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Archive for the ‘Articles’ Category

Operation: Don’t Get Rejected

Monday, November 16th, 2009

Recently, I was sitting over dinner with my good friend Miriam, kvetching about our graduate school applications and their impending doom. As I listened to her describe her own woes concerning her admissions essay (otherwise known as the statement of purpose), I found myself rehashing some of the same advice I give readers at my day job as a blogger and advice columnist for CampusCompare: “Be unique. Find the aspect of yourself that’s different from the other applicants and highlight it.”

“Speak with professors in the department, or ones who know about the program you are applying for. They will be able to tell you what kind of applicant they are looking for.”

“If you don’t get in, call the admissions office to ask why, so that next year when you re-apply you’ll know what to improve upon.”

I’m a pretty smart cookie, if I do say so myself, and I know a thing or two about college admissions. Yet, despite being a college admissions “expert”, my own graduate school applications have fallen by the wayside. The deadline is inching closer and closer, and I have yet to crack my essay, obtain my recommendations, or even, *gasp!* fill out the application form.

So what’s a girl to do? Blog about it, of course! Follow me over the next few months while I scramble with forms, chase down former professors, and ponder the real reason why I’m 23, employed, and I still want to go back to school. Check back here and follow me on twitter at /campuscompare to stay tuned!

After her stint in Wonderland, a girl named Alice remarked: “I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it.” Truer words were never said, sister.

5 Majors that Won’t Leave You Unemployed

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

With the economy still as slow as molasses, your future after graduation is none too secure. And it’s your college major that can either make-or break-your chances of getting hired once you leave school. Picking a college major that trains you for an in-demand career is your best shot at avoiding the unemployment line and paying back those loans.

According to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, these fields should be growing in the next few years, so here are the top 5 majors that won’t leave you unemployed when you graduate.

To check out every school in the U.S. that offers these majors, click on the link below. Too cool!

Computer Science-Since Al Gore invented the internet, the “information superhighway” has pretty much taken over our lives. With businesses depending on information technology and secure networks, a major in computer science (with a specialization in web-based software platforms, search technologies, or information systems) will be sure to get you hired.

Physical Therapy-In case you haven’t heard, our country is filled with old people. And when they’re not haunting the early bird specials, they’re usually falling down. In all seriousness, health professions in general will experience the most job growth of any profession, and jobs that deal with the elderly will be the most affected.

Mathematics-Education jobs are supposed to grow 10.7 percent by 2016. And the field where they need the most teachers? Math and hard science like physics and chemistry. If you major in Math and minor in education, then you’ll be in high demand upon graduation. And lucky for you, there are already a lot of programs in place to fund the undergraduate or graduate education of students who are committed to teaching. Go to school for free and get a job? Yes please.

Industrial Relations-With all these jobs being created, who is going to hire them? Employment services will make up 40% of all administrative and support jobs. That means human resources and labor relations will be in high demand. Look for a major in Industrial Relations to teach you about labor management, unions, and how to create “corporate culture”.

Early Childhood Education-It’s a little known secret that childcare is the backbone of the labor force. Without it, more and more parents would be forced to stay home with their children, instead of at work. So as the labor force continues to grow, so must childcare. There is also a big push to insist that childcare workers be trained and certified. So make your college major early childhood education, and you’re good to go.

New Kind of College Rankings: GQ’s 25 Douchiest Colleges

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

 

Apparently, the folks at GQ aren’t content with snazzy celebrity interviews and fashion tips for men. They also want to join the college rankings game. For a twist, they’ve compiled a list of the top 25 Douchiest Colleges. I don’t know about you, but I think the list itself is a bit of an act of douchiness. Or douchiplicty, if you will. Anyway, here are our liner notes on when GQ got it right, and when they were just being doucherrific.

21. Trinity-The “I brained someone at Exeter with a 9-Iron but My Dad Got Me in Here” Douche
Ok, this one hits the nail on the head. It’s a place for well educated kids with pretty abysmal grades but some athletic skills or family connections. And while this might not sound like the most intellectual bunch, the school still gets a good rep by virtue of being monied and in the northeast. Much like its student body.

18. Boston University-The Future Marketing Execs Douche
BU is mega-expensive, but the school itself does have some good programs. YES it has a proportion of overzealous communication majors, but it also has a great musical theater department, education program, and psych department. So you can tap-dance to Freudian subliminal messages in advertising! Tah Dah!

17. University of Chicago-The Paul Wolfowitz Douche
Students who go here tend to be scary smart, emphasis on the scary.

14. Arizona State University-The “Show Us Your Tits!” Douche
Hey, it’s in a desert. They’re probably just trying to keep themselves cool. 

11. New York University-The “Yeah, I Did That When I Was 17″ Douche
Also known as the “I’m working on my documentary and shopping for vintage t-shirts that cost $50 douche.”

7. Amherst College-The “I Went to a Small liberal-arts College in Massachusetts” Douche
Hey, don’t just single people in Massachusetts out as douches (I believe the technical term is called “Masshole”). If you want to lord your “personalized, small-class, teacher involvement” education over other people while you play field hockey, why not check out New York, Connecticut, Vermont, and Maine. Skidmore, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Bowdoin, Colby, and Bates are all EQUALLY douchey.

6. Bob Jones University-The “not even College Republicans at Other Schools will Talk to You” Douche
I can’t even argue with this one.

5. Deep Springs-The “I Went to a School So Exclusive, Only Six People Know About It and Half of Them Are So Smart They’re Clinically Insane” Douche
What IS Deep Springs? I actually HAVEN’T heard of it. In fact, this school is so hush hush we barley even have any data on it.

According to Wikipedia: “Deep Springs is in Deep Springs Valley in Inyo County, California near the larger Owens Valley and about 25 miles over mountain passes from the nearest town, Dyer, Nevada, and 45 miles from the nearest town of significant size, Bishop, California. Deep Springs is one of a few remaining all-men’s liberal arts colleges in the United States.” It admits roughly 10-15 students from an applicant pool of 100-200, giving it an acceptance rate of between 5-15%. Most students leave after 2 years, and go on to finish their college degree at Harvard, Yale, or U Chicago (remember what I said about those guys being scary-smart?) Almost half of their undergraduate body goes on to get a doctoral degree.

I’m fairly certain they spike the water (do they have water in the desert?) with some smarty-pills.

4. Harvard-The Harvard Douche
Too easy.

1. Brown University-The “Peace Sign on My Mom’s 7 Series” Douche
As far as limousine liberal schools go, Brown is probably the LEAST offensive. If you really want to run into students wearing $100 yoga pants, drinking fair trade coffee, and complaining about hegemonic power while preparing to become a part of it, head to Hampshire, Sarah Lawrence, Bard, or Wesleyan. Better yet, just head to Williamsburg, Brooklyn.