Latest news with #CollegeConnection
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The best ways to save money on college
While most college-bound students, and their parents, are aware of the high cost of a college education, many don't realize the steps they can take to minimize this expenditure. Students should take Advanced Placement (AP) courses in high school, if they are able to handle the workload, in order to start college with credits. They should also take an extra course (at no additional cost) each semester during their college years. These efforts should allow them to graduate within four years, or even sooner, and provide leeway for them to double major or earn a major and a minor. If students are pursuing a field like Physical Therapy or Physician Assistant, they should choose a direct entry program. This allows them to move seamlessly from their undergraduate into the advanced degree program, often cutting a year or more (and a great deal of money) off their education. More: 2025 high school graduating class largest, most competitive | College Connection Students should actively pursue college scholarships. offers a scholarship search database that includes four million scholarships that are collectively worth over $22 billion. College Board's BigFuture website offers a scholarship search tool to match students with 24,000 scholarships providing more than $1.5 billion per year, with $100 million going unclaimed each year. Students should also seek scholarships through organizations with which they, or their parents, are affiliated. These include workplaces, religious organizations, Scouts, 4-H, etc. Also, high school guidance offices have applications for all local scholarships which are much less competitive than those for national scholarships. Getting a job is also helpful in earning funds to be earmarked for college. It's especially beneficial to gain employment with a company like Chipotle, which offers $5,250 per year in tuition reimbursement to its employees – in addition to their salary. More: Utilize these summer opportunities to boost college applications | College Connection Students and their families can calculate the estimated out-of-pocket cost of colleges under consideration with the Net Price Calculator provided on most college websites. This is a great comparison tool for determining the likely difference in price between attending an in-state public college, like Rutgers University or The College of New Jersey, with a private college, such as Stevens Institute of Technology or Seton Hall University. Another extremely helpful resource is the website where students can look up any major and find every college that offers it. They can also see the average amount that students are actually paying to attend each college, after subtracting grants and financial aid, as opposed to the sticker price. It also shows the median salary that students are earning in their field, five years after graduation. Thus, this website is very helpful in identifying which college provides the best value for your money. Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit or call 908-369-5362. This article originally appeared on The best ways to save money on college | Opinion
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
These are the most popular AP courses
More than 81,000 New Jersey high school students took AP exams last year, recognizing their importance in the college application process. According to statistics from College Board, AP courses are offered at 86% of public high schools in the state. In Central Jersey, the participation rate in AP courses is particularly impressive with more than 50% of students partaking at a multitude of schools including Hillsborough and Montgomery. But not all AP courses are equally appealing. Among ninth and 10th graders, the most popular AP courses are Human Geography, World History: Modern, European History, AP Seminar, Computer Science Principles, and World Language and Culture. Among 11th graders, the favored AP courses are English Language and Composition, U.S. History, Psychology, Biology, Physics 1, AP Seminar, AP Research, Computer Science Principles, and Art and Design. More: 4 most important achievements to highlight on college applications | College Connection Among 12th graders, the most popular AP courses are English Literature & Composition, U.S. Government & Politics, Calculus AB, Statistics, Psychology, AP Research, Computer Science Principles, Computer Science A, and Art and Design. In a survey by College Board, some 30,000 high school seniors were asked, 'What AP course(s) would you have taken if your school offered it? The responses that ranked in the Top 5 were Psychology, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Computer Science A. The benefits of taking AP courses are many. They are instrumental in helping students stand out among their peers on college applications. College admissions officers compare students from the same high school, as they are provided with identical course options. Earning high scores in an abundance of AP courses, in comparison with one's classmates, gives a boost to a student's applications. More: These 10 schools offer the best return on investment | College Connection Most colleges and universities offer college credit and/or advanced placement for qualifying AP exam scores – typically for a 5 or 4 but sometimes even for a 3. Research indicates that students who take AP courses and exams in high school are more likely than their peers to graduate from college on time, providing a substantial financial benefit. 'Universities around the world recognize AP when making admission decisions, course requisites, and awarding university credit,' according to College Board. 'In fact, half of students entering four-year colleges are now starting school with some credit from AP courses.' Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit or call 908-369-5362. This article originally appeared on These are the most popular AP courses | Opinion
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
These are the best colleges based on major
Students dreaming about their future college often consider many criteria, including location, athletic reputation and the abundance of campus amenities. But the most important factor, for those focused on their academic experience and career preparation, is their choice of major. Once students identify the majors they will pursue for their college studies, they can easily make a list of potential schools based on those with a strong reputation in their future academic field. Reputable sources for this data include and Students interested in Accounting or Marketing will find Indiana University–Bloomington ranked among the top five schools. This is a program to which local students, with good grades and SAT scores, can likely gain admission. Other schools among the top five for these fields, which are a 'stretch' for almost everyone, include University of Pennsylvania and University of Texas–Austin. More: 10 apps to help students find their best-fit college | College Connection Those pursuing the popular field of Supply Chain Management/Logistics will note that the highly competitive MIT is among the top five universities. But so too are Michigan State, Arizona State, Ohio State and the University of Tennessee–Knoxville, with overall acceptance rates of 84%, 90%, 29% and 68%, respectively. Future engineers will find the highly competitive MIT and Georgia Tech among the top five schools in most specialties. But other colleges that top the rankings for specific areas of engineering include Purdue, University of Illinois–Urbana Champaign (UIUC), University of Delaware and Virginia Tech, with overall acceptance rates of 38%, 44%, 64% and 57%, respectively. Students seeking a Bachelor of Science in Nursing will find Emory and Duke universities at the top of the list. But so too are Ohio State, University of Iowa and University of Pittsburgh, with overall acceptance rates of 29%, 85% and 50%. More: 2025 college admissions trends | College Connection Future pre-med students, interested in a direct entry BS/MD program, will find a gamut of programs with acceptance rates at 3% or lower. But many local students have been pleased to gain acceptance to this program at Seton Hall University and at Drexel University. In short, college-bound students should generate a list of the top undergraduate programs for their intended field of study. Then, while it's fine to include a few 'stretch' schools with extremely low acceptance rates, students should be sure to apply to several target schools where their credentials fall within the range of prior accepted students. Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit or call 908-369-5362. This article originally appeared on The best colleges based on major | College Connection
