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  - Going to College
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Selected Quotations

[T]he dominant competitive weapon of the 21st century will be the education
and skills of the work force. 
Lester Thurow

Teach a highly educated person that it is not a disgrace to fail and that
he must analyze every failure to find its cause. He must learn how to fail
intelligently, for failing is one of the greatest arts in the world.
Charles F. Kettering

College is a wonderful time to explore and talk, read about and experiment with ideas from a wide variety of disciplines. College is a time to study topics that are a joy to you.

Although college "is one of the best financial investments you can make" ("A bachelor's degree yields an increase in lifetime earning potential of nearly half a million dollars according to Census Bureau data. This is equivalent to a 20% annual return on investment." Mark Kantrowitz), college can and should be much more than merely getting credentials to become an employee in BigCo. (Dale Dauten has some advice along these lines: "Congratulations, graduates: It's all downhill from here.")

"It is agreed that all who can read and write and want to go to college should be able to. Lack of money should not be a hindrance. But as to what a college is, there is no agreement. It is not even discussed. Yet look at the facts. The undergraduate unit of a large Ivy League university with 40 majors and hundreds of electives differs widely from a liberal-arts college, and both differ from a small institution that started as a denominational college -- or from the typical Roman Catholic university. The college of a huge state university is another thing again, and so are the scattered parts of a state system that were originally teachers' colleges or normal schools.

This variety, it is said, gives everybody a chance to find the place that suits his or her talents and tastes. That is pious nonsense. The young have no idea what they are getting into, and they often have no choice. Selection is determined by geography, cost, and the luck of admission or rejection."
"Trim the College? -- A Utopia!" by Jacques Barzun, The Chronicle Review, June 22, 2001

(However, if you are a tad concerned about how how college students think - or don't think - see this Screed and take the test -  by James Lileks.)

Some of the questions these pages try and help you answer include:

• How do I pay for College?,
• What about scholarships and grants, or starting and running my own business, to pay for college?
• What colleges have web sites?
• When should I start applying to college?
• What should I concentrate on in college? (and What have others said about work and careers?)

There are many college-related web sites on the Internet, but some of the best we've found include:

• College Comparison Work Sheet - compare 4 schools, from US News
• Collegiate Choice Walking Tours Videos - "simple, non-promotional videos of actual student guided campus tours offered at over 300 colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, and Scotland. These videos are not professionally produced. Guidance counselors, not commercial film makers, are doing the recordings" Videos are under $20 each. Site also has good links and advice, including "Some Helpful Tips on Campus Visits."  From Cliff and Sami Kramon Recommended
• CyberU - online distance education portal
• Dell Campus Essentials - Dell- and Microsoft-sponsored program provides academic discounts for students
• Embark.com - "allows people to discover, choose, and connect with the right opportunities and institutions that will help them achieve their educational and career goals."
• Hoover High School Guidance: College Planning via the Internet - from Adam P. Garlock, North Canton, OH.  Recommended
• Kaplan
• MindEdge - focus is on adult learning
• Online SAT Registration
• Princeton Review has an outstanding website  Highly Recommended
• TESTPREP.COM - more than 700 free SAT practice problems from Stanford Testing Systems
• U.S. News & World Report's college and grad school info Recommended

Robert Frye's Top 10 list for students to raise their academic performance:

1. Take challenging courses.
2. Always go to class, and go on time with completed assignments.
3. Actively listen and participate in class discussions.
4. Take notes in class and go over them each night.
5. Complete homework assignments each night.
6. Don't wait until the last minute to begin long-range assignments.  Instead, break them down into their main parts and prepare a schedule for completing each part.
7. Limit time spent watching TV, socializing on the phone or playing games.
8. Get a good night's sleep and be ready for school the next day.
9. Don't use alcohol or drugs.
10. Have both short - and long-range goals and keep expectations high for achieving those goals.

From Robert Frye's letter to the Editor of The Washington Post, Sunday, Sept. 13, 1998.  Robert Frye is the vice chairman of the Fairfax County (VA) School Board.

books and CD-ROMs

• "The Best 311 Colleges: 2002 (Annual)," by Robert Franek, et al. (Princeton Review 2001). "Newly updated, this book features the largest, most comprehensive annual campus-life survey, polling over 56,000 students on such issues as financial aid, quality of life, and campus facilities."  From Princeton Review  Recommended
  

• "Choosing the Right College: The Whole Truth About America's 100 Top Schools," by Jeffrey O. Nelson (Editor), Gregory Wolfe (Editor), William J. Bennett (Introduction), paperback (Wm B Eerdmans 1998). "An intellectual road map to help parents and students make their way through deciding where they can get the best liberal arts education. 'It is one of those rare books that cut through the information glut to the heart of the matter', says William Bennett in his Introduction."
  

• "Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools You Should Know About Even If You're Not a Straight-A Student," by Loren Pope, paperback (Penguin USA 2000)  Highly Recommended

• "Fiske Guide to Colleges," by Edward B. Fiske, Kathleen Blease, paperback (Times Books 2002). "The only college guide to get a top rating from The American Bookseller and USA Today."  Recommended

• The Princeton Review 

• "The Insider's Guide to the Colleges 2003," by Yale Daily News staff, paperback (Griffin 2002). "The only college guide written by students for students, now updated, expanded, and redesigned, features candid, in-depth profiles of more than 300 schools in all 50 states and Canada, practical insider tips on admissions and financial aid, up-to-date statistics, and much more."

• "Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College That's Right for You," by Loren Pope, paperback (Penguin USA 1996). "Reaffirming the value of the small liberal arts college, Pope shows parents and students how and why to look beyond Ivy League and other well-known schools to choose the college that best suits their needs--and how to avoid the pitfalls of the college selection process."
  
  
• "Rugg's Recommendations on the Colleges," by Frederick E. Rugg, paperback (Rugg's Recommendations, 2002). Popular with users of this web site.

Related pages on LegalNews.Net:

• "Congratulations, graduates: It's all downhill from here."
• How do I pay for College?
• Lists of colleges on the Internet
• Quotes: work and calling
• rules of life for high school seniors
• Timetable for high school students applying to college
• What about scholarships, grants, or starting and running my own business?

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URL: http://www.LegalNews.Net/college/
Last updated: August 05, 2008