In - Your Guide to College Admissions from The Princeton Review

Common Questions in College Interviews

The best way to ace an admissions interview is to practice.

To this end, a new post on StateUniversity.com provides a list of questions that admissions officers like to ask. Click here to check it out.

How Colleges Deliver the Bad News (and Why It Might Not Be So Bad After All)

A recent post on the Campus Overload blog explores the current state of the college rejection letter.

In many ways, these letters have changed little over the years: they still lead with “regret to inform you” and lament the large number of “exceptionally qualified candidates” who applied.

Today, however, these letters aren’t actual letters but emails. Some schools, uncomfortable with this lack of formality (finality?), ask students if they’d like to receive a hard copy in the mail. That’s right: they give students the opportunity to be rejected a second time.

Despite this subtle cruelty, rejection letters aren't 100 percent bad. They can actually help applicants by bringing them one step closer to their best-fit college. It's a poorly kept secret that many applicants end up loving a second-, third-, or even ninth-choice college.

For more on this topic, check out Campus Overload.

On Your Best Behavior

When emailing, calling, or visiting a college, it’s a mistake to be pushy or rude.

Just about anyone in an admissions office can sink your application, says Montgomery Educational Consulting. You don’t want to give the staff a reason to dislike you.

Click here to learn more.

Where It Pays to Submit an Early FAFSA

In general, it’s best to take the extra time to make sure your financial aid forms are completed accurately. As long as you get them in by the established deadlines, you won’t miss out on any money.

However, in a few states, the clock is ticking. Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vermont all award financial aid on a first-come, first served basis. According to the founder of finaid.org, these states typically dispense all of their aid by March or April.

Click here to learn more from USA Today.

Interest in Harvard Finally Cools

Each year, the number of applicants sets a new school record. Milestones fall: 20,000, 25,000, 30,000. Ultimately, almost 35,000 students apply for a class of 1,500.

It’s been a period of intense student interest, even by Harvard’s standards. Which is why it’s notable that this year, for the first time in a long time, the school has received fewer applications than it did the preceding year.

According to The Choice, Harvard has received 34,285 applicants for Fall 2012: a 1.9 percent decrease from the previous year. (For more info, click here.)

What do you think? Is the infatuation with ultra-selective schools finally waning? Or is this just a temporary blip? Speak your mind in the comments section below.

When Your Application Delivers a Dose of Reality

The competitive admissions landscape and tough economic climate created many difficult decisions for last year’s applicants.

According to UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute, just 58 percent of freshmen began at their first-choice college last fall—a record low.

While especially poor admit rates were a factor, economic concerns also played a role: 18 percent of students accepted by their first-choice school enrolled elsewhere; most cited inadequate financial aid as a reason.

UCLA annually surveys freshmen to discover the social, economic, and psychological characteristics of each year’s class. Its most recent survey included over 200,000 students at 207 college and universities.

Click here to learn more on The Choice.

Changes in Federal Aid

A recent U.S. News article highlights several changes to federal financial aid policies for the 2012–2013 academic year.

Specifically, Pell Grant eligibility now requires a GED or high school diploma and it only lasts six years instead of eight. Additionally, college grads will begin to incur interest on their student loans immediately after they graduate.

Click here to check out the full article.

The Dark Side of Big-Time College Sports

It costs a lot of money to run a big-time sports program. Student-athletes cost more than regular students. And coaches cost much more than professors.

If a college is fortunate enough to have a winning team, its students work less and receive lower grades.

So, why do colleges so badly want to play?

A recent article on the New York Times explores what colleges gain from big-time sports. Click here to check it out.

Student Calls Parent Instead of Fire Dept.

Last weekend, a Boston University undergrad noticed his apartment building was on fire. He phoned home.

The BU Police Department was surprised to get word of a fire from one of its students’ parents.

“It's great that this person called a parent, but people in danger should call us first, then call a parent,” BU Police Chief Thomas Robbins told BU Today.

Click here to read more.

College Slacking Linked to Early-Career Struggles

I’ve mentioned before that a good high-school transcript is a strong predictor of post-college career success.

According to a new report, undergraduate work habits play a big role, too.

College students who do little work in their courses and don’t improve on tests of critical thinking are more likely than their peers to struggle in the years immediately after graduation. Specifically, they are more likely to be unemployed, living with their parents, and carrying substantial credit card debt.

Click here to read more on the Chronicle of Higher Education.