Grades
Are AP Classes Worth It?
Are AP classes really worthwhile? There is no doubt that advanced placement classes are popular. Last year, nearly 1.7 million students worldwide took more than 2.9 million AP exams. Twenty five percent of high school graduates have taken at least one AP exam. With teenagers returning to the classroom grind soon, I thought this would […]
10Aug2010 | Lynn | 6 comments | ContinuedA Homeschooler & College Controversy
In my last college blog post for CBSMoneyWatch.com, I wrote about a study that explored how homeschoolers do in college. Here is the link: Can Homeschoolers Do Well in College? I was surprised at the passionate responses that the homeschooler piece triggered. The homeschool supporters seemed especially incensed that I brought up what I perceive […]
22Jul2010 | Lynn | 0 comments | Continued
March Madness Basketball Brackets: Who Shouldn’t Get an Invite?
With March Madness in full swing, I want to pose this question: Should schools be allowed a spot in the NCAA basketball brackets if they can’t manage to graduate their basketball players? I think it’s only fair to bar these basketball teams from participating in March Madness and, more importantly, so does Arne Duncan, a […]
19Mar2010 | Lynn | 1 comment | Continued
What’s Happening to the Average GPA?
Are college students getting smarter? If you looked at the grades they are “earning,” you might assume the answer is yes. The average GPA in college is 3.1. At private schools, the norm is a 3.3 GPA. In contrast, the typical college student had an average GPA of 2.52 in the 1950s. In nearly every […]
5Mar2010 | Lynn | 5 comments | ContinuedAre School Counselors the Weakest Link?
I heard from some high school counselors yesterday, who were furious with me. I wrote a post for my other college blog at CBSMoneyWatch about a new study that suggests that plenty of school counselors would flunk out if they were graded like their students. In the Public Agenda survey, which was funded by the […]
4Mar2010 | Lynn | 3 comments | Continued
Should You Take the SAT or ACT Test?
When deciding whether to take the SAT or ACT test, keep this in mind: the ACT AND SAT require different kinds of skills. Some teens can significantly increase their scores just by picking the right standardized test to take. Here are reasons why the ACT or SAT might be better than the other: Teens who […]
20Jan2010 | Lynn | 11 comments | ContinuedBest and Worst Jobs in America and Other Posts
15 Best and Worst Jobs In America In my most popular college blog post on CBSMoneyWatch this week, I wrote about a list of the 200 best and worst jobs based on much more than pay. When you see lists of the best and worst jobs in America, the creators are usually focusing on salaries. […]
9Jan2010 | Lynn | 0 comments | Continued
Can This Teenager Win a College Scholarship?
I wanted to share with you an email that I received last night from a high school freshman, who spent her Christmas break stressing out: Dear Lynn, I am a freshman in high school, and I am enrolled in all advanced placement classes. For the first marking period, I received all B’s and one A+. […]
4Jan2010 | Lynn | 1 comment | ContinuedThe Great SAT and ACT Test Debate
If your teenager bombs on the SAT or ACT, you don’t need to despair. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts on my college blog, students can get into hundreds of schools even if they withhold their SAT or ACT test scores. See links below to some of these posts. Today I want to draw your […]
11Dec2009 | Lynn | 0 comments | ContinuedHow Many High School Students Are Ready for College?
Are high school students ready for college? Many of them aren’t. According to ACT Inc., only 23% of recent high school graduates, who took the ACT test, were prepared for college. When the ACT examined its latest crop of statistics, the test maker concluded that less than one in four high school graduates was academically […]
19Nov2009 | Lynn | 0 comments | Continued
