IQx.com – Colleges Information Online

Tag: school

  • Going to College Reminder(s)

    You have already been accepted to a college and have decided to attend that college. There are three main points that you must remember.

    1st – Contact your roommate.

    That first conversation is very essential for getting to know each other. It builds your relationship as roommates, and for figuring out who is going to be bringing what. A good roommate can make your life amazing, but on the opposite, an ill suited roommate could make your life miserable.

    2nd – Have everything you need purchased and packed.

    Knowing what to bring is just as important as knowing what not to bring. Obtaining the correct book(s) is important as well as what type(s) of computer(s) you may want, and that they/it is convenient.

    3rd – Make sure you understand your financial situation.

    The last thing you want to have happen is for money and budget to get in the way of your academic progress. Make sure your finances are in order — and that you understand all you need to do while you’re in school.

  • College Pressure

    “Pomona College banned two pro-life students from campus last week after they videotaped the question-and-answer session during a Planned Parenthood representative’s talk and asked the representative tough questions about recent Planned Parenthood scandals.

    However, Pomona rescinded its ban this week after facing strong opposition from students, faculty, and alumni. The pro-life students, David Daleiden, 20, and Kyle Kinneberg, 21, are members of the youth-led right-to-life advocacy group Live Action.

    Daleiden and Kinneberg both attend Claremont McKenna College, part of the Claremont College Consortium together with Pomona and three other undergraduate institutions. A hand-delivered letter from Pomona’s Dean of Women Marcelle Holmes notified the students of the ban, claiming their videotaping had been “against college policy.” But Daleiden, President of Live Action’s Claremont chapter and Director of Research for the national organization, said Pomona never produced the specific policy they said his group had violated, and that he and Kinneberg were denied their due process rights under the Claremont Colleges’ Policy on Demonstrations.

    “When alumni found out about this Orwellian situation, they were outraged,” explained Daleiden. “Pomona accused us of conspiring to ‘disrupt the proceedings, intimidate participants, and chill the free exchange of ideas,’” Daleiden said. “But nothing could be farther from the truth. We were entirely respectful when we asked our questions-as our video shows.”

    The videotaping in question took place on February 19, during a presentation by Serena Josel, public affairs manager for Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles (PPLA). Administrators told Daleiden that after the event, PPLA contacted Pomona College about his conduct. Daleiden notes that PPLA has extensive ties to Pomona, which regularly promotes internships and raises money for the abortion provider.

    “It’s understandable that Planned Parenthood’s Serena Josel was angry at us for our recording-she made several spurious and even contradictory arguments defending Planned Parenthood’s lack of accountability for mandatory child abuse reporting,” Daleiden continued. “But campus disciplinary procedures should never be used as a tool for political retribution.”

    “We are grateful to the Claremont McKenna alumni and administration who reacted quickly to correct this abuse,” Kinneberg added. “This is not the first time pro-lifers have been persecuted for questioning Planned Parenthood, but victories like this should inspire us never to be afraid to stand up for the truth.” ”

    Taken from LifeSiteNews.

  • How will schools help fund families?

    How exactly do all the schools start to help poor families, or even middle class?

    Harvard took the lead. Two years ago, Harvard implemented a policy in which students whose parents earn a $60,000 or less no longer pay for tuition or room and board. Stanford has just adopted the same policy, adding that students whose parents earn $100,000 must only pay room and board. Stanford Financial Aid has not provided a formula for evaluating aid for students who come from families with income over $100,000.

    Princeton has taken a similar approach in which it evaluates aid on a case by case basis rather than the more formulaic sliding scales that Yale and Harvard have decided to use. At Stanford and Princeton, students in the income bracket range between $60,000-100,000 can expect to pay $11,000 or less, approximately the cost of room and board.

    But at Harvard and Yale, students in the income range $60,000-120,000 can expect only to pay on a sliding scale between 1 and 10% of their income ($600-12,000), which is significantly less than students at Stanford. Students at Harvard and Yale from income brackets between $120,000 and $180,000 can expect to pay between $12,000-18,000. Cooper has refused to make comparisons between higher income students at Stanford and Harvard, saying she does not want to mislead them about their potential aid package. She cautioned that aid will be evaluated on an individual basis with a number of factors including home equity, other siblings in college, and cost of living taken into account.

    The new financial aid policy isolates the upper-middle class. Universities are increasing tuition fees for students who do not receive financial aid. It is called “Take from the Rich and Give to the Poor”. While the financial aid policies have made it less expensive than some state schools for students from households less than $100,000, colleges generally remains much more expensive for students from households with income well over $100,000. State schools also usually offer merit aid, which can often significantly decrease the expense for top students.

  • College Myths (Second)

    This is second of the IQx college myth list.

    IQx Myth #6 – If a student hasn’t heard of a college or university, it can’t be a good one.
    A student may not hear about many of the world’s most prestigious colleges until he/she is in his/her senior year of high school. Most universities that are broadcasted nationwide are displayed through sports. However, many of the best colleges may not be amazing at athletics and don’t get the chance to get extremely well known. Look at colleges for their merits, not for their name.

    IQx Myth #7 – A student should decide on his/her career before he/she can choose a university.
    In most colleges, a student can choose his/her major in his/her sophomore year and still complete the degree in four years. A surprising number of students discover their ideal field while taking a course they didn’t expect to like. Take the time to decide.

    IQx Myth #8 – The best time to visit colleges is after the student has been admitted.
    This is absolutely vital to the student’s happiness in his/her college. Students should visit every school that they want to attend before applying. This will determine whether they enjoy the campus and general feel of the particular university. Many students have visited after they were accepted and found that none of the colleges were ones that they would fit into.

    IQx Myth #9 – Large universities have greater ethnic diversity.
    If the value of diversity is to learn to understand and appreciate other cultures and groups, then small colleges often offer greater diversity. However, the ratios of the different ethnic groups are generally within 1-2% from college to college.

    IQx Myth #10 – Only the highest achieving students receive financial aid from colleges.
    Many students are accepted to a college, but they need financial aid. Although another student may have a better transcript, financial aid is generally saved for those who need it. There are more need based scholarships than academic or athletic based scholarships.

  • College Myths (First)

    There are many college myths that come up when a student is choosing which college he/she wants to go to. This is first of the IQx college myth list.

    IQx Myth #1 – Standardized tests, such as ACT, PSAT and SAT, are a lot more important than high school grades.
    Grades demonstrate a student’s drive to learn. Universities are aware that a student’s performance in high school is a much better predictor of college success than any standardized tests. However, this does not mean that universities will throw away a student’s test scores. If a student’s scores and grades differ immensely, then the admissions officers will examine the application into more depth.

    IQx Myth #2 – A student should go to the most prestigious college that he/she is admitted to.
    A student should not go to a college simply for “the name” or because it ranks number two in the nation. A student should go to the school that he/she personally likes the most. This includes liking the college campus, food, environment, etc. If the student goes to the most elite university but hates everything about it, he/she will not fit in and feel miserable the whole time.

    IQx Myth #3 – It is better to get good grades than take challenging courses.
    Undertaking challenging classes projects to colleges that the student can handle challenging courses very similar to that of a college class. Getting a 4.0 in the minimum required classes in the high school does not display any bit of hard work or ambition.

    IQx Myth #4 – Colleges need a certain amount of students, so it is easier to get accepted.
    Selective private colleges and most state universities get way more qualified applicants than they can possibly accept. While some colleges may have difficulty finding students, many would rather admit fewer students than admit unqualified students. Each year, there are only about 20-30 universities in the United States that accept every applicant.

    IQx Myth #5 – If a student did poorly in 9th & 10th grade he/she has a low chance of being admitted to a selective college.
    One attribute universities look for in applicants is improvement. When they see a jump of work ethic, they may consider letting the 9th and 10th grade grades slide a bit. The improvement must be over time though, and one semester of change will not affect anything.

  • Higher Education Areas

    In higher education, which is a level of education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, community colleges, liberal arts colleges, institutes of technology and other collegiate level institutions that award academic degrees or professional certifications, there are several main areas.

    Liberal Arts:

    • Great Books Program

    • History

    • Languages

    • Law

    • Literature

    • Philosophy

    • Religious studies

    Performing Arts:

    • Circus schools

    • College or university school of music

    • Dance school

    • Drama school

    • Music education

    Plastic or Visual Arts:

    • Film school

    • List of art schools

    • List of art schools in Europe

    • List of international architecture schools

    Professional:

    • Business school

    • Dental school

    • Journalism school

    • Law school

    • Library school

    • Medical school

    • Public policy school

    • Veterinary school

  • School Funding

    A lot of universities are struggling with endowments that are now underwater. If the current financial downturn continues, the problem will only get worse. Most states adopted a uniform law that prohibits withdrawing money from endowments that fall below their “historic dollar value” — the money given to create the endowment, plus any later gifts. The law is designed to protect endowments by preventing institutions from dipping into the principal. An endowment is supposed to be a perpetual source of revenue, with institutions drawing off only the earnings. The rule affects newer funds most severely, since they have had less time to invest a gift and build the endowment’s value.

    Some donors may have intended for the principal to remain intact, but was it their intent that the students they want to help won’t get any help? Certainly there is a need to loosen the strings attached to the gifts.

    In the University of North Carolina system, where as many as 70 percent of the endowments at one campus are underwater, some of the system’s 16 schools are going back to donors and asking them for one-time donations to pay for what would normally be covered by the endowment.

    The University of Wisconsin system suspended payments this month from 38 underwater endowments, taking away $700,000 that would have gone for scholarships and other programs at campuses across the state. At New York University, about $10 million of $16 million in scholarship endowments is untouchable.

    Because of funding problem, Brandeis University originally planned to close its Rose Art Museum and sell its more than 7,000 works, including pieces by Willem de Kooning and Jasper Johns. After much criticism, the school backed off.

    There are ways to get around the law. In creating an endowment, nonprofits can enter into an agreement with the donor that allows for the use of principal in emergencies. They can also ask the donor to change the endowment’s terms retroactively, which requires a trip to court if the donor has died.

    Since early 2007, 26 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws that give nonprofit organizations more flexibility in using money from endowments that are underwater. Because of the economic meltdown, 12 other states are considering such laws, according to the National Conference of Commissioners of Uniform State Laws.

  • Importance of SAT Scores

    SAT test scores are listed after your transcripts. While that may mean that they’re less important than a student’s grades these scores are still extremely essential. Sometimes, they can make or break an application.


    In general, it’s fair to say that admission officials prefer students who demonstrate their ability to perform well in school. This information will be reflected on the transcript. Test scores are important because they help admission officers get a more focused picture of the type of student they’re looking at.

    A student may barely squeeze in for a spot if his/her test scores are terrific but his/her transcript is loaded with C’s. On the other hand, the student’s favorite college may never admit the student based solely on poor test scores. For that reason, it’s a good idea to take tests seriously, even if the student has amazing grades and does not consider the tests important. Especially at the most selective colleges, the smallest differences between applications can mean the difference between an acceptance and a rejection.

    Keep in mind that there are more activities to take into account than a student’s transcript and test scores

  • College Letters

    With this economy in this shape, college admissions officers sent out record marketing letters. I know a few high school kids who receive at 20 letters per day from colleges, universities and even vocational schools. The admissions office is now busy with their acceptance notifications–sending out fancy certificates, T-shirts, tubes of confetti, or Internet links to videos of fireworks–in an effort to inspire loyalty and lock in commitments from today’s worried high school seniors. Even a traditionalist school like Kalamazoo College is printing its hand-drafted and hand-signed letters on better-quality paper and is sending out bigger packets so that acceptances will look more impressive.

    For some students, that personal touch is what really makes the difference. Old-fashioned personal letters that show an admissions officer actually read the essays may actually made the difference. For others real things could be the trigger for the final decision. Which school do you want to go? Should it be the school that sent you a personal letter or the school that sent you a T-shirt? What about other things such as:

    • This year the school’s acceptance package from St. Bonaventure University in western New York contains a T-shirt.
    • MIT sent out a tube filled with a poster and confetti to its early admissions.
    • A lot of schools are shipping bumper stickers, decals, and other knickknacks.
    • Ithaca College sent out “Phat package”–a foot-long envelope emblazoned with the words “Something big is about to happen.”
    • Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa. sent out a fancy new translucent envelope holding a green linen folder embossed with the college seal and the words: “You have been accepted.”
    • Baylor, Rutgers and Elon sent out suitable-for-framing acceptance certificates.
    • St. Bonaventure upgraded the college’s T-shirt package this year.

    What about dean letters? Are you going to cry? We have had tears and cheers at inappropriate places and times, this is unnecessarily upsetting many students and their classmates. School’s preference for electronic rejections aggravated feelings of worthlessness. The new electronic rejections–some of which are little more than “Admissions decision: Deny”–feel much harsher than the traditional letters enclosed in ominously thin envelopes. Some posters on collegeconfidential.com have complained that after all their hard work on essays, electronic rejections can feel especially brutal. Someone said he felt awful when he logged on to read “Admissions decision: Deny” and then got what he called a “hard, cold” formal rejection in the mail.

    Schools hire webmasters and web designers to design new digital letters. For example videos through email a link to a video of cheering crowds and the words “Congratulations. You’ve been accepted to Elon!”. Binghamton University added flash animation to its E-mail last year. The University of Georgia greeted accepted students with a link to an animated graphic of fireworks, says this year’s fireworks will be flashier than ever. Bryn Mawr launched its video acceptance last year, is promising an even better video this year. California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo provides a flashy acceptance video because studies show an average applicant applies to anywhere from nine to 12 other schools and will choose from about six offers. In addition, as a science and tech school, Cal Poly attracts applicants more fluent in text messages and Tweets than snail mail.

    At IQx.com, we are going to publish some of the example acceptance and rejection letters. You will have a taste of the new buzz.

  • Top 5 College Majors

    If a student is questioning himself/herself on what to choose as his/her major in college, here is a list of the top 5 majors. Of course, every person is different and sometimes none of these are right for somebody.

    1) Business Administration and Management. Business majors often find success in the field of their choice, working their way up the ladder to become managers, executives, and vice presidents in their companies. This major offers: training in accounting, finance, marketing, economics, human resources, and decision making. Students learn to organize, plan, direct, control, and manage an organization.

    2) Psychology. Psychology is the study of the way humans and animals interact and respond to their environment; in essence, it’s the study of behavior and the thoughts behind it. This is an extremely time consuming education route. Just don’t expect that four years of college will land a student in a private practice where people lie on a couch and tell their troubles for $95/hour. A student would need an extra five to seven years of schooling and a Ph.D./Psy.D. first.

    3) Elementary Education. Basically, the teaching career. This career gives a chance to share knowledge with young minds in literature, mathematics, sciences, etc.

    4) Biology. Biology majors focus on the living world–that’s everything from single-cell bacteria to whales. Classes in which you learn about calculus, microbiology, cell biology, genetics, evolution, physics, and organic chemistry are among some of the courses available. In addition to being a stepping stone for medical school, a biology major can lead to a job in a growing field such as genetics, biotechnology, or medical research. Veterinarians, optometrists, ecologists, biochemists, and environmentalists all may have majored in biology.

    5) Nursing. Generally, nurses help people meet basic health needs, adapt to physical changes, recover from illness, and die with dignity. They are employed in clinics, hospitals, schools, corporations, the military, and in private practice. Currently, nurses are in high demand in the world. While in school, students receive lots of practical, hands-on training. All would-be nurses are required by law to take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) after graduating from an accredited nursing program before they can be considered “registered.”

  • Picking a Field of Study

    How Not to Pick a Field of Study

    Just because parents are probably paying for a student’s tuition, does not mean they can choose your major or potentially, your career. Although it is tempting to let someone else make the hard decision, do not take the bait. Seeing as this is the student’s life, the student should be in charge. Parents should remember that they didn’t want their parents making their decisions for them.

    Just because a student doesn’t want to think about the course selection doesn’t mean the student should pick a random topic for the heck of it. This is a very important issue and it must be considered and every aspect weighed.

    How to Actually Pick a Field of Study

    • Make a list of pros and cons when choosing a major: For example, a student might want to be an English major because he/she enjoys reading and writing. That’s a “pro.” A possible “con” might be that the lack of clear-cut career. Recognizing the positives and negatives of any potential field of study can help a student be honest with the decision. This way, the student will always know that he/she is selecting a certain field of study for the right reasons.
    • Discuss your decision of college major with your parents and/or close relatives. Now, this does not mean a student should have others make the decision for them, but it does mean a student should seek outside input. Besides, it’s always encouraging when someone else thinks that the choice is a good one.

  • Best Valued School

    Which school has the best value? Value is what you got for what you had paid. It is about spending less money and getting more than you paid. The more grants the school provides to you, the better value to you. You can always borrow money, but that does not lead you to a better value. This is especially important during current recession.

    The No. 1 Best Value for public schools is the University of Virginia. This year’s tuition, fees, room and board totaled $18,499 for in-state students and $37,749 out of state. The average grant UVA offered (including scholarships) totaled $9,531. The average 2008 graduate’s debt was $16,847. At top-rated private college Swarthmore, with 1,480 undergraduates for the 2008-09 year, the total cost is $47,804 (with large portion $36,154 — for tuition). But the average grant is $30,073, this is very attractive. The school did not report the amount of student debt, but at each of the top two campuses, about 70% of students graduated debt-free in 2008.

    The Princeton Review’s aim was to determine the average annual cost that a freshman paid for the 2008-09 school year. The selection criteria looked at academics, costs and financial aid, using the most recently reported data from each institution for its 2008-09 academic year. Overall selection criteria included more than 30 factors in three areas: academics, costs and financial aid. Academic ratings were based on student surveys about such issues as professors’ accessibility and class sizes, as well as institutional reports about student-faculty ratios and percent of classes taught by teaching assistants. The financial aid rating is based on a combination of school-reported data and student surveys. Tuition, room and board, and required fees, as well as book costs and other factors, are included in the financial measurement.

    The TOP 10 best value schools from Princeton Review are listed below.

    PRIVATE School;

    1. Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, Pa.)
    2. Harvard College (Cambridge, Mass.)
    3. Princeton University (Princeton, N.J.)
    4. Rice University (Houston, Texas)
    5. Yale University (New Haven, Conn.)
    6. Williams College (Williamstown, Mass.)
    7. Amherst College (Amherst, Mass.)
    8. California Institute of Technology (Pasadena)
    9. Pomona College (Claremont, Calif.)
    10. Stanford University (Stanford, Calif.)

    PUBLIC School

    1. University of Virginia (Charlottesville)
    2. New College of Florida (Sarasota)
    3. College of William & Mary (Williamsburg, Va.)
    4. State University of New York-Binghamton
    5. Florida State University (Tallahassee)
    6. North Carolina State University (Raleigh)
    7. University of California San Diego
    8. City University of New York — Hunter College (New York, N.Y.)
    9. University of Georgia (Athens)
    10. The College of New Jersey (Ewing)

  • College Scholarships

    College scholarships are one of the biggest factors when determining which university a person chooses to attend. This is because nearly every student needs financial aid these days with the economy so bad and tuition so high. A lot of the time, a brilliant student will be accepted by Harvard, Yale, Princeton, UC Berkeley, and many other great schools. Unfortunately, this student probably will choose to go to a lesser ranked college just for the money. Most people get partial scholarships. For example: 45% of a full four years paid for. Only very few get a full scholarship (full ride). There are many ways to obtain a scholarship. Some of these include sports, SAT scores, grades, music, national competitions, and other extra curricular activities. The most common way to get a full ride is by sports.

  • College Tuition

    College tuition has been on the rise for decades, and now the prices are just getting ridiculous. To go to a mid-ranked university it costs more money than it took to go to the best school, 10 years ago. In the upcoming 2009 tuition fees, there could easily be a high record of over 70,000 dollars per year. Not to mention, students usually have to buy their own books, rooming, etc. When it comes down to it, parents and relatives don’t have that kind of money. Universities will be giving out many, much fewer scholarships because of the recession/ economy blowout. Money should not be an issue when determining which college a person wants to go to. However, in this day and world it’s the rich that are going where they want, while others have to stand by and watch. The solution to this problem remains to be seen.