College Admissions

There's a lot of money out there for African American students. Here's just a few of the many scholarships I found that available to African American students...

First-time freshman applicants must meet CSU Admission requirements, and are required to take the SAT Reasoning Test or ACT, regardless of GPA.  You must complete your testing by the December prior to your enrollment.

While some 98 percent of Hispanic high school students say they’d like to attend college, according to a new study, only 25 percent of Hispanics are currently enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report.

Here are some of the most common mistakes students make, and why you should avoid them.

by Kathryn Knight, Admissions.com Staff Writer

Advanced Placements (AP) tests can garner you college credits before you've even enrolled (that's why they're called "advanced" placement).  The tests measure what you learned in AP courses, although you don't have to take an AP course to take an AP exam. (But remember that admissions officers do look at your curriculum, and AP courses are often considered more challenging -- and that's a good thing.)

by Kathryn Knight

College application deadlines are approaching for many schools.  Are all parts for your applications in?  Or are you still getting phone call reminders from Admissions Officers?

You might have noticed that more and more people in the U.S. are taking a year "off" between high school and college -- a gap year. Is this because of the economic crisis? Or are some students just heading to Europe or Asia to party for a year before college starts in earnest?

Not really. Well, not always. Students in Europe and in other countries have been taking gap years since at least the 1960s. In Australia, the UK, Japan, and elsewhere the focus of gap years (or "working holidays") is on work, and students and young adults take advantage of reciprocal working visa programs.

How important IS class rank for college admissions? Students (and parents) at very competitive high schools -- the kind that require a 3.89 GPA to be in the top 10 percent -- question the usefulness of class rank as a good measure of ability.

by Kathryn Knight, Admissions.com Staff Writer

If you’re considering transferring, it’s beneficial to give the idea a lot of thought. The process can be timely and oftentimes emotional. Consider why you’re transferring, plan the process, and learn what to expect.

It can be daunting for a student to become the first person in their immediate family to attend a college. Without help from family members, they might not know where to begin the college planning process, much less know what to expect once they get to college. The following information should give you and your student a better understanding of the navigating the college experience and help ease your student’s anxiety of being a first generation college student.

While some students’ eyes may glaze over when their parents recall their college days, these students have an advantage. First-generation college students who are the first in their immediate family to attend college face a unique set of challenges. Without guidance from a parent who experienced college, first-generation students are at a disadvantage.
According to a report by the Institute for Higher Education Policy, first-generation students who enroll in post secondary institutions have lower degree completion rates. While 56 percent of students whose parents have a bachelor’s degree attain a degree within five years of enrolling, only 44 percent of first-generation college students earn a degree.