Universities
Should You Attend Your Dream College?
This is the time of year when high school seniors and their parents begin reciting this age-old advice: Follow your dreams. Families tend to use this advice to justify their children attending expensive dream colleges even if these schools will require taking on crushing student debt. I am a huge advocate of families researching schools […]
5Dec2010 | Lynn | 0 comments | Continued
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
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
University of Chicago’s Ego
I had lunch today with a dear friend whose son hopes to be attending the University of Chicago in the fall. This is a kid from Southern California who fell in love with the institution when he visited. Taylor, I changed his name, applied early action to the University of Chicago and he remains optimistic […]
11Nov2010 | Lynn | 2 comments | Continued
Why State Universities Love Rich Teenagers
Nearly one out of every three students who attends a flagship state university is affluent. Thirty percent of students at these top universities have parents with incomes in the top 20% of all American households. This is just one of the findings of a study from the Education Trust, which is a nonprofit that promotes […]
7Nov2010 | Lynn | 0 comments | 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 | Continued
Beware of Universities Dishing Out Compliments
Has your teenager received flattering email or literature from universities or even VIP college applications from schools that are already prefilled? If your child has gotten any of these communications, let me make this quite clear, it doesn’t mean anything. Despite all the collegiate flirting, the schools may not be interested in your child. Flattering […]
1Nov2010 | Lynn | 4 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 | 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
