The College Solutions Blog

October 11, 2011

How happy are a college’s freshmen? It’s a question that any families should be asking as they evaluate schools. Ideally you want to attend a college or university where the vast majority of freshmen return for a second year. The schools that enjoy the highest freshmen retention rate are going to be the most selective institutions. This makes sense because...

September 9, 2011

What is the best way to support your college students when they head off to college? Today I’m going to share some examples of what parents can do for their children besides writing those big tuition checks.  These ideas come from the authors of The iConnected Parent: Staying Close to Your Kids in College (and Beyond) While Letting them Grow...

August 9, 2011

Today I’m sharing a YouTube video that I made when one of my son’s good friends from Beloit College came to visit this summer. I asked Ben and Max, who are sophomores, to give incoming freshmen advice about how to survive their first year at college. I’d love to hear other advice that freshmen could use. If you have any...

August 4, 2011

My son is counting down the days until he arrives back at college. He’s got 23 days to go. Ben will be a sophomore so getting ready for college isn’t going to be as big a deal as it was last year. He was lucky that his school — Beloit College — provides storage for students so he left most...

January 2, 2011

Our family ushered in the New Year last night with our annual over-the-top holiday party. I haven’t counted up how many came, but it’s got to be over 80 people. My mega pot of George’s at the Cove’s signature soup is gone and so is the Corn, Red Pepper Leek Soup. The appetizer that vanished first was the Mini Asian...

August 15, 2010

Saturday evening I said goodbye to my son Ben, who officially started his four years at Beloit College. I am grateful that the send-off was better than the one that Scott Bierman, the president of Beloit College, experienced years ago when he dropped his second daughter off at Kenyon College. As the drop-off day wore on, Bierman told a gathering...

August 11, 2010

I’m getting up before dawn tomorrow. My son Ben and I are catching a 6:45 a.m. flight to Chicago. Ben will be starting college on Saturday and he’s nervous. But hey, aren’t all college freshmen nervous? Coincidentally, I found a great blog post today, written by two college professors, who shared ways that college freshmen can increase their confidence. Here...

May 7, 2010

Don’t like where you’re heading to college in the fall? Take heart: There are still at least 240 schools with college vacancies. Most of the schools with college vacancies have room for both incoming freshmen and transfer students. All but one school on the list still has financial aid available and 236 still have dorm space. You can find the...

April 3, 2009

On a lark, I decided to attend a conference being held this week in San Diego that is focused on improving the lives of professors.  Understandably this is not a subject that worries families, who are too freaked out about paying for college. The conference, which was sponsored by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, brought together heavy-hitter speakers,...