Salary: Only One Measure of A College’s Worth

“To get a good job,” is an oft heard reason why a student is headed to college, usually stated while their parents nod vigorously in the background.  A recent New York Times article–New Metric for Colleges: Graduates’ Salaries–discusses the merits of using a college graduate’s average earnings as a measure of a campus’ value, which…

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Common Application Essays Part 3: Defining Prompt 1

Generally, college admissions officers are seeking greater insight and knowledge of the student from the college essay. Our most recent podcast defining the first essay question of the new Common Application essays (which is listed below) can help Seniors begin uncovering the meaning or significance of their life experience in drafting their college essays. Some…

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More College Admissions 101

Additional insights to answer the complex questions Hewlett Packard employees asked during our second College Admissions and Financial Aid Brown Bag Lunch, since we were limited in our discussion time last week.  Each topic is bolded, with the details listed below: College Application Essays The autobiographical college application essays are a meaningful part of any…

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Private Universities May Not Cost More Than A Public University, In the Final Analysis

Dismissing a college based only on cost, as many families tend to do when considering private universities, may overlook a valuable choice for an individual student.  The following podcast discusses how to “value” a public university in relation to a private university, as well as offers tips for planning for future college expenses. For more…

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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…

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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,…

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“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,…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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