International Academic Collaboration Under Siege

When students and professors from different countries collaborate, the quality of the university scholarship improves concomitantly. Yet, many international students, particularly Chinese students, are less sure if they can complete their studies at U.S. universities, given current travel bans and changes to U.S. foreign policy.  …as President Trump’s confrontation with Beijing over trade and security makes pursuing…

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College Waitlist Leverage

Ahead of the traditional, widely accepted national enrollment deadline of May 1 for first year college students, although some colleges have extended the enrollment deadline to June 1 due to the COVID-19 health crisis, college admissions officers are already extending offers of admissions to waitlist candidates. I contacted two different admissions officers on the West…

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Mind the Gap

Malia Obama recently became a famous representative of a Millennial trend, The Gap Year.  Defined as a “year-off” between high school and starting college, most “Gap Year-ians” aren’t just loafing around, playing video games and drinking Bobo teas all day.  For a generation raised on scheduled play-dates, year-round athletics, and regimented community service activities, the…

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Texts from a College Admissions Victor

About Karli: She’s a freshman at the University of California Davis, currently studying Biology and Chemistry.  Karli is a former Creative Marbles Consultancy client; we advised her as a high school senior through the college admissions process, knowing the pressures she experienced in completing her college applications.   In response to a recent New York…

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Intern Beware

As we recently posted, internships are becoming the new entry level jobs.  Although appealing to students hungry for future jobs, given today’s challenged employment outlook, not all internships are created equal.  The line between “employee” and “unpaid intern” needs to be carefully defined by both companies and student interns, in order to create a mutually beneficial and legal…

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Tough Love

As regular readers recall, the news about stagnant American household median income is not a new story, more of an evolving story about how more American middle class families are adjusting to life with less income.  Lifestyle adjustments are just one possible shift in American households.  More often, I’m hearing parents ask questions about how…

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Student Loan Repayments May Cost More Than The Amount Borrowed

Changes to repayment rules for Federal student loans offers borrowers flexibility to manage their debts, as outlined in a recent New York Times article.  However, not only do the recent changes provide assistance for current borrowers, potential student loan borrowers can plan ahead. Our recommendations are outlined, alongside excerpts of the article in italics. Rising…

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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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Choosing Harvard: Thoughts About a “Prestigious” University

As Juniors and their families begin sizing up prospective colleges for application and weighing the value of a college’s reputation, I thought I’d share I came to be a Harvard graduate, along with thoughts about a recent New York Times article, Measuring College Prestige vs. Cost of Enrollment.  Quotes from the New York Times article will…

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Reviewing The Week In Education: March 31-April 6

Highlights in Educational and College Admissions Happenings for March 31-April 6: In College Admissions: The last of the college admissions acceptances and denials were returned to anxiously awaiting Seniors and their parents. Creative Marbles Consultancy’s Commentary: For students denied admissions, speculation about why s/he was denied has ranged from “only the Asian kids in my…

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