Mr. K's College Knowledge

Key Stats: ·           Location : Macon, Georgia (about an hour southeast of Atlanta) ·           Type : Private University, in a defined campus surrounded by the small city of Macon ·           Size : Just about 3,300 total undergraduates ·           The total  cost of attendance  is just over $51,000 per year , but Mercer University does offer an abundance of financial aid and merit scholarships.  MU awards nearly $20,000,000 to incoming students each year, with more than 90% of the entire school population receiving scholarships. Mercer has also recently been recognized as a Top 25 "Best Value School" in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Admissions Stats: Mercer University  is a medium sized selective university, whose students represent 39 states and 36 countries...

As I look out my window at the snow, sleet, and freezing rain pummeling my sidewalk, I am wishing I was back in sunny California, on the top of a hill, looking at the city of San Francisco go on and on towards the ocean. The sky is a vibrant blue, with a slight chill in the breeze. Surrounded by eager college students on the move, I could definitely picture myself here as an undergraduate student at the University of San Francisco. USF has a beautiful and manageable campus with epic views of the Bay Area...with restaurants, shops, museums, and not to mention the countless tech industry companies within walking distance, University of San Francisco seems like an ideal place to study, grow, and prepare for a successful career. Here’s everything you need to know about University of San Francisco , plus my personal perspective below. Key Figures: University of San Francisco was opened in 1855, and was the first university in San Francisco. USF is one of the 28 Jesuit universiti...

During the last week of summer, I was lucky enough to be invited to Lafayette College along with four other NYC college counselors. I hopped into a minivan with the four counselors, and the Lafayette College admissions representative behind the wheel, and an hour and twenty minutes later I arrived in Easton, PA to Lafayette’s beautiful suburban campus.  I spent the day there, learning more about the school’s academics, admissions, and overall community. Here’s everything you need to know about Lafayette College, plus my personal perspective below. Key Stats: ·          Location : Easton, Pennsylvania (the first exit leaving New Jersey) ·          Type : Medium-sized, private liberal arts college with a very strong engineering program ·          Size : 2,500 students in a residential campus/suburban setting ·       ...

S o you are officially a senior...this is exciting right? Only one more year of high school and then you are off to pursue the major of your choice at hopefully the college of your choosing! Although many students would like the college application process to be over already, you still have many months left. Some of the more important months throughout this process are June, July and August. The summer is a crucial time to prepare, search, and begin to formalize your college application plans. It is definitely not a time to sit around and do nothing. So look at these following tips on ways you can best utilize your summer days to best prepare yourself for the fall when you finally apply to college! Get Involved:  Depending on the selectiveness of the colleges you are applying to, admissions counselors are looking for applicants who have done something positive during their time off. Whether it is traveling, taking a pre-college summer class, volunteering, or working, make sure...

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to visit 5 colleges and universities in South Carolina. I saw Furman University, Clemson University, University of South Carolina, College of Charleston, and Wofford College. Each one of these schools were different, but they all had amazing qualities, and I would be happy to send any students to these 5 schools. I want to first talk about Furman University , which is located in Greenville, South Carolina. Greenville is located in the Northwest region on South Carolina, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and is one of the most charming small cities I have seen. There is a beautiful small river that runs through the town, it has one of the most admired Main Streets in the country, and is consistently ranked as one of the top places to live. Furman is about a 5 minute ride to downtown Greenville, and is also right next to another smaller downtown area, giving students a ton of off campus options. A Few Quick Stats Furman itself is locat...

Hey Everyone, I cannot believe it, but we are actually close to the end of July, and it feels like this summer is flying by! I hope everyone has been utilizing their extra free time and traveling to a few colleges. There is still time, as most colleges will have information sessions and tours throughout August. Also, for you Xavier students, classes start late this year because of a late Labor Day, so you have even more time to visit colleges. Be on the lookout for open houses at schools across the country, as many of those occur in September and October, and most of them you will need to sign-up for in advance. Okay, with that announcement out of the way, I want to talk about my trip to Elon University earlier this month. As many of you know, I visited seven schools in Virginia and North Carolina, however, there was one that truly stood out to me, and that was Elon University. I honestly was shocked by their campus and what they have to offer to students. This is a school that is ...

General Information The second school from my New England college tour was Trinity College  located in Hartford, CT. Trinity College is located about 2 hours from New York City, set on top of the city of Hartford on a ridiculously beautiful 100-acre campus. Trinity is also in the NESCAC athletics conference, often referred to as the "baby ivies". It is a liberal arts and sciences college, but it does house an engineering school with multiple majors. There are just about 2,300 undergraduate students, which makes in an ideal size for students looking for an intimate, but not too small college. The student to faculty ratio is 10:1, the average class size is 19 students, and over 50% of their students complete at least one internship during their time at Trinity. The majority of students come from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York, but they have a growing number of international students, which is at about 11% right now. Their main academic buildings surround an enormous...

Last week, I visited 10 colleges and universities in Connecticut and New York. Over the next two weeks, I will discuss my thoughts on these schools, share valuable information, and post a few pictures from each school. The first school I want to share with you is Marist College, located in Poughkeepsie, New York. Located only 2 hours north of New York City, it is situated on a beautiful 200 acre campus on the banks of the Hudson River. As soon as you pull off the main road onto their campus, you are struck by the beauty of their surroundings. Lately, Marist has put a lot of time and money into their campus and buildings, and it shows. Most of the buildings are a similar color of gray stone, all of the Division 1 sports fields are located throughout the campus, and their center of school is a gorgeous lawn on a small hill facing the Hudson River. General Information Marist College has just under 4,800 students, which is a really nice size, and boasts a 16:1 student to faculty rati...

At the end of January, I was lucky enough to attend a counselor-fly-in to the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida for three days. I have never visited this school and I was impressed with the high level of academics and the beautiful community of students, faculty, and surrounding environment that makes up 'The U". Miami is a research university and has just over 11,000 undergraduates, which makes it a very accessible campus, and allows for students to get to know their faculty and administration and establish relationships to help with their academics and career search. As you can see by the pictures below, the University of Miami is situated on an absolutely beautiful campus surrounding a small lake with water fountains in the middle. Right next to the lake is an outdoor swimming pool with Olympic style diving boards. The University is about 25 minutes outside of Miami, and is in the suburbs of Coral Gables, which is an absolutely pristine town. Academically, the ...

Today, I had the pleasure of meeting with two admissions representatives from Saint Anselm College for a presentation about their school. Saint Anselm College is located Manchester, New Hampshire, only about 4 hours from Manhattan. Saint Anselm, also referred to as Saint A's is a Catholic Benedictine Liberal Arts College with about 1,900 underclassmen. I will admit that I did not know as much about St. A's as I do with other schools, but after learning more today, this is a school I am eager to visit, and will recommend to many students in the future. Saint Anselm is situated in the beautiful city of Manchester , on a picturesque campus in New Hampshire. The school is only 1 hour from Boston and the ocean, and only 10 minutes from the airport. This is a place that embodies what a true college community is all about. It attracts students who are eager to participate in a liberal arts education where they will be challenged, but supported by peers, professors, and administrato...

The University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia has started a new initiative that will certainly help students during their summer breaks. Richmond is now guaranteeing all students will be given $4,000 for a summer research or internship experience. This is called the Richmond Guarantee , which will help all students have the “opportunity to pursue the internship, research experience, creative project, or service learning opportunity that best complements their academic pursuits - in any field of endeavor, and in any part of the world.” Richmond is a terrific school with great academics, and is often in the top lists for most beautiful college campuses. Only 5 ½ hours away from New York City, it is a perfect distance for students who want to get away, but not be too far from home. With just under 3,000 students, the school offers an abundance of majors, with business related degrees being their most popular. Richmond has always been a school worth considering, but the Richmond Guara...