Early Admissions

A new report found that many students who apply early for college end up regretting their college choice. “Many young people are being pressured to making college choices before they are developmentally ready,” Michigan State University sociologist Barbara Schneider, author of the report, told USA Today.

Schneider’s case “has yet to be made empirically,” but her research suggests that “students who make these choices very early, without having opportunities to explore other options, (in their 20s) report some dissatisfaction with their college choices and lives.”

David Hawkins, of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), told USA Today that this finding supports some members’ concerns that students are being rushed to make college decisions. A 2005 NACAC survey found 25 percent of responding colleges accept some applicants before they start their senior year. Some recruiters wave application fees or offer priority housing to students who apply as juniors.

NACAC now bars colleges from admitting students until after they get a junior year transcript. Harvard, Stanford and other selective schools have ended binding early admissions policies.

Top College Prep Blog Intro…

Top College Prep:

I was running a web site in which I tried to gather and share information on college admission.  Before turning my web site into a blog, it was a site where I wrote my ideas and opinions on education and preparation for college.  I decided to turn the web site into a blog (well, a blog is a web site after all, but you know what I mean) so that more people can contribute and share ideas.

I am a father of 2 boys.  The older one is in high school, and the younger in middle school.  I have been reading books and websites on college admission, hoping that I can help my own children through the process.  Many people say that today’s college admission is totally different from how it was 30 years ago.  I agree.  I was watching a program (could be local news) and there was a lady in her 40’s helping high school students prepare for SAT.  She said that she probably won’t make it to Stanford now with the GPA, SAT scores and whatever she had back then, although she was successful 25 or 30 years ago.  At any rate, it is difficult for anyone to get into the college of his/her choice.

What I plan to with this blog is to gather and share information on college admission, SAT prep, advice on extracurricular activities and so on.  Also, I hope to discuss various issues surrounding education in the US and raising strong and well rounded children.  I hope to have many quest bloggers and contributors and make this blog meaningful anyone who is interested in education.