Liberal Arts Colleges
The Hazards of Brainiacs on College Campuses
I’ve often wondered why colleges and universities are so fixated on admitting students with extremely high SAT or ACT scores. Some of these teenagers only excel at taking tests and earning top grades, which can lead to awfully uninspiring young adults. I’ve heard admission folks privately lament that kids with high test scores can be […]
21Nov2010 | Lynn | 3 comments | Continued
Attending College With Too Many Rich Kids
When I talk to California teenagers who are interested in attending college outside of the state, their preferred destination is usually the East Coast. As a native Midwesterner it is disheartening that so many Californian teenagers dismiss so much of the country as simply real estate that makes flights from California to New York or […]
19Nov2010 | Lynn | 6 comments | Continued50 Top Colleges for Science & Engineering PhDs
I flew up to the Bay Area yesterday to give a college talk to a group of affluent families. I was told that some of the parents in the audience worked for Google, Facebook and other high-tech goliaths. Not all of their children, however, are necessarily as smart as they are. I expect that having […]
18Nov2010 | Lynn | 0 comments | Continued
Why State Universities Aren’t Always a Bargain
If you’ve been a regular visitor to my college blog, you know that college price tags are meaningless. A $50,000 college, for example, could cost some families less than a $25,000 school. More families in my state of California are beginning to realize this. I bet that’s why expensive private schools such as Whitman College, […]
15Nov2010 | Lynn | 1 comment | Continued
6 Tips for Performing and Visual Art Majors
In my college blog post last week for US News & World Report, I wrote about students who want to major in the performing and visual arts. Here it is…. If your child wants to major in musical theater or some other performing art, go ahead and blame it on Glee, American Idol or America’s […]
14Nov2010 | Lynn | 1 comment | Continued
Attending UC Berkeley for $50,649
I’m not surprised by much that I read about the higher-ed world, but even I was amazed at how quickly private colleges are blowing by the $50,000 price tag. After crunching College Board data, The Chronicle of Higher Education has published a list of the nation’s 100 top colleges by price, which all cost at […]
4Nov2010 | Lynn | 2 comments | Continued
Should You Apply to a Reach School?
Do you know what a reach school is? I’ve been surprised recently to find out that many parents and teenagers don’t understand what the term means. I discovered just how elusive a concept it is during college talks that I occasionally give at high schools and other settings. When I ask, “Who knows what a […]
2Nov2010 | Lynn | 0 comments | ContinuedSticking Close to Home for College
I talked to a mom last week who wanted me to help her son find wonderful colleges that would would award him a scholarship, but her top priority is keeping him as close to home as possible. The San Diego mom wants him to attend a California college. She also seemed to rule out Northern […]
25Oct2010 | Lynn | 3 comments | Continued
Visiting My Son in College
When I dropped my son Ben off at Beloit College (WI) in mid August, I left with a lot of questions. Would he adjust well to college? Could he handle his classes? Would he make friends? And would he tell his mom or dad if the answers to any or all of the preceding questions […]
24Oct2010 | Lynn | 1 comment | ContinuedLooking For Colleges In All the Right Places
Where do you begin a college search? When you research colleges, you’re going to want to find schools that will provide your teenagers with an excellent education and get them out the door in four years. But how do you even start such a daunting college search? Scattered around my blog, I’ve written plenty about […]
20Oct2010 | Lynn | 0 comments | Continued
