Collegewise

It's a tradition...

Kevin McMullin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Here's a quick way to get a sense if a college might be the right place for you. Go to Google and type in the name of a college followed by the word "traditions." Seriously, try it. Brynn Mawr, Bard,...

Doing what works

Kevin McMullin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

What if I were to argue that football teams should do an onside kick every time they kick off? If you watched the Super Bowl like I did on Sunday, you saw what happened when the Saints opened the second...

An idea for high school counselors

Kevin McMullin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Here's my crazy idea of the month for high school counselors. It will let you get all the necessary information to your students and parents faster, cheaper and more effectively. And since most high school counselors have way too much...

"It's a good school."

Kevin McMullin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

"It's a good school." That's got to be just about one of the most banal (yep, somebody's bringing out an SAT word!) reasons you can give for being interested in a college. Don't tell a college that you're applying because,...

Don't rely on "who you know"

Kevin McMullin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Chuck Norris once cut me off in traffic. Seriously. He was polite and waived a sign of apology. And we all know that if Chuck Norris cuts you off, you'd better thank your lucky stars it wasn't the other way...

Place your bets

Kevin McMullin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

For colleges, selecting a freshmen class is a lot like betting on horses. As anyone who’s spent time at a racetrack will tell you, it’s hard to pick the winners. A horse can have the best trainers, the right physical...

Five college visit tips

Kevin McMullin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

On the surface, planning college visits might not seem that complicated. But parents who have already been through the college admissions process with an older child will sometimes recount tales of marathon college tours in which they visited twelve colleges...

Is it true that, "It never hurts to ask"?

Kevin McMullin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

"It never hurts to ask." I'm not so sure that's true. I think whether or not it hurts to ask depends on the question, and even more importantly, it depends on the way you ask. Imagine you approach your teacher...

How to not take "no" for an answer

Kevin McMullin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

I was at the video store over the weekend and overheard a teenager inquiring about a job. Here's how the conversation went. Teenager (to sales clerk): "Hi, can you tell me how old you have to be to work here?"...

Five nice things high school kids can do for their parents

Kevin McMullin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

It's hard for teachers, counselors and colleges not to like a kid who's nice to his parents. And it's impossible for a parent not to be moved by their own kid's thoughtful gesture. If you're looking for ways to be...

On giving more to your kids than you had...

Kevin McMullin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

The unpublished law of parenting is that you should want your kids to have more than you had. It's a good law, one that makes parents work hard and sacrifice for the betterment of their children. But this law causes...

The power of enthusiasm

Kevin McMullin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Have you ever been to a store where the workers seem genuinely happy to be there (Trader Joe's and In-n-Out Burger come to mind)? Those employees make your customer experience that much better. Have you ever taken a class where...

Something you never hear

Kevin McMullin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Here's something you never hear. "He was a smart kid who worked hard in college, pursued his interests, found mentors, and made the most of the experience. But unfortunately, his college wasn't a famous one, so he never went on...

Numbers don't lie

Kevin McMullin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

It's nice when someone does a study to lend statistical evidence that happens to support my little blog posts. The Center for Public Education just released a report called “Chasing the College Acceptance Letter: Is it harder to get into...

10 class questions...

Kevin McMullin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

What's your favorite class? Who's your favorite teacher? In which class are you raising your hand and asking questions? In which class do you contribute to class discussions? Which class's material do you find most interesting? What's a class you've...