The Big Picture on College Admissions As Seen Through the Eyes of Stanford's Admissions Director

Richard H. Shaw explains that while many students and parents will not get the news they want this week, a rejection letter should not act as a hurdle to future success.

More: LA Times

Princeton Leads In Grade Deflation

"Since Princeton took the lead among Ivy League schools to formally adopt a grade-deflation policy three years ago — limiting A's to an average 35% across departments — students say the pressure to score the scarcer A has intensified. Students say they now eye competitive classmates warily and shy away from classes perceived as difficult." More...

-By Laura Bruno, USA TODAY

Ivy League Increases: Yale Raises Annual Cost 4.5%, Following Other Ivies

"Yale University, the world's second- wealthiest school, will raise thecost of undergraduate tuition, fees and room and board 4.5 percent,almost twice the current rate of inflation." More...

By Matthew Keenan, Bloomberg.com

ACT and SAT Test-Takers By State

Ever wonder where the SAT and ACT are most popular or how many of your peers are taking one test or another? Below is a listing of the percentages of students who take each test in each state in both 2001 and 2006.

SAT ACT 2001 2006 2001 2006 Alabama 9 9 69 79 Alaska 51 51 34 25 Arizona 34 32 28 18 Arkansas 6 5 75 75 California 51 49 12 14 Colorado 31 26 62 100 Connecticut 82 84 4 12 Delaware 67 73 4 5 D.C. 56 78 26 30 Florida 54 65 40 45 Georgia 63 70 19 30 Hawaii 52 60 19 17 Idaho 17 19 59 57 Illinois 12 9 71 100 Indiana 60 62 20 20 Iowa 5 4 67 65 Kansas 9 8 78 75 Kentucky 12 11 72 76 Louisiana 7 6 80 74 Maine 69 73 6 10 Maryland 65 70 11 12 Massachusetts 79 85 8 13 Michigan 11 10 69 67 Minnesota 9 10 66 67 Mississippi 4 4 89 93 Missouri 8 7 70 70 Montana 23 28 55 57 Nebraska 8 7 74 76 Nevada 33 40 39 27 New Hampshire 72 82 7 12 New Jersey 81 82 4 8 New Mexico 13 13 64 60 New York 77 88 14 17 North Carolina 65 71 13 14 North Dakota 4 4 80 80 Ohio 26 28 63 66 Oklahoma 8 7 71 72 Oregon 55 55 11 13 Pennsylvania 71 74 8 9 Rhode Island 71 69 5 8 South Carolina 57 62 28 39 South Dakota 4 4 70 75 Tennessee 13 15 79 93 Texas 53 52 33 29 Utah 5 7 69 69 Vermont 69 67 9 19 Virginia 68 73 10 15 Washington 53 54 17 15 West Virginia 18 20 61 64 Wisconsin 6 6 68 68 Wyoming 11 10 64 71 Source: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education; College Board, ACT