“Full time” employment may not come from only ONE job for college grads. The Los Angeles Times provides more details on the “part-time” and temporary jobs growth. Cartoon Credit: http://www.intoon.com/cartoons.cfm/id/125005
Tag: College admissions
College Costs: Myth vs. Reality
A tongue-in-cheek look at rising college costs, yet gives another incentive for college bound teens to think thoroughly about their college choices.
Common App Essays Part 2: How to Write College Essays
Knowing what the college essay adds to a college application, as we discussed in the first podcast of our Common Application essay series, is only the first step in developing a competitive personal statement. The following podcast advises Seniors how to actually write the autobiographical college essay, and addresses common challenges in the drafting process. The college…
Paying for College vs. Saving for Retirement, Round 1
Worries about paying for rising college costs can be compounded by concerns over saving for retirement. As seen in the chart below, with average retirement savings of people aged 45-54, the general age range of parents with college-aged children, at $10,100, can explain parents’ concerns. The Baby Boomer group just ahead in age (55-64)…
The A B C’s of the New Common Application Essays
College essays that add value to the application explain the meaning of the applicant’s life experiences and give insight to the applicant’s personality. Being able to craft that content, while in the middle of the fall semester of Senior year, and fit their 17 years of life into 500 words or less can be a…
Part 2: Learning May Not Be Simple–The Student’s Perspective
In Part One of our “Learning May Not Be Simple” series, we discussed the complexities of presenting new information in an average classroom, as well as how a teacher’s management of the class can influence the learning process. The following highlights the student’s perspective and the complications of understanding new information, particularly for high school…
Moving Away to College May Be More Complicated Than Expected
Move-in day is looming for soon-to-be college freshmen all over the country. What to pack, what to leave at home, saying good-bye to close friends, concerns about an unknown roommate(s), signing up for the “right” classes at a brand-new school, and moving out of a childhood home can make for a bittersweet time. On the…
Social Media & College Life
Anonymous Facebook pages, known as “Confessions” pages are allowing college students to post whatever they want about their campus life–unedited–which can be both cathartic and mean-spirited, stoking fears about cyber-bullying. After a quick survey (very quick), the pages read like old fashioned bathroom stall graffiti–only forever preserved in bits and pixels. Like bathroom stall graffti,…
“But, I’ll Be Bragging…” And Other Perils of Writing College Essays
Mention the words “college essays” to any soon-to-be high school Senior, and watch their faces contort. Although expected, the autobiographical college essay that’s included in college applications can provoke a unique stress, as few 17 year olds are: A) used to promoting their qualities and qualities, and B), has thought in detail about big questions,…
Guest Post: Life at A Large Public University…Reality vs. Myth
In contrast to a university with a small student population, which another former Creative Marbles client shared in a guest post last spring, life at a large, public, flagship university brings its own benefits and disadvantages. Sasha and Suzanna, two more past Creative Marbles Consultancy clients, now rising college juniors, share their experiences at…
Location, Location, Location: More Tips for Choosing Colleges
College bound students are choosing a new home, as much as they are choosing a new school. Often, students we advise want to move to Southern California–one, because its further away from home (since we’re Northern California) than the San Francisco Bay Area, yet still in their home state, and two, for the beaches and temperate…
Finding A College Can Feel Like Searching for a Needle in the Haystack
But, in reality, the student is the needle. No, that’s not some obscure Master-Yoda-Jedi-training-mind-trick. What it means is that the more that college bound student, knows about himself/herself (i.e. interests, vision, goals–career and otherwise), then the narrower the field of possible colleges for both application and enrollment becomes. Plus, the six figure price tag of…
Student Loan Interest Rate Relief In Sight
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to lower Federal student loan interest rates to 3.9% from 6.8% for the upcoming 2013-14 school year–following the U.S. Senate’s passage of the same bill last week. The rate reduction would mean a savings of $944.44 in interest over the life of the loan, for first year college…
Choosing Extra-curricular Activities When There’s No Magic Formula for College Admissions
Unfortunately for college applicants, there is no magic, straightforward formula for earning an acceptance in the college admissions process. Since the evaluation for college admissions is completed by human beings, about other human beings, in an environment with yearly increasing numbers of applicants who excel and exceed the requirements for admissions, subjectivity in decision making…
1140% = Increase In College Tuition Since 1978
Another chart showing college tuition is increasing at a steepening rate: And is causing families to spend a greater portion of the family budget to pay for college expenses, thus making college “more expensive”: (If unable to view chart, click)