One of the main dilemmas among college and university admissions personnel is how to handle students who are undocumented citizens (”illegal immigrants”). These students have made it through the public education system and graduated high school – and now, just like all of their classmates, they’re applying to college. Should the government have the power to require university admissions staff to report these students to the Dpt of Homeland Security for deportation? (more…)

Already planned how you’re spending your stimulus check? Think again – you actually may not ever see it.

Uncle Sam might have decided that the best way for you to spend your check it to automatically pay off your debts for you, including your student loans. (more…)

OK, so this first one isn’t a blog, but the New York Times has a great article on students’ career choices after college, and how the Ivy League is trying to encourage more students to join Teach for America instead of faceless corporate giants. Bear Stearns may not be knocking on your door anytime soon (which is probably a good thing), but this kind of decision resonates with students all over the world, especially those with student loans to pay back. (more…)

An internship at the Beijing Olympics? Talk about a resume builder. How could you say no?

Well, I suppose if you are boycotting the Olympics for the Chinese political domination over Tibet, you could technically say no. (If you’ve seen or read Seven Years in Tibet, you’d have some sympathy.) But, overall, as a college student who wants a career in media broadcasting, it’s hard to turn down the opportunity to intern with Olympic News Service. (more…)

Today’s post is brought to you by guest blogger Mary!

High schoolers and others hoping to attend two of the nation’s most prestigious liberal arts colleges — Smith College in Massachusetts and Wake Forest University in North Carolina — won’t have to sweat taking the ACT or SAT to be considered for fall 2009 admission. The reason? Both schools want their student bodies to be more socioeconomically, racially, and ethnically diverse.

Today, about 760 of the nation’s 2,500 accredited institutions of higher learning have loosened or eliminated admissions exam requirements, although many applicants submit their scores anyway. The addition of such selective schools (Wake Forest admitted just 38 percent of 9,000 applicants for fall 2008) to the list has sparked new debate on an old topic: are standardized tests elitist or essential?

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Good morning boys and girls! The Chronicle of Higher Ed reports some very encouraging news from Iran, where thousands of university students fearlessly protested the sexual harassment of a female student by the vice chancellor. Coming as it does in the midst of the latest government crackdown, the support of these students for the rights of a woman is heartening indeed. (more…)

If you’re one of those students who wants to actually graduate before your hair turns grey, summer school can help speed you through the system. These days, it can take at least five years to earn a four-year degree at a large, state-funded university. Why do I want to accrue more loans taking pottery when I should be starting coursework in my major? (more…)

What’s the big deal about celebrities speaking at university commencements? Does it really help us think about our life objectives – or is it just about good press for the college? And why does it seem to be a popular stop on the campaign trail to the White House? (more…)

So there’s a lot of flap going on right now about Mark Bauerlein’s overtitled new book, “The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don’t Trust Anyone Under 30).”

As the latest in a very long line of hand-wringing polemics about These Kids Today (dating back to ancient Greece), Bauerlein predictably complains that all this sitting around and typing and staring at screens is ruining the minds of America’s future leaders, and that when these vacuous brats finally get their overdeveloped thumbs onto the joystick of power, we’re all doomed. (more…)

It can take decades for a mainstream stereotype to be dispelled in American culture. Whispers among college campuses about terrorists from Iraq sitting next to you in a composition class have rattled some students’ nerves.

Several Iraqi students have earned the unique privilege of an F-1 student visa to study at selected U.S. colleges. (And, yes, they have to undergo background checks and several interviews with the consul at the U.S. embassy and again with a representative from Homeland Security.) (more…)