Of all the steps within the college application and admissions processes, none are as nerve racking as the interview. What should I wear? What should I say? What will I be asked? These are all questions that go through the mind of a student once they are informed that they must go through a college interview. If you are facing a college interview, let me let you in on a little secret that will allow you to rest a bit easier before and after the interview: Except in a few specific instances, the college interview matters very little. There are three types of college interviews: the admissions …

If you’re a college bound high school senior, chances are you’ve already received or, are about to receive at least one rejection letter from a college or university. Before you start crying and feeling bad about yourself, please note that these letters oftentimes are not a reflection of your qualities as a person or as a student. Rejection letters are received by even the best of students for a variety of reasons. Here are a few reasons why you may have received a rejection letter from a college or university and some tips on what to do next. The 7-11 Factor Does the college you applied to …

College bound high school seniors will likely start receiving college admission letters in the next few weeks. In fact, seniors who applied for early admission status may have received several admission letters already. Once a senior receives admission or rejection letters from all the colleges they’ve applied to, they must make the most important decision of the college selection process: decide which college they will ultimately attend. Deciding which college to attend is one of the biggest decisions that can affect the rest of your life. Be sure to know the answers to the following …

When parents hear that their children want to study art in college, many of them cringe. The term “starving artist” quickly comes to mind and they hastily try to steer their kids to other college majors they feel might offer better opportunities to make more money. There are good reasons why parents do this. Speak to your waiter or waitress next time you dine at a fine establishment and chances are they will claim that they are an artist as well. Parents don’t want to fork over tens of thousands of dollars for their child’s tuition if they feel that they’ll end up working at Bennigan’s, for …

Since Sept. 11 2001, the demand for trained individuals to work within our law enforcement, intelligence and security agencies has increased exponentially. To meet that demand, colleges and universities across the U.S. have added criminal justice-related majors to their curriculum. However, if the college you want to attend does not offer a criminal justice major, you can still find a rewarding career in the criminal justice field if you majored in any of the following fields.  Accounting/business: Terrorists and other criminal organizations cannot successfully operate long term without money…

If you haven't already applied for federal and/or state financial aid for the 2011-2012 academic year, you're already falling behind on the process and risk missing out on funds for which you could be eligible. There are three general forms of financial aid: grants, loans and employment opportunities that qualify as work/study programs. Grants are great because they are financial awards that don't have to be repaid. There are six federal education grants and students may be eligible to receive many of them. The type of grant and the amount of grant money students may receive is based on …

Navigating the college process isn't as difficult as many think it is. What makes it difficult is the fact that many college bound students and their parents wait until the student's senior year before they get started with the process. By the time they learn what steps are required, many of the deadlines have either passed or are fast approaching. Many good students spend the rest of their senior year just trying to catch up with the college application process. Here are a few steps you can take during the winter break that will allow you to catch up on that process. Get Docs Most colleges …

About to finish high school but don't want to attend college next fall? If so, you're part of a growing trend of high school graduates who buck at enrolling in college immediately out of high school. Due to the economy, the rising cost of college tuition or simply to a new sense of independence, many high school graduates are now opting to put off attending traditional college indefinitely in order to pursue their career goals elsewhere. If you need a break from the traditional classroom, here are some options for you. Enlist The five branches of the U.S. armed services, the Navy, Air Force, …

In the next week or so, most U.S. students will begin their winter holiday breaks. That two week break affords college-bound students extra time to prepare for college. Here are a few ideas to make the most of your holiday break. Take a trip After this weekend's winter storm, we all want to be in Miami but most hotels are already booked. (Trust me, I checked). Instead, consider visiting one or two colleges on your short list. Call an admissions representative at the college you want to visit to see if they offer tours during the holiday break. Most likely, the college will look like a ghost …

For the most part, the college admissions process is very impersonal. Most of the data colleges and universities utilize to determine whether to accept or reject your application packet comes from the generic application they require all students to submit. Additionally, more and more colleges are shying away from the practice of conducting admissions interviews. In most cases, an admission officer will adjudicate an application without meeting the student, speaking to them on the phone or even corresponding with them by email. Oftentimes, the only opportunity a student has to stand out from …

You've had perfect attendance from kindergarten all the way through your senior year in high school. You were class president and have hundreds of hours of community service. You're so smart; you even took honors gym class. You scored in the 99th percentile on the ACT and SAT exams. So, why do you keep receiving rejection letters from colleges and universities? Colleges base their acceptance decisions on a variety of criteria that differs from college to college. More often than not, the only information they have on a student is on an application. Therefore, if you're a good student and you'…

According to the CollegeBoard, on average, students are paying 7.9 percent more in college tuition and fees this year than they did in 2009. As the costs of getting a college education continue to rise from year to year, students and parents are always looking for ways to cut costs and save on college tuition and fees. Here are a few suggestions on how to save money on college costs. Get tested.  Are you really good at math, science or any other subject? If so, many colleges will offer you college credits if you take and score high enough on some tests.   The College Level Examination Program…

The average undergraduate student will spend a quarter of their time in college taking classes in their major field of study. Therefore, one of the most important (and stressful) decisions a college bound student will make in the college selection process is which college major to pursue. This decision will affect which college they will apply for, what type of scholarships and financial aid they will receive, how much time they will spend in college and ultimately, what type of career field the student will go into upon graduation. A college major is the main field of specialization during …

This month, countless high school seniors will begin to submit applications for college. As part of their college search, many will be encouraged by well meaning relatives, fellow students and guidance counselors to conduct research on the colleges they wish to attend. Given the amount of information available, students can literally find hundreds of pages of information for every college in existence.   With application deadlines fast approaching, students don't have time to learn everything about a college. The following are five things students should know about a college before applying …