BEST GRADUATION RATES

Top 5 Schools With The Best 4-Year Graduation Rate 

 

Most students go to college with the intention to finish in four years but changing or adding majors, or taking time off for personal reasons can extend your stay at a school to 5 years or more. This may be costly since your tuition and fees will be enhanced. In spite of these factors the following schools have the highest graduation rates for students who finish in 4 years.

 

  1. Pomona College in Claremont, CA 92%  Pomona College has around 45 majors and offers a 8:1 student-faculty ratio. Pomona students can also take classes at the other six colleges in the Claremont Colleges consortium. More than half of Pomona students study abroad through the nearly 50 programs Pomona offers in approximately 30 countries.

 

  1. Davidson College in Davidson, NY 90% Davidson offers more than 20 undergraduate majors. In 2007, Davidson became the nation's first liberal arts college to replace loans with grants in all financial aid packages with its initiative called The Davidson Trust, giving all students the chance to graduate free of debt. With more than 200 student organizations on campus, there are a variety of ways for students to get involved.

 

  1. Georgetown University in Washington, DC 90% Georgetown comprises several undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. There are numerous traditional residence halls, and freshmen and sophomores are required to live on campus. Other students choose to live in the townhouses and apartments surrounding campus. Notable alumni include former U.S. President Bill Clinton, actor Bradley Cooper, journalist Maria Shriver and Hall of Fame basketball player Patrick Ewing.

 

  1. University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, IN 90% Notre Dame is located in South Bend, Ind., just 100 miles outside of Chicago. Only freshmen are required to live on campus, but most students choose to remain on campus in one of the 29 single-sex residence halls. Notre Dame is divided into eight schools and colleges, the largest of which is the College of Arts and Letters. Notre Dame’s graduate and professional programs include the highly ranked Mendoza College of Business and Law School in addition to a well-regarded School of Architecture, which offers undergraduate and graduate programs.

5. Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA 89% Boston College, located just outside downtown Boston, was founded by the Society of Jesus and has maintained its Roman Catholic Jesuit religious affiliation. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies it as a university with high research activity. The school competes in nearly 30 NCAA Division I varsity sports in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the BC Eagles have one of the highest graduation rates for student athletes in the country. Students can join more than 200 clubs and organizations, but there is no Greek system on campus.


Need-blind Colleges

Need-Blind Colleges

 

Not every school needs to know your financial status when considering admitting you onto their roster. This makes it so all you have to worry about is the application process. Need-blind schools will either cover the financial part of the application process depending on how you meet the criteria or consider you for admission regardless if you can afford the costs.

What is a benefit for Attending a Need-Blind College?

 

One of the benefits of a need-blind school is that it can provide significant financial aid to students with need, as determined by FAFSA and other financial aid applications. If a student meets 100% of the need based criteria the they will be granted a significant bonus but this doesn’t mean college is completely free. Although the school will provide a generous financial aid package that will cover your expenses; you will have to pay some of these loans back.

 

What is a Drawback?

 

Most colleges and universities cannot afford to offer financial aid to all students and many will admit students on a need-blind basis but cannot offer them sufficient aid to meet their need. Many schools who admit all U.S. citizens or resident aliens without regard to need do not extend this policy to international students or to transfer students. Therefore, schools tend to be much more selective as they have relatively more applicants than other similar schools.


USEFUL MAJORS

Three of the Most Useful Majors

 

Nursing

Nursing is a great major with one of the lowest unemployment rates with earnings that range from $48,000 for recently graduated to $64,000 for experienced. This process takes four years at a college or university.

 

Mechanical Engineering

 

With a mechanical engineering degree an experienced grad can make $86,000 and a recent graduate can make about $58,000. It takes at least 4 years of undergraduate education to become an entry-level mechanical engineer. A master's degree in mechanical engineering will take an extra2 to 4 years. A Ph.D. may take another 4 to 7 years to complete.

 

Electrical Engineer

An electrical engineer can earn between $57,000 to $90,000. It takes three or four years depending on which university you go to. In the Caribbean, an Electrical Engineering degree takes 3 years or if you decide to stretch the time, you can add an additional year to make it 4 years. In countries like the USA, Canada and the UK, the standard is about 4 years.


What is SuperScoring?

 

What Is Superscoring? 

 

When a school scores the ACT test they give each subject section a score that ranges between 1 to 36. These scores are then averaged to get your composite score which is also 1 to 36. When a test is superscored  the highest Math, Science, Reading, and English scores that a student achieved on any of the dates the test was taken are averaged together for a new composite so that the student will end up with the highest possible composite score.

 

What Is The Drawback Of A Super Score?

 

While superscoring means that students are much safer when it comes to retaking the test many times, there is still a cost to be considered  Many super scoring schools will be able to see your test-taking history which can affect how they view the applicant. For example, if you took the ACT more than six times and your scores were not consistent, admissions officers might wonder how seriously you're taking the test and whether your results are a true measure of your skills.

What Are Some Schools that Allow Superscoring?

Austin College, Boston University, Colgate University, Duquesne University, Eckerd College, Florida State University, Georgia Tech, Wheaton College, and many more colleges all practice superscoring amongst many others.


FAFSA MISTAKES

FAFSA Mistakes That You Must Avoid 

 

Here is a list of mistakes that can be costly on your financial aid form. Avoid these mistakes and you should be okay! Just follow the directions and ask questions.

  1. The most frequent mistake made on the printed form is leaving a field blank. If the answer is zero or the question does not apply to you, write in a zero. If you leave a question blank, the processor will assume that you forgot to answer.

 

  1. Use the 1040 federal tax return for income reporting and reporting taxes paid. If you use your W-2 and 1099 forms, compare them with the previous years income tax return to make sure you did not overlook any source of income.

 

3.Don’t forget to report all the required sources of untaxed income. These include veterans’ noneducation benefits, child support and workers compensation or disability income.

 

  1. Report your correct marital status. If you plan to file as a married student, you must be married on or before the date that you sign your FAFSA.

 

  1. Include yourself in the household size. Even if you didn’t live there during the previous year, you should always include yourself as part of your parent’s household.

 

  1. Don’t forget to sign the application. If you’re filing as a dependent then both you and your parents must sign. If you file online, you and your parents can sign the form electronically using your FSA ID. this is very important and failure to do this will impede your award.

 

  1. Finally, remember to file on time! Do not procrastinate and hold off on filling out a Financial Aid form. The sooner you do it the sooner you will receive your aid.

Subject TEST

SAT Subject Tests 10-17

SAT Subject Tests are 20 multiple-choice standardized tests given by the College Board on individual subjects. They are usually taken to improve a student's credentials for admission to colleges in the United States. These are tests that can show how you have mastered specific subjects and help you stand out to the college of your desire.

Why Should I Take a Subject Test?

Unlike other tests in this particular exam you can choose what subject you want to be tested on. If you have mastered a specific subject this is the perfect time to show how good you truly are. It also shows that you are interested in a specific major and showcase why you qualify.

Some Colleges Require Subject Tests

Not all require subject tests but many of them do. Some colleges will require or recommend at least one SAT Subject Test as part of the application or for course placement. And if a college “recommends” them, then you know other applicants are taking them you don’t want to be at a competitive disadvantage by not supplying scores when others are.

You Can Get College Credit

Some colleges also will grant you course credit if you do well on your SAT Subject Tests, allowing you to test out of a remedial class in an area where you excel. Along with AP scores, good SAT subject test score could help you earn college credit while saving on college tuition. So not only are you showing your strengths you are also gaining college credit and saving.


Midterms!!!!!

How To Prepare For A Midterm 

Midterms can be very stressful especially when you want to have that perfect score. So what do you do to achieve your goal? There are many ways for you to do so and it all depends on what you feel comfortable and most confident with so here are a few tips for you so you can tackle that midterm!

Conduct/Review Your Notes

Now this may be obvious but one of the best ways to study for a test is to take notes that you can use as a reference for when you are confused or just need to remember something. Repetition definitely will help you in learning something and writing down information is a way of engraving it into your head. So take good notes and always look back at them! It will definitely help you.

Ask Questions

Students have a hard time asking questions because of a fear of appearing dumb but a smart person is constantly asking questions as they seek new information. Midterms are serious business therefore you don’t want to be foggy on any topic or subject. So ask your teacher questions in private or in front of the class. You can even ask one of your fellow peers and this might even help you form a study group. Remember that the only dumb question is one the one that is never asked. And speaking of study groups..

STUDY STUDY STUDY

In a real college class you must study for your exams and especially for the midterm. Studying is the best and most efficient way to pass or understand something. And you shouldn’t cram your studying into a single night. Plan out your study sessions; get with a buddy; dedicate an evening to studying. Midterms are very important and you wouldn’t want to get a bad grade on that assignment


How to Have a Successful Semester in College!!!!

How To Have A Successful Semester 

You might think that people who have above 3.5 GPAs are geniuses and maybe a few are but in actuality many are simply smart with how they spend their time. It isn’t that you are not capable of having very good grades, it may be that you aren’t looking at the bigger picture and realizing that success starts early on in the semester

So How Do I Get The Grades I Want?

You start early! In the beginning of every semester you start with a 4.0 and the goal is to maintain that 4.0 by studying, turning in your work, and not missing class. I have learned that when you work hard in the beginning of the semester and take the work you have seriously not only will you be accustomed to doing your work by the middle of the semester you will also be able to take the remainder of it a little easier and more stress free. Students who slack off in the beginning will always end up having to play catch up and that won't be good for your mind or grade since you will not be putting in your full effort just enough to get a decent passing grade.

You Must Learn How To Manage Your Time!

Now this takes discipline and determination. You don’t want to overwork yourself or sell yourself short by putting in medium to no effort. Know when it is the right time to hang out with friends and when to say no because you have to study tonight. In addition, also know when to relax and take the edge off. You need to get plenty of rest and keep your mind sharp for class and have plenty of time for your homework!

Set Goals!

Have something to work towards whether it be short term or long term. Tell yourself you want that A and act upon that goal. Reward yourself after getting a perfect score on a test or paper. Setting goals is great but remember to stay dedicated to that goal and keep your eye on the ball!


Want to Create a Great Research Paper?

How To Create A Research Paper 

Research papers are typically reports or essays that present your interpretation of specific information. Research papers take a lot of work and reading and one must understand all of the information before diving into a research paper.

How to Start A Research Paper

Do your research! Find multiple sources and analyze the information. Take notes on the topic and develop thoughts and key points. Define each key point and keep searching for more information to back up your argument or to better explain your topic.

Thought Organization

After finding your information much like any other paper you must organize your thoughts and determine how much information you want to present. Remember that each paragraph presents only one specific point therefore knowing each point is beneficial. Understand your topic or argument and develop valid points that you can define and thoroughly explain in one paragraph (remember that one paragraph must only have one idea).

The Writing Process

You may think that this is the hardest part but believe me knowing that one paragraph must only have one point with its explanation is very helpful. Think about it this way: research the topic and come up with a list of different things that further your point and define each point. This list of notes will be your research database and reference. If you have great noites then you will have no problem doing your paper.


Is Studying Important?

Benefits of Studying 

 

Getting good grades is very rewarding and it make you feel like you are on top of the class. But it takes hard work and real effort to get those grades. So what do you do? You study! Studying is the most efficient way to improve test scores and grades. Here are a few tips on how to study!

 

Organization

 

  • Organize your notes. Keep a notebook for each class and folders to keep all class material in its proper place. Note cards are always helpful too!
  • Take thorough notes from lectures and textbooks and other sources.
  • Agendas are always useful as well. They help organize your life. You can set up a study schedule.

 

Study Space

 

  • Dedicate a space where you have all the materials necessary to help you study such as pencils, paper, books, laptop etc.
  • Make sure it's distraction free! You can either go to your room or your favorite coffee shop. It all depends on where you know you won’t be distracted!

 

How Often Do You Study?

 

  • Don’t procrastinate! Studying doesn't have to be for hours the night before. It could be 20-30 minutes in between classes or while you're having lunch or whenever you have free lunch.
  • A student who does not review material can forget 80% of what has been learned in only two weeks!
  • Review frequently throughout the course so you retain more information. Its best to review what you just learned soon after you actually learned it. Then continue to do so throughout the course to help prep for the test.