SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 10 TO 12 OR COLLEGE

Are you a motivated student?  Is higher education one of your goals? And are you currently in high school (Grades 10, 11, or 12) or college?  If so, you may want to consider applying for a $1,500 award called the College JumpStart Scholarship.  Financial need is not a requirement. The deadline is October 17, 2014.

For more details, CLICK HERE

For information about Dr. Droge's helpful book COLLEGE ADMISSION: A Simple, No-Nonsense Guide To Getting In To The College Of Your Choice CLICK HERE

TOP-RANKED COLLEGES – NUMBER 1 MAY SURPRISE YOU

Forbes is a major player in ranking colleges.  At its site you can find what Forbes considers the best “private” colleges, “public” colleges, “value” colleges, “business” schools, etc.   

On its overall “top colleges” list, Stanford ranked Number 1 last year and Number 2 this year, and that comes as no surprise to anyone in the world of academics.  Stanford is a superior institution, well endowed and highly regarded in virtually every discipline, from Engineering to English Literature, from Computer Science to the Physical Sciences and Social Sciences.

But what about this year?  With Stanford slipping to Number 2, who took the top ranking?  Hint: it’s not Yale, Harvard, MIT or Princeton.

It’s Williams College, a relatively small but highly respected liberal arts college in western Massachusetts, affectionately known as one of the “Little Ivies”. 

Williams, like several colleges in the upper echelon of the list, is a relatively small school in comparison to the giant universities that usually dominate many rankings – for example, it does not have comparable enrollment statistics or endowment resources.  But it certainly is not small in terms of “student satisfaction” or “post graduate success”, two of the criteria that Forbes uses to determine its list.  Rather than focusing on how difficult it is to get admitted – as many other rankings do – Forbes looks for “ROI” – return on investment, that is, “what are students getting out of college?”

In addition to the previously mentioned criteria, Forbes also looks primarily at student debt, graduation rate, and nationally competitive awards.

Last year’s #2 school – ranking behind Stanford – was Pomona, one of the five Claremont Colleges in California.  In size and scope, many may see it as a western version of Williams.

Harvard, no stranger to a Number 1 ranking on other lists, could muster only a Number 7 this year for Forbes, up one from Number 8 in 2013. 

For a look at the complete list go to http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/list/ .  For specifics, simply click on the name of college that interests you.

And for information about Dr. Droge's helpful book, College Admission: A Simple, No-Nonsense Guide To Getting Into The College Of Your Choice, CLICK HERE.

GOOGLE SCIENCE FAIR CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE - HOW'S $50,000 FOR STARTERS?

Are you a science buff?  Are you between the ages of 13 and 18?  Would you be interested in competing for numerous, amazing prizes, such as $50,000 in scholarship funding or a trip to the Galapagos Islands?  Then you may want to consider registering for the Google Science Fair.

The Google Science Fair is an online science competition - that is, a BIG-TIME online science competition. Details for the 2015 Fair should be released soon.  In the meantime, those interested may sign up to be notified by e-mail when the Fair is launched.

Get more details and all your questions answered at this FAQ CLICK HERE

For a helpful look at the college admission process, see COLLEGE ADMISSION: A Simple, No-Nonsense Guide To Getting Into The College Of Your Choice. CLICK HERE

COLLEGE ADMISSION GUIDE

COLLEGE ADMISSION: A Simple, No-Nonsense Guide To Getting Into The College Of Your Choice by Dr. Edward Droge

For more information CLICK HERE.

$20,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS FOR VEGETARIANS

If you are a high school senior in the class of 2015 and you are a vegetarian, or simply sympathetic to the cause, you may want to consider applying for a scholarship offered by an anonymous donor and sponsored by The Vegetarian Resource Group.  One scholarship of $10,000 and two of $5,000 will be awarded.  The deadline is February 20, 2015.

For complete details, CLICK HERE.

For a more complete look at the college admission process, see COLLEGE ADMISSION: A Simple, No-Nonsense Guide To Getting Into The College Of Your Choice. CLICK HERE

PROS AND CONS OF APPLYING EARLY TO COLLEGE

Most colleges these days have an early application program, with the idea being that a student applies earlier than the “regular” deadline and gets notified of the decision earlier as well.  Usually, the “early” deadline is sometime before November 1, as opposed to late December or early January for “regular”, and the “early” notification date is months before the “regular” April 15 notification date.

Note well: Some “early” programs specify that the applicant may not apply simultaneously in an “early” format to any other college, and some also require a BINDING commitment from the applicant to attend if accepted.  Students should be sure to check with each individual college for all the exact details before applying.

Aside from the differences in deadlines and notifications, and the binding commitment for certain programs, the application process for an “early” program is virtually the same as in a “regular decision” program. 

So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of applying “early”?  Here is a quick view:

PROS

1. You will find out as early as December if you are accepted or not.  This contrasts to the usual notification date for “regular” decisions, April 15.  If you are accepted, you will not have the added nail-biting months of not knowing.  If you are not accepted, you are disappointed, but at least you know early and you may adjust the remainder of your applications accordingly.

2. You will compete with a smaller pool of candidates.

3. The “admit rate” usually is slightly higher for early admission programs.  In other words, a higher percentage of applicants will be admitted in the “early” program, as opposed to the “regular” program.  (But, does this mean your chances are better to get admitted?  It depends.  See below.)

CONS

1. If there is a binding agreement to attend if accepted, you should be absolutely confident –before you apply – that this particular college is your first choice.  If you cannot be certain that this is your number one choice, you might be wise to avoid applying early. (Of course, if it is not a binding commitment, you have much more flexibility here.)

2. You will need to get your act together sooner.  Most “early” programs have a deadline somewhere between August and November.  (Check with the college that interests you to be certain.)  That means you will have to write the essays, get the recommendations, fill out the paperwork, and provide all other requirements months before you would have to do it otherwise.

3. Though the applicant pool generally will be smaller for “early” programs, and you will be competing against fewer candidates, and the “admit rate” is higher, your particular chances to get admitted are not necessarily better.  In fact, they may be worse.  Early programs usually attract a high percentage of very strong candidates.  So, though there are fewer competing applicants, they probably will be loaded with higher than average credentials – test scores, GPA, “legacy” status, rank, recs, essays, activities, etc.  With that said, admission at most selective colleges is quite unpredictable.  There is no way to be certain who will be admitted and who will not.  Your chances will depend on the standards, needs, and wants of the college and how those standards, needs, and wants match up with who you are, how you present yourself to the committee, and what credentials you bring.

Before deciding to apply early, candidates should evaluate their own applications.  How are your grades and test scores?  Will you be presenting a compelling essay and strong recs?  Are you a “legacy”, that is, did your father or siblings or other relatives graduate from the college?  Is there anything conspicuously noteworthy about you – are you a world-class athlete, a published author, a successful entrepreneur, etc.?  Note well – superstar status is NOT required for early application, and will not guarantee admission, but, of course, the stronger your profile, the better your chances.  Should you feel that your credentials are particularly strong or weak in these or other areas, it might help make your decision clearer.

At the very least, consideration of an early application will launch you into the overall process of applying to college, and motivate you to begin pulling together the required self-evaluation, research, materials, testing, and recommendations. 

For a more complete look at the college admission process, see COLLEGE ADMISSION: A Simple, No-Nonsense Guide To Getting Into The College Of Your Choice. CLICK HERE

COLLEGE ADMISSION

COLLEGE ADMISSION: A Simple, No-Nonsense Guide To Getting Into The College Of Your Choice

For more info CLICK HERE