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Check out this video: An Insider's Guide to College Admissions

The Dean of Admissions at Vanderbilt University answers question about the application process and what is important to them and most colleges...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKARNadxshU

Common Problems in Choosing a College

So you decided that you do want to go to college? Great, now you face the real problem, deciding where to go… This can be troublesome depending on what kind of a student you are, what kind of career you want, what kind of environment will allow you to thrive and succeed.

Most students would do well in one of a handful of colleges that will meet all of their desires and requirements. Even so, there are some colleges that are unique (or at least unique in that region of the country). Whatever your case may be here are general responses to the most frequent concerns about choosing a college. Of course, a specific response depends on the particular student I’m talking with, but I hope these generic responses can help you.

Concern: All the colleges seem alike.

They do tend to be quite alike. Most college offer similar classes, extracurricular activities, residence halls, and have pretty campuses. Their key differences usually boil down to two things: the student body and the location.

- Student body: Some colleges have mainly A students, others B students, still others C students. Most colleges have a mix of all types of students, but other colleges have predominantly artsy, athletic, religious, preppy, conservative, liberal, activist, and/or studious students.

- Location. Some colleges are in the frozen wasteland; at others, you can wear shorts in February. You also need to decide whether you want to be within quick driving or “laundry distance” of home or move to the farthest place you can think go.

Unless there’s something unusual you’re looking for in a college, such as vegan cafeteria food or a major in entomology, chances are, if you choose your college based just on student body and location, you’ll be satisfied with your choice.


Concern: My girl(boy)friend is going to ______ College.

Affection and romance can be a powerful motivator. It can even make a student go to an inappropriate college just to be with his or her significant other. Of course, if your sweetheart is going to a college that’s also well-suited to you, okay. But fact is, most high school romances don’t last beyond a semester or two of college – there are too many new people to meet and new experiences that make one of you realize that maybe you weren’t so perfect for each other, after all. It would be a shame if you risked your college experience on a relationship that ended soon after you got to college. If your relationship is that perfect, even if you attend different colleges, frequent visits, e-mails, and big phone bills will keep the relationship thriving.

Concern: My parent(s) is(are) pushing College X.

My question is always: why are they pushing College X? Is it because it’s their alma mater? Or because they would like to go there? Or because they want you close to home to avoid their being lonely? Or because they have a rational reason for thinking it would be a great fit for you?

Don’t accept nor reject their recommendation without seriously considering their rationale. Perhaps they’re right – after all, they probably know you pretty well.

Note to parents: I’d feel guilty about pushing my child toward low-cost colleges. But perhaps there really is no reason to feel guilty. The research shows no correlation between college cost and quality. Besides, either way one of you will be paying for that college degree, if it is you, you have a right to spend wisely, if it’s your child, then don’t put them in a situation to increase debt and “waste” money. Therefore, focus on finding a low-cost college that is well-suited to your child.

Concern: I still have no idea where I want to go.

If you’ve tried to figure out where to apply and still are utterly confused or overwhelmed, then think about the following questions:

1) What do you want to study? Make a list of a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice majors – make sure all the schools you apply to have all three.

2) What size do you want? Do you picture yourself in working in small seminar classes at college that is smaller than the typical high school? Or do you want so many activities and choices that a student body in the thousands interests you?

3) How much does location matter? Do you want to be close to home? Would you mind living in a new climate? Are you aware of the local attractions or dominate political views? With that information in mind there are various free services and search engines that can help you narrow down your choices. My favorite is College Navigator, because it was built for students and parents to use (and has some cool advanced features for counselors).

Remember 95% of colleges need you more than you need them – because most colleges never fill all their slots. Be picky!

Should You Go Straight to College?

Many students contemplate life after high school with almost more interest than high school itself… There are many things that students choose to do right out of high school: college, apprenticeship, vocational school, work for the family business, start their own business, even backpack through Europe (or some other form of taking a year off between high school and college).

But you’ve probably been encouraged to go to college. And many, if not most, of you probably should go to college and you should go directly as in no breaks, no vacations, no backpacking through Europe – or, in other words, “Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200.”

But it’s not as obvious a decision as you might think. After all, getting a degree from a four-year college or university, on average, takes 5 years of your life. Only 39%, nationwide, graduate in four years. Why might that be? Scheduling can be difficult at times and if you ever need to retake a course it might only be offered once a year, and what if that course is a prerequisite for the rest of your major. What if, like me (and many college students), you change your major once or twice? College is where students really discover what they are passionate about, what they are good at, and what they want to do. But all of that takes time.

Some students are fortunate to discover what they want while taking general education credits and don’t have to start all over with new or different graduation requirements when they change their major. That is the approach I would recommend. Most students, even if they have a firm grasp of what they want to do, may inevitably change their mind or have an experience that shows them they may wish to change their plans. I call that an “Ah Ha” moment.


Other students take 20 or more credits of a specific major before they have their “Ah Ha” moment and decide to change from, for example, French to Veterinary Sciences. In cases like that most of those French courses won’t count even as electives for the Vet Science degree. And now you not only have to take longer because you need to take other “required” courses, but you also have to pay for both the French that doesn’t count and the new courses. Remember, even after financial aid, that college degree will probably cost you (or at least your parents) a small fortune – even if you pay it back over the next 30 years.

That is why it is generally a good idea to test out other majors or try the interesting elective or Gen Ed classes early in your college career. Some good ways to test the waters:

-Sit in on an advanced class. You may want to speak to the professor or an advisor before doing so.
-Talk with students who are more than halfway finished with their program. Ask, “Do you like the program?” and “What are the best and worst things about it?”
-Oversit. That is, if you plan on taking 4 classes for the term, register for 5 and go to the first session of each. Then you can drop the one that seems least likely to motivate you, the least interesting, or the least relevant to you. (Always remember to drop the class during the Drop/Add period so you don’t get billed)
-Talk to advisors, professors, and the department secretary (they usually know how everything works) about possible careers and their insights.

All of these strategies can also be done before enrolling in or even being accepted to a college, though it may be more difficult if your college of choice is far away. But you can always get email addresses or phone numbers from the college website or by calling that department secretary.

The History of College in America

In 1636 the nation's first institution of higher learning (Harvard) was founded. It opened in 1638.

These first colleges (being formed by graduates from Oxford University and Cambridge University – who did not see fit to call them universities) served primarily as colleges of ministry and teachers colleges.

In the late 1800s, the number and character of schools changed to meet the demands of new and larger cities and of new immigrants.

High schools increased in number, adjusted their curriculum to prepare students for the growing state and private colleges; education at all levels began to offer more utilitarian studies in place of an emphasis on the classics. Classics = Latin, Greek, etc.

Before 1920 most secondary education, whether private or public, emphasized college entry for a select few. Proficiency in Greek and Latin was emphasized.

In 1916 the book A Modern School called for a de-emphasis on the classics.

At the beginning of the 20th century, fewer than 1,000 colleges with 160,000 students existed in the United States. Explosive growth in the number of colleges occurred at the end of the 1800s and early twentieth century.

(Philanthropists endowed many of these institutions. Wealthy philanthropists for example, established Stanford University, Vanderbilt University and Duke University; John D. Rockefeller funded the University of Chicago without imposing his name on it.)

Each state used federal funding from the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Acts of 1862 and 1890 to set up "land grant colleges" that specialized in agriculture and engineering.

The college was a center of middle-class values that served to help young people on their journey to white-collar occupations.

Following World War II, the GI Bill (passed in 1944) made college education possible for many veterans by paying tuition and living expenses. It helped create a widespread belief in the necessity of college education. It opened up higher education to millions of ambitious young men who would otherwise have been forced to immediately enter the job market.

Currently the U.S. Department of Education shows approximately 5000 colleges and universities with more than 19 million students.

The Truth About College Costs

The middle class is caught in the middle. The rich can afford colleges' big sticker price and the poor get generous financial aid. But how much money are we really talking about? I know it varies from state to state, but assuming you plan on attending a public university (or reasonably priced privet – yes, they do exist)

Average College Prices 2009-2010 School Year:

Public four-year $7,020 (up 7.5 percent from last year)

On the 4 year plan that’s $28,080 just for tuition and fees…

Students spend an average of about $3,200 on books in those 4 years, and transportation, room and board can add about $4,800 a year (more or less depending on region, housing situations, and spending habits)

That’s a low book average of just about $51,000 for a four year degree.

Now, don’t freak out (I can hear the cries of “we could never afford that” from all the parents), consider the following details:

Did You Know That...

32 percent of full-time students enrolled in public four-year colleges and universities attend institutions that charge tuition and fees between $3,000 and $6,000.

More than $168 billion in financial aid is available to students and their families.

About two-thirds of all full-time undergraduate students receive grant aid. In 2009-10, estimated aid in the form of grants and tax benefits averaged about $5,400 per student at public four-year colleges.

What's there for the middle class? One option: try for scholarships awarded by non-profits and wealthy individuals. This is good for all levels of economic status, but the middle class tend to need it most. Don’t ever pay for access to scholarship database or website. Remember if they ask for money, then they want yours and are not giving it away (scams are everywhere – it is really easy to make a credible looking and sounding website considering that it is an issue that effects millions every year).

Access huge databases of possible scholarships and grants free at websites like: collegeispossible.com, scholaraid.com, freschinfo.com, collegenet.com, salliemae.com, and srnexpress.com. On each site, you’ll answer questions and receive a list of relevant or possible target scholarships. Competition for such scholarships is always fierce so unless you’re a star or and “underrepresented” minority, it’s only worth applying for perhaps your ten best shots. Don’t waste time or get your hopes up too much.

The real cost of that degree after financial aid opportunities (not including the actual value of what was learned, the experiences, friends and connections made, and the fact that you can sell back the text books once your done) is somewhere around that original figure of $28,000. That’s not bad, considering the average wage right out of college across various occupations is about $31,000 and that’s just entry level jobs…

Areas of College Prep (& When to Focus on Them)

This a rough guideline for the main focuses for college preparation, readiness, and the application process. Each of these areas will be discussed in great detail in the coming weeks and months. As always, suggestions, comments, questions, and concerns are appreciated. That said, here we go:

Homework and Study Skills: (7th – 9th Grade)

A thorough understanding of the value of at-home reading and study skill development is critical to any student’s success, especially the college bound student. Understanding this area gives both parents and students the tools they need to identify different learning styles, develop and instill efficient and effective study habits or routines, and enhance academic skills including reading, writing, mathematics, as well as general study principals that will apply both to school and a future career.

It is essential that parents are provided with key strategies to assist with homework and become more effectively involved with their children’s education and academic development. Students need to learn that there are practical solutions to common problems and a wealth of suggestions depending on each student’s individual methods and styles (or personalities and interests) are out there.


High School, The Plan: (9th – 10th Grade)

Maximizing the student’s high school experience is a critical first step toward success in college admissions and readiness. Counselors, teachers, and parents should be available for and able to provide a complete guide to planning an appropriate academic program, standardized test calendar and preparation materials, extracurricular agenda and list of summer activities. Many of the resources are becoming increasingly available online and through organizations such as the Bing Foundation. Parents should also make an effort to ensure that they receive an overview of the college admissions process. Many parents now have either been out of school so long that they cannot remember what to do and when, or as I increasing find more common, parents never went to college. There should be a focus on including a detailed timeline and a comprehensive introduction to the specific components of an application.

Paying for College: (11th – 12th Grade)

According to some parents, including my own father, financial planning by both the student and the parents is invaluable to the family of any college-bound student. Financial aid options should be explained in-depth by someone with recent knowledge, preferably a financial aid specialist (many school districts have them now) or by a specialize college or career counselor. They should cover such topics as scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study programs as well as how to find, qualify, and apply for each. Remember that when it comes to money timing is always of the essence! Be aware of the deadlines, file your FAFSA as soon as possible, and whatever you do, never wait until 12th grade to look for funding... Families should be introduced to options they may have otherwise overlooked and gain a thorough understanding of how to effectively negotiate with financial aid offices, that’s right, I said negotiate. We’ll get to that later.

Selecting the Right College: (11th Grade)

Every student is different. Each individual has distinct desires and interests, skills and challenges. It is vital that the aspiring college student understand that every single college is different. There are 5000 colleges in the United States alone. Don’t even ask how many possible majors there are, you would believe me if I told you. What does this mean, there are options… and now there are ways to match each student with their interest, major, ideal school size, cost, preference for public or private, rural or urban, etc. Check out College Navigator (developed by the US Department of Education).

You should establish key criteria to identify colleges that are a strong fit for each student’s interests and qualifications. Parents and students can now access parameters that allow them to examine the student’s high school record, activities, and “extras” like a professional and objectively determine the strengths he or she may have within a given pool of potential applicants.

Preparing College Applications: (12th Grade)


Obviously, this is not something that is relegated only to seniors. But that is the label that it receives and here is why. Each college aspiring student (and parent) should make a strong, exerted effort to stay on top of all the deadlines, continue in relevant (and not fluff) classes (see the last post), routinely update their timeline, look for last minute options, apply for early decision, take the SAT/ACT, and manage everything else teenagers do as they near completion of their secondary school career. I advise all students and their families to make and follow a thorough, detailed, and practical guide to the 12th grade year and producing a successful college application. After gaining a thorough understanding of how an applicant’s file is ultimately reviewed, parents and students must carefully and thoughtfully complete their applications.

Always remember that there are essential strategies for crafting an engaging essay and developing a unique personal theme that will help them stand out from the crowd. Resources such as these should not be ignored. Essays should be edited and re-written, letters of recommendation should be found, and all the applications filed, paid, and sent to the correct place. Follow that guide. Follow the timeline. Don’t make a mistake if you can avoid it.

Truth in College Readiness

Only a little more that two out of four high-school graduates go on to college. But nearly 30 percent of four-year students and 60 percent of those who attend community college are forced to take noncredit remedial courses because, despite their high-school diplomas, they lack basic skills in the core subjects of English and mathematics.


For most students, news of their shortcomings is a shock. Remedial class placement, which is usually determined by standardized tests taken in the months between leaving high school and starting college, is highly associated with an increased risk of dropping out. Thus, those students that are prepared academically have a greater likelihood of persisting and graduating. So how can we change this current situation? The students need to be more aware of where they stand – both to prepare better, and not be stunned when they are told they need to take Math 75 (which won’t count for their degree, but they will have to pay for it) before they even have a chance at getting into Math 101 or higher (depending on their proposed major.

In a poll done by high school counselors in 2008 found that the majority of high school students often waste the 12th-grade year on courses not in line with a college preparatory curriculum. That would be taking classes such as (but not limited to) journalism, art, choir, or physical education that are neither required for graduation nor necessary for college admission. Electives can be good, and are needed as evidence of a well-rounded secondary education, but taking too few “core” academic subjects during the senior year is frowned upon and can hurt not only an admission to a potential university, but also a student’s recollection and therefore his or her ability to successfully pass that barrage of standardized tests typically taken during or directly following the 12th-grade year.


The California State University system has shown much success administering a policy in recent years on this very subject. They offer remedial placement exams to all high-school students, without charge, one year earlier, at the end of the 11th grade. That would give each student an idea of where they are, allowing them to take that additional math class or concentrate very hard in English (or even get tutoring) during their senior year. Now, I’m not saying that this is the only way, or the best, but it is a start…

I think what shocks parents and students the most when I meet with them to talk about going to college is when I ask to speak to anyone in the 7th grade or higher. They ask why and the response is always the same: “Going to college is more a mindset than a decision.” Of course, you should decide that you want to go to college, and decide that you will prepare yourself, and decide that this that and the other will get done... But it really only takes one decision to go to college – the rest is acting on it and seeing it through, thus the mindset.

Now, I’ll walk you through each decision once the student has that mindset… Stay tuned.

Federal Money for Higher Education?

America is a great nation that once led the world in many fields, metrics, and policy issues. Now, unfortunately, that is not always the case. In recent years there have been laws passed and programs generated to “correct the course” and “reform” the system… Two such endeavors are the Bush administration’s “No Child Left Behind” and the Obama administration’s “Race to the Top”.

No Child Left Behind enacted the theories of standards-based education reform, which is based on the belief that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals can improve individual outcomes in education. The Act requires states to develop assessments in basic skills to be given to all students in certain grades, if those states are to receive federal funding for schools. The standards are set by each individual state. However idealistic this may sound what tends to happen is that teachers spend time teaching the students to pass these standardized tests (because the results are measured and reported) instead of simply teaching the material. States are praised for closing “poor performing” schools, which were the same schools that had little funding to begin with, they are praised when “eliminating” the “poor performing” teachers (generally those with no resources because… oh yeah, they had no funding), while those “high performing” schools continue to receive their funding and “high performing” teachers get raises based of these test results.

Race to the Top is quickly becoming one of most successful federal education programs in memory. Governors and legislatures nationwide have been scrambling to put major school reforms in place, all in hopes of grabbing a piece of the $4.35 billion Race to the Top pie. See the Race to the Top criteria for funding: Click Here

There is no Race to the Top or No Child Left Behind for higher education. But should there be? True, some colleges and universities snared millions of dollars from the stimulus bill with virtually no strings attached, but they got nothing like the support lavished on elementary and secondary education. And sure, there is a need for reform in many different levels: class sizes, transfer issues, graduation rates, teaching, college readiness, etc. But don’t let these institutions of higher learning fool you. They exist, like any business, to generate revenue. The State and Federal government only give subsidies (Dictionary.com – “Monetary assistance granted by a government to a person or group in support of an enterprise regarded as being in the public interest.”) to support the school because education is generally viewed as a public good.

Now, in the down economy they have received less in the way of subsidies and therefore the cost of attendance has risen (tuition being the chief source of revenue). We have seen tuition and fees almost skyrocket recently. Some schools have spent down their endowment; some have eliminated programs, cut faculty and staff, merged departments, and done everything short of becoming sponsored by a private company (Which sounds better: University of Nike or Coca-Cola College?) to remain open in the budget crunch.

The good news for higher education is that there is an immediate opportunity for all institutions of higher education to join this federal money race. Congress is now working to reform the student-loan industry by taking tens of billions of dollars in subsidies away from for-profit lenders and using the money to boost Pell Grants, improve public colleges, and enact policies designed to raise graduation rates. This is good news because we should start to see Pell Grants become larger and more students become eligible for them (thus increasing the amount of federal funding to each school – provided they enroll these financially needy students). Maybe colleges and universities that want federal funding beyond what is already given should seek these students instead of enlisting another huge reform package that may end like we’ve seen with previous Acts…

Multidimensional Poverty – Reevaluating Past Assumptions…

In a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education the question was asked: What makes someone poor? Among those who study poverty, the answer has long been a lack of money. If your income falls below a certain level, you're poor. The basic assumption is the same: It's what’s in your wallet that matters.

But maybe there's more to it. Maybe poverty is about not having enough food, access to health care, reliable transportation, adequate sanitation, food, shelter, and a dozen other things that make life bearable. This multidimensional approach has been getting a lot of attention lately. It makes you wonder if the way we've been measuring poverty for decades has been, if not wrong, then maybe incomplete.

Theoretically, it is easy to see that poverty could be about more than income, but actually trying to measure those other factors… Well, it can’t be easy. Calculat­ing income-based poverty is pretty straightforward, if you make X amount and have Y people in your family you are either poor or not (see chart above)… but trying to quantify a wide range of data about well-being is considerably more complicated and laden with potential difficulties in measuring variables that have long been overlooked.

A multidimensional method will allow us (researchers, economists, and officials) to decide which categories to include in the poverty calculation, how many categories must be deficient to make a person poor, and to also weight certain categories as more important than others. For instance we could decide that food matters more than transportation.

So why redefine what it means to be poor anyway? Isn’t income data enough? Well, no.

For starters you get a more complete and accurate picture of who needs help and what kind of help they need. The Bing Foundation only effects poverty indirectly… we help people go to college and get educated. However, statistics show that those with a college degree (even if it is only an Associate) earn more than those with just a high school diploma. Providing education does not necessarily raise anyone's income, but it should create opportunities to substantially improve quality of life. Traditionally, need-based financial aid is all about income levels… We use income, the family’s previous education, family size, grades, and a myriad of other weighted categories to determine who gets a scholarship.

We focus on schools and districts laden with traditionally underserved student populations (first generation students, minorities, financially needy, etc) for our college preparation and counseling efforts.

Having a way to measure improvement in areas other than income allows a government or an organization to demonstrate how it is helping its citizens, or a critic to show how it's failing to help them. Hopefully we will see success in this new multidimensional approach to poverty and that will translate into more help to get people educated and more lives changed.

The Latest and Greatest

Well I must have forgotten that we created this blog to document the growth of the Bing Foundation and our non-profit endeavors. Either that or I am just too busy trying to work 80 hours a week and get this business of the ground...

Since the last post in January the Foundation has become completely financially stable. We have officially earned back every cent that was invested to launch our company and then some. Thanks to the Sam's Club Foundation, and some smaller donors we are in the black! That made my wife happy, now we saw something for all my efforts.

We are now official registered as a non-profit on www.GuideStar.com (a leading registry and information provider for non-profits and prospective donors - essentially linking those who want to give with the cause they want to support). We have also started a cause on Facebook and have a Facebook group you can follow for more news and updates.

Aside from all the phone calls, email, letters, and visits to local businesses we have also submitted dozens of grant applications of various other charities, foundations, and companies who have supported education with donations and grants in the past. Most applications are still pending the final results. I am very hopeful for the local interest in our efforts to not only award scholarship funds, but reach out to high school students to prepare them for college as well.

The Foundation's latest endeavor involves sending volunteer counselors to the local high schools for career and college fairs, college workshops, as well as setting up in the Counselor's Office or Career Center (when I was in high school there was no such thing as a career center at each school...). All our counselors are thoroughly trained in college admissions, and have had extensive background checks. The idea is individual time with each student or small groups of students to get them ready for the college application process and walk them through step by step. Don't you wish you had a personal admissions counselor to help you when you went to college?

I know the kids really appreciate it a lot. The school districts like it too because it opens up time for their counselors to do more counseling for the struggling students and those that would not have been seen otherwise. And we get to work with thousands of students in the local districts - making a visible difference in a short amount of time!

For all the hard work, I really love my job! Speaking of jobs, we are seeking to hire donation representative (letter writers and phone warriors) to expand our list of potential donors, raise awareness, and earn money while helping change the future of education in this country. Call, email, text, or message me on facebook or linkedin. Be prepared for a short interview and have a resume handy!