In-State Universities Gain Favor With NJ Students

New Jersey has long been known for its “brain drain,” due to the vast number of students who head out-of-state for college.  But if recent statistics are any indication, local students are taking note of colleges and universities within the Garden State.

The most popular colleges, along with the number attending, from Hillsborough High School’s 2020 graduating class included many New Jersey institutions: Raritan Valley Community College (109), Rutgers University – New Brunswick (72), The College of New Jersey (21), Rowan University (17), Stevens Institute of Technology (8), Montclair State University (8), Ramapo College of New Jersey (6), and Drew University (6).

Those who left New Jersey tended to favor nearby state universities, including University of Delaware (15), Penn State University (9), University of Maryland (9), and University of Pittsburgh (7).

Never Too Early to Start Writing College Essay

Most high school students start their college application process by completing, online, the Common Application that is accepted by more than 900 colleges.  It requires one essay, and students can choose from a variety of topics or devise one of their own creation. 

Although the Common Application “goes live” on August 1st of each year, students can actually start working on it as early as they want as the vast majority of answers roll over onto the updated application when it changes in mid-summer. As for the 250-650 word required essay, some of the prompt options change from year to year, and some remain the same. This year, six of the seven prompts are identical to last year’s options and a new one has been added.

One of the most popular prompts states, “Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it.  If this sounds like you, please share your story.” This option allows students to write about almost anything of which they are passionate.

Universities Where Richest Grads Earned Degrees

The research firm Wealth-X identifies, each year, the universities with the highest number of “ultra high net worth” (UHNW) alumni.  To be included in that prestigious category, an individual must have a net worth greater than $30 million.

Of the twenty universities, worldwide, with the most UHNW alumni, 17 are in the United States.  The three complementing the list are University of Cambridge (ranked #7) and University of Oxford (#13), both in the United Kingdom, and INSEAD (#19), with locations in France, Singapore, Abu Dhabi and San Francisco.

To consider the information in context, it’s important to note that children from the world’s wealthiest families often enroll in the most prestigious universities. Also important to consider is that institutions are included on this list regardless of whether their alumni attended as undergraduate or graduate students.

Are Advanced Placement Courses Really Necessary?

Some 2.7 million students just finished taking 4.8 million Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to The Washington Post.  These three-hour exams, offered in May of each year, mark the culmination of college-level courses offered to high school students. Currently, there are 38 AP courses in the Arts, English, History & Social Science, Math & Computer Science, Science, and World Languages & Cultures, although not all are offered at every high school. The curriculum for each of these courses is written by The College Board – the same folks who bring you the SAT exam.  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. 

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 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, which indicate an ability to successfully complete college-level work, are viewed most favorably by college admission staff.