Although beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, there are some college campuses that are universally considered to be among the most attractive in the country. Princeton University in Central New Jersey, the fourth oldest university in the country, is typically on every list of stunning college campuses due in part to its Gothic architecture.
Parents walk a fine line when it comes to their children and college applications. Getting too involved will earn the title of “helicopter parent,” and give your child the impression that you doubt his/her abilities. Leaving everything to the student and hoping for the best – well that’s quite risky! There are ways parents can help, as well as common mistakes they should seek to avoid.
Avoid overestimating your child’s chances of admission. Utilize Naviance, which provides data on the GPA and SAT scores of students from your child’s high school who previously applied to a particular college, as well as the outcome of their application: accepted, rejected, or waitlisted. Your child is in competition with peers from the same high school, so the writing is pretty much on the wall as to whether or not your child has a solid chance of gaining acceptance to any particular school.
Avoid pushing your child to apply to a long list of schools. Many colleges require several supplemental essays, particularly for admission to the honors program. Penn State, for example, requires two long essays (up to 800 words) and eight short essays (up to 200 words) of applicants to its Schreyer Honors College. This can quickly become an overwhelming task. Help your child identify “best fit” colleges where they would be excited to attend (and likely to gain admission) and let them focus on submitting a limited number of strong applications.
October is crunch time for college-bound students who want to reap the benefits of meeting early application deadlines.
There’s a gamut of popular colleges that offer November 1st as an Early Action deadline. If students submit their applications by this date, colleges will get back to them early – frequently by the winter holidays. A great way to relieve the stress of the college application process is to get accepted to colleges early and enjoy the rest of senior year, while maintaining grades, of course.
Universities in the tri-state area, popular with New Jersey students, that offer Early Action include NYU, Fordham, St. John’s, Pace, Marist, Hofstra, Rutgers, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Seton Hall, Montclair State, Monmouth, Penn State, Drexel, Temple, Villanova, Duquesne, St. Joseph’s, and University of Scranton.
Popular out-of-state schools offering Early Action include Northeastern, University of Massachusetts – Amherst, University of Connecticut, Fairfield, Ohio State, Case Western, University of Delaware, University of Maryland, University of Virginia
UNC – Chapel Hill, University of South Carolina, Georgia Tech, and University of Miami.
When compiling a list of potential colleges, it’s ideal when students know themselves: what gives them joy and what they’re dreaming of for the future.
When high school students have a plan for their career, the search for the ideal college becomes so much easier. That perfect school is not necessarily the one that everyone, worldwide, is familiar with. It’s one with a strong program in a student’s field of interest.
Students seeking a career in the lucrative field of Petroleum Engineering, for example, may want to head to Texas where Texas A & M and University of Texas at Austin top the rankings. Those enticed by the field of Aerospace Engineering should consider Georgia Tech, Purdue University in Indiana, and Embry-Riddle in Florida.
Future business tycoons should also seek their niche. Those passionate about International Business would do well to consider University of South Carolina and Florida International University. Those seeking a career in Supply Chain Management would secure a top education at Michigan State, Arizona State, or University of Tennessee.
