Look, I basically sold my soul to my parents for three months to earn enough allowance to buy Jurassic Park on laser disk, so I understand what it’s like to want the next best thing with all your heart.

I especially understand when the next best thing is college, which means freedom, no parents, new friends, no more social cliques, and getting to be a grown up.

So let me play devil’s advocate with you because it’s likely you’re going to ignore your parents’ pleas to you to “not grow up too fast.” But hey, don’t grow up too fast. Sure high school can seem lame because everyone’s telling you what to do and you’re just like, so over it.  But, let me try to convince you why you shouldn’t let yourself get too over it too quickly.

5 reasons to relish high school while you can:

1. Your friends
Chances are, you’ve made some of your best friends in high school, or even just that one in a million person who also prefers mustard over ketchup 100% of the time. Our high school years are essential in forming who we become largely because of the friendships you make. So even if you’re not popular, or you feel too popular, whatever your angst-y angle on the situation is, your high school friends are special because they’re going with you on this weird roller-coaster of adolescence that nobody else will ever quite understand. So don’t be too rushed to say goodbye to them.

2. The guidance
You’re probably sick and tired of people telling you what to do, but if you can just spin it a little and think of what every teacher, parent, or counselor is saying as suggestions that you can take or leave at the door, it might be little easier to swallow. The thing you need to grasp is that you’re not an adult, as mature as you may be. And being in high school is a unique opportunity to be around adults who have had experience in life who can guide you. Your high school is a community that is literally built to help you succeed. Get the most out of its resources and your relationships before your pop a wheelie out of there.

3. The extra-curricular activities
High school, of all places, is the place to learn how to be involved in something, to grow with a team of people, and to eventually take on leadership positions. Whether it’s sports, DECA, debate, theater, choir, student council, volunteer, or anything else, your high school activities give you the opportunity to be passionate about something and to also expand yourself as well-rounded person.

4. The fleetingness
Blink and it’s over. You’re in your mid-40s wishing you could just be back in those high school halls, high-fiving your pals as you pass them in J-Hall, stopping to chat with your crush of that moment, and leaving for biology with the delightful and exciting sense of butterflies in your stomach. High school, in retrospect, is super fun. You’re just with a bunch of your peers all day learning about things you never knew before. But yeah, then it’s gone.

5. The preparation
I know I’ve been a bit sentimental about this whole relish your high school years thing, and it’s not like I wish I was back in high school or anything–I mean, I totally do–there’s a badminton rival I’d really like to meet face-to-face with again–but here’s a non-sentimental point. High school prepares you for college. If you’re all “I’m just so over this!” and you decide to graduate high school early, for the wrong reasons, you won’t be as prepared for college as you could’ve been.

So yes, it’s okay to delete your MySpace account, but just enjoy the days you have left in high school.

Are you “over” high school? Or do you think students take high school for granted? Leave a comment below.

Although pop culture spins it a certain way, most students are not focusing all their attention on trying to get into the most selective private colleges in the nation with hopes of becoming the next president of the United States, CEO of some conglomerate that secretly owns everything, or just desperate to live up their wealthy family’s noble legacy and tradition. The vast majority of students just want a college education to help them make a better living than statistics tell them they’d have otherwise.

The Chronicle recently published an article explaining that most college students are actually attending community colleges and public four-year colleges and that a huge portion of those students attend school part-time–a fact that is often overlooked. That’s definitely a tidbit that’s left out of the popular American conception of the “college experience.” In fact, the American “college experience” of Greek Life, football games, partying is not what the actual college experience is for everybody. Students that come from families with smaller annual incomes are not as likely to go to a four-year selective college that offers that kind of “typical” college culture.

To help us grasp what the undergraduate landscape is accurately like, The Chronicle crunched numbers from 2007-8 in two data sets from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Here are some of the trends they found:

• 39.4% of undergraduates attend community college
• 37.5% of undergraduates attend public 4-year institution
• 16.5% of undergraduates attend private nonprofits
• 6.6% of undergraduates attend for-profits
• 25.1% of undergraduates annual income of parents and/or independents is less than $20,000
• 2.1% of undergraduates annual income of parents and/or independents is more than $200,000

Here is the breakdown of colleges attended by students from families earning less than $40,000:

Public 2-year – 50.0%
Public 4-year – 6.8%
Other public 4-year- 15.9%
Nonprofit research-extensive and liberal arts colleges – 1.6%
Other private, nonprofit 4-year – 7.0%
Private for-profit – 15.3%
Others – 3.4%

Do these numbers surprise you? What’s the college experience you want or have had?

We have been hearing a ton of feedback on the big school/small school debate, like these comments from Cappexians Emily and Audrey:

The debate could go on forever about the pros and cons of a big school versus a small school, but in the end, it’s what floats your boat! If smaller classes, guaranteed attention from professors and faculty, and a close-knit community is something you’re looking for, how about starting off your college search with the 10 smallest colleges in the United States:

1. Shimer College
Enrollment – 81
Fun fact – Shimer college, now co-ed, was originally founded as an all female college. Its classes are exclusively small seminars–how could they be that big!– in which students discuss original source material rather than read textbooks

2. Sterling College
Enrollment – 99
Fun fact – Sterling College is one of seven colleges part of the Work College Consortium, which means it’s an institution of higher learning where student work is an integral and mandatory part of the educational process.

3. Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts
Enrollment – 128
Fun fact - The Lyme Academy is known for its contemporary focus on the history and tradition of representational art, centered on the study of nature and the figure. So if you want a contemporary focus on the history and tradition of representation art, centered on the study of nature and the figure…this might just be the place for you…just…maybe…

4. Bryn Athyn College
Enrollment - 155
Fun Fact - Bryn Aythn’s College’s original campus and surrounding community was designed in 1893 by Charles Eliot of the firm Olmstead, Olmstead, and Eliot – the famous firm responsible for the design of New York City’s Central Park.

5. Art Academy of Cincinnati
Enrollment – 156
Fun fact – Students at the Art Academy of Cincinnati work closely with faculty members who themselves are professional contemporary artists (student to faculty ratio is 10:1).

6. Burlington College
Enrollment - 166
Fun fact – Burlington College is one of the few American universities to offer study abroad programs in Havana, Cuba. So if you have an undying desire to relive your favorite movie “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights,” this might be the easiest way to get the clearance to go to Cuba.

7. College of Visual Arts
Enrollment – 189
Fun fact – The College of Visual Arts is comprised of 5 school buildings including a 1915 mansion.

8. Montserrat College of Art
Enrollment – 270
Fun fact – Well-known alumni of Montserrat include prominent fashion designer Sigrid Olsen, sculptor Carlos Dorrien, and children’s book illustrator Giles Laroche.

9. Cogswell Polytechnical College
Enrollment – 287
Fun fact – Among Cogwell’s other programs are animation and video game development.

10. Judson College
Enrollment – 324
Fun fact – Judson is one of the oldest women’s colleges in the United States, but is now co-educational.

What’s your take? Do these schools sound too small or are they just the right size? Leave a comment!

How now, college-bound spirit! Whither wander you?  -Mostly Shakespeare with a little bit of Cappex

Hark! Midsummer is here,
July’s halfway through.
A new school year’s so near,
so many things to do.

The college search ignites fears,
from now till you’re in.
So prop up your ears,
Cappex gives you tips to help you win.

If you need that translated, here’s what we said: Believe it or not, summer is flying by. So be sure you’re making the most out of your free time to get some important college search things down.  In honor of it being midsummer, and because Shakespeare was a chill dude, our list shall be called:

A Midsummer Night’s College Checklist:

1.  Start studying and/or register for the ACT or SAT
Many of you have already taken the ACT or SAT (either of which you’ll likely need to apply to a 4-year university or college). But if you haven’t, or just don’t like what your score looks like yet, no worries; you still have time! The next date for the ACT is September 10, and you have until August 12, 2011 to register. The next date for the SAT is October 1, and you have until September 9 to register.  That gives you plenty of time to register and hit the books.

Don’t forget! Even though many college applications have you write-in your ACT or SAT scores, you’ll probably be asked to have College Board (SAT) or ACT send your official scores.

2. Contact colleges you’re interested in
Make some contact with the colleges you’re interested in.  They like to see that you reached out to them before you applied–it shows that you’re truly interested and may possibly enroll if accepted.  You may want to schedule an interview or a informational meeting with an alumnus in your area. If you do wind up having an interivew, make sure to follow our interview advice.

3. Visit colleges
Nothing gives you insight into a college or university the way a college visit does. It’s the only way you can actually experience what campus life is like. You can read all you want about your dream school’s history, when and how it was founded, where its original campus was built, what secret tunnel runs between the library and president’s house, the complete, unabridged list of which celebrities are alumni–you can go on! But just know, a visit to a campus will do you just as well. And considering you have some free time in summer, it’s a great opportunity to go now.

4. Rough drafts of your essay
Hopefully you’ve gotten a hold of the applications for the schools you’re most interested in applying to. Just like the phrase, “With great power, comes great responsibility,” with each application, comes a fairly hard essay question to answer. Perhaps that example was ill-fitting, but with any application, comes some sort of essay you’ll have to write. Bored on a Wednesday night because your shift got cancelled and all you’re friends are out of town ? Perfect! Start drafting those college essays!

5. Scholarships
Jan Brady once eloquently stated, “Scholarships, scholarships, scholarships.” She’s right. No matter what kind of stunt Jan is pulling, our attention will always linger back to scholarships. It’s the heart of the matter, because they will help you ultimately pay for college. Get a head start on your scholarship search. Start by making a Cappex profile to match you with scholarships that best fit you.

Have you checked anything off these items off your list yet? What steps do you think rising seniors should make before school starts again? Leave comment!

When it comes to college campuses, rural and suburban don’t mean lame or in the middle of nowhere or tumbleweed or Deadwood or no man’s land or super extra lame or “Good day, sir!” (because it definitely does not mean that)–a rural or suburban college campus just means it’s a more traditional-style campus.  It’s the kind of campus you’ve seen in the movies. Unless that movie was about an urban college. Any who, you get the picture.

So, now you ask:

Q: What Type of Student Goes to an Suburban or Rural College or University?

A: A student who…

Wants a sense of community
A suburban/rural college campus generally means that the college is one of the factors that the town is known for. As compared to New York University, where the university is in the city, in a smaller town, sometimes it feels as if the city has built itself around the campus. In that sense, the entire town becomes part of the university. Everywhere you go you see your college colors–even while you’re off campus, you feel like you’re in it.

Wants to bring their car
Parking at a traditional college is much more doable than it would be living in the city. Whether there’s ample free parking, permit parking, or a space you have to pay for monthly, if you desperately want your car at college for the occasional trip home or to the grocery store or just to have on tap for the sake of adventure and being young with the open road at your fingertips, then it’s worth the price! 

Wants a haven for the outdoors
Going to a rural or suburban campus gives you access to the wonderful wide world of nature in a way that going to city campus does not permit. Even if you’re not planning on becoming an environmental science major, you might enjoy the outdoor activities the area you’re in has to offer, like camping, rock climbing, relaxing on the beach, or taking a quiet walk through arboretum, getting all Darwin on us, and journaling every walk of life you see out there.

Wants school and friends in walking distance
At a traditional college campus, getting from Point A (Psych 101) to Point B (Library) to Point C (your dorm) to Point D (Archie’s Burgers) to Point C (that awesome theme party you’re definitely going to) is all usually within walking distance. Once you get used to campus and know where everything is, the only thing you need to get around is a good pair of walking shoes.

Wants school to be the center of academic and social life
In a big city, you’ll have so many distractions, like museums, events, clubs, and so many other things.  On a rural or suburban campus, it’s not as much the excitement of the town that will entertain you, but its the students, professors and staff itself.

What’s your opinion on going to a traditional college campus vs. a city/urban campus? Leave a comment.

Well, maybe you need a fresh source of information.

Today we’re giving you 4 and 1/2 college myths and debunking them so you can understand what college life is actually like–not 30 years ago–but today:

1. Big colleges are best if you haven’t chosen a major
Surprisingly, a bigger school doesn’t necessarily mean more options for your major. As long as you decide on a school that has a good selection of fields of study, you probably have the same flexibility in majors at a small school as you would at a big one–possibly even more. For instance, you might decide that you want to create your own major. At a big school, you might have to jump through a bunch of administration hoops to do want you want. At a small school, the administration is probably more personal and even eager to help you make the education you want.

2. College is 4 years. Period.
Yes, most college students graduate in four years.  It’s kind of just the allotted time given to college students, but it’s a bit arbitrary. Depending on how long you want to stay in college, you can reasonably graduate before that four year mark or after. If you want to graduate in fewer than four years, it’s as easy as meeting with an adviser and scheduling your credits smartly so that you complete what you need in time.  If you want to stay past the four year mark, it also makes sense to sit down with a college adviser to figure out when you should take which classes when, or what you can accomplish with the “extra” time.

3. You must go Greek immediately
A ton of incoming college freshman freak out because they want to go Greek–join a fraternity or sorority–but have barely even acclimated to college life yet. Too many students hurry into Greek like without really knowing what they even want out of college. The good news? You don’t have to rush until you’re certain you want to. There are houses that offer second semester rush, or, you can even just wait until you’re a sophomore to join. Do what you’re comfortable with!

4. Hazing is just part of the tradition!
Hazing may be a tradition in a house, but colleges and universities do not condone it. Too many times does a hazing activity go too far, as in it will cause serious harm to people, because nobody stands up to stupid or dangerous ideas. If you’re doing the hazing, and it goes public, you could get into serious trouble. We’re talking like actual trouble with police and legal things and lawyers and all that stuff.

4.5 College isn’t the real world
College is kind of a bubble considering how unique it is to have such a high concentration of young people trying to learn in one place. So yes, that can seem a little “unreal”. But it’s not like college campuses exist in magic fairy tale dimensions. College campuses are in real places where real people live and work and play. You don’t have to wait to make an impact or try living in the “real world” until after college–you’re in it now. Your campus may be different from where you want move after you graduate, but there’s no reason you can’t immerse yourself into the local culture or contribute to it. Even just getting a normal job off-campus can help you realize you’re in the real world.

Have an opinion or question? Leave a comment!

The freshman roommate can turn out to be a(n):

A. absolute nightmare
B. BFF
C. just a person you happen to share a tiny room with

Here are 4 ways to go about choosing your future freshman college roommate:

1. Blind
Rooming blind is for the adventurous. For those who yearn for the surprise and peril of the open sea! It’s also for anyone who is kind of apathetic about the whole thing.
Pro: You could be paired with someone who you wouldn’t meet otherwise and who could help expand your college world.
Con: You have no way of knowing what you’ll be getting in to.

2. A friend
Rooming with a friend is a risk, but not for risk-takers.
Pro: You’ll be living with someone you already know! Having a safety net could help you be more outgoing when making new friends.
Con: Moving from friends to college roommates is an underrated shift in the tectonic plates of friendship. You’ll suddenly be around each other 24/7.  You could risk changing the friendship you have.

3. A friend of a friend
The friend of a friend roommate strategy is the perfect smoothie made from the blind roommate situation and friend roommate situation.
Pro: You have a friend in common, so you know a mutual friend thinks you’re both pretty rad and probably won’t steal things.
Con: If you both have a lot of the same mutual friends, your social circle might not expand the way you wanted it to in college.

4. Facebook or social networking site
For the person who wants to control the roommate issue as much as they can without going through friends.
Pro: You can handpick your college roommate by sifting through different options to find the person that you think you’d get along with while dwelling together.
Con: You might not get what you thought you signed up for.

Do you have any advice or thoughts on choosing a freshman college roommate? Leave a comment!

If everybody on your college campus is in a fraternity or sorority, would that affect your decision?  What if nobody is? How are you supposed to know if you want to be part of Greek life before you even land in your freshman dorm room? It’s a strange and hard decision you have to make, so the best way to figure out if you’re into the toga parties, mixers and various accessories with Greek letters is to contact a friend or a friend of a friend, or even a friend of a friend of a friend’s cousin’s step-dad’s niece, and ask her some questions!

In the meantime, these are the top 10 colleges with the most students in fraternities or sororities.

Percentage of Students in Fraternities:

1. Clearwater Christian College – 100%

2. Free Will Baptist Bible College – 97%

3. Washington and Lee University – 81%

4. Allen University – 72%

5. Sewanee-The University of the South – 70%

6. Depauw University – 63%

7. York College – 60%

8. Westminster College – 54%

9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – 51%

10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology – 50%

Percentage of Students in Sororities:

1. Clearwater Christian College - 100%

2. Free Will Baptist Bible College – 98%

3. Washington and Lee University – 79%

4. Depauw University – 72%

5. York College – 72%

6. Sewanee-The University of the South – 68%

7. Wofford College – 56%

8. Transylvania University – 55%

9. Ashland University – 55%

10. Millsaps University – 54%

Is there a percentage of students involved in Greek life that’s too high for you? What’s your take? Comment and share!

When you’re packing for not just a little vacation but for a year of college, things can get pretty heated. There’s just no way you can take both your lava lamp and study lamp! You’ll only have room for one.

To help quell your fear, here’s a list of 7 things you should bring with you to your freshman dormitory:

1. Extra-long sheets and bedding
Definitely double-check this one, but most college dorms have extra-long mattresses. Some simple math brings me to the conclusion that if you have a longer mattress, you’ll need longer sheets. Also, you might want to bring a study pillow if you’re ever too tired to head out to the library.

2. The smallest kitchen you’ll hopefully ever use
There will be a point in your college career when leaving your 10′ X 15′ room is just not an option–think extreme weather or wee small hours of the morning. To prepare for instances like this, you’ll want a mini fridge and/or microwave. There’s no way you can pull an all-nighter without something delicious to nosh on.

3. Laundry bag/basket
The laundry bag/basket serves multiple important purposes including the obvious, to hold and transfer laundry from your dorm room to the laundry facility. The other utilization of the laundry bag/basket is for the quick fix before your parents show up for visitors’ weekend. If you don’t have time to really clean your room, just temporarily stick everything in there. Old college trick.

4. A tiny bit of nostalgia
Take a little morsel of what you had back home with you to college. A couple of pictures of the “Fab Five” or that guy trying way too hard to grow mustache that you took to prom is fine. Maybe throw in a couple pictures of mom and dad. But don’t go too far. College is about moving forward.

5. Sustenance
What’s your fuel? A protein bar? Some V8? Whatever non-perishable it is, buy it in bulk and keep it in a container under you bed. You’ll thank me later.

6. A lot of boring stuff
Bring all that stuff you don’t really have to purchase at school because you have an abundance of them at home i.e. hangers, coffee mugs, notebooks, pens, hula skirts (maybe I just grew up in a weird home)–all the lovely little things you take advantage of while living at home.

7. School supplies
This one kind of piggy backs on #6, but you can save some money by bringing school supplies you already have at home with you to college. Look through your house for extra things you might want, like pens, calculators, books etc. Also, definitely figure out what your computer situation is going to be. Will you purchase a laptop or desktop with a student deal? Or will you opt on using the school computer labs?

Do you have any packing tips? Comment and share!