CampusGrotto.com

City proposes Student Privilege Tax on Students

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:51:52 +0100

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl wants to tax college students to fill financial gaps in the city�s budget.

The proposed tax would charge between $27 and $400 per student for the �privilege� of studying at a Pittsburgh institution.

When the recently re-elected Mayor released his budget to the City Council, in it he chose to include a Post-Secondary Education Privilege tax, which he calls a "Fair Share Tax". In his proposal, it imposes a 1% tax on the tuition paid by students attending colleges and universities in the City of Pittsburgh.

The mayor is looking to tax students to solve the city's financial problems, mainly the financial struggles with the city�s pension fund. The tax is expected to generate $16.2 million � $15 million for the city's underfunded pension program and $1.2 million for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

The Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, a board selected by the state to oversee the city's finances, rejected Ravenstahl's $453.8 million budget because the legislation for the proposed tuition tax is not in place and therefore not legally enforceable.

To back his reasoning on taxing college students, the Mayor claimed, "They're not paying a dime for any city services." Since, the Mayor has brought in a high-profile tax attorney to help fight for the tax.

There are about 100,000 college students in Pittsburgh. Schools in the area, like Carnegie Mellon, have argued against the proposal, saying it places an unfair burden on students. At Carnegie Mellon, the nation's 9th most expensive college tuition-wise, students would have to pay a tax of about $403. The tax would also be imposed on students at other popular schools including the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University.

Those who oppose the tax are questioning the legality with The Enabling Act, which gives the city broad authority to tax with this exception:

Section 2(f)(7) notes: "Local authorities shall not have authority to levy, assess or collect a tax on membership in or membership dues, fees or assessment of charitable, religious, beneficial or nonprofit organizations."

The tuition tax will be the subject of a public hearing on November 30, with a vote on the tax possibly in December. There are nine council members in Pittsburgh, and five have already given their support on the tax, giving enough for it to pass.

If the proposal goes through, it would be the first ever tax on college tuition. The problem is if this tax does pass, it could start a new trend across the country.

Many college students are already broke as it is and can hardly afford any extra costs of going to college. So much for trying to make higher education affordable in Pittsburgh.

You as a college student can help oppose this tax by signing the petition against the Education Privilege Tax.

Most Expensive College Dorms for 2009-2010

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:40:00 +0100

Room and board can be a big expense on top of tuition and is a price that often gets overshadowed by high tuition prices. Take NYU for example, who has the 36th highest tuition, but factor in the cost of room and board and it becomes the 2nd most expensive college in the nation.

For the 2009-2010 school year, room and board increased 5.4% at public colleges and 4.2% at private colleges to an average price of $8,193 and $9,363, respectively.

These are prices a typical freshman will pay for room and board for the 2009-2010 school year. Prices are for a standard double room.

1. Eugene Lang College (The New School)

Location: New York, NY
Room and Board: $15,990
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2. Cooper Union

Location: New York, NY
Room and Board: $15,275
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3. Suffolk University

Location: Boston, MA
Room and Board: $14,544
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4. University of California - Berkeley

Location: Berkeley, CA
Room and Board: $14,384
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5. New York Institute of Technology - Manhattan

Location: New York, NY
Room and Board: $14,290
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6. Fordham University - Lincoln Center

Location: New York, NY
Room and Board: $13,830
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7. Fordham University - Rose Hill

Location: New York, NY
Room and Board: $13,716
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8. University of California - Santa Cruz

Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Room and Board: $13,641
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9. Manhattanville College

Location: Purchase, NY
Room and Board: $13,500
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10. Chapman University

Location: Orange, CA
Room and Board: $13,384
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The Top 20

1. Eugene Lang College (The New School)	$15,990
2. Cooper Union	$15,275
3. Suffolk University	$14,544
4. University of California - Berkeley	$14,384
5. New York Institute of Technology - Manhattan	$14,290
6. Fordham University - Lincoln Center	$13,830
7. Fordham University - Rose Hill	$13,716
8. University of California - Santa Cruz	$13,641
9. Manhattanville College	$13,500
10. Chapman University	$13,384
11. Sarah Lawrence College	$13,370
12. UCLA	$13,314
13. Olin College of Engineering	$13,230
14. New York University	$13,226
15. St John's University (Queens)	$13,140
16. American University	$12,930
17. Marymount Manhattan College	$12,874
18. Drexel University	$12,681
19. Pomona College	$12,651
20. Vanderbilt University	$12,650

Colleges with the Largest Endowments

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:12:39 +0100

After looking at the nation�s most expensive colleges, we thought it would be interesting to look at the colleges that have the largest endowments. To our surprise, none of the top 25 most expensive colleges made it into the top 25 largest endowments. It is also interesting to note that all of the colleges in the Top 25 of the US News Best Colleges for 2010 (with the exception of Carnegie Mellon and Georgetown) are in the top 33 for highest endowments.

During fiscal year 2008, college and university endowments had an average return of -3 percent. Still, 77 institutions have endowments over $1 billion.

Please note these are numbers for 2008. The numbers for 2009 will be a different story as many endowments have suffered great losses. Harvard�s endowment has dropped 27.3% to $26 billion and Yale has suffered a near 30% drop down to about $16 billion. At Harvard, the loss is the biggest percentage decline in 40 years.

Largest Endowments for 2008

Institution	2008 Endowment	% Change
1. Harvard University	$36,556,284,000	5.5%
2. Yale University	$22,869,700,000	1.5%
3. Stanford University	$17,200,000,000	0.2%
4. Princeton University	$16,349,329,000	3.6%
5. University of Texas System	$16,111,184,000	3.2%
6. MIT	$10,068,800,000	0.9%
7. University of Michigan	$7,571,904,000	6.8%
8. Northwestern University	$7,243,948,000	11.4%
9. Columbia University	$7,146,806,000	0.0%
10. Texas A&M University System	$6,659,352,000	1.0%
11. University of Chicago	$6,632,311,000	6.9%
12. University of Pennsylvania	$6,233,281,000	-6.1%
13. University of Notre Dame	$6,225,688,000	4.2%
14. University of California	$6,217,340,000	-3.4%
15. Duke University	$6,123,743,000	3.6%
16. Emory University	$5,472,528,000	-1.6%
17. Cornell University	$5,385,482,000	2.6%
18. Washington University	$5,350,470,000	-3.9%
19. Rice University	$4,610,164,000	-1.3%
20. University of Virginia	$4,572,613,000	4.6%
21. Dartmouth College	$3,660,159,000	-2.7%
22. University of Southern California	$3,589,225,000	-3.4%
23. Vanderbilt University	$3,524,338,000	0.1%
24. University of Minnesota	$2,750,770,000	-1.9%
25. Brown University	$2,746,832,000	4.3%

See the full list here (PDF).

Data Source: Nacubo.org

The 10 Biggest College Scams of All-Time

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:00:00 +0100

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Some people will go through great lengths to get ahead, even if it means crossing the ethical line. Unfortunately, these scandalous actions also take place at Institutions of Higher Education. Here are some of the biggest college-related scams, scandals, and controversies over the recent years.

Quick List:
10. University of Missouri Email Harvesting Scam
9. Rio Salado Community College Financial Aid Scam
8. Las Vegas Woman Scams Nearly $1 Million in Student Aid
7. Purdue Student Textbook Scam
6. Princeton Officials Hack into Yale Admissions Website
5. Clemson Manipulates US News College Rankings
4. 80,000 Students Duped in �16m College Fraud
3. Terrorists Enroll in Fake Colleges to Gain Student Visas in UK
2. University of Illinois Admissions Scandal
1. Student Loan Scandal

10. University of Missouri Email Harvesting Scam

The Scam:

From 2001 to 2004, two former University of Missouri students operated a national email scam that targeted more than 2,000 colleges and universities, illegally collecting over 8 million student email addresses. They used the email addresses to send targeted spam emails to students, selling various products and services, earning them a total of $4.1 million.

One of the students, a computer science major, developed email extraction programs used to harvest the email addresses. The pair used computer networks at the University of Missouri to carry out the operation of sending out massive amounts of spam emails.

The University of Missouri became aware of the incident when they noticed huge slow-downs in the school's network and, upon further investigation, observed huge flows of spam-related traffic going on. Network administrators pinpointed the network activity to a classroom where the perpetrator was apparently found with a laptop connected to the Internet.

Even though their operation had been exposed by the university, the scammers continued spamming students at other colleges, using programs to disguise the emails so that they appeared to be affiliated with the college or university the recipient was attending. Although the emails sent out had less than a 1% response rate, it still garnered the scammers enough money ($4.1 million) to be able to by cars and houses on the easily obtained funds from illegal solicitation.

The Aftermath:

Nearly every college and university in the United States was impacted by this scam. In response to the incident, many schools invested major dollars to beef-up the online security of their networks. Upon issuing a search warrant, authorities found more than 3 million student email addresses harvested from 2002, 5 million harvested from 2003, and 37.5 million AOL email addresses, 33.7 million MSN addresses, 10.8 million Hotmail addresses, 5.2 million Yahoo addresses, and more than 4 million UK email addresses.

Four people were charged in the incident under the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, which regulates the sending of commercial emails. Under the act, email fraud, which includes anonymous unsolicited bulk messages, is a federal crime. The defendants face up to 10 years in prison, in addition to the forfeiture of more than $4 million and their cars and homes.

9. Rio Salado Community College Financial Aid Scam

The Scam:

136 people in Arizona took part in a scam pretending to be college students in order to obtain $538,932 in student aid.

The mastermind behind the scam was a woman who would recruit and charge fees to participants who would pretend to enroll at Rio Salado College in order to illegally collect financial aid. These fake students would pay her $500 to $1,500 each in exchange for her help in applying for Pell Grants and Stafford Loans, and creating fake documents, including high school diplomas and tax forms. The students would keep most of the financial aid, but never attend class.

The scheme was discovered when an employee at Rio Salado noticed that several financial aid applications appeared to have similar handwriting, and these "fake students" were enrolling in the same online courses.

The Aftermath:

The woman who led the operation was arrested on charges of conspiracy, mail fraud, financial aid fraud and making false statements. She is accused of creating bogus documents to help people enroll in online classes over a 15-month period beginning in July 2006.

65 were indicted because of their involvement in the scam. Most are charged with financial aid fraud, a felony, and false statements in connection with financial aid, a misdemeanor. Each charge of conspiracy and financial aid fraud carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine.

8. Las Vegas Woman Scams Nearly $1 Million in Student Aid

The Scam:

A Las Vegas woman, and her four children and three grandchildren, defrauded the U.S. Department of Education of almost $1 million in student loans and grants by using dozens of fraudulent ID's.

From January 2000 to March 2004, the defendants obtained personal information for various persons, using it to apply for federal student loans and grants in distance learning institutions in several states. The perpetrator would complete fake financial aid applications which were submitted by fax and email. Financial aid checks were received through the mail and the funds were obtained through the use of false identification documents.

She assumed the identities of more than 65 people to obtain student aid at online colleges in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Nevada and Texas. The scheme came to surface when a financial aid officer noticed that a number of students were applying for financial aid using the same addresses and telephone numbers.

The Aftermath:

The woman behind the scam pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit student loan fraud and one count of student loan fraud, and received 57 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $662,081 in restitution.

7. Purdue Student Textbook Scam

The Scam:

A student at Purdue University devised a scheme to defraud Half.com users looking to purchase textbooks.

The scammer opened 384 phony bank accounts for fake employees and created 568 seller accounts at Half.com. He advertised the college textbooks for sale on all of the phony Half.com seller accounts he had created. Buyers, believing they were purchasing books from Half.com seller accounts, sent in over $5.3 million dollars in payments. The student would take the illegally obtained funds and wire it back home to bank accounts in Malaysia. The fraud was obviously discovered when none of the students received the textbooks they had ordered.

The Aftermath:

The scammer was charged on December 19, 2007 in a 12 count indictment with wire fraud.

6. Princeton Officials Hack into Yale Admissions Website

The Scandal:

In 2002, Princeton�s Director of Admissions used the personal information of Princeton applicants, including social security numbers, to gain illegal access to a Yale admissions website.

Princeton personnel hacked into the system to see if Yale was offering prospective students admission. Princeton admissions officers gained repeated, unauthorized access to check the admission status of 11 applicants in April 2002. If applicants had been accepted, the director either tried to steer them away from Yale or scratched them off Princeton's admissions list. The incentive for Princeton was to protect its yield by rejecting or wait-listing students it thought would choose Yale, or it could match or top Yale's financial aid packages to coveted students.

The Aftermath:

Princeton claimed the act was just an innocent way to check the security of the website.

Upon logging in to this Yale admissions website, accepted applicants would be greeted by a display of fireworks on their computer screen. Because this welcome screen would only display once, some applicants were left in the dark on their admission status because officials at Princeton had already logged in using their credentials.

Because of the violation and misuse of personal information, the case was further reviewed by the FBI. The Director was removed from his position in the Princeton Admission Office. Following the incident, Yale vowed to make its website more secure.

5. Clemson Manipulates US News College Rankings

The Scandal:

When Clemson president James Barker took office in 2001, his stated goal was to move Clemson into the top 20 public research universities. At that time Clemson was ranked 38th.

By 2008, Clemson�s ranking jumped to 22nd in the nation, a surge that outside observers say is improbable without massive capital investments in new faculty and curriculum overhauls. The University managed to move up 16 spots in a ranking that typically does not change all that much.

Clemson admitted to "moving things around to make them look best" in the rankings. Their approach in the rankings �walked the fine line between illegal, unethical and really interesting.�

Clemson brought up their ranking by using several tactics:

They focused on bringing classes of 20 and 25 students down to 18 or 19. This significantly increased the proportion of its classes with fewer than 20 students, one key U.S. News indicator of a strong student experience.
They ceased to admit full-time, first-time undergraduates who were not in the top third of their high school classes. Along the admissions process they constantly re-assessed the SAT average of the incoming class (in an effort to increase accumulative SAT score).
They exaggerated the faculty salaries it reports to U.S. News by about $20,000, which was achieved by actually increasing spending (paid for largely through increased tuition).
They rated all programs other than Clemson below average in the US News rankings' peer reputation survey, which counts for 25 percent of the score, to make the university look better.

The Aftermath:

The story received much media attention surrounding the manipulation of the rankings, getting some to believe the methodology and criteria of the US News ranking are fundamentally flawed if it can be manipulated this easily.

4. 80,000 Students Duped in �16m College Fraud

The Scam:

Three men in the UK conned over 80,000 students out of more than �16 million by getting them to enroll in a fake college.

Michael Smallman, the mastermind behind the scheme, created the National Distance Learning College (NDLC), a long-distance educational establishment based in Middlesbrough, England. During the three years from 1999 to 2001, over �16 million flooded into the accounts of the college, making the scamsters very rich. Although millions of pounds were paid into the college, only 18 students gained recognized qualification from the college.

The college claimed to be accredited, when in fact it was not, and used the word "national" in the title to give an impression of a long-established and recognized institution. It also sent out worthless and forged certificates.

The college received �10m from students and �6m in grants from the Department for Education, which Smallman used to carry out a high-roller lifestyle, using the money for gambling and other personal interests.

The company went bust in November 2001, unable to pay creditors more than �3.5m and unable to continue classes, leaving the students high and dry.

The Aftermath:

The scam came to light when in 2002, Police received a complaint of fraud from the Department of Education regarding the NDLC. Smallman was convicted of fraud and money laundering and was jailed for 7 years.

3. Terrorists Enroll in Fake Colleges to Gain Student Visas into UK

The Scam:

Thousands of young Pakistan civilians exploited a hole in Britain�s immigration system to enroll themselves as students at a network of fraud colleges.

A Pakistani gang earned millions setting up fake colleges in the UK, allowing young men from the heartland of al-Qaida to enroll and gain entry on student visas. Hundreds of men paid at least �1,000 to the gang to be admitted into sham colleges. Some paid �2,500 for fake diplomas, attendance records and degrees. This allowed the students to extend their stay in Britain and enabled the fraudsters to make almost �2m in less than two years.

How the scam was uncovered:

8 terrorist suspects were arrested April 2009 for an alleged al-Qaeda bomb plot in Manchester and Liverpool. All of the suspects claimed to attend the same college. This bogus college had three small classrooms and three teachers for the 1,797 students on record. Authorities soon found of another college claiming to have 150 students, while secretly enrolling 1,178. An investigation uncovered ties between 11 colleges in London, Manchester and Bradford, all formed within a few years and controlled by three young Pakistani businessmen. Each of the three men entered the country on a student visa. One has fled to Pakistan after earning an estimated �6 million from the scam.

The Aftermath:

Because of the immigration loopholes in UK, UK Border Agency introduced stricter rules on the admission of international students, in an effort to crack down on bogus colleges and immigration loopholes.

2. University of Illinois Admissions Scandal

The Scandal:

On May 29, 2009, the Chicago Tribune broke the news that some applicants to the University of Illinois "received special consideration" for admission between 2005 and 2009, despite having sub-par qualifications. Many of these students were being admitted after influence from state lawmakers and university trustees.

In one case, a relative of Tony Rezko, political fundraiser for former Governor Rod Blagojevich, got admitted after University of Illinois President B. Joseph White wrote an e-mail stating that the governor "has expressed his support, and would like to see admitted" Rezko's relative and another applicant. The Rezko relative allegedly had a "pretty low" ACT score and other credentials.

Since 2005, about 800 undergraduate students received special consideration in admission by being placed on a "Clout" list. Some even had their rejections reversed during an unadvertised appeal process. When a clout admissions process like this happens, the student typically takes the spot of someone who is more qualified.

The investigation found:

University officials recognized that certain students were underqualified, but admitted them anyway.
Admissions officers complained as their recommendations were overruled.
Trustees pushed for preferred students, some of whom were friends, neighbors and relatives.
Lawmakers delivered admission requests to University of Illinois lobbyists, whose jobs depend on pleasing the lawmakers.
University officials delayed admissions notifications to weak candidates until the end of the school year. One example cites the admittance of a student with "terrible credentials", who was admitted after she got help from a University Trustee on an appeal. To avoid drawing attention at the applicant's high school, where the acceptance of a "poor student" could raise eyebrows, the university waited until the end of the school year to notify the applicant.
One student was accepted into the business school after having been rejected three times.
University Officials forced the Law School to admit 30 applicants, in a law school that is typically very competitive to get into. These are applicants who otherwise would not have been admitted by the admissions office.

A 2009 log managed by the university's government affairs office tracked nearly 80 applicants pushed by politicians. During the last five years, 114 elected officials logged 481 admission inquiries. Some even spoke of blackmail, where lawmakers threatened to change laws pertaining to university policy if their admission requests weren't pushed through.

The Aftermath:

The admissions scandal forced the resignations of many trustees. A reconstructed Board of Trustees voted to formally abolish "clout" admissions, and the office for Governmental Relations is specifically prohibited from having any role in admissions.

The chairman of the board, Niranjan Shah, announced his resignation from the board amid allegations of his involvement in admissions and that he pressured the university to hire one his relatives. Shah's companies had received millions in state contracts, and he had personally contributed more than $50,000 to Rod Blagojevich, the indicted governor who appointed him to the Board.

University of Illinois President B. Joseph White and University Chancellor Richard H. Herman both resigned because of the scandal.

Former applicants who were denied admission to the school filed a class-action lawsuit against the university.

1. Student Loan Scandal

The Scam:

In early 2007, an investigation into the student loan industry by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo uncovered illegal practices and conflicts of interest in the relationships between colleges and lenders. The investigation uncovered revenue sharing agreements with multiple colleges, in which lenders paid the colleges a percentage of the loans the school sent their way. The investigation also found many lenders provided gifts, all-expense-paid trips, and other perks to financial aid officials in exchange for placement on preferred lender lists. It was revealed that some financial aid officials also owned financial stake in a private loan company they were promoting to students.

Over 100 schools were investigated in an effort to end corruption in the student loan industry. Some of the notable schools involved included USC, Penn, NYU, Syracuse, and Johns Hopkins.

The Aftermath:

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo did charge about a dozen colleges and lenders, such as student loan giant Sallie Mae, with violating federal and state laws, and filed lawsuits against them. Many of the parties involved reached settlements with the Office of the Attorney General in New York, with the money going to a national fund aimed at educating students and families about their financial aid options.

Many colleges who participated in the "Preferred Lender" returned some of the money to the students who had been guided into student loans with less favorable rates. The University of Pennsylvania, Syracuse University, and New York University are a few of the schools who agreed to reimburse students.

Colleges and lenders have reformed their practices in the face of new regulations. Cuomo established a "College Code of Conduct" for best practices in student lending and got many colleges to agree to it. Twenty-six schools and thirteen lenders have now reached agreements with Cuomo.

The Student Loan Sunshine Act was passed in May 2007 which included provisions banning gifts, perks, and revenue-sharing agreements between lenders and schools.

For More Read: Student Loan Scandal.

Top Cities for Finding a Job After College

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:03:57 +0100

While many college grads tend to focus on applying to certain companies within their field, perhaps shifting the job search to focusing on location can lead to success in finding a job after college. There are certain cities out there that are known to offer certain majors more career options, such as tech cities or financial capitals.

Looking at growth rates, average salaries, and cost of living, here are the top cities for college grads to find a job.

Top 25 Cities to Start a Career

(Click on City to browse jobs in that area)

Austin, TX
San Antonio, TX
Salt Lake City, UT
Oklahoma City, OK
Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Area, NC
Seattle, WA
Rochester, NY
Portland, OR
Denver, CO
Honolulu, HI
Nashville, TN
Virginia Beach, VA
Kansas City, MO
Pittsburgh, PA
Charlotte, NC
Boston, MA
Buffalo, NY
Columbus, OH
Indianapolis, IN
St. Louis, MO
Hartford, CT
Louisville, KY
Cincinnati, OH
Philadelphia, PA
San Diego, CA

Data Source: MonsterCollege

Colleges with the Highest Total Cost 2009-2010

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:44:34 +0100

Here are the top 100 most expensive colleges by total cost for the 2009-2010 school year.

Read the original article: Most Expensive Colleges for 2009-2010

Total Cost = Tuition + Room and Board

College	Cost
1. Sarah Lawrence College	$54,410
2. New York University	$51,991
3. The George Washington University	$51,730
4. Bates College	$51,300
5. Skidmore College	$51,196
6. Johns Hopkins University	$51,190
7. Georgetown University	$51,122
8. Connecticut College	$51,115
9. Harvey Mudd College	$51,037
10. Vassar College	$50,875
11. Wesleyan University	$50,862
12. Claremont McKenna College	$50,800
13. Colgate University	$50,660
14. Carnegie Mellon University	$50,640
15. Haverford College	$50,625
16. Bowdoin College	$50,485
17. Middlebury College	$50,400
18. Mount Holyoke College	$50,390
19. Bard College	$50,380
20. Boston College	$50,370
21. Franklin & Marshall College	$50,360
22. Bard College at Simon's Rock	$50,340
23. Scripps College	$50,336
24. Babson College	$50,324
25. Colby College	$50,320
26. Vanderbilt University	$50,282
27. Duke University	$50,250
28. University of Chicago	$50,247
29. Tufts University	$50,178
30. Oberlin College	$50,166
31. Smith College	$50,132
32. Cornell University	$50,114
33. Bucknell University	$50,098
34. University of Southern California	$50,028
35. Union College (NY)	$49,983
36. Dartmouth College	$49,974
36. Carleton College	$49,974
38. Dickinson College	$49,860
38. Washington University in St. Louis	$49,860
40. Bennington College	$49,830
41. Eugene Lang College	$49,800
42. Stevens Institute of Technology	$49,800
43. Northwestern University	$49,791
44. Boston University	$49,758
45. Reed College	$49,690
46. St. Lawrence University	$49,680
47. Fordham University - Lincoln Center	$49,655
48. Williams College	$49,640
49. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering	$49,630
50. Wellesley College	$49,612
51. St. John's College	$49,592
52. Hampshire College	$49,545
53. Fordham University - Rose Hill	$49,541
54. Columbia University	$49,524
55. Hamilton College	$49,470
56. Trinity College (CT)	$49,460
57. Drexel University	$49,381
58. Barnard College	$49,372
59. Pomona College	$49,361
60. Lafayette College	$49,319
61. Swarthmore College	$49,250
62. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	$49,245
63. Chapman University	$49,174
64. Hobart and William Smith College	$49,168
65. Wheaton College (MA)	$49,155
66. Bryn Mawr College	$49,120
67. University of Rochester	$49,070
68. MIT	$48,870
69. University of Notre Dame	$48,850
70. Stanford University	$48,843
71. College of the Holy Cross	$48,800
72. Occidental College	$48,750
72. Villanova University	$48,750
74. Pepperdine University	$48,630
75. Wake Forest University	$48,618
76. Lehigh University	$48,530
77. University of Richmond	$48,490
78. Amherst College	$48,400
79. Emory University	$48,396
80. Brandeis University	$48,368
81. Brown University	$48,328
82. Fairfield University	$48,170
83. University of San Diego	$48,072
84. Gettysburg College	$48,060
85. Worcester Polytechnic Institute	$48,050
86. Ursinus College	$47,750
87. Drew University	$47,678
88. Rollins College	$47,540
89. Yale University	$47,500
90. Santa Clara University	$47,400
91. American University	$47,386
92. Pitzer College	$47,278
93. Loyola University Maryland	$47,190
94. Washington and Lee University	$47,165
95. Kenyon College	$47,070
96. Princeton University	$47,020
97. Macalester College	$46,942
98. Colorado College	$46,902
99. Loyola Marymount University	$46,880
100. Northeastern University	$46,860

Notes:
Total cost is taken by adding tuition + room and board. We do not include fees when figuring the total cost. This is because many fees can be optional and can vary per student. A Student Health Insurance Fee, for example, is obviously not going to be required for a student already on their parents� insurance plan. Some colleges also charge fees to certain majors. Including fees in the 'Total Cost' would have led to too many 'What Ifs'.

These numbers were taken directly from the college's website in October of 2009. In the case that the University does not provide an estimated cost of room and board (because some dorms on campus are priced differently), we took the price of a dorm a typical freshman would find themselves in.

Colleges with the Highest Tuition 2009-2010

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:44:34 +0100

Here are the top 100 most expensive colleges by tuition for the 2009-2010 school year.

College	Cost
1. Middlebury College	$43,690
2. Connecticut College	$42,335
3. Sarah Lawrence College	$41,040
4. The George Washington University	$41,610
5. Vassar College	$41,335
6. Colgate University	$40,690
7. Bucknell University	$40,594
8. Skidmore College	$40,420
9. Carnegie Mellon University	$40,300
10. Union College (NY)	$40,068
11. University of Richmond	$40,010
12. St. John's College	$39,992
13. Franklin & Marshall College	$39,930
14. Wesleyan University	$39,822
15. Kenyon College	$39,810
16. Dickinson College	$39,780
17. Oberlin College	$39,686
18. Bowdoin College	$39,605
19. Bates College	$39,575
20. Wheaton College (MA)	$39,565
21. Carleton College	$39,546
22. St. Lawrence University	$39,520
23. Reed College	$39,440
24. Tufts University	$39,432
25. Bard College at Simon's Rock	$39,380
26. Hamilton College	$39,370
27. Columbia University	$39,296
28. Williams College	$39,250
29. Johns Hopkins University	$39,150
30. Hobart and William Smith College	$39,144
31. Hampshire College	$39,112
32. Bard College	$39,080
32. Duke University	$39,080
34. Mount Holyoke College	$38,940
35. Trinity College (CT)	$38,900
36. New York University	$38,765
37. Haverford College	$38,735
38. Bennington College	$38,730
39. Gettysburg College	$38,690
40. Dartmouth College	$38,679
41. Georgetown University	$38,616
42. University of Southern California	$38,570
43. University of Chicago	$38,550
44. Boston College	$38,530
45. Ursinus College	$38,500
46. Scripps College	$38,486
47. University of Notre Dame	$38,480
48. Harvey Mudd College	$38,467
49. Colby College	$38,370
50. Lehigh University	$38,330
51. Stevens Institute of Technology	$38,300
52. Claremont McKenna College	$38,275
53. Amherst College	$38,250
54. Villanova University	$38,240
55. Wake Forest University	$38,206
56. College of the Holy Cross	$38,180
57. Macalester College	$38,174
58. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	$38,100
59. Northwestern University	$38,088
60. Brown University	$38,048
61. Washington and Lee University	$37,990
62. Occidental College	$37,970
63. Cornell University	$37,954
64. Boston University	$37,910
65. University of Rochester	$37,870
66. Wellesley College	$37,826
67. Babson College	$37,824
68. Washington University in St. Louis	$37,800
69. Pepperdine University	$37,730
70. Vanderbilt University	$37,632
71. Brandeis University	$37,566
72. Lafayette College	$37,520
73. MIT	$37,510
73. Smith College	$37,510
73. Swarthmore College	$37,510
76. Emory University	$37,500
77. Stanford University	$37,380
78. Drew University	$37,310
79. Colorado College	$37,278
80. Tulane University	$37,200
81. Bryn Mawr College	$37,120
82. Barnard College	$37,052
83. Fairfield University	$36,900
84. Worcester Polytechnic Institute	$36,890
85. Muhlenberg College	$36,730
86. Pomona College	$36,710
87. Drexel University	$36,700
88. Whitman College	$36,620
89. Loyola University Maryland	$36,510
90. Yale University	$36,500
91. Grinnell College	$36,476
92. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering	$36,400
93. Furman University	$36,296
94. Rollins College	$36,220
95. Santa Clara University	$36,000
96. Case Western Reserve University	$35,900
97. University of San Diego	$35,870
98. Pitzer College	$35,840
99. Fordham University	$35,825
100. Chapman University	$35,790

Notes:
Some colleges like Bates College, Colby College, Middlebury College, and Union College have a comprehensive fee (tuition + room/board). Their tuition numbers were taken by taking their total comprehensive fee and subtracting by the amount of rebate the college gives to students who choose to live off campus.

Most Expensive Colleges for 2009-2010

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:24:34 +0100

{mosimage} For the second year in a row, Sarah Lawrence College is the most expensive college in the nation for the 2009-2010 school year, while NYU edges out The George Washington University to take 2nd in the ranking.

Most of the colleges in the ranking of expensive colleges are private liberal arts schools located in the Northeast. Even while tuition at private colleges rose 4.3 percent for 2009-2010, the smallest increase in 37 years, many colleges have approached the $50,000 per year mark.

It is important to note that just because these schools have high tuition, doesn�t mean you will actually be paying that amount. Many of these colleges provide excellent financial aid packages. A lot of these schools offer scholarships that often cover most of the financial burden of attending the college. For example, MIT is tuition-free for families earning less than $75,000 a year.

These are prices for one year of education at traditional 4-year undergraduate colleges.

Highest Total Cost 2009-2010

College	Total Cost
1. Sarah Lawrence College	$54,410
2. New York University	$51,991
3. The George Washington University	$51,730
4. Bates College	$51,300
5. Skidmore College	$51,196
6. Johns Hopkins University	$51,190
7. Georgetown University	$51,122
8. Connecticut College	$51,115
9. Harvey Mudd College	$51,037
10. Vassar College	$50,875
11. Wesleyan University	$50,862
12. Claremont McKenna College	$50,800
13. Colgate University	$50,660
14. Carnegie Mellon University	$50,640
15. Haverford College	$50,625
16. Bowdoin College	$50,485
17. Middlebury College	$50,400
18. Mount Holyoke College	$50,390
19. Bard College	$50,380
20. Boston College	$50,370
21. Franklin & Marshall College	$50,360
22. Bard College at Simon's Rock	$50,340
23. Scripps College	$50,336
24. Babson College	$50,324
25. Colby College	$50,320

More: See the Top 100
Total Cost = Tuition + Room/Board

Highest Tuition 2009-2010

College	Tuition
1. Middlebury College	$43,690
2. Connecticut College	$42,335
3. Sarah Lawrence College	$41,040
4. The George Washington University	$41,610
5. Vassar College	$41,335
6. Colgate University	$40,690
7. Bucknell University	$40,594
8. Skidmore College	$40,420
9. Carnegie Mellon University	$40,300
10. Union College (NY)	$40,068
11. University of Richmond	$40,010
12. St. John's College	$39,992
13. Franklin & Marshall College	$39,930
14. Wesleyan University	$39,822
15. Kenyon College	$39,810
16. Dickinson College	$39,780
17. Oberlin College	$39,686
18. Bowdoin College	$39,605
19. Bates College	$39,575
20. Wheaton College (MA)	$39,565
21. Carleton College	$39,546
22. St. Lawrence University	$39,520
23. Reed College	$39,440
24. Tufts University	$39,432
25. Bard College at Simon's Rock	$39,380

More: See the Top 100

Data compiled by CampusGrotto.com

Other Notable Colleges:
Harvard placed as the 139th most expensive college tuition wise and 112th in total cost.

Some colleges like Bates College, Colby College, Middlebury College, and Union College have a comprehensive fee (tuition + room/board). Their tuition numbers were taken by taking their total comprehensive fee and subtracting by the amount of rebate the college gives to students who choose to live off campus.

Photo Credit

Advice for Transfer Students: Making the Social Adjustment

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:00:00 +0100

If you're starting the new academic year as a transfer student, you're not alone. Transfer students make up a large proportion of the college student population, and the number is growing. Despite this fact, there is little information out there specifically for transfer students, especially compared to the abundance of resources for freshmen.

As someone who transferred from one four-year university to another, I can say that attending college as a transfer student is an experience sprinkled with challenges that are quite different and separate from the experiences of students that stay at one school for the entire four years. Being a transfer student can be an odd position to be in - you're a new student, yet you're not a freshman.

One of biggest challenges for transfer students is adjusting to a new college environment after having spent a year or two on another campus. Many students form their friendships during their freshman year, a year that transfer students miss out on when they go to a new school.

However, transfer students are certainly not doomed. After interviewing many transfer students, I have come up with some tips on how to make the social transition smoother:

Say YES

You should take up opportunities to socialize with people you might be interested in. If someone asks you to come along for dinner in the dining hall, but you've already eaten, say YES and go anyway. Just have some tea and chat with people. Dinner conversations can be worthwhile and may lead to bonding.

Seek Transfer Student Organizations

Many colleges have organizations run by and for transfer students. The leaders of these groups have been in your shoes and can help you feel more comfortable at your new school. For example, the Brown Organization of Transfer Students at Brown University plans activities led by veteran transfer students to help newbies make both the social and academic adjustment.

Get an On Campus Job

One transfer student, who transferred from a large university to a small liberal arts college, says that she enjoys working at her school library because it has given her a chance to get to know other students. Working customer-service type jobs on campus is a great deal - you get cash for textbooks and such AND you interact with fellow students, not to mention that any job you take will teach you a lot about time management and boost your resume.

Join Clubs and Organizations

Over and over again, transfers that I've interviewed have suggested that new transfer students join student clubs and organizations. These groups come with built-in social networks, and best of all, you can make new friends while pursuing your interests. If you think a certain club is missing on campus, start the club. You'll meet a lot of other students in recruiting for and building up your new group. Mingling and working with members of student groups is a sure fire way to get you settled in.

You won�t have "New Transfer Student" stamped onto your forehead, so you'll have to take the initiative and be proactive. After the first term or so, your go-getter attitude will pay off and you'll start to feel at home.

Printable 'What to Bring to College' Lists

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:26:19 +0100

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We have created printable "What to Bring to College" lists for both guys and girls.

Download and Print your list below (PDF):

What to Bring to College: Guys

What to Bring to College: Girls

Best Companies to Work for after Graduation

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:44:12 +0100

Graduating from college can give one both a feeling of accomplishment and uneasiness. It takes a lot of hard work to do well in college and graduate. As graduation arrives (and the fear of having to pay back student loans comes), many worry about the next step to take, which is usually to try and secure a good-paying job and start to establish some sort of career.

Sure, there will be a little fear and uneasiness upon graduating, knowing you will have bills to pay, as payments for student loans will soon be due. It's not easy finding that perfect job fresh out of college.

Unfortunately, since last year, the number of grads being hired has dropped (and appears it will continue to drop) and starting salaries have dipped.

Only 20% of 2009 grads who have applied for a job actually have one. Out of those that are employed, 73% had completed an internship at some point during college.

Part of the problem can be linked to the fact that job openings reached a record low in July. According to the Labor Department, the U.S. had 2.4 million job openings in July, the fewest since it began tracking in 2000 and exactly half of the record high 4.8 million in mid-2007.

Turning to Internships
Perhaps this new dilemma will mean more internships post-graduation for recent grads. Many students are choosing to work unpaid internships, just to be qualified for the job(s) they want that require previous work experience.

Some say this small investment of time can prove invaluable later, when the economy improves. Proving yourself to be a valuable resource while interning for a company can easily get you hired on as a full-time paid employee later on.

Best Companies to work for

You'll need an idea of where you'd like to start your career. Of course, this all depends on your major, as you may already have a few companies in mind. There are select companies out there that are considered top employers for grads, as they offer great advancement through the company as well as a good starting salary and benefits.

The Top Places to Launch a Career

Deloitte
Ernst & Young
PricewaterhouseCoopers
KPMG
U.S. State Dept.
Goldman Sachs
Teach for America
Target
J.P. Morgan
IBM

Source: BusinessWeek

Please take these 2009 rankings by BusinessWeek lightly, as they only include companies that participated in their survey. Companies like Google (for example), who were ranked 7th last year, were not included in this year's ranking because they declined to participate in BusinessWeek's survey.

Other Employer Rankings

Universum Ranking
Universum�s IDEAL Employer Survey, taken by more than 60,000 undergraduates, is a ranking of what students see as being the �best place to work�.

Google
Walt Disney
Apple Computer
U.S. Department of State
FBI
Ernst & Young
Peace Corps
NASA
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Teach for America

Fortune Ranking
Though maybe a little outdated now, back in 2007 Fortune published a list of 20 Great Employers for New Grads. Here they ranked companies based on perks to new hires just out of college, including salary, benefits, workplace flexibility, and growth opportunities within the company.

The Top 10:

Lehman Brothers
Electronic Arts
Pricewaterhouse Coopers
Randstad
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Rockwell Collins
Teach for America
Qualcomm
Key Bank
Northrop Grumman

The 5 Biggest College Sports Scandals of All-Time

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:14:18 +0100

The American way can be summed up in many ways, expressions, and thoughts, but the one thing that will always remain is victory. It can be traced back to the beginning of our civilization. Victory brings us joy, happiness, and a sense of fulfillment, but at what price? The lengths of winning takes hard work and dedication, and can bring together an entire community, state, or even nation. Unfortunately, there are some out there who will take winning a little too far. After careful research and analysis we have assembled the top 5 scandals in college sports history.

5) University of Minnesota men�s basketball academic cheating scandal

Under coach Clem Haskins, the UM basketball program was turned around into a very successful program in a very short period of time. However, this came at a price. In 1999, the day before the Gophers were to start their quest at the NCAA Tournament against Gonzaga, the academic scandal came to surface.

Jan Gangelhoff, a former UM office manager, admitted to writing over 400 term papers for at least 20 men�s basketball players over the years. The program immediately suspended 4 players before the Gonzaga game. As a result, the Gophers lost in the first round.

The players had systematically committed academic fraud year after year, tarnishing many at the university, including most of the coaching staff, professors, advisors, and the team. The university was given many sanctions upon completion of an investigation by the NCAA, as well as an embarrassing blow to the school�s reputation. As a result, all awards and titles were stripped from the program between 1993 and 1998. They were also put on probation for 4 years starting the 1999-2000 season, and lost 5 scholarships over the next three seasons. Haskins came out after he was dismissed in 2000 and admitted to paying Gangelhoff $3,000 for the work. The Gophers were a basket away from the Final Four just 3 years before this debacle.

Our Take: This story was somewhat over shadowed by the NCAA Tournament at the time, but is a lesson that some will do whatever it takes to win, despite the consequences. The Gophers men�s basketball program has never fully recovered from this embarrassment. This is happening all to often in not only College Basketball, but all over Collegiate athletics. The rules established by the NCAA are there for a reason. This is a very serious infraction because these kind of actions aren�t helping the student/athlete, community, or making a positive role on the youth.

4) Memphis Tigers SAT Scandal

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The final verdict so to speak is still out on this roller coaster. After recording a NCAA record in wins (38) for men�s basketball in 2007-08, allegations arose surrounding this program. The issue formulated when an undisclosed player was accused of having another person take his SAT in Detroit, so he could become eligible as a Freshmen, after failing the ACT three times. The wins were taken away from the Tigers because they were using an academically ineligible player. Memphis president Shirley Raines appealed the ruling claiming it to be an unfair penalty. She was quoted as saying, �We Know the Rules� .

The speculated player used was Derrick Rose, now a starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls. Rose is the only player for Memphis who just played in that 07-08 season. This is a well documented case and was a big story for the media. Former coach John Calipari, seems to have left the program at the perfect time, as he accepted a new position as the coach of University of Kentucky at the end of the season. This is the second time Calipari has had wins and awards taken away from his team, the first of which was with the University of Massachusetts in 1996. The classic Camby/Kellogg team had their Final Four banner taken down.

Our Take: This is another trials and tribulations for not only the Tigers, but John Calipari as well. He has played it very laid back, but I think there is more than what the surface shows. The fact this has happened to two of his former teams doesn�t surprise me. With that in mind, how creditable of a trust can you really have for this guy? The faculty and staff running these schools need to take responsibility. The bottom line is if a player is ineligible, he�s exactly that. If an incoming player out of high school can�t make his tests and grades, what message are we sending the youth? That it�s OK to lie, cheat, or steal as long as you�re an athlete? If a high school athlete graduate doesn�t want to follow the rules there are plenty of options, such as Community College, CBA, and other foreign leagues. I just hope this kind of nonsense will stop, because it�s giving something to someone without making them truly earn it.

3) ASU Point-Shaving Scheme

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This scandal was definitely the headliner of the 90�s. Not since the Pete Rose era had something this drastic happened, but this was on the Collegiate level which raised eyebrows all across the country. In 1993 Stevin �Hedake� Smith was one of College Basketball�s best athletes as he dazzled crowds and piled up points almost effortlessly. Smith attended Arizona State University during this time and ended his career as one of ASU�s top all-time scorers.

The scheme was arranged by Benny Silman, who was a local student bookie. Smith�s motivation was a $10,000 gambling debt to Silman. Silman and his sports booking business got in contact with a group who had ties with the mob. Stevin Smith was not alone in this process as teammate Issac Burton was also a culprit in helping him fix games. The deal was very lucrative for Smith who received $20,000 per game. Issac Burton received $4,300 per game in the 2 games he participated.

The scheme was when ASU was the favorite to win a game, they would win by less than the (betting) line. The scheme was discovered when Nevada sports bookies noticed suspicious betting patterns on ASU games. The casinos notified the Pac-10 Conference administration and an investigation took place. The case went to trial and 6 convictions were given. Among those Benny Silman got the most severe sentence: 46 months in prison and a $250,000 fine. Stevin �Hedake� Smith received one year in prison, three years probation, and a $8,000 fine.

Smith claimed, after the fact, during an interview that he made more defensive mistakes rather than offensive. His nickname ,�Hedake� was given to him because it was rumored he would give defenses a headache when he handled the basketball on offense. After his conviction, it�s safe to say Smith had a headache of his own.

Our Take: This is a true tragedy of a collegiate star who had it all but simply threw it away for a quick buck. He should be playing in the NBA (or retired from), but one idiotic decision cost him his dream and future. There haven�t been too many other findings of sports gambling scams since this incident. This is a classic example of how greed gets a person nowhere.

2) Southern Methodist University Football Scandal

The SMU Mustangs had one of the most prominent programs in college football. A history that included national titles in 1935 and 1982, 10 Conference titles, and 11 Bowl appearances. Their historic program included names such as Eric Dickerson and legendary Heisman trophy winner Doak Walker.

As a smaller school, SMU found it hard to compete with larger schools when it came to recruiting the nations top players out of high school. They had to do something to continue the success of the program, so they began walking the ethical line in the recruitment of their players.

In June of 1986, a tip was revealed about a David Stanley, who played Linebacker from 1983 to 1984. Stanley claimed that SMU athletic officials paid him $25,000 to sign with the team, and continued paying him while he played on the squad. It should also be known that SMU was also on probation at the time.

After an investigation was completed, it was found that 13 players received $61,000 in payments from 1985-1986. This was known as a �slush fund�, in which boosters were paying cash to players to get them committed to play at SMU. The Southern Methodist Mustangs were punished severely for violating numerous NCAA rules and regulations. The NCAA gave the university a �Death Penalty�, in which it cancelled SMU�s entire 1987 scheduled games. SMU didn�t participate in the 1988 season either, due to the magnitude of their situation. This still reigns as the most severe penalty handed down to a Division-I program ever.

Every SMU player was granted a full release from the team in 1988 and were allowed to transfer to another school. 250 recruiters from 80 schools came on campus to recruit the former SMU players.

Our Take: This is rather unknown for most college students today, but it seems the NCAA was making an example out of this program. The Mustangs have never recovered from this scandal, especially athletically. Most would ask why go to SMU, when Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech are in the area. It�s hard to consume the fact that the school didn�t play college football for two whole years after the incident. No college or university would want to have this devastation to bear with, especially with the amount of revenue college sports teams bring in for their school. Bribery is a very serious issue, not only in college sports, but for students as well.

1) City College of New York Basketball Scandal

In the late 1940�s and early 1950�s there was a thriving basketball scene in the New York City area. In 1950, the City College of New York, one of the nation�s top basketball programs at that time, became the first and only team to win both the NCAA and NIT championships in the same year. It was a great time for basketball in New York, however, soon after, a great downfall would begin.

A shocking story arose from rumors and mobs ties. The scandal first came to light when New York City District Attorney Frank Hogan arrested seven men in January 1951, including three star players of the CCNY 1950 championship team, after an undercover sting operation.

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The initial arrests uncovered a widespread scheme of fixing games for betting purposes. Many top players and teams were invloved, including CCNY, Manhattan College, NYU, Long Island University, Bradley, Kentucky, and the University of Toledo. The players accepted payoffs from gamblers and in return they wouldn�t allow their teams to cover the point spread. In all, 33 players were involved, as well as members of organized crime groups, with fixing 86 games between 1947 and 1950.

Eventually City College of New York was banned from Madison Square Garden. The NCAA tournament was moved away from the NYC area for fear of a repetitive occurrence happening. The NCAA tournament championship game left the New York area for nearly 50 years, until 1996 when games were played at East Rutherford, New Jersey. The NIT, however was the more sought after tournament in that era. Many believe the scandal is a huge reason why the NCAA tournament is where it is today, and vice versa for the NIT.

Our Take: This was the first really big altercation since possibly the Black Sox era. It marked the first major debacle in college sports as well. There must have been some serious connections if 7 teams and 33 players were in on it. It makes one wonder, what if that happened in our era? How would the NCAA handle it, and who would be held accountable?

In closing, that was the Top 5 College Sports Scandals of all-time (in our opinion). Why must a player, coach, or whomever feel justified to take the easy way out (or so they thought)? It seems every decade going back to the 1950�s has a scandal to go along with it, and about every decade another scandal will surface. What will be the post-2010 scheme? In competition, and in sports for that matter there is always a constant case, people will cheat to win, but will not win in the end. As the saying goes: Cheaters never prosper.

Enter to Win HP Back to School Giveaway

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:36:38 +0100

The moment has arrived: your chance to win a great prize pack just in time for back to school.

What we're giving away:
(1) HP dv6 laptop
(1) HP mini netbook
(1) Timbuk2 backpack

How to enter:

Send us your favorite college-related picture.

This can be anything from a picture of your messy dorm room, a photo from graduation, a picture from a college-related event (sporting event, party, etc.), a random campus pic, a picture of your desk/study area, and so on.

As long as the photo is college-related, you'll be entered into the drawing.

The photo must be your own (no using random pictures from the web).

All those who submit a photo will be entered into a random drawing.

Update: This giveaway has officially ended. Thanks to all who participated.

Contest Rules and Eligibility

By entering this contest you acknowledge these rules/guidelines:

Contest begins August 17, 2009 and ends August 21, 2009 at 11:59pm PST.
We reserve the right to publish your submitted photo on this website.
One entry per person.
No purchase necessary.
Void where prohibited by law.
Contest is open to everyone.
Odds of winning vary based on the number of entries received between August 17-21.
Winner will be chosen at random by random.org.
Winner will be notified via email on August 22, 2009.
Winner of the giveaway will be posted to the campusgrotto.com website at the conclusion of the contest.
Winners can be located anywhere in the world. Due to Customs restrictions and logistical concerns, winners located outside the US will be provided a credit to HPShopping.com for the value of the laptops.
Individuals who have won at another website participating in the HP Back to School Giveaway are ineligible to win a second time.

Special thanks go out to HP, Microsoft, Timbuk2, and Ivy Worldwide for helping put on this promotion.

HP Back to School Giveaway

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:30:00 +0100

It's almost back to school time and we have a pretty sweet prize package to give away to one lucky reader, thanks to HP and Microsoft.

The Prize Pack:

HP is celebrating back to school by promoting their �companion� set of notebooks.

HP�s �companion� product bundle consists of a powerful notebook (HP dv6), a portable netbook (HP Mini 110), and sync software (Syncables) to keep them both connected and able to share files between each other. The �companion� bundle provides flexibility, mobility, and power making it a perfect set up for college students.

Here's what we'll be giving away in our contest, which will run August 17-21.

(1) HP dv6 notebook
(1) HP mini netbook
(1) Timbuk2 bag

Enter to Win Here

This giveaway has officially ended. Check out other sites participating in the HP Back to School giveaway.

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Details of the the contest will not be announced until August 17.

Product Details

HP dv6
The HP dv6 laptop comes equipped with Intel Core 2 Duo P7350, Windows Vista Ultimate 64 bit, 4GB RAM, 500GB SATA HDD, BluRay ROM SuperMulti with LightScribe, HP webcam, integrated fingerprint reader, WiFi 802.11 a/g/n, 16� display (1366x768 pixels), ATI Mobility Radeon HD4650 Graphics, and Altec Lansing built-in speakers.

HP Mini
The HP Mini 110 netbook is built with Intel Atom 270, Windows XP Home Edition SP3, 1GB RAM, 10.1� display (1024x576 pixels), 160GB SATA HDD, HP webcam, WiFi 802.11b/g, 6 cell battery, and best of all it weighs just 2.89 lbs.

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Timbuk2 bag
Timbuk2 makes high quality bags for notebooks. This giveaway will feature a customized Timbuk2 bag to carry all your gear in. What's great about the Timbuk2 bag is that it's big and well-built allowing you to easily carry both your laptop and your textbooks.

The Perfect Pair

Netbooks provide great ultra-portability with their lightweight and compact design, making the HP mini a solid option for bringing to class and taking notes and offering quick and easy access to the Internet. But with their smaller size, netbooks can be limited in their use and a typical PC user will need a bigger, more powerful machine for important tasks.

This is where the dv6 notebook comes in.

The HP dv6 is a fast and powerful notebook that is well-equipped to handle all of your computer-related tasks in college. It sports a nice big 16� screen and looks pretty flashy as well.

So, with these two �companions� you have portability with one, and size and power with the other, putting in your arsenal a great pair of laptops to tackle all your challenges throughout the school year. HP offers a great combo at a very affordable price for budget conscious students.

Where you will really get the advantage of two laptops is when paired with the Syncables software.

This special software allows you to sync both machines together so you�ll always have the files you need on both machines. This way you can bring the smaller, more manageable HP mini with you to class, while leaving your bigger, do-everything notebook back at your dorm and still be able to access the same files on each computer.

25 chances to win 2 laptops

24 other websites are giving away the same package as part of the HP Back to School Giveaway, giving you 25 chances to win 2 laptops.

HP Back to School: Better Together Giveaway

Website	Start Date	End Date
Student Bloggers	12-Aug	16-Aug
Geek Zone	13-Aug	17-Aug
Kill Jill Goes to College	14-Aug	18-Aug
Study Successful	15-Aug	19-Aug
Gear Live	16-Aug	20-Aug
CampusGrotto	17-Aug	21-Aug
Poorer Than You	18-Aug	22-Aug
Notebooks	19-Aug	23-Aug
ThePrereq.	20-Aug	24-Aug
Hack College	21-Aug	25-Aug
College Times	22-Aug	26-Aug
OSNN.net	23-Aug	27-Aug
Green Panda Treehouse	24-Aug	28-Aug
Building Camelot	25-Aug	29-Aug
Mocha Dad	26-Aug	30-Aug
College Candy	27-Aug	31-Aug
Studenomics	28-Aug	1-Sep
The 2.0 Life	29-Aug	2-Sep
Geeks room	30-Aug	3-Sep
Debt Free Scholar	31-Aug	4-Sep
One Day One Job	1-Sep	5-Sep
Daddy Forever	2-Sep	6-Sep
Clinton Fitch	3-Sep	7-Sep
Zen College Life	4-Sep	8-Sep
Gear Diary	5-Sep	9-Sep

As the chart shows, we will not be announcing details of the contest until August 17. Check back then, or stay on top of updates by subscribing by RSS, by email, or by following us on Twitter.

Deals

HP is offering exclusive limited-time coupons just for the HP Back to School promotion.

The current deal:
GET $200 OFF on any customizable configuration of the HP Pavilion dv2z laptop

Only $499.99!

Deal is available August 26-28.

Use coupon code NBM2356 at checkout to redeem discount.

Disclaimer:
Valid for HP Home & Home Office (www.hpshopping.com) internet and call center purchases only. Coupon valid on first 100 redemptions, or while supplies last. Any unused portion will be forfeited. Each coupon code is limited to one usage per customer; one coupon code per checkout. Offer void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. Non-transferable. Not valid retroactively on previously purchased items. Not valid for any resale activity as defined by HP Home & Home Office Store. Coupons may not be used to purchase gift cards. Not valid on clearance sales. May not be permitted with certain bundle offers. Not valid on: Academic and Employee purchase programs, HP Employee purchase program, Refurbished products, Extended Service Plans. For complete coupon conditions, see "Coupon Information" in the "Customer Service" section at www.hpshopping.com.

Hot Deals: $300 off HP DV6 Notebook

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:26:26 +0100

Campus Grotto has partnered with HP to bring you an exclusive coupon for a great deal on a powerhouse of a laptop, just in time for back to school.

Details of the offer:

GET $300 OFF when you configure to $999.99 or higher on HP Pavilion dv6z

USE COUPON CODE: NBY8746 AT CHECKOUT to redeem offer.

This offer is valid for 2 Days Only - 8/6 to 8/7/09.

This deal has expired. Check out the latest deal on HP notebooks here.

Power, Mobility & Design for On-the-Go Students
FREE 3GB Memory upgrade
FREE 320GB Hard drive upgrade
FREE Color upgrade
FREE Shipping

Here is your perfect opportunity to get an HP DV6z at a fraction of the price.