cost of college. But this focus on schools' affordability has obscured equally troubling problems with higher education.....
Can a Small, Rural College That Eliminated Merit Aid Survive and Thrive? Hamilton College President Makes the Case
Washington Monthly  - Mar 17, 2015
When Sweet Briar College in Virginia announced it would close this year and cited insurmountable financial challenges, a collective shudder went through the world of higher education especially among small, private liberal arts institutions in rural settings.. ....
Racial Gaps in High School Graduation Rates Are Closing
US News  - Mar 13, 2015
U.S. high school students overall are graduating at a rate higher than ever before, and new data from the Department of Education show the same is true for minority students. ....
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College Admissions Process/Strategies

Videos replace essays and test scores for some kids' college applications
Washington Post  - Mar 12, 2015
Mitchell Moran-Kaplan did the usual drill for most of his college applications. But for Goucher College, ....
It's not too late: Colleges still accepting applications for fall 2015
DC College Admissions Examiner  - Mar 18, 2015
We're not going to lie. It's getting late in the game. Most - but not all - admissions decisions have already been made. But if you're a little bit disappointed with the decisions you've received so far, take heart......
Making the right curriculum choices
Moorpark Acorn  - Mar 13, 2015
As high school students choose their courses for the next school year, I'm hearing a lot of questions about the importance of AP and honors courses. There is not one right number of AP courses to take to get into college, and the best curriculum choices depend on your interests and abilities as well as the colleges you would like to attend.....
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Waiting/Deciding/Rejection

College Admissions: Disappointing Admissions News
GoLocal PDX College Admissions  - Mar 18, 2015
If you applied to selective colleges it is likely that you will get disappointing news from at least one school. Those are the odds. ....
6 Things You Need in Your College Decision Day Survival Kito
Huffington Post  - Mar 17, 2015
College decisions are coming out, and it's a super exciting (albeit stressful) time to be a senior. After months of hard work and waiting, these envelopes -- fat, skinny, and electronic -- are headed your way, and there's a whole myriad of things you could be facing.....
Archives - Waiting/Rejection/Deferred
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Visits/Interviews

4 things not to do on your campus visit
Charlotte Observer  - Mar 16, 2015
High school spring break is the best time to see a campus in full swing; with students shuffling to classes, a cappella groups serenading and individuals and groups demonstrating their viewpoints. It's when you'll get your most honest read on whether the college is a good fit for you......
College visit: open house or individual visit?
Bay Area College Admissions Examiner  - Mar 13, 2015
When it comes to the college search, visiting colleges is necessary to get a real feel for the campus. Many students can only visit college campuses once, especially if the campus is far away from their home....
Tips for an effective college visit
Philadelphia Tribune  - Mar 17, 2015
For high school students who are in the process of researching a variety of colleges and universities, admissions professionals recommend scheduling campus visits to get a better feel for the schools. Here are 10 tips for how students can get the most out of college visits......
Archives - Visiting/Interviews
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Counselors

HSCW Counselors' Corners
Post - Mar 18, 2015
Who Needs Harvard? We Do! The work of high school counselors just got a lot easier, and we have Frank Bruni to thank. His essay "How to Survive the College Admissions Madness" ... More
Guidance Counselors Should Reconsider the Gap Year
Psychology Today  - Mar 16, 2015
It happened again yesterday. A mother of a gap year student shared -- raved, actually -- about how important the experience has been for her daughter ..
Low number of counselors, advisers problematic in student success
Red and Black  - Mar 16, 2015
For many students across the United States, an academic counselor serves as an important factor in the outcome of their futures.....
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Parents

Why parents of teens should have a criminal defense lawyer on speed dial
CNN  - Mar 11, 2015
(CNN)The news was stunning to hear: A young woman, 18-year-old Michelle Carter, was charged with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly sending text messages urging her friend to commit suicide.....
Parents: Saving for retirement is more important than kids' college fund
Yahoo News - Finance  - Mar 17, 2015
Flight safety instructions tell parents to put on their own oxygen mask before assisting their children. A similar rule should apply to money: Parents should make saving for their own retirement a priority over paying for their kids' college education. ....
I Survived the College Admissions Process and Your Kid Will Too
Huffington Post  - Mar 17, 2015
I'm a product of the college-crazed niche of American society. The SAT prep classes, the rigorous extracurriculars, the Junior year panic and college essay-writing hysteria. In some ways (let's be honest -- most ways).....
Got College Admissions Frenzy? Read "Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be"
New York Times - Motherlode Blog  - Feb 13, 2015
It really is the season. Facebook updates, most at least self-depreciating, have begun announcing the college choices of my friends' children. Many include some big names in the campus world -- but for a lot of reasons, many don't.....
Archives - Parents
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SATs/ACTs

SAT changes mean decisions for 2016, 2017 classes
WRAL  - Mar 14, 2015
Big changes are ahead for the SAT - that college admission exam stalwart that generations have taken for entry into college. The exam is getting a major redesign, including an optional essay and updated scoring scale...
What Parents Need to Know About the SATs
About.com  - Mar 14, 2015
The SATs change every few years. The content shifts, the rules change, and emerging technology allows for new test-taking and scoring opportunities. Despite those changes, some of the basics of this college-prep test have remained the same.....
Archives - SATs & ACTs
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Gap Year

A Year Off Before College Isn't A Gap, It's A Launching Pad
Forbes  - Mar 13, 2015
In August 2012, my daughter Ally was in India, spending the first half of her gap year at Shanti Bhavan, a boarding school for the most vulnerable children of India's "lowest caste." ..
To Gap or Not to Gap
TeenLife Blog  - Mar 13, 2015
I have been applying to college for 20 years. Don't worry - I'm not bad at it (I did get in the first time around!), I just like working with students going through the application process so much that I have made it my career..
Archives - Gap Year
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FinAid/Scholarships

Five Hot Tips For College Financial Aid
Forbes  - Mar 13, 2015
I'm in the throes of reviewing college aid offers for my daughter, who has been accepted to five colleges. There's more than $150 billion available in student aid, but you have to act quickly to obtain it...
4 Ways to Increase Your Financial Aid Package
GoLocalProv College Admissions  - Mar 16, 2015
Over the next few weeks, many families with high school seniors will be comparing financial aid packages. The early returns for aid this year are not looking as generous as in past years..
Paying for College: 5 Things to Know About College Financial Aid Letters
Huffington Post  - Mar 13, 2015
College acceptance season is now upon us, and hundreds of thousands of high school seniors across the country are eagerly awaiting their fate at the hands of the Admissions Gods..
Archives - FinAid/Scholarships
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CTE

Masonry Competition Underscores Future Skills Shortage
NPR.org - StateImpact Ohio  - Mar 16, 2015
The days of making ashtrays for high school shop class are over. And the classes now offered go well beyond the old vocational education models.....
Archives - CTE
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Northeast

UMaine System finds way to freeze in-state tuition for fourth straight year
Portland Press Herald  - Mar 16, 2015
Trustees rely on higher state aid and reserve funds to make the freeze possible. Maine is the only state to have no tuition increases, adjusted for inflation, in the past five years...
How Christie's budget would cut direct aid to colleges
Philly.com  - Mar 13, 2015
Gov. Christie's proposed budget includes cuts to direct operating costs to the public four-year colleges and universities, in large part due to increases in income deductions for employee benefits....
State colleges, universities face soaring budget deficit
The Day  - Mar 13, 2015
The projected budget deficit facing the state's community colleges and regional Connecticut State Universities is growing. The $38 million shortfall projected two weeks ago has grown to $48 million - a 4 percent structural deficit from what is needed to continue providing existing programs and staffing levels, school leaders said.....
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Teen Dating

Dating violence all-too common among teens
Verde Independent  - Mar 12, 2015
Teen dating violence is a surprise to parents, but not to kids, said Carole Benedict, director of youth outreach services at Verde Valley Sanctuary. ...
Can games help prevent teen dating violence?
boingboing.net  - Mar 16, 2015
Games can be an inviting tool to educate young people on social issues -- like how to recognize the signs of an abusive relationship, how to help a friend or to seek help for oneself. ...
 
 
Online College Fair - CollegeWeekLive

Contents

Big Pic
Process
Waiting
Visits
Counsel
Parents
SATs & ACTs
Gap Year
FinAid
CTE
Northeast
Dating

Sponsors

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

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