If the School Fits…

The Los Angeles Times ran an article, where fashion columnist Adam Tschorn interviewed Neil Patrick Harris from “How I Met your Mother” who discussed how much he loves his Paul Smith and Dolce & Gabbana suits, because they fit and flatter his tall and narrow frame like no other. The article reminded me of the time when I purchased a suit the summer before my first year of college. Though it was one size above my true suit size, the store manager said that I would grow into it. After four years, and some occasional ribbing by former co-workers who made a habit of noting that my suit was too big each time I wore it to work, I never, “grew into my suit.” At BetterGrads, we think the idea of a great fit extends beyond the fashion world. Around this time of year, when prospective students begin to receive [...]

A decision you can sleep on

On Thursday, the New York Times ran an article describing a growing trend among senior citizens: sleep overs! After spending the daytime acquainting themselves with the facilities, retirement communities are offering prospective senior residents the opportunity to take in evening social events and the opportunity to spend the night. For senior citizens, this is a great way to gauge social life and other nuances associated with retirement homes that one could not glean from a brochure. Retirement communities are not the only institutions to offer this opportunity. Colleges do too! I dedicate this post to one of the great (and relatively uncelebrated) pre-college traditions: prospective student overnight visits! Why you should do it: College overnight visits offer prospective students (or more cutely known as, prospies) an unfiltered, in-your-face opportunity to experience collegiate social life in a way that guidebooks or facebook photos could never showcase. For example, such visits give [...]

College: Four Years, or Three?

Should undergraduate programs in the United Stated be reduced from four years to three? Senator Lamar Alexander makes the case for “yes”; Executive Director Kevin F. Adler offers reasons to be skeptical.

Stepping into Diversity

Placing yourself in a whole new environment and breaking the ice with many new people and experiences can be exciting yet a little nerve-wrecking at the same time. Openly and positively interacting with others that don’t quite share the same personality or don’t have the same character as you do is a breakthrough with reaching out beyond what you normally are accustomed to. Learning something new in which you’ve never came across to before opens up a whole new world of possibilities that you may never have thought would spark your interest. I knew college was going to be a fresh new start and a journey of  growth and development, not only academically, but personally as well. For those of you going into college, the first piece of advice I could give is to make sure you go into the experience with an open mind. You’ll discover a lot about [...]

What prevents a school’s culture from being “college going”?

Is it even possible to create a college going culture at a high school if one does not exist already? This article highlights three of the barriers that inhibit a school’s ability to promote a college going culture.