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Why College/University Rankings Should Be Handled with Care

 Europe, Switzerland, UK, US  Comments Off on Why College/University Rankings Should Be Handled with Care
Mar 152012
 

It is easy to get caught up in college and university rankings, or league tables as they are called in the UK, so it is always important to understand just how a set of rankings compares institutions. University World News recently published this article on what the rankings do and do not measure: Eight years of ranking: What have we learned?

Lynn O’Shaugnessy, who writes for CBS Money Watch as well as her own College Solution blog, attacks the same topic but focuses on the US News & World Report college rankings, the best known but highly controversial rankings of US colleges and universities:  How College Rankings Can Hurt You.

Lynn also discusses one way to gain some insight into how good the teaching at a specific institution might be in her article about the website RateMyProfessor.com. This website covers colleges and universities in the US, Canada, England, Scotland and Wales.

More EU students applying to Scottish universities

 Europe, UK  Comments Off on More EU students applying to Scottish universities
Mar 072012
 

As fees for universities in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland increase, more students from the EU are heading to Scotland which has not raised its fees.  BBC News – Rise in EU students applying to Scottish universities.

At the same time that fees are increasing, the available number and range of course options is declining. One in four university courses axed in England but few cut in Scotland.

Conversely, more students from Scotland are going to university overseas in a bid to increase their changes of finding a job after graduation.

Science at Liberal Arts Colleges: A Better Education?

 US  Comments Off on Science at Liberal Arts Colleges: A Better Education?
Feb 092012
 

In Lynn O’Shaughnessy‘s blog post on The Colleges Where PhD’s Get Their Start, she links to this insightful article comparing the experience of undergraduate science students at small liberal arts colleges to those at large research universities. Although you may hear similar points made in many discussions of liberal arts colleges vs. larger universities, this article goes in more depth and cites data to back up its assertions.

I’ve attached a lengthy essay by Thomas R. Cech, a Grinnell College grad, Nobel Laureate and chemistry professor at the University of Colorado, who wrote a fascinating essay contrasting the science experience for undergrads at colleges versus universities. Cech believes science majors at liberal arts colleges enjoy an advantage over undergrads who attend universities. Here are Cech’s thoughts: Science at Liberal Arts Colleges: A Better Education?

Lynn’s blog, The College Solution, is a good place to lose track of time exploring interesting articles on US colleges and universities.

U.S. Universities Giving Significant Financial Aid to International Students

 Uncategorized, US  Comments Off on U.S. Universities Giving Significant Financial Aid to International Students
Jan 292012
 

Although U.S. citizens – whether resident in the United States or not – have an easier time getting financial aid to attend university in the U.S., many universities award significant financial aid to international students. This list allows you to compute the percent of international undergraduate students enrolled at each of university that received financial aid as well as the average amount of aid awarded.

Which to take? SAT vs. ACT

 Uncategorized  Comments Off on Which to take? SAT vs. ACT
Jan 262012
 

US colleges and universities that required standardized tests for admissions give you the option of taking the SAT or the ACT. A small number of very competitive schools may require SAT Subject Tests in addition to either the SAT or ACT. So how to decide which test to take? This article give a reasonable overview of the differences between the two tests. Be sure to read the comments because the readers have made so good contributions.

Matthew Maron: College Exam Faceoff: SAT vs. ACT.

Not All College Degrees Are Created Equal

 Uncategorized  Comments Off on Not All College Degrees Are Created Equal
Jan 192012
 

This recent report put out by Georgetown University’s Center for Education and the Workforce discusses the relative unemployment rates and earnings in the US based on the individual’s college major.

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