Marketing to universities isn’t just a marketing expert’s job anymore. A recent trend shows that students applying to selective universities are engaging in techniques more suited for billboards rather than academics. Students are turning to private coaches, specializing in “packaging” a particular student to create their own personal “brand.” The notion of a student trying to make themselves stand out from the rest of the applicant pool is being taken to the next level. So who is to blame?

The blame cannot be placed on a single party. Universities themselves spend much of their dollars to market themselves to students. Students are now responding in kind (some counseling services carry a price tag of $4,000). Admissions counselors have been drilling into students the idea of distinguishing themselves for years, especially if they want to get into highly selective institutions. And the myth that the only worthy options for students are a small group of selective schools has yet to be dispelled. Regardless of blame, the concern should be for the students. Many are engaging in activities that they may not be interested in or passionate about simply because it “looks good.” Job hunters are familiar with “punching up” their resumes. A 17-year-old in high school shouldn’t have to do the same.

Jonathan Lekstutis
November 29, 2007

As a large number of students are making the decision to study Arabic, American colleges and universities are trying to meet this demand by supplying the students with proficient professors. In one case, Hussein Elkhafaifi, an assistant professor and director of the University of Washington’s Arabic language program, had to turn 150 would-be Arabic students away due to the lack of chairs.

Jonathan Lekstutis
November 28, 2007

Undergraduate students who are part of minority groups are more and more attending universities that are classified as “minority serving,” according to a U.S Education Department report released on Tuesday.

Jonathan Lekstutis
November 27, 2007

There is intense debate going on in higher-education as the federal agency in charge of evaluating college accreditors begins their evaluation process. College accreditors measure the success of educational institutions. The evaluation of them takes place as the Bush administration is pushing for colleges and universities to do more to demonstrate how well they help students learn.

Jonathan Lekstutis
November 27, 2007

The University of California’s long standing guarantee of acceptance for students achieving minimum grades and standardized test scores is in jeopardy. A plan to eliminate the admission procedure is being debated Tuesday by UC San Diego’s faculty senate. The proposal would replace the guarantee with a pledge to look over each qualifying student’s entire application.

Jonathan Lekstutis
November 26, 2007

Facebook, the popular social networking site, is stepping in the college game and trying to help students pick the college that is best for them. To accomplish this task, Facebook has designed an application called SkoolPool.

Jonathan Lekstutis
November 26, 2007

The U.S Education Department is continuing its probe into the student-loan practices at American colleges and universities. Despite the success of the earlier investigation, the department has identified 55 colleges that received a second round of letters concerning the investigation

Jonathan Lekstutis
November 23, 2007

As online learning continues to grow and more and more students are making the choice to get their college degrees online, educators are searching for more ways to make the experience more enjoyable. During the fall 2006 term, about 3.5 million students took at least one online course, according to the Sloan Consortium report “Online Nation: Five Years of Growth in Online Learning.” And although they did it because they wanted a college degree, that aspiration alone might not carry them to completion.

Jonathan Lekstutis
November 23, 2007

The total number of doctoral degrees awarded by American colleges and universities rose 5.1 percent in 2006. This rise led to a record of 45,596 doctoral degrees being awarded, according to a report released by the National Science Foundation. Out of the increase in doctorates the largest rise came in the fields of science and engineering.

Jonathan Lekstutis
November 21, 2007

Several elite academic institutions are considering expanding their enrollment. Admission deans at schools like Yale, Stanford, Princeton and Harvard are voicing regret over rejecting so many talented students. This movement is growing among the nations elite colleges and may lead to changes in the way these universities select their student body.