Mr. K's College Knowledge

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 ...

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...

The next school I would like to highlight is the University of Portland . UP is in beautiful Portland, Oregon, surrounded by a picturesque river and mountain range. It is a Roman Catholic school, and is part of the Holy Cross congregation. The two other colleges that are Holy Cross schools are Stonehill and Notre Dame. Although UP is far from the east coast, this is definitely a school worth checking out. The campus was stunning, the academics are diverse and strong, and you get a real sense of a strong and vibrant community. This is a school I would feel very comfortable recommending to my students. Below are some “quick hitter” stats about the school, and I will have my final thoughts at the bottom. Enjoy! University of Portland Stats Undergraduate enrollment: 3,320 Middle 50% for  admissions : SAT: 1610-1940, GPA: 3.64, Percent Accepted: 66% Average Amount of Merit Scholarships Awarded per year, per student: $13, 420 Average Amount of Need Based Financial Aid ...

Recently, I have had the pleasure of traveling to nine colleges in Seattle, Portland, and Saint Louis. Visiting schools across the country give me great perspective and insight on the different programs and environments available to all students. Since I have always worked with students in the NYC area, I have noticed that most students and families are “stuck” in the 3-5 hour bubble of schools. Of course, there are hundreds of terrific colleges and universities in this part of the country; I hate to see students limit themselves. Traveling around the country has opened my eyes to some incredible places, and I am excited to share these experiences with all of you. In the coming weeks, I will highlight the schools I visited, and I hope that you will take a closer look at these schools and others, that you may not have thought about before. The first university I would like to highlight is Saint LouisUniversity , most commonly referred to as SLU. Here are a few SLU ‘quick-hitters’: ...