Don't just talk about. Live it!

The BIG BUSINESS OF COLLEGE is an industry built around an educational environment. It is centered on the academic community of the college where learning, research, study-abroad, internships, and community projects go on every day. No offense to Best Buy, but college is not centered around computer and television sales. You can walk into Best Buy oblivious to the environment you enter and still get a good deal on your purchase. You can't be oblivious to the academic community when entering a college campus and expect a deal to be worked in your favor. That doesn't happen. However, most student-families arrive on college campuses every day oblivious to the environment they enter.

Not our CollegeLogic-students and parents. Gone are the days when a college visit entailed just walking around campus on a tour being led by a graduate student. Those visits come up empty in creating advantages with Admissions. Rather, it is important to connect in a meaningful way with the people who will decide upon your application and scholarship award. What do you need to do? You should plan on meeting the admissions people and in doing so, not just talk about your interests but show that you are living it.

It's all described in detail here in our new book- 

     Dissecting the Big Business of College

To continue on with our ten strategies for saving thousands on college costs, we have- 

Strategy # 3- Build unique credentials beyond grades for increasing scholarship awards

How have things changed over the past ten years? For one, students today have an abundance of credentials. Admission acceptances and scholarship awards were traditionally based on the academic record of the applicant. The new norm is for high GPA and SAT/ ACT scores to be a given. The new norm is for a list of volunteer assignments and minor leadership roles to be a given. The new qualifiers for distinguishing students from the pack calls on them to do extraordinary things, such as-

• Start a new club
• Create a blog site
• Have real leadership achievement
• Have genuine community service
• Have specific mission-driven work
• Expand cultural diversity with study abroad or cultural immersion trips
• Be knowledgeable and aware of current events and important national issues 

This is how students distinguish themselves from others for winning admission acceptances and increasing scholarship awards. Sure seems college-logical to me.