In my experience counseling high school seniors, I often hear the question, “Hey, how important–really–are test scores?” That’s a good question, especially in light of all the schools these days that have opted out of the mandatory test score submission arena.

There are varying opinions about the relative importance of the SAT I and ACT. In my professional view, however, I think that colleges are loathe to admit just how important they view test scores, even the test-optional schools. Why? Well, professing too much emphasis on scores makes them look somewhat mono-dimensional and detracts from their contention that they use a “holistic methodology” (wow, cool phrase there, huh?) to give their applicants a fair-shake, broad-swath look.

Anyway, our test-prep friends over at IvyBound.net have issued an interesting statement about the importance of test scores. Here are some excerpts: More »

Let’s talk about motivations. One of the crucial fundamentals is analyzing the first thing that comes into your head about the elite college admissions process. Have you ever thought: “Hey, I never had the chance to go Ivy when I was a kid. So now, by gosh, my kid’s gonna get that chance”? If so, you may suffer from VKS. You may be trying to relive your life through that of your kid’s. Lots of potential land mines here, folks.

Okay. What exactly does vicarious mean? In general, it means, “taking the place of another person.” You have to ask yourself the hard question: “Do I want my kid to seek Ivy so that the ‘prestige’ [whatever that means] will rub off on me?” Be honest. You’re reading this in private and no one is impatiently waiting for your answer. Just nod your head if it’s true. You don’t have to attend a VKSers Anonymous meeting, stand up, and say, “Hello. My name is Dave Berry and I want to live vicariously through my kid.” Just be aware of your stance here. More »

With all the shrieking about corporate executives’ pay, along with that pay czar dude’s pontifications, one has to wonder about the rationale for some of the compensation levels bestowed on college presidents. The new numbers are out and some of them are rather amazing.

The New York Times reports a rather amazing statistic. More »

Part of the appeal of being at college is being able to hop aboard super-fast computer networks. This, of course, opens multiple doors for creative minds that need little sleep. One of the more popular activities is file sharing–downloading songs, movies, and other copyrighted materials from the Web and then creating your own awesome archives to enjoy when you’re not watching reruns of The Office on TV while studying for that Bio mid-term.

Of course, file sharing can be risky business. You may have read about the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) suing 16 Cornell University students for copyright infringement. There are other examples of such litigation, so what’s an enterprising collegian to do? Well, here’s some very savvy advice: More »

The idyllic image of the college classroom shows a wise, old, gray-haired gentleman in a three-piece suit camped behind a rostrum, pontificating on his narrow field of expertise at great length and detail, while possibly hundreds of eager students note his every nuance and word.

Yep, that’s the image. Well, the reality may be something quite different from old Professor Kingsfield, above.  Let’s take a quick look at who you may encounter once you plop yourself down in those vaunted halls of ivy, mainly, the ubiquitous TA: More »

Some parents keep their eye on only college tuition costs when considering which schools might be affordable for their sons or daughters. The smart ones, though, look at what’s known as the “student budget.” The student budget includes not only annual tuition but also room and board, various fees, and estimates on miscellaneous expenses and even travel. Talk about running up the numbers!

Our friends at CampusGrotto.com have put together a list of the most expensive college dorms. At least my mind boggles when I see what it costs to live in some of these dorms for less than nine months, especially when I think of having to share living quarters with at least one other person, in most cases. Let’s do some math: More »

We’ve already seen here the list of most expensive colleges for 2008-2009. Now, from Campus Grotto.com, we have the list for 2009-2010.

There have been a few changes in the rankings: More »

Remember that Seinfeld episode where Kramer hired a personal assistant to help him with all his idiotic schemes for Kramerica Industries?

Well, a forward thinking Georgetown University sophomore must be a Seinfeld fan (or at least a Kramer fan) because he’s advertising for his own personal assistant: More »

The issue of racism is a popular one in America today. It seems that every day or so we hear new charges about this or that high-profile individual being motivated to accomplish his or her personal goals through means that include being racist. It’s not a pleasant situation.

One news item and one opinion piece speak clearly about racism on campus. First, for the news item, we go to Hampton University in Virginia: More »

Some current commentators have issues with the modern state of higher education, specifically how “academic dishonesty” has diluted–or even “devalued”–the value of today’s college degrees.

One such commentator is Walter Williams, whose recent editorial points out, in his opinion, the reasons for this situation.  See if you agree: More »