Academic majors
What’s Happening to the Average GPA?
Are college students getting smarter?
If you looked at the grades they are “earning,” you might assume the answer is yes. The average GPA in college is 3.1. At private schools, the norm is a 3.3 GPA. In contrast, the typical college student had an average GPA of 2.52 in the 1950s.
In nearly every decade, the [...]
What You Don’t Know About Liberal Arts Colleges
Yesterday I wrote this post about liberal arts colleges:
Which is Better: A Liberal Arts College or a University?
At the time, I promised that I’d summarize a thoughtful op-ed piece that Sanford J. Ungar, the president of Goucher College, wrote for the special liberal arts report that ran in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Unfortunately, [...]
Which is Better: A Liberal Arts College or University?
Which is better — a liberal arts college or a university?
Last night I had a conversation with one of my nephews, who is torn between attending Truman State University, a wonderful public liberal arts college, or the University of Missouri in Columbia, which happens to be my alma mater.
I’m proud of Tommy for being so [...]
Why You Should File the FAFSA, Freshmen Facts and Engineering Degrees
6 Reasons to File the FAFSA
Should you file the FAFSA?
Here’s my answer for just about everybody, including myself: Absolutely yes.
I admit it’s not fun to complete the FAFSA, which I am going to do today. If it’s any consolation, the FAFSA is easier to fill out than the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, which I am also [...]
Best and Worst Jobs in America and Other Posts
15 Best and Worst Jobs In America
In my most popular college blog post on CBSMoneyWatch this week, I wrote about a list of the 200 best and worst jobs based on much more than pay. When you see lists of the best and worst jobs in America, the creators are usually focusing on salaries. CareerCast.com [...]
A Peak Inside College Admission Offices
Want to know what college admission officers are really thinking?
The Wall Street Journal and Unigo managed to get admission deans from eight prestigious schools, including Bryn Mawr College, Grinnell College, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania and Weslyan University to parpticipate in a panel discussion that touched on many issues that are relevant to collegebound teenagers.
You [...]
Studying Abroad: What Parents Need to Know
My daughter Caitlin arrived home last night after studying abroad for the semester at the University of Barcelona. I am thrilled to have her home and I know it’s going to be very hard for me when she flies back to Spain at the end of January.
As I discovered, a study abroad program can be [...]
Why College Graduation Rates Are a Disgrace
Graduation rates at most universities is a disgrace. Fewer than 60% of college students graduate in six years. Many of the rest never do earn a bachelor’s degree.
I’ve written about low graduation rates many times (see links below) and it’s always struck me as unfair that so many educators blame this tragedy solely on the [...]
Parents of Teenagers: Cut the Apron Strings
Here’s my advice for the day: Cut the apron strings.
I have run into so many parents with talented teenagers who want their kids to stay close to home when they start college. By insisting on this, they severely limit their teenagers’ college choices.
I ran into one of these mom’s today at the dentist office when [...]
Admission Jitters at Cal State University Campuses
Thousands of California high school seniors are panicking right now because they’re worried that they won’t be attending a California State University campus in the fall.
The Cal State system happens to be the largest in the country. In fact, the number of students attending the 23 Cal State campuses exceeds the number of people living [...]
