May 2010

Illinois MAP scholarships are in a crisis . . . but maybe we can help “Illinois turns away 27,000 for financial aid,” an article in the Chicago Tribune this week, reports some grim news for students who have been counting on scholarships from Illinois’s state-funded Monetary Award Program (MAP) program. Here’s the crisis in a nutshell . . . This May, 27,000 eligible applicants were turned away because Illinois didn’t have enough money to cover MAP scholarships. Those 27,000 students are part of an even bigger group. In the academic year that just ended, a total of 120,000 eligible MAP applicants were turned away. (Compare that to 60,000 the year before.) And the crisis is expected to grow dramatically in the year a ...

There’s no need to take a break from your online college studies this summer, even if you’re kayaking through the Everglades or trekking the Sierra Madres. All you need is some kind of broadband access and one of these ultra-rugged laptops that are designed to take any kind of beating that you or nature can dish out. We’ll list them in order of price, with the least expensive first. The GammaTech Durabook D15RP has a hefty case, an extra rugged keyboard and a shock-resistant hard drive that encrypts itself automatically to protect your information if the computer falls into the wrong hands. Price: About $2,000. Panasonic Toughbook F8 is a laptop hiding in a nearly bullet proof aluminum attaché case. Highly shock resistan ...

Updated 9/2015 “Nationwide, about a third of first-year students in 2007-08 had taken at least one remedial course, according to the U.S. Department of Education. At public two-year colleges, that number rises to about 42%.”  – USA Today “One-third of students need remedial college math, reading,” a recent article in USA Today, documents a nationwide epidemic of students who arrive at college with deficient skills.  Some of these students are recent high school graduates whose skills are not up to par. Others are students who are starting college 10 or more years after they graduated high school; they simply need a refresher. Want to try an online class that will earn you college credit? Take two free lessons on us today! ...

“Students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction. Learning outcomes for students who engaged in online learning exceeded those of students receiving face-to-face instruction, with an average effect size of +0.24 favoring online conditions.” -Source: Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning, a 2009 report from the  U.S. Department of Education When a rave review the one we quote above comes from the U.S. Department of Education, it’s clear that online education is moving into the spotlight on the stage of American higher education. And it’s little wonder. If you’ve been reading this blog, you a ...

If you’re about to enroll in college in September – or if you have a son or daughter who will – why not help assure success by taking some college-level classes over the summer vacation months? And here’s one more thing you can do. Before you head off for summer vacation, put these books in your book bag. The strategies they teach could provide a quicker route to college success. How to Win at College: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country's Top Students by Cal Newport. (Broadway Books, $11.95) Here are some of the strategies you’ll find in this lively, easy-to-read book:  Don’t do all your reading . . . drop some classes every term . . . become a club president . . . care about your grades, ignore ...