The College Solutions Blog

December 27, 2009

Which universities spend more on sports than classroom instruction?  In my latest college blog post for CBSMoneyWatch, I shared the list of the Division 1-A schools that spend the greatest percentage of its revenue on sports. On the list, you’ll find the top 10 college sports cash hogs, as well as the 10 schools that spend the smallest percentage of...

December 24, 2009

Want to take your mind off college for the holidays? I don’t blame you. Here’s my suggestion to do just that. Sit back and listen to some fascinating lectures from some of the most intriguing people on the planet. You can find countless lectures by visiting the website of TED, a nonprofit which originally got its name by bringing together...

December 17, 2009

Want to know what college admission officers are really thinking? The Wall Street Journal and Unigo managed to get admission deans from eight prestigious schools, including Bryn Mawr College, Grinnell College,  Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania and Weslyan University to parpticipate in a panel discussion that touched on many issues that are relevant to collegebound teenagers. You can watch the...

December 16, 2009

My daughter Caitlin arrived home last night after studying abroad for the semester at the University of Barcelona. I am thrilled to have her home and I know it’s going to be very hard for me when she flies back to Spain at the end of January. As I discovered, a study abroad program can be a life-changing experience, but...

December 8, 2009

Graduation rates at most universities is a disgrace.  Fewer than 60% of  college  students graduate in six years. Many of the rest never do earn  a bachelor’s degree. I’ve written about low graduation rates many times (see links below) and it’s always struck me as unfair that so many educators blame this tragedy solely on the students. That’s why I...

December 4, 2009

Here’s my advice for the day:  Cut the apron strings. I have run into so many parents with talented teenagers who want their kids to stay close to home when they start college. By insisting on this, they severely limit their teenagers’ college choices. I ran into one of these mom’s today at the dentist office when I was getting...

December 2, 2009

Thousands of California high school seniors are panicking right now because they’re worried that they won’t be attending a California State University campus in the fall. The Cal State system happens to be the largest in the country. In fact, the number of students attending the 23 Cal State campuses exceeds the number of people living in Kansas City or...

November 30, 2009

With the economy in the toilet, more students think they need to major in something practical, which is one reason why business is the most popular college major. Many students also believe they need to declare their college major before they ever step foot on their campuses. Actually, more and more universities are requiring that their students select a major...

November 23, 2009

The job news is grim for soon-to-be graduating college students. Employers, according to The National Association of Colleges and Employers are expected to hire 7% fewer graduates of the Class of 2010 than they did with the last batch. With this shrunken pool of college graduate jobs, how can soon-to-be graduates get ahead in this jobless recovery? Here are seven...

November 19, 2009

Are high school students ready for college? Many of them aren’t. According to ACT Inc., only 23% of recent high school graduates, who took the ACT test, were prepared for college. When the ACT examined its latest crop of statistics, the test maker concluded that less than one in four high school graduates was academically prepared in these four key...