Mr. K's College Knowledge

Hey Everyone, I had the pleasure of speaking with a representative from the University of East Anglia yesterday, and it sounds like a great opportunity for students potentially looking to study abroad. University of East Anglia is a medium sized university in the relatively small city of Norwich, England. For many, it can be tough to imagine going to college anywhere but in the United States, but it is important to have an open mind, and consider options outside of the states. For one, it can be CONSIDERABLY cheaper to study abroad, and it is a great opportunity to be immersed in a completely different culture and environment, and students can get some of the best education in countries outside the U.S. Below you will find a few highlights of the University of East Anglia and their website, so take a look, give it some thought, and truly imagine yourself completing your undergraduate years in another part of the world! UEA is located in a quintessential English city, very cozy,...

Hey Everyone, As November 1st nears, seniors (and counselors) are officially in the thick of it all...sending out applications, getting back the latest SAT and ACT scores, and finalizing the college lists. It is a very exciting time, but a little scary as well...take a breath though, we will all get through it! For juniors, you are just beginning to think about potential colleges, and starting to line up your own SAT and ACT schedule...the possibilities are endless right now, so enjoy this time! I think at times we imagine admissions counselors to be these mythological people that live in a far away play, deciding the fate of our youth. In reality, admissions counselors are real people, with similar lives to all of us...some even have their own children going through the college application process! The New York Times recently interviewed a few admissions counselors from colleges across the country to ask them the type of advice they are giving their own teenagers who are applying ...

Most people associate USC with the University of Southern California, but people in the south will tell you the real USC is the University of South Carolina . I mean it was founded 79 years before Southern California, so I could see why some people get fired up about who gets to call themselves USC. Regardless, the University of South Carolina is one of the finest and oldest public institutions in the nation, founded way back in 1801. U of South Carolina is located in the Capitol City of Columbia, South Carolina and educates just under 25,000 students. When I toured the school a few weeks ago, I was extremely impressed with the layout of the campus, and the very strong academic profile of the school. This is a place we are seeing more and more students go to and I can definitely understand why it is so appealing to our students. Academics and Cost The University of South Carolina is growing at a rapid pace, with new buildings popping up all over campus, such as their brand new, sta...

Last week, I was fortunate enough to travel to High Point University , in High Point, North Carolina, for a college counselor fly-in, to learn more about the school. To be honest, I did not know much about HPU, but I was extremely impressed with what they have to offer for students. Since I spent an entire day there, I was able to gather a ton of information, which I will try to breakdown for you below. I hope this can help you get a good grasp on the type of place HPU is, and it just may possibly be the right place for you! By the Numbers: High Point University was recently ranked the #1 most innovative college in the south and for the past four years, HPU has been ranked the #1 Best Regional University in the south by US News & World Report HPU has also been ranked by students as having the #1 food options in the country 20% of students are from North Carolina, while 80% are from the other 49 states and 38 countries There are just about 5,000 undergraduate students, whic...

As seniors are waiting for and receiving decisions for their Early Decision and Early Action applications for colleges, I wanted to share some tips to help when receiving admissions decisions from colleges. Ø    If you have been accepted to a school through Early Decision, you should withdraw your applications from any other colleges you have applied to or were planning on applying to. Remember, with Early Decision, you, your parent, and school counselor all signed an agreement, that if accepted this would be the school you would attend. Ø    If you have been deferred from Early Decision or Early Action to regular decision, do not get upset, as you still have a chance. For ED, you are no longer committed to attending the school, even if you are accepted through regular decision, so more options have just opened up. To be deferred means the college liked what they saw in your application, but they need a little more information and time before potentially ac...

Hey Everyone,  I honestly cannot believe it, but Thanksgiving is next week, which means two things: we will all soon begin to loosen our belt buckles, and many those Regular Decision deadlines are only a month away! As many students have applied Early Action, decisions will be coming soon, and there is always an opportunity to add a school or two through regular decision. One school students may want to look into adding for regular decision, is Franklin & Marshall, which I was lucky enough to visit earlier this week. I wanted to give everyone a brief look into F & M and what they are all about! Academics and General Information Let's get down to the basics. Franklin & Marshall is a residential, four-year liberal arts college located in Lancaster, PA. The school has about 2,300 undergraduates and the campus screams "classic college" with vast green space and beautiful buildings and facilities spread throughout. I haven't spent much time at all in Lan...

Hey Everyone, Last Friday, I was fortunate enough to visit St. Bonaventure, in up-state New York. I will give my opinion on the school later in the post, but I wanted to jump right into the facts and figures about St. Bonaventure, so enjoy! Academic and General Information St. Bonaventure is a Roman Catholic, Franciscan school of about 1,800 undergraduates, in an absolutely pristine part of our country (yes it will snow there in the winter, but it is actually not in the snow belt, so not as much as you would think). The campus is vast, with a ton of green space and trees all around the perimeter. It is a different world there compared to New York City, but for many people, this is a welcomed change of pace. Walking around campus, students were happy, kind to others, and seemed to just slow down a bit...they were taking in the beauty of their surroundings, and were focused on their academics and involvement in school activities. Academically, St. Bonaventure has four main colle...

We are all familiar with the high costs associated with pursuing a college education. But remember, there are many options out there to collect scholarships and financial aid. And some are more out-of-the-box that you may expect. Take Raise.me for example. I recently had the opportunity to meet with a Raise.me rep, a new organization that is partnering with colleges across the country to help families rack up "micro-scholarships" against the astronomical costs of higher education. Starting in 9th grade, students can accrue these small, conditional scholarships from colleges for accomplishments such as getting an 'A' in science class, making the Varsity swim team, being involved in community service, partaking in various extracurricular activities, and much more. If you wind up attending a school you've selected through Raise.me, the micro scholarships you've built up will be applied to your tuition. The process is very simple; go to their website , creat...