Omniac Attack!

College Roundup - June 4, 2010

College Prank of the year at Carleton College! (Photo credit via Carleton College's Facebook)

Two story R2D2? Students at Carleton College turn their observatory into everyone's favorite Star Wars character. (Star Wars Blog)

Here are 15 other awesome college pranks from the past and present. (College Crunch)

Are your 'Helicopter' parenting tactics damaging your student? New studies find that overbearing parents have dependent, neurotic, and less open college aged kids. (Live Science)

How are you planning on spending your summer vacation? Colleges won't be impressed by your tan. This cool article gives you a plan for your summer whether you're going into sophomore, junior, or senior year! (North Jersey News)

Santa Monica College boycotts Arizona because of its recently passed anit-illegal immigration law. Will other colleges follow suit? (The LookOut news)

College student invents cost-effective self healing concrete. Now that's solid news. (autoblog)

"Always remember to preheat your oven?"... Find out how this advice and other Food Channel tips can help you succeed in college. (US News)

3-Year Bachelor Degrees? It sounds like a great way to save time and money, but many college administrators are skeptical. (Inside Higher Ed)

We're sorry to report: Studies show that college students of 'Generation ME' are 40% less empathetic than students in the 80's.  (Colorado Daily)

Ottawa University is the first college to put students in charge of creating videos about campus life for an official Facebook page. Find out more (LJ World Blog) and watch 'Braves TV' videos here! (Ottawa University Facebook)

 

College Roundup - May 20, 2010

College Roundup - May 14, 2010

 

Yeah, this guy looks suspicious. Planning an undercover mass dishes heist, perhaps? (photo credit ghindo via flickr)

Students have 'sticky fingers' in campus cafeterias. Colleges report a large number of stolen dishes and utensils.  (Mercury News)

Students who were accepted to more than one college need to notify the schools that they don't plan on attending. Here are some tips on how to decline a college admissions offer. (Suite 101)

Sure, laying by the pool all summer would be fun. But for those of you who want to be a bit more productive, here's 10 steps to make your summer count towards college admissions. (Your Hub)

With recent media attention directed towards the UVA murder of Yeardley Love, many parents are asking the question; 'How safe are college campuses?' (Washington Post)

We all know times are tough in today's economy. In fact, things may be worse than we think. Studies show that students are more stressed out now than during the Depression! (USA Today)

Traditional high school isn't right for everyone. Now, some non- academic 14-16 year olds have the option of colleges that teach various occupational skills. (Guardian)

The college student who was found guilty for hacking Sarah Palin's yahoo account could be facing 1 year in prison and/or a $100,000 fine.  (Top News)

It's never too early to start networking! Here are 5 tips on how to begin in college. (Academic Advice)

Cathy Davidson, professor at Duke University, could be re-inventing the grading system. This semester she tested her theories by allowing students to grade themselves!  (Inside Higher Ed)

Saint Anselm College will no longer require students to submit ACT/SAT scores for admittance. The institution's studies have shown academic achievement in high school to be the best predictor of college success. (Saint Anselm College)

College Roundup - April 30th, 2010

 

Good news. At least they can't try to make you go to rehab for this one... (Photo credit Mike Licht via Flickr)

 

Unplug your Facebook IV drip. A new study indicates that students are addicted to social media. (NY Daily News)

Finally! Some college advice that will actually get you somewhere: How to date a college cheerleader! (Coed Magazine)

Many college applicants are taking Green into consideration. And we're not talking about dollars. Trends are showing that many students are choosing energy efficient schools. (Student Stuff)

Is the digital age threatening libraries into extinction? Art Brodsky says our public library lifeline is fraying. We'll be sorry when it snaps! (Huffington Post)

'Boobquake?' Facebook recruits 85,000 college women to show their cleavage in order to start an earthquake. (BSU Daily)

A royal case of cheating: A teacher at a princes' school was fired for giving some students an unfair advantage on their final French exam. (Times Online)

Two thirds of college students graduate with college debt. Here are eleven other fascinating college debt statistics. (Money Watch)

It's that time of year and 12th graders are vulnerable! Here's how NOT to fall prey to 'Senioritis'. (Guampdm.com)

It's better than Prozac! A Harvard psychology course teaches students how to be happy and have a positive outlook on life. (Tufts Daily)

Are we creating an AP bubble? Here are some reasons behind the growth of AP programs. (District Administration)

College Roundup - April 23rd, 2010

 

 

Did extra-terrestrials nearly abduct Physics professor!?! A college teacher describes his close encounter with a silent triangle UFO. (Examiner)

Imagine a world where your report card resembled a birthday card from Grandma: stuffed with twenties! It could be a reality. Should schools pay kids for good grades? (Education News)

Cracking down on foreign cheaters: Security of SAT to be beefed up in Korea. (The Dong-A Ilbo)

College Copy Cats! An online accrediting body has discovered a fraudulent British twin! (Inside Higher Ed)

Want a higher GPA? Try enrolling in a private college! Studies show students at private universities have the highest student grades. (Economix)

Are college admissions rates higher than they appear? Here are some speculations on why admissions rates might be misleading. (The Quick and the Ed)

When it comes to college admission- it might PAY to be GAY!? Should sexual orientation play a part in college applications? (The Crimson)

F stands for Fired. Biology teacher at LSU in Baton Rouge is to be canned for setting high expectations for her students. (Inside Higher Ed)

"Going out" in style. High school seniors come up with creative ways to ask their dates to prom. (Washington Post)

Are states running out of college grant money? State budget gaps are proving to be a set back for students who rely on grants. (Smart Money)

College Roundup - April 16th, 2010

 

 (Photo credit Aturkus Photostream via Flickr)

Are we creating Frankenstudents? Jaon Wickersham worries that we're pressuring our students to be TOO well rounded. (The Boston Globe)

MIT Stinks. The student government recently passed a bill that will provides hygienic samples at a popular smelly study spot. (Inside Higher Ed)

So, a Muslim and a Christian move into a dorm room together at Calvin college... (Michigan Radio)

Picking your nose or wearing MC Hammer pants might do the trick... But here's 9 less obvious ways to bomb your college admissions interview. (Top Colleges Blog)

Are you a Fortune Teller? A Duck Caller? Well it's about to pay off. Here's 12 more wacky scholarships that actually exist. (Daily Humor)

Not so famous last words: College students protest death penalty by reading the last words of those who have been executed.  (Amnesty International)

"$25,000 a semester?!" Or is it? Private college sticker prices just confuse many families. (Penn Live)

Does a college have the right to ban certain types of prescribed medication? Mesa State college in colorado has denied students the right to use medical marijuana on campus. (GJ Sentinel)

Babies on the wait list?! Due to demand for places becoming tighter, pregnant mothers are calling to enroll their unborn children in schools. (Eastern Courier)

College visits can be expensive! Here's some quick tips for college visits on a limited budget. (My Auburn)

The Chicago "Class of 2014" is an Awful Admissions Harbinger

 University of Chicago (LHOON via Flickr) 

There is no question that the University of Chicago is a prestigious university that attracts some of the best and brightest high school students in the world. Founded in 1890 by the American Baptist Education Society and funded by a donation from John D. Rockefeller, the University is the crown jewel for the Hyde Park area of Chicago and a prime example of the effectiveness and quality of private liberal arts institutions across the country.  Year after year, the University of Chicago stands as an outstanding, well-funded institution staffed by some of the best teachers, thinkers, and scientists in the world.

Yet, as an admissions crunch has overwhelmed Ivy League schools like Harvard and Yale, Chicago has remained an extremely reasonable option for high-achieving students.  While the ACT and SAT averages for Chicago stretch toward the 99th Percentile, the admission rate in recent years (20-30%) has been consistent with an admission process that welcomes students who are excellent without being miraculous and wonderful without being perfect.

Harvard and Yale expect you to walk on water to get an admission letter (7% admission rates!); University of Chicago admits hundreds of students every year who stand out through their great GPAs, excellent test scores, and solid extracurricular activities.  In fact, I often advise students to seek out schools like Chicago in lieu of applying to Ivy League schools because the process at a school with a 25% admission rate is fundamentally more rational and reasonable than the process at a school with a 7% admission rate.  In years past, you could count on this "second tier" of quality schools to respect and value solid applications that would be pushed aside at Harvard and Yale for flashier, more "impressive" applications. 

This year, however, things were different.

Chicago received approximately 13,500 applications for admission to their freshman Class of 2013, a slight increase from the previous year.  For the upcoming Class of 2014, however, the University of Chicago received nearly 42% more applications, pushing the number of applicants close to 20,000.  This did not bode well for the applicants: the admission rate dropped well below the norm to a measly 18%.

Students that otherwise would have been admitted were waitlisted; students that otherwise would have been waitlisted were denied outright.  Chicago had so many students applying that they were given a new level of options when viewing the applications.  No longer did the admissions officers need to look deeply at a student with a lower test score or a slight downturn in GPA: they had all the applicants they needed to be as picky as they wanted to be.  Like it or not, some applications were thrown out that would have been considered deeply in the past, denying some students the chance to impress the admissions officers through less concrete achievements.

It's in this way that schools with extremely low admission rates enter some sort of Twilight Zone where normal rules simply don't apply.  A 89th Percentile ACT Score?  We've got tons above 90th!  A 3.8 GPA? Too common around here.  We need to see something really impressive to admit a student to Our Prestigious University and we're not seeing it from you...

If current trends continue, University of Chicago is no longer a rational place for students to apply.  It's as if Harvard, Yale, MIT, and every other Ivy League school have reached a point of saturation where they simply aren't attracting more applicants at the same rate.  Perhaps students, like locusts, realize that there is no more meat on the bones of these schools and they must move on.  And, like locusts, they ravage the schools who are just a little bit down from the Ivies on the list, driving admission rates down ever further in their quest for a Golden Ticket.

Every student who is looking to apply to those schools "down the list" from the Ivies better get ready for the coming storm.  It's going to be a nasty, drop-down, drag-out fight as schools like University of Chicago see their applicant pools swell and their admission rates drop.  Solid applications won't garner much attention; excellent applications are going to be the new normal.   There is simply no more room for students to be anything less than the best possible applicant the school has ever seen.

College Roundup - April 9, 2010

 

Strip searching before exams? We're seriously hoping this doesn't become a trend. (photo credit: Analobb via flickr)

The bare naked truth: A high school girl suspected of hiding cheating materials was stripped searched before her exam. (MSN News)

Rain, rain go away! Students who visit college on a rainy day are more likely to apply. But interviewees are less likely to be accepted. (Book of Odds)

An urban tutoring program pairs elderly volunteers with young students. The rewards prove to be awesome on both ends! (Washington Examiner)

Use your degree to fight the flu! Studies show that college grads get fewer colds. (Futurity)

The Art of Walking? The Adultery Novel? Here's a list of some very strange college degrees and classes  to liven up your semester. (University of Phoenix)

Technology doesn't necessarily make everything better. On-line classes are growing in popularity across the USA, but are they a good idea? (NY Times)

Tuition-free colleges!? Even in the current  state of the economy, these schools are doing all they can to keep tuition rates non-existant. (USA Today)

Being wait-listed can be agony. Lee Beirer gives advice on some proactive steps you can take if you're still dying to get in to that one special school. (The Charlotte Observer)

Suicide rates are high among college aged students. Are college institutions to blame, or do teens merely fall in the primary age group for suicidal tendencies? (The Huffington Post)

Give your college a personality test! This cool article matches 25 personality traits with 25 different schools. Who knows, maybe you'll find your match made in heaven! (Newsweek)

College Roundup - April 5th, 2010

Something tells us they aren't talking about this type of egg donation. (Photo Credit: Evris28 via Flickr)

Hey girls! Want $35,000?! Cool, we're just gonna need three things: a 1400 on your SAT, a 3.5 GPA, and... an egg donation. Line up!  (Boston Globe)

It's tough being a man (insert grunting and flexing). Finally this "hidden" minority is getting some attention. Experts are finally having a conference about discrimination against men.  'Bout time! (Washington Post)

Hey college applicants- Ever heard of Seton Hill? You might want to look into it. This private University offers Freshman a 13 inch Mac book, plus an iPad! (Adotas)

Thinking about letting your kids get summer jobs? Noooooooooo!!! In fact, lock them in a padded cell and throw away the key. It looks like the working world can be dangerous to your teen's health.  (CBS)

Private lenders are no longer responsible for student loans. This change is meant to increase Pell grants and loan amounts, but will it lead to job loss and higher interest rates?  (OU Daily)

Who would have guessed that being tall and a fanatic of the principles of nudism can actually lead you to your college graduation day? Read here to learn about other strange college scholarships!  (Articles Base)

Seven year old aces A-Levels in the UK.  Now do you feel old? (Daily Mail)

College students want 'Our Lord' phrase off diplomas at Trinity University in TX. Apparently the name 'Trinity' didn't tip these students off as far as what type of college they enrolled in. (Fox News)

So your parent's friends are all ooo-ing and ahh-ing over your college acceptance letters hanging on the refrigerator. They look good there! And it's great that you have choices, but what exactly should your next step be? (College Connections)

Long Beach City College plans rabbit roundup because the pests are out of control. Apparently "nobunny" knows how much trouble they can cause! (LA Times)

College Roundup - March 26, 2010