More high-schoolers reinvent their senior year

By the fall of 2011, a small group of high schools in eight states will take part in a new initiative, announced last week, that will allow high school sophomores who pass a series of "board exams" to graduate two years early and move directly to a two- or four-year college.

Outreach to Gay Applicants

At many colleges, it's a standard part of the recruiting process. Current students who share individual traits or academic interests help reach out to prospective students with similar backgrounds or interests. This year, the University of Pennsylvania is applying the idea to admitted applicants who are gay.

Advice From Students Who've Been Through It

As Nicole and I walked down the aisle of her high school auditorium, she darted to sit with a friend while I went for a seat up close. It was College Night — a chance for all interested students and parents to get the lowdown directly from seven high school seniors — and I didn’t want to miss a word.

College application videos: Good or bad idea?

Underscoring the fine line between art and reality, the movie "Legally Blonde" seems to have foretold the newest innovation in college admissions: YouTube videos.

Reasons to Expect Big Tuition Increases

The average cost of a year of education at a public university this year is expected to be just over $7,000 while the average cost at a private university is now more than $25,000 a year. There are several factors leading to higher college tuition prices for both public and private schools and their impact is going to be felt by college students sooner rather than later.

Financial aid offices are feeling the economic pinch, so students seeking help need to act fast

In the last year, the nation's private colleges have laid off staff, shelved construction projects, slashed sports teams and turned down thermostats to cut costs. But student financial aid has kept flowing. Now the weak economy is forcing some institutions to limit their generosity after many of them doubled or even tripled financial aid over the last decade.

Improving college attendance

In their paper The Role of Simplification and Information in College Decisions: Results from the H&R Block FAFSA Experiment, the authors make the case that simplification and counseling together could boost college attendance and aid, especially among low income students.

Lowering the cost of college

In a few weeks high school students across the country will start receiving acceptance letters from the colleges to which they’ve applied. Hopefully your student will get into the school of his or her dreams.