One College Snags Students With Free Tuition

(NEWSER) - Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to college. Mother Jones runs down 10 schools that “may not bother to juke their stats to make US News' short lists, but they still have plenty to offer—and for a lot less dough.”

• Berea College, Kentucky: The price is right—$0—and eco-conscious students live in "environmentally friendly housing" complete with "a contraption that makes sewage so clean you can swim in it."

Counselors often embellish record, don't need licenses

(NEWSER) - Independent college counselors promise to use their admissions know-how to get students into the best schools. But there’s no way to evaluate their sometimes extravagant claims, and some charge more than a year’s tuition at many colleges, the New York Times reports. Still, business is booming in the largely unregulated field—despite concerns from college officials. “I guess there are snake oil salesman in every field,” says the president of the University of Pennsylvania. More»

College freshmen share their lessons about admissions success

(NEWSER) - Applications continue to flood into top US colleges despite the economic slowdown. With admissions as competitive as ever, the Wall Street Journal talks to six people who know—college freshmen—and asks for their advice:

• Don't let naysayers deter you from your dream school: "It pays off to keep on going for it even if you're told you can't do it," says a Stanford product design major.

Thin-letter notices reach students in record numbers

(NEWSER) - The dreaded thin letter from college admissions offices is cluttering mailboxes in record numbers this year, but you'd think the elite of the elite would be safe. Not so, reports the Austin American-Statesman, which talks to local top students, including one who capped his impressive high school record with perfect scores on his SAT and ACT but failed to sway Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, and others. More»

Harvard accepts just 7% of applicants

(NEWSER) - Acceptance letters from the nation's top colleges will begin to arrive on prospective students' doorsteps today, but far more rejection letters are in the mail than ever before, reports the New York Times. Harvard and Yale accepted only 7.1% and 8.3% of applicants, respectively, both record lows as schools struggle with changing demographics. More»