Private Vs Public High School and College Admissions Success

Pros and Cons of Community Colleges

The Advantages of Women's Colleges

Top Ranking Engineering Colleges in USA

Different Kinds of Colleges and Universities to Consider in Your College Search

Are You Following The Right Chain To College?

What Is the "Real" Cost of College? The Answer Will Shock You!

College Scholarships for College Sophomores: Investing in Your Future

College Planning - 3 New Trends in College Admissions That Families Need to Know

How To Pay For College Without Going Completely Broke

Applying Early to College: Exploring Students' Options

Community Colleges and the Dangers of Student Loan Debt

College Planning - 3 Trends in College Admissions That May Affect Your Family

Paying for College Without Using Student Loans

Making Your Final College Choice

5 Steps to Guarantee High School Students Have the Opportunity to Attend College

College Planning - It's Complicated!

College Fairs - Are They Helpful for College Admissions?

Never Answer the ONE Question Colleges Will Always Ask You (If You Want to Get In)

College Essays - How to Make a Good One Better for College Admissions

College Admissions - What Is "Demonstrated Interest" Anyway?

Plan Well for College With an Expert College Planner

Top 2 College Theme Rugs For You

Can College Life Be Related Back to The Allegory of Plato's Cave?

Assistance Your College Team Using Custom Flags!

Choosing a College Can Be the Most Important Part of College Planning

Making the Most of Your College Experience - Tips From an Insider

Community Colleges - An Affordable Alternative to Traditional 4 Year Colleges

Accredited Online Bible College - Study at Home on Your Schedule

What Ways Can I Manage My Money As a College Student?

The 2+2+2 Strategy to Complete High School and College in 6 Years

College Tuition - Attend College For Free

Distance Doesn't Mean a Stop to Learning With Online Colleges

College in a Recession - Community College and Online Learning Alternatives

College Campus Life - Extracurricular Activities and Student Services Offer More Than Academics

Online College Directories Help You Find the Right School

Financial Aid - Go to College Free

College Admissions - Successful Strategies and Great College Advice

10 Ways to Reduce College Costs and Avoid Debt That Can Take Years to Pay Off

Checking Out Pell Grants For Making College a Possibility

College Admissions Made Easy

College Athletics Recruiting

Community College - Is It The Right Place For You?

Ways to Save on Rising College Costs

College: A Memoir

If you have not had the pleasure of losing your sincerity to collegiate cynicism, Stephen Akey gives you a marvelous "crash course," tuition-free. If you've been through it, College serves as a hilarious reminder of the way we were. From the agony of not getting into a superstar institution to the juggling act of social lethargy as art form and grades as superfluous authentication of self, Akey hits the high and low notes of the academic foxtrot in this exceptionally entertaining memoir.

Price: $12.95

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The Graduation Gap - Why Latino Men Aren't Getting Their Fair Share of College Degrees

Tackling the Dangerous College Transition Process

Applying to College - Seven Myths Debunked

How to Make Money As an Online College Instructor

5 Reasons Why College Visits Are Important For College Admissions

Community College - A Concept Gaining In Popularity

The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College

In college, there's a surprise around every corner…

The #1 Student Handbook; Updated 3rd Edition

But that doesn't mean you can't be prepared! From sharing a bathroom with 40 strangers to sharing lecture notes, The Naked Roommate is your behind-the-scenes look at EVERYTHING you need to know about college (but never knew you needed to know).

From sharing a bathroom with 40 strangers to sharing lecture notes, The Naked Roommate is the behind-the-scenes look at everything students need to know about college (but never knew they needed to know). Completely revised and updated, this essential guide used by hundreds of thousands of students is packed with expert advice on everything from managing money to managing stress—plus hilarious, outrageous, and telling stories from students on over 100 college campuses:

College Living

• Dorm do's, don'ts, and dramas
• Lying, noisy, nasty roommates

Finding Friends

• Facebook and MySpace
• Friend today, gone tomorrow

Classes

• To go or not to go?
• How to get an A, C, or F

Dating

• 16 kinds of college hookups
• Long distance = BIG concerns

The Party Scene

• The punch in the "fruit punch"
• Sex, drugs, and the truth

Money

• Grants, loans, and loose change
• Credit cards and online gambling

The Naked Roommate is the #1 bestselling college life guide, and Harlan Cohen is the top voice on college life. Through his speaking engagements, college tour, music, and website, he has reached thousands of students with his message of relaxing, being yourself, and making the most of the college years.

With calendars, planners, and The Naked Roommate being used as the first year experience guide at colleges across the country, The Naked Roommate is the top name in college life advice.

PRAISE FOR THE NAKED ROOMMATE

"If The Naked Roommate existed when I went to college, I would have devoured every page before I stepped foot on campus."
Linda J. Sax, Associate Director of the Higher Education Research Institute and Director of the CIRP Freshman Survey

"The most useful guide [on college life]. (Five stars)"
The Daily Orange, Syracuse University

"The Naked Roommate is one of the best and most practical college advice guides I've read."
Andrew Tinnin, administrator at the University of Michigan

Naked Roommate Article (PDF) (20100826)

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Unlock the Secrets to Creating the Best College Application Possible

The secrets to writing a great college application involve your being organized, being well-prepared, and having assistance and guidance from a qualified success coach who can help you navigate the entire process.

You can create a college application that effectively promotes you to the college admissions committee!

The college application process is more stressful than ever, but I can show you how to create an application that effectively promotes you to the admissions committee.

The Common Application is one of the best things that have ever happened to streamline the application process.

Students can apply to over 300 different colleges and universities by using the same application form. Students can complete the common application online, and they can with the click of a mouse submit the application to the schools they designate. That saves a tremendous amount of time.

Some colleges will request a supplementary essay or other material from the student. Overall, this is a tremendous improvement over they way things used to be.

You can (and should) complete your applications before the summer of your senior year.

Students and their families have asked me if it makes any difference if they use the common application or a specific college application. Honestly, it doesn't make any difference.

The word was out for a while that the colleges favor their own applications, and students who applied using the common application put themselves at a distinct disadvantage. The member institutions that accept the common application have a contractual obligation not to discriminate against students who use the common application. All of my children have used the common application, and they had no problems whatsoever.

I encourage students to apply well in advance of the stated deadlines. If you follow my advice, your resume, your table of activities, and your college essays or personal statements will be completed well before the beginning of your senior year.

Many applications have the same components. Only the college essay or personal statement and any short-answer questions may be different. The basic components of a college application, which can be completed in advance are:

Personal data: Student's name, address, telephone number, date of birth, email address and other contact information, country of citizenship, social security number, racial or ethnic group (optional - but I encourage any student who may be able to benefit from any minority preference status to complete the personal data, including race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, etc.)
Educational Data: Name, address, etc. of all of the high schools you attended. You will need to know your school's CEEB / ACT Code, your counselor's name and contact information, etc.
Standardized Test Information: List the name of test (ACT, SAT I, SAT II Subject Tests, etc.), date taken or to be taken, your score on each test and subtest (if requested), etc.
Family Information: Parents' names, parents' occupations, parents' level of education and colleges attended (if any), names of siblings and listings of the colleges they attended, etc.
Academic honors
Extracurricular, Personal, and Volunteer Activities (including summer): List the activity, dates of participation, approximate number of hours per week or month, number of weeks per year you participated, positions held, honors won, if you plan to participate in college, etc. You can see how valuable it is to keep an updated resume and table of activities.
Work Experience:  List the specific nature of the work, your employer's contact information, dates of employment, approximate number of hours per week, etc. on your college application.

I'm sure you can readily see that by completing these portions of your application before you senior year, and simply updating them as necessary, you can have most of your college application completed before you start your senior year classes. That will greatly reduce the stress associated with applying to college.

Even if you decide to apply early decision, you should still be ahead of the game and able to submit outstanding applications in a relatively short period of time - especially if you have followed my advice and completed your college essay or personal statement during the summer after junior year.

Applying to college surely tests your time management and organizational skills. It's very important to know what forms each college requires, the various deadlines, whether they have received all of your recommendations, etc.

Angela Arnold is an educator, author, consultant, and coach with close to 40 years experience in areas of academic achievement ranging from preK-12 on up to graduate and professional school.

She is a parent of five college graduates, a study abroad advocate and volunteer, a sought-after speaker, and a mentor to students of all ages and from varied educational backgrounds. Specializing in helping students get into their dream colleges, Angela Arnold is a wealth of information about the entire college application process.

Ready to learn more about how to get admitted to your dream college? Be sure to look for Mrs. Arnold's many college admissions videos by visiting her website and blog. Subscribe to her free, powerful 7-Day E-Course on what you need to do to get accepted to your top-choice college by completing the form on her home page at http://www.collegeadmissions411.com/

Contact Mrs. Arnold at 602.539.8857. You may also sign up for a free consultation about the college admissions process by completing the form at http://www.collegeadmissions411.com

Complete College Degree on a Frugal Budget!

There are a number of colleges in the US that allow students to obtain their Bachelor's or Master's degrees for a very affordable cost. Apart from being extremely affordable, the colleges are also very flexible and allow students to complete their degree as per their own schedules and timeline. This is something that makes it ideal for those holding full-time jobs or full-time family responsibilities. It is also a good low-cost alternative, to a traditional college, for those who have finished high school and are looking for a way to complete a college degree affordably.

I can personally vouch for these colleges since I too had completed my Bachelor's degree from Excelsior college in Computer Information Systems, in 1999. At that time, Excelsior college was part of the University of the State of New York. Excelsior college is the most popular of these flexible colleges and is the largest such college in the United States.

For clarity, I will call these colleges as 'flexible colleges' since they offer a level of flexibility and convenience for students which I've not seen anywhere else.

Here are some additional benefits of these flexible colleges:

They allow unlimited credits transfer for prior learning completed at other accredited institutions.
They offer the lowest cost for completing a college degree in comparison to traditional colleges offering 4yr Bachelors or Masters degrees.
They assign college credits for passing standardized exams such as CLEP, DSST and many more.
They also offer credits for work experience, on-the-job training or other training which can be properly substantiated via a Portfolio Assessment (PA) or a Prior Learning Assessment.
Additionally, these colleges allow students to take any courses, exams or training as long as it is within the degree requirements at the flexible college.
They allow students to complete their degree on their own schedule, with rolling enrollment throughout the year.
More importantly, these colleges value knowledge and learning and offer credits for learning, irrespective of whether the learning was acquired within or outside the classroom.
The colleges also allow foreign students or those who have completed some studies abroad to transfer the credits to the flexible college in the US. A foreign credentials evaluation is generally performed by an agency such as the ECE (Educational Credentials Evaluators) to determine the US credit equivalents for all courses or exams completed abroad.

For the Bachelor's degree, the primary eligibility is a high school diploma and a small number of college credits that have already been earned. It is best to check with the college as to the number of credits they require before enrolling the student into their degree program. This can be as small as less than 10 credits, but it's best to check with the college individually.

Apart from having completed my Bachelor's degree at a frugal/ flexible college, I've also done years of research and have found just over a handful of such highly flexible colleges all across the US. These include Excelsior college, Thomas Edison State college, Charter Oak State college and many more.

I sincerely wish this article and my website are helpful to you or someone you know in obtaining a reputed college degree! To Your College and Career Success!!

For more information on the flexible colleges, please check out http://www.frugaldegree.com on my website. I've provided a lot of information, all absolutely free of cost and will be regularly updating it with more and more articles. If you have any questions unanswered upon reading through my website, please comment on the relevant articles or ask your question on the "Ask a Question" section.

College Application Process Blunders - Don't Make This Mistake With Your College Admission Essay

There are some common mistakes made by college applicants when trying to make their college admission essay a good one. I managed to figure out how to write a standout college admissions essay that helped me get into three Ivy League colleges. As a former recruiter for Yale University, I remember the reactions from admissions officers as they read a good college essay versus an average one. I would say that there are six mistakes that are the most common and potentially the most deadly to college applicants who want to get into Ivy League colleges or other universities during the college admission process that result in major blunders. One mistake I saw was:  submitting a generic application.

Read each college application essay topic and try to put it into the context of the individual colleges. You can easily research a college's history online or at your local library. Try to find out what the topics were for a year or two prior to your application year and this might give you an edge with coming up with your own college essay ideas even before the college or university announces their current college application essay topics. Although the questions may change slightly, the general themes discussed will remain the same, after all,  in a good college essay one year,  is a good college essay any year. 

Doing your homework, or in this case, online research, will help you tailor your essay to the specific universities you target during the college application process.You probably will not need to write a completely different essay for each application, but it needs to appear that you did so that each college or university feels like you are taking them seriously (and indeed you should be).

Unfortunately, this is not the only mistake made during the college admissions process by college applicants who strive to write a good college essay that will help them to get into Ivy League colleges. To help those who are serious about getting into Ivy League colleges and getting into university in general, I outline insider information based on my experience as a recruiter and alumni interviewer for Yale University. My recommendations, tips, and insight are available at http://www.collegeadmissionessaytips.com as part of the Keys to the CASTLE program (College Admissions Secrets & Tips to Look Exceptional). If you want to increase the odds of getting into university or want your child to get into Ivy League college, then you need to immediately go to http://www.collegeadmissionessaytips.com and get the FREE REPORT: Top College Essay Ideas. Everyday that goes by that you don't access this information, the odds of getting in decreases. High school graduation is right around the corner, don't you want your child to have big plans for the following fall. I hope this was helpful to you. Here's to making your dreams, your reality.- Kamala Appel, Exec. Producer

The CollegeHumor Guide To College: Selling Kidneys for Beer Money, Sleeping with Your Professors, Majoring in Communications, and Other Really Good Ideas

From beer pong to final exams, from instant messaging to hooking up with people whose last names are a complete mystery, The CollegeHumor Guide to College is the bible to getting through college with minimum work and maximum fun. The authors, six recent graduates from colleges around the country, fill readers in on how to do their own laundry, how to pick the best (easiest) professors, and how to tell if someone has an STD just by looking at them.

From the creators of the smash-hit website, The CollegeHumor Guide to College is perfect for anybody who can make it past twelfth grade, and an incredibly mean gift for those who can't.

Price: $15.00

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Medical Science Colleges

Forensic science colleges specialize in the application of a wide range of knowledge, processes, and methods used to find evidence from a crime scene, These colleges train to aid law enforcers to bring the culprits to justice.

Forensic science originated from Latin, which means "before a forum". Most scientists are employed to verify and testify evidence in court litigations. People who master in forensic science mostly begin as laboratory scientists doing research and experiments. They are perhaps allured into the law enforcement support functions for the thrilling experience of deciphering the mysterious, the baffling, and almost insolvable crime stories. Lawyers, policemen and journalists may enroll in colleges to augment their skill sets. There are numerous science colleges and universities that offer science as an elective. Short courses are also offered online for graduate students.

Why to Enroll in Forensics in a Medical College

Forensic science students can get degrees in any of the Forensic Science disciplines, including criminalistics, engineering sciences, jurisprudence, odontology, pathology, physical anthropology, behavioral science and psychiatry, questionnaires and toxicology. Admissions to forensic science colleges pave way for students to choose from a vast array of technical or medical job opportunities.

How to get admitted in a Medical Science College for Forensics

To get admitted in these colleges follow the below mentioned steps:

Start young with your goal in forensic science. Choose PCM or PCB combinations of subjects in your high school classes. Students need to have a extensive knowledge in chemistry, biology, physics and psychology.

Take a list of the names of renowned medical science colleges, seat availability and cut-off percentage. Also take into consideration the accreditation of the university.

Fill in the forms for entrance tests in multiple medical science colleges and specialized forensic institutions.

Take crash courses before the science college entrance exams and strive to get good grades. Participate in some science clubs to keep your knowledge of the subject updated. You may also participate in mock sessions.

Top 10 Medical Science Colleges for Forensics

Find the top 10 Medical science colleges to enroll and pursue study of forensics:

K.J. Somiya Medical College

Christian Medical College

Lady Hardinge Medical College

Maulana Azad Medical College

Calcutta Medical College

All India Medical Institute

Jawaharlal Institute of Post-graduate Medical Education and Research

King George's Medical University College

Armed Forces Medical College

Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute

Students are advised to prepare and enroll for PMT entrance and other state organized medical entrance tests after graduating from any science college to specialize in forensic science.

Shefali Roy is a webmaster of latestt. To get information related to Free education, medical science colleges, colleges & institutes in India. Visit latestt.com

Master the College Application Process - How to Get Into College With Unique College Essay Ideas

Are you struggling to figure out the college application process. Do you want some college essay ideas that can help you figure out how to get into Ivy League colleges or any university, for that matter? I was where you are once and that is why I am writing this article.

There are some common mistakes made during the college application process by college applicants when trying to come up with college essay ideas that will help them get into college, especially college application essay topics that may help them to get into Ivy League colleges. As a former recruiter for Yale University, I remember the reactions from admissions officers as they read an average college admission essay as opposed to a good one. A good college essay starts with having good college essay ideas. I would say that there are six mistakes that are the most common and potentially the most deadly to someone writing admission essays as part of the college application process. One mistake I saw was: a college applicant not writing something that was true to the college applicant's life story.         

One of the biggest mistakes a college applicant can make when writing their college admission essays during the college application process is writing something that is not true to their unique life experience. So if you are seeking college essay ideas or college application essay topics that will help you write a good college essay, look no further than your own backyard, so to speak, your values, your background, and your community. Represent! Some of the biggest and brightest leaders come from dark and humble beginnings.

Bill Clinton came from a dysfunctional family. Barack Obama overcame adversity. Look where both of them are now. Don't be ashamed. Be proud of who you are because that is what makes you- you; and more importantly, it could be what sets you apart from the competition and helps you get into Ivy League colleges potentially all the universities that you apply to for consideration.

Unfortunately, this is not the only mistake made by college applicants when writing college admission essays or during the college application process. To help those who are serious about getting into university, especially those who want to get into Ivy League colleges, I outline insider information based on my experiences as a recruiter and alumni interviewer for Yale University. My recommendations, tips, and insight are available at http://www.collegeadmissionessaytips.com as part of the Keys to the CASTLE program (College Admissions Secrets & Tips to Look Exceptional) and will help you come up with college essay ideas that can help you figure out how to get into a top college. If you want to increase the odds of figuring out how to get into college or your child getting into an Ivy League college, then you need to immediately go to http://www.collegeadmissionessaytips.com and get the Free Report: TOP ESSAY IDEAS. Everyday that goes by that you don't access this information, the odds of getting in decreases. High school graduation is right around the corner, don't you want your child to have big plans for the following fall. I hope this was helpful to you. Here's to making your dreams a reality.- Kamala Appel, Exec. Producer

Save Money on College - 5 Strategies For When College is on Your Doorstep

There are five places where you have a significant opportunity to lower your costs for college. Now I am not talking about how you are going to save money for college. This is not about putting away money for the next 15 years in anticipation of paying for your 1st grader's college down the road. These are actions you can take now when you have a high school student and college is on your doorstep.

1.  The place to start is lowering your expected family contribution or EFC. This is the baseline calculation developed by the federal government used to determine how much the schools and the government think you can spend on your student's college education. When you fill out a FAFSA form (free application for federal student aid), you are providing the feds with the information they use to determine your EFC. In a nutshell, your EFC is determined by the student's income and assets, and the parent's income and assets. Now if you know how to manipulate those income and assets, you can lower your EFC... you can lower your baseline. And the lower you get your baseline, the less money you will spend on college.

2. Identify the schools with the generous financial track records. I cannot overstate the importance of this step. Not all schools treat students equally. Some schools are far more generous than others. For example: a student applies to four different colleges and all of the schools have a sticker price or more than $20,000. At school 1, he will pay $10,000. At school 2, he will pay $15,000. At school 3, he will pay $20,000. And at school 4, he will pay $25,000.

The difference is the schools' financial track records. School 1 in this case has a financial track record that is far more generous than any of the other schools, therefore school 1 costs less. 

Here is the shocker to most people... the schools with the most generous financial track records are not the public colleges with the lowest sticker prices. In fact, the public colleges often have the worst financial track records around and often wind up costing the most. Because of the way financial track records work, private colleges often have the lowest out of pocket costs. So forget the myth that private colleges are always more expensive than public colleges. It's just not true.

3. Position your student well. You need to have a well thought out strategy as to which schools your student will apply. I always recommend that your student apply to at least 6 colleges, if not 10. One of those colleges should always be a safety school. A safety school is where your student knows they are getting in no matter what. The community colleges are very common safety schools.

4 to 5 of the schools should be core schools. Core schools are those colleges where your student will have a good opportunity for being in the top 25% or 50% of the incoming freshmen class. Just because your student placed in the top 25% of their high school class, it does not mean they will place in the top 25% of their college class. Different colleges are looking for different students. The top 25% of a college such as Northwestern University is going to look very different compared to the top 25% of a college such as Arizona State. You need to match your student to colleges which are a good fit for them.

You may want to include 1 or 2 stretch schools in the mix. Stretch schools are those colleges that you're not really certain that the student can get in, but it would be a real source of pride if they did. Now some students and families may want to include more than two stretch schools, and that is fine. You can include as many as you want, but under no circumstances should you reduce or eliminate neither safety schools nor core schools from the mix. I have seen far too much heartache by pursuing a college mix far too heavily weighted by stretch schools.

4. Know how to negotiate. The official financial awards from the colleges typically show up in March or April of the student's senior year in high school (assuming you are on the ball and get all the paperwork done). Many families believe these official awards are set in stone, but that is not necessarily true. There are many colleges that will negotiate with you if you know how to draft and compelling argument and know how to speak their language. 

The number one rule about negotiating with a college is never call it "negotiating". Colleges don't negotiate. Colleges have an appeals process. There is a very big difference between negotiating and an appeals process. "Negotiating" starts with an "N". "Appeal" starts with an "A."

The number two rule about negotiating with a college is never be afraid to ask for more.

5. Finally, you want to use smart money management practices. You are embarking on one of the largest expenses in the history of your family's budget. You need to take a full inventory of your finances and see what needs to change. Do you need to pay off some consumer debt? Should you delay a major purchase? Does it make sense to refinance the house, or should you look into a money merge strategy? There are all kinds of money management strategies that can save you thousands of dollars alone. Shoot, we have one client in the Chicago area that is saving hundreds of thousands on a money-merge strategy alone.

So there you have it... five strategies that have saved our clients thousands of dollars every year, year after year. Put them into practice, and you will save yourself a lot of headache as well.

Scott Anderson
http://www.realcollegesavings.com

Scott is owner of RealCollegeSavings.com and College Financial Strategies. He has been a college financial strategist and coach since 2001. Scott works with students and families in order to help them minimize college costs, help students determine college & life goals, and help families stay out of and get out of debt in the process. Scott lives with his wife Susan in Davenport, Iowa; but he works with clients all around the United States.

Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: College

The college years are a time of noble pursuit of knowledge, self-betterment—and unending peril! Students are at risk from the moment they receive their acceptance letters. Fortunately, the authors of the phenomenally best-selling Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series have come to the rescue, offering all-new, hands-on, step-by-step instructions for surviving the worst that higher education has to offer, on campus and off. Learn how to identify a party school, engineer a hookup, survive "the spins," and escape a stadium riot. Discover the best way to sleep in class, pass a test you haven't studied for, avoid the "freshman fifteen," and pull an all-nighter. With practical advice for avoiding laundry and identifying unsafe institutional food, along with an appendix of excuses for missed deadlines and a back-up diploma, this is truly required reading for all college students—and a perfect high school graduation present.

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Colleges That Change Lives

Today's college scene is composed of an interesting dichotomy of experiences and learning environments that are proving one method highly successful while proving another, time worn method, to be more and more deficient. Ordinarily, high achieving students would focus on the brand names of education, with their prestige and instant name recognition which would provide many assumed benefits. However, many students are finding a more productive alternative to the Ivy League and big name colleges of America. Students, who are spending time at smaller, more involved colleges, are finding themselves getting better educations for the future than students who are in large, uninvolved institutions. The gap between the two methods of learning is widening and may be a foreshadowing of changes to come in future generations of college attendees.

Long term statistics and student experience are proving that the smaller schools are actually turning out the better students in the far stretch. Large, impersonal schools are providing too much opportunity for a student to hide within the crowd and earn a degree by simply being present and paying tuition. Smaller schools of about 2,000 students allow the student faculty ratio to be much closer and therefore students receive a higher percentage of attention at the learning level. At this closer ratio, students can ill afford to allow themselves to be a nameless faceless person in the crowd. Students around them are more involved and personally know the instructors, they also move in a direction that is obvious to all and therefore provide a social climate by which a student can excel and wants to excel.

Larger and more prestigious colleges have become "overstocked" as it were, with the student body and are little more than a spectator experience for many students within a 200-300 person classroom. Many of these classes are there for the sole purpose of filling up your notebooks, and then administering tests that are made out for a general audience, and then graded by teacher assistants. In a smaller college, the student may find themselves in classes of only twenty students, which with day after day of moving together in the same direction, can become a kind of "family" where everyone knows each other and the professor as well. In these smaller classes the instructors actively seek to expand the mind of the student and engage them in the process of learning right there in the classroom. Therefore, the student is always studying for the test three weeks away, from the beginning of classes. The learning process is always activated whether the student is in class, with his other classmates or alone in study hall. It would be very difficult for a student in such an environment of closely knit societies to wonder what will be on the test tomorrow.

Much to their own detriment, many aspiring students make their choices about future college based on their social climate they acquired in high school. Unfortunately, this herd mentality can be instrumental in continuing a spiral of non-success that will follow them to the college level. If none of the students a child knows in high school have done any research into colleges that will be personally fulfilling to the individual student, then the crowd that goes to the big state school together will have very few who actually benefit. The individual benefits from matching a student to the correct school will be lost in a major waste of time and money simply due to the herd mentality guiding the students as one and failing to benefit the individual students as parts. Students need to realize that friends today will more than likely be memories tomorrow as life moves on for all of them. An atmosphere of achievement must be maintained at the high school to college crossover age or else many years will be lost in a attempt to make up for missed time. Too often this kind of student finds themselves years after college cutting into today's events in order to make up for the lost opportunity of education that was sacrificed for a social climate that will be, more times than not, ending.

Much of the time students who are given no guidance at all, or who fail to do the homework themselves, believe that all colleges will be the same. They mistakenly believe that it only matters that you go somewhere to school in much the same way they believed that it only matters that you graduate, not how well you do during high school. College for students must be seen not as a continuation of the time they had in high school but as a new kind of learning experience. Colleges are full of like minded students who are just starting out into their professional lives and also learning about who they are as individuals. I can't remember how many times I have spoken with persons in their 40's about who they were in their 20's and had the same conversation about the level of awareness. Many of them tell me that in their 20's they were totally deluded about who they were as people and the extent of their abilities and maturation. This is a critical time in a young person's life and needs to have the benefit of parents, advisors and professors who understand the blind spot of the twenty something person for his future and what achievement will bring about in the realm of self discovery. Choosing a college is instrumental in this development and must consider the students needs personally as must also the college itself in educating the student. Smaller colleges facilitate this process with more intimate learning environments and a crowd mentality that is beneficial to the student.

Long term statistics have now proven that successful college careers rarely depend on the prestige of the college name a student attended. Their real success follows them in the form of what a student takes with them after leaving a college. The influence of smaller colleges with a hands on approach to learning and a smaller community to orbit the student is proving to be more beneficial than the large classes where the student sits all day in a sea of faces. Many graduates of these larger colleges are now revealing the ease with which large colleges graduate students. Many of these students tell tales of how they could have "mailed it in' during their stay at the college they graduated from. Students who drop out of these large colleges and transfer to schools who are smaller and more intimate sing the praises of professors and student bodies who engaged them not only in learning but socially as well, contributing to a major improvement from the large college experience.

Statistically, these smaller colleges are also proving that a students high school grades were often not true indicators of a students performance capabilities. Many of the graduated students from these smaller institutions report having their minds challenged and improved by the attention they received from educators who where there to educate rather than gain tenure. These students found themselves a part of the honor society in these colleges for the first time in their lives. Afterward, they also found themselves out distancing the students from the larger colleges due to the personal growth and more intimate attention that enabled them to meet major challenges with the skill to learn how to learn and think through any situation they encountered. Though the subjects may have been text book oriented, the skills learned in unison with the lesson carried them farther and higher than those they would have gained simply by filling in notes in a book.

Due to the closer attention that the smaller college can afford the student, such administrations find they can concern themselves with those who have been mislabeled as learning deficient. It is being discovered that those who simply learn differently are developing further than the literary based student just as the two hit a certain level of personal maturity. These students, who represent a more complex entity than their counterparts, have a more creative and hypothetical - almost, intuitive - way of performing in life than the literal status quo of the intellectual. Colleges have recognized that this may be indeed the wave of the future as far as turning out students who access parts of the mind we today can only guess about. As in nature, the more complex entities take much longer to mature and perhaps, these colleges believe, there is an untapped resource lying beneath the surface of these students that needs to be cultivated and produced for the betterment of all mankind. As this new age of educational development takes flower, the universities of the future may look vastly different from those of today in both their attendees and those chosen for the higher place in economic life.

Smaller colleges are on the frontier of change for the educational needs of America. Today's system from the pre-school to the highest levels may take on a whole new complexion due to the ability of smaller colleges to recognize the promise of students and implement proven techniques for their development, rather than simply churning out graduate numbers and paper degrees. Home schooling may take on a larger amount of students as it is proven to be a more beneficial and acceptable course of action than today's overcrowded schools. The small college will be more ready to accept these students and produce an adult into working society who has experienced education from a much different perspective than the marginally successful student of today. What will these unusually trained students appear like in working society? What will the continued schooling and training of the gifted student once believed to be learning deficient produce for the next generation of America? The outlook is promising and the signs encouraging. Perhaps the answers to America's educational needs and failing system are being found intuitively through an unconscious connection between us all. This connection will result in benefits that will surprise our conscious minds, but be of little shock to the deep inner workings of the unknown mind that pushed us as a nation toward the solution. Then, someday in the future, when a student says, "I don't know how I knew the answer, I just did." Professors will nod approval and reply, "Good ....very good."

Hubie Goode is a columnist who comments on many subjects concerning today's society from a Christian perspective. Articles discuss items such as education, government, current events and also movie reviews. There will also be articles concerning such things as consumer advocacy and "business opportunities".

http://hubiegoode.blogspot.com

Why a College-Bound Student Should Apply to at Least 10 Colleges

1. Your student's chances of getting in are improved. The chances are good of getting into some college, but your choice of a right-fit college must consider these critical elements: location, costs, major, costs, size, costs, academics, and costs. The more right-fit colleges you apply to, the better your chances of getting accepted.

2. More financial aid is available. By contrast imagine a student who applies to 5 colleges: at best the student gets maybe 2 decent offers, each of which will be different. That means you only have 2 buckets of money (read: discounts) to pick from. On the other hand, if you have 4 buckets to pick from, that's doubling your buckets which makes your choice more attractive and easier.

3. You're in control. College marketing strategies are very good at making you think they are in control. The fewer colleges you apply to means the more control you have given to the application process; the more colleges you apply to means the more control you have: you have a far greater variety of options that you don't have with fewer colleges.

4. Take an offensive posture. No, I don't mean that you ought to be nasty, but to take the attitude that you don't need any one particular college as the be-all and end-all; that's a dangerous approach to selecting colleges. Just as you don't need any one particular college to meet life's challenges and survive, having ten to choose from makes the choosing of a college on your terms, not on someone else's. This is taking real ownership of the process, something admission people love to see in an applicant.

5. Reduce your stress. This is the ultimate emotional objective, isn't it? Your student may not have to do more paperwork: with the popularity of the Common App, your student can apply to many schools with only one application.

6. You're in the driver's seat. Contrary to what you continue to hear, despite the rising cost of college, it's always a buyer's market when you INCREASE the amount of your college applications. Applying to only 4 or 5 colleges can prove to be a very expensive exercise because you're limiting your choices. Consider your choice of colleges like you would a choice of cars on a dealer's parking lot. There are many makes and models to choose from, and in the case of colleges, you have the pick of 4,000 colleges.

Instead of the "Less is more" formula, go for "More is more."

Colleges loathe the fact that you're reading this. They'll claim that I'm adding to the problem of college admissions - making it harder to get admitted because so many more applications are being submitted. Cold fact for me to live with: there aren't a lot of people reading this. At least not yet. The fact is...colleges don't like the increased work load, and besides, for what they are gouging you for in costs, do you really care what these colleges think?

Paul Lloyd Hemphill is the web's Video College Coach, and he specializes in designing, marketing, packaging and selling a student to a college by using the very same techniques colleges use to design, market, package ans sell their services to unsuspecting students. Visit his website: http://www.videocollegecoach.com

Finding Money For College to Retire - Students Financial Help - Part II

Throughout my speeches, I've constantly been asked by students how it is possible to graduate college with retirement ability. How can you use money for college to retire? Is this even possible? College is the greatest investment in the world IF you approach it intelligently the right way. This article provides students financial help by introducing you to an evolutionary way of thinking and approach which can have you graduating with the ability to pursue any passion you may have while not worrying about how next month's bills are going to get paid, or trying to keep up with the economic turmoil and the dreadful avalanche of student loans.

First off, picking up from Part I, what other ways are there for finding money for college to retire? Well you can't get rich if you're not taking the step of receiving income. Similar to what is said about the United States, college is definitely the 'land of opportunity' to achieve this step easily. Think about this for a second. What are you going to college for? What are you good at? What do you have which can benefit other college students? Use those answers to make money for college to retire. For example, I know individuals who braid hair as a hobby. I'm a great writer, and I used to charge my friends to write their essays. Utilize the fact that many students are lazy to your advantage. You may also charge for typing up papers. If you have a car, you can charge people to drive them places, and make a profit after the expense of gas. Perhaps you speak a particular foreign knowledge, and can charge others for lessons or tutoring. I know a few students who clean up places for their friends after house parties. College brings tons of opportunities! Get creative. With financial aid, the scholarships, loans, work study, part time jobs, and other creative 'side hustles', making money in college is really easy. The problem, which is also the solution to using college as the greatest investment, is keeping and building that money while in college. I continuously hear college students say they're broke, but whose fault is that? It's our own faults. It takes a commitment and sacrifice of everything you're used to in order to become successful (whatever that means to you).

I always tell my peers to treat college as a business. With all of the temptations to act like a party animal, or just a study robot, many of us don't realize how profitable college can actually be for our financial futures. Finding money for college to retire is easy. Making intelligent decisions with that money in college is the issue. College is the greatest investment because while we're in college, we have not yet been hit with the ultimate hardships of life. Now this isn't true in all cases, but majority of Millennial college students aren't yet hit with mortgage payments, huge families to support, and trying to outrun the economic turmoil with 9-9 jobs for starters. We also have an ample amount of free time to really pursue our passions and establish a secure financial position. Time is your most precious asset, and needs to be spent productively. Saving money in college, and investing into 'income-producing' ventures are the keys.

I know certain businesses where you can join for $40 and make a significant stream of income just by doing what you're already doing. Those huge financial aid checks don't mean shopping sprees and rims for your cars. It doesn't mean clubbing every weekend. Use money for college to succeed, not financially fail. I know plenty of students who receive checks after their tuition and bills are paid for, and spend it on physical things which are only for temporary pleasure and no income producing value. Remember that the parties and everything else will still be there when you get out of college. The real fun begins when you graduate college, don't have to struggle to get a job you dislike, and don't have to worry about how next month's bills are going to get paid. Treat college as a business, where you are meeting wonderful people from all around the world, building relationships, pursuing your passions, and establishing a wonderful life for yourself. Stop spending money on what you don't need while in college. Live under your means. This is the best time to do it! Live to help others to the best of your ability, but definitely not try to impress them. The most impressive life is one lived to impress its owner. Physical things don't determine wealth.

Your knowledge and soul desire to help others speak louder and make more of an impact than cars, clothes, jewelry, etc. Use money for college to succeed, not financially fail. Mark down everything you need (not want) and shop around for the cheapest prices. Yes I am saying to be cheap while in college. This is just a few years of your life. The fewer expenses you have, the better. Determine your return on investment (ROI) with every decision. This just means that if what you get is not worth more than the initial investment, then don't do it. Don't overdraft in your account trying to impress your dates. Trust me romantic walks to a few spots on campus at nights are much more impressive. Think about how lovely the rest of your life will be, and how much fun you will have, if you just saved and invested the money you receive in college.

College is majorly portrayed in the media, especially with African Americans, to be a fun party environment. Then we wonder why graduates aren't truly equipped with all the knowledge and skills necessary to truly evolve in their lives and professional fields. We wonder why the economy is in turmoil. We wonder about the future of future generations. Well it's time college be portrayed as a place of opportunity and prosperity where passions are to be pursued and dreams can become reality IF it's utilized efficiently. Use money for college to succeed, not financially fail. For these reasons, it is definitely possible to completely redefine college graduation AND retirement. Finding, saving, and investing money for college to retire can be achieved. I wish you all of the college student success, happiness, and prosperity in the world!

Stefan Johnson (G-Prez) is the President and CEO of Graduatirement, LLC, an evolutionary business of success for the entire Millennial Generation, which shows students all around the world how to graduate college and retire professionally... simultaneously! His mission is to help everyone, especially Millennials, reach their ultimate individual success, happiness, and prosperity by providing evolutionary knowledge and extremely profitable opportunities, and ultimately revolutionize the entire Educational System for present and future generations so that success happiness and success is more commonly achieved, passions are pursued, and poverty is conquered. The answer to any and every question a college student may ever have, and the evolution of Millennial Success is now here: [http://www.gprez.com] - To Your Success, Happiness, and Prosperity.

What's Really Behind College Tuition Hikes?

Imagine you're the third sibling in your family to enter college in your home state of Minnesota, and that each of your family members entered college four years apart. Believe it or not, you may spend twice as much on college as your eldest sibling. While consumer prices usually rise between one and four percent each year, many colleges have hiked tuition and fees at double or triple that rate.

True Sources of Hidden College Costs

While some critics have charged college administrators with overpaying faculty and with pursuing vanity real estate projects, the real reasons for spikes in college costs mirror changes in the broader economy. For instance:

o Technology Upgrades. Although universities helped originate the Internet as we know it, college and university IT professionals have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade campus networks and to implement stronger data security measures.

o Staff Compensation. Many colleges and universities offer extensive benefits packages to both faculty and staff. To absorb sudden spikes in the cost of health care, some schools have resorted to raising tuition.

o State Budgets. Like government agencies, state colleges and universities must respond to lawmaker demands to freeze or reduce budgets. Administrators in hard-hit states like California and Minnesota have hiked tuition rates to replace state funding.

o Energy Prices. Just as volatile energy costs caused grocery prices to rise, transportation expenses have forced campus dining facilities to buy more expensive ingredients.

o Stock Declines. Stock market shortfalls have even hurt college sports programs. Stanford, Ohio State, and Florida State all announced athletic cutbacks due to dwindling alumni donations and stalled ticket sales.

How Rising College Costs Impact Enrollments

Sharp increases in tuition and college fees have forced many young Americans to rethink their higher education plans. Instead of moving away to school, many first-year students have started choosing colleges closer to home. By living with family members instead of in the dorms, students can avoid many of the extra expenses of a college education, such as rent, meal plan charges, and utilities. Government statistics also indicate that more students are choosing to attend school part-time, paying for tuition with a combination of student loans and income earned from entry level jobs.

Gaps Between Private and Public College Spending

Private school administrators are no longer immune to the effects of a troubled economy. Some of the largest private university endowments suffered capital losses of as much as fifty percent over the past two years. In most cases, private universities now find themselves in the same position as state schools forced to raise tuition to cover other funding shortfalls. Although experts predict that tuition should continue to rise, students at state-run schools can expect to enjoy greater value relative to students at many private colleges and universities.

Fighting College Tuition Sticker Shock

Although college costs aren't likely to drop anytime soon, students and parents can still take a few simple steps to trim their own education budgets, including:

o Interview the Career Office. Colleges and universities that have invested in strong alumni networks and job placement programs may help you land the kind of job that can help you repay student loans sooner.

o Mix and Match. Many students now complete core undergraduate courses at community colleges or at state universities before finishing their degrees at private colleges. This strategy can cut college costs in half while resulting in the same diploma.

o Rethink Work/Study. Career-oriented students can complete an associate's degree online or at a less expensive school to qualify for an entry level job in their desired industries. Many employers offer tuition reimbursement programs to help students complete bachelor's or master's degrees.

Keeping college costs down may require rethinking the traditional higher learning experience. By focusing your search on colleges and universities colleges and universities with a track record of smart spending and proven job placement, you can get the best return on your education investment.

Kelli Smith is the senior editor for http://www.Edu411.org. Edu411 is a career education directory for finding colleges and universities, training schools, and technical institutes.

College Success - Most Students are Not Ready

ACT, Inc. (American College Training) reported that college readiness levels were 22 percent in 2008. This is startling and the numbers are even worse for low-income and under served students.

Most high school graduates are not prepared for college success or to succeed in the workforce. My work experience gives me a unique perspective about the similarities between skills needed for college success and work success. Currently, I am a part-time college professor of college success strategy and career development courses. For many years I worked as a job placement specialist and also owned an executive search and recruiting business.

Skills needed:

Here are some of the skills needed for college success, which are also necessary for success in a professional career:

* Reading comprehension

* Problem solving

* Reasoning and critical thinking

* Writing

* Note-taking

* Time management

* Goal setting

* Knowing your learning style

* Self-awareness

* Learning how to learn

These skills are even more critical for career success during our current economic crisis. Employers are much more selective in hiring during tough times. College graduates will face greater difficulty finding good jobs in the next few years but will do better than many lacking a college education.

College success will be more important now because of increased competition for jobs. Employers will be looking more closely at college majors, grades, internships, volunteer work, and related work experience. Students who prepare for high demand jobs and who excel in college will have the best job opportunities.

College enrollments increase in hard times.

As job shortages increase it is likely that enrollment in colleges, especially community colleges, will grow. One reason for this is that community colleges offer vocational programs that lead to jobs in a year or two. This is appealing to both recent high school graduates as well as returning older students who need to acquire new skills quickly due to job losses.

The problem, as stated by ACT and many other sources, is that most high school graduates are not ready to succeed at a college level. What can be done?

Many colleges offer courses that can teach you how to study and learn more effectively. Effective learning strategy courses can help you to succeed in your other college courses by teaching you how you learn best, goal setting, time management and many of the skills mentioned previously in this article.

When you learn how to learn and how you learn best, this ability is also an asset when you go to work because you are able to acquire the latest job related knowledge and skills. College success strategy and career exploration courses are also needed in high schools. This would help students come to college prepared for success rather than failure, and they would have a better idea which college majors and careers are a good match for them.

Tips for learning:

Here are a few simple study tips that can increase your learning:

* Anticipate test questions. Create and take practice quizzes before you take the actual test.

* Write brief summaries in the margin of the text in your own words.

* Study for 30-45 minutes at a time followed by short breaks.

* Pause after reading a section and ask yourself questions about what the author is saying.

* Teach what you are learning to others. It reinforces what you are learning and makes it clearer.

* Discover and identify your preferred learning style and types of intelligence.

I have seen firsthand in my courses that when a student studies, understands and applies college success strategies, grades on tests and papers quickly improve. Students also report that their grades start getting better in their other courses. When you combine willingness to work and learn how to study, you will find success can quickly come your way.

Copyright 2009. Raymond Gerson

Raymond Gerson is an adjunct professor of college success and career development courses. He has over 40 years of experience teaching personal and career development. Professor Gerson is the author of six books including, Learn How to Achieve College Success...In 20 Hours or Less. He is offering a free college success quiz and customized report at http://www.achievecollegesuccess.com

Find out how much you know and don' know about achieving success in college and receive an instant score and free success tips.

College Student Success Secrets - Orientation, Maximizing and Leveraging the Experience

When I attended law school orientation day, it helped me become familiar with the college and faculty. This is something in the past I did not do whenever I attended colleges and Universities. I wish I would have, because knowledge is power. Knowing in advance the kind of college and the attitude of the administration toward college students is extremely important.

Here are some college student success secrets I tell university students throughout the world whenever I speak at orientation welcome week and college kickoffs.

1. Take your mentor, a trusted teacher, or parent along with you.

The wisdom and experience of years is priceless. Not to mention associating with such a person immediately gains you the respect of college administrators who handle you differently and speak to you professionally.

Furthermore having a trusted mentor of parent by your side will help lessen anxiety and help whenever you need to ask hard questions. Some you may forget to ask, but they can present some key and crucial points for you to consider at orientation.

No life transition is easy, particularly the one from high-school to college. Therefore don't tackle this alone. Having somebody with you, even if just a respectable friend, will provide comfort and strength to you emotionally. If your parent can take time off from work to attend, this will later lessen you having to answer all of their many questions once you begin school.

2. Take as many entrance and placement exams that you can to become self-aware as a college student.

Self-awareness is a lifelong discovery process. The more exams you take, the more able you will be to gauge your strengths and weaknesses.

The ACT and SAT are just two college entrance exams that help colleges determine your scholastic aptitude and academic ability. Placement exams such as the CLEP also enable you to determine and identify what classes are appropriate and most suitable for you to begin as an entering freshman at college.

Prematurely taking a college class before you are academically ready and prepared for it could be disastrous, cost you unnecessary money, and damage your GPA. Save yourself the pain and heartache by accurately gauging your ability beforehand and becoming self-aware as to your academic ability before haphazardly enrolling in classes.

3. Be friendly, curious, humble, and network whenever possible.

Meet and greet as many people as you can. Express a genuine curiosity in others and take an interest in those around you. By doing so, you will learn more and be able to process the college experience and grasp the essentials for college success.

College student success requires you interact with others and learn from upper level, more established students who know the ropes and ways of your college. For example, you will want to know where the cafeteria and gym are. Finding classes may require you to step out and ask for help periodically. Getting the resources you need at the library will also demand you be friendly, courteous, and ask for help.

4. Develop meaningful friendships among college students who can assist you in your own academic progress and professional development. Depending upon your major, join a college association or organization for like minded students.

Once you pinpoint your passion and know which direction you are moving academically and professionally, it will be far easier to identify the appropriate and ideal student association with which to align yourself. Greek life is also useful to make friends for fun and feel a part of something larger than yourself.

The greatest thing you can do however is look for organizations that are wholeheartedly pursuing your interests and objectives. Once aligned with them, you can jump right in and become a part of a meaningful group on track to where you want to go.

5. Cultivate student advisors and professors to guide and mentor you.

Whenever possible, draw near and talk to student advisors and professors seeking their advice and guidance on issues of importance to your academic success. Student advisors don't have mixed motives (as sometimes older students associated with an organization or association might) and it is their job to direct and advise you.

Therefore take advantage of the resource and don't be afraid to ask questions whenever you need to know something.

6. Take a walk around the campus and become familiar with all of the nuances and peculiarities.

Each campus has its own protocol, policies, and procedures. As you spend time walking around, interacting, and observing the way things are done on your campus, you will quickly learn the ins and outs.

When you attend a college as a student, the campus becomes your home away from home. Therefore make sure you feel comfortable with your college and university before you proceed. If for any reason you feel uneasy, troubled, or disturbed about something on campus, quickly address and get these issues resolved before proceeding academically.

7. Get acquainted with the professors teaching your classes and review the syllabus well before classes begin.

By personally meeting and talking with your future professors, you get a feel for their personality and possible teaching style. When I did this once at a community college, I was shocked to observe a professor with whom I was to begin a course yelling and complaining about her computer. I immediately knew I wanted to withdraw from this professor's course (since I wasn't overly thrilled with the technology involved in the course and her level of impatience, which would not serve me well as a student).

Seek out older students who have taken classes with various professors also who can give you some helpful feedback about their teaching styles, coursework assigned, and class requirements. This will enable you to find and choose a professor that best matches your learning style.

8. Go to the college financial aid website and office to complete any application forms available for college funding and scholarships.

Complete every form available to get financial assistance. College is not cheap and you are going to need thousands of dollars to live on and cover the expense of your tuition. Think and plan ahead pertaining to the financing of your education.

Get your tax records in order and ready to submit whenever applying for financial aid. Ask your parents for their annual tax statements, when necessary, to apply for financial aid and various scholarships.

9. Be proactive in all things financial and beware of signing up for any free credit cards on camps when vendors offer you something.

Most of these credit cards are at high interest rates and can wreck your credit. Beware of vendors (especially mobile phone and credit card vendors) seeking to prey on you, get you to sign contracts, and obtain your social security number and financial information.

10. Always stay focused and healthy throughout your college experience.

Live strong and be strong. Eat well and exercise regularly. Don't abuse your body partying. You can celebrate after you finish college and land a good paying job. Stay focused, have fun, but don't forget why you have come to college.

Invite worldwide speaker and life-changing author Paul F. Davis to speak to your college students about success secrets and breakthrough leadership!
info@PaulFDavis.com
http://www.PaulFDavis.com
407-967-7553

Paul is an exceptional & frequently requested speaker for college student success, leadership, orientations & to kickoff college events. Paul's 17 life-changing books have landed him celebrity guest appearances on Fox News Radio, Investor's Business Daily, and 3 times on Oprah & Friends. After a 45 minute interview on Playboy Radio, Afternoon Advice host Tiffany Granath calls Paul an awesome relational coach and recommends his books on love, dating & sexuality. Paul's academic success & leadership secrets for college students are unparalleled and greatly empowering. Paul builds bridges cross-culturally, cultivating diversity awareness, while empowering college students to discover their destiny and live their dreams.

A master in NLP & life coaching; Paul's humorous, fun, playful and transformative messages graciously challenge college students to ask themselves hard questions and be their personal best. As a former high-school senior class English and ESOL teacher, Paul understands the challenges facing incoming college students. Moreover Paul personally knows what transfer students go through as he himself attended a community college where he graduated with a 3.8 GPA before entering UCF, where he graduated Cum Laude. As a worldwide professional speaker who has touched more than 50 countries and 6 continents, Paul greatly appeals to international students throughout the world. Paul worked at Ground Zero during 9/11; helped rebuild a home at the tsunami epicenter; comforted victims of genocide in Rwanda; spoke to leaders in East Timor during the war; inspired students & monks in Myanmar; promoted peace & reconciliation in Pakistan & has been deep into Africa where villagers had never seen a white man. Paul empowers people to love passionately, work together globally and live their dreams fearlessly.

http://www.PaulFDavis.com

Conquering the College Admissions Essay in 10 Steps: Crafting a Winning Personal Statement

Writing a memorable personal statement can seem like an overwhelming project for a young college applicant, but college essay coach Alan Gelb's holistic strategy and reassuring voice takes out the intimidation factor. Students will identify an engaging topic and use creative writing techniques to compose a vivid statement that will reflect their individuality. A much-needed supplement to other college entrance guides, this useful handbook will help students win over the admissions dean, while preparing them to write better papers once they've been accepted. A guide to crafting a meaningful and polished college admissions essay that expresses the applicant's unique personality, strengths, and goals. Step-by-step instructions lead students from idea to initial draft, through revisions, and to a final version ready for submission. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 69 percent of high school graduates enroll in college.ReviewsPublisher's Weekly, March 24th 2008: Included in test prep/college feature article

Price: $11.99

Click here to buy from Amazon

College Radio on the Internet Offers More Advantages For Listeners

The future of radio is at stake. As we quickly move into the 21st Century, our consumers are changing their listening mediums and we must stay abreast of those listening needs and modes.

Traditional college radio broadcasts may be lost in translation if they cannot keep up with technological changes. Some radio broadcast owners are ignoring these trends, which may hurt their ratings if listeners increasingly move away from traditional college radio to college radio on the Internet. Still others perceive college radio on the Internet as a dead medium, however it can be revived if colleges continue to research listener audiences and trends.

Benefits of Having College Radio on the Internet

1. More formats are available than traditional FM college radio stations. Hundreds are available from jazz and blues to Broadway and opera, to Indie rock and adult alternative and many more.

2. Ability to listen while in multiple places such as home, work, college, library or wherever you have available broadband access.

3. With college radio on the Internet, there is no "dead air". Some college and traditional radio stations have their last broadcast ending at midnight, and the next one starts between five and seven in the morning. However, utilizing college radio on the Internet and the growing demand from students and consumers, this has the potential to increase funding and the listening audience base.

4. Set and leave it on one station without having to remember station call letters or numbers. No longer do listeners have to remember where they heard their favorite tunes on the dial. Having a college radio on the Internet can be easily bookmarked in your Favorites' list or even set as your homepage.

5. Colleges are able to increase their fan base among alumni and exchange students because with having college radio on the Internet, it can be accessed worldwide.

6. Many college radio stations on the Internet tout commercial-free listening or at least minimal interruptions. This is an important advantage for listeners who do not like all the interruptions between songs or song sets with station breaks and commercials which can last two minutes or longer.

7. Allows more opportunities for unsigned bands and musical talent to be heard on the radio. With additional opportunities for more format types, bands of all styles will have a medium in which to play their music for a specific audience. As with MySpace, unsigned or lesser known musicians and bands are trying to gain an audience base and frequently release a couple of their songs so members can upload them to their homepages. College radio on the Internet can increase that audience base by featuring the group or musician on its station and have listeners send their comments via email, blog, online poll or phone call.

8. Unlike a traditional radio station, college radio on the Internet enables listeners to skip a song. If the listener does not care for the song, he or she can merely select "skip" and move onto the next song. Only college radio on the Internet and satellite stations have this advantage.

There are many benefits to keeping college radio on the Internet. Although some college stations have abandoned this medium because it did not reap the rewards as quickly as was expected, now it has listeners' ears and they have more invested interest with this medium.

The top online radio networks include Shoutcast, Radio@AOL, and MSN Music as reported by MeasureCast, a company which provides next day audience size and demographic reports for online media networks. Only the top college radio stations online have made the top 10 list, which include a few Ohio college radio station programs too.

The top college radio broadcasts include KALX, Berkeley, CA; WNYU, New York, NY; and KTRU, Houston, TX, which was reported by Radio-Locator.com. Furthermore, a notable Ohio college radio station has a list of eight college radio on the Internet stations that are broadcasted from various locations across the U.S., especially where a broadcasting school is located. Colleges and universities who have the ability and interest to support college radio on the Internet stations are able to employ its own students to undertake all tasks and responsibilities of running the online radio station. Student listeners create an instant audience base because their music interests vary and they are attracted by a variety of formats.

Because Internet based college radio stations can literally reach listeners from all corners of the world, we would think radio station owners would want to continue college radio on the Internet. Futhermore, college radio stations on the Internet, as well as traditional AM/FM formats, can run in tandem with one another without radio tower interference. However, many smaller universities and community colleges are not able to afford to keep such options on the Internet due to failing sponsorship, decreased student population, or fees required to both license music and the radio station.

Check with your local broadcasting school to find out if they continually accept students to become professional radio DJs. If you are interested in learning to become a radio DJ, video or audio producer, or in other radio and TV broadcast careers, then you will want a broadcasting school that is both credible and credentialed. Technology continues to grow and expand, so to keep up with the industry they should have the latest equipment for those wanting to learn how to become a radio DJ on a college radio station on the Internet and other radio broadcast careers.

Tim White is the director of admissions for the Ohio and Illinois Centers for Broadcasting, among top radio broadcasting schools, and a manager of several national bands and artists. He has been FCC licensed since being a college radio DJ.

Are Online Colleges Right For You?

So, you've been thinking about advancing your education so that you can gain that extra earning power that college graduates enjoy. It is well known that college graduates have a lower risk of unemployment, enjoy better job quality, are more likely to be in high-level positions and have much greater promotion prospects because of their advanced level of education. Perhaps you already have your bachelors and want to get your masters so that you are ready for greater opportunities that come your way. No matter what degree level you want to pursue, you can do it all from the comfort of your home through online degree programs offered by online colleges.

If you are considering studying for an online college degree, then you are not alone. Online colleges and universities are becoming very popular as more and more people are realizing the benefits of online learning. Pursuing a college degree online is an advantageous way to study as you can learn at your own pace and on your own time. But even with all the advantages of pursing an online college degree, is an online college right for you?

Pursuing an online college degree is not for everyone. You need to have the right characteristics to study for an online college degree. Some of the characteristics needed when pursuing an online college degree are:

Self-motivation & Self-discipline
Ability to prioritize
Ability to set your own goals
Good reading comprehension

Self-Motivation & Self-Discipline

You need to be highly self-motivated and self-disciplined and thus, be able to work without supervision. Since you don't have a set class times at online colleges, it will be up to you to set your own studying times. It will help if you plan out your day and carve the same specific time each day to study. Self-discipline is required so you resist the urge of other distractions in your home such as doing the laundry, washing the dishes or watching TV. Self-discipline will also help you stick to your deadlines.

Ability to Prioritize

If you are choosing to pursue an online college degree, then it is probably because you have many other commitments to juggle such as work and family. Once you have made the commitment to attend an online college, then you must keep in mind that your education is just as an important of a commitment. With that mentioned, you should possess the ability to prioritize your schedule.

Just because online college degree programs are flexible, this does not mean the courses are easy, nor does it mean you can procrastinate class assignments and projects. With the many other commitments you have, it is important to prioritize your schedule, set deadlines, and as mentioned above, stick to the deadlines you set.

Ability to Set Your Own Goals

As with getting a degree through a traditional campus college, it is easy to fall off track without clear goals. Thus it is important to set both short-term and long-term goals when you pursue an online college degree. Some online colleges allow you to get a degree at your own pace and your pace will determine whether you get your online college degree in two years or ten years. When you pursue an online college degree you should set reasonable short-term goals such as taking 6-8 units (or as much as you can take) per quarter or semester. These short-term goals will help you reach your long-term goal with ease and will show the progress you are making towards achieving your long-term goal.

Good Reading Comprehension

A good level of reading comprehension is needed as online colleges teach primarily through written material written at college level. While you may have interaction with your classmates and/or instructor, the interaction will be done primarily through e-mail, chat rooms, and message boards.

If you find it difficult to attend college courses on campus, attending an online college is a great way to earn your degree. With online colleges and universities, you now have the opportunity to advance your education without having to push aside previous commitments. Just keep these characteristics in mind and you can be successful in advancing your education by earning your college degree online.

Kimberly Diane, now a frequent contributor to EducationAdvancementOnline.com, previously served as a direct consultant to numerous accredited online colleges and universities for several years. Education Advancement Online, which promotes higher education for non-traditional students seeking an online college degree or certification program, is a premier online education directory that is a one-stop shop for available degree programs from institutions all over the United States. For more information on Education Advancement Online or to search for degree programs, please visit EducationAdvancementOnline.com

College Student Success Secrets - Leadership to Develop Greatness, Ensure Success & Live Your Dreams

College student success and leadership has always been a topic that deeply resonates with college activities and career coordinators. After all, what use is college if it cannot propel and further college students' success thereafter?

College and academia should never be the octopus that tries to entangle or engulf students, nor the pushy parent that tries to direct them to take (or require) unrelated career curriculum in which they are not interested in pursuing.

To truly revolutionize a college campus and impact college students some important components are vital whenever you bring in a keynote speaker to impact your students.

Undoubtedly, orientation and welcome week are high-energy kickoffs in which you need an outstanding speaker who is able to immediately connect with and communicate to your students.

An exceptional speaker innately and intuitively knows how to do this by nature, as such will flow naturally for any skillful orator with a powerful presence. Upon connecting with and captivating the audience, the keynote speaker should deliver compelling and transformative content. Hype alone will not suffice, nor sustain the interest of college students. Remember college students are clever and can see through phony people who are not congruent, nor one with their message.

Never in a million years did I anticipate being a worldwide professional speaker, but by reason of my travels to over 50 countries and 6 continents, I frequently was invited to speak at various academic institutions, colleges, and universities. Initially, I was overseas serving in a humanitarian capacity, primarily working in war-torn and third world nations.

Because people liked me, I often got asked to speak at organization and governmental meetings, along with some churches and religious gatherings. Humorously, I was even asked a few times to speak to groups at a birthday parties in Indonesia. This was a bit awkward at first, until I realized how earnest and desirous everybody was to hear me.

Most of all, I would say I enjoy speaking to college students because they are in a place in their life where they truly desire personal growth. Their hearts and minds are open to valuable input, powerful impartation, and personal transformation.

Particularly, college student orientations and welcome week kickoffs serendipitously proved to be the ideal fit for me. Because I was a former high school teacher, I experientially know the challenges students face entering and transitioning into college.

I taught English and ESOL (English to students of other languages) to 11th and 12th grade high school students. Therefore I understand the challenges high school students face entering college and the magnitude of the transition involved.

My own years attending community college, awakened me academically as I went from being a B student in high-school to becoming an A student in college. My intellectual curiosity moved me to pursue new bodies of knowledge with a ferocious zeal and passion. I particularly found economics, marketing, communications, and law to be most fascinating.

I attended Valencia Community College (VCC), where I achieved great success as a student, making the dean's list and graduating with a 3.8 GPA. I distinguished myself as a student at VCC, after which I entered UCF and continued making high marks earning Cum Laude at graduation.

In retrospect when I look back on those days spent studying at college, I see specific and tangible action steps I took to propel my personal success. One thing I have yet to mention is I completed my college education in 3 years. Because I had such an intense passion to travel the world, I wanted to graduate as quickly as possible. I therefore took a full load of 15 courses two summers back to back, while during the fall and winter semester taking 18 and 24 hours respectively (which I only could do with a dean's override and approval). This resulted in me graduating with a Bachelors degree, Cum Laude, at the age of 20.

Thereafter I embarked upon my world travels and real education, which books could never have taught me. Nevertheless academic success is something I personally mastered and excelled at. Yet the academic experience was not something I deliberately pursued, but rather by reason of survival discovered.

When I moved from Orlando to a nearby suburb called Clermont, when I began living with my father and step-mom, I was doubly uncomfortable as I entered middle school. While living with my grandparents in elementary school, I completed all homework within a matter of minutes before going out to play during the afternoon following school.

This quick approach to homework didn't cut it in middle school, which I soon found out when I brought home a D on my progress report in my science class. My father immediately with belt in hand applied some stern pressure to my backside to increase understanding up above that I was to do better in school.

Yet never did my father, step-mother, or grandparents sit down with me and teach me how to properly study to excel academically. Ironically, I hear the same story from many high-school and college students throughout the world.

Why is it parents, schools, and colleges punish for poor academic performance but never teach students proper study habits, techniques, and strategies to excel academically?

Well, that million dollar question has been the platform for my speaking career to college students throughout the world.

Empowering students to ace the academic experience is my passion and personal pleasure. I take great joy in taking students who were shunned in high-school and making champions out of them. It is wonderful and a great honor to transform students others wrote off and looked down upon, after which they return to their home town and display their successes before the eyes of the naysayers who didn't believe in them.

Believing in college students and helping them become that which they most desire to be is my greatest pleasure and passion. I guess you could call me a dream-maker of sorts.

Know assuredly A+ success is obtainable. You never again need to be intimidated by books, college classes, or college professors who ask intellectually probing questions.

Let your confidence arise and as you do, your competence will follow and catch up. Never be intimidated by what you don't know or don't understand. Harness your mental capacities and strength to transcend intimidation and embrace motivation.

Let your emotional juices move you to turn intimidation to unquenchable motivation as you cultivate the winner within to arise and conquer what in the past academically has done you in! Now, it is time for you to arise and conquer every class and curriculum that can pave a pathway of success for you to your most desirable future.

Invite worldwide speaker and life-changing author Paul F. Davis to speak to your college students about success secrets and breakthrough leadership!
info@PaulFDavis.com
http://www.PaulFDavis.com
407-967-7553

Paul is an exceptional and frequently requested speaker for college student success, leadership, orientations, and to kickoff college events.

Paul's 17 life-changing books have landed him celebrity guest appearances on Fox News Radio, Investor's Business Daily, and 3 times on Oprah & Friends.

After a 45 minute interview on Playboy Radio, Afternoon Advice host Tiffany Granath calls Paul an awesome relational coach and recommends his books on love, dating, and sexuality.

Paul's academic success & leadership secrets for college students are unparalleled and greatly empowering. Paul builds bridges cross-culturally, cultivating diversity awareness, while empowering college students to discover their destiny and live their dreams.

A master in NLP & life coaching; Paul's humorous, fun, playful and transformative messages graciously challenge college students to ask themselves hard questions & be their personal best.

As a former high-school senior class English teacher, Paul understands the challenges facing incoming college students. Paul personally knows what transfer students go through as he himself attended a community college where he graduated with a 3.8 GPA before entering UCF, where he graduated Cum Laude. As a worldwide professional speaker who has touched more than 55 countries & 6 continents, Paul greatly appeals to international students throughout the world.

Paul worked at Ground Zero in NYC during 9/11; helped rebuild a home at the tsunami epicenter; comforted victims of genocide in Rwanda; spoke to leaders in East Timor during the war; inspired students & monks in Myanmar; promoted peace & reconciliation in Pakistan; and has been deep into Africa where villagers had never before seen a white man.

Paul empowers people to love passionately, work together globally & live their dreams fearlessly.

http://www.PaulFDavis.com

WTF? College: How to Survive 101 of Campus's Worst F*#!-ing Situations

Your roommate keeps piling crap on your side of the room. It?s the day before Christmas break and your ride home ditches you. Your knee gives out and you lose your baseball scholarship. Halfway through your final semester, you realize you?re a credit short of graduating. And all you can think is . . . WTF?

Like Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School, we?re heading to campus to lend a helping hand to all those college kids who can?t quite make the grade. Inside they?ll find hilarious solutions to all the obstacles that lie between them and that elusive diploma. From indecisions about major selection to problems picking up that hot classmate to cramming for finals, this book covers all the awful, awkward, and annoying instances that would have college students IMing, posting, or texting: ?WTF?? Be it in the dorm room or classroom, during finals week or spring break, campus?s most f*#!-ed-up situations are handled in this entertaining step-by-step guide.

Price: $9.95

Click here to buy from Amazon

College Cooking: Feed Yourself and Your Friends

You have a midterm tomorrow and a fierce growl in your stomach. Your roommate just nabbed your last cup o' ramen. Do you: (A) Ignore your stomach and brew another pot of coffee? (B) Break out the PB&J? (C) Order pizza—again? (D) Make a quick trip to the grocery store? The answer's D, and College Cooking is the only study guide you'll need.Sisters Megan and Jill Carle know all about leaving a well-stocked kitchen to face an empty apartment fridge with little time to cook and very little money. They practically grew up in their parents' kitchen, but even that didn't prepare them for braving the supermarket aisles on their own. That's why they wrote COLLEGE COOKING—to share the tips and tricks they've learned while feeding themselves between late-night studying, papers, parties, and other distractions.Starting with kitchen basics, Megan and Jill first cover ingredients, equipment, and other prereqs for cooking a decent meal. They then provide more than ninety simple yet tasteworthy recipes—hearty home-style dishes, study-break snacks, healthy salads, sweet treats, and more (along with low-cal and veggie options). You'll find easy and cheap-to-make dishes, like: Tortilla Soup • Chili with Green Chile Cornbread • Chicken Salad Pita Sandwiches • Baked Penne Pasta with Italian Sausage • What's-in-the-Fridge Frittata • Peanut Butter Cup Bars • Brownie Bites You'll also find recipes for feeding a household of roommates, maximizing leftovers, cooking for a dinner date, and hosting parties with minimal prep and cost. Just consider COLLEGE COOKING your crash course in kitchen survival—and required reading for off-campus living.Reviews“College Cooking is a must-pack, along with the fry pan and the blender, for those going back to college or starting this year.”—Arizona Republic“The recipes are quick, easy, and simple.”—Kansas City Star“This is reasonable food reasonably fast. I was going too give the cookbook to someone in college, but no way. This is going straight into my collection.”—Oakland Tribune

Price: $19.99

Click here to buy from Amazon

College Financial Aid FAQ

Financially Challenged? There's lots of free college information available online, and here are some of the most popular questions when it comes to student Financial Aid. Learn about the difference between grants, student loans and college scholarships and bank on your future!

What is Financial Aid?
Financial aid is monetary aid to help you pay for your college education. Aid is made available from grants, college scholarships, student loans, and part-time employment from federal, state, institutional, and private sources. The types and amounts of aid awarded are determined by financial need, available funds, student classification, academic performance, and sometimes the timeliness of application.







What is the FAFSA?
FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA is the Federal Department of education's primary application for financial aid and is the gateway form to just about any other federal, state or private grants, college scholarships, student loans or college work study programs. The FAFSA form must be filled out each year between January 1 and March 10th (although some colleges have their own earlier deadlines) and can be completed online or by mail. Four to six weeks after you file the FAFSA (two to four weeks if you filed electronically), you will receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) which will contain a summary of the information you submitted on your FAFSA and presents your Expected Family contributions (EFC) which tells you the amount your family is expected to contribute towards your education. The amount of financial aid is then determined approximately by the tuition of your college subtracted by your EFC. If you do not receive the SAR within a reasonable amount of time, you can call the Federal Processor at 1-319-337-5665. Review the SAR carefully for errors. If necessary, make any corrections on Part 2 of the SAR and return it promptly to the address listed on the form. You will then be sent a new SAR with the changes made.







What is the College Scholarship Services Profile (CSS Profile)?
Some colleges also require you to fill out a College Scholarship Services Profile form in addition to the FAFSA. It is a secondary financial aid form that supplies further information about your family income. Be sure to check whether this form is necessary and about specific deadlines with your college directly.







What is the difference between a Grant, a Student Loan and a College Scholarship?
A grant is free money from government or non-profit organizations that does not need to be repaid. Grants are usually determined by financial need but can also be influenced by academic merit. Unlike grants, student loans are money loaned from an academic institution, financial institution, or federal government that must be repaid. Like a grant, a student scholarship is free money, but is generally offered through colleges, businesses, private individuals and outside sponsors. Those awarded by the college itself are often called MERIT AID. While grants tend to be issued according to financial need, college scholarships are awarded on a broad-base of criteria, the most common being academic merit. Furthermore, to receive any grants or loans you must complete a FAFSA, however, many scholarships may not require you to complete a FAFSA to be eligible. Instead, you may need to obtain application material directly from the donor of the scholarship.







What are the different kinds of grants?
There are federal as well as campus-based (institutional) grants. Federal Grants are free gift money from the Federal Department of Education while campus-based grants are government funds issued directly from your college. The campus-based grants provide a certain amount of funds for each participating school to administer each year. When the money for a program is gone, no more awards can be made from that program for that year, so make sure you find out about the types of grants awarded by each college you are considering as well as their specific deadline. Below are some of the most common grants.







Federal Grants





Pell Grants are considered a foundation of federal financial aid, to which aid from other federal and non-federal sources might be added. Pell Grants are usually only awarded to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's or a professional degree. The amount you get depends on your financial need, your college's tuition, your status as a full-time or part-time student and your plans to attend school for a full academic year or less. The Academic Competitiveness Grant is a new grant available to first year college students who graduated from high school after January 1, 2006 or for second year college students who graduated from high school after January 1, 2005. Only students who are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and who has successfully completed a rigorous high school program as determined by the state or local education agency and recognized by the Secretary of Education. An Academic Competitiveness Grant will provide up to $750 for the first year of undergraduate study and up to $1,300 for the second year of undergraduate study for full-time students who are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant. The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (AKA the National Smart Grant) is available during the third and fourth years of undergraduate study to full-time students who are eligible for the Federal Pell Grant and who are majoring in physical life, or computer sciences, mathematics, technology, or engineering or in a foreign language determined critical to national security. The student must have also maintained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3. 0 in coursework required for the major. The National SMART Grant award is in addition to the student's Pell Grant award.


Campus-based Grants




The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)


The FSEOG is a campus-based grant aimed at assisting students with exceptional financial need. Pell Grant recipients with the lowest expected family contributions (EFCs) will be considered first for a FSEOG. You can receive between $100 and $4,000 a year depending on when you apply, your financial need, the funding at the school you are attending, and the policies of the financial aid office at your school.







What are the different kinds of student loans?
A student loan is money that needs to be repaid after you have completed your studies. Generally, interest rates are low- so that you do not rack up as much debt as you would with a credit card or bank loan. There are campus-based loans, which you repay directly to your college, as well as federal loans which you repay either directly to the U.S. government or to your financial institution.







Campus-based LoansFederal Perkins Loan


The Federal Perkins loan is a campus- based loan because it is administered directly by the financial aid office at each participating school. In other words, your school is the lender although the loan is made with government funds. Your school will either pay you directly or apply your loan to your school charges. You'll receive the loan in at least two payments during the academic year. You can borrow up to $4,000 for each year of undergraduate study with a maximum of $20,000 for your entire undergraduate degree. The amount you receive depends on when you apply, your financial need and the funding level at your school. The Federal Perkins Loan is a low-interest , 5 % loan for students with exceptional financial need. You must repay this loan directly to your school and you have nine months to begin your repayment plan after you graduate. Generally you will make monthly payments to the school that loaned you the money over a 10 year period. Federal LoansThe U.S. Department of Education administers the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program and the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program. Both the FFEL and Direct Loan programs consist of what are generally known as 1. Stafford Loans (for students) and 2. PLUS loans (for Parents). Schools generally participate in either the FFEL or Direct Loan program, but sometimes schools participate in both. For either type of loan, you must fill out FAFSA, after which your school will review the results and will review the results and will inform you about your loan eligibility. You also will have to sign a promissory note, a binding legal document that lists the conditions under which you're borrowing, and the terms under which you agree to repay the loan.



Stafford Loans
Stafford loans are federal loans for students. Eligibility rules and loan amounts are identical under both the FFEL and Direct loan programs, but providers and repayment plans differ. For all Stafford loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2006, the interest rate is fixed at 6. 8 percent. However, you can be considered for a subsidized loan, depending on your financial need, in which the government will pay (subsidize) the interest on your loan while you're in school, for the first six months after you leave school and if you qualify to have your payments deferred. You might be able to borrow loan funds beyond your subsidized loan amount even if you don't have demonstrated financial need. In that case, you'll receive an unsubsidized loan. Your school will subtract the total of your other financial aid from your cost of attendance to determine whether you are eligible for an unsubsidized loan. Unlike a subsidized loan, you are responsible for you're the interest from the time the loan is disbursed until the time it is repaid in full. After you graduate, you will have a six month 'grace-period' before you must begin repayment. During this period of time, you'll receive repayment information, and you'll be notified of your first payment due date. You are responsible for beginning repayment on time, even if you don't receive this information. You will receive more detailed information on your repayment options during entrance and exit counselling sessions provided by your school.



Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL)Funds from your FFEL will come from a bank, credit union or other lender that participates in the program. Schools that participate in the FFEL program, will usually have a list of preferred lenders. Student loan borrowers may choose a lender from that list, or choose a different lender they prefer. Your loan money must first be applied to pay for tuition and fees, room and board and other school charges. If money remains, you'll receive the funds by cheque or in cash. Besides interests, you will pay a fee of up to 4 % of the loan, deducted proportionately from each loan disbursement. For a FFEL Stafford Loan, a portion of this fee goes to the federal government, and a portion goes to the guaranty agency (the organization that administers the FFEL Program in your state) to help reduce the cost of your loans.
Direct LoanUnder the direct loan program, the funds for your loan come directly from the federal government and you will need to repay your Direct Loan to the U.S. Department of Education's Direct Loan Servicing Center. Like the FFEL loan, you will pay a fee of up to 4 % of the loan. For a direct Stafford Loan, the entire fee goes to the government to help reduce the cost of the loans.








PLUS Loans (Parent Loans)Parents can borrow a PLUS Loan to help pay your education expenses if you are a dependent undergraduate student enrolled at least half time in an eligible program at an eligible school. PLUS Loans are available through the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program and the Direct Loan Program. Your parents can get either loan, but not both, for you during the same enrolment period. They must also have an acceptable credit history. For a Direct PLUS Loan, your parents must complete a Direct PLUS Loan application and promissory note, contained in a single form that you get from your school's financial aid office. For a FFEL PLUS Loan, your parents must complete and submit a PLUS Loan application available from your school, lender, or your state guaranty agency. After the school completes its portion of the application, it must be sent to a lender for evaluation.

What are the different kinds of scholarships? Scholarships are awarded on a broad-base of criteria, the most common being academic merit. Many scholarships carry conditions besides academic merit, such as financial need, affiliation with a group-, leadership, athletic talent, artistic or musical ability etc. Some scholarships are awarded by the college itself, often called MERIT AID. Other scholarships are awarded by outside sponsors. For some scholarships, you need to be nominated. For most of them, you apply directly to a sponsor. Because there are so many different types of scholarships, you should check directly with your financial aid office at your college.
Can I apply for a grant, a loan and a scholarship at the same time? Yes. You can team up different types of financial aid or simply have one kind. Nevertheless, some types of financial aid are contingent on others. For example, you can only receive an Academic Competitive Grant or a Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant if you have received a Pell Grant. While you cannot team up a FFEL loan with a direct loan, you may be eligible to receive a subsidized loan (in which the interest is paid by the government) and an unsubsidized loan (in which you are responsible for the interest) at the same time. You can also combine grants with loans and scholarships, so it never hurts to try to get as many different varieties of aid as possible!
What is the Federal Work Study Program? The Federal Work-Study Program (FWS) is a campus-based program that provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, that allows them to earn money to help pay education expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to the recipient's course of study.
How often should I apply for financial aid? You will need to apply for financial aid each year. Even if you did not qualify this year, you should reapply next year since financial circumstances can change. The number of family members in college, for example can have a big impact on your eligibility for financial aid. If you submitted a FAFSA during the previous year, you may be able to complete the shorter Renewal FAFSA form instead. The renewal FAFSA will be mailed to your home. The renewal FAFSA preprints most of your answers from the previous year's FAFSA. Verify that the old responses are still accurate and provide corrections or new answers where appropriate. If you don't receive a renewal FAFSA by February 15, fill out a new FAFSA form.
How do I know whether I am eligible for financial aid? Don't assume that you will not qualify for financial aid. Nearly all U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens enrolled at least half the time are now eligible for some form of financial aid. Even if you don't qualify for a grant, free college info is still available, and you may still be eligible for other forms of financial assistance. Many families don't apply for financial aid, because they believe that they earn too much money. However, you don't need to be from a low-income family to receive financial aid. Some loans and scholarships are available regardless of need. Many factors are used to determine your eligibility for financial aid and there is no simple cut-off base on income. You can't get aid unless you apply!!

CampusCompare facilitates the college search and selection process by providing free information, student college reviews, and interactive media, connecting students to over 3000 colleges. Its helpful tools include the What Are My Chances tool [http://www.campuscompare.com/chances] and the Financial Aid Calculator [http://www.campuscompare.com/tools/?name=financial] to help students in the "match me with a college" process.