Massachusetts, New Hampshire Tours Fall 08

Recently I returned from 12 days of visiting schools in New England. What a beautiful time of the year to enjoy the colorful display of leaves.

In Massachusetts I visited Simon's Rock and Williams College. I also visited Miss Hall's and The Buxton School, two wonderful boarding schools. All of these institutions offer some very unique learning environments.

In New Hampshire I saw 12 state and private colleges and universities. I will give a very brief description of each. For more detailed information visit the New Hampshire College andUniversity Council website www.visitnewhampshirecolleges.org.

Chester College offers the unique combination of art plus writing. They do not require the SAT, but they do require an interview and portfolio.

Plymouth State University has a meteorology major. Originally a teachers' college, they still have a strong education program.

University of New Hampshire only accepts the Common Application. They have 100 majors to select from.

Southern New Hampshire University is a private school. Their culinary/hospitality school offers an award-winning restaurant.

Rivier College has a strong nursing program. They also have an early childhood center that usually has a waiting list.

Daniel Webster College is the place to go if you are interested in being a pilot or air traffic controller. They also offer a major in homeland security.

Saint Anselm College requires all graduates to take a foreign language component. They house the New Hampshire Institute of Politics.

New England College is a good choice for a B student. Home schooled students also do well at this school.

Colby-Sawyer has a Progressive Scholar Program for underserved populations. No foreign language is required for graduation.

Dartmouth College has its unique Dartmouth Plan, which gives students a great amount of flexibility in completing their academic requirements in conjunction with travel abroad, internships, and other life experiences. Only the high academics need apply. Over 20% of the freshmen class are high school valedictorians.

Franklin Peirce University is a lovely campus set near Mt. Monadnock. There are wonderful opportunities for those interested in physical therapy. They offer strong programs in theater arts, music and the sciences.

Keene State College originally was a teachers' college. Their campus houses the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Their dorms have a number of living/learning communities.

New Hampshire offers a wide variety of higher education institutes of learning.

Time Sensitive--November 12, 2008 Event

Register to participate in the largest online college fair. Be sure to register in time to take advantage of this new, innovative resource.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/CollegeWeekLive/RatingsPanel/prweb1543854.htm

College Essays

This article provides a list of hints regarding what to do and what not to do when creating your college essay.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/225/story/275581.html

The New Paperless Application

More and more colleges prefer paperless applications. There are resources on the internet that will help make this process smoother. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/225/story/233565.html

What to Ask College Representatives

When college representatives visit your high school, take advantage of this opportunity. This article gives suggestions on what types of questions to ask. http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/502431.html

College Visits

Oftentimes college visits are the glue which can make a family come undone. Parents and students are not always looking for the same thing when visiting a college campus.

http://www.centredaily.com/living/story/870946.html

Financial Aid Advice for Parents

This link reinforces the idea that it is never too early for parents to start doing their financial aid homework.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/lifestyle/381045_consumer30.html

College Fair Series

There are three articles with this link that will give you valuable tips on college fairs.

http://www.examiner.com/x-472-Baltimore-College-Prep-Examiner~y2008m9d30-Making-the-Most-of-a-College-Fair-Part-1

College Fair

Is it ever too early to attend a college fair?

http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=31&a=364079

College Resources

In the midst of the college search process? This article recommends several resources that are relevant to various parts of this process.

http://www.examiner.com/x-766-College-Admissions-Examiner~y2008m10d1-Best-Resources-for-College-Admissions-Information

The SAT Controversy

Here is another article related to the question of the relevance of the SAT.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/education/22admissions.html?_r=4&ref=3D=&oref=slogin#

Scholarship Search

Are you looking for scholarships? Here is a list of time-proven techniques for that search.

http://www.theolympian.com/education/story/594384.html

Colleges for Students with Special Needs

This article will give you a good introduction of what colleges are offering for students with special learning needs.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/college/bal-college0922,0,1889295.story

The Green College Fair

Want to know more about a school, but you can't go to a college fair? Check out the information for the virtual college fair that will be happening in November. The list of schools continues to grow.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/collegeweeklive/NACAC/prweb1385784.htm

A New College Tool

Monster has launched a site that will assist in the college admissions process. Included in this article is a list of important web site related to the college search.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/monster-launches-admissionscom-help-students/story.aspx?guid=%7B4E30226D-9A93-4221-9702-2B58BB9ADB46%7D&dist=hppr

To SAT Or Not

With the recent meeting of NACAC, the importance of the SAT in the admissions process, once again has become a question as to its importance.

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/college-rankings-blog/2008/09/22/about-that-nacac-report-on-the-sat.html

Personal Statment

Many college essays are now called a personal statement. This link will give you some hints as to what you might want to include in your personal statement. http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2008/09/14/college_application_essay_should_reveal_your_character/

How Many Activities Should You Participate In?

The college admissions officers are now creating a well-rounded class. A well-rounded student does not necessarily fit in with this concept. http://www.examiner.com/x-766-College-Admissions-Examiner~y2008m9d15-The-Myth-of-the-WellRounded-Student

Your Personal Information May Be Read

Beware what you post to your MySpace or Facebook. Some college admissions officers do look at them. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122170459104151023.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

College Applications

Read this link to get some good information regarding the do's and don't of completing your college applications--http://www.collegeview.com/articles/CV/counselors/polish-your-application.html

SAT/ACT Tests

Just how important are the test scores when it comes to college admission? Read the following to get some insight into their importance--http://www.collegeview.com/articles/CV/application/sat_act_scores.html