However, this idealism seems to have changed.

It has now become clear that colleges can opt out of Score Choice, and require that applicants report every SAT score. Newsweek has indicated that Stanford, Cornell, Pomona, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Southern California will demand all scores. Other schools, including Harvard and the University of Chicago, say they will honor Score Choice. Many more, such as Yale and Princeton, say they have yet to decide.

This may be disappointing news for several students who believed Score Choice to be the cure of test taking anxiety. However, remember that the playing field has not really changed. Just because certain schools are requiring all reports does not mean that having lower scores will necessarily preclude you from admission; colleges still view the entire application -- scores included -- in totality. All this means is that when you decide to take the SAT, you should be ready for it.

For tips to succeed on the SAT, make sure you check out my SAT tips section.

• You are not a student of 2010 or beyond (i.e. you are a senior and will graduate before 2010).
• You have some objective reason for knowing that your score suffered in some way (e.g. your calculator died in the middle of the math, you realized too late that you mis-bubbled an entire section, or you had some emergency during the test that prevented you from completing one or more sections). "I just don't think I did good" is not a valid reason.
• You have contacted the colleges you are most interested in and confirmed that they consider all of your scores in their admissions decisions (e.g. they do not consider just your highest score and instead average all of your scores).

Only if all three of these situations apply should you consider canceling your score. Otherwise, wait it out and keep your fingers crossed.Want to know if you're a good candidate for score cancelation? Leave a comment below.

There are six main laws your letters of recommendation must follow, and I explore all six in the newest Accepted to College article. You will learn not only how to pick a good recommender, but also how to guide that recommender toward writing the best letter possible.

Click here to read the full article.

Each college finance website is running their competition during a different period this month, so be sure to check out each one in order to increase your odds of winning. The first competition is already over, but that still leaves 14 free laptops to try for. The hosting sites and their competition periods are as follows:

• Sep 28 - Oct 5: Broke-Ass Student
• Sep 30 - Oct 7: Broke Grad Student
• Oct 2 - Oct 9: Study Hacks
• Oct 4 - Oct 11: Cooking for Engineers
• Oct 6 - Oct 13: College Being
• Oct 8 - Oct 15: Paul Stamatiou
• Oct 10 - Oct 17: DormDelicious
• Oct 12 - Oct 19: Student Bloggers
• Oct 14 - Oct 21: Jessica Mah Meets World
• Oct 16 - Oct 23: UNEASYsilence
• Oct 18 - Oct 25: Gomeler.com
• Oct 20 - Oct 27: CampusGrotto
• Oct 22 - Oct 29: Hack College
• Oct 24 - Oct 31: The University Blog

Good luck!

Thirteen submissions came in for this issue, and I have selected the top ten to feature. Read on to the Carnival of College Admissions:

Carnival of College Admissions: 3rd Edition

• Mark Montgomery has an excellent anecdote about picking the right college in his hilarious piece, College Fit: How Does the Shirt Look on Me? over at Great College Advice. Who would have thought that you could learn so much about college admissions at the department store racks?
• As a former SAT instructor, I shared with many high school students the initial dislike of the new SAT Writing section. However, as Todd Johnson of the College Admissions Counseling Blog points out, the SAT writing section may be a better predictor of college grades than the old SAT. An interesting observation that may change many people's minds about the new admissions test.

• Turning now to the subject of financial aid, perhaps even more stressful than determining what college to attend is how to pay for it. Julie Stewart at Virtual College Fairs recommends that everyone do their research and not rule out schools because they think they will be too expensive. Her article helps you to determine your Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) and suggests that, "many times a more expensive school can be cheaper after you've determined your EFC and how much financial aid you will be eligible for."
• Once you've done all that, let About.com's Ken Clark walk you through A Step-By-Step Guide to Applying for Federal Financial Aid. His guide takes you through the FAFSA and is an invaluable resource when it comes time to fill out yours. Keep the link bookmarked so you can have a companion.
• Give Me Back My Credit! blogger Denise Richardson featured a guest article from Heather Johnson which asked the question, College Students Have Courses on Nutrition -- Why Not Personal Finance? Even if you can live like a king or queen with a generous financial aid package, remember that smart college spending is vital as well. These tips will help you to manage your college debt.
• Zack Oliva, owner of one of a new but very promising college finance blog, College Finance 101, answers a similar question for his readers: What Affects My Credit Score? College students are among the least credit savvy and often end up the targets of predatory lender. Don't let yourself be a victim! Let Zack teach you the precise things that affect your credit score so you can maximize your ability for a home or car loan in your future.

• Online classes are becoming increasingly popular, and more and more students are starting to flock to the idea of distance learning. The one concern always remains, however: how does one stay motivated when they work full-time and learn online on the side? Heather Johnson of Key Degree has the answer with 6 Ways to Balance Work and Online Courses
• Speaking of online colleges, a lot of the e-mail questions I have received recently revolve around my recommendations. Many readers are straight from high school, thinking about distance learning, but wondering how it will affect their chance for graduate school in the future. One option has always been to continue your online study opportunities. David Cassell of Select Courses presents the pros -- and cons -- of Getting a Law Degree Online. If this is a path you're thinking about taking, his advice can help.

• Rounding off this edition is Susan Jacobs of Law Vibe. While her article, 10 Ways to Ensure Success in Law School doesn't quite hit the demographic of this Carnival, her tips are useful for anyone regardless of school level. College is very different from High School, and her tips are sure to ease that transition.

Thank you to all the wonderful submitters who make the Carnival of College Admissions great. If you think you have an article that belongs here, even if you're not a dedicated college admissions expert, we'd love to hear from you. Head down to the submissions page and let us know about your article. If we like it, you may see yourself featured in the next weekly edition. College admissions consultants wishing to bring the carnival to their own site should also contact me if you would like to host an edition.

Technorati Tags: carnival, carnival of college admissions, college admissions carnival, financial aid, FAFSA, EFC, choosing a college, SAT writing, SAT, online college, distance learning

This will be my last week hosting the Carnival of College Admissions for a short while because I have two guest hosts lined up for the next couple of weeks. Make sure to give them both plenty of articles to feature by clicking the links above to submit a post of your own for next week's edition. Or if you would like to host an edition yourself, be sure to e-mail me and let me know that you're interested.

Read on for all of the excellent articles from the 3rd Edition of The Carnival of College Admissions:

Carnival of College Admissions: 3rd Edition

• Class of 2012: Welcome to Free Agency over at Go College tells newly accepted students about the difficulty in picking a college to attend, and also provides some things to think about when making the choice.
• When choosing the college, though, do not be too persuaded by the student-to-faculty ratios the colleges put out, according to Mark Montgomery of the aptly named Great College Advice. In his article, Student-to-Faculty Ratios: What Do These Statistics Mean? Mark analyzes these statistics and gives students some information about how much they should weigh in your considerations. The answer may surprise you.

• Getting Help With Mathematics is one of the most important things a numerically perplexed student could do (especially for the dreaded math portions of the SAT and ACT). David Cassell of Select Courses Blog can help. Don't let yourself be plagued by decagons any longer.
• Though 'counting' is a much easier math subject that harkens back to Kindergarten days, Susan of College Parents knows that students and even parents can sometimes have trouble with it. That's why she gives us her 5 Tips for Making College Affordable. Surprisingly, it comes down to the simple practice of counting your nickles and dimes and making sure they're all in order.
• Patrick A. Sizemore of School is Hard tells us a little bit about his Blue Pen Theory, which he discovered in looking over past assignments and spotting that those written in blue ink scored, on average, 10 percentage points higher than those written in other colors. "Looking for that tiny, extra edge? Think ink," says Patrick. Could this also help on your college applications? It certainly wouldn't hurt to try

• Dealing with students' artistic endeavors, Ian & Sandra Griffin over at Step into College tells us what happens when the college admissions process meets Iraq. Focusing on some talented student playwrights and performers, the Griffins highlight a few students' artistic interpretations about the turbulent admissions process.
• Extra Curriculars Can Make the Difference in a college application according to O'rene Ashley of CEOmum. Not only will this great article tell you all the reasons why clubs and other organizations will help out with college admissions, but also how to address them in your application to optimize your chances.
• According to Phil for Humanity's titular Phil B., The Dilemma for Young Women is "choosing education and a career versus starting a family early in life." Teenaged girls interested in college may find some helpful tips for dealing with this difficult balance in their professional careers.

• Next, an anecdote from student blogger Andy Hunt of Scholars for Students about "a Brown applicant waiting for his admissions decision." Tom Howard is Waiting, says Andy, and his personal experiences may guide other similarly situated students.
• Perhaps the most time-consuming aspect of the college application is The Personal Statement, and CampusGrotto's Ted Reimers wants to help you with it. You shouldn't be making the same mistakes that other students make; let Ted help you out.

And that concludes the third Carnival of College Admissions. Another big thank you to all of this week's contributors. Be sure to submit an article to the next weekly edition by using the submission form. Editions come out weekly, so make sure to check back next week for the latest college admissions articles. The fourth edition will be hosted by Mark Montgomery over at Great College Advice, so make sure to send him plenty of articles to include.

Technorati Tags: carnival, carnival of college admissions, college admissions carnival

Why do colleges require a resume?

Sometimes the format of a typical college application does not allow the candidate to highlight his or her strong points. A resume is basically a brief, at-a-glance brag sheet that you can use to draw attention to all of the accomplishments you feel are important to define who you are, but that didn't quite make it into your personal statement.

How should the resume be structured?

Professional resumes will generally lead with work experience and discuss an individual's professional career. Colleges are not interested in you as a worker so much as they are interested in you as a scholar. As such, many of the typical rules for resume structure do not apply to college applicants. In general, following this format will work for you:

• Heading:Make sure to include a heading on the top that states your name and any other important identifying information. Many colleges will identify you with your social security number, so putting this information in the heading is helpful. A university may also assign you a special applicant number that can be used in lieu of your social security number.
• Overview: Take approximately 3 short sentences to write a mini biography about yourself. If you speak more than one language, mention it. If you're the science fair champion four years running, mention it. If you have the highest GPA at your school, mention it. Highlight your strongest features. Imagine yourself as a news reporter that needs to capture the readers' attention in only a few lines. Make the admissions officer want to read more about you. Naturally, anything you include in the overview should also appear in one of the later sections.
• Education: After the heading, lead with educational information. The name of your high school and its address will go here. Follow that with your GPA and, if you know it, your class rank. Class rank can either be stated by percentile (such as "top 5%") or by actual numerical rank (14 of 326). Any sort of academic distinction may be placed here as well, such as if you earned an International Baccalaureate full diploma or a special state distinction. Do not list your academic awards here, however, as those will come later.
• Activities: Any clubs, programs, community service organizations, sports, or other activities you were a part of during high school should go here. You should try to limit the list to only about 8 entries, so if you have more than that, choose only your most important 8. If you have less than 4, try to think of some organized event you participated in to include. Remember, it does not have to necessarily be a school-sponsored program; activities through your church, community center, or of your own personal drive (bands, etc.) may be included. Each activity should have a short, one sentence description using strong, active verbs. For example, rather than just saying "Band", say, "Marching Band First Trumpet 3 years, performing in 57 school games and in two regional competitions."
• Special Projects: Something that you did once or twice but that could not necessarily be considered an 'activity' may go here. Participation in a science fair, history day project, one-time volunteer effort, or other special events may be included. This category is not vital, so if you cannot think of any special project you participated in, you may omit this section. You should limit your list to 3 entries and provide a bit more detail about each than you would have in the Activities section (about 2-3 short sentences). If you have held a steady job during high school, feel free to add your position here with a few descriptive sentences. You should also change this section's title to something like "Experiences".
• Awards: Don't limit yourself here. This section can be a simple laundry list (though you should explain any awards that do not have an obvious title) or may include more detailed descriptions depending on the amount of awards you have received. Feel free to overlap in this section with other sections (for example, you may mention the science fair in Special Projects, and then also mention that you got first place here), but avoid listing too many awards for the same event. Mentioning your placement in each of the three years you went to History Day is fine, but outlining each of your 67 Speech and Debate victories is too much. Remember that many accomplishments may fit in this category even if you never received a trophy, medal, or certificate.

You don't have to limit yourself to just these sections. If you have a special, extraordinary experience that warrants its own section, feel free to include it. Look around on the Internet for other student resumes and see the kinds of things they include for some ideas for what you might want on your own resume.

How long can the resume be?

Don't listen to the old rule that a resume cannot be longer than a single page. Feel free to go up to 2 pages if you need the room. Keep in mind that a resume is more like an outline than an essay; it should not be dense with information, but rather be an easy-to-follow bulleted list. If you simply have too many activities and awards to keep yourself limited to one page, do not cut information out. Instead, expand onto a second page without worry (unless, of course, the application guidelines tell you to use only one page).

Should I include stuff from before high school?

Generally no unless the activity continued into high school (such as playing in the middle school band and in the high school band). Colleges are generally not interested in your pre-high school experiences.This concludes part 1 of the college application resume tips list. Check back for part 2 with even more tips!

So what is a confused student to do? First of all, you should understand the process:

Many colleges will see and consider both your weighted and unweighted GPAs -- the former of which uses a 5.0 scale for honors and AP classes as opposed to the standard 4.0 scale. Most high schools will report both on your transcript. However, while a university may use your weighted GPA in considering your relative course rigor, they are typically more interested in your unweighted GPA when comparing you to other candidates. In other words, despite the common belief that an honors B equals a non-honors A, many colleges understand that an honors B is still a B even though it was earned in a harder class.

Complicating matters even further, many universities will recalculate your GPA using their own methods. Some will strip away all but the core classes, meaning the "easy A" you earned in art and gym no longer boost you as much as you thought. Instead, it is "Fundamental Five" which determine your GPA for many colleges: math, science, social science, English, and your foreign language.

So if you're looking at the 25th and 75th percentile numbers that many colleges publish, you will want to calculate your GPA using the most accurate metric possible. The best method is to consult the college itself and see if they'll reveal their system for calculating GPA. If not, or if you do not want to go through the hassle, the most conservative way to estimate your own GPA is to calculate your unweighted (i.e. don't differentiate between honors and non-honors courses) GPA from only the 'Fundamental Five' classes you have taken. While other methods of GPA calculation will be used to compare you against other applicants, this number will likely be the most accurate and universal one that you could use to estimate your chances of admission.

Welcome to the second edition of the Carnival of College Admissions. We had fifteen articles submitted this time, thirteen of which have been selected for publication. After a successful first run, I am excited to bring a second week of excellent college admissions articles from all over the Internet. I hope to continue this feature long into the future, but I need your help. Click on the links above for more information about this cooperative effort and to submit a write-up of your own for next week's edition.Read on for all of the excellent articles from the 2nd Edition of The Carnival of College Admissions:

Carnival of College Admissions: 2nd Edition

• May 1, as students will recognize, is the deadline many colleges set for when your ultimate decision must be made. This time is perhaps even more stressful than the actual application season. With some tips for How To Avoid The Pressure of May 1, parent and college admissions blogger Paul Lloyd Hemphill of Your College Blog helps students to deal with this stress and make an educated decision. This article is vital for any high school senior approaching the dreaded decision deadline.
• Ultimately, that college decision may wind up being the hardest and biggest decision you have made so far in your life, at least so says student blogger Lindsey Moore of The Super Fickle Pickle. She asked herself the same question that almost every student ponders this time of year: Where should I go to college? She offers her insight and personal experience to help students make the choice.
• But whichever college you choose, make sure that you consider more factors than just the university's rank alone. In his cleverly titled piece, Matthew Doup of Scholars for Students explains Why College Rankings are Rank. He explains why the often-followed US News College Rankings are less-than-helpful in the college selection process and why, ultimately, they should not be trusted. If you have your handy rankings book next to you and have been relying on it, Matthew's piece may change your opinion.

• Whew, now that you've made the choice of where to go to college, it's time to face the next hard decision: how are you going to pay for it? Before you start reaching for those student loans, remember that scholarships are still the best way to get some free money to pay your tuition. Ted Reimers of Campus Grotto: College Scholarships gives us an inside scoop with College Scholarships and the College Admission Essay in which he analyzes some of the techniques to help students make sure their scholarship essay stands out. Read his tips and start earning your free money!
• But of course, scholarships alone aren't going to cut it, and student loans are often only enough to cover tuition, books, and room and board. How is a poor student supposed to afford other necessities like movies pens, music highlighters, and partying notebooks? With some tips on student financial responsibility and some advice for which credit cards are best, Raymond of Money Blue Book talks about Student Credit Card Rewards and how to maximize your college credit experience. Debt does not have to be in your future if you can learn to be a savvy spender.
• Naturally, the best way to get money is to save money. And with the cost of textbooks, study aids, and flash cards skyrocketing, any student could benefit from knowing the 5 Reasons Why Google and Wikipedia Can be Your Textbook. Tony H. of Pimp Your Grades wants you to know, "college students shouldn't just rely on textbooks and their instructors to learn a subject. The internet provides a wealth of resources to help them in their courses." Save some additional money on overpriced study aids and help supplement your education too by following his tips.

• Not only do students go through some stress during the college admissions process, but parents get their fair share of worries, too. College admissions bloggers and fellow parents Ian and Sandra Griffin of Step into College want you to know that you're not alone. From a parent's prospective, they want to help answer the question How Involved Should Parents Get? The answer may surprise and comfort you.
• One of the biggest challenges parents have to face involve the financial worries about college. Now that you know how involved you should be, make that involvement count. Since your child isn't paying the bills, sometime he or she will not be as diligent about looking for financial aid as you might hope. To help them (and most of all yourself!) in this process, learn the answer to the question Where should parents go to get information about college financial aid? from Todd Johnson of the College Admissions Counseling Blog. According to him, "one of the issues that is most misunderstood by many families is how financial aid works." Help yourself not to be one of the uneducated parents and read his great tips.
• Parents' concerns are not just all about their teenage high school seniors; parents of juniors and younger have their worries as well. Catherine Johnson of ApplyWise recognizes this and compiled a great list of Campus Visits Dos and Don'ts to help those of you planning college visits in the near future. Read her tips to optimize your time at the university and learn as much information as you possibly can during the trip.
• I couldn't help but give some advice to parents myself, and I wanted to touch upon an issue that's often asked this time of year. In fact one reader and parent asked me the very question dealing with what to do when your qualified son or daughter doesn't get accepted into his or her dream school. To respond to that question, I wrote the article When Good Students Are Rejected right here at Accepted to College to help parents with that problem. If your child is disappointed with a rejection letter, follow this advice to help soften the blow.

• Perhaps even more nerve-wracking than a rejection letter is the nebulous and dreaded "wait list". Being left without any definitive answer one way or the other, students on the wait list often panic and wonder about their options. Peter Van Buskirk of The Admission Game doesn't want students to worry, and has some tips for Gaining Admission from the Wait List. If you're in the application purgatory, or simply want to find out what to do if you get there, this advice is invaluable.
• Perhaps you think online college or "distance learning" is right for you. But don't make that decision before you consider What Prospective Online Degree Students Ought To Know. David Cassell of Select Courses Blog wants to make sure that everyone makes the smart choice, so don't choose online college until you have a chance to hear what he has to say.
• We've come a long way in the amount of college admissions advice stuffed into this week's carnival, so hopefully your brain has already had its daily exercise. But what are you going to do tomorrow? Or the next day? Or all of the days waiting for the next edition? Alvaro Fernandez of SharpBrains has the answer with, "a teaser on how to exercise our visuospatial skills / parietal lobes." Get your brain worked out and boost your visuospatial skills before you turn into mush.

And that concludes the second ever Carnival of College Admissions. A big thank you to all of this week's contributors who put together some amazing articles for inclusion. Be sure to submit an article to the next edition by using the submission form. Editions come out weekly, so make sure to check back next week for the latest college admissions articles. Also, feel free to contact me if you're interested in hosting an edition of the carnival.

With the availability of dsl, almost everyone has access to website hosting and detecting a reliable web server is hard, especially in the presence of so many free web site design offers.

Spring is a great time for high school juniors to visit college campuses. Here are some "Dos & Don'ts" that students and their parents need to know before visiting universities:

1. Do visit campuses during your Junior year, but don't miss any classes. Holidays, spring break and weekends are a perfect time to plan those college road trips. Before you leave, check to see if there are tours or information sessions available on the dates you plan on visiting. Regardless, walking on campus while school is in session will give you a true sense of campus life. But don't skip school to visit a college. You need to keep up with your academic obligations. Many universities have open houses on weekends and holidays to work around your academic schedule.
2. Do research the college before you visit and don't visit without knowing the school's basics. Research the school's academic programs and facilities before your campus visit. This will allow you to focus on elements of the campus that you are most interested in. You'll not only impress the admissions officer during the information session, but you'll also remember the visit. Bring a checklist of your expectations and questions you want answered. Keep in mind, though, that asking generic questions will not make a positive impression.
3. Do explore the campus on your own, but don't leave a campus tour without informing the tour guide ahead of time. Tours are designed to show visitors different facets of campus life. However, if you need to leave early for any reason, know that you may miss some important details. Also, let the tour guide know before hand; leaving abruptly can be distracting to both guide and the group. When you do have time to explore on your own, make time to:
   • Have lunch in campus dining center to meet current students. They are a great resource regarding life on and off campus. Imagine yourself as a student on that campus by interacting with students as much as possible.
   • Check out the surrounding community. You’ll be living there for four years! Now’s the time to explore nearby restaurants, movie theatres, malls and places even for employment.
4. Do introduce yourself to your admissions officer, but don't monopolize his time. When you meet your admissions officer, have a brief five-minute conversation about your interest. Ask one thoughtful, well-researched question; this will make a positive impression. Remember, this is not an interview, so don’t dominate the admissions officer’s time. Admissions officers are very busy and you don’t want to come off as a nuisance.
5. Parents: Do listen to your child's opinions, but don't ask too many questions. Let your student do the talking. Overbearing parents are not only embarrassing, but they often prevent the tour guide from sharing some important information. Often, your questions will be addressed organically throughout the tour. Or course, if you still have personal questions, you can always ask your guide at the end of the tour or send an e-mail.
6. Do send a thank you e-mail only if you are genuinely interested in a school and made a personal connection. Don't send thank you notes that your parents have written. A sincere e-mail leaves a positive impression. It may even turn into a great relationship as you start applying. Be mindful not to be insincere or over the top (like asking the tour guide to be your friend on FaceBook or MySpace) in your correspondence, as it may make you look desperate. Also, parents -- do not write any of these letters for your children. Remember, this is their college search process.

Thank you, Dr. Cohen, for your submission. Be sure to check out ApplyWise for more information. You may also read my article on entitled What should I do during a campus visit? for another perspective