CEOs teach in M.B.A. classrooms

Most CEOs spend the latter years of their professional lives giving presentations in high-pressure board rooms for select groups of middle-aged power brokers, not in lecture halls filled with green but eager M.B.A. students, says U.S. News & World Report. However, a few opt to trade in their corner office for office hours and venture into the world of higher education. CEOs who once sat at the helm of firms ranging from startup tech companies to corporate entertainment juggernauts now lend their expertise and impart wisdom gained through experience to a new generation of prospective business leaders…

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Examine alternative routes to a 4-year degree

As economic uncertainty continues to linger, more families are taking stock of potential alternatives to the traditional path to a four-year college degree, according to U.S. News & World Report. A popular option is one that involves taking the first two years of college at a less expensive two- or four-year college and then transferring into a higher profile (and higher priced) four-year institution from which the degree is granted. On the surface, this strategy seems very practical as a cost-savings measure. It becomes even more so if the student is able to avoid residential expenses by living at home for the first two years. Upon closer examination, however, the net impact–financially and educationally–might not always match expectations…

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Full Sail University receives numerous honors from USDLA

In an effort to reward outstanding online institutions and brick-and-mortar schools that offer web-based programs, the U.S. Distance Learning Association (USDLA) presents honors to deserving universities, reports U.S. News & World Report. For example, the USDLA recently announced in a press release that Full Sail University won the 2011 International Distance Learning Award. This honor is annually given to organizations and individuals who demonstrate excellence in the delivery of distance education…

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3 steps for choosing the right high school classes

Success in the college admissions process is rarely a factor of raw talent. There can be little doubt about the pool of talent from which colleges draw their entering classes. Most students who apply to colleges–including the most highly selective–possess the talent to compete at least minimally in the classrooms at those colleges. Finding success as an applicant, however, rests more on what you do with the talents you possess than the fact that you have them, reports U.S. News & World Report. In other words, “How do you choose to apply yourself?”

This question is particularly relevant for high school students as they make course selections…

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Graduate schools quantify your potential

In July 2009, the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the nonprofit educational testing and research organization that administers the GRE, began offering the Personal Potential Index, according to U.S. News & World Report. This new evaluation tool is designed to quantify a student’s abilities in six areas: knowledge and creativity, communication skills, teamwork, resilience, planning and organization, and ethics and integrity. At no extra charge, Graduate school candidates who take the GRE can ask recommenders to rate them on a web-based form, and may send up to four reports to schools. The form asks recommenders to rate the student from “below average” to “truly exceptional” regarding 24 statements, which include “is among the most honest people I know” and “works well under stress.” For those who aren’t taking the GRE, but who wish to submit a PPI, the cost is $20 per report…

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Relieve student loan burden with public service

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program created by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act encourages individuals to enter and continue full-time public service employment by offering loan forgiveness for those borrowers that meet the requirements, reports U.S. News & World Report. To qualify, a borrower must make 120 qualifying monthly loan payments (once a month for 10 years) on eligible loans while working in qualifying public service employment.

What is qualifying employment? Qualifying public service employment is full-time paid work in the government; a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; an AmeriCorps or Peace Corps position; or for a private “public service organization.”

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Pick from the federal student loan smorgasbord

If you need to borrow to finance your education, federal student loans should be first on your menu. Congress and the U.S. Department of Education regulate federal student loans, setting maximum interest rates, borrowing limits, and other important loan terms, reports U.S. News & World Report. These loans come in loads of different flavors. Here’s a taste of what you might borrow:

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Early applicants more likely to gain college admission

High school seniors who apply to college early–through “Early Decision” or “Early Action” programs with fall deadlines–are more likely to receive admission letters than those who apply using the regular deadlines and processes at more than 80 percent of the collegesthat report such statistics, according to U.S News & World Report. And the admissions advantage is big, according to the publication’s analysis of the 233 colleges that report separate rates for their early admission programs. In 2009, the last year for which complete data is available, the typical college’s early acceptance rate was 15 percentage points higher than its rate for those who sent their applications in by the standard deadlines, which are usually in December or January. In some cases, however, such as the University of Arkansas and SUNY’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry, more than 80 percent of early applicants gained admission, compared to less than a third of the regular applicants. Of course, many colleges insist that the early admission rates only appear higher because better students apply early, and that those students would win admissions if they applied in the regular pool. But some colleges say they do give preferences to early applicants. And the disparities in admissions rates may be key reasons that Dartmouth College, Duke University, MIT, and many other colleges reported record numbers of early applications this year. The differences in the admission rates will also likely continue to fuel a debate over whether early admissions programs are good for students. In 2006, Harvard University stopped its early admissions program after a 2003 book by some of its faculty showed that wealthy and privileged students benefited the most from early admissions programs. A research team led by Christopher Avery, a professor at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, found that, for example, students who applied early got less financial aid…

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Report: More government involvement needed in college search process

Prospective students and their parents need more and far better information–particularly about outcomes–in order to help them decide the best school to attend and the federal government should take the lead to distribute this information and mandate new data requirements, reports U.S. News & World Report. This conclusion is from a just released report, “Grading Higher Education Giving Consumers the Information They Need,” by Harvard University professor Bridget Terry Long.

The report’s key conclusion is:

“for the federal government to expand the types of information that are available and allow users to compare indicators like cost, financial aid, student debt, employment outcomes, and average salaries following graduation, across peer institutions. An important part of the proposal is dissemination. To make sure the information is available to all who could benefit, additional effort must be taken to translate and circulate this information to an audience that may understand little about higher education offerings, pricing, aid, or quality. The federal government should actively reach out to potential students where they live, study and work. This should be done not only through an online interface but also partnerships with educational, social services, and employment organizations along with other government agencies.”…Read More

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