Another college admissions season is upon us. The casual observer can tell by the increase in college-themed editions of magazines such as Newsweek (on news stands now) and US News & World Report (upcoming), but to the admissions professional, it comes in the form of a deluge of calls with questions about everything from "Should I take the ACT/SAT again?" to "How soon can I get that application in?"
Included below is a sampling of Newsweek's wall-to-wall (some might say hyperactive and alarmist) coverage of another year in college admissions. When reading them, consider the source (Newsweek is owned by the same parent company of Kaplan test prep centers) and try not to get too wrapped up in the hype.
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Newsweek's 25 Hottest Schools by Jay Mathews - Essentially fluff and important only to the colleges mentioned
The Search for Authenticity by Bruce Poch - A leading admissions dean (Pomona) explains what colleges really want. It's all about getting the complete picture of a student without packaging by consultants (furthering the myth that all consultants are trying to airbrush clients or get them into schools "undeservedly").
I'm Counting Every Penny by Chima Nwankwo - Many of his classmates are rich (gasp!). He's not (really?). A Berkeley student from Nigeria explains how he handles the financial challenges of American education (it can be done!).
Is Your Campus Safe? by Andrew Murr - Many colleges have new security systems in place. But students and parents still need to do some detective work.
After Virginia Tech by Daniel McGinn - A tragedy showed the risk of underestimating mental-health problems. Now schools are intervening sooner (according to Newsweek).
One Family's Road Trip by Howard Fineman and Daughter Fineman - A Newsweek father and daughter find that the campus visit is a journey of discovery—about schools, life and how one generation can best guide another (this one strikes me as particularly nauseating - let me count the ways...among them, that Meredith seems not to have gained much so far from Annenberg).
The Green Campus by Anne Underwood - How to teach new respect for the environment? The 3 R's: reduce your carbon footprint, reuse and recycle (I wonder why Newsweek's circulation is down?)
