College Internships are the Key to Job Offers

The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) reports that nearly 80% of its business students complete at least one internship or cooperative experience (paid, for credit work temporarily replacing classes) during their college days.  The college attributes this, in part, to the reason that more than half of its business students have one or more job offers in hand by the time they graduate. The companies with which TCNJ students launch their careers include: Bloomberg L.P., Citibank, Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, Johnson & Johnson, Madison Square Garden, Target, Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) Morgan Stanley, NBC Universal, Tiffany & Co. and Trenton Thunder.

Of course, TCNJ is not the only college that recognizes the importance of internships. According to a survey conducted by U.S. News, the average proportion of graduating seniors nationwide with internship experience hovers around 42 percent.  But the numbers vary dramatically among colleges. Some schools reported more than 95 percent of graduating seniors had internship experience; some reported less than five percent did.

Should High School Students have a LinkedIn?

Do college admission officers look up the social media accounts of their applicants when deciding whom to accept and whom to reject?  Some do and some don’t, but according to a recent article on “U.S. News.com,” a substantial number of colleges and universities pay attention to what applicants have posted on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. In fact, statistics from a recent study indicate that 35% of college admission officers in the U.S. have reported looking at the social media accounts of their prospective students to learn more about them.  According to the study, they believe that  “social media can provide a more authentic and holistic view of applicants beyond the polished applications.”

College-bound students, therefore, should be very careful of the images they are projecting of themselves on social media sites.  Among the type of posts that admission officers view negatively are those of students brandishing weapons and those where students use obscene language.  After all, the job of college admission officers is to identify students who will not only succeed academically, but will also reflect positively on their institution.

5 Strategies to Stand Out on Your College Applications

When college admission officers are deciding whom to accept (or reject) from their school, there are certain criteria they are keeping in mind while evaluating stacks of applications.

1) What special talent will the applicant bring to the college campus?  The student body, at most colleges, consists of thousands of students.  What a college typically needs is not thousands of well-rounded students, but thousands of students who each have a talent that contributes to an accomplished student body.  The more unique the talent that an applicant highlights on his/her application, the more attention it will likely garner from the admission staff.  While colleges typically have many applicants eager to play football, basketball or soccer, there are many fewer applicants featuring talent in synchronized ice skating, fencing, women’s golf or men’s gymnastics.

One Stop Shopping for 350+ Colleges Worldwide

Where should students start the information gathering process in their search to find the perfect college? The answer may be very close to home. 

Hillsborough High School is hosting its 13th annual College Fair this Monday, April 16th, from 6:30- 8:00 pm.  Representatives from more than 60 colleges and universities, mostly in the NY/NJ/PA area, will be hosting tables filled with materials and will be available to answer individual questions on any college-related topic. All local and neighboring high school students and parents are welcome to attend.

Are AP Courses Really Necessary?

Advanced Placement (AP) courses are college-level courses, with the curriculum written by The College Board – the same folks who bring you the SAT exam – and offered to high school students. AP courses are offered in 36 subjects in the Arts, English, History & Social Science, Math & Computer Science, Science, and World Languages & Cultures.  AP exams are offered each May and students who score 3 or higher (on a scale of 1 to 5) are offered college credits by many of the nation’s colleges and universities.  Last May, more than a million students nationwide took close to 4 million AP exams.

Parents and students often ask, “Are AP courses really necessary?”  The answer is both yes and no – depending on the student’s ambitions and college goals.  When students apply to college, they are basically in competition with their peers.  Most colleges want a geographically well-rounded student body. So college admissions officers will compare all of their applicants from the same high school and favor those with the most impressive academic record based on SAT scores, GPA, and competitive course load.  While there is no college in the country that outwardly states a requirement for AP courses, students are well aware that these higher-level courses, that indicate an ability to successfully complete college level work, are viewed most favorably by college admission staff.