In - Your Guide to College Admissions from The Princeton Review

How to Land a Summer Job

StateUniversity.com recently posted some great tips for high school students seeking a summer job. Click here to check them out.

Why College Is a Good Idea

The president of Clark University in Massachusetts argues that college grads still do better than those who skip college. Click here to read more.

The Rules of an Unpaid Internship

Many college students take internships while in school—or even right after graduation—to gain an advantage when they apply for jobs.

While some internships pay, the majority do not. Most interns trade their time for valuable experience in a particular industry.

What kind of experience should you expect if you take an unpaid internship? A recent New York Times article points out that it’s against the law for companies to use unpaid interns for “grunt work.”

According to Department of Labor regulations, an unpaid internship must have educational value for the intern and include close guidance from a supervisor.

If you take an unpaid internship while in college, make sure you learn more than how to fetch coffee!

The Alma Maters of Successful CEOs

U.S. News recently identified the colleges and universities from which the current Fortune 500 CEOs have received the greatest numbers of degrees. Click here to check out its list.

The Serious State of Student Debt

The New York Times recently began a new series of articles on student debt in the U.S.

As college costs have risen, so has the prevalence of student loans. According to the Times, 94 percent of bachelor's degree recipients now carry student debt.

Recently, the federal government has attempted to help students to better understand the ramifications of college costs. It has mandated the net price calculators seen on college websites and proposed a standardized form for financial aid offers.

However, the responsibility for paying for college ultimately lies with students.

Students should know the consequences of any student loans they might be considering, including the amount and number of monthly payments involved. Additionally, before they borrow, they should realistically evaluate the job market and starting salaries in their fields of interest.

Click here to read more on the Times.

What’s the Best Major for Going Into Business?

Contrary to what you might think, an undergraduate major in business isn’t required to begin a career in the field.

In this way, business differs from other potentially lucrative fields—such as engineering and medicine—that require specific undergraduate training.

Getting a job in business out of college is more dependent on your GPA than choice of major, so it helps to study a field that interests you. As for the question of what to study, Todd Johnson at CollegeAdmissionPartners.com argues for a liberal arts degree. He says such degrees develop the reasoning, communication, and writing skills that companies value. (You will learn the specifics of how to do the job when you get there.)

Click here to read more at CollegeAdmissionsPartners.com.

Meet Real Scientists

Students who might be interested in a career in the sciences are often deterred by stereotypes of the field, such as “only men become successful scientists” and “it leaves no time for a social life.”

To combat such stereotypes, a group of students at Brown University recently created a video that introduces viewers to several real scientists. They’re a diverse bunch with varied interests outside of the classroom and lab. Check out the video below.

(Thanks to the Tweed blog for the great find.)

From Student Intern to Employable Grad

While a college degree boosts one’s earning potential, it is not a guarantee of a successful career.

For this reason, many savvy undergrads supplement their in-class learning with an internship.

Whether completed over summer break or during the school year, an internship can boost a new grad's desirablity in the job market. It adds practical experience to the grad’s resume and demonstrates her willingness to go the extra mile.

To check out the Huffington Post’s list of the highest-rated companies hiring college interns, click here.

When Considering Colleges, Weigh Costs and Resources

The financial part of the college decision is a bit of a balancing act: you don’t want to pay more tuition than you must, but you also don’t want to attend a cash-strapped school with low graduation rates.

Joanne Jacobs, an expert on the community college scene, points out that students who take longer to graduate also wait longer for the increased earning potential of a degree. In this way, a cheaper school can end up costing more in the long run.

Click here to read more.

A “Green” College Experience

For most students, the ideal college isn’t simply educational and fun; it’s environmentally conscious, too.

Nearly 7 out of 10 respondents in our most recent survey of college-bound kids said knowledge of a school’s environmental commitment would be a factor in their ultimate decision.

For such students, we’re happy to introduce The Princeton Review's Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2012 Edition. Available via free download, it profiles over 300 schools that are committed to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation.

Each school profile includes the following:

• Application, admission, financial aid, and student-enrollment information.
• "Green Highlights" detailing the school's most impressive environmental and sustainability initiatives.
• "Green Facts" on everything from the school's use of renewable energy sources, recycling, and conservation programs to the availability of environmental studies programs and green-jobs career guidance.

Click here to download the guide for free.