In - Your Guide to College Admissions from The Princeton Review

Higher Education Linked with Civic Engagement

The more education you have, the more likely you are to vote and do volunteer work.

This is the main finding of a new report from ETS, the company that administers the SAT and AP exams.

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

A Student’s View: Still Fighting Senioritis

Jennifer Angelo is a high school senior and a contributor to The Princeton Review’s IN blog.

I am one of the many still suffering from senioritis.

Not that I’m alone. At the moment, everyone I know at school seems to have a case of it. In class, we spend only half of our time learning because it is too hard for the teacher to keep everyone’s attention.

I’m most affected by senioritis during the school day, when all anyone wants to do is take pictures and talk about how high school will soon be over forever. No one wants to look at a physics review packet or a macroeconomics essay prompt.

My strategy for dealing with senioritis is twofold. In each class, I try to stay focused for as long as I possibly can. Then, to make up for the work I don't do in school, I work at home. I prefer to get homework and studying done in a quiet place rather than among the chaos of collective senioritis.

Even though I’ve already gotten into a great college, I still want to do well on my finals. It’s just my personality to want to get an “A.” However, it’s good to know that the stakes are considerably lower now; a “B” won't derail my future.

I only have three weeks left of school. That’s three weeks to deal with senioritis and give my best effort!

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.

Important Conversations for the College-Bound Student

If you expect to begin college this fall, there are several important discussions you should have with your parents this summer.

Unsure where to start? A recent post from Montgomery Educational Consulting outlines some key topics to broach with the ’rents, including the following:

• Your communication plans. Will you talk by phone or email? How often?
• Finances. How will you get money? How much will you get?
• Your packing list. What do you want to bring with you? What do you need to bring with you?

Click here to read more about these and other important student-parent conversations.

Funny Commencement Speeches

The Huffington Post recently collected videos of commencement speeches by famous comedians, including Stephen Colbert, Will Ferrell, Conan O'Brien, and Amy Poehler. Each includes plenty of laughs as well as sound advice. Click here to check them out.

LOLCats in Grad School

A British graduate student recently completed a dissertation on the LOLCats Internet meme. Click here to read more on the Huffington Post.

Shaq and Big Ben Earn Degrees

Two famous athletes are big believers in the value of higher education.

Shaquille O’Neal, recently retired NBA all-star, and Ben Rothlisberger, quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, both earned degrees in education this weekend.

O’Neal received a doctoral degree from Barry University in Florida and Rothlisberger received a bachelor's degree from Miami University in Ohio.

Click here and here to read more on the Huffington Post.

The Real Impact of the Planned Stafford Loan Hike

Chances are you’ve heard that the interest rate on the Stafford Loan is set to double this summer.

While this has become a major political issue in recent weeks, the actual impact this increase would have on future college students has received surprisingly little attention.

Earlier today, Kal Chany—author of the book Paying for College Without Going Broke—provided USA Today's Money page with some perspective on the loan increase. His points include the following:

• The scheduled interest-rate hike only applies to the subsidized version of the Stafford Loan, which has a borrowing limit of $23,000 for undergraduates. No other federal loans would be affected.
• If the hike occurs, students in a 10-year repayment plan would pay an extra $5,000 in interest for a $23,000 loan.

Click here to read more on USA Today.

Seniors: Don’t Forget to Say “Thanks” (and “No, Thanks”)

“Decision day” for college applicants is here.

For those who have just chosen a school, this might feel like the long-awaited conclusion to the admissions process. However, there are a few things you’ll want to wrap-up after you mail your deposit.

A recent post on The Choice lays out a solid plan for the final leg of your journey to college. It includes the following tips:

• College admissions isn’t a solo endeavor—say “thank you” to the teachers, counselors, coaches, and relatives who have helped you get to this point.
• Don’t assume colleges know what you think—say “no, thank you” to the schools whose admission or waitlist offers you wish to decline.

Click here to read more about these and other tips for college-bound seniors.

Protecting Veterans from Deceptive Colleges

For military veterans who wish to go to college, the GI Bill provides grant aid to alleviate the cost of attendance.

Unfortunately, access to grant money has made these veterans the targets of unscrupulous colleges—largely for-profit institutions—that will say anything to get vets to enroll.

To address this issue, President Obama signed an executive order today to prohibit colleges from using misleading marketing practices or obscuring their graduation rates when recruiting at military installations.

Click here to read more on Inside Higher Ed.