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 »

Read any good books lately? Read any good college guidebooks lately?

I love college guidebooks. Since I’m a pack rat, my office bookshelf still contains old college guidebooks from the ’80s. In fact, I have one from the ’60s: How to Be Accepted by the College of Your Choice (Completely Revised 1961-1962 Edition), by Benjamin Fine; Paperback – 419 pages, (March 1960), Popular Library.

Care to be amazed? Have a look at Ivy League and other college costs from 1960: More »

Are you an Asian applying to college this fall? If so, you may already be aware of the perceived (some say “real”) prejudice against Asian applicants, especially at the so-called “elite” colleges and universities.

The sources I’ve seen lately definitely espouse the real prejudice aspect. For example, The Daily Princetonian offers some interesting observations: More »

I end all my blog entries here with this imperative: “Don’t forget to check out all my admissions-related articles and book reviews at College Confidential.” For those of you who have never clicked on that link, here’s a sample of what you can find there in the way of college admissions advice.  In this case, college applications essays.

I put together a kind of essay clinic for those applicants who are unsure about how to approach application essays. I called my clinic Real-Life College Essay Lessons. Here’s an example of what you’ll find there: More »

One of my most often cited pieces of college research advice is “Ask a current student.” Another is “You gotta trod the sod,” which means “You have to visit the colleges to which you’re applying.” Now, thanks to the Internet, my first mantra has gotten a lot easier to realize.

In an interesting article on UPI.com, we learn about some students who are serving up real-world answers and lifting the haze about life on campus and in the classroom for prospective applicants. Here’s the scoop. More »