Murphy College Consultants Blog

The Common Application Goes Live…Not Quite Yet

kiersten_murphy@yahoo.com — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 03:10:37 GMT

This year the Common Application will not go live until August 1st, which is a month later than last year. There are several changes to the application this year, which include questions about language proficiency and religious preference (optional) to name a few. The application has also consolidated the activities and work sections into one space.

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Private Colleges to Increase Tuition by 4.5%

kiersten_murphy@yahoo.com — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 07:56:18 GMT

According to a survey released by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, private colleges will increase tuition and fees by an average of 4.5% during the 2010-11 year. While college tuition hikes continue to outpace inflation, it is worthy to note that private colleges continue to increase in-house student aid by 6.9%. Although many anticipated that these tuition hikes would dramatically effect enrollment, the numbers did not decline this past year.

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Top 10 Things for Parents to Remember

kiersten_murphy@yahoo.com — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:43:51 GMT

I saw an article this week in The Choice, an education blog dedicated to the college admission process in The New York Times. The writer shared some thoughts about her recent visit to Middlebury College with her daughter and posted a handout she came across while in Admissions titled Top 10 Things for Parents to Remember. I think that Middlebury has done a great job in concisely saying how parents can help to make the college process a successful one for their child.

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What Colleges Hope to See in You

kiersten_murphy@yahoo.com — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:54:47 GMT

This past week the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) released a survey of the "Top 10 Strengths and Experiences Colleges Look for in High School Students." The survey reflects the collective opinions of the most experienced college counselors in the profession who have observed trends in college admission for nearly forty years and who have a good grasp of what colleges are looking for in their applicants.

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Summer College Trip Tips

kiersten_murphy@yahoo.com — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:33:32 GMT

Why Should You Visit?
I don't think there are many of you out there that would buy an expensive pair of jeans or a new car without trying it out. You can read about it, look at pictures, but you really don't know how it fits you. The same would be true of one of your biggest investments – your college education. College brochures are attractive, websites offer details relating to statistics, but what you really need to do is to see it, to know if you can ultimately see yourself there.

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Colleges That Don’t Charge Tuition

kiersten_murphy@yahoo.com — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 22:08:56 GMT

Everyone loves a great bargain, especially when it comes to college tuition. It is a little known secret that there is a small group of colleges in the U.S. that offer a free education. There is one caveat though; some do charge for room and board, while others have some fees or requirements associated with attending. For example, Berea College in Kentucky offers a wonderful liberal arts education to its students,

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Changes in Admissions at University of Washington

kiersten_murphy@yahoo.com — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 22:57:59 GMT

On Tuesday, Dr. Phillip Ballinger, Director of Undergraduate Admission at UW announced that the admissions office was adopting a new policy that would affect students applying this year. Beginning this fall, UW will adopt a "pooling" admissions process which means that they will no longer have a rolling admission deadline. In layman's terms – they now have an official deadline for freshmen applications (Honors Program included) - December 15, 2010.

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Consider a Gem: Colleges that Change Lives

kiersten_murphy@yahoo.com — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 04:05:12 GMT

If you are anything like me, you have grown tired of hearing about certain colleges that seem to grab the spotlight. If you are interested in taking a deeper look at some colleges that fly under the radar, but are arguably just as significant, take a look at Loren Pope's book Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL) which explores colleges that share common characteristics such as a lifelong love of learning and providing a foundation for a successful life. When Mr. Pope put together this book in 1996, he wanted to look beyond misconceptions and misinformation about colleges in this nation, and wanted to provide families with alternatives to make informed choices.

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Colleges Can Rescind Their Offers of Admission

kiersten_murphy@yahoo.com — Fri, 28 May 2010 22:19:27 GMT

I know what you are thinking seniors - it is all downhill from here until graduation. You have officially enrolled at your future college and you are ready to coast to the finish line. But there is a little something you might not know - your college acceptance can be rescinded. At the end of this semester, your guidance counselor will send off your report card and if there is something questionable on it, a college might pull their offer to you. With bulging waitlists, colleges can quickly fill your spot, and there will be eager students to take it.

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Myths of College Admission

kiersten_murphy@yahoo.com — Thu, 27 May 2010 20:54:11 GMT

The Washington Post put out an article this week highlighting 5 common myths about college admission. While many of them are worth pointing out, I do believe that the forth myth is the most important to keep in mind. As you consider colleges, do pay attention to retention numbers and graduation rates as part of your selection criteria.

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