The summer between junior and senior year – a busy time.  Hopefully you are taking advantage of any “free” time you have and working on your common application, visiting colleges and writing your essay.  Visiting colleges is truly the most fun of these three options, but sometimes the hardest to accomplish.  Family finances and work schedules often conflict, and students may not get to visit all the schools that they planned.

I read an article today in THE MIAMI HERALD about a new website that features virtual tours of 400 colleges and universities.  I logged on and took a look for myself, and although no substitute for the real thing, I had fun browsing around.  Not only is there a “tour” of the school, but basic information about each school is given – location, number of students, religious affiliation, etc.  It may be a good way to check out a school in tandem with visiting their website.

Check it out at www.youniversitytv.com

Let me know what you think.

In the fall of 2008, the Collge Board announced that they were beginning a policy of Score Choice.  Until now, all SAT and all SATII scores are sent to each and every college that you request scores be sent.  Unlike the ACT, where you can distinguish a single test date that you want sent, the College Board has always sent everything.  Score Choice seemed like a great move…now students can choose which test dates they want sent.

Now, after all the hoopla and fanfare associated with this new “student friendly” policy, we’re finding that some of the colleges are not buying into the idea of Score Choice – they want to see all the tests.  The College Board, while presenting their new policy to the class of 2010 and guidance counselors, forgot to mention that the colleges could still set their own policies regarding receipt of SAT scores.  We won’t know the final numbers or which colleges will or will not subscribe to this new practice, but suffice it to say that you need to be vigilant when going through the requirements for the colleges to which you are applying.  During the summer, research which schools are accepting Score Choice and which are not, and be sure to send to each school that you’re applying to, exactly what they want.