Colleges and Universities in The United States with Binding Early Decision Admission Plans This list was compiled by Cigus Vanni   |   [last modified July 22, 2014 at 10:30 AM]   ARIZONA Prescott College   CALIFORNIA Biola University [also supports an ED II plan and an Early Action plan] California Polytechnic State University at

If you are getting ready to head off to college, then you want to check out this course, “How to Succeed in College.” In this course you will learn about college life and develop strategies to help you be successful during your undergraduate experience. This free course is being offered on Coursera, through the University of

How to Prepare for College Admissions During the Summer if you are a Rising Senior You are a junior going into your summer vacation. You’re getting ready for your senior year, and thinking that you will spend your summer just enjoying and relaxing… Think again! College applications are due between October and January of your

REALITY CHECK – SAT RANGE, 25TH-75TH PERCENTILE FOR ENROLLED STUDENTS AT VARIOUS SELECTIVE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES NATIONWIDE This list was compiled by Cigus Vanni.    Data based on college Class of 2017 (entered college fall 2013) and include only those students who ENROLLED at each individual school, NOT all students who applied NOR all students

Join the upcoming California state wide virtual college fair to meet students where they spend most of their time, online! Colleges from any state are welcome to join, register online at www.collegefairsonline.com today!

by: Nancy Griesemer DC College Admissions Examiner This has been a very interesting year for the Universal College Application (UCA). Confident in the quality of its product, the UCA has continued in its struggle for market share against the larger and much more powerful Common Application. And during the past three months, UCA staff has scored numerous points by providing

  Barely a few weeks into your final year of high school and you’ve got some big decisions to make.  Hopefully, by now, you will have decided whether or not you want to go to college, and maybe even where you would like to apply.  The next big decision is when and how to apply

Applying for college this year?  Congratulations!  You have a new best friend.  It’s called the Common Application (www.commonapp.org) and its sole purpose is to make your life easier during these stressful months of preparing for your next stage in life.  You’ve made it to your final year of high school, written your exams and even

Here is some very useful information just published by Nancy Griesemer DC College Admissions Examiner… The Universal College Application (UCA) goes live today for 2014-15, with an upgraded website and five additional member colleges. Joining recent additions to the UCA roster, which now includes the University of Chicago, Brandeis and Duke in addition to Harvard,Johns Hopkins and Princeton, are Agnes Scott College, American University, Rice University, Utica College, and Vanderbilt University. “Rice

Noodle is an extensive that helps you find the perfect educational opportunity. From k-12, to tutors, to graduate degrees, to weekend classes, Noodle connects people with each other and educational options. “Noodle will tell you not just a list of colleges matching your search criteria—if you enter your grades and transcript information, it can tell you

Before accepting an admissions offer from a college, a college visit can provide valuable feedback on whether that institution provides the best fit for you as a college student. Rather than banking on a college website, make sure that you visit colleges. The main advantage of doing this is that you are going to get

Most people think that starting for college is something to be considered when they are their senior years of high school. It’s actually better to start plans and preparations for college much earlier. Actually the right time to being thinking about college is around the sixth or the seventh grade.  Why? This is the time

Internships and other ways to make a use of your summer vacation By Claudine Vainrub   Gone are the days when summer vacation time was solely used for going to the beach, being lazy and relaxing around the house. With the competition evident in the college admissions race, it pays off to think about doing

  One of the most important differentiators in college admissions can be the essays. How do admissions counselors choose between two college candidates with the same SAT scores, similar GPAs and great extracurricular activities? There is the interview, the rigor of the high school attended, the communications with the schools, but mostly, the essays. This

Every year, the University of Chicago breaks away from the traditional college essay mold and asks our applicants to consider topics that are a little… uncommon. In past years, we’ve asked to hear your favorite joke, your thoughts on Wednesdays, or your best attempt to pinpoint Waldo’s whereabouts. These unconventional prompts are a chance to

by Laura Stampler This article is from Time Magazine. A Gallup poll found that the biggest factor in post-grad satisfaction was engagement in college — no matter whether you went to a state school or an Ivy league college The agony of college applications is often endured because of a supposed light at the end of

If you were considering a structured gap year, here is a new opportunity that you must read about! http://bigstory.ap.org/article/college-offers-pay-students-take-year

As we begin a brand new year, we embrace the new challenges that 2014 may bring. Some of you might have experienced in 2013, the joy of receiving an acceptance letter to the college of their dreams. For others, the route to success might be just about to begin. Whether you are applying for college

EduPlan, your college admissions counselor would like to share another interesting study related to education, published on the insidehighered.com, written by Scott Jaschik. The article describes how certain fields of study help women earn salaries as high as the salaries men earn, based on a recent study. Your college admissions counselor guides you in the

The Bright Futures Scholarship application becomes available on December first of each year. Students applying for this scholarship program sponsored by the Florida Lottery should do so before they graduate high school in order to receive the award, otherwise they will not be eligible for this award later on. The website is easy to navigate

A report from The Washington Post, sent to us by Randy McKnight, from AGM-College Advisors, explains how it is common in the U.S for some Universities to have several empty seats in the Freshman year.  Higher education costs or high school drop outs could be the cause. Please read more details in the following article

CollegeExplorations.com sent us a very interesting article published on the examiner.com, regarding the technical problems with the Common App and its impact in early decision or Early Action (EA). Some Universities were able to report early enough of their success despite the problems student encountered. It actually ended up being very successful based on reports

Randy McKnight, from AGM-College Advisors, LLC, has shared an Article with EduPlan, that shows  how students with a high GPA and those who have been involved in their community, are being rejected from the University of their dream. Read the story of Amanda Scarangella. Loudoun Supervisors push to limit out-of-state students in Virginia universities By

In a report Published by PBS Newshour, Latino dropouts testimonies have been put into perspective based on crisis through the eyes of six Latino students. Filmmaker Bernardo Ruiz, showcases extraordinary children stories and used them as a metaphor based on the lives of 6 Latino  kids, from different parts of the USA. Ruiz, said, that

Our own Claudine Vainrub, Principal at EduPlan and college and career counselor, has been once again quoted in an online article related to education. In the article published by Yahoo Education “Seven degrees for high-income careers”, Ms. Vainrub expressed her opinion about Psychology degrees:  “Psychology majors become great assets in corporate departments such as human

Did you ever imagine having Cinderella as a study buddy? It is obvious that college admission is not  fairy tell. However, the following article published on ivillage.com, writer Allie Sutherland, was able to match some of our favorite Disney princesses to the colleges and universities that would make their professional dreams come true. Find out

A report published on usnewsuniversitydirectory.com states that some colleges are using FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) data improperly in the admissions process. This free application, allows students to apply for financial aid and is one of the most commonly used online forms. The usnews universitydirectory  makes reference to a  publication in the Inside Higher

George Washington University admitted publicly last week, that they place students on a waitlist each year if they can not pay GW’s tuition, according to the gwhatchet.com.  The controversy arises because  their admissions policy states that the University remained need-blind. In a report published by the gwhatchet.com, Associate Provost for Enrollment Management, states that “students who meet

The new version of the Common Application that was launched back in August has been the cause for Colleges and Universities to extend their deadlines. As we’ve been reporting in recent articles, it has been due to technical difficulties.   The following article, published by the Examiner.com, states that the new application has caused frustration.

The Following list of ACT scores with Colleges accepting best composite, was originally compiled by Heath Einstein at Solomon Schechter School of Westchester in December,  2007. It was updated by Scott M. Doughty of The Pennington School in July, 2012. Another  update was made by Cigus Vanni from Cherry Hill High School West, in March

Florida’s 12th and newest state university, Florida Polytechnic University, will open  fall 2014  in Central Florida .   To learn more, please visit their website at: www.FloridaPolytechnic.org    

Presidents from various Florida colleges and universities are asking congress to pass an immigration reform that will allow international students to work after completing their advanced degrees. An article posted on WLRN.org states that more than 60 percent of students earning recent doctorates in engineering were non-citizens. The following article was published on September 17,

Big changes to the essay section have been implemented this year on the Common Application. This non-profit organization helps cut down the number of applications and essays, a student has to complete when applying to various colleges and universities. WLRN.ORG states on an article published on Monday, September 16 that “despite the rapid increase in

Ranking Princeton University as #1, the USNews has released the annual listing of Colleges and Universities ranked best at a national level. Schools in the National Universities category, such as the University of Chicago and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master’s and Ph.D. programs. These colleges also

After analyzing College Board Data, the New York Times has produced a chart with information on Colleges and Universities that award aid based on academic promise. This data will be very useful for students who are not eligible for enough need-based aid. Source: http://www.nytimes.com It’s the fate of being in the middle: a good student but

It is no news that ethnic origin, religious affiliation, nationality, race, and class are taken under consideration for admissions purposes. However, we find that the need to include diversity can provide an opportunity for student applicants. “A study released this week by The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce reinforces the news we

Check out these rankings, they rate schools from another perspective. There are many different ways to rank schools and this is why it is important to understand that: #1-Rankings are SUBJECTIVE! #2- Rankings should NOT be the reason why you decide to attend one college vs. another. Rankings should be viewed as a way to

The Indiana University Office of Admissions will be hosting a Preview event in South Florida for high school juniors and seniors. This event is designed to allow students and their families to obtain answers to questions they may have related to applying to and enrolling at IU. Students will also have the opportunity to connect

USA Today reported that thousands of young adults who were brought to America as children through other than legal means are now college graduates.  There’s Cesar Vargas, a Law graduate from CUNY who passed the bar; there’s Adriana Sanchez, a daughter of farm workers who graduated with a Masters in International Relations who now works

The CommonApp is out for Spring and Fall 2014 candidates! There were some glitches today, and many of the college supplements are still missing, but if you have a bit of patience, you can get ahead and start filling out all information! The new CommonApp is very intuitive, but if you get stuck or have

As reported by Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director for FairTest, as of July 1, 2013, U.S.residents seeking undergraduate admission to Brandeis University  “are not required to submit standardized test scores.”  The school labels this a “test-flexible” policy, though ACT/SAT scores appear to be optional for all such applicants For those who pay attention to such factors, Brandeis

          The list compiled below by Cigus Vanni, a member of the New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling Executive Board and former member of the NACAC Professional Development Committee (2007-2010), is based on personal research utilizing data from The Common Application; from The College Board publication The College Handbook 2014; and from

The Common App goes live on August 1st and there are lots of changes to watch for.  Known as CA4, this newest generation of the Common App is a streamlined version of the program, designed to make the college application process as easy and pertinent as possible for both the applicant and the member colleges

Some schools are publishing their supplemental essay prompts early (prior to the August 1st deadline Common Application deadline). This is great news for students and EduPlan counselors, since we can start early working on these important essays! To gather the specific prompts, visit the school’s website, click on the admissions tab and look for information

Since 1997, Florida high school students with a high GPA and a limited budget could rest assured that they would probably qualify for a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship to help pay their way through college.  Unfortunately, this is changing, and students can no longer assume that this will be an option.  As part of their

Going to college is exciting, but it can also be a little frightening.  The recent stabbing spree at Houston’s Lone Star College provides food for thought regarding campus safety, especially as the time to leave for college gets closer. Here is some information regarding keeping safe while in your college years: The first thing to

When writing, our advise as college counselors is to start by reading… Get inspired by stories and the narrative of other students that also applied to college but in previous years. Here are four examples worth reading, published by The New York Times. Draw ideas from these and other essays to draft a document that

Anticipated SAT® Test Administration Dates Please note: These anticipated test dates are provided for planning purposes and are subject to final confirmation. The finalized, confirmed test dates, when announced, may differ from the dates shown in this document. From SAT Program Operations   2013-14   October 2013 Saturday, October 5 Sunday, October 6   November

If you still haven’t heard of Harvey Mudd College, it’s time to get informed! Again, Harvey Mudd tops a college ranking. Payscale’s 2012 ROI (Return On Investment) rankings measures the value students get back from the investment they make in their college education. The list is very interesting, as you will find in it some

• The Deferred Action Clinic will offer undocumented students 15 years or older with free help completing immigration paperwork to qualify for a work permit and driver’s license. • The next clinic is scheduled on Saturday, May 18, 2013, at FIU College of Law, 11200 SW 8 Street, Miami, Florida 33199, from 9:00 a.m. to