http://blogs.kaptest.com/college Just another Blogs.kaptest.com Blogs weblog Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:20:50 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Since junior high, I’ve participated in numerous extracurricular activities in hopes of discovering a career that I could be passionate about. Although I know what I love, which is music and that I’m a pretty engaged writer, I never thought of myself using either in pursuit of a career. Most ... http://blogs.kaptest.com/college/discovering-your-passion/ In today’s college admissions climate, successful applicants need to present as more than just the contents of their application. Sure, strong academic credentials are necessary, but they are no longer sufficient to earn admission into many of the nation’s highly selective institutions.  In addition to excellent grades and test scores, ... http://blogs.kaptest.com/college/6-tips-to-ace-your-college-interview/ Although summer is a great time to kick back and relax, it also is the perfect time to open the doors to preparing for college. Senior year can be a time of fun and also very stressful, but if you prepare yourself now it will pay off in the future. ... http://blogs.kaptest.com/college/are-you-ready-for-senior-year/ Let’s face it – preparing for college admission tests is a big deal. Fortunately, you do not have to face them alone. At Kaplan, we’ve prepared tens of thousands of students for these tests, so we know a thing or two about the best ways to reach your goal. Here ... http://blogs.kaptest.com/college/ready-for-test-day/ Despite belief (and perhaps wishes) to the contrary, summer plays an extremely important role in the college admissions process.  These next few months give rising seniors, many of whom are otherwise bogged down with projects and exams, the opportunity to prepare their applications, round out their applicant profile, and bypass ... http://blogs.kaptest.com/college/get-ahead-this-summer/ The “four-year degree” is quickly becoming a misnomer.  The majority of colleges and universities in the United States now possess four-year graduation rates well below 50%, including many competitive, flagship institutions like the University of Texas (48%), Ohio State (42%), and the University of Colorado (41%).   It’s appalling that so ... http://blogs.kaptest.com/college/college-the-best-four-or-more-years-of-your-life/ The pursuit of higher education, in most cases, is a great investment; but in the short term, attending college can seem like a prohibitively expensive endeavor.  College costs have risen dramatically over the past decade, to exorbitant levels at many institutions, and families are finding it increasingly difficult to cover ... http://blogs.kaptest.com/college/test-your-way-to-lower-tuition/ Appearances can be deceiving.  This is especially true when it comes to financial aid.  As April approaches, most college-bound seniors should expect to receive letters from their prospective schools, which detail the financial aid packages that have been awarded to them. Ideally, a financial aid package is intended to cover ... http://blogs.kaptest.com/college/analyzing-the-award-letter/ “It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.” This age-old maxim applies not just to sports, but to high school and to college admissions as well.  Most students would be surprised to discover that a student’s secondary school record, or the types of courses in ... http://blogs.kaptest.com/college/when-it-comes-to-your-courses-choose-wisely/ Deferred.  It’s a word that every early applicant fears. Neither accepted nor denied, deferred students often feel as if they have been banished to college admissions purgatory, sentenced to a state of suffering and uncertainty from which they can do nothing to extricate themselves.  Fortunately, deferment is not the hopeless ... http://blogs.kaptest.com/college/what-to-do-if-you%e2%80%99re-deferred/