If your goal as a high school student is to get accepted by Swarthmore, Duke, Harvard, Stanford or Yale, you’ve set your goal to go after the highest-tier schools in the land. Some people place the Ivies above all the rest, but most any reputable list (including Forbes’ America’s Best Colleges)includes Whitman College, Pomona College, the United States Air Force Academy and the University of Chicago on that list. In any case, you’ll find that the acceptance rate at most prestigious colleges and universities is below 20 percent, even in the low single digits for arts conservatories such as Julliard.

If you are a family of means, you may take the approach that high net-worth families take and that is to hire a professional counselor to help you make application to a college. These counselors, who work independently, charge large fees to open doors that are routinely closed even to the top students. Just make sure you tell mom and dad that they’ll have to fork over as much as $40,000 according to Andrew Ferguson, writing for The Week.

For everyone else, entrance into Prestigious U. will be based a lot more than what you did in your senior year of high school. Indeed, some schools will look at your academic and volunteer record dating back to middle school to help them separate you from the pack. The following are some tips on how you can improve your chances of getting accepted by a top-notch college or university:

Your Resume — Do you think that resumes are only for people who have a work history? Think again. Many college applications want detailed information about you. Some will call specifically for a resume. You’ll need to work with your high school guidance counselor on the particulars, but your resume should offer details of your academic progress including the Advanced Placement (AP) classes you have taken. Your volunteer activities, extra-curricular activities and your part-time work can also be included. You’ll list your GPA and SAT scores too. Of course, the higher these averages and scores are, the better.

Know the Demographics — Colleges and universities are seeking to become much more diverse, welcoming students from across the ethnic and racial spectrum. Schools are also searching for students globally, with highly selective schools welcoming applicants from across the globe. If your family is wealthy and white, just know that you may find it more of a challenge than ever before to get into a selective school. Of course, if Daddy donates enough money to fund the new arts school building at Prestigious U., you may find that your application gets special consideration.

Make Friends With Alumni Network — Prestigious schools have large endowments, funded by generous alumni donations. Your family may not have the means to financially contribute to a school beyond paying room and board, tuition and related expenses, but you may already be friends with people who have graduated from that school. In that case your alumni network can be tapped to offer you advice on how to get in. If you happen to also work for an alumnus, his or her letter of recommendation can carry some additional weight for you.

Show Your Passion — It isn’t enough to want to get into any school. You need to have a passion for a certain area of study, one that goes beyond the norm. Independent college admissions counselor Audrey Kahane notes that students need to have the “initiative to learn about subjects that fascinate them.” This means that AP classes may not be enough — reading academic journals related to your area of interest demonstrate a passion that can set you apart from other students. Seek out experts in your field of interest too and spend time with them. This demonstrates your passion and can help open doors that might otherwise be closed.

Whether you gain admittance into Prestigious U. or not, your desire for attending college should be for self improvement and academic enrichment. A highly selective school may be desirable, but it might also be unattainable. There is nothing wrong with attending a college that isn’t named among the top-tier schools if that school advances your interest in a specific area of study and prepares you to embark upon a successful career.

Writers are tasked with producing original works, material that may find its way into newspapers, magazines, newsletters, instructional manuals and in online content such as websites and blogs. Writers work in a variety of industries with some working as reporters, others as public relations specialists and still others finding work as freelance writers.

College students who are considering a career as a writer should consider honing their skills by working for the college newspaper, seeking out internships with print and online publications, or volunteering to help manage the public relations thrust for a non-profit organization. The average salary of a writer varies, but the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that such professionals averaged $64,560 as of 2008. That amount was revised upward to $65,960 in 2010 according to the BLS.

Pay Averages

Industry pay for writers varies dramatically with new writers earning from $28,610 per year to earning top pay of $109,440 for those in the 90th percentile. Most writers likely earn somewhere between the 25th and 75th percentiles which is from $39,330 to about $77,560 per year.

Industries

As of 2010, the BLS recorded 40,980 individuals working as writers and authors. Newspapers, magazines and other periodicals continue to employ the most writers, with 7,110 employed as of 2010. These people earned an annual mean wage of $56,210, or about $9,000 less than the industry average. Much higher pay was earned elsewhere with advertising and public relations companies paying $73,710 per year. Those employed in radio and television averaged $66,110 per year with writers in the motion picture industry earning $78,680 per year on average. The highest pay was earned by independent artists, writers and performers, people who earned $101,110 per year on average.

Locations

As with any profession, where you live can have a huge bearing on what you can earn. New York, the state with the greatest number of employed writers also offered the highest wages as of 2010. New York writers earned $88,630 per year followed by California at $85,170. Coming in at a distant third was the state of Washington where writers earned $68,760 per year followed by Maryland at $68,540. Pay was well below the national mean in several states including West Virginia which averaged $37,090, Tennessee at $39,210 and Oklahoma at $41,220.

Considerations

Count on having a college degree if you plan to work as a writer. Experience helps too, therefore build up your portfolio before you graduate and start laying the foundation for a solid network. Excellent writing skills are essential for these positions, therefore many employers prefer to hire people with degrees in communications, journalism, or English. Students with other backgrounds may be suitable as well, particularly if they have a demonstrable writing record or talent.

Faced with multiple college exams over the coming days, you know that some exams will come easy while others will be a challenge. Likely, there is one exam that will require for you to invest an extra amount of studying. Cramming is how you’ll get prepared and I’m going to show you how to do that and get a higher grade.

1. Plan your time – If your exam is tomorrow, then there is no way to guarantee that you’ll get a good grade. What you need is several days to study and prepare, something you can do by setting aside several blocks of time. This means that if you’re working part-time while taking classes, you should ask to be relieved of your work while you’re studying.

2. Get plenty of rest – A well rested body is one that is ready to study. If you are tired, you’ll find it difficult to sleep. Get adequate sleep leading up to your exam and you’ll be able to concentrate on your studying and focus on your test.

3. Set a goal – If you’re a “C” student, you may find it a challenge to ace your exam. Be realistic – if a “B” is within reach, then aim for that grade. You’ll get all worked up for nothing if your expectations are not realistic and may end up with a low grade after all.

4. Review your notes – Your notes will go far in helping you to do well on your exam. If you’ve taken good notes, then you’re all set. If not, you’ll need to beg, plead and borrow notes from another classmate. These days, your professor may post those notes online. However you receive them, you’ll want to have them organized for studying.

5. Break it down – You’ll need to divide your notes up into segments. For example, if there are four main topics that will be on your final exam, then you can divide up your notes accordingly. Take each topic and study block by block. Or, divide your notes into manageable segments and study bit by bit. Consider rewriting your notes on 3×5 index cards as a way to retain what you’ve learned and to highlight the key points. Yes, you can do this just as easily on your laptop or tablet.

6. Get some rest, eat – Cramming all at once will make it more difficult for you to retain what you’ve learned. You’ll grow tired, hungry and your mind will wander. Get some rest by taking a nap, heading off to bed at night or both. Limit your carbs, eat fish and other brain foods and go light on the coffee.

7. Pull it together – Just before you head off to class, do a quick review of your notes. Look over your index cards and concentrate on the one area where you are weakest. If you have trouble remembering a point, form an acrostic. For example, MADS can stand for multiply, add, divide and subtract, four elements of math. This is a simple example, so come up with your own memorable acrostic to help you succeed.

Once you’re ready to take your exam, pace yourself. If you don’t understand a question or cannot complete an essay, then move on and work on what you already know. Save the rest for last, allowing enough time to reread the question and to formulate your response.

See Also — You Can Improve Your College Class Grades

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Let’s take a look at some ways you can mend your differences, perhaps by calling a truce before the war escalates:

Negotiate — He wants this and you want that. You may not be able to get your roommate to change his music habits, but you can have him turn the music down. He’s been wearing earbuds, but you still hear the shrieking that he thinks passes for singing. Maybe you can gift him with a pair of Etymotic hf5 ear buds that do a better job at isolating sound. Then, he can turn the music down.

Evaluate — Perhaps the best approach to a quirky roommate is to take stock at what she adds to the mix. Her eyebrows obsession may mean she spends hours in the bathroom, but if she makes a mean pot of chili and willingly shares it with you along with her southern fried cornbread, why complain? Anyway, said roomie always does exit the bathroom when you really need to use it. Count your blessings — you could have been stuck with a psychopath instead of a harmless, but annoying neurotic.

Legislate — Pull out the roomie by-laws to see what recourse you have with a stubborn roommate. Your college may have an intervention plan in place, one where you can have an intermediary present to resolve disputes. Ask your college dorm supervisor to step in especially if your negotiating has reached an impasse. Be mindful that your list of complaints could be countered with your roommate sharing her list of complaints about you.

Terminate — If all else fails, you can end your rooming relationship the moment you are allowed to do so. This might mean a midwinter change, an in between semesters move where you get to leave your room and find a new roommate. Just make sure that you know this person and all about his or her quirks first before making a change — you might end up in a more difficult situation.

If anything, dorm living can help you appreciate your annoying younger brother or sister, being thankful that at least with them you have someone whom your parents can keep in line.

See Also — House of Horrors: Establishing Rules for the Roommate from Hell

Not every high school uses the same grading system or the school may give bonus points based on academic achievement, extracurricular assignments or for International Baccalaureate or Advanced Placement classes according to Peterson’s College Search. [1] Moreover, colleges and universities may have differing admissions criteria. For example, Cornell University states that it does not use “…any single formula for its admission decisions.” Cornell looks at the student’s high school record, coursework rigor, grades and in-class rank among other factors to determine whether a student is accepted into this Ivy League university. [2] Most schools want students who are in the top tier of their class and have at least a 3.0 GPA.

Handling Differences

So, your school uses a different GPA system, one that allows its top students to score above 4.0. This means a 3.0 GPA at your high school may be treated differently from a 3.0 at a school that pegs its top number at 4.0. At this point you need to set up a meeting with your school’s guidance counselor to understand its grading formula and find out how colleges will interpret your GPA.

If your school’s system is easy to understand, then its top awarded GPA of 4.3 represents an “A+” average, which is 4.0 at other schools. A 4.0 would be an “A” which may also be 4.0 at schools using a traditional grading formula. From an “A-” on down, the scores should be uniform with a 3.7 GPA equaling an “A-” at all schools. If the grading formula is different, then your guidance counselor should explain that and offer a conversion chart to help you determine your adjusted score.

Other Considerations

A lower GPA won’t necessarily disqualify students from admissions consideration. For example, if your GPA is 2.88 and you took predominately advanced placement classes, you should receive consideration equal to or ahead of the student who has a 3.0 GPA and took only the required courses. This is why your academic portfolio must accurately reflect the classes you took and be easily identified by admissions officers. Don’t worry: high schools know that an (AP) or (IB) notation after a course can help out wherever a course name alone doesn’t do justice.

Finally, other considerations given weight include your essay, volunteer and community participation, recommendations and your admittance interviews. Add these in with your test scores and GPA, and your college will have a clear picture of the type of student you are and your potential as an undergraduate. [3]

References

[1] Peterson’s College Search: College Admission Requirements and Your GPA

[2] Cornell University: What Are the GPA and SAT/ACT Cutoffs for Admission?

[3] University of South Florida: Freshmen Requirements

Duties

Meeting planners visit event facilities to find the right venue to hold a meeting. Planners must ensure that the facility offers their client the right amount of space and amenities. Facilities must be accessible to public transportation and, for large events, close to an airport and offering ample accommodations, eating facilities and entertainment. The planner will visit and inspect a variety of places, negotiate prices, consult with customers, work within budgetary guidelines, book facilities and handle emergencies as these arise.

Training

Many employees require meeting and event planners to have a bachelor’s degree although this requirement is not universal. What is essential is for the planner to carry out the previously mentioned duties. This involves someone who is familiar with meetings management, coursework that is offered by some colleges. A bachelor degree in hospitality can be advantageous, opening the door of employment for some graduates. These professionals must have excellent written and verbal skills, be effective crisis managers, and also be skilled negotiators.

Salary

According to the BLS, the average annual salary of meeting planners was $48,780 as of May 2010. Salaries ranged from $27,090 to $76,840, with a median salary of $45,260. Those in the middle 50 percent averaged from $34,800 to $59,130. As of 2010, the bureau reported that there were 56,950 meeting, planning and convention planners at work in the United States.

Employers

The three largest industries employing event planners were business, professional, labor, political, and similar organizations; travel accommodation; and other professional services. Average pay was $53,300, $44,800 and $51,490, respectively. Several industries employed fewer than 100 total event planners, but offered the highest pay with wages ranging from $64,620 to $71,090. These industries included wired telecommunication carriers, aerospace parts manufacturing and other communication companies according to the BLS.

Location

Pay rates for meeting planners varies across the country. States where pay exceeded the national average included Hawaii at $54,130; Massachusetts at $56,130; and New Jersey at $56,410. Metropolitan areas offering top pay included the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown area of upstate New York at $70,570. In Durham, North Carolina, planners averaged $60,460 and in Washington, D.C., these professionals averaged $61,400 annually. The lowest pay levels, ranging from $26,030 to $38,640, were found in the Dakotas, Montana, West Virginia and Kentucky reports the BLS.

Forecast

The job outlook for meeting planners is good, with the bureau forecasting a 16 percent growth rate through 2018. Those event planners with a bachelor’s degree, previous experience and possessing a Certified Meeting Professional credential from the Convention Industry Council are most sought after. Meeting planners will find that their skills are needed across all industries, giving such professionals the opportunity to seek work despite limited knowledge of the employing industry.

References

O-Net Online: Summary Report for: 13-1121.00 – Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition; Meeting and Convention Planners

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Occupational Employment Statistics; 13-1121 Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners

Convention Industry Council; Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) Program: Setting the Standard of Excellence

If you’re looking for way to increase your Twitter following without attracting spammers only, there are five steps you can take to ensure that you’re worth following:

1. Offer Information — Your profile should say something about you and include keywords that can help people find you. One of the most important words or phrases is the name of your school. Mention your school, your major and some of your interests, and find or make a background image that tells people something about you. For example, if you’re an astronomy major, a solar system background can help you get noticed.

2. Offer Advice — How much advice can you offer with just 140 characters to play with? More than you think! You can split your advice up into segments and post these one right after another. Not at once so that people take you as a spammer, but 1-2 minutes apart. Use a desktop client such as HootSuite to schedule your tweets, allowing you to collect your thoughts before uploading your tidbits. Be interesting — if you have unlocked the secret code to your favorite XBox game, then let people know how you did it.

3. Offer Assistance — Twitter is a community of people who tweet, but also retweet messages. Retweeting is important, because it shows that you care about what other people say and have found their tweet or link to be of value. People will follow you if you actively give and take with Twitter, and help you gain access to their followers too. Who knows, the H.R. guy at the company you like could be one connection away from someone you helped.

4. Offer Friendship — Social media seems to be so unsociable, at least when it comes to face to face contacts, right? Yes and no. It is easy for some people to hide behind a social media wall, but it is just as easy to reach out and befriend someone. Do so without an ulterior motive — demonstrate that you care and value this person’s Twitter activities. As far as face to face meetings go, that may come later when you both appear at the same social media convention.

5. Promote Thyself — Take care of the first four steps and you’ll have much more liberty to promote yourself. At this point, you’re a known quantity and just the person others are following and will recommend to their friends. Go ahead, send out some tweets to let people know that you’re looking for work. Or, wanting to meet up at a football game. Or, whatever. Your credibility allows you to push the envelope, provided that you avoid spamming and know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em.

Once you’re established on Twitter, don’t forget to move over to LinkedIn and update your information there. To add your Twitter account to LinkedIn, visit “Edit My Profile” and click “Add Twitter account” next to the Twitter field. Twitter will ask you to verify your account name and password. Once the account is verified, you’ll be asked how you’d like to share your tweets on LinkedIn. Once your accounts have been joined, you can make changes by clicking on “edit” adjacent to your Twitter name.

Resources

10 Twitter Tips for College Students

Do Your Professors Use Twitter?

Using Twitter to Land Your Next Job!

Average Salaries

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics categories museum directors with archivists, curators and museum technicians, recognizing that curators are often museum directors, especially at smaller institutions. As of May 2010, the bureau stated that the mean annual wage of these professionals was $53,160. Those in 10th percentile earned $27,640 per year and those in the 25th percentile averaged $35,890 annually. The median salary for this occupation was $48,450. Those in the 75th percentile earned $66,170 per year and those in the 90th percentile earned $86,450 or more per year. Those curators acting in the capacity of museum director most likely made the top end of the pay scale.

Pay By Industry

More than half of all people in this profession are employed directly by museums. Most of the remaining museums are owned by federal, state and local governments or colleges, universities and professional schools. The museum director and employees in these latter categories are paid by their government or educational overseers. Wages for those employed by museums averages $50,380 per year as of 2010 according to the bureau. Colleges and other educational institutions pay $57,510 per year on average. Government managed museums pay $53,340 on the state level and $50,240 on the local level, on average. Top pay is offered by federal government managed museums with pay averaging $79,440 per year.

Pay by Geography

The District of Columbia is home to several federally-managed museums, most notably those managed by the Smithsonian Museums. Pay rates are also higher in Washington, D.C., than they are in any state, with museum directors and other employees averaging $75,740 per year. California and New York offer the highest pay among states, averaging $62,400 and $61,840 per year respectively. The next highest paying state is Nevada at $60,320 followed by Maryland at $60,210 per year on average.

Job Outlook

The future appears bright for museum directors, including curators, with the bureau estimating a 23 percent growth rate from 2008 to 2018. However, competition is expected to be keen as the number of qualified applicants continues to outnumber job opportunities. Those with highly specialized training, a master’s degree in their specialty, and experience should have an easier time finding work. According to the bureau, “In large museums, curators may advance through several levels of responsibility, eventually becoming the museum director.” Foreign language skills, strong business acumen, and the ability to work well with others are attributes that can help museum directors succeed.

Resources

O-Net Online; Summary Report for: 25-4012.00 – Curators

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition; Archivists, Curators, and Museum Technicians

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Occupational Employment Statistics; 25-4012 Curators

University of Rochester: Museum Job Descriptions

An organized student is one who has mastered the complexities of college life and has discovered that he can still have some fun and achieve his goals. Let’s take a look at some tips to help you get organized or improve upon what you’re already doing:

Study Area

A regular study schedule will do wonders to help you get better grades. If your dorm room offers sufficient room for study, then set up an area where you can sit down, open your books and study. A desk with a comfortable chair works best or an adjustable chair alone with a laptop table might prove ideal for you. If your room is not sufficient for your study needs, then familiarize yourself with your library’s schedule and plan to study there, preferably in a quiet area far removed from traffic. Your school may also offer other areas conducive to studying including a lounge, student center or study hall.

Time Management

Reduce your stress and improve your grades by setting aside an allotted time each day to study. Develop good study habits where you study first and then rest or play later. Review your day’s notes, check your professor’s e-mails and participate in scheduled online discussions, if any. When you receive a term paper assignment, immediately draft an outline to guide you over the coming weeks. Use an online or hard copy calendar to list deadlines and key project interval points when you should have your research completed, your first draft crafted and your final copy ready for review.

Meet the Professors

At some point in the semester, you’ll need to meet with each of your professors to introduce yourself and ask for clarification on one or more assignments. Even if you’re not “stuck” and you understand the task at hand, formally meeting your professor can go far in helping your instructor put a face with your name. This can come in handy later on when you need assistance and can remind him or her of your earlier conversation.

Attend Classes

It should go without saying that you need to attend every class unless an illness or an emergency come up. In any case, notify your professor by e-mail that you won’t be present, explaining your situation. A professor may overlook an excused absent than one where you simply fail to explain your reasons for missing class. Keep your professor in the loop as a missed class can effect your grades.

Campus Resources

Your school has a wealth of resources available to you, but you must take advantage of these to enhance your college experience. If you’re struggling in class and need tutoring, your school can provide a tutor for you. If you get sick or are homesick, there are medical and psychological services available to you. If you’re not sure what classes to take, what major to declare or have some other questions regarding your progress, an academic advisor is there to help. Peer counseling is also available, an option you might prefer. Log on to your college’s website to find an updated list of resources that are available to you.

Importantly, finding balance between your school, work and social life is essential. And don’t neglect your spiritual life too, setting aside time to connect with like-minded people who can support you and guide you as you navigate your way through college.

See Also — 4 Simple, Super Time-savers for College Students

There is one statement the vast majority of us can agree with – college is much too expensive for most students. Certainly, college scholarships, grants and discounting can reduce the cost of a college education significantly, but many students are graduating college with tens of thousands of dollars of debt, with little hope of finding a good paying job to begin tackling their student loans.

Perry’s Plan

Well, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, who also happens to be candidating for the job as the next president of the United States, has another campaign in the works. That campaign is calling for Texas university presidents to find a way to educate students for just $10,000 total for four years of education, books included, reports the Austin Statesman.

On the surface, Perry’s plan seems far-fetched, but it could lead to a reversal in the ever spiraling upward college cost cycle. In the governor’s state of the state address to Texans this past February, Perry challenged Texas college and university presidents to aim for that goal, but he also offered a larger and potentially easier to reach goal of containing costs to help schools reduce overhead.

Bill Gates

The Perry plan was inspired by someone on the opposite side of the political spectrum, namely Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft and an educational philanthropist. Gates, in a YouTube video said, “College, except for the parties, needs to be less place-based.” Gates noted that web-based instruction and other technologies can reduce the price of college to about $2,000 a year.

Texas college administrators aren’t necessarily in agreement with Perry’s proposal, finding that goal beyond reach. However, three community colleges in Texas are currently offering bachelor’s degrees in applied technology for about $10,000, but that amount does not include books which can cost half as much as tuition.

College Expenses

One way for colleges to reign in costs is to examine every program offered at their respective schools and the salaries paid to staff. Very few football programs turn a profit, but for those that do, justifying a multi-million dollar coaching staff salary may make sense. Otherwise, trimming the athletic staff budget seems reasonable.

Some university presidents across the country are millions as well, pulling in base salaries, bonuses and benefits well into seven-figure territory. Full professors are often well paid too, with some earning fully paid sabbaticals for not teaching.

National Campaign

Perry has yet to raise the cost of college education in campaign for president. If he were to do so, it would be interesting to see how the other candidates respond, including the sitting president, Barack H. Obama.